Speaking and Listening: Sharing Our Learning about Animals That Depend on Trees for Food | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M3:U2:L12

Speaking and Listening: Sharing Our Learning about Animals That Depend on Trees for Food

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • 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.1b: Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
  • SL.K.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
  • SL.K.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can collect research from different places to discuss the answer to a question. (SL.K.2, SL.K.3)
  • I can participate in a conversation to share how living things depend on trees to meet their needs. (SL.K.1a, SL.K.1b)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Science Talk in Work Time C, circulate and observe as students discuss how living things depend on trees. Consider using the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.K.1a and SL.K.1b (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "We Depend on Trees" Version 2 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Preparing for the Science Talk: Unit 2 Guiding Question Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

B. Preparing for the Science Talk: Unit 2 Assessment Booklet (15 minutes)

C. Science Talk Protocol: How Do Living Things Depend on Trees to Meet Their Needs? (20 minutes)

3. Closing

A. Reflecting on Collaboration (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Work Times A and B, students return to the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart and Unit 2 Assessment booklet to identify facts they will use in a Science Talk to answer the question: How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?
  • In Work Time C, students participate in the Science Talk protocol. Although a Science Talk is similar to a Collaborative Conversation, a Science Talk is focused on answering a science-related question. These talks provide a window into students' thinking that helps teachers to figure out what students really know and what their misconceptions may be. Consider how familiar students are with this protocol and reallocate class time spent introducing it as necessary.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • During Work Times A and B, students prepare for the Science Talk protocol using work they created in Lessons 7-11 (when students wrote their individual research informational piece) and Lessons 2-3 (when students contributed to the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart).

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During Work Times A and B, students look back at previous work to identify facts to use during the Science Talk. Some students may need additional support reading the writing in their Unit 2 Assessment booklet or the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart.

Down the road:

  • In Unit 3, students will go through the research process again to answer the question: How do trees meet their needs?

In Advance

  • Strategically group students into triads for the Science Talk in Work Time C. Ensure that there are a variety of animals students will share about in each small group.
  • Post: Learning targets, "We Depend on Trees" Version 2, and any 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 1-2 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 in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.3, K.1.A.11, and K.I.C.11

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by revisiting the "We Depend on Trees" song to read for fluency and sing for joy. Students get language practice and content exposure through a shared reading and Science Talk.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to express their full ideas and content knowledge in the Science Talk. Encourage students to use their notes and the anchor charts posted or to ask for a cue/help from a classmate using English or their home language.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Before releasing students to begin the Science Talk, invite them to create sentence frames to support writing and speaking. Invite students who need heavier support to use the frames.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time C, consider pre-determining the Science Talk groups to include students with a range of English proficiency, including advanced, intermediate, and emerging.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): To set themselves up for success for the Science Talk, students need to generalize the learning from this unit. Continue to activate their prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from previous lessons. Additionally, present the directions for each activity both visually and verbally.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): This lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in discussion with partners. Continue to support who may struggle with expressive language by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Invite students to reflect on their learning from previous lessons in this unit to support them in understanding the value and relevance of the activities in this lesson. Continue to provide prompts and sentence frames for those students who require them.

Vocabulary

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

Review:

collaboration, depend (L)

Materials

  • Puppets (one per student; from Lesson 6)
  • "We Depend on Trees" Version 2 (from Lesson 10; one to display)
  • Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • People Depend on Trees booklet (completed in Lesson 6; one to display)
  • Unit 2 Assessment booklet (completed in Lesson 11; one per student)
  • Science Talk graphic organizer (one per student and one for teacher modeling)
  • Science Talk graphic organizer (example, for teacher reference)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Science Talk Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)

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: "We Depend on Trees" Version 2 (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group
  • Tell students that they will revisit the song "We Depend on Trees" one more time to celebrate everything they have learned about verbs and have some fun!
  • Move students into groups so that there are four groups--one for each animal from the lyrics of the song.
  • Tell students they are going to use the puppets from Lesson 6 to act out the song "We Depend on Trees" Version 2.
  • Remind students that there are not enough puppets for everyone to hold. Invite students to share how they can be sure to work collaboratively to act out the song with the puppets:

"How can we collaborate to act out the song with the puppets?" (Responses will vary, but may include: sharing the puppets so everyone can have a turn.)

  • Distribute puppets and invite students to decide within their groups who will hold the puppet.
  • Follow the same routine established in Modules 1-2 to sing "We Depend on Trees" Version 2.
    • Display "We Depend on Trees" Version 2.
    • Sing each verse with students and invite them to sing along and act out the gestures/actions as you point to the text.
  • For ELLs: (Metacognition) Consider asking students at the end of the lesson how repeatedly singing and acting out the song helps them learn about verbs.
  • For students who may need additional support with visual perception: Continue to offer individual copies of the song for students who may need support with using far-point display. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Preparing for the Science Talk: Unit 2 Guiding Question Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Offer specific, positive feedback on their engagement and collaboration during the song.
  • Tell students that they have learned a lot about how living things depend on trees, so they will have a chance to add any new information to the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart.
  • Direct students' attention to the anchor chart and read it aloud.
  • Remind students of the People Depend on Trees booklet that they completed as a class and the Unit 2 Assessment booklet that they completed individually.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Remember the research we have done. Are there any details that we should add to our chart to answer the question?" (Responses will vary, but may include: People eat cherries and peaches, and bees eat nectar.)

  • If productive, cue students to add on to what a classmate said:

"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think."

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning target and read it aloud:

"I can collect research from different places to discuss the answer to a question."

  • Tell students that they will participate in a Science Talk, but first they need to collect research from different places so they are ready to answer the question: "How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?"
  • Display the Science Talk graphic organizer.
  • Model choosing a piece of information from the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart and completing the first section of the organizer labeled "Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart." Refer to the Science Talk graphic organizer (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students that they can choose any piece of information that answers the guiding question: "How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?" Give students 30 seconds to choose a piece of information from the anchor chart.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What idea from the anchor chart will you share during the Science Talk?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Transition students to their workspaces. Point out the Science Talk graphic organizers and pencils already there.
  • Invite students to quickly sketch the idea they want to share during the Science Talk on their Science Talk graphic organizer.
  • Circulate to support students as they sketch.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Summarizing the Target) Ask students to summarize and then to personalize the learning targets. (MMR)

B. Preparing for the Science Talk: Unit 2 Assessment Booklet (15 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Offer specific, positive feedback on their work to pick information to share during the Science Talk.
  • Tell students that they will continue to look for information to answer the question: "How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?"
  • Share with students that they will now read their booklet and then pick their favorite fact about how animals depend on trees for food to share when they participate in the Science Talk.
  • Demonstrate the following routine:
    • Read the Unit 2 Assessment booklet.
    • Choose a piece of information that you think is important.
    • Quickly sketch the idea on the Science Talk graphic organizer for the box labeled "People Depend on Trees booklet."
  • Distribute the Unit 2 Assessment booklets.
  • Transition students to their workspaces and invite them to begin reading their booklets, selecting the important information, and sketching it on the Science Talk graphic organizer.
  • After 5 minutes, gather students whole group and tell them that now they are ready to have a good discussion during the Science Talk!
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with verbal expression: (Celebration) After noticing specific ways students prepared for the Science Talk, invite students to practice celebrating a classmate by emulating your feedback frame. (Example: "I noticed that ______ was focused on _______ to share for our research question.") (MMAE)
  • Continue to strategically pair students to ensure that they have a strong, politely helpful partner to support their efforts at sharing. (MME)

C. Science Talk Protocol: How Do Living Things Depend on Trees to Meet Their Needs? (20 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group. Share some specific, positive feedback about preparing for the Science Talk.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can participate in a conversation to share how living things depend on trees to meet their needs."

  • Tell students they are going to use the Science Talk protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Unit 1 and review as necessary using the Science Talk Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Move students into their pre-determined triads.
  • Guide students through the protocol using the following question:

"How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?"

  • Circulate as students discuss and take note of progress toward SL.K.1a and SL.K.1b using the Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Gather students whole group. Give specific, positive feedback about the good information you heard them share during the protocol.
  • For ELLs: (Discussion Gestures: Adding On) To reinforce the frame "I would like to add ______," invite students to cross their index fingers to create the addition symbol (+).
  • For ELLs: (Discussion Gestures: Connecting Ideas) To reinforce the frame "This makes me think _____," invite students to use their index fingers to tap their foreheads three times.
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to share how they followed the protocol during previous Science Talks. (MMR, MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Collaboration (10 minutes)

  • Share with students that they have worked closely with their small groups and partners throughout the past weeks and that you have seen some strong collaboration.
  • Tell students that they will use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol many times in the past few weeks and review as necessary using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through two rounds of the protocol using the following questions:

"How did you collaborate with your friends?"

"How does collaboration help you with your work?"

  • Refocus the whole group.
  • Tell students that they will need to continue to do research and collaborate to do good work because often when researchers answer one question, it makes them think of another!
  • Tell students that they have discovered how animals and people meet their needs, but what about trees? How do trees meet their needs?
  • Turn and Talk:

"How can we continue to use collaboration to help us with our research about how trees meet their needs?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Invite a few volunteers to share out.
  • With excitement, tell students that you cannot wait to do more research and learn about how trees meet their needs.
  • For ELLs: (Social Conventions in Conversation) Invite students to practice the dialogue they learned in Lesson 10 to help decide who would like to share first.
  • For ELLs: (Home Connection) Invite students to research a way animals or people use trees in their family's country or countries of origin.
  • For students who may need additional support with verbal expression: Provide options for communication by offering and modeling sentence frames. (MMAE)

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