- I can read a text to research what makes something living. (RI.K.1, RI.K.1, RI.K.3, RI.K.4, RI.K.7)
- I can record information from my research about what makes something living. (W.K.8)
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.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.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question
- L.K.1c: Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- During Reading Aloud to Research in Work Time A, continue to use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
- Collect students' Living Things research notebooks as evidence of progress toward W.K.8.
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. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 11, 13, and 20 (20 minutes) B. Engaging the Researcher: Making Observations (10 minutes) C. Independent Writing: Living Things Research Notebook (15 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. 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
- Strategically pair students for work during the Opening.
- Prepare:
- Pieces of tape accessible on the edge of the board/table for students use to attach Singular and Plural Noun cards.
- Living Things Word Wall cards for nutrients, energy, roots, and wilt.
- Technology necessary to play "What Do Animals Eat?" in Work Time B.
- Plant 1 and Plant 2 to observe and sketch in Work Time C.
- Follow care guide instructions in the Directions for Living Plants Observation Setup (see Lesson 1 supporting Materials).
- Distribute Materials for Work Time C at student workspaces.
- Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (optional; see supporting Materials).
- Cut out the Language Dive Chunk Pictures I: What's Alive for use during the Language Dive (optional; see supporting Materials).
- 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.
- Work Time B: Show "What Do Animals Eat?" video. WGBH. PBS Learning Media, 2003. Web. 6 September 2016. (For display. Used by permission.)
Supporting English Language Learners
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.1, K.1.B.4, K.1.C.10, and K.1.C.12
Important points in the lesson itself
- The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to interact with text in multiple ways, including movement, visual engagement, oral processing, and whole class and partner discussion. Students also observe the criteria for living things in the natural world, offering an opportunity to practice and apply language in a hands-on experience.
- ELLs may find it challenging to retain and apply the concept of patterns between the living things in the text while grappling with the syntax and Vocabulary (both in the text and introduced in the learning targets). Consider pausing often to connect the illustrations to the text. (Example: "What things remain the same on pages 11, 13 and 20?")
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- Offer opportunities for students to explain what their partner said during discussions. Before providing sentence frames or additional modeling throughout the lesson, ask students to share how they would respond to a prompt using a complete sentence.
For heavier support:
- During Work Time B, offer sentence starters for students struggling to express their ideas and encourage them to extend their thinking by explaining their thinking.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, students engage with several resources for gathering information, including a text, photographs, and a video clip. Students then use this information to record an observation. This transfer of information into knowledge that students can use requires metacognitive skills and strategies. Some students may need support in connecting and remembering the information presented. Provide scaffolds to support diverse abilities in using these strategies, such as manipulatives to guide students in new understandings.
- Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, support a range of fine motor abilities and writing needs by offering students options for drawing utensils (e.g., thick markers or colored pencils) and writing tools (e.g., fine-tipped markers, pencil grips, slant boards). Varying tools for construction and composition supports students' ability to express knowledge.
- Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Sustained engagement and effort is essential for student achievement. Some students may need support to remember the goal of the work they are doing in this lesson. These students benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance. Students who may struggle with sustained effort and concentration are supported when these reminders are built into the learning environment.
Vocabulary
Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)
New:
- singular, plural, criteria/criterion, nutrients, wilt (L)
- alike, energy, lap, nibble, sunlight (T)
Review:
- noun, revise, observe (L)
Materials
- What's Alive and What's Not" Version 1 (from Lesson 2; one to display)
- Singular and Plural Nouns anchor chart (new; co-created with students during the Opening)
- Singular and Plural Noun cards (one card per pair)
- Tape (one piece per pair)
- Singular and Plural Nouns anchor chart (answers, for teacher reference)
- What's Alive? (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
- Living Things Criteria anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Work Time A; see supporting Materials)
- Living Things Criteria anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
- Living Things Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; three)
- Living Things Word Wall (begun in Lesson 1; added to during Work Time A; see Teaching Notes)
- What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
- "What Do Animals Eat?" (video; play in entirety; see Technology and Multimedia)
- Plant 1 (from Lesson 2; one per small group)
- Plant 2 (one per small group)
- Plant photographs (optional; from Lesson 2; Plant 1 and Plant 2; one per small group)
- Living Things Research notebook (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Work Time C; page 2; one per student and one to display)
- Pencils (one per student)
- Crayons (class set; variety of colors per student)
- Living Things Research notebook (from Lesson 2; example, for teacher reference)
- Language Dive Guide I: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; for teacher reference)
- Language Dive Chunk Chart I: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; for teacher reference)
- Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks I: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; one to display)
- Language Dive Chunk Pictures I: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; one per student)
- Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; manipulated 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
Opening | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Poem and Movement: "What's Alive and What's Not?" Version 1 (10 minutes)
"Looking at the nouns, how can we tell if a noun is singular or plural?" (It is plural if it ends in -s or -es.)
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Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 11, 13, and 20 (20 minutes)
"I can read a text to research what makes something living."
"What does it mean if things are alike?" (They are the same.)
"In what three ways does the author tell us living things are alike?" (All living things need food, water, and air.)
"What else do all living things need or do that is the same?" (They all need energy; they all move and grow.)
"What evidence or information does this page tell us about how to know if something is living?"
"Was anything the same about the (cat, bird, flower, and tree)?" (Yes, they all grow; they all need water; etc.) "How do we know that cats and plants are living things?" (They both need food and water.)
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B. Engaging the Researcher: Making Observations (10 minutes)
"What did you observe about how living things need food and water?" (Responses will vary.) "What was different about Plant 1, which did get water and light, and Plant 2, which did not get water or light?" (Responses will vary, but may include: When the plant didn't get water, it looked dry, crunchy, and brown.)
"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)
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C. Independent Writing: Living Things Research Notebook (15 minutes)
"I can record information from my research about what makes something living."
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)
"What cards should move on this anchor chart? Why?" (Responses will vary, but may include: We should move the dog to Living because dogs need to eat food.)
"Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)
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