- I can seek out examples and patterns in the world around me to research living and nonliving things. (RI.K.3, SL.K.2, L.K.5a)
- I can record my observations with words and drawings like a researcher. (W.K.2)
These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:
- RI.K.2: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- RI.K.3: With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
- RI.K.4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
- RI.K.7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).
- W.K.2: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
- 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.
- L.K.5a: Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- During Work Time A, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress toward SL.K.2 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
- During Reading Aloud to Research in Work Time B, continue to use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.2, RI.K.3, RI.K.4, and RI.K.7 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
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1. Opening A. Poem and Movement: "What's Alive and What's Not?" Version 1 (10 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Engaging the Researcher: Patterns in Living and Nonliving Things (10 minutes) B. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 1-7 (15 minutes) C. Engaging the Researcher: Making and Recording Observations (20 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes) |
Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:
How this lesson builds on previous work:
Areas in which students may need additional support:
Down the road:
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In Advance
- Prepare:
- Living Things Word Wall cards for pattern, leaves, and roots.
- Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart by taking the Sorting Mats that students completed in pairs during Lesson 1 and synthesizing their understanding on the anchor chart. Attach the set of Living and Nonliving Things sorting images from Lesson 1 to the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart with blue painter's tape so you can easily move them in later lessons, as students' thinking continues to evolve.
- If all students placed an image in a column, record this by placing the same image in the corresponding column (e.g., if all students sorted a dog in the Living column, place yours in the Living column as well). If answers varied and only some students sorted correctly, place the image in the Not Sure Yet column (e.g., some students put a car in the living category and some in the nonliving category, so place yours in the Not Sure Yet column). As students learn more about living and nonliving things, the class will revise the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart.
- Follow care guide instructions in the Directions for Living Plants Observation Setup (see Lesson 1 supporting Materials) to prepare Plant 1 for students to observe and sketch in Work Time C.
- Distribute Materials for Work Time C at student workspaces.
- Post: Learning targets, "What's Alive and What's Not?" Version 1, and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).
Tech and Multimedia
Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson Materials.
- Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-2 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.1, K.1.A.3, K.1.B.5, and K.1.B.6
Important points in the lesson itself
- The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to interact with text in multiple ways (through movement, visuals, and discussion). Students participate in an observation of plants that supports content and language acquisition by providing structured practice during an engaging hands-on activity.
- ELLs may find it challenging to find words to describe the connection between the concrete attributes they observe when looking at the seedling and why those make it living or nonliving. After describing the task and before writing, consider having students brainstorm a list of words that everyone can use in their notebooks to describe their observations.
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- Collect and display realia for the new words you will highlight during the lesson: furry, leaves, roots, underground, and petal. During Work Time B, encourage students to identify pictures that exemplify specific sentences in the text. Ask them to consider how illustrations help us understand the text.
For heavier support:
- In the Opening, create index cards with illustrations that can be affixed with tape to accompany the concepts and Vocabulary in the poem. Students can use them to sequence the poem, demonstrate concept mastery and paraphrase.
- During Work Time B, model and think aloud the process of using illustrations to help understand the text with the first page you read. Say: "I see a lot of things in this picture. What do you see?" Offer them a sentence frame: "I see ______" or "I observe ______." Lead students through a quick identification of all the things in the picture. Say: "I wonder if we can find some of those in one of these sentences." After reading, ask students to say which of the things was described in the text.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Some students may need additional support with visual perception. During the read-aloud, display the text on a document camera or use an enlarged copy of the text to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page as they follow along. Pausing for clarification of new Vocabulary will also support students who may need additional support with comprehension.
- Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
- Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): As students engage with the text during this lesson, continue to support them in linking the information presented back to the learning target to emphasize and remind them of the instructional goal.
Vocabulary
Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)
New:
- noun, alive, pattern, growing, seek out (L)
- furry, leaves, roots, underground, petal (T)
Review:
- living, observation (L)
Materials
- "What's Alive and What's Not" Version 1 (one to display)
- Living Things Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; three)
- Living Things Word Wall (begun in Lesson 1; added to during the Opening and Work Time B; see Teaching Notes)
- What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1; added to during Work Times A and C)
- Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see supporting Materials)
- Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart (example; for teacher reference)
- What's Alive? (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
- Plant 1 (one per small group)
- Plant photographs (optional; Plant 1; one per small group)
- Living Things research notebook (one per student and one for teacher modeling)
- Pencils (one per student)
- Crayons (class set; variety of colors per student)
- Living Things research notebook (example, for teacher reference)
- Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart (begun in 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
Opening | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Poem and Movement: "What's Alive and What's Not?" Version 1 (10 minutes)
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Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Engaging the Researcher: Patterns in Living and Nonliving Things (10 minutes)
"I can seek out examples and patterns in the world around me to research living and nonliving things."
"What does it mean to seek out examples?" (to look for things that provide evidence and that you can observe over and over because it repeats) "What is a pattern?" (something that repeats again and again)
"What does it mean to look for these things 'in the world around them'?" (that researchers don't just look in one place, but all around to gather lots of evidence)
"What examples or patterns can you find in the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart?" (Responses will vary, but may include: lots of animals are in the Living column; lots of toys are in the Nonliving column, etc.) "How do we know if something is living?" (There is no correct or incorrect answer at this stage.)
"Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)
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B. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 1-7 (15 minutes)
"What information does this page tell us about how to know if something is living or alive?"
"Was anything the same about the (cat, bird, flower, and tree)?" (Yes, they all grow; they all need water; etc.)
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C. Engaging the Researcher: Making and Recording Observations (20 minutes)
"I can record my observations with words and drawings like a researcher."
"What does it mean to record observations with drawings and labels?" (to write and draw about what you see)
"What is one thing you observe about Plant 1?"
"What are some hand gestures, motions, or actions that could go along with each observation step?" (Responses will vary, but may include: holding arms wide for the whole and moving your eyes and head up and down to show looking from bottom to top.)
"What is something that you observed about Plant 1 that you will write and draw about in your Living Things research notebook?" (Responses will vary.)
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)
"What patterns and examples of living and nonliving things did you find during today's lesson?" (Responses will vary.)
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