A. Focused Read-aloud: Mama Miti, Pages 3-14 (15 minutes)

• Refocus whole group.
• Display Mama Miti and read the title and the author's and illustrator's names aloud.
• Remind students that this is a true story about a woman named Wangari who encouraged others to plant trees to help her community.
• Tell students that they gathered a lot of ideas from the text A Tree Is Nice, and that today they will focus on a few sections of Mama Miti to understand why Wangari told people in her community to plant trees.
• Tell students that after focusing on a few sections of Mama Miti, they will be able to compare the information and ideas they get from Mama Miti to the information and ideas they got from A Tree Is Nice.
• Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can ask and answer questions about the main topic and key details in Mama Miti."

• Throughout the focused read-aloud, consider using the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4, and RI.K.9.
• Read aloud pages 3-8.
• Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 2 to check for understanding:

• Turn and Talk:

"According to the text, why did Wangari encourage people in her community to plant trees?" (for food; to grow food; to be able to eat fruits; because they didn't have any food and trees provide food)

• Circulate to listen in.
• Refocus whole group and share the correct reason(s). 
• Invite students to silently pantomime the reason(s). 
• Acknowledge those accurately pantomiming. 

• Direct students' attention to the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart and point out that the reason Wangari told people in her community to plant trees was also a reason that was included in A Tree Is Nice.
• Place a check mark or star by "Trees have food for people or animals" on the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart. Refer to the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Repeat this process with pages 9-14. (She encouraged people in her community to plant trees for firewood to make a fire so they can be warm and cook food.) 
• Use the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 3 to use a marker to add the reason to a sentence strip and tape it to the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart. Continue to refer to the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Show students the Trees Are Important Word Wall card for firewood (wood that is burned for heating or cooking) and follow the same process established in Modules 1-2: Provide its definition, clap out its syllables, use it in a sentence, and place the Word Wall card and picture for it on the Trees Are Important Word Wall.
• Tell students that they will continue to think about and find more reasons the author gives for why people should plant trees over the next few lessons.

C. Scaffolded Writing: Analyzing a Model and Planning an Opinion and Reason (25 minutes)

• Refocus whole group.
• Tell students that in Mama Miti, the main character, Mama Miti or Wangari, knows a lot about trees and she shares what she knows and her ideas with the community.
• Tell students that now that they have learned so much about trees, why people plant them, and places where people plant them, they also have information and ideas to share. 
• Tell students that writing an opinion is one way to share ideas.
• Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the third one aloud:

"I can use pictures and words to state an opinion about where to plant trees and provide a reason to support it."

• Review the following definitions as needed: 

• opinion (what you think about something)
• reason (why you have your opinion; what makes you think so)

• Tell students that before they plan and write their own opinions, they will read and analyze one together as a class to better understand what to include in opinion writing.
• Display the Opinion Model: "Where I Would Plant a Tree" and read it aloud.
• Turn and Talk:

"What was this mostly about?" (where this person thinks you should plant a tree)

• Tell students that when individuals share their opinion about a topic through writing, they must include important parts in the writing so that the reader can understand the opinion.
• Tell students that you are going to reread the Opinion Model: "Where I Would Plant a Tree" and point out the different parts of the writing. Tell them that as you identify and point out the different parts of the opinion writing, you will color the different parts in the model.
• Reread the first part of the sentence, "I would plant a tree beside the school building," and tell students that this is the opinion.
• Underline the opinion using a red colored pencil. Refer to the Opinion Model: "Where I Would Plant a Tree" (for teacher reference) as necessary
• Reread the second part of the sentence, "People can enjoy looking at the tree through the school's windows," and tell students that this is the reason that supports the opinion.
• Underline the reason using a blue colored pencil. Continue to refer to the Opinion Model: "Where I Would Plant a Tree" (for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Ask:

"What word connects the opinion statement and the reason?" (because)

Conversation Cue: "Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

• Point out that the word because is used to connect the opinion statement with the reason. This conjunction is important to use in opinion writing.
• Circle the word because on the model.
• Tell students you will reread the Opinion Model: "Where I Would Plant a Tree" one more time slowly. Students should listen for the different parts of the opinion writing and perform one of three actions depending on the part.
• Say: 

"When I read the opinion, touch your head."

"When I read the word because, clap once."

"When I read the reason, touch your knee."

• Remind students to move safely and begin reading, pausing after each part to allow students to perform the action.
• Refocus whole group.
• Tell students that now they are going to use what they know about what to include in opinion writing in order to plan their own opinion writing.
• Remind students that writing an opinion is one way to share ideas and that they have gathered a lot of ideas for places and reasons to plant trees.
• Display the Opinion Writing planner and read prompt aloud: 

• "Where would you plant a tree? Why would you plant it there?"
• Focus students on the boxes on the planner and read the headings aloud: 

• "Place" 
• "Reason"

• Tell students that they will select a place to plant a tree from the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart and an appropriate reason for planting it in that place from the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart. Remind students that all of these ideas came from the texts A Tree Is Nice and Mama Miti.
• Model completing the Opinion Writing planner using the following shared writing routine. Refer to the Opinion Writing planner (example, for teacher reference) as necessary:

• Select "In a field" from the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart.
• Record "In a field" on the "place" section of the Opinion Writing planner and quickly sketch the place.
• Think aloud about a few different reasons you would plant a tree in a field (e.g., "Trees provide shade for the farm animals" or "Trees have food for people and animals.").
• Select "Trees provide shade" from the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart.
• Record "Trees provide shade" on the "reason" section of the Opinion Writing planner and quickly sketch the reason.
• Cover up "In a field" on the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart.

• Tell students that now they will plan their own opinion statement using any of the remaining ideas from the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart. Remind them that they should select a reason from the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart that matches their opinion.
• Direct students' attention back to the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart and Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart and read the ideas aloud.
• Turn and Talk:

"Where would you plant a tree?" (Responses will vary, but students should use information from the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart.)

"Why would you plant it there?" (Responses will vary, but students should use information from the Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart.)

• Distribute clipboards and pencils.
• Invite students to begin planning.
• Circulate and support students as they plan their opinion statement by referring to the Places People Plant Trees anchor chart and Reasons to Plant a Tree anchor chart. 
• After 10 minutes, signal to students to finish up their planners.