Close Reading: “Other Types of Fossils” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M2:U2:L9

Close Reading: “Other Types of Fossils”

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
  • RI.2.2: Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
  • RI.2.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
  • RI.2.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
  • RI.2.6: Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
  • W.2.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • L.2.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • L.2.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
  • L.2.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • L.2.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use evidence from the text "Other Types of Fossils" to answer questions about different types of fossils. (RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, L.2.4a)
  • I can write a museum display label about a fossil using information I have learned from the text. (W.2.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • At the end of Work Time A, collect students' Other Types of Fossils: Selected Responses Questions and use the Reading Informational Text Checklist (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6) to track students' progress toward reading standards RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, and RI.2.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • At the end of Work Time A, collect students' Other Types of Fossils: Selected Responses Questions and use the Language Checklist (L.2.1a, L.2.1d, L.2.4a, L.2.4c) to track students' progress toward L.2.4a.
  • At the end of Work Time B, collect students' museum display labels to monitor student progress towards W.2.8.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Building Vocabulary: Interactive Word Wall (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Reading: "Other Types of Fossils" (20 minutes)

B. Independent Writing: Writing Our Museum Display Label (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Engaging the Writer: Preparing Our Museum Display (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • The Interactive Word Wall protocol gives students a playful, flexible way to think deeply about how words are related and what they mean. Providing many opportunities to engage with vocabulary supports students to feel confident using content-related words. (L.2.6)
  • In the Opening, new Interactive Word Wall cards are added for students to make connections. These are words that should be familiar with from reading Fossils, but have not been added to the Word Wall. Make sure to review these word and definitions with students.
  • This lesson is the second of four lessons in which students practice reading texts independently. In this lesson, students read the last two paragraphs of the text from Lesson 8 and answer a few selected response questions independently. Keep in mind that the text included from Lesson 8 is written at a 390 Lexile measurement but includes familiar information about fossils so that students can feel confident while reading.
  • The last two paragraphs of the text is read aloud once to help students feel comfortable with these sections, and students are also asked to confirm the gist before reading on their own. The independent texts and the selected response questions scaffold the experience for students in preparation for the Unit 2 Assessment. (RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, L.2.4a)
  • In Work Time B, students choose one picture of a fossil that is preserved in sap, ice, or tar to write their museum display label. Students use evidence from the text "Other Types of Fossils" to gather ideas for their museum displays, so it is important that students do not choose a picture of a body fossil.
  • In Work Time B, students draft, revise, and edit their museum display labels using the criteria for writing developed in Lesson 9. The revising and editing in this lesson is to check over their work, but not to include the full experience of revising and editing, such as adding new details. (W.2.8)
  • In the Closing, students create a title for their fossil photograph and museum displays. This museum will display students' museum display labels from the unit. Prepare a space for the class to post their museum display labels for visitors to read and admire.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 8, students began reading the article "Other Types of Fossils" with a partner for support. In this lesson, students read the final paragraph of the same article and answer questions on their own.
  • In Lesson 8, students analyzed a model of a museum label and generated criteria for their own writing. In this lesson, students choose a picture from their photo sort in Lesson 8 and write their own museum display label.
  • Continue to use Goal 1-3 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • In Work Time A, students work independently to read through an article. For students who may need teacher-level support with reading, consider pulling a small group of students to read the text aloud to them. Consider prioritizing selected response questions to analyze and talk about together before having students answer them independently.

Down the road:

  • In Lessons 10 and 11, students will receive a new, longer article to read in partners and then independently. Students will also answer selected response questions after reading the new article.
  • In the next few lessons, students will participate in a few more hands-on activities and reflect on how they showed the habit of character collaboration.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • New Interactive Word Wall cards (see supporting materials).
    • Museum display label writing paper. See supporting materials.
    • Blank sentence strips to write a title and three headings for the museum display with students during the Closing.

Review:

    • Think aloud in Work Time B on students' drafting of the museum display labels.
    • Interactive Word Wall protocol. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Additionally, watch the "Interactive Word Wall Protocol" video to prepare for when students participate in this protocol in Work Time A.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).
  • Before the lesson, prepare a space for the class to post their museum display labels for visitors to read and admire.

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • Work Times A and B: Students complete the "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Response Questions and their Museum display label using word processing software, for example a Google Doc.
  • Work Times A and B: Students use Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software like Dictation.io.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.A.1, 2.I.B.6, 2.I.C.10, and 2.I.C.12

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with explicit instruction applying strategies for answering selected response questions and with opportunities to participate in task-based, authentic communicative exchanges.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to process the information presented in "Other Types of Fossils," and to answer the related selected response questions. It may be necessary to reread aloud key parts of the article and to read aloud the questions and response choices multiple times. Support students in rephrasing and conceptualizing each selected response question.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time A, invite confident students to rephrase some of the selected response questions for the class. This will help others conceptualize the questions while providing a model for rephrasing questions to support comprehension.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, distribute a partially filled-in copy of the Museum Display Label. This will provide students with models and prompts for their work, while relieving the volume of writing required.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In order to facilitate effective learning during this lesson, ensure that all students have access to the directions in each session and feel comfortable with the expectations. Vary the ways in which you convey expectations for each activity or task. Consider engaging in a clarifying discussion about the directions and creating a visual display of the steps for Close Reading with a partner.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): As students give partners feedback, support planning by providing individual students with small sticky notes to attach to their pages. This helps students remember places where they want to add or make changes based on partner feedback. It can be challenging for students to know how to use tools for revision (eraser, white-out tape) effectively without removing all their hard work. Before students revise their writing in Work Time B, offer options of tools for this process and model how to use each.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Some students may require support with limiting distractions during independent writing. Support sustained effort by offering sound-canceling headphones or dividers between workspaces. Similarly, some students may require variations in time for writing. Consider breaking the activity into more manageable parts by offering pauses for stretching to encourage sustained effort.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • bones, ancient, hardened, pressure, layers, buried (L)
  • trapped (T)

Review:

  • connect, paleontologist, fossils, clues, excavate, fossilization, decay, preserved, petrified, surrounding, bones, ancient, hardened, pressure, layers, buried, title, heading, gist, revising, editing (L)

Materials

  • Interactive Word Wall cards (new and from Lesson 8; one set per small class)
  • Arrow cards (from Lesson 8; one set per class)
  • Interactive Word Wall Protocol anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8)
  • "Other Types of Fossils" (from Lesson 8; one per student and one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Response Questions (from Lesson 8; one per student)
  • Reading Informational Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Equity sticks (class set; one per student)
  • "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Response Questions (from Lesson 8; answers, for teacher reference)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Museum display label model (from Lesson 8; one to display)
  • Criteria for a Museum Display Label anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8)
  • Sorting Different Types of Fossils graphic organizer (from Lesson 8; answers, for teacher reference)
  • Museum display label writing paper (one per student)
  • Sentence strips (blank; used by the teacher to co-create a heading and titles for the museum display during the Closing)

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. Building Vocabulary: Interactive Word Wall (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to move to a spot around the edge of the whole group gathering area. As needed, remind students to move safely and make space for everyone.
  • Lay the Interactive Word Wall cards and arrow cards on the floor in the middle of the whole group area, leaving space between the cards.
  • Remind students that yesterday, they interacted with the Interactive Word Wall cards by helping to move them around to make connections between words.
  • Review the definition of connect (to join together).
  • Direct students' attention to the Interactive Word Wall Protocol anchor chart and briefly review Steps 1-3, clarifying any steps that were a challenge for students yesterday.
  • Hold up each Interactive Word Wall card, reading the word aloud. Point out the new Interactive Word Wall cards that have been added today and review their definitions as necessary.
  • Have students participate in a modified version of Steps 1-3:

1. Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

"What two words could be connected?" (e.g., "Fossils"(r)"ancient")

  • Refocus students whole group.

2. Invite one student to move the Interactive Word Wall cards to show their connection.

3. Ask:

"Why did you connect these words?" (e.g., "Fossils are ancient.")

  • If productive, use a Goal 3 Conversation Cue to encourage students to provide additional reasoning:

"Why do you think that?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As time permits, repeat this modified version of the protocol until all cards have been added to the chain.
  • Introduce a new guideline for the activity:
    • "Continue taking turns until you have connected every word to some other word."
  • Point out that this means the goal is to connect all of the words, just like the class did today!
  • To foster a sense of community and provide options for physical action after students have completed the connection, invite the whole class to join you in a special applause (e.g., silent cheer, raise the roof, firecracker, hip-hip hooray). (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: Consider inviting students to discuss the meaning of the Interactive Word Wall cards in home language groups before beginning the Interactive Word Wall protocol.
  • For ELLs: Check for comprehension by inviting students to paraphrase the rational for each connection in their own words. Restate or rephrase as necessary.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Reading: "Other Types of Fossils" (20 minutes)

  • Tell students that they did such a good job yesterday of closely reading the first part of the text "Other Types of Fossils." Today, they will read the last two sections on their own.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
    • "I can use evidence from the text 'Other Types of Fossils' to answer questions about different types of fossils."
  • Tell students that this is the same target as yesterday, and that they will work on answering new questions.
  • Display "Other Types of Fossils."
  • Direct students' attention to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and remind them the first thing close readers do when they read a text independently is read the whole text and think about what it is mostly about. This is called the gist. When close readers think about the gist, they don't look for the small details in the text. They think about what the whole text was mostly about.
  • Tell students you are going to read the third and fourth sections aloud. Then, they will have a chance to read each section and determine the gist (what the text is mostly about) of each section.
  • While still displaying "Other Types of Fossils," read aloud "Chilly Ice" and "Tricky Tar."
  • Draw students' attention back to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and remind students of a strategy:
    • "Use strategies to figure out the meaning of unknown words."
  • Remind students that they practiced this strategy during the close read-aloud of Fossils.
  • Tell students that they will be working the same partners as yesterday. Distribute "Other Types of Fossils" and invite students to return to their workspaces and begin reading.
  • Circulate to support students as needed. If students get stuck on a word, encourage them to look for spelling patterns they recognize.
  • After about 5-6 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Similar to Lesson 8, invite students to Think-Pair-Share with their reading partner:

"What was the gist of the third and fourth sections?" (The gist of the third section is that some fossils are animals that have been stuck in ice for many, many years. The gist of the fourth section is that some fossils are animals that have been stuck in tar for a very long time.)

  • Tell students that now that they understand the gist of these sections, they will answer some selected response questions about this section.
  • Follow the same routine from Lesson 8 to guide students through answering the selected response questions:
  • Review the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions Anchor Chart.
    • Invite students to retrieve their "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Response Questions.
    • Read aloud questions #5-9 as students follow along and answer.
    • Invite students to answer questions #5-9 independently.
    • Circulate to support students as needed. Encourage students to refer to the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart as they work with their partners. Consider using the Reading Informational Checklist to gather data on students' progress toward RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, L.2.4a.
  • After about 7-8 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Say: "We do want to make sure we know the correct answer to the questions, but what is also important is thinking about how we figured out our answer. This will help us be the best close readers we can be and learn as much as we can from this article."
  • Use equity sticks to select students to share out their answers for questions #5-9 and clarify any misconceptions. Have students share both their answer and how and why they selected that answer. Refer to the "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Responses Questions (answers, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their close reading skills. (Example: "Reading with their partners, Talking about the text with their partner, etc.)
  • Collect students' "Other Types of Fossils": Selected Response Questions.
  • To support comprehension during the close reading, provide explicit prompts in determining the gist of "Other Types of Fossils." (Example: Consider highlighting or underlining key phrases in students' individual copies of "Other Types of Fossils.") (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Remind students that if they see a tricky sentence or question, they can try to break it up into chunks as if they are doing a Language Dive (see Meeting Students' Needs column in Lesson 8.) Model breaking up a sentence and asking: "What is this sentence about? What is happening in the sentence? What is this question asking me? How does each chunk give me more information about the sentence?"
  • For ELLs: Model determining the gist of one section and writing it on the margins of the text next to the corresponding paragraph. (Example: Next to Paragraph 2, write: "animals covered in sap.")
  • For ELLs: Reread the selected response question and response items aloud as necessary while students take a minute to choose their answers.
  • For ELLs: Encourage students to rephrase each selected response question--and answer it--before they read each answer choice. Example: "Think about what the question is asking. Look at the first question: 'What can happen to insects that land in sap?' How else can we ask this question?" (What happens when bugs get in sticky sap?)
  • For ELLs: After revealing the answer of the selected response question, take additional time to unpack the language in each response. Discuss what made each response correct or incorrect. (Example: "So why isn't response a correct? Right, sap doesn't come from cold weather. That makes no sense!")

B. Independent Writing: Writing Our Museum Display Label (25 minutes)

  • Ask students to bring their "Other Types of Fossils" article and a pencil and sit next to their reading partner in the whole group meeting area.
  • Tell students that they have just spent two days reading and learning about different kinds of fossils, and they are now ready to write about one of them for the museum display so that others can see what they have been learning about fossils.
  • Remind students that yesterday, they looked at a museum display label model and analyzed what made it a strong label.
  • Display the museum display label model and read it aloud.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What makes this a strong museum display label?" (states what is in the picture, includes two or three facts about that type of fossil and how it was formed, uses words from our Fossil Word Wall, like fossil and preserved)

  • Direct students' attention to the Criteria for a Museum Display Label anchor chart to confirm their thinking.
  • Tell students they will now use the fossils they sorted yesterday to choose the fossil they want to write about. Since they will help each other plan their writing, they will need to agree on a fossil with their writing partner.
  • Display the Sorting Different Types of Fossils graphic organizer (answers, for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to turn and talk with their reading partner:

"Choose one fossil that is either preserved in sap, ice, or tar." (Choices will vary.)

  • Invite students to make tent arms when they have decided on the fossil they want to write about.
  • Call on partnerships to name the fossil they will be writing about to the group.
  • Refer to the Criteria for a Museum Display Label anchor chart, and tell students that, now that they know the name of their fossil, the next step will be to think about the two to three facts they want to include about the type of fossil they are writing about and how it is formed.
  • Invite students to take out "Other Types of Fossils" and a pencil and point to the section that is about the type of fossil they are writing about with their partner. Confirm that students have pointed to the correct section.
  • Tell students they will now reread their section to identify (and put a star next to) two to three facts they want to write about. Remind them that the facts should give information about the type of fossil it is and how it formed.
  • Tell students that you will model this process before they do it with a partner. Invite a student volunteer to be your partner.
  • Display "Other Type of Fossils" and model the following process:
    • Say: "If I were writing about a fossil in sap, I would read the first section aloud."
    • Say: "Then, I would decide with my partner what two to three facts are important to include."
    • Say: "I think one fact that is important about how that type of fossil was formed is that animals could get stuck in the sap. So I will put a star close to 'get stuck' on the article. That will remind me to include that fact in my writing."
    • Say: "(Student volunteer's name), what important fact about the type of fossil or how it was formed do you think we should include?"
  • Invite students to turn and talk with their writing partner:

"How did we gather the facts we needed?" (One person reread the section about your fossil. You chose an important fact and shared it with your partner. Then you put a star by it. Then, you asked a partner to share an important fact they have.)

  • Invite students to begin working with their partner to reread and identify facts.
  • Circulate to support students as they work with their partner. Remind them to put a star next to important facts that they have agreed upon together.
  • After about 6-7 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that now that they have identified their facts, they will plan what they will write for their museum display label.
  • Display and reread the museum display label model, pointing out that it begins with naming the picture of the fossil it has and then includes two to three important facts.
  • After some think time, invite students to plan their writing with their partners.
  • If time permits, invite a few partnerships to share out.
  • Display the museum display label writing paper. Tell students that they should write their museum display label on the lines provided. Tell students it is okay if their writing is not exactly the same as their partner's.
  • Distribute the museum display label writing paper. Invite students to return to their workspaces and begin writing independently.
    • Circulate and support students as they write by directing them to the classroom supports (e.g., Fossils Word Wall, Interactive High-Frequency Word Wall).
    • After 10 minutes, invite students to return to the meeting area with their museum display label writing paper and a pencil.
    • Give students specific, positive feedback on their ability to write a museum display label. (Example: "You included the name of the fossil. You included two to three facts about the type of fossil and how it was formed.")
  • Tell students that because these labels are going on the museum display wall, they will now revise and edit their writing.
    • Remind students that revising is when writers make sure their writing makes sense and that each part of their writing is doing its job, and editing is when writers do their best to make sure their writing is correct and fix any mistakes they notice.
    • Revisit the Criteria for a Museum Display Label anchor chart. Remind students that the job of the display label is to tell the name of the fossil, and give two to three facts about that type of fossil and how it was formed
    • Invite students to read aloud their museum display labels to their partners and make sure they do their job.
    • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that they will now edit their museum display labels.
    • Display the museum display label model and point out to students how each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.
    • Model how to edit their writing: If a capital letter is missing at the beginning of a sentence, show students how to cross out the first word and write it again with a capital letter at the beginning. If punctuation such as a period, question mark, or exclamation point is missing at the end of a sentence, show students how to reread their writing and place the correct punctuation at the end of the sentence.
    • Invite students to stay in the meeting area to edit their museum display labels with their partners. Tell students to read their sentences aloud to their writing partners so they can help them edit their work.
    • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • To support written expression and sustained engagement, offer a partially filled-in museum display label for students to complete. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: Display the Criteria for a Museum Display anchor chart next to the Museum Display Label Model. While reviewing the anchor chart, underline each item with a different color marker. Then, in the Museum Display Label Model, underline the evidence of each criterion with the same respective color. (Example: "So this criterion says we need to write two or three facts about the fossils. I'm going to underline this criterion in blue. Now let's find evidence of this criterion on the model. Penelope, will you find one fact in the model and underline it with this blue marker?")
  • For ELLs: Offer sentence frames to prompt student writing as they complete their labels. (Examples: "This is a picture of a _____. Millions of years ago, _____. The ______ was preserved because _____.")

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Writer: Preparing Our Museum Display (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the area where you be posting their museum display labels.
  • Tell students that you are excited to post their museum display labels, but you want to make sure it is communicating the right information to those who come visit and read it.
  • Tell students you would like their help in preparing the museum display, and that some of the nonfiction features they have been learning about will be helpful.
  • Tell students that the display will need a title. Remind students that a title is the name of something.
  • Invite students to turn and talk with an elbow partner:

"What could the title of our museum display be?" (Types of Fossils, Different Kinds of Fossils, etc.)

  • Invite a few students to share their thinking and, with the group, decide on a title together. Write the title on a sentence strip.
  • Tell students that the display will also need headings. Remind students that a heading gives information for what part of the reading, or, in this case, the display, will be about.
  • If productive, use a Goal 3 Conversation Cue to challenge students:

"Can you figure out why we are adding headings to our display? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Say:

"There were three different types of fossils we learned about in the reading, so I think each heading should be about that fossil. Then, we can put the museum display labels under the correct heading."

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What should the names of our headings be?" (Fossils Preserved in Sap, Fossils Preserved in Ice, Fossils Preserved in Tar, etc.)

  • Invite a few students to share out, and, with the group, decide on three different headings together. Write the headings on the three remaining sentence strips.
  • Tell students that you will put the title and headings up on the display, along with their museum display labels and pictures of the fossils!
  • For students who may be uncomfortable sharing their own ideas with the entire class: Consider allowing them to share what their partner said so that they still have a chance to speak in front of the class. (MME)

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