sample material from the habitats and communities unit bc tr... · 2009-06-10 · 4 nelson literacy...
TRANSCRIPT
Teacher’sResource
Sample material from the Habitats and Communities
unit
This Teacher’s Resource sampler includes:
Welcome to Nelson Literacy................................... 4
Instructional Framework ......................................... 6
Introducing the Unit................................................. 8
Planning the Unit .................................................................... 8
Launching the Unit................................................................ 12
Let’s Talk: A Habitat is a Home ............................................ 14
Lesson Plan: Life in a Rotting Log....................... 17
Understanding Reading Strategies
Lesson Plan: In a Rainforest ................................ 23
Applying Strategies
NEL4 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Welcome to Nelson Literacy
Features of this Teacher’s Resource
• Planning support to assist you in developing a comprehensiveliteracy program for your students
Instructional approaches that facilitate a gradual release ofresponsibility, from teacher modelling to guided and independentexperiences in all the language arts, based on the BC LanguageArts IRP 2006
Assessment tools that help guide instruction
Differentiated instruction to meet individual needs, based on datagathered from observation and formative assessment
Curriculum-area units directly aligned to BC’s Grade 4 SocialStudies, Science, and Health and Careeer Education to helpimprove students’ literacy skills in content areas
Opportunities for in-depth study and enjoyment of a variety ofliterary forms, text types, and structures in fiction and non-fiction
Word study and vocabulary development strategies
An Instructional Framework chart (Teacher’s Resource pages 6–7)outlining the instructional focuses in each unit
Teaching a Unit: A Quick Tour
STEP 1 Begin with the planning tools in “Introducing the Unit”(Teacher’s Resource pages 8–11)• Refer to the Unit-at-a-Glance chart on pages 8–9, which outlines
each lesson focus and instructional approach, the BC PrescribedLearning Outcomes, and available assessment tools.
• Read the suggestions in the sections Planning the Unit, OngoingActivities, What You Need, and Family and CommunityConnections.
STEP 2 Use “Launching the Unit” and “Let’s Talk” (Teacher’sResource pages 12–15) to get started with students• Start with the Accessing Prior Knowledge activity on Teacher’s
Resource page 12.
• Draw students’ attention to the learning goals on the unit openerpage (Student Book 4a, page 41) to preview the focus of instructionand assessment.
• Then use the Let’s Talk spread (Student Book 4a, pages 42–43) toengage students and access prior knowledge.
• Use the Read-Aloud selection “Our Natural Homes” (found in theTransparencies for Teacher Modelling).
NEL 5Welcome to Nelson Literacy
STEP 3 Use Transparencies for Teacher Modelling• Use the Read-Aloud and the accompanying questions or discussion
prompts to introduce and model the strategy for students.
• Use the transparency with the accompanying think-alouds forguided practice and teacher modelling of strategies.
STEP 4 Use the Unit Lesson Plans• Note that every lesson begins with an overview page that identifies
BC Prescribed Learning Outcomes and previews the Assessmentfor Learning in the lesson, which outlines ongoing observation,ideas for differentiating instruction, and assessment tools.
• Each lesson is organized in a Before/During/After format, withpages from the Student Book conveniently reproduced.
• There are two kinds of lesson plans:
– Understanding Strategies lessons (e.g., Teacher’s Resourcepages 17–21) provide explicit instruction in using a strategy inone of the English Language Arts organizers. This type of lessonusually begins with a teacher-modelled experience.
– This is followed by an Applying Strategies lesson (e.g., Teacher’sResource pages 23–28), which provides guided andindependent practice with the strategy.
• Each lesson provides multiple opportunities for students to speak,listen, read and view, write and represent, and develop medialiteracy. Special features include Differentiated Instruction,Vocabulary, Word Study, and Writing Mini-lessons.
• Each lesson engages students in meaningful group, partner, andindependent work, often supported by blackline masters (found atthe back of this Teacher’s Resource).
• Assessment materials on the closing page of each lesson includesuggestions for checking progress and next steps, accompanied bya rubric strip for formative assessment.
STEP 5 Conclude the Unit with the “Putting It All Together”lesson (Teacher’s Resource pages 63–69)• This lesson helps students apply and reflect on all the strategies
developed in the unit, and assists in developing a profile of eachstudent to guide instruction.
• After completing the selection lesson plan with students, refer tothe assessment section (Teacher’s Resource pages 68–69), whichprovides a reading response and integrated English Language Artsperformance task for summative assessment. The task is supportedby rubrics available on blackline masters. Also featured are ideas forreflecting back on the learning in the unit, student self-assessment,and goal setting.
NEL6 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
4b
Instructional Framework: Grade 4
WHAT ASTORY!Literature
HABITATS ANDCOMMUNITIESScience
FIRSTPEOPLESSocial Studies
HEALTHY LIVING Health andCareerEducation
LEGENDSLiterature
LIGHTScience
4a
ORAL LANGUAGE(SPEAKING ANDLISTENING)
Active Listening/InteractiveStrategies• Practise
commoncourtesies inconversation
ComprehensionStrategies• Visualize while
you listen
AppropriateLanguage• Use appropriate
words andphrases tocommunicatemeaning
DemonstratingUnderstanding• Identify
importantinformationwhile you listen
MakingInferences• Make inferences
while you listen
Active Listening/InteractiveStrategies• Ask questions to
gather inform-ation and clarifyunderstanding
READING/VIEWING
Activating PriorKnowledge/MakingConnections• Use personal
experiences tomakeconnections
Visualizing• Make pictures in
your mind usingtext andpersonalexperience
Predicting• Make
predictionsusing text,illustrations, andpersonalexperiences
Finding ImportantIdeas• Distinguish
between what’simportant to themain idea andwhat’s justinteresting
MakingInferences• Use text cues
and personalexperiences tomake inferences
Questioning• Ask questions to
clarify meaningand checkunderstanding
➤Word Study Form and Style• Idioms, similes
LanguageConventions• Plurals;
dictionary skills;verbs, adjectives
LanguageConventions• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;quotationmarks; verbs,adjectives,adverbs
LanguageConventions• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;apostrophes/possession;nouns
Form and Style• Sentence
patterns
LanguageConventions• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;commas; verbs
LanguageConventions• Compound
words, prefixes;dictionary skills;capitalization;verbs,prepositions
Form and Style• Simple and
compoundsentences
LanguageConventions• Syllabification,
compoundwords; verbs;dictionary skills;quotation marks,exclamationmarks, commas
➤Media Purpose andAudience• Identify purpose
and audiencefor movieposters
Media Forms• Identify the
characteristicsof posters
Conventions andTechniques• Explain how
conventions ofbook covershelp conveymeaning
MakingInferences/InterpretingMessages• Use both overt
and impliedmessages inpackaging
AudienceResponses• Explain why
differentaudiencesresponddifferently tomedia texts
Media Forms• Identify the
characteristicsof PowerPointpresentations
WRITING/REPRESENTING
Trait• Ideas: Build a
main idea
Process• Generate,
gather, andorganize ideas
Trait• Ideas: Identify
which detailsare important tothe main idea
Process• Generate,
gather, andorganize ideas
Trait• Organization:
Write strongleads
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Organization:
Write strongendings
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Voice: Write
with a strongvoice
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Voice: Use
formal andinformal voice
Process• Draft and revise
➤Text Patterns and Features
Text Pattern• Narrative
Text Form• Recounts, short
story, poem,cartoon,storyboard
Text Pattern• Description
Text Form• Information
report, travelposter, travelbrochure, webreport, narrative,cartoon, photomatch game
Text Features• Titles, headings
Text Form• Information
report, personalrecount, legend,short story
Text Pattern• Cause/Effect
Text Form• Information
reports, webreport,persuasive text,quiz, recount,illustrationsearch, cartoon
Text Pattern• Narrative
Text Form• Legends,
graphic story,cartoon
Text Features• Charts and
diagrams
Text Form• Information
report,procedural text,interview, shortstory, illustrationsearch, cartoon
NEL 7Instructional Framework: Grade 4
4c
CANADA’SREGIONSSocial Studies
SOUNDScience
ADVENTURELiterature
FIRSTCONTACTSocial Studies
GETTING ALONGHealth andCareerEducation
WEATHER Science
4b
ExtendingUnderstanding• Make
connections inoral texts topersonalexperiences
AppropriateLanguage• Make meaning
clear
Vocal Skills andInteractiveStrategies• Practise
effectivespeaking
DemonstratingUnderstanding/Clarity andCoherence• Communicate in
a clear mannerfor an oral report
Active Listening/InteractiveStrategies• Deal with
conflicting views
PresentationStrategies/Clarityand Coherence• Communicate in
a clear, coherentmanner for abook talk
Summarizing• Summarize
main ideasusing a graphicorganizer
MonitoringComprehension• Clarify meaning
of words andconcepts andcheckunderstanding
Retelling• Retell a story
using a graphicorganizer
MakingInferences• Use stated and
implied ideasand personalexperiences tomake inferences
Evaluating• Examine the text
to determinewriter’s point ofview
Synthesizing• Synthesize
informationbetween textand visuals toextendunderstanding
Text Pattern• Sequence
Text Form• Map, recount,
informationreport, poem,adventure story,travel journal,photo essay,photo collage
Text Pattern• Question/Answer
Text Form• Information
report,explanation,poem, interview,procedural text,illustrationsearch, cartoon
Text Pattern• Narrative
Text Form• Graphic story,
adventure story,personalrecount, factualrecount, cartoon
Text Features• Labelled map
Text Form• Map,
informationreport,explanation
Text Pattern• Problem/Solution
Text Form• Graphic story,
advice column,poem,informationreport, website,short story,cartoon
Text Pattern• Compare/
Contrast
Text Form• Information
report,explanation,newspaperreport, cartoon
Form and Style• Similes
LanguageConventions•
syllabification,mnemonics;dictionary skills;adjectives,prepositions
Form and Style• Alliteration;
compoundsentences
LanguageConventions• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;prepositions,conjunctions,verbs, adjectives
Form and Style• Similes
LanguageConventions• Word patterns,
dictionary skills;quotationmarks; verbs
LanguageConventions• Dictionary skills;
verbs, adjectives
LanguageConventions• Compound
words;dictionary skills;apostrophes;nouns,prepositions
LanguageConventions• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;exclamation/question marks,commas; nouns,verbs
Conventions andTechniques• Explain how
conventions of apostcard helpconvey meaning
Point of View• Identify whose
point of view ispresented inweb articles
Responding toand EvaluatingTexts• Express
supportedopinions inmovie reviews
Conventions andTechniques• Explain how
conventions ofphotos are usedto help conveymeaning
Point of View• Identify point of
view in comicstrips
Media Forms• Identify
characteristicsof placards
Trait• Word Choice:
Use sensorywords to createvivid details
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Word Choice:
Use strongverbs
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Fluency: Write
effectivedialogue
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Fluency: Vary
sentencebeginnings
Process• Draft and revise
Trait• Conventions:
Use editorialsymbols
Process• Edit and
proofread
Trait• Publishing: Use
titles, subtitles,and bullets foreffectivepresentation
Process• Publish/Share
Base words,base words;
Introducing the UnitPlanning the Unit
UNIT OVERVIEW
Students explore a variety of habitats,including a rotting log, temperateand tropical rainforests, Canada’sArctic, a freshwater marsh, and anisland. They see how populations ofanimals and plants interact and theyare also introduced to the idea thathumans can affect the natural world.As students read the articles, webpage, posters, photo essays, andstories, they develop
• the reading and listeningcomprehension strategy ofvisualizing
• the writing strategy of identifyingwhat is and is not important to themain idea
• an understanding of descriptivetext pattern
• an understanding of thecharacteristics of a poster
• word study skills
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATEDINSTRUCTION: SCIENCE
The purpose of this unit is toprovide opportunities for students todevelop language arts skills in allorganizers while working in thecontent area of Science. While theunit has strong links to the LifeScience curriculum, it does notprovide comprehensive coverage ofthe Science curriculum.
Teachers can make links to thefollowing Life Science PrescribedLearning Outcomes:
• Demonstrate an understanding ofthe structures and behaviours ofanimals and plants in differenthabitats and communities
• Determine how personal choicesand actions have environmentalconsequences
Launching the UnitLet’s Talk
Read-Aloud“Our Natural Homes,” Transparencies for Teacher
Modelling“A Habitat Is a Home” SB 4a, pp. 42–43;
TR pp. 14–15
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES/RESOURCESLESSON INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS
NEL8 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Unit at a Glance
SB = Student Book TR = Teacher’s Resource
Understanding Reading Strategies:Visualizing
Teacher Modelling/Guided PracticeTransparency 6: Hello from P.E.I.“Life in a Rotting Log” SB 4a, pp. 44–45;
TR pp. 17–21
Applying Strategies: Visualizing Guided or Independent Reading/Viewing“In a Rainforest” SB 4a, pp. 46–49; TR pp. 23–28Guided and Independent Reading Kit
Understanding Writing Strategies: Identifying Which Details Are Important to the Main Idea
Modelled Writing/RepresentingTransparency 7: Identifying Which Details Are
Important to the Main Idea “Identifying Which Details Are Important to the
Main Idea” SB 4a, p. 50; TR pp. 29–33Shared Writing/Representing p. 31; Guided or
Independent Writing/Representing p. 32
Applying Strategies: Reading Like a Writer Guided or Independent Reading/Viewing“Helping Animals Cross the Road” SB 4a,
pp. 51–53; TR pp. 34–39Independent Writing/Representing p. 38
Understanding Listening Strategies:Visualizing While You Listen
Teacher Modelling/Guided PracticeTransparency 8: Visualizing While You Listen“Visualizing While You Listen” SB 4a, p. 54;
TR pp. 40–44
Understanding Media: IdentifyingCharacteristics of Posters
Teacher Modelling/Guided PracticeTransparency 9: Say It in a Poster! “Say It in a Poster!” SB 4a, pp. 55–56; TR pp. 45–49Independent Reading/Viewing p. 48
Understanding Text Patterns: IdentifyingCharacteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern
Teacher Modelling/Guided PracticeTransparency 10: A Grassland Food Chain“Be an Arctic Explorer!” SB 4a, pp. 57–59;
TR pp. 50–56
Applying Strategies: IdentifyingCharacteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern
Guided or Independent Reading/Viewing“Marshes” SB 4a, pp. 60–62; TR pp. 57–62
Putting It All Together Summative Assessment“Wolf Island” SB 4a, pp. 63–66; TR pp. 63–69
Student Book 4a, pages 41–66
OL Use speaking/listening to share ideas and opinion andimprove/deepen comprehension
OL Stay on topic and recount experiences in a logical order OL Give details/examples and explain/support a viewpoint
BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking SheetBLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking Sheet
PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
OL Listen to visualize and shareOL Use strategies to make/share connections R/V Visualize and access prior knowledge during reading/viewing W/R Create a variety of informational writing for a range of purposes
Key Assessment QuestionsBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
OL Contribute to a class goal, share ideas, and improve comprehensionOL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain a viewpoint R/V Develop understanding using strategies before, during, and after
reading/viewingW/R Use a variety of informational writing for a range of purposes
Demonstration Task and Key Assessment QuestionBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal SettingBLM 6
OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain viewpointR/V Use strategies during reading/viewing to determine the importance
of events/ideas and to summarizeW/R Write text with introduction, logically sequenced details, and endingW/R Identify audience before writing/representing W/R Select and use strategies after writing/representing to improve work
Demonstration Task and Key Assessment QuestionsBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 8: Demonstration TaskBLM 9: Writing Process Assessment ChecklistBLM 10: Strategy Rubric Strip
OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using listening/speakingstrategies
R/V Use strategies before and after reading/viewing to developunderstanding, locate information, and summarize
R/V Explain how structures and features of text work to develop meaningW/R Use clearly developed ideas in informational writing
Key Assessment QuestionDemonstration TaskBLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 10BLM 11: Demonstration Task—Main Idea Rescue!
OL Listen to visualize and shareR/V Read/comprehend stories from Aboriginal and other culturesR/V View and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts R/V Explain how structures/features of text develop meaningW/R Create visual representations of ideas in response to a topic
Key Assessment QuestionDemonstration TaskBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal SettingBLM 13: Demonstration Task—Visualizing While You ListenBLM 14: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing While You Listen
OL Share ideas and opinions using speaking/listeningR/V Make inferences/draw conclusions during reading/viewing R/V View and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts W/R Create visual representations that communicate meaningful ideasW/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas
Key Assessment Questions and Demonstration TaskBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal SettingBLM 15: Poster Analysis FormBLM 16: Strategy Rubric Strip—Identifying Characteristics of Posters
OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using speaking/listeningstrategies
R/V Read/view and show comprehension of non-fiction materialsR/V Determine the importance of events/ideas during reading/viewing R/V Locate and record information after reading/viewingW/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas
Key Assessment QuestionsBLM 2, BLM 3BLM 17: Strategy Rubric Strip—Identifying Characteristics of Descriptive
Text Pattern
OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain a viewpoint R/V Locate information using text features after reading/viewing W/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas W/R Write text with introduction, logically sequenced details, and ending
Demonstration TaskKey Assessment QuestionBLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 17
OL Speak/listen to express/visualize ideas/information for different purposesOL Use strategies to practise delivery when presenting/expressingR/V Read fluently and comprehend a range of grade-appropriate textsW/R Write clearly for a range of purposes and audiences
BLM 4, BLM 18: Reading Response FormBLM 19: Reading Record FormBLM 20: Performance Task—Design a Creature and Its HabitatBLM 21: Reading Response and Performance Task Rubric
NEL 9Planning the Unit
NEL10 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
OPPORTUNITIES FORWRITING/REPRESENTING
Throughout this unit, students havenumerous opportunities to practiseplanning and drafting using a varietyof forms. Their work in progressshould be stored in their writingfolder. Consider asking students toselect one or two pieces to revise,edit, and publish. You may wish touse BLM 9: Writing ProcessAssessment Checklist to assessstudents’ work at various stages ofwriting.
A mini-lesson is provided in eachunit to help you develop students’writing skills. This unit includes themini-lesson Drafting and Revising:Word Choice (page 33). Consult theNelson Literacy Overview for a list ofmini-lessons that can be used tosupport students as they workthrough the writing process.
ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENTDATA
The instructional focuses of the unitare the focuses for assessment:visualizing while reading, identifyingwhich details are important to themain idea, visualizing whilelistening, identifying thecharacteristics of a poster, andidentifying the characteristics ofdescriptive text pattern.
Throughout the unit, there aremultiple opportunities to observe asstudents learn, practise, anddemonstrate target strategies.Formative assessment data(generated by discussionopportunities, Key AssessmentQuestions, and DemonstrationTasks) can be recorded on specificassessment tools. By analyzing thedata, you can guide studentsthrough subsequent lessons with thecorrect level of support. The datacan help you plan for instruction,differentiate instruction, and beginto make evaluative decisions aboutstudents’ progress for reportingpurposes.
The Performance Task providesvaluable summative assessment datathat can be used for reporting andfor communicating with parents,caregivers, and administrators.
Students are invited to assess theirown learning throughout the unit.They can use their self-assessmentdata to make adaptations to theirlearning and to set personal goalsfor future learning.
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
• Oral Language Tracking Sheet(BLM 2): You may wish to use thistracking sheet when observingstudents during the unit launchand periodically throughout theunit. Taking multipleopportunities to focus on a smallnumber of students at a timeallows you to observe every studentover the course of the unit.
• Small-Group ObservationTracking Sheet (BLM 3): This toolcan be used to monitor and makenotes on students’ participation invarious small-group activities in allthe organizers: oral language,reading and viewing, and writingand representing.
• Strategy Rubric Strips (BLMs 6,10, 14, 16, 17): These helpfacilitate recording and updatingstudent achievement data over thecourse of the unit. Each rubricstrip focuses on one strategy, andhas multiple checkboxes so youcan reuse this tool every time thestudent is required to demonstratethe target strategy. Use the rubricstrips to determine the correctlevel of support for students insubsequent lessons and plotstudents’ progress over the courseof the unit.
• Reading Response andPerformance Task Rubric (BLM 21): Intended for use at theend of the unit, this rubric is forrecording assessments of studentachievement in oral language,reading and writing skills. The datacan be used as a summative
measure of the students’ ability todemonstrate the strategies and skillstaught in the unit as a whole. Therubric facilitates reporting and linksto the Performance Standards.
• Self-Assessment Checklist andPersonal Goal Setting (BLM 4):Throughout the unit, students areinvited to assess their own abilityto use the strategies taught in theunit. They can use their self-assessment data to makeadaptations to their learning andto set personal goals for futurelearning.
• Metacognition: The ability to thinkabout and reflect on one’s ownthinking and learning processes isa key skill for successful learners.Metacognition is a crucial step inthe self-assessment process. Everyunit in Nelson Literacy 4 engagesstudents in metacognitive activitiesby means of Reflect On questionsin the Student Book, recurringself-assessment opportunitieswithin each lesson, and theCriteria for Success self-assessmentchecklist included in thePerformance Task (see BLM 20:Performance Task—Design aCreature and Its Habitat).
Ongoing Activities The following activities can be doneconcurrently with the unit.
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:BUILDING A WORD WALL
1. Create two word lists at thebeginning of the unit to helpstudents build vocabulary. Useone list to capture key contentwords related to the study ofhabitats. Focus on wordsstudents are likely to encounterin Science in the years to come(such as “herbivore”), ratherthan on words that are rarelyused outside specializedcontexts (such as “liana”). Usethe second list to highlight verbsthat aid visualization.
NEL 11Planning the Unit
2. Add words throughout the unitand invite students to suggestwords for the wall. Refer studentsto the wall as they talk and writeabout habitats and communities.Your class’s word lists might looksomething like this:
VOCABULARY STRATEGIES
Vocabulary strategies are introducedin some of the lessons. As each newstrategy is introduced, record it on aclass list of vocabulary strategies.Encourage students to refer to thislist whenever they encounter anunfamiliar word in their reading.From time to time, model thestrategies on this list while workingon other curriculum subjects.
YOUR LOCAL HABITAT:DEVELOPING A BULLETIN BOARD
1. Engage students in a discussionabout the natural environmentnear the school. Ask:
• Where can you find natureclose to our school? (park,wooded area, open field, hills ormountains, pond, river, lake, ocean)
• What do you see there? (rollinghills, water, trees, tall grass,squirrels, birds, frogs)
• What do you hear or smell?(birds singing, wind blowingthrough trees, wildflowers)
• How does this place changewith the seasons? (leaves changecolour, pond freezes over, animalshibernate)
2. Ask students to suggest wordsthat describe the local habitat,prompting them to think aboutplants, animals, land features,and climate. Write each word orphrase on a small index card.Tack these to a bulletin boardand let students decide on a titlefor the board.
3. Over the course of the unit, givestudents opportunities to add toand revisit the bulletin board.
Family andCommunityConnectionsStudents benefit from the activeengagement of family members andcommunity partners in theirlearning. Family members may talkwith students and engage inactivities that enhance the relevanceof the unit content. Their interestmotivates student achievement andfacilitates communication with theschool about performance.Community members mayintroduce students to the diversityaround them as they learn abouthobbies, careers, and culturalconnections that expand theirworlds. As one tool in establishing acommunication link with familymembers and the communitybeyond the school, you may wish toreproduce or adapt the letter toparents/guardians in BLM 1: Familyand Community Connections.
Key ContentWords
litter feedersrecyclerscanopyunderstoreycarnivoreherbivoreomnivore
Verbs That HelpYou Visualize
seepedriddledpokecompetedanglecrowds outdrifthowledscrambledgnawed
What You NeedNELSON LITERACY COMPONENTS OTHER NELSON RESOURCES OTHER RESOURCES
Student Book 4aHabitats and Communities Teacher’s ResourceTransparencies for Teacher ModellingGuided and Independent Reading Kit Audio CD
Boldprint 4:Bugs
PM Library, Sapphire Level: Jungle Trek
PM +, Ruby Level:Where Would We Be Without Plants?Wildlife in the CityFrogs: Fascinating … and Fragile
Power Magazine, Volume 4: BasketballWater Sports
Skyrider Chapter Books 4: The Living Rain Forest
Skyrider Double Takes 4: Helpful or Harmful?Wood Stork Swamp
Skyrider Investigations 4: Lake Life
George, Jean Craighead. The Fire BugConnection: An Ecological Mystery. NewYork: HarperCollins, 1993.
George, Jean Craighead. There’s an Owl in theShower. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
Hewitt, Sally. All Kinds of Habitats. New York:Children’s Press, 1999.
Llewellyn, Claire. Protect Natural Habitats. NorthMankato, MN: Chrysalis Education, 2003.
Pipe, Jim. Ecosystems. North Mankato, MN:Aladdin Books, 2005.
Riley, Peter. Habitats. Milwaukee, WI: GarethStevens, 2003.
Woods, Shirley. Amber: The Story of a Red Fox.Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004.
Woods, Shirley. Jack: The Story of a Beaver.Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2002.
NEL12 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Launching the Unit
ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
1. Provide groups of students witha stack of small, blank pieces ofpaper. Challenge them tobrainstorm as many animals asthey can, taking turns saying ananimal name and writing it on apiece of paper.
2. Provide each group with a largesheet of paper, a glue stick, andmarkers. Ask groups to classifytheir animals by whatevercriteria makes sense to thegroup, such as how they travel(land, water, air); size (small,medium, large); or what they eat(plants, animals, both). Anysorting rule students candescribe is acceptable. Studentsshould create a label for eachsorting rule.
3. Let groups share theirclassification with the class,describing how each animal fitsthe chosen criteria.
INTRODUCING LEARNING GOALS
Have students turn to Student Bookpage 41 and give them a brief timeto view the illustration and read thelearning goals. Read the learninggoals aloud. Ask students to identifywords they know and talk brieflyabout each goal. Give students a fewminutes to discuss with a partnerwhich goal they think will help themthe most in developing theirlanguage skills.
Prescribed Learning OutcomesENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSOL: Oral Language R/V: Reading/Viewing W/R: Writing/Representing
OL A1: Use speaking and listening to share ideas and opinions andimprove/deepen comprehension
OL A2: Stay on topic and recount experiences in a logical order whenspeaking
OL A2: Give details/examples and explain/support a viewpoint whenspeaking
Science
In this unit, you will• visualize while
you read
• visualize whileyou listen
• identify whichdetails areimportant to themain idea inyour writing
• identifycharacteristicsof posters
• identifycharacteristicsof descriptivetext pattern
• learn abouthabitats andcommunities
NEL 13Launching the Unit
LINKING INSTRUCTION TOASSESSMENT
Throughout the unit, theinstructional goals are linked toassessment in the following ways: • Oral Language—You can use
BLM 2: Oral Language TrackingSheet during this lesson and againwhenever students are given theopportunity to discuss content,skills, and strategies related to thisunit. Taking multipleopportunities for assessmentallows you to focus on amanageable number of students ata time.
• Self-Assessment and PersonalGoals—As you review theinstructional goals with students,you may wish to introduce BLM 4:Self-Assessment Checklist andPersonal Goal Setting. Explain tostudents that they will have theopportunity to assess their ownprogress as they learn new strategiesusing BLM 4. At the end of the unit,students reflect on the strategy thathelped them the most and set apersonal goal for future learning.
• Performance Task—Explain tostudents that they will demonstratestrategies they are learning in thisunit in a final task. In this task,outlined on BLM 20: PerformanceTask—Design a Creature and ItsHabitat, each student will imaginethat he or she is an environmentalexpert who has discovered a newcreature. Students will shareimportant information about theircreatures and the habitats they livein with the class.
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson74 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Observation Period: Beginning of unit Middle of unit End of unit
Observe and record students’ ability to
• access and discuss prior knowledge they may have about the topic
• listen and respond to the ideas of others
• use content-specific vocabulary
BLM 2 Oral Language Tracking Sheet
Student Name Observations Follow-up
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson76 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Strategies Always Sometimes Not Yet
1. I use visualizing to help me understand what I read.
2. I identify which details are important to the main
idea to help me in my writing.
3. I visualize while listening to help me understand
what I hear.
4. I identify characteristics of a poster to help me read
and understand the poster as a media form.
5. I identify characteristics of descriptive text pattern
to help me understand what I read.
Reflecting Back
The strategy that has helped me the most is ____________________________________________
because __________________________________________________________________________.
Looking Ahead
My new personal goal will be _________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Unit: __________________________________________________
BLM 4 Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting
SMART Goals
Specific: My goals are well defined and easily understood by everyone.
Measurable: I can tell if I have achieved my goals.
Action-oriented: My goals can be achieved through doing.
Realistic: My goals will challenge me but I can meet them.
Timely: I have a time frame in which I will complete my goals.
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson 95Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
You are an environmental expert. You have been invited by a Grade 4class to give a presentation about a new creature that has beendiscovered. You will be writing a paragraph and then reading it to theclass. Your presentation can only be 1 to 2 minutes long.
What To DoPlan • Brainstorm a creature and a habitat. Draw pictures to help you visualize.• Jot down words to help your audience visualize the creature.• Decide on a main idea for your paragraph.• Does your information support your main idea? Cross out any information
that does not.• Add detail.
Draft• Write a draft of your paragraph. • Use your brainstorming notes and your pictures.
Revise• Read your paragraph out loud. • Think about your purpose and your audience.
– Why is it important for you to share your information?– Is your main idea clear? – Did you include details to support your main idea? – Did you use language that will help your listeners visualize?
• Cross out information that is not important to the main idea. Add detail. • Change words to create powerful pictures.• Read your paragraph out loud. Can you read it in 1 to 2 minutes? If not, go
back and look for things you can cut.
Edit• Read your paragraph out loud. Correct grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.• Have a classmate read your edited draft for errors.
Publish• Copy out your paragraph neatly, or input it on a computer and print it.
Present• Read your paragraph to the class clearly and with expression.
Page 1 of 3BLM 20 Performance Task: Design a Creature and Its Habitat
NEL14 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Let’s Talk: A Habitat Isa Home
INTRODUCING UNIT CONCEPTS
1. Have students turn to StudentBook pages 42 and 43. Givethem a few minutes to view thepages. Ask:
• According to the title, what isa habitat? (a home)
• What habitats do you see onthese pages? (wetland,grassland, evergreen,forest/mountain)
• What characteristics can youidentify about each habitatfrom the photos or from yourown experiences?
• Let’s see if we can put theanimals in the habitats wherethey will be “at home.” Someof these animals may live inmore than one of the habitats.(Canada jay: evergreen,forest/mountain, wetland; bighornmountain sheep: evergreenforest/mountain; snowshoe hare:evergreen forest/mountain; greatblue heron: wetland; snappingturtle: wetland; wood duck:wetland; pronghorn antelope:grassland; gopher: grassland;prairie rattlesnake: grassland)
• What characteristic(s) abouteach animal or knowledgefrom your own experiencehelped you to match eachanimal to its habitat?
2. Record students’ responses onthe board. Challenge students tomatch the animals theybrainstormed in the classifyingactivity in Launching the Unit tothe habitats shown in theStudent Book. Add the name ofthese animals on the board.Likely, some of the animals willlive somewhere other than inone of the three describedhabitats. Ask students to predictwhat kind of habitats theseanimals live in. Record theirresponses.
Habitat: wetland
bighorn mountain sheep
snapping turtle
prairie rattlesnake
great blue heron
Habitat: grassland
NEL42 Habitats and Communities
LET’S TALK
A Habitat Is a HomeA Habitat Is a Home
Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL
Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content ConceptsBefore ESL/ELL students participate in individual lessons with otherstudents, reduce the language demands by previewing with them both thekey vocabulary and the key content concepts.
• Print instructional vocabulary such as page, picture, title, turn, andvisualize on one list. Print concept vocabulary such as habitat, rainforest,rotting log, recycle, nutrients, and plants on another list.
• Introduce concept vocabulary by using the illustrations. Talk about andpoint to the concept vocabulary.
• Talk about key content concepts using graphics such as a food chain.
• Post your graphics and word lists for future reference.
• Ask students to keep a personal dictionary for new vocabulary. They cansketch pictures and label each word in both English and their first language.
• Have ESL/ELL students participate fully in the lessons with English-speaking students. Encourage them to talk and experiment with language.Respect the “silent phase” that many ESL/ELL students go through.
TALKING ABOUT A MEDIA TEXT
Guide students in describing andthinking about the purpose and theaudience for “A Habitat Is a Home.”Say:
• These two pages areinteresting. They aren’t allwords or all pictures. Whatdifferent kinds of things doyou see? (title, three largephotographs of different scenes,many small “cut out”photographs, labels, shortsentences speaking directly to thereader)
• Why do you think the pagesare set up this way? (to make agame or activity; something to do;to involve students in the idea ofhabitats, not just tell them abouthabitats)
• Why was this a good way tointroduce us to the idea that ahabitat is a home? (pictures helpus make connections; a game isfun; gets us thinking)
• What other ways could youintroduce the idea that ahabitat is a home? (a picture ofone habitat along with all themany animals that live in thehabitat; an article explaining howa habitat is a home)
Read-AloudUse the Read-Aloud “Our NaturalHomes” and the accompanyingquestions in Transparencies for TeacherModelling to further students’understanding of the concept of ahabitat and major habitat types. TheRead-Aloud also models the strategyof visualizing while listening.
snowshoe hare
gopher
Canada jay
Habitat: evergreen forest/mountain pronghorn antelope
NEL 43
Which of the animals below live in each habitat shown here? Some animals may live in more than one of the habitats.
wood duck
NEL 15Let’s Talk: A Habitat Is a Home
Introducing Authors and Illustrators
The About the Authors/Illustrators feature boxes that accompany many ofthe lessons in this Teacher’s Resource provide opportunities for you andyour students to get to know the people behind the Student Bookselections. In these boxes, you can read about the personal backgroundsand professional practices of authors and illustrators and gain insight intothe creation of the stories and pictures in the Student Book.
In many of these boxes, authors and illustrators describe aspects of theirlives in their own words, creating a mix of standard biographical informationand interesting personal detail.
Learning about the varied career paths of authors and illustrators willexpose students to a variety of career possibilities.
NEL 17Life in a Rotting Log
Life in a Rotting Log Student Book 4a, pages 44–45Understanding Reading Strategies
Prescribed Learning OutcomesENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSOL: Oral Language R/V: Reading/Viewing W/R: Writing/Representing
OL A3: Listen to visualize and shareOL A4: Use strategies to make/share connections when interacting with
othersR/V B5: Use strategies before reading/viewing to access prior knowledge to
make connectionsR/V B6: Use strategies during reading/viewing to visualizeW/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposes
and audiences
SCIENCE CONNECTIONLife Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and
plants in different habitats and communities.
About This SelectionThis highly descriptive article tells how a dead tree in a forest helps keepvarious organisms alive.
This article will be accessible to moststudents. It is written in clear yet vividsentences. Some vocabulary may beunfamiliar to some students.
Instructional FocusVISUALIZINGVisualizing is the process of usingwords, structures, and meaningsin a text to create mental picturesas one reads in order to aidcomprehension.
Instructional ApproachTEACHER MODELLING/GUIDED PRACTICETransparency 6: Hello from P.E.I.“Life in a Rotting Log” Student
Book 4a, p. 44
Selection available on audio CD.
Easy Average Challenging
ACCESSIBILITY
Ongoing Observation
Students who understand will• identify words that help them create
pictures in their minds• add to their mental pictures when they
get more information• connect the reading to personal
experience• explain how visualization helps them to
understand the text and monitorcomprehension
Differentiated Instruction
If students do not understand,• use Listening and Drawing (see
Differentiated Instruction: ExtraSupport, p. 19)
Assessment
Key Assessment Questions• What words in the article helped you to
create a picture in your mind?• How did the picture in your mind
change when you read moreinformation?
• How did connecting your reading topersonal experience help you tovisualize?
• How did visualizing help youunderstand what you read?
Assessment ToolsBLM 2: Oral Language Tracking SheetBLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking
SheetBLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
What Research Says about Visualization
Visualization is a comprehension strategy that enables readers to make thewords on a page real and concrete. (Keene & Zimmerman, 1997)
NEL18 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
readingUnders
tanding
strategies
VisualizingMaking pictures in your mind, orvisualizing, whileyou read can helpyou understandwhat you read.Informationalwriters often giveyou details to help you make clear pictures inyour mind.
NELHabitats and Communities
Written by Donald M. SilverIllustrated by Allan and Deborah Drew-Brook-Cormack
Many creatures live among the fallen leaves.
You can see some of themunder a magnifying glass.Bacteria and most protists
are invisible except under a microscope.
springtails
mites
roundworms
bristletails
protists
bacteria
There’s a dead tree in the forest. It has been lying on the forest floor for years. And yet … it’s too alive forany nature detective to ignore. Dead and alive? It’s onemystery that’s easy to solve!
As soon as the tree fell, beetles began to tunnel under the bark. Water seeped in. Funguses and bacteriainvaded and started to soften and break down the wood inside.
Look at the tree now. It is riddled with tunnels andfull of cracks. Ants and termites nest within. Mosses andmushrooms grow from it. The tree is alive with snails and sowbugs, salamanders, spiders, and centipedes—making their living feeding, hunting, and hiding.
Look for words that help you makepictures in yourmind. Visualize thebeetles makingtunnels. Nowvisualize waterseeping in.
Add to the picturein your mind whenyou get moreinformation. Stop to visualize what ishappening in thisbusy sentence!
44
Teacher ModellingTransparency 6 Use Transparency 6: Hello fromP.E.I. and its related teacher notes inTransparencies for Teacher Modelling tomodel how readers use visualizing.
BeforeVISUALIZING A FOREST
1. Direct students’ attention to theforest habitat shown in Let’s Talk(Student Book pages 42 and 43).Tell them you will describe ascene inside this forest.
2. Have students imagine they arehiking through the forest. Say:
• In front of you is a path intothe forest. There are smalltwigs and leaves on the path.The twigs snap as you walk onthem. You see galls andfunguses growing on sometrees. Leaves rustle in the wind.Birds chirp in the trees. Youhear a rustling sound. You seea salamander darting over afallen tree. You look moreclosely and see somecentipedes and sowbugscrawling on a fallen tree.
3. Tell students that makingpictures in their minds whilethey listen to words being readaloud helps them to understandwhat they are hearing. Ask:
• What pictures did you make inyour mind?
• Were there any words you hada hard time visualizing?
Point out that if students have ahard time visualizing, it mightbe because they don’tunderstand one or more of thewords used. Clarify anyunknown words with students.Point out that they can alsomake pictures in their mindswhile they read to themselves tohelp them understand what theyare reading.
Vocabulary
bacteria one-celled micro-organisms centipedes insects with long, flat bodies and many pairs of legsfertile able to producefunguses living things that live on other organic mattergalls growths found on the leaves, stems, or roots of plants nutrients substances in a plant’s or animal’s food that it needs tolive and growprotists one-celled micro-organisms that live in moist habitatsriddled having many holessalamanders lizard-like amphibianssowbugs small insects that can curl into a ball
Strategy Tip: Sound it outShow students how to break a word they don’t know into syllablesin order to figure it out. Suggest that they sound out each syllable,for example, “salamanders”: sal-a-man-ders.
NEL 19Life in a Rotting Log
DuringINTRODUCING THE TEXT
1. Give students a few moments tolook at the article’s title andillustrations. Ask:
• What do you think you aregoing to read about?
2. Direct students to readUnderstanding ReadingStrategies with you. Tell themthat they will be learning to usethe strategy of visualizing whilethey read this article.
READING/VIEWING ANDDISCUSSING THE TEXT
1. Let students read the firstparagraph on page 44. Ask:
• How do you think a tree canbe both dead and alive?
2. Have students read the secondand third paragraphs. Invitethem to create a picture in theirminds of what they’ve read. Ask:
• What did you see as you readthe paragraphs?
3. Direct students’ attention to thefirst sticky note on page 44 andhave them read it. Ask:
• What words really helped youmake a picture in your mindas you read?
• What did you visualize whenyou read the word “riddled”?
If necessary, define it as “havingmany holes.”
4. Have students read the secondsticky note on page 44. Ask:
• What living things can you addto your mental picture?
• What are the living things inyour picture doing?
• How is this picture differentfrom your first picture?
➜ CONTINUED
NEL
Meanwhile, bacteria and funguses are causing the dead tree to slowly rot. But more than the fallen tree will decay anddisappear. So will last year’s leaves that litter the forest floor.The animal droppings, pods, galls, and dead animals willdisappear, too. Bite by bite they will be eaten by insects, worms,and other litter feeders. Bit by bit they will be broken downinto minerals and other nutrients by bacteria, protists,and funguses. These recyclers return the minerals and nutrients to the soil, keeping it fertile. Without recyclers, trees and other plants could notkeep growing.
Yes, there’s a dead tree in the forest, and ithelps the woods stay alive.
Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t
eat wood. Instead, they chew out tunnels from
the wood for their nests.
Connect to personalexperience. Haveyou ever seen adead bird or squirreloutside? Use theinformation here tovisualize how ananimal decomposesover time.
45
Differentiated Instruction: Extra Support
Listening and DrawingPresent visualizing in a listening activity. Describe a picture withoutshowing it to students. Ask them to draw what they visualize.Reveal the picture. Talk about how students used both what theyheard and their personal experiences to create their pictures. Tellstudents that making pictures in their minds while they read alsohelps them to understand what they are reading.
NEL20 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
5. Direct students’ attention to thecaptioned illustration on page 44.Ask:
• Why do you think some livingthings are shown with amagnifying glass? (you can’t seethem without it)
Clarify the meaning of“bacteria” and “protists” (seeVocabulary box).
6. Instruct students to read page 45. Ask:
• What are two ways in whichdead material disappears inthe forest? (eaten by insects,worms, and other creatures;broken down by bacteria, protists,and funguses)
7. Ask students to read the stickynote on page 45 and share theirexperiences of seeing a deadbird or squirrel. Ask:
• How can connecting yourreading to personalexperience help you tovisualize? (rememberingsomething helps me form a picturein my mind)
• What happens if you have nopersonal experience to drawon? (it’s hard to visualize)
AfterThese questions and activities givestudents the opportunity to shareand consolidate their learning aboutvisualizing. You may use BLM 2:Oral Language Tracking Sheet andBLM 3: Small-Group ObservationTracking Sheet to track studentprogress through the unit.
REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY
1. Have students reread the title.Ask:
• Now that you’ve read thisarticle, what do you think thetitle means? (many creatures livein the rotten log)
• How can a dead tree be both“dead and alive”? (the tree hasdied, but other living thingsdepend on it)
2. Revisit the strategies forvisualizing. Ask:
• Why is it helpful to visualize asyou read? (understand better,remember better, notice when I’mnot understanding)
• What did you notice aboutyour reading when you werevisualizing? (slowed down, rereadparts, noticed words I didn’tknow)
ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSINGTHE TEXT
1. Ask students to tell a partnerwhat recyclers do in the forest.(they break down material andreturn it to the soil)
2. Why do you think they arecalled recyclers? (they reuse deadmaterial)
3. Invite partners to discuss howlife in a forest would bedifferent if there were norecyclers. (many creatures wouldhave nowhere to live; old trees wouldpile up; new trees would havenowhere to grow)
4. Ask students how theirunderstanding of the articlemight change if it had photosinstead of illustrations. (photoswould make it easier to visualize soit would be easier to understand)
WRITING/REPRESENTING: WHATAM I?
1. Invite students to write a briefdescriptive passage about anobject or animal of their choice.In small groups, have eachstudent read his/her descriptionaloud and have the other groupmembers identify the subject.
2. Give students an opportunity toprovide feedback for each otherusing prompts such as “a partthat I could really visualize ...” or“a part I had a hard timevisualizing ... .” Students coulduse the feedback to make theirdescriptions more detailed.Have students store theirdescriptions in their writingfolders.
READING/VIEWING: RESEARCHANIMALS AND HABITATS
1. Let students read a variety oftexts about animals and theirhabitats. Have them make notesand highlight the language inthese texts that helps the readervisualize.
2. Have students select two strongexamples and post them toshare with other students.
3. Tell students to store the notesin their writing folders as theywill need them for a writingactivity in the upcoming lessonon “In a Rainforest.”
Word Study
Understanding Antonyms1. Refer to “Life in a Rotting Log.” Ask:
• What was the mystery? (tree was both dead and alive)
• What kind of words are these?
If necessary, explain the term antonym (a word that means the oppositeof another word).
2. List the following words from the article: on, easy, began, under, down,inside, full, slowly, disappear, last, without. Ask students to suggestantonyms for each one.
3. Ask students to store the list of antonyms and use them in their writing.
You may use Word Study Master 1.
NEL 21Life in a Rotting Log
Checking Progress
Key Assessment QuestionsStudents may respond to the Key Assessment Questions eitherin writing or orally in a conference. Ask:• What words in the article helped you to create a picture in
your mind?• How did the picture in your mind change when you read
more information?• How did connecting your reading to personal experience
help you to visualize?• How did visualizing help you understand what you read?
Record individual progress on BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing.
Next Steps
For students who need extra support with visualizing, use “In a Rainforest” in StudentBook 4a, pp. 46–49, for guided reading.
For students who understand visualizing, use “In a Rainforest” in Student Book 4a,pp. 46–49, for independent practice.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Criteria Not Yet Within Expectations Meets Expectations Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations(Minimal to Moderate)
Strategy Rubric Strip: VisualizingA full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6.
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• identifies words that helpcreate pictures in the mind
• adds to the picture whenmore information is provided
• connects the reading topersonal experience
• explains how visualizationhelps the reader tounderstand the text andmonitor comprehension
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness • with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
Cross-Curricular Application• applies the skills involved in
visualization strategies toaid comprehension in otherareas of the curriculum
NEL 23In a Rainforest
In a Rainforest Student Book 4a, pages 46–49Applying Strategies
Prescribed Learning OutcomesENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSOL: Oral Language R/V: Reading/Viewing W/R: Writing/Representing
OL A1: Use speaking and listening to contribute to a class goal, share ideasand opinions, and improve/deepen comprehension
OL A2: Stay on topic, recount experiences in a logical order, givedetails/examples, and explain/support a viewpoint when speaking
R/V B5, B6, B7: Select and use strategies before, during, and after readingand viewing to develop understanding of text
W/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposesand audiences
SCIENCE CONNECTIONLife Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and
plants in different habitats and communities.
About This SelectionThis richly illustrated article tells about the animals and vegetation intemperate and tropical rainforests.
The straightforward text, together with thephotographs and illustrations, make thisarticle accessible to most students. Newvocabulary is explained in context.
Instructional FocusVISUALIZINGVisualizing is the process of usingwords, structures, and meaningsin a text to create mental picturesas one reads in order to aidcomprehension.
Instructional ApproachGUIDED OR INDEPENDENTREADING/VIEWING“In a Rainforest” Student
Book 4a, p. 46Guided and Independent Reading Kit
Easy Average Challenging
ACCESSIBILITY
Selection available on audio CD.
Ongoing Observation
Students who understand will• identify words that help them create
pictures in their minds• add to their mental pictures when they
get more information• connect the reading to personal
experience• explain how visualization helps them
understand the text and monitorcomprehension
Differentiated Instruction
If students do not understand,• provide extra support in a guided
reading lesson (see DifferentiatedInstruction: Guided Practice, p. 25)
If students find this text difficult to read,• use a guiding practice approach, or• choose an alternative selection from
your school collection
Assessment
Demonstration Task, p. 28
Key Assessment Question• How did visualizing help you to
understand what you read?
Assessment ToolsBLM 2: Oral Language Tracking SheetBLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking
SheetBLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and
Personal Goal SettingBLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
What Research Says about Read Alouds
The term visualizing implies seeing pictures. Proficient readers createimages from all of their senses when they read. (Harvey, 2000)
Reflecting on Your PracticeHow might I use examples of vivid text to give studentsopportunities to practise visualization?
NEL24 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
BeforeACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
1. Tell students that the title of thearticle they will be reading is “Ina Rainforest.” Encourage themto think about what they mayalready know about rainforests.
2. Ask students to visualize whatthey might see, hear, smell, orfeel in a rainforest.
3. Give students BLM 5: MyRainforest Visualization andhave them jot down words thatdescribe their visualization, forexample:
DuringINTRODUCING THE TEXT
1. Let students spend a fewminutes previewing the article.Invite them to add to theirvisualization organizer. Most newvocabulary is clearly defined inthe article.
2. Direct students to ApplyingStrategies and read it aloud tothem. Ask:
• How will using thesereminders help you tounderstand “In a Rainforest”?(help me see when I’m confused;help me remember)
READING/VIEWING THE TEXTINDEPENDENTLY
1. Have students read to the end ofthe article independently, usingvisualization to aidcomprehension.
2. Provide students with stickynotes to mark places in the textwhere visualization helped themunderstand what they werereading.
Written by Sally Morgan Illustrated by Bart Vallecoccia
A rainforest gets lots of rain, whichhelps the trees and plants in it to grow.The forest is like a tall building withmany floors. Each floor, or layer, ishome to different plants and animals.
ApplyingStrategiesVisualizing As you read, usevisualizing to helpyou understandwhat you arereading:
• Look for words that help you make pictures in your mind.
• Add to thepictures as you get moreinformation.
• Find connections to personalexperiences.
NEL46 Habitats and Communities
rainforest in British Columbia
I see I hear I smell I feel
tall greentrees
birds sweetflowers
the hotsticky air
My Rainforest Visualization
Vocabulary
canopy a rooflike covering carnivores animals that eat other animalsdecomposers funguses that decay or break down dead plantsemergents tall trees that rise above the canopy herbivores animals that eat plantslianas climbing vinesomnivores animals that eat every kind of foodtemperate a region or climate marked by mild temperaturestropical typical of or found in regions close to the equatorunderstorey the middle layer of a rainforest
Strategy Tip: Using contextTell students that, as they come across an unfamiliar word, theyshould look at what comes before and after it. As an example, askstudents to locate and read the sentence at the top of page 49about lianas. Ask:
• What are lianas? What words helped you to figure out themeaning of this word?
OR FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO
NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION:GUIDED PRACTICE
1. Read the first paragraph onpage 46 to students. Ask:
• What has the writer done tohelp you visualize therainforest? (compared arainforest to a tall building)
Sketch a tall building to helpstudents relate the rainforest tothe image described in theStudent Book.
2. Read the heading The Canopy,on page 47, then ask students toread the text under it. Ask:
• What makes up the roof of the rainforest? (the tops of trees)
3. Make a comparison to astructure known to studentsthat is about 40 m high, suchas a building of about 10 to 12stories.
4. Read the heading TheUnderstorey, then ask studentsto read the text under it. Ask:
• What makes the understorey so shady? (lots of trees above,shrubs and plants are crowdedtogether)
Refer back to the sketch youdrew and show where theunderstorey would be.
5. Read the heading The ForestFloor, then ask students to readthe text under it. Ask:
• When you make a picture inyour mind, what do you see on the forest floor? (fallentrees, rotting leaves, insects,funguses)
• How does this mental pictureremind you of what youlearned in “Life in a RottingLog”? (it reminds me that there is life among dead things on theforest floor)
Refer back to your sketch andshow where the forest floorwould be.
➜ CONTINUED
Little sunlight passes through theunderstorey down to the forest floor. It isdamp and warm, so leaves and twigs rot quickly. Funguses are importantdecomposers that live on the forest floor.Decomposers break down the leaves and release nutrients (chemicals that help
other plants grow). Creatures such as termites, earthworms, and
spiders search the floorfor food.
Beneath the canopy is the understorey. In this shady area, small trees, shrubs,and climbing plants compete for the light.
The tops of the trees make up the roofof the forest, called the canopy. Most ofthese trees are about 40 metres tall.A few even taller trees, called emergents,poke their heads above the canopy.
NEL 47
Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL
Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content Concepts Preview the key vocabulary and content concepts by using the followingactivities:
• Introduce key vocabulary by sketching a tree and labelling the keyconcepts (canopy, understorey, forest floor). Then draw a rotting log.
• Print and review the key vocabulary from pages 44 and 45 (rotting log, decay,feeders, recyclers, nutrients, plants, animals). Point to the words and then toyour drawing and use the term visualize. Print visualize on the board.
• Read “In a Rainforest” aloud in chunks, pointing to the text and then toyour sketch and the printed vocabulary. Summarize by saying “Ivisualized as I read.” Check understanding by asking the students topoint to the canopy and to the rotting log.
• Ask students to create their own sketches of the rainforest, includingsome creatures. Encourage them to label their creatures and to use theirdrawings to describe the rainforest orally.
• Have them participate fully in the visualizing lesson with the other students.
NEL 25In a Rainforest
NEL26 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
6. Read the opening paragraphon page 48 to students. Say:
• When I see the word“temperate,” it reminds me of“temperature,” but when Ilook at the ending, I see that itis different from the endingof “temperature.”
Encourage students to soundout the word, correcting theirpronunciation as necessary.Ask what they think“temperate” means (somethingto do with temperature) andclarify the meaning (not veryhot or very cold).
7. Point out to students that theywill be reading about twodifferent rainforests. Remindthem that all rainforests have acanopy, an understorey, and aforest floor. Instruct students toread to the bottom of page 48to learn about temperaterainforests. Ask:
• What would you see, hear,smell, and feel on a walk in atemperate rainforest? (wolves,elk, black bears; birds singing;smells of things rotting andgrowing; cool, wet air)
8. Tell students to read theremainder of the article onpage 49 to learn about tropicalrainforests. Ask:
• What would you see, hear,smell, and feel on a walk in atropical rainforest? (monkeys,butterflies, lianas; frogs calling;sweet-smelling flowers; warm,moist air)
• Did you know the word“liana” before you read thisarticle? How can you figureout what it means? (read thewords before and after; they tellyou lianas are climbing plantsthat look like ropes)
temperate rainforest
Temperate rainforests are found onsome cool, wet coasts, such as thecoast of British Columbia. The soil inthe forest is very rich and full ofnutrients.
Bald eagles, ravens, woodpeckers,and Steller’s jays make their homesin the canopy. Flying squirrels arefound in the understorey. Mostanimals live on the forest floor.Carnivores (meat eaters) such aswolves and cougars share the forestfloor with herbivores (plant eaters)such as elk, black-tailed deer, andbeavers. Omnivores (animals that eatboth plants and meat) such as blackbears roam the forest floor, too.
black bear
elk
NEL48 Habitats and Communities
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION:
GUIDED PRACTICE
Word Study
Creating Adjective Chains 1. Tell students that writers use adjectives to help readers visualize. Remind
students that adjectives describe nouns.
2. Use names of animals, for example, bear, from “In a Rainforest,” to modelhow adjectives can make nouns come to life. Ask students to suggestdescribing words when they picture a bear.
3. Write students’ suggestions on the board to create a chain of adjectivesbefore the noun, for example: black, huge, bellowing, smelly bear.
4. Ask students to find a picture of a mammal, bird, or amphibian.
5. Let students work in small groups. One student shows a picture of ananimal, and writes down the animal’s name on the right-hand side of apiece of paper and an adjective on the left-hand side. The next studentadds an adjective, as does the next, until the paper returns to the firststudent, who reads the whole adjective chain to the group. Each groupmember should get a turn choosing the animal and starting the chain.
You may use Word Study Master 2.
NEL 27In a Rainforest
AfterThese questions and activities givestudents the opportunity to shareand consolidate their learning aboutvisualizing. You may use BLM 2:Oral Language Tracking Sheet andBLM 3: Small-Group ObservationTracking Sheet to track studentprogress through the unit.
REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY
1. Read aloud the Strategiesquestion on Student Book page 49 and give students a fewminutes to share responses witha partner. Then ask students toshare their responses with the
class. Possible responses includelayer, roof, canopy, damp, creatures,equator.
2. Read the Your Learningquestion on page 49 to studentsand let them respond. Highlightcommon responses andinteresting ideas for the wholeclass. Ask:
• Why do you think the authorwrote this article? (to shareinformation; to share somethingthat is important to her)
• What do you think the authordid to get the informationneeded to write this article?(did research, travelled to arainforest)
3. Have students return to BLM 5:My Rainforest Visualization. Givethem a few minutes to add to it.Ask:
• What would you like to reviseor delete from your organizer?
ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSINGTHE TEXT
1. Name two types of rainforestand describe each one.(temperate rainforest: soil is cool andrich; bald eagles, flying squirrels,wolves, elk live there; tropicalrainforest: found near equator;monkeys, butterflies, snakes, wildpigs live there)
2. How would life in a rainforestbe different if there were nocarnivores? (more herbivores; fewerplants since there would be moreherbivores sharing same food source)
3. Describe a movie you have seenor a book you have read with arainforest as the setting.
4. How do you think the author,Sally Morgan, feels aboutrainforests? What makes youthink so? (they are importanthabitats; they should be protected)
capuchin monkeys
toucan
tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforests are found near theequator. The soil is very poor and doesnot contain many nutrients. Climbingplants, called lianas, look like ropes asthey dangle from the understorey down to the forest floor.
The canopy is full of life. Many of theforest animals live here. Monkeys swingfrom branch to branch. Colourful birdsand butterflies fly about. Amphibians(animals that live both in water and onland) such as frogs live in theunderstorey. Lizards, snakes, and insectsmove between the different layers of therainforest. Wild pigs and other animalslive on the forest floor.
Reflect onStrategies: What words didwriter Sally Morgan use thathelped you visualize?
Your Learning: What didyou learn about the rainforestthat you did not know beforeyou read this article?
NEL 49
➜ CONTINUED
NEL28 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
ORAL LANGUAGE: ROLE-PLAY
1. Ask students to role-play beingthe owner of a travel companywho has just returned from avisit to a rainforest.
2. In small groups, invite studentsto take turns telling about theirtrip and trying to persuadeothers in the group to visit (ornot visit) the rainforest.
3. Work with students to develop alist of reasons to use to persuadesomeone to visit (or not visit) arainforest. For example, areason to visit a rainforest mightbe great weather or anopportunity to see colourfulanimals. A reason not to visit arainforest might be a fear ofbeing bitten by a poisonousfrog.
WRITING/REPRESENTING:RAINFOREST HAIKU
Ask students to write a haiku focusingon the rainforest. Remind them that ahaiku has three lines: one with fivesyllables, then one with seven syllables,then one with five syllables again. Forexample:
The croaking of frogsThe chattering of monkeysRainforest music
Checking Progress
Demonstration TaskDirect students to make a chart with three columns.• In the first column, “The Text Says,” students write three
examples of words, phrases, or sentences from “In aRainforest” that prompt visualization.
• In the second column, “I Visualize,” they draw what they seein their minds when they read the word items they listed inthe first column.
• In the third column, “What This Reminds Me Of,” studentsexplain how their personal experiences connect with theirvisualizing.
Key Assessment QuestionStudents may respond to the Key Assessment Question eitherin writing or orally in a conference. Ask:• How did visualizing help you to understand what you read?
Record individual progress on BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing.
Next Steps
Use the following resources to give students further opportunities to practise their readingstrategies in small groups, independently, or in literature circles.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Criteria Not Yet Within Expectations Meets Expectations Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations(Minimal to Moderate)
Strategy Rubric Strip: VisualizingA full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6.
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
• identifies words that helpcreate pictures in the mind
• adds to the picture whenmore information is provided
• connects the reading topersonal experience
• explains how visualizationhelps the reader tounderstand the text andmonitor comprehension
Student Self-AssessmentEncourage students to think back to their learning with “Life in a RottingLog” and “In a Rainforest” and reflect on their ability to use and understandvisualizing as a reading comprehension strategy. Ask them to describe,
while conferencing with you or a peer, how they might have used thisstrategy in other subject areas. Then direct them to check off the appropriatebox on BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting.
• with limitedeffectiveness
• with some effectiveness • with considerableeffectiveness
• with a high degree ofeffectiveness
Cross-Curricular Application• applies the skills involved in
visualization strategies to aidcomprehension in otherareas of the curriculum
Nelson LiteracyGuided and Independent Reading Kit
#5 Well Below: Desert Life#6 Easy: Tundra#7 Average: Habitats in Danger#8 Challenging: Tidal Pools
Other Nelson ResourcesPM Library, Sapphire Level: Jungle TrekPM+, Ruby Level: Where Would We Be
Without Plants?Power Magazine, Volume 4: BasketballSkyrider Chapter Books 4: The Living
Rain ForestSkyrider Double Takes 4: Helpful or
Harmful?