Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud, Session 4 and Interactive Experience with Moisture | EL Education Curriculum

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Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud, Session 4 and Interactive Experience with Moisture

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RI.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.
  • 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.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can ask and answer questions about moisture using Weather Words and What They Mean. (RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4)
  • I can use words and pictures to describe what I observe about how clouds and rain form. (SL.K.1, and SL.K.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the close read-aloud in Work Time A, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.1, RI.K.2, and RI.K.4 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During Work Time B, circulate and observe as students briefly discuss with a partner and then draw and label what they observed about clouds and rain. Consider using the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.K.1 and SL.K.5 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "What's the Weather like Today?" Song (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 4: Weather Words and What They Mean, Pages 10, 16-19 (20 minutes)

B. Engaging the Scientist: Interactive Experience with Moisture, Part I (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal (10 minutes)

B. Structured Discussion: Reflecting on Responsibility (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • As noted in Lessons 2-4, nurturing curiosity while building language and literacy skills is key. This lesson invites students to ask questions and wonder about a specific component of weather--moisture--as they closely read an informational text and engage in an interactive activity simulating how clouds and rain form.
  • During Work Time A, students closely study pages 10 and 16-19 of Weather Words and What They Mean, building a rich bank of vocabulary to support their understanding of moisture and how it makes the weather. (RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4)
  • During Work Time B, students engage in an observation activity regarding clouds and rain. Providing engaging and interactive experiences coupled with opportunities to speak, draw, and write about those experiences honors young learners' natural curiosity while building their language skills.
  • During Work Time B, students draw and label what they observe about moisture. These drawings are intended to be a quick sketch to support students in building increased knowledge of weather-related concepts. (SL.K.5)

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • During previous lessons, students practiced observing and documenting observations as they engaged in weather observation and interactive experiences. In this lesson, they further refine these skills by closely observing a simulation of how clouds and rain form, discuss those observations, and then draw and label to document those observations.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During Closing A, students engage in the interactive writing instructional practice as part of the class weather journal routine. In Part 3 of the class weather journal, students share the pen with the teacher as they complete the sentence using one of six predetermined weather words to describe the day's weather. Continue to consider your students' letter-sound relationship knowledge when determining when to share the pen.
  • During Work Time B, some students may need additional support with making drawings and adding labels of their observations. Consider prompting those students using the resources around the room, such as the Weather Word Wall, Frayer Model: Temperature chart, and Frayer Model: Moisture chart.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will revisit their experience with clouds and rain, adding to their drawings and writing. Students will use these drawings to engage in a structured discussion about what they observed about how clouds and rain form.

In Advance

  • Preview the Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students. Note that the Close Read-aloud Guide is divided into sessions. Complete only Session 4 in this lesson, as students will complete the remaining sessions in Lesson 6-7.
  • Prepare:
    •  Weather Word Wall cards for moisture and rain. Write or type the word on a card and create or find a visual to accompany it.
    •  Frayer Model: Moisture chart by creating a blank version on chart paper (see Close Read-aloud Guide).
    •  Class weather journal template by writing it on chart paper.
  • Gather a clear plastic cup, white shaving cream, and food coloring for the interactive experience in Work Time B.
  • Distribute student materials for Work Time B (pencils, Meteorologist's notebook) at students' seats in the whole group area. This helps to ensure a smooth transition for Work Time.
  • Review the Think-Pair-Share protocol. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets, "What's the Weather like Today?" song, Frayer Model: Moisture chart, class weather journal template, and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • Record the whole group singing the first two verses of "What's the Weather like Today?" and post it on a teacher web page or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to listen to at home with their families. Most devices (cellphones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Create the Frayer Model: Moisture chart in an online format, such as a Google Doc, for display and for families to access at home to reinforce these skills.
  • Students view moisture pictures in an online gallery or presentation, such as Google Slides.
  • Students take pictures of their interactive experience with moisture using devices. Post these on a teacher web page, a class blog, or a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to talk about at home with their families. Most devices (cellphones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free camera apps or software.
  • Students use drawing apps or software, such as Kids Doodle plug-in for Google or app for Apple products, to draw their response in their Meteorologist's notebook.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.1, K.1.B.5, and K.I.B.6

Important points in the lesson itself:

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to participate in a concrete experience that supports academic knowledge.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to make connections between the information in the close read-aloud and the interactive experience. Prompt students to use the academic language to describe their experiences as much as possible. Draw language from the sentence featured during the Mini Language Dive in Work Time A to frame the interactive experience in Work Time B. (Example: "I see that the drops of food coloring form inside the cloud of shaving cream! What does that remind you of?")

Levels of support:

For lighter support:

  • During Closing and Assessment A, consider providing students with personal white boards or their own copies of the class weather journal so they can complete their own writing along with the class. This will allow all students to practice, to remain engaged throughout the activity, and to provide real-time assessment data.
  • During Closing and Assessment B, if students are paired with a partner of a more advanced proficiency level, consider changing partners so students are placed in pairs of similar proficiency. This will foster independence while providing the opportunity to assess progress in speaking and listening.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, as students draw and label their observations, give struggling writers index cards with illustrations for key words. They can use the index cards as guides for writing labels.
  • During Work Time B, distribute a partially filled-in copy of the Meteorologist's notebook Moisture page. This will provide students with prompting for the information they should draw while reducing the volume of work required. (Example: Draw two cups and prompt students to first draw what happened before the food coloring fell into the water and then to draw what happened next in the second cup. Draw lines coming from each part of the drawing to prompt labels.)

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During the Closing and Assessment, students may not remember the definition of responsibility. Embed support for vocabulary by asking students to remind you what responsibility means. If students do not provide an accurate definition, explicitly state it.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): As students work to complete the class weather journal, offer options for physical action by inviting them to stand up and read the sentence with a pretend microphone.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): In Work Time A, students are introduced to the term moisture. You can optimize the relevance of this term by inviting students to share real-life experiences with moisture.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

New:

  • moisture, rain (T)

Review:

  • weather (L)

Materials

  • "What's the Weather like Today?" song (one to display)
  • Weather Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; two)
  • Weather Word Wall (begun in Lesson 1; added to during Work Time A; see Teaching Notes)
  • Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean (from Lesson 2; Session 4; for teacher reference)
    •  Weather Words and What They Mean (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
    •  Reading Text Informational Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
    •  Frayer Model: Moisture chart (new, co-created with students during Work Time A; see supporting materials)
    •  Moisture pictures (three)
  • Clear plastic cup (one for teacher modeling)
  • White shaving cream (one can for teacher modeling)
  • Food coloring (one bottle for teacher modeling)
  • Meteorologist's notebook (from Lesson 2; one per student)
    •  Moisture page (page 3 of Meteorologist's notebook)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Class weather journal template (blank; from Lesson 1)
  • Responsibility anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Think-Pair-Share anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Conversation Partners chart (from Module 1)

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: "What's the Weather like Today?" Song (5 minutes)

  • Gather whole group.
  • Tell the students that they are going to learn a new song today, and that this song helps them wonder about how to be prepared for different types of weather.
  • Display the "What's the Weather like Today?" song.
  • Tell students that they will learn the first two verses of the song today and invite them to think of hand gestures or actions to go along with the words as you model singing the first two verses.
  • Sing the first two verses and track the print while singing.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What hand motions, gestures, or actions can we do to go along with the words of the song to help us remember and show what the song is saying?" (look outside with hands near eyes, shrug our shoulders, make our hands big like a huge sun)

  • Invite students to join you in singing the first two verses of the song while using their agreed-upon hand motions and actions.
  • Repeat two or three times or as time permits.
  • Remind students that they will learn the next two verses of the song in the next lesson.
  • Consider providing differentiated mentors by seating students who may be more comfortable singing aloud with physical motions near students who may not feel as comfortable. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with engagement: Identify students who might be mouthing the words or not singing while the class sings chorally. If students seem to be avoiding singing, encourage them to sing without pressuring them. If students are comfortable, invite them to sing "duets" with more confident students so they can more easily hear themselves as they practice. (MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 4: Weather Words and What They Mean, Pages 10, 16-19 (20 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
    •  "I can ask and answer questions about moisture using Weather Words and What They Mean."
  • Invite students to take out their magical bows and take aim at the learning target.
  • Briefly review the definition of weather. (Weather concerns such things as temperature, rain, snow, sun, and other factors; the conditions outside.)
  • Show students the Weather Word Wall card for moisture and follow the same process established in Lesson 1: provide its definition, clap out its syllables, provide some examples (rain, fog, snow), and place the Word Wall card and picture on the Weather Word Wall.
  • Guide students through the close read-aloud for Weather Words and What They Mean using the Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean (Session 4; for teacher reference). Consider using the Reading Informational Text Checklist during the close read-aloud (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Refer to the guide for the use of the Frayer Model: Moisture chart and moisture pictures.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension and vocabulary: After adding moisture to the Weather Word Wall, optimize relevance by inviting students to apply the term as they share real-life examples. (Example: "Think of a time when you have seen or felt moisture in the air. Raise your hand if you want to share a time you have seen or felt moisture.") (MME)
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about the meaning of chunks of this key sentence from the lesson/text: "Rain forms inside rain clouds." Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • "What does this sentence mean?" (Responses will vary.)
    • "What is rain in our home languages?" (lluvia in Spanish) Invite all students to repeat the translation in a home language other than their own.
    •  Read and display the chunk Rain forms and ask:
  • "What does this chunk mean?" (Responses will vary.)
  • "When something forms, it grows or takes shape. What is something else that forms?" (People form; plants form)
    •  Invite students to move their hands and fingers together in a fist to illustrate forms.
    •  Read and display the chunk inside rain clouds and ask:
  • "What does the word inside tell us?" (where the rain forms)
  • "Where does the rain form?" (in the clouds)
    •  Invite students to use the sentence frame: "____ forms inside _______." Prompt them by providing the first part of the frame. (Examples: Plants form inside [a pot; the dirt]. Chicks form inside [eggs]. Ideas form inside [our brains].)
    •  Reread the sentence and ask:
  • "How does this sentence help us understand rain?" (It tells us that it comes from clouds.)

B. Engaging the Scientist: Interactive Experience with Moisture, Part I (20 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Remind students that while reading Weather Words and What They Mean, they learned a lot about moisture. One thing they learned is that clouds and rain are types of moisture.
  • Show students the Weather Word Wall card for rain.
    •  Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is rain? What words can we use to define rain?" (Rain is water; rain falls from clouds; rain falls in drops.)

    •  If necessary, define rain (drops of water that form in the clouds and fall from the sky to the earth).
    •  Invite students to repeat the word with you several times and as they pat their hands on their knees at different speeds to show the sound of different types of rain falling on the ground.
    •  Place the Word Wall card and picture for rain on the Weather Word Wall.
  • Tell students that today they are going to see how clouds and rain form using materials in the classroom. Tell them that they will see a model of clouds with rain forming in the clouds.
    •  Fill the clear plastic cup approximately three quarters full with water.
    •  Fill the top of the cup with white shaving cream. As you fill the cup with shaving cream, tell students that the shaving cream represents a cloud.
    •  Circulate with the cup so that all students have the opportunity to view the cloud formed by the shaving cream.
    • Begin dripping drops of food coloring into the shaving cream one at a time.
    •  Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What do you notice happening to the shaving cream as the food coloring gets dropped in it? How do you think this is like a cloud and raindrops?" (The shaving cream is turning the color of the food coloring, getting darker and darker. This is like a cloud that is getting filled up with raindrops.)

    •  Continue to place drops of food coloring into the shaving cream and circulate with the cup so that all students have the opportunity to view it. Continue to drop food coloring into the shaving cream until it begins to disperse into the water.
    •  Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

"What do you notice and observe happening with the food coloring and shaving cream now? How do you think this is like a cloud and rain?" (The food coloring is coming out of the shaving cream and into the water. This is like a cloud that has gotten full of rain, and now it started raining.)

    •  If productive, cue students to clarify the conversation by confirming what they mean:

"So, do you mean _____?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Refocus whole group and tell them that they will now get a chance to draw and write about what they observed.
  • Read aloud the second learning target:
    •  "I can use words and pictures to describe what I observe about how clouds and rain form."
  • Invite students to take aim at the target.
  • Point out the Meteorologist's notebook and pencils already at students' tables. Invite them to take their notebook and turn to the Moisture page.
  • Focus on the top of the Moisture page and read aloud the directions:
  1. Think about what you observed and what that shows you about clouds and rain.
  2. Draw a picture to show what you observed.
  3. Add labels to your picture.
  • Invite students to begin drawing and labeling, circulating to support them as necessary.
  • If students are stuck, prompt them with questions such as:

"What ideas can you share with me?"

"How might you show your idea in a simple picture with labels?

  • Conversely, if some students finish quickly, ask them how they might add some details to their picture.
  • Prompt students to use the Weather Word Wall to support their labeling and remind them that they are making a quick sketch of what they observed.
  • Collect student drawings with labels and use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.K.5.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: Before students begin the Moisture page of their notebook, briefly model labeling a drawing. Emphasize process and effort by modeling how to sound out a word with tricky spelling. Encourage students to try their best and use environmental print if they get stuck. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: Remind students that the phrase is like compares two things that are similar. Prompt students throughout the demonstration to say what each part of the demonstration is like. Example: "Look at how the food coloring drops into the water! What is the food coloring like?" (The food coloring is like rain falling from the sky.)
  • For ELLs: Before students begin drawing and writing, briefly brainstorm with the class some details and labels they could add to their notebooks. Record and display the labels with illustrations. Invite students to draw from this list as they work.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal (10 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the class weather journal template and remind them that because they are becoming weather experts, they are reporting on the weather, just like meteorologists do every day.
  • Tell students that they will complete a new part of the weather journal today, but first they will work together to complete the first three parts of the weather journal.
  • Follow the Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal instructional practice from Lesson 2 to complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the class weather journal template.
  • Direct students' attention to Part 4 of the class weather journal template and read the sentence aloud:
    • "The temperature is _________."
  • Fill in the sentence and then read the completed sentence aloud.
  • Direct students' attention to the top of the class weather journal template and explain that now they will read the completed weather report, as a meteorologist would do.
  • Read aloud the completed class weather journal template slowly, tracking the print as you do, and invite students to join you as you read.
  • As students read the sentence in Part 4 aloud, offer options for physical action by inviting them to stand up and read the sentence with a pretend microphone as if they are giving a weather report on TV. (MMAE)

B. Structured Discussion: Reflecting on Responsibility (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted Responsibility anchor chart.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Think-Pair-Share protocol to explain how they showed responsibility during the interactive experience today. Remind students that they used this protocol in previous lessons and review as necessary using the Think-Pair-Share anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post the following sentence frame:
    • "I showed responsibility in my ______ by ________."
  • Referring to the Conversation Partners chart, invite students to partner up with their predetermined talking partner and sit facing one another. Make sure students know which partner is A and which is B.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

 "How did you show responsibility during the interactive experience today?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As students talk, circulate and listen in. Take note of the ideas students are sharing and target a few students to share out with the whole group.
  • Invite the selected students to share out.
  • Offer students specific, positive feedback on showing responsibility. (Example: "I noticed that everyone showed responsibility by taking care of the materials during the interactive experience today.")
  • When pointing to the Responsibility anchor chart, embed support for vocabulary by asking students to remind you what responsibility means. If students do not provide an accurate definition, explicitly state it. Say: "Responsibility means taking ownership of my work, my actions, and my space." (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Briefly review the first learning target. Ask students to provide an example of one weather word they learned. Ask how they showed responsibility as they learned the weather word.

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