Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Focused Read-aloud: A Tree Is Nice | EL Education Curriculum

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Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Focused Read-aloud: A Tree Is Nice

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • R1.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • R1.K.2: With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • RI.K.4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • RI.K.8: With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
  • W.K.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.K.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
  • SL.K.6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
  • LK.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.K.1e: Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
  • L.K.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • L.K.2a: Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
  • L.K.2b: Recognize and name end punctuation.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use prepositions to describe where something is located. (W.K.8, L.K.1e, L.K.2a, L.K.2b)
  • I can identify and discuss the reasons an author gives to support points in A Tree Is Nice. (RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4, RI.K.6, RI.K.8, SL.K.1a, SL.K.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the focused read-aloud in Work Time A, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4, RI.K.6, and RI.K.8 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Collect students' Enjoying Trees Journals, Part II and use the Language Checklist to track progress toward W.K.8, L.K.1b, L.K.1e, L.K.2a, and L.K.2b (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "Trees in Our Community" (10 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Focused Read-aloud: A Tree Is Nice (20 minutes)

B. Language Dive: A Tree Is Nice (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment  

A. Independent Writing: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II (15 minutes)

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • In Work Time A, students begin the first of three focused read-alouds using A Tree Is Nice. This text presents information on ways trees contribute to people and their communities, and also exemplifies how an author supports his or her point through text structure. 
  • The pages of A Tree Is Nice are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Trees Are Very Nice" should be considered page 2 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly.
  • In Work Time B, students participate in a Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from A Tree Is Nice. The focus of this Language Dive is to give all students the critical language and syntax practice they will need to identify opinions and reasons as well as create their own. Students practice expanding an opinion with a reason using the word because (L.K.1.F), then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence throughout the unit when discussing reasons that trees are nice. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.
  • In this lesson, students focus on how to show respect, a trend that continues throughout the unit as they form their own opinions and listen to the opinions of others. They learn others may have opinions that are different from their own and the importance of respecting those differences. In Closing B, students make a plan for how they can continue to work to become ethical people throughout the next lessons in the unit.
  • Closing A contains a repeated routine from Lesson 1. Refer to that lesson for more detail as necessary. 

How this lesson builds on previous work: 

  • In Lesson 1, students completed page 1 in their Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II. In this lesson, they complete page 2. 

Areas in which students may need additional support: 

  • During independent writing in Closing A, consider providing additional reminders and prompting students to use the Word Walls for support as well as letter-sound correspondence to record accurate sounds.
  • Students may need additional support and prompting as they engage in the independent tasks (Enjoying Trees journal entry and pencil sketch) during Work Times A, B, and C. Consider creating visual displays of the steps in the routines for these activities for those students who may need additional support and prompting.

Down the road: 

  • In this lesson, students receive a short introduction to prepositions through the "Trees in Our Community" song in the Opening; in future lessons, students will learn more about prepositions. As students begin to understand prepositions, they should be encouraged and supported in adding propositions to their writing in the Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II.
  • This is the first lesson in a series of three focused read-alouds with the text A Tree Is Nice. The thinking students do throughout the focused read-alouds prepares them for Part I of the Unit 2 Assessment in Lesson 4.

In Advance

  • Review Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart as needed (begun in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 5).
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the language goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • Distribute Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II and pencils at student workspaces for Closing A.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson materials.

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided by in part by CA ELD Standards K.I.B.6, K.I.C.12, and K.II.B.5

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to see how prepositions are used through learning a song about trees and applying them in their writing. They get critical language and syntax practice with identifying and expressing opinions during a Language Dive. 
  • ELLs may find it challenging to focus simultaneously on understanding the text and determining the opinion and reasons in A Tree Is Nice. Provide students wait time to process the text you read and the questions you pose. Encourage them to share any words or ideas they don't understand, as well as to describe the illustrations as a means of processing the text.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time B, consider inviting students to lead the class in questions posed about the sentence in the Language Dive.

For heavier support:

  • During the Opening, create a bag of index cards with the prepositions found in the song. Invite a volunteer to select one and use it in a sentence, while the rest of the class uses gestures to model the sentence. (Example: The apple is on my head.) Then invite another student to repeat the process. Challenge students to see how many prepositions they can use in a sentence and demonstrate in 1 minute. This will provide a fun, fast way to support their understanding as well as give them a preview of the Preposition Movement Routine in Lesson 3.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): When teaching students about prepositions, consider varied ways to represent the function of the preposition. In addition to text, have students use an object to demonstrate its relationship to another object such as beside, on, and behind. These multiple representations can help make the function of the preposition more concrete to students.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, individual students are asked to share ideas with the whole group. As students share out, provide options for expression and communication by offering and modeling sentence frames.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Some students may need additional support in linking the information presented in the text back to the learning target. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of the text to the learning target. Include opportunities to refocus students' attention to the learning target throughout the lesson, and invite students to share how each learning activity is supporting their instructional goal. 

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

New:

  • preposition (L)
  • bonfire, rake, (T)

Review:

  • opinion, reason (L)
  • shade (T)

Materials

  • "Trees in Our Community," Version 1 (one to display)
  • A Tree Is Nice (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Reading Informational Text Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Language Dive Guide I: A Tree Is Nice (for teacher reference)
    • Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Module 3)
    • Chunk Chart I: A Tree Is Nice (for teacher reference)
    • Sentence Strip Chunks I: A Tree Is Nice (one to display)
  • Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II (from Lesson 1; page 2; added to during Closing A; one per student and one to display)
  • Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II (from Lesson 1; example, for teacher reference) 
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Trees Are Important Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Living Things Word Wall (begun in Module 3)
  • Language Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Respect anchor chart (begun in Module 3)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Song and Movement: "Trees in Our Community" (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group. 
  • Display "Trees in Our Community," Version 1 and read aloud the title. 
  • Tell students that this song has some special words that will help them explain where a person, place, or thing is, or its position. The words are called prepositions (a word that specifies the position of a person, place, or thing). 
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud.

"I can use prepositions to describe where something is located." 

  • Tell students that they will hear some prepositions today as they start to learn the song, but they will spend more time learning about them in the next couple of lessons. 
  • Tell students that prepositions will be important for them to learn because they have to be ready to write a recommendation about a good location for planting a tree. 
  • Invite students to listen for words that might be prepositions as they learn the song.
  • Follow the same routine established in Modules 1 and 2 to sing "Trees in Our Community":
    • Direct students' attention to the posted "Trees in Our Community" song.
    • Invite students to first listen as you read the song fluently and without interruption.
    • Invite students to contribute ideas for gestures/actions for the poem.
    • Reread the song with students and invite them to sing along and act out the gestures as you point to the text.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: 

"What is this song about?" (different trees in a community)

Conversation Cue: "Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

  • Confirm that the song is about many different types of trees in a community.
  • Sing the song for enjoyment and fluency as time permits.
  • Tell students that this song is full of prepositions and that they will be exploring the different prepositions in the song over the next several lessons.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with language (Summarizing: Learning Target): Check for understanding of the word located by asking students to summarize and then to personalize the learning targets. Ask: 

"Can you put the learning target in your own words?" (I can use prepositions to say the place where something is.) (MMR)

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension (Visual Support: Word Meaning): To lower affective filter and provide content access, make sketches to reinforce the meanings of words and the prepositions.  (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Focused Read-aloud: A Tree Is Nice (20 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Offer students specific, positive feedback on their engagement with "Trees in Our Community."
  • Display A Tree Is Nice. Read the names of the author and illustrator. 
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Janice May Udry is the author. What did she do to create this book?" (wrote the words in the story)

"Marc Simont is the illustrator. What did he do to create this book?" (drew the pictures in the story)

  • Remind students of the opinions and reasons activity they did in Lesson 1. 
  • Remind students that this activity helped them to share their opinions. Quickly review the definitions of opinion (what you think about something) and reason (why you have your opinion; what makes you think so). 
  • Tell students that in A Tree Is Nice, the author's point is to share her opinion about trees. Explain that this opinion is also the title of the text.  
  • Reread the title and, using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"From the title page, what do you think the author's point is? What opinion is she sharing?" (She thinks trees are nice.)

  • Tell students that the entire book is filled with reasons that support the author's point/opinion that trees are nice, and they will spend the next few lessons discovering her many reasons.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can identify and discuss the reasons an author gives to support points in A Tree Is Nice." 

  • Invite students to try to find the author's reasons that trees are nice as they listen to the story. Tell them that today they will read the text and act parts of it out to help them understand and enjoy the story.
  • Throughout the focused read-aloud, consider using the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4, RI.K.6, RI.K.7, and RI.K.8.
  • Read aloud pages 1-10 and define the following words in context:
    • bonfire (a large fire)
    • rake (a tool that has a long handle and a row of long teeth at one end. A rake is used to gather things lying on the ground or to smooth down soil.) 
  • Pause after reading page 10 and follow this process to check for understanding:
    • Turn and Talk:

"Using the illustrations and the text, what is one reason that trees are nice that the author gives us on this page?" (raking leaves, or walking in leaves)

    • As students discuss, circulate and listen for accurate reasons.
    • Refocus whole group and share a few correct reasons students identified. 
    • Invite students to silently pantomime a reason that the author gave to support the opinion that trees are nice.
    • Acknowledge students who are accurately showing reasons in their body by naming the reason and narrating the actions the student is doing. (Student actions will vary, but could include: jumping into leaves; raking leaves.)
  • Read aloud the following pages, pausing after each set to repeat the above process to check for understanding:
    • Pages 11-16 (climbing a tree, eating apples from it, animals using trees, and drawing with sticks)
    • Pages 17-29; return to page 28 (planting a tree, or watching it grow)
  • As necessary, remind students: 
    • Of the definitions of point/opinion and reason
    • Of the author's opinion that trees are nice
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are some of the reasons that the author gave to support her point?" (You can eat food from trees, climb trees, or jump in leaves.)

Conversation Cue: "Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? Why? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that they will continue to think about the reasons that the author gives in her book to support her opinion that trees are nice over the next several lessons.
  • For ELLs: (Pronouncing Correctly) As you review the definition of opinion, invite students to practice pronouncing it a few more times, pointing out that the "o" is a different sound than the one they may be familiar with (it is a schwa, not a short or long "o" sound). 
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with sustained effort: (Describing Illustrations) To support oral language fluency and confidence as well as ensure students notice Janice May Udry's reasons, invite students to describe the illustrations. (MME)
  • Before reading, provide white boards and dry-erase markers as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This will also help scaffold active listening for key details. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Language Dive: A Tree Is Nice (10 minutes) 

  • Gather students whole group and offer specific feedback on engagement during the read-aloud. 
  • Tell students they will now participate in a Language Dive.
  • Focus students' attention on the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one question you can ask during a Language Dive?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Reread page 20 of A Tree Is Nice: "A tree is nice because it makes shade."
  • Use the Language Dive Guide I: A Tree Is Nice and Chunk Chart I: A Tree Is Nice to guide students through a Language Dive of the sentence. Distribute and display the sentence strip chunks.
  • For students who may need additional support with oral language and processing: Allow ample wait time after asking questions during the Language Dive. (MME, MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Independent Writing: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II (15 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Offer students specific, positive feedback on their careful work during the focused read-aloud and Language Dive. 
  • Display page 2 of the Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II and point to the image on the page. Consider using the routine from Module 3 to closely observe all parts of the picture.
  • Tell students that their job will be to use prepositions (a word that specifies the position of a person, place, or thing) to describe the location of the trees in the picture.
  • Use the same routine from Work Time B of Lesson 1 to guide students through completing page 2 in their journals:
    • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How could you describe where the trees are?" (The trees are on the hill.)

    • Direct students' attention back to page 1 of the displayed Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II and read aloud the prompt at the top of the page.
    • Remind students that they will use a complete sentence, with a noun and verb, to describe where the tree is in the picture.
    • Turn and Talk:

"What is a sentence you could write to describe what you see and where the tree is in this picture?" (Responses will vary, but may include: The tree is on the hill.)

    • Model completing the descriptive writing on page 2 of the displayed journal. Refer to the Enjoying Trees Journal, Part II (example, for teacher reference) as needed.
    • Transition students to their workspaces and point out the journals and pencils already there.
    • Invite students to begin writing.
    • Circulate to support students and remind them to use the following resources as they write:
      • "Trees in Our Community" 
      • Trees Are Important Word Wall
      • Living Things Word Wall 
    • At the end of time, signal students to stop writing. Collect their journals and use the Language Checklist to track progress toward W.K.8, L.K.1b, L.K.2a, L.K.2b, and L.K.6. 
  • Gather students in the whole group area and offer specific, positive feedback on their descriptive writing.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension (Visual Cues in Writing): To reinforce which words are prepositions and how to use them, encourage students to circle the preposition they use in their writing. (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: Offer index cards prewritten with high utility words from the song and Word Wall for students to use as they write. (MMAE)

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the Respect anchor chart and read it aloud.
  • Remind students that they talked about respecting other people's opinions or points during the Closing in the previous lesson. 
  • Tell students that there are many ways to show respect, and that they will be practicing each way throughout the unit.
  • Invite students to chorally read aloud the anchor chart while using the hand gestures from Lesson 1. 
  • Tell students that respect is an important habit of character to practice at all times, but it is especially important during this unit because they are practicing sharing their opinions so they will be ready to share an opinion on the best place to plant a tree.
  • Remind students that people have different opinions and that it is important to listen to the opinions of others and respect that those opinions might be different from their own. People may have different opinions and disagree, but it is important to disagree respectfully by using the sentence frame: "I respectfully disagree because I think ____."
  • First, post and review the following steps for respectfully disagreeing with someone. Then choose two students to help you model the steps.
    1. Students choose an opinion that they want to share with a partner. In this case, they should choose the best reason trees are important to us and our community.
    2. Student A shares his or her opinion with student B by saying: "I think the best reason trees are important to us and our community is ______."
    3. Student B practices respectfully disagreeing with student A by saying: "I respectfully disagree because I think ____."
    4. Student A thanks student B for sharing his or her opinion.
    5. Students switch roles and repeat the process.
  • Encourage students who pick the same reason to choose a different reason so that they can practice the sentence frame.
  • Invite students to turn to a partner and guide them through the steps to respectfully disagree. 
  • Tell students that they will have many opportunities to continue practicing respect as they learn more about other people's opinions and how trees benefit their community.
  • For ELLs (Home Language and Culture Connection): Consider asking students to share the word for respect in their home languages, or a word that is like it. Invite students to give examples of how they show respect within their communities. Provide a frame if needed. (Example: "In my family, we show respect by ______.") 
  • Support communication and engagement by pairing students with strategic partners to ensure they have a strong, politely helpful partner to support their efforts at respectful disagreement. (MME)

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