Building Background Knowledge: What is Pollination | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M3:U2:L4

Building Background Knowledge: What is Pollination

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.2.3: Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a 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.
  • SL.2.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can collaborate with my partner to answer questions using information from the text What Is Pollination? (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, SL.2.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the close reading in Work Time A, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, RI.2.7) to track students' progress toward these reading standards (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During the Closing, listen for students to share how they collaborated as researchers and what this helped them learn about pollination. (SL.2.2)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Collaborating as Researchers: Revisiting the What Researchers Do Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Reading: What Is Pollination?, Pages 1-13 (30 minutes)

B. Language Dive: What Is Pollination? (20 minutes)

3. Closing 

A.Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • In this lesson, students closely read portions of What Is Pollination? with a partner. As students move into the second half of the school year, close read-aloud guides transition to close reading guides. While still being highly guided by the teacher, these experiences shift more responsibility to students, who are expected to read some or all of the text themselves. Multiple encounters with both the structure and content of this text prepares students for successful research reading in Lesson 5.
  • In Work Time B of this lesson, students participate in a Language Dive that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from What Is Pollination? The focus of this Language Dive is using adjectives to describe nouns (L.2.1e). Students then apply their understanding of the meaningand structure of this sentence when writing their informational paragraphs at the end of Unit 2. Note that this Language Dive is longer and slightly restructured to incorporate a role-play activity about pollination during Reconstruct. Refer to the Tools page for additional information regarding a consistent Language Dive routine.
  • In the Closing, students begin to think about the habit of character of collaboration and reflect on ways they are starting to demonstrate this habit of character.

How this lesson builds on previous work: 

  • In Lesson 3, students listened to What Is Pollination? read aloud for gist. In this lesson, they complete a close read of the text to better understand how the main idea is conveyed through key details.
  • Students continue to use the What Researchers Do anchor chart to reflect on building research skills.
  • Continue to reinforce routines established in the Closing of Lessons 2 and 3: Reflecting on Learning.

Down the road:

  • In Lesson 5, students will use the text What Is Pollination? to collect information to answer the Unit 2 guiding question: "How do bees help plants grow and survive?"
  • In Lessons 6 and 7, students will collect supplemental information using images of bees. They also will sort and synthesize the information collected in Lessons 5 and 6.

In Advance

  • Strategically group students:
    • Into pairs for Work Time A, with at least one strong reader per pair.
    • Into groups of four for the Language Dive in Work Time B, with at least one advanced or proficient English speaker per group.
  • Prepare:
    • Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards for the words pollination and pollinator.
    • Pollination Props set by copying and cutting out one set per four students (see supporting Materials). Consider using a yellow crayon to color the pollen pieces in the Pollination Props set.
  • Review Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 8) as needed.
  • 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).
  • Post: Learning targets 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 and 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.
  • Create the shared writing about pollination in an online format (e.g., a Google Doc) to display and for families to access at home to reinforce these skills.

Supporting English Language Learners

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

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to participate in a Language Dive conversation about the process of pollination.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to answer text-dependent questions in partners. If necessary, provide additional opportunities to think aloud and model using the strategies discussed as a class (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time B, challenge a student to facilitate part of the Language Dive.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time A, consider working closely with students who need heavier support to ensure they understand each question on page 5 of their Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II.
  • During Work Time A, distribute partially filled-in copies of page 5 of students' Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Throughout this lesson, embed support for unfamiliar Vocabulary by providing explanation and visual examples. This helps students make connections and support construction of meaning with this text. (Example: Support comprehension by pre-teaching unfamiliar Vocabulary or inviting students to provide synonyms for key words or phrases.)
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, students closely read What is Pollination? Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to remind students of the goal for the work they are doing in this lesson. Returning to the learning goals lifts their value and relevance to students.

Vocabulary

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

Review 

  • collaboration, pollination, pollinator (L)

Materials

  • What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • What Is Pollination? (one to display and one per pair)
  • Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; two)
  • Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3; added to during Work Time A; see Teaching Notes)
  • Pollination anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II (from Lesson 1; page 5; one per student and one to display)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Text Features anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II (from Lesson 1; example, for teacher reference)
  • Chart paper (one piece; used by the teacher to record ideas about pollination and pollinators)
  • Language Dive Guide I: What Is Pollination? (for teacher reference)
    • Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 8; added to during Work Time B)
    • Language Dive Chunk Chart I: What Is Pollination? (for teacher reference)
    • Language Dive Sentence Strip Chunks I: What Is Pollination? (one to display)
    • Language Dive Note-catcher I: What Is Pollination? (one per student and one to display)
    • Pollination Props (one set per small group)

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. Collaborating as Researchers: Revisiting the What Researchers Do Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to the whole group area.
  • Direct students' attention to the What Researchers Do anchor chart and briefly review it.
  • Invite students to silently consider which ones might require collaboration.
  • Remind students that in Lessons 2-4, they thought about how taking initiative helped them in their work as researchers.
  • Review the definition of collaboration (working together to get something done).
  • After 30 seconds, invite students to share their responses whole group.
  • Confirm that many things that researchers do require collaboration, which helps researchers answer their questions and learn more about a topic.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning target and read it aloud:
    • "I can collaborate with my partner to answer questions using information from the text What Is Pollination?"
  • Turn and Talk:

"What does this learning target mean?" (Students will work with a partner to answer questions about What Is Pollination?)

"What will you need to do to collaborate well with a partner today?" (Responses will vary, but may include: listen with care, speak one at a time, use kind words, focus on the work, help your partner)

  • Invite students to "flutter their wings like butterflies" if they are excited to collaborate as researchers today!
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Concrete Examples) Provide a concrete example of collaboration from experience. Generate and practice language for what collaboration sounds like. (Examples: "Let's try together." "If you tell me your ideas, I can write them down.") (MMR

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Reading: What Is Pollination?, Pages 1-13 (30 minutes) 

  • Display the cover of What Is Pollination?
  • Remind students that they have learned a lot about pollination.
  • Show students the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards for pollination (to move or carry pollen to fertilize a flower in order to produce seeds) and pollinator (animals such as bees, wasps, butterflies, and other small animals that visit flowers and move their pollen) and follow the same process established in Modules 1 and 2: provide their definitions, clap out their syllables, use them in a sentence, and place the Word Wall cards and pictures on the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall.
  • Direct students' attention to the Pollination anchor chart and briefly review it.
  • Share that students will now collaborate with a partner to read a part of What Is Pollination?and answer questions about it.
  • Direct students' attention to the Unit 2 Guiding Question anchor chart and briefly review it.
  • Move students into pre-determined pairs and distribute students' Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II, pencils, and What Is Pollination?
  • Display page 5 of the Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II. Invite students to open their own copies to this page and orient them to the directions.
  • Confirm that partners will take turns reading the pages of the text aloud and then stop to discuss the questions listed.
  • Invite students to begin working. As students work, circulate and provide reminders about the directions as needed. Refer students to the Text Features anchor chart to assist them in navigating the text and answering the questions. Refer to the Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite partners who finish early to choose another section of the text to read together.
  • After 10-15 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Invite students to bring their notebooks and texts with them and to return to the whole group area and sit with their partner.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite several pairs of students to share their responses to bullets #1-4 with the whole group.
  • Tell students they will now collaborate to write a few sentences to share the information they have learned about what pollination is and how it helps plants to grow and survive.
    • Turn and Talk:

"What is pollination?" (to move or carry pollen to fertilize a flower to produce seeds)

"How do pollinators help with pollination?" (Pollinators move pollen from one flower to another flower to help make new seeds.)

    • Refocus students whole group and invite several students to share out.
    • As students share, capture several sentences describing pollination and pollinators on the chart paper. (Example: "Pollination is when an animal helps move pollen from one plant to a new plant. These animals are called pollinators. This helps new plants grow.")
    • Invite students to read the sentences aloud with you.
    • Give students specific, positive feedback on contributing information about pollination and pollinators.
  • Invite students to stand quietly in their spots and choose a pollinator movement to show. If time permits, invite students to suggest movements for new pollinators, and reinforce movements practiced in Lessons 2 and 3 as needed.
  • Allow students 30 seconds to move around in their spot like their chosen pollinator and then sit down again in the whole group meeting area.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with expression: (Student Modeling) Before students work in partners to answer text-dependent questions, invite two students to model answering a question for the class. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Marking Unknown Vocabulary) Encourage students to mark any Vocabulary they do not understand. Invite them to ask their partners what they mean before consulting the teacher.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with written expression: (Sentence Starters) Suggest sentence starters students can use to answer questions on page 5 of their Plants and Pollinators research notebook, Part II. (MMAE)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: As students share, consider adding quick sketches of key words or phrases to the sentences written. (MMR)

B. Language Dive: What Is Pollination? (20 minutes) 

  • Tell students they will now participate in a Language Dive using the same format from Lesson Unit 1, Lesson 8.
  • Focus students' attention on the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart and remind them that they thought of their own questions to ask during a Language Dive.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one question you can ask during a Language Dive?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Reread page 5 of What Is Pollination?
  • Focus on the sentence:

"To make new plants, pollen has to move from one flower part to another of the same kind of flower."

  • Use the Language Dive Guide I: What Is Pollination? and Chunk Chart I: What Is Pollination? to guide students through a Language Dive of the sentence. Distribute and display the Language Dive Note-catcher I:  What Is Pollination?, Sentence Strip Chunks I: What Is Pollination?, and pollination props.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes) 

  • Direct students' attention to the What Researchers Do anchor chart and remind students that they collaborated as researchers today.
  • Follow the same routine from the Closing of Lesson 2 to guide students through reflecting on how they collaborated as researchers today. (They worked together to answer questions about What Is Pollination? They worked together to act out the process of pollination during the Language Dive. Collaborating helped them answer the questions about the text What Is Pollination? and better understand the steps in the pollination process.)
  • Preview tomorrow's work by sharing that students will continue to build their research skills by researching one specific type of pollinator: bees!
  • Continue to strategically pair students to ensure they have a strong, politely helpful partner to support their efforts at sharing their thinking. (MME)

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