Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud Session 3 and Play and Exploration | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M1:U3:L3

Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud Session 3 and Play and Exploration

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RL.K.7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts)
  • SL.K.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
  • L.K.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.K.1d: Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
  • L.K.1f: Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can describe what Grandma teaches Molly Lou using details in the text. (RL.K.1, RL.K.4, RL.K.7)
  • I can ask questions to learn about my classmates. (SL.K.3, L.K.1d, L.K.1f)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Close Read-aloud Session 3 in Work Time A, monitor students' progress toward the RL standards listed for this lesson (RL.K.1, RL.K.7).

  • During Work Time A, listen for students to describe what Grandma teaches Molly Lou using details in the text (RL.K.1).
  • During Work Time B, monitor students' participation in the Hot and Cold game by listening for them to correctly provide clues about the location of the hidden thimble. To support positive play, refer to the Commitments for Playing Together anchor chart as needed (SL.K.3).
  • During the Closing, students turn and talk to a classmate to practice the skill of asking a question. Monitor students as they ask a question and listen to their partner's response. Also, listen for students to share their partner's idea with the whole group. Direct students to the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart as needed (SL.K.3, L.K.1, L.K.1d, L.K.1f).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "Toys from Long Ago" Song (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Read-aloud Session 3: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon, Pages 9-14 (20 minutes)

B. Play and Exploration: Hot and Cold Game (20 minutes)

C. Reading Aloud: Playing with Friends (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Work Time A, students continue their close read of the unit's anchor text: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon. In Session 3, students work to ask and answer questions about key details in the text, as well as describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (RL.K.1, RL.K.7).
  • In Work Time B, students continue to explore others' perspectives by engaging in a game children played long ago: Hot and Cold. This activity provides a tangible experience through which students can experience and reflect on what it felt like to play as children played long ago. This work continues to develop students' ability to consider the perspectives of others (D2.Civ.10.K-2).
  • This lesson is the final in a series of three that include built-out instruction for the use of Goal 2, Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Goal 2, Conversation Cues encourage students to listen carefully to one another and seek to understand. Continue drawing on Goal 1, Conversation Cues, introduced in Unit 1, Lesson 3, and add Goal 2, Conversation Cues to more strategically promote productive and equitable conversation. As the modules progress, Goal 3 and 4, Conversation Cues are also introduced. Consider providing students with a thinking journal or scrap paper.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 2, students heard the informational text Playing with Friends read aloud. In this lesson, students hear this text read again, with a focus on similarities between toys now and toys long ago.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Look for opportunities to support students as they ask questions during the Closing. Provide additional modeling as needed. Also, consider placing the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart in an area of the classroom where students can easily reference it.

Down the road:

  • In Sessions 4-6 of the close read-aloud, students will co-create the Toys Gertie and Molly Lou Prefer anchor chart. Preview the Close Read-aloud Guide: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon Sessions 4-6 to understand the full arc of these lessons.
  • In this lesson, students continue to develop the skill of asking questions. This work scaffolds them toward interviewing a classmate in the unit assessment in Lessons 9-10.

In Advance

  • Set up a document camera to display the "Toys from Long Ago" song and other documents throughout the lesson (optional).
  • Preview the Close Read-aloud Guide: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon (Session 3; for teacher reference) to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students. Note that students will sketch a picture during Session 3. Recording forms, pencils, and clipboards should be prepared and placed near the whole group gathering area.
  • Choose a thimble or other small object to use in the Hot and Cold game during Work Time B. The Hot and Cold game has been played for centuries by children in many countries around the world. If the version played in this lesson does not best represent your students' backgrounds, consider researching an alternative version.
  • Post: Learning targets, "Toys from Long Ago" song, "Learning Target" poem, Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart, and Commitments for Playing Together anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • Opening A: If you recorded students singing verse 1, of the "Toys from Long Ago" song in Lesson 2, play this recording for them to join in with.
  • Opening A: Record the whole group singing verse 2, of the "Toys from Long Ago" song and post it on a teacher webpage or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to listen to at home with families. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Work Time B: Website with more background about the Hot and Cold game.
  • Closing and Assessment A: Record students as they discuss in pairs, to listen to later to discuss strengths and what they could improve on, or to use as models for the group. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.I.B.5, 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 through the use of singing, close examination of language, and the opportunity to apply learning through movement.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to make connections between the different activities and texts considered during the lesson. Support them in making these connections by explicitly highlighting each activity's connection to the learning targets and the content. (Example: Draw comparisons between the toys discussed in Playing with Friends and the toys discussed in Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon.)

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During the close read, invite intermediate or advanced proficiency students to use the Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart to pretend they are asking Molly Lou Melon or Gertie a question about their toy preferences.

For heavier support:

  • Before discussing similarities in relation to toys, practice identifying similarities among more familiar objects, such as clothing. (Example: "How are Ingrid's shoes and Robert's shoes similar? Right, they both have laces!")

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): This lesson includes several learning opportunities through class discussion, such as the Hot and Cold game in Work Time B and the discussion about the similarities between toys from now and long ago in Work Time C. It will be important to capture the main points from these conversations with a visual representation to facilitate comprehension and serve as scaffolded prompts for students to reference in the closing activity.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Students are asked to express what they have learned in this lesson. They may cite verbal communication, from the closing activity and/or written expression such as the Close Read-aloud Guide. Be mindful that some students may have a solid understanding of key concepts, but have difficultly expressing themselves orally and/or through writing. Consider offering students flexible methods to convey their understanding.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): The Hot and Cold game allows students to be actively engaged in the lesson. Consider alternative means for engagement other than whispering the words "hot" or "cold," such as nonverbal signals or holding up a blue or red piece of paper. This will help students who struggle with controlling their voice volume to participate in the activity successfully.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • similar (L)

Review:

  • details (L)

Materials

  • Document camera (optional)
  • "Toys from Long Ago" song (from Lesson 2; verse 2; one to display)
  • "Learning Target" poem (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Close Read-aloud Guide: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon (from Lesson 1; Session 3; for teacher reference)
    • Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
    • Grandma Teaches Molly Lou anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1; added to in Work Time A; see Close Read-aloud Guide)
    • What Does Molly Lou Make? response sheet (one per student)
    • Pencils (one per student)
    • Clipboards (one per student)
  • Thimble (or other small object; for use during the Hot and Cold game)
  • Hot and Cold game directions (for teacher reference)
  • Commitments for Playing Together anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6)
  • Playing with Friends (from Lesson 2; one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • Conversation Partner chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one to display)

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: "Toys from Long Ago" Song (5 minutes)

  • Using a document camera, display the "Toys from Long Ago" song and model singing verse 2, aloud for students, pointing to each word as you sing.
  • Sing the song a second time, inviting students to join in.
  • Explain that there are many toys from long ago in this song, and some are the same as toys in the guessing game in Lesson 2.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What names of toys from long ago did you hear in the song?" (horse, hoop and stick, boat, magic tricks)

"Which toy from the song would you like to play with?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Read or sing the last line again: "Similar and different to the ones I know."
  • Define similar (being almost the same as something else) and explain that some toys from long ago are similar to toys now.
  • Offer alternatives for auditory information, by providing visual notations of music or sound and use facial expressions or hand gestures, to convey the emotional interpretation of the song. (MMR)
  • When defining the word similar, activate students' prior knowledge by drawing a comparison to the simpler word same. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Invite a beginning ELL to help point at the words during the song.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Read-aloud Session 3: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon, Pages 9-14 (20 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

I can describe what Grandma teaches Molly Lou using details in the text."

  • Explain that today students will think about what Grandma teaches Molly Lou.
  • Briefly review the definition of details (a small item; a particular thing).
  • Remind students that the pictures and words are details that help the reader understand the story.
  • Invite students to take out their imaginary bows and take aim at the target while you recite the Learning Target poem aloud.
  • Guide students through the close read-aloud for Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon using the Close Read-aloud Guide: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon (Session 3; for teacher reference)
  • Refer to the guide for the use of the Grandma Teaches Molly Lou anchor chart, What Does Molly Lou Make? response sheet, pencils, and clipboards.
  • For students who may need additional support recording with pencil and paper, consider providing alternatives for responding on the recording forms (e.g., verbal communication, completing the form on a computer). (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Some students may be confused that Grandma's words play an integral role in the story, yet she is not depicted in the book until the end. Remind students that Molly Lou is remembering what Grandma had told her. Grandma is "in the clouds" now. Display the illustration of Grandma in the clouds and create a sticky note with a speech bubble to place next to it. Point to the illustration and speech bubble each time students are asked to consider what Grandma teaches Molly Lou.

B. Play and Exploration: Hot and Cold Game (20 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can ask questions to learn about my classmates."

  • Explain that today students will learn more about their classmates by asking questions.
  • Invite them to take out their imaginary bows and take aim at the target.
  • Explain that later in the lesson, students will ask their partner this question:

"What did you learn about toys and play long ago?"

  • Tell students that two activities will help them to learn more about toys from long ago: playing a game and reading a text. First, the class will play a game!
  • Show students a thimble (or other small object) and explain that now the class will learn how to play a game from long ago called Hot and Cold. Explain that this game was played long ago by many children around the world!
  • Give clear and brief directions for how to play the game, referring to the Hot and Cold game directions as needed. Tell students they will play a practice round first.
  • Lead students through a practice round and then pause and reflect before playing another round.
  • Ask:

"Did you whisper when it was time to help a classmate find the thimble?"

  • Invite students to self-reflect by showing a thumbs-up if they whispered and a thumb to the side if they did not whisper.
  • As time permits, play one or two more rounds of the game, reinforcing directions as needed.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Ask:

"Did you move safely with your body while you played the game?"

  • Invite students to self-reflect by showing a thumbs-up if they moved safely and a thumb to the side if they did not move safely.
  • Refer students to the Commitments for Playing Together anchor chart as needed.
  • For ELLs: When describing the Hot and Cold game directions, consider creating a visual that explicitly conveys the metaphor of the game. For instance, have a picture of a person near a fire who is hot and then a picture of the person far away from the fire who is very cold. (MMR)
  • When having students whisper "hot" and "cold," consider using multiple means of engagement for those who may struggle with regulating their voice volume. Examples: nonverbal signals (e.g., wiping brow when hot, shivering when cold) or holding up a sign/piece of paper (e.g., blue means cold, red means hot) (MME)
  • For ELLs: To practice with verbal language, introduce a question for the "it" student to ask while playing. (Example: "Am I hot, or am I cold?")
  • For ELLs: Introduce a sentence frame to scaffold participation in the safety reflection. Examples:

"I moved safely with my body when I _____."

"I did not get hurt because I _____."

C. Reading Aloud: Playing with Friends (10 minutes)

  • Prompt students to consider the question from earlier in the lesson:

"What did you learn about toys and play long ago?"

  • Tell students to keep their ideas in their minds for now, because they will learn more about the similarities between toys now and long ago by hearing a text read aloud.
  • Using a document camera, display Playing with Friends and read the title aloud slowly.
  • Invite students to raise their hand if they remember hearing this text read aloud yesterday.
  • Tell students you will now read the text aloud. As you do, they should look and listen closely to notice any toys from now and from long ago that are the same or similar. Consider inviting them to quietly show a thumbs-up or touch their nose whenever they see or hear an example.
  • While still displaying the text, read pages 4-13 aloud fluently, with expression, and without interruption.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Even though we read about a lot of ways playing with friends is different from long ago and today, what can you infer is the same about playing with friends long ago and today?" (have fun, play outside)

  • While still displaying the text, read pages 14-22 aloud fluently, with expression, and without interruption.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What can you infer or what do you see in the illustrations about how toys now and from long ago are similar?" (listen and watch entertainment, have fun in many ways)

  • When discussing how toys now and from long ago are similar, provide options for comprehension by using a visual graphic organizer to reinforce the relationship between toys from now and toys from long ago. (MMR)
  • When discussing how toys now and from long ago are similar, provide non-examples (i.e., how they are different) to emphasize critical features of similarity. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Rephrase questions and ask probing questions about toy similarities as necessary. Examples:

"What is something you notice that is the same about both toys?"

"How do you play with them?"

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Remind students that they participated in two activities today that taught them more about toys from long ago: playing the Hot and Cold game and listening to Playing with Friends.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted Ways We Ask Others Questions anchor chart and review it briefly, focusing on what was challenging for students in Lesson 2.
  • Tell students they are going to turn and talk about a question from earlier in the lesson. Model briefly, what this turn and talk should look like with a student volunteer:

1. Assign yourself as partner A and the student volunteer as partner B.

2. Ask the student volunteer:

"What did you learn about toys and play from long ago?"

3. Listen as the student volunteer shares an answer.

4. Invite the student volunteer to ask you the same question.

5. Model a response. (Example: "I learned that children long ago often played outside.")

  • Tell students that now it is their turn to ask a partner the same question.
  • Referring to the Conversation Partner chart, invite students to pair up with their predetermined talking partner and sit facing each other. Make sure students know which partner is A and which is B.
  • Invite students to turn and talk with their partner:

"What did you learn about toys and play from long ago?"

  • As students share, circulate and listen in. Notice whether students are able to ask the question and listen to their partner's response.
  • If productive, use a Goal 2 Conversation Cue to encourage students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Refocus whole group and give students specific, positive feedback on asking questions to learn more about their classmates. (Example: "James, nice job asking your partner what she learned about toys and play from long ago and listening to her response.")
  • For ELLs: Before students begin to talk to their partner, make sure the visual graphic organizer from the Work Time is visible for students to reference. Prompt them to use it as a scaffold if needed during the discussion to transfer information from the previous activity. (MMR)
  • To vary the methods of response, provide alternative means for conveying student responses, such as pointing to the visual graphic organizer. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: As students interact, notice instances in which they make verb tense errors. Identify the error and recast the sentence correctly. Invite students to repeat. (Example: "I heard you say you learn about toys. Earlier today, you learned about toys. Now you say it!")

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