ELA GK:M3:U1:L6

Writing and Speaking: Sharing Our Ideas about Living and Nonliving Things

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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.3: With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
W.K.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
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.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.

Daily Learning Targets

I can use research to confirm ideas about what makes something alive. (RI.K.1, RI.K.1, RI.K.3, RI.K.7)
I can record evidence from my research about the living and nonliving things around me. (W.K.8)

Ongoing Assessment

During the read-aloud in Work Time A, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress toward SL.K.2 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
Collect students' Living Things research notebooks as evidence of progress toward W.K.8.

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Shared Reading: Living Things Criteria (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 22-25 (10 minutes) B. Engaging the Researcher: Living Things Scavenger Hunt (20 minutes) C. Independent Writing: Living Things Research Notebook (15 minutes) 3. Closing A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)	Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: Work Times A and C both contain repeated routines from Lessons 2-5. Refer to those lessons for more detail as necessary. This is the final lesson in a series of five (Lessons 2-6) in which students participate in Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things using the informational text What's Alive? (RI.K1, RI.K.2, RI.K.3, RI.K.4, RI.K.7). During Work Time B, students go outside to engage in a scavenger hunt. Students apply the criteria they have learned to evaluate different objects and determine whether they are living or nonliving. This is a type of research; students are finding examples and patterns in the world around them. They will use their observations as evidence when writing and speaking about their ideas. Students should bring their Living Things research notebooks with them to help them evaluate several objects. The observations are designed to serve as ideas to help students create the last research notebook entry of the unit (SL.K.1b, L.K.5a). If it is not possible to take students outside, find a classroom or take a tour of the building. In Work Time C, ELLs participate in an optional Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from page 20 of What's Alive? using the same Language Dive Guide format introduced in Lesson 5. The focus of this Language Dive is allowing students to discuss and practice how adjectives and nouns function together in a compelling sentence (L.K.4). Students then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence when writing in their Living Things research notebook and when discussing how the parts of plants help them throughout the remainder of the unit. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine. How this lesson builds on previous work: In Lessons 3-5, students listened to selected pages of What's Alive? read aloud to focus on how all living things need food and water, breathe air, and move and grow. In this lesson, they listen to selected pages to focus their research on confirming their ideas about what makes something alive. Continue to reinforce the value of revisiting this rich and complex text to think about the important concepts and learn complex Vocabulary. Similar to Lessons 3-5, in this lesson, students use the text What's Alive? to confirm the way they sorted on the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart and revise any outstanding mistakes. Students apply what they have learned during a scavenger hunt for living and nonliving things. They use a copy of the Living Things Criteria to evaluate different objects to see whether they are living or nonliving. Areas in which students may need additional support: Similar to Lessons 3-5, students independently write in the Living Things research notebook. Continue to consider any additional supports that may provide better access to the material or aid students who continue to work on fine motor skills. Down the road: In Lesson 7, students use their experiences with the criteria of living and nonliving things and work to answer the question first posed in Lesson 1: "Is a tree living?" They use what they now know about living things to gather evidence and prepare for a Science Talk in Lesson 8. In Lesson 7, students also show their understanding of the criteria they researched about what makes something living and nonliving by participating in a shared writing.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Shared Reading: Living Things Criteria (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 22-25 (10 minutes)

B. Engaging the Researcher: Living Things Scavenger Hunt (20 minutes)

C. Independent Writing: Living Things Research Notebook (15 minutes)

3. Closing

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

Work Times A and C both contain repeated routines from Lessons 2-5. Refer to those lessons for more detail as necessary.
This is the final lesson in a series of five (Lessons 2-6) in which students participate in Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things using the informational text What's Alive? (RI.K1, RI.K.2, RI.K.3, RI.K.4, RI.K.7).
During Work Time B, students go outside to engage in a scavenger hunt. Students apply the criteria they have learned to evaluate different objects and determine whether they are living or nonliving. This is a type of research; students are finding examples and patterns in the world around them. They will use their observations as evidence when writing and speaking about their ideas. Students should bring their Living Things research notebooks with them to help them evaluate several objects. The observations are designed to serve as ideas to help students create the last research notebook entry of the unit (SL.K.1b, L.K.5a). If it is not possible to take students outside, find a classroom or take a tour of the building.
In Work Time C, ELLs participate in an optional Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from page 20 of What's Alive? using the same Language Dive Guide format introduced in Lesson 5. The focus of this Language Dive is allowing students to discuss and practice how adjectives and nouns function together in a compelling sentence (L.K.4). Students then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence when writing in their Living Things research notebook and when discussing how the parts of plants help them throughout the remainder of the unit. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

In Lessons 3-5, students listened to selected pages of What's Alive? read aloud to focus on how all living things need food and water, breathe air, and move and grow. In this lesson, they listen to selected pages to focus their research on confirming their ideas about what makes something alive. Continue to reinforce the value of revisiting this rich and complex text to think about the important concepts and learn complex Vocabulary.
Similar to Lessons 3-5, in this lesson, students use the text What's Alive? to confirm the way they sorted on the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart and revise any outstanding mistakes.
Students apply what they have learned during a scavenger hunt for living and nonliving things. They use a copy of the Living Things Criteria to evaluate different objects to see whether they are living or nonliving.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

Similar to Lessons 3-5, students independently write in the Living Things research notebook. Continue to consider any additional supports that may provide better access to the material or aid students who continue to work on fine motor skills.

Down the road:

In Lesson 7, students use their experiences with the criteria of living and nonliving things and work to answer the question first posed in Lesson 1: "Is a tree living?" They use what they now know about living things to gather evidence and prepare for a Science Talk in Lesson 8.
In Lesson 7, students also show their understanding of the criteria they researched about what makes something living and nonliving by participating in a shared writing.

In Advance

Strategically pair students for the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol during the Closing.
Distribute Materials for Work Time C at student workspaces.
Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

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.B.5, and K.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself

The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to engage interactively with language in a familiar anchor chart and complex text. They apply the criteria they've learned about living things in a hands-on, interactive experience aligned to the text.
ELLs may find it challenging to interpret some of What's Alive? Consider stopping regularly to clarify meaning by modeling wondering aloud and referencing the illustrations.
In Work Time C of this lesson, ELLs may participate in an optional Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from page 20 of What's Alive?. The focus of this Language Dive is allowing students to discuss and practice using adjectives to expand a complete sentence (L.K.1f). Students then apply their understanding of the meaning and structure of this sentence when writing in their Living Things research notebook and when discussing how the parts of plants help them throughout the remainder of the unit. Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting Materials). Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

Now that students are familiar with the gestures aligned with the anchor charts, offer multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate those gestures, fostering leadership and celebration as you refer to and use these throughout the lesson.

For heavier support:

During Work Time B, the scavenger hunt is an ideal opportunity for students to practice academic conversation while making discoveries. Before going outside, suggest sentence starters they can use to share their ideas.

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, students listen to a read-aloud of What's Alive? Some students may need support in incorporating the most valuable information from the text into existing knowledge. Provide explicit cues or prompts to support students in attending to the features that matter most as they follow along. Before reading the text, activate background knowledge by previewing the questions you will ask. (Example: Say: "After I read the text, I will ask you what information What's Alive? gives us that helps us confirm what we know about living things.")
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): During this lesson, some students may need additional support with sustained effort. Provide targeted feedback that encourages sustained effort during each activity and encourages the use of specific supports and strategies, such as the Word Wall and peer support.

Vocabulary

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

New:

confirm, scavenger hunt (L)
exploring (T)

Review:

revise (L)

Materials

Living Things Criteria anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3)
Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; manipulated during Work Time A)
What's Alive? (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
Living Things research notebook (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Work Time C; pages 5-6; one per student)
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 IV: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; for teacher reference)

Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (optional; for ELLs; begun in Lesson 5)
Language Dive Chunk Chart IV: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; for teacher reference)
Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks IV: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; one to display)
Language Dive Note-catcher IV: What's Alive? (optional; for ELLs; one per student and one to display)

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

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Shared Reading: Living Things Criteria (5 minutes) Gather students whole group. Direct students' attention to the Living Things Criteria anchor chart. Remind them that after doing work as researchers, they have worked to answer the unit guiding question, "How do you know something is living?" and have learned that living things all need and do certain things. Review the anchor chart as necessary and consider inviting students to act out each criterion as you read it.	For ELLs: (Leadership) Invite students to point to the words as you chorally read them. Also invite students to act out the gestures in front of the class. For ELLs: (Restate) Invite students to restate what criteria means in their own words. For students who may need additional support with visual perception: Offer individual copies of the anchor chart for students who may need support with using far-point display. (MMR)

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Shared Reading: Living Things Criteria (5 minutes)

Gather students whole group.
Direct students' attention to the Living Things Criteria anchor chart. Remind them that after doing work as researchers, they have worked to answer the unit guiding question, "How do you know something is living?" and have learned that living things all need and do certain things.
Review the anchor chart as necessary and consider inviting students to act out each criterion as you read it.

For ELLs: (Leadership) Invite students to point to the words as you chorally read them. Also invite students to act out the gestures in front of the class.
For ELLs: (Restate) Invite students to restate what criteria means in their own words.
For students who may need additional support with visual perception: Offer individual copies of the anchor chart for students who may need support with using far-point display. (MMR)

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
*A. Reading Aloud to Research Living and Nonliving Things: What's Alive?, Pages 22-25 (10 minutes)* Refocus whole group. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud: "I can use research to confirm ideas about what makes something alive." Briefly define the word confirm (to prove or show to be true). Tell students that today they are researching to gather information and evidence that confirms their ideas about what makes something alive. Direct students' attention to the Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart and remind them that this chart shows their understanding of living and nonliving things from the sorting activity in Lesson 1. Remind them that they have revised their Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart in Lessons 3-5 based on their research. Inform them that they have one more chance to revise (make changes to) their work if needed. Tell students that today they are going to reread some pages of *What's Alive?* to confirm their ideas about what makes something alive. Guide students through the routine from Work Time B of Lesson 2 to read aloud pages 22-25 of What's Alive? As you read, invite students to show a thumbs-up when they hear or see something in the text that confirms their ideas about what makes something alive. Fluently read each page, pausing to define the following words in context: exploring (traveling to discover or search for something). Return to page 24 and Turn and Talk: "What information does What's Alive? give us that would help us confirm what we know about living things?" (Does this thing need food?) 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." (Responses will vary.) Tell students that we can use this information to help us confirm how we sorted. Invite students to use their new research to help confirm their Sorting Living and Nonliving Things anchor chart. Follow the routine from the Closing of Lesson 3 to guide students in revising their thinking on the anchor chart.	For ELLs: (Translation) Consider asking students to share the translation of the words confirm or exploring in other languages they know. If Spanish is one of the languages, notice how confirmar is similar to confirm, explorando is similar to exploring. Mention that sometimes words in two languages that sound similarly mean the same thing. We can use this to help us remember what they mean and how to use them. For ELLs: (Clarifying Confusing Syntax) After reading "Anything that never needs food or water or air is not a living thing" on page 22, wonder aloud what the author means. Encourage students to restate it in their own words, and then say it in your own words, correcting any misconceptions. (Example: "This means that if something does not need food, water, or air, it is not living. Where would that go on our anchor chart then?") Consider affixing the icons for water, air, and food with large red lines through them above or alongside the Nonliving column on the sorting anchor chart. Before reading, provide white boards and dry-erase markers as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. (MMR, MMAE)
B. Engaging the Researcher: Living Things Scavenger Hunt (20 minutes) Refocus students whole group. Direct students' attention to the What Researchers Do anchor chart and read aloud the idea: "seek out examples and patterns in the world around them" Remind students that to "seek examples and patterns in the world around them" means researchers look for things that provide information. They look everywhere around them to find information. Tell students that they will work as researchers today, looking around them to find examples of living and nonliving things. Inform them that they will go on a scavenger hunt to find these examples. Briefly define scavenger hunt (a game in which people use clues to find items) and share that they will go outside to find examples of living and nonliving things. Tell them that they will use the criteria to decide what is living and what is nonliving. They will write about one thing they find when they come back inside. Invite students to bring their Living Things research notebook and line up to go outside. Once outside, model how to look for living and nonliving things. Then, invite students to show you how they would look for living and nonliving things. Invite students to open to page 5 of their research notebook. Tell them they will now use the criteria listed on this page to help them find living and nonliving things. Allow students 15 minutes of observation and exploration time. As they observe, circulate and prompt them with questions as necessary. Refocus whole group and lead them back inside to the whole group area.	For ELLs: (Sentence Frames) Provide and practice a few simple frames students can apply with each other during the scavenger hunt, including questions or exclamations. (Examples: "Look! A nonliving thing!" "Why do you think this is living?" "I think this is living because ________.") For ELLs: (Errors) As students interact outside, jot down samples of effective communication. Also jot down one or two common language errors (pervasive, stigmatizing, critical). For students who may need additional support with self-regulation: Help students anticipate and manage frustration during the scavenger hunt. (Example: "If I feel frustrated or overwhelmed while I am looking for living and nonliving things, I can stop for a second and take a deep breath to refocus.") (MME)
C. Independent Writing: Living Things Research Notebook (15 minutes) Refocus whole group. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud: "I can record evidence from my research about the living and nonliving things around me." Follow the same routine from Work Time C of Lesson 2 to guide students through completing page 6 of their research notebook: Tell students the following Materials are already at their workspaces: Living Things research notebook, pencils, and crayons. Circulate to support students and refer to the Living Things research notebook (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Collect notebooks. Gather whole group. Invite targeted students to share their work and the class to comment about whether they agree or disagree. Prompt both the students sharing and those commenting to provide their reasoning: "Why do you think your object is (living/nonliving)?" (Responses will vary.)	For ELLs: During or after Work Time C, guide students through a Language Dive. Refer to Language Dive Guide IV: What's Alive? (for teacher reference) and Language Dive Chunk Chart IV: What's Alive?. Distribute and Display Sentence Strip Chunks IV: What's Alive? and Language Dive Note-catcher IV: What's Alive?. For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organization for written expression: (Extrapolating from Drawing) Consider inviting students to draw their idea first and then offer support by asking about details in their drawing. (MMAE) For students who may need additional support with oral language and processing: Allow ample wait time during the discussion. (MMAE, MME)

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes) Tell students they are going to use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol today to reflect on how they have worked as a researcher. Remind them that they used this protocol in previous lessons 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.) Refer to the What Researchers Do anchor chart. Share with students that they have already talked about one type of research, but in the past week, they have done many different types of research. Direct students' attention to the posted sentence frames. Invite students to use both sentence frames that they have learned: "I want to add________" and "That makes me think________." Remind students of the hand gestures that go along with each sentence frame. Guide students through two rounds of the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol with the same partner using the following questions: "What is one type of research that you remember doing?" "What did you learn from doing that type of research?" Ask students to return to their seats. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: "What is one type of research you or your partner remember doing, and what did you learn from it?" (Responses will vary, but may include: We looked closely at plants; we read texts; we discussed ideas with one another.)	For ELLs: (Home Connection) Invite students to bring pictures or ideas of living and nonliving things from home to add to the chart and share with the class. For ELLs: (Celebrate) During the class share-out at the end of the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol, celebrate students who show courage in sharing. For students who may need additional support with organizing their thinking for verbal expression: Consider providing discussion questions to students ahead of time. (MMAE, MME)

Closing

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Tell students they are going to use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol today to reflect on how they have worked as a researcher. Remind them that they used this protocol in previous lessons 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.)
Refer to the What Researchers Do anchor chart. Share with students that they have already talked about one type of research, but in the past week, they have done many different types of research.
Direct students' attention to the posted sentence frames. Invite students to use both sentence frames that they have learned: "I want to add________" and "That makes me think________." Remind students of the hand gestures that go along with each sentence frame.
Guide students through two rounds of the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol with the same partner using the following questions:

"What is one type of research that you remember doing?"

"What did you learn from doing that type of research?"

Ask students to return to their seats.
Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is one type of research you or your partner remember doing, and what did you learn from it?" (Responses will vary, but may include: We looked closely at plants; we read texts; we discussed ideas with one another.)

For ELLs: (Home Connection) Invite students to bring pictures or ideas of living and nonliving things from home to add to the chart and share with the class.
For ELLs: (Celebrate) During the class share-out at the end of the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol, celebrate students who show courage in sharing.
For students who may need additional support with organizing their thinking for verbal expression: Consider providing discussion questions to students ahead of time. (MMAE, MME)

EL Education Curriculum