- I can plan and draft an informational paragraph that has a clearly stated focus and uses facts, definitions, and details from the text to explain my ideas. (W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.5)
- I can form and use regular verbs in the present tense. (L.3.1d, L.3.1e)
These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:
- RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
- RI.3.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
- W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
- W.3.2a: Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.
- W.3.2b: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
- W.3.4: With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
- W.3.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
- W.3.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
- W.3.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
- L.3.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- L.3.1d: Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
- L.3.1e: Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- Polliwogs Research note-catcher (RI.3.3, W.3.2, W.3.4, W.4.5, W.3.7, W.3.8)
- Participation in shared writing of "Why Do Polliwogs Wiggle?" (W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.5)
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
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1. Opening A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Shared Writing: Planning an Informational Paragraph (15 minutes) B. Mini Lesson: Forming and Using Regular Verbs (15 minutes) C. Shared Writing: Drafting an Informational Paragraph (20 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Debrief: Informative Writing Checklist (5 minutes) 4. Homework A. Choose a Regular Verb practice from your Homework Resources to complete. B. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal |
Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:
How it builds on previous work:
Areas where students may need additional support:
Assessment Guidance:
Down the road:
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In Advance
- Post: Learning targets.
Tech and Multimedia
- Work Time A: Students complete their note-catchers in a word processing document, for example a Google Doc using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software like Dictation.io.
- Work Time C: Digital draft: Instead of using chart paper, record shared writing on a class Google Doc for students to refer to when working on their writing outside of class.
Supporting English Language Learners
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 3.I.A.4, 3.I.C.10, 3.II.A.1, 3.II.A.2, 3.II.B.3.
Important points in the lesson itself
- The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by explicitly discussing forming and using regular verbs, an ability that might be supported in some ways by their home language system and at times might be different.
- ELLs may find it challenging to relate to the verb Mini Lesson in the same way as native speakers. Proficient speakers have mostly already acquired the present simple structure and understand it intuitively. These students may struggle to remember and apply rules and explanations to the structure. Students who need heavier support, on the other hand, may not have the same intuitive grasp of the structure and its meaning. Therefore, the lesson will prove more challenging for these students, as they have more limited frames of reference. Provide extra wait time for students who struggle with this lesson. Students may also need additional clarification and explanation of the structure's meaning. Finally, most ELLs will not master this by the end of this lesson. Present simple tense in third person singular is typically one of the final tenses for ELLs, at any age, to acquire; it can take years. So commend students as they try their best.
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- During the Mini Lesson, invite students to compare and contrast the English regular verb system with the verb system of their home language.
For heavier support:
- Differentiating the meanings of facts, details, and definitions may prove difficult for some students. To clarify, use a concrete example: "If our focus statement is 'School is a place where children learn,' what are some facts? Perhaps a fact could be 'Students practice reading in school.' What are some details or examples of that fact? Maybe a detail could be 'Students participate in close read-alouds' or 'Students have independent reading time every day.' If our readers don't know what independent reading time means, we have to provide a definition. What is a good definition of independent reading time?"
- There are many concepts referenced from previous lessons, such as text features and pronouns. Check for comprehension and prior knowledge. If necessary, briefly review prerequisite concepts using examples and any useful charts available.
- In Work Time A, write some sample definitions, facts, and details from pages 6-7 on separate strips of paper. Invite students to post them to the proper category on chart paper around the room.
- In preparation for the mid-unit assessment, review the exit ticket from the Lesson 2. For selected response questions, discuss the reasons each distractor item is incorrect and think aloud the process of choosing the correct response. Make sure students read and understand all of the options before choosing a response.
- In preparation for the mid-unit assessment, review or generate strategies for answering selected response questions.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Throughout this lesson, embed support for unfamiliar vocabulary by providing explanation and visual examples. This will help students make connections and support comprehension.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Many students will benefit from further practice writing focus statements. Consider providing additional opportunities to identify focus statements in previously written paragraphs as well as opportunities to practice answering the "why" questions from Unit 1 with quality focus statements. Ensure that students pay close attention to correct verb tenses, as well.
- Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): During the Closing and Assessment, some students may need additional support working with the Informative Writing Checklist. Reflection and self-assessment are high-level thinking skills that students will need modeled. Consider completing this portion of the lesson as more of a think-aloud until students are familiar and comfortable with reflecting on their work and using the Informative Writing Checklist.
Vocabulary
Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)
- purpose, explicitly, focus statement, verb tense, present tense, base form (L)
- tadpole, gills (W)
Materials
- Performance Task anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
- Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1)
- Freaky Frog research notebooks (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
- Close Reading: "Amphibians" note-catcher (pages 2-3 of Freaky Frog research notebook)
- Polliwogs Research note-catcher (page 4 of Freaky Frog research notebook)
- Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
- Polliwogs Research note-catcher (answers, for teacher reference)
- Domain-Specific Word Wall (started in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
- Parts of Speech anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 11)
- Regular Verbs handout (one per student and one to display)
- Regular Verbs handout (example, for teacher reference)
- Chart paper (one for display; to co-create "Why Do Polliwogs Wiggle?" class draft during Work Time C)
- "Why Do Polliwogs Wiggle?" class draft (example, for teacher reference)
- Informative Writing Checklist (one to display)
Assessment
Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. 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. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)
"I can refer explicitly to the text when answering questions about the text." "I can plan and draft an informational paragraph that has a clearly stated focus and uses facts, definitions, and details from the text to explain my ideas." "I can form and use regular verbs."
"Who will be reading our books?" (other students) "Why will others be reading our books?" (to learn about frogs)
"Why is it important to explicitly refer to the text when answering questions about the text?" (When you use evidence, it makes your answer stronger and people are more likely to trust and believe it.)
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Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Shared Writing: Planning an Informational Paragraph (15 minutes)
"Why do polliwogs wiggle?" (They wiggle their tails to swim.)
"What if polliwogs were born with legs?" I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary but could include: they might walk along the bottom; they might swim with their legs.)
"Think of another way to answer the question "Why do polliwogs wiggle?'" (Possible responses include: Polliwogs move by wiggling because they have no legs; to move, polliwogs wiggle their powerful tails.)
"What kind of information would we record in the Definitions part of the table?" (the meaning of important words that are related to the research question) "What kind of information would we record in the Facts part of the table?" (information explicitly from the text related to the research question) "What kind of information would we record in the Details part of the table?" (descriptions or explanations about the facts)
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B. Mini Lesson: Forming and Using Regular Verbs (15 minutes)
"What is a verb?" (a word that describes an action or state of being) "What are some examples of verbs? Act out the meaning of them." (hop, jump, eat, drink, bounce)
"What is verb tense?" (the different forms of a verb to show when an action happened)
"What do you notice about how the verb has changed from the present to the past in each of these examples?" (D was added.)
"Can you figure out why will is added before the present tense form of the verb in each of these examples? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Will changes the present tense verb to the future.)
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C. Shared Writing: Drafting an Informational Paragraph (20 minutes)
"Who is the audience of this paragraph?" (other students) "What is the purpose of the informative page?" (to teach our readers about frogs)
"What kind of information do readers need to know before we explain why polliwogs wiggle?" (They need to know what polliwogs are.) "What are polliwogs?" (tadpoles, baby frogs)
"What information should we write next if we are answering the question 'Why do polliwogs wiggle?' and using evidence from the text to support our answer?"
"How can we elaborate on the evidence we just included? How does it support the focus question: 'Why do polliwogs wiggle?'"
"Is our "Why Do Polliwogs Wiggle?" class draft appropriate for the task and purpose?" (Yes.)
"Why do you think that?" (Because it answers the research question using evidence from what we read.)
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Debrief: Informative Writing Checklist (5 minutes)
"What, in the draft, makes you think so?" (Responses will vary.)
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Homework
Homework | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Choose a Regular Verb practice from your Homework Resources to complete. B. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
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