Research Reading: Dangers That Bats Face | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M4:U2:L3

Research Reading: Dangers That Bats Face

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.2.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
  • RI.2.8: Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can describe key points from "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" about the dangers that bats face. (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.4)
  • I can identify reasons in the text that support the author's opinion in "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (RI.2.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • After the lesson, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to review students' Protecting Pollinators research notebook and track progress toward RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.4, and RI.2.8 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • After Work Time B, review page 3 of students' Protecting Pollinators research notebook to track students' progress toward RI.2.2 and RI.2.8.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Resting Like Bats (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading Aloud to Determine the Gist: "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (20 minutes)

B. Partner Reading and Response: "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Working to Contribute to a Better World: Our Strengths Help Us Grow (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students continue reading and taking notes to identify the focus of a new informational text about dangers that bats face and to determine reasons that support the author's opinion. Students will use these notes as they collaborate to develop shared writing that gives reasons people should work to protect bats. Taking notes as words and phrases helps students recount key details to use as reasons to support an opinion (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.4, RI.2.8).
  • In the Closing, students connect the skills they use during work times with the benefits of strengthening those skills. The continued metacognition supports students' ability to set goals for improvement.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Similar to Lesson 2, students apply their research reading and note-taking skills to a new text, "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" Their succinct notes will help them recount key details of the text in subsequent lessons when learning to support opinions with reasons based on research.
  • Continue to use Goal 1-4 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • For students requiring significant additional support in reading the text "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" and answering questions in writing, consider working with a small, teacher-led group to guide these students through reading and responding.

Down the road:

  • In Lessons 4-5, students will participate in a shared writing session to develop a multi-paragraph opinion piece supporting the opinion that people should work to protect bats. Their research about the dangers that bats face and why bats are important will inform the content of this collaborative writing. Students will apply their understanding of paragraph structure to create a multi-paragraph piece requiring them to organize reasons to support an opinion. Because the shift from writing a single informational paragraph to an opinion piece with multiple paragraphs is complex, in this unit students are asked to write in support of the same opinion (rather than their individual opinions) on the topic.
  • The work on opinion writing in this unit will help students understand the relationship between opinions and supporting reasons, and will support students' ability to choose and explain or defend their opinions with evidence as they tackle increasingly rigorous reading and writing standards in subsequent grade levels.

In Advance

  • Pre-distribute copies of the Protecting Pollinators research notebook at student workspaces for Work Time B.
  • Post: Learning targets and all 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 1-3 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 by in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.B.6 and 2.I.B.7

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to read an additional text on the same topic as in Lesson 3, reinforcing content knowledge, vocabulary acquisition, and academic syntax.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to answer short response questions with their partners. Provide more structured time for students to orally process their answers. Consider modeling and thinking aloud how students might orally process and plan their answers to short response questions. Also consider providing extra time for students to finish answering the questions.

Levels of support

For lighter support

  • During Work Time A, challenge students to evaluate each reason given for protecting bats' roosts. (Example: "I think this reason makes sense because _____.")

For heavier support

  • During Work Time B, students who may benefit from having the questions read aloud to them may also benefit from having a teacher scribe their answers.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, students read "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" with two purposes: to learn more about dangers bats face and to learn how authors support their opinions with reasons. Students will need strong, flexible thinking and metacognitive skills as they develop this knowledge. Provide scaffolds to support diverse abilities in using these skills, such as explicit highlighting of information in the text to guide students in new understandings.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): This lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in discussion with partners. Continue to support those who may need it with expressive language by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Recall that some students may need additional support in linking the information presented in the text back to the learning target. Continue to include opportunities to refocus students' attention to the learning target throughout the lesson, and invite students to share how each learning activity is supporting their instructional goal.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • metacognitive (L)

Review:

  • gist, key details, opinion, reasons (L)
  • roosts (T)

Materials

  • Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Vote with Your Feet Protocol anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Protecting Pollinators research notebook (one per student and one to display)
    • "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (page 2 of the Protecting Pollinators research notebook)
    • Questions about "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (page 3 of the notebook)
  • Protecting Pollinators research notebook (example, for teacher reference)
  • Dangers That Bats Face and Reasons Bats Are Important: Class Notes (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Work Time B; see supporting materials)
  • Dangers That Bats Face and Reasons Bats Are Important: Class Notes (begun in Lesson 2; example, for teacher reference)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2; added to during the Closing; see supporting materials)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)

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.

https://curriculum.eleducation.org/

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Resting Like Bats (10 minutes)

  • Gather students in the whole group meeting area, directing them to sit with their research partners.
  • Direct students' attention to the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart and read the first question aloud:
    • "What dangers do pollinators face?"
  • Share that today, students will research about dangers that pollinators face by continuing to read and take notes about bats, a pollinator facing many dangers.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can describe key details from 'Bats' Roosts in Danger!' about the dangers that bats face."

  • Underline and review the meaning of roost (a place where bats rest or sleep).
  • Share that today's reading will focus specifically on challenges that bats face in their roosts, where they rest and sleep.
  • Turn and Talk:

"Why might it be important for bats to be safe while they rest in their roosts?" (Responses will vary, but may include: so that they will not get hurt; so that they can live and grow.)

  • Emphasize that when living creatures get good rest and sleep, their bodies continue to grow and become stronger. Tell students that when bats rest in their roosts, they close their wings around their body, like a hug, giving them a feeling of protection and comfort. When they rest in their roosts, they are very still and quiet.
  • Invite students to learn how to "rest like a bat" by standing up with enough space to stretch their arms out wide like bat wings. Consider dimming the lights or playing soft music as students practice this calming exercise.
    • Tell students to take in a slow, deep breath as you count to three, directing them to extend their arms and fingers as wide as they can to stretch their "wings."
    • Direct students to exhale slowly as you count to three. As students exhale, tell them to wrap their arms around their bodies in a gentle hug as they slowly squat or sit down in a comfortable position.
    • As they sit comfortably with their arms in a gentle hug, invite students to close their eyes and lower their heads as they breathe calmly and rest quietly like bats.
    • Explain that this is an exercise that can be used anytime they need to feel calm, protected, and safe. Suggest that while they are wrapped in their wings, they might also think about strengthening the skills they need to complete a task or overcome a challenge.
    • Invite students to open their eyes and sit comfortably, with minds ready to learn more about protecting bats' roosts.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Using Visuals) Display an illustration from A Place for Bats to remind students how a bat looks as it is resting in its roost. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading Aloud to Determine the Gist: "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (20 minutes)

  • Remind students that yesterday they listened to A Place for Bats, a book that shared information and the author's opinion about dangers that bats face and why bats are important.
  • Tell students that today they will read a text that shares a second author's opinion about bats. Explain that today's reading has two purposes: to learn more about dangers bats face, and to learn how authors support their opinions with reasons.
  • Display "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" and read the title aloud.
  • Read aloud "Bats' Roosts in Danger!", pausing only to clarify vocabulary. Cue students to listen for new information about the dangers that bats face in their roosts.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What is this text mostly about?" (dangers that affect bats and their roosts)

"What are some dangers that bats face in their roosts?" (remodeling or removing buildings; loud noises that scare bats away)

  • Read "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" aloud a second time, pausing to orally process the information with students.
    • After reading aloud Paragraph 1, ask:

"What does the author say about why bats are in danger?" (Buildings where they roost are changed or removed.)

    • After reading aloud Paragraph 2, ask:

"In Paragraph 2, what is one reason the author gives to support the opinion?" (Roosts can be destroyed when buildings are changed or removed.)

  • After reading aloud Paragraph 3, ask:

"In Paragraph 3, what details does the author write to tell us why the bats should not be disturbed?" (Bats are sensitive to noise when they are hibernating or having babies.)

"What does the author say may cause bats to leave their nests at sensitive times?" (too much noise)

    • Turn and Talk:

"What is the author's opinion about bats and their roosts? How do you know?" (People should stop making choices that disturb or damage roosts; references to sentences in Paragraphs 1 and 4.)

  • Tell students they will now participate in the Vote with Your Feet protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 2 and review as necessary using the Vote with Your Feet Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through the protocol using the following prompt:

"Do you agree or disagree with the author's opinion that people should be careful not to put bats' roosts in danger?"

  • Once students have moved to indicate their response, Turn and Talk:

"Share one reason to support your answer choice." (Responses will vary, depending on choice.)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for verbal expression: (Sentence Frames) As students discuss their opinions, encourage them to use the sentence frame from Lesson 1: "My opinion is that ______ because _____." (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Display, Repeat, Rephrase) Display and repeat the questions to support understanding of opinions. Ask:

"What is the author's opinion about bats and their roosts?"

  • Rephrase the question.

"What does the author think about bats and their roosts?"

  • For students who may need additional support with auditory processing: Offer visual display on the board or a chart of the two purposes for working with the text today (to learn more about the dangers that bats face and to learn how authors support their opinions with reasons). (MMR, MME)

B. Partner Reading and Response: "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" (20 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group, directing them to sit with their research partners.
  • Displaying the Protecting Pollinators research notebook, state that just as in previous units, students will use their research notebook to keep track of their work and learning.
  • Tell students they will work with their partners to reread "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" and answer questions in writing.
  • Tell them they will find a copy of "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" and the page of questions they need to answer inside their Protecting Pollinators research notebook. Ask:

"What useful text feature will help you discover which pages hold the information and questions that you need?" (Table of Contents)

  • Transition students to their workspaces with their research partners and point out the Protecting Pollinators research notebooks already there.
  • Display and invite students to open to the Table of Contents and ask:

"On which page will you find your copy of 'Bats' Roosts in Danger!'?" (page 2)

  • Invite students to confirm the location of the text by turning to page 2, then returning to the Table of Contents.
  • Ask:

"On which page will we find Questions about 'Bats' Roosts in Danger!'?"(page 3)

  • Display and invite students to open their research notebook to page 3. Review the directions and answer clarifying questions.
  • Invite students to read "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" with their partner, discuss the questions and answers, and record their own answers in their Protecting Pollinators research notebook.
  • Circulate to support students as they read, discuss, and write answers to the questions. Refer to Protecting Pollinators research notebook (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • When 5 minutes remain, direct students to leave their research notebooks at their workspaces and return to the whole group area.
  • Direct students' attention to the Dangers That Bats Face and Reasons Bats Are Important: Class Notes and invite students to share out new notes for the class notes chart about dangers to bats' roosts (old buildings torn down, roosts damaged; bats scared away from roosts). Refer to Dangers That Bats Face and Reasons Bats Are Important: Class Notes (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with visual processing: (Reading Questions Aloud) Some students may benefit from having Questions about "Bats' Roosts in Danger!" read aloud to them. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Chunking Questions) To support comprehension of the short response questions, encourage students to think about them in chunks as if they are asking questions about a Language Dive.
  • For students who may need additional support with reading confidence: Strategically pair students with a peer model who will support students' efforts at reading. (MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Working to Contribute to a Better World: Our Strengths Help Us Grow (10 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, and review the second bullet by reading it aloud:
    • "I use my strengths to help others grow."
  • Remind students that all of the skills listed on the chart are skills that they can work to strengthen, or improve, through effort and practice. Remind them that when people believe they can work to improve their skills, we can describe them as having a growth mindset.
  • Review the skills listed on the chart by reading them aloud:
    • "Listen and follow directions."
    • "Support an opinion with reasons."
    • "Collaborate with partners."
    • "Write notes as words and phrases."
    • "Share ideas."
  • Confirm that students used all of these skills in today's lesson, too.
  • Turn and Talk:

"Recount the work you did in today's lesson. What skills did you use that aren't already on the chart?" (Read and answer questions about text.)

  • Circulate and listen in as students discuss, noting student responses to highlight with the whole group.
  • Refocus whole group. Add "Read and answer questions about text" to the list of skills on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart. Refer to Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Reread the second bullet on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, emphasizing the second half of the sentence:
    • "I use my strengths to help others grow."
    • Say:

"You know that you can have a growth mindset and work to strengthen your skills. How does developing strong skills help you? Before you can try to help others grow, you must become aware of how your skills help you grow, or improve, as a learner. You must 'think about your thinking'!"

    • Say:

"There is a great vocabulary word that means 'thinking about your thinking.' It's a big word with five syllables. Are you ready for it?"

    • Say the word metacognitive, clapping out the syllables.
    • Invite the students to repeat the word with you twice, clapping out the syllables each time.
    • Say:

"Whisper metacognitive to the ceiling. Whisper metacognitive to the floor."

  • Referring to the skills listed on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, read the first one aloud:
    • "Listen and follow directions."
  • Turn and Talk:

"How can being strong at listening and following directions help you grow as a learner?" (Responses will vary, but may include: helps me know what I am supposed to do; helps me meet learning targets; helps me focus on a topic.)

Conversation Cue: "Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Listen in to highlight student responses that illustrate how students can improve as learners by strengthening their ability to listen and follow directions.
  • As time allows, follow the same process to review the remaining skills on the list:
    • Refer to the skill listed on the chart and read it aloud.
    • Invite students to Turn and Talk about how strengthening the skill can help them grow as learners.
    • Listen in to highlight student responses that illustrate how they can improve as learners by strengthening each of the listed skills.
  • Preview tomorrow's work: comparing and contrasting the texts we have read about bats, and shared writing about why people should work to protect bats.
  • For ELLs: (Deconstructing Words and Phrases) Display the phrase growth mindset and ask students about it. Examples:

"What two words do you see in the compound word mindset?" (mind and set)

"What do you think it means?" (the way we are thinking; how we fix our brains)

"What kind of mindset? What is another way of saying growth?" (growing; learning more things)

"What do you think growth mindset means in your own words?" (when you think in a way that makes you learn more and get better)

  • For students who may need additional support with making connections: Invite students to share a time when they strengthened a nonacademic skill outside the classroom. (MMR, MME)

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