Informational Text, Research, and Inquiry Circles: Animals and Habitats English Language Arts, Grade 1 In this three week unit on animals and habitats, students are introduced to informational text and inquiry circles, and conduct their own research on animals and habitats. Students learn and apply content specific vocabulary that will assist them in future studies in science. Students are guided through the research process by three Essential Questions: What is a habitat? How do readers get information from informational text? How does research help us learn? The unit is structured around an Inquiry Circle (Immersion, Investigation, Coalescence, and Going Public) to accommodate various learning opportunities and learners. This unit should be used mid-year or later in first grade. It will take approximately fifteen classes. Note that there are no grade 1 science standards specific to habitats, but learning about habitats and building content vocabulary in this unit provides an excellent grounding for study of life science in grade 2. These Model Curriculum Units are designed to exemplify the expectations outlined in the MA Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics incorporating the Common Core State Standards, as well as all other MA Curriculum Frameworks. These units include lesson plans, Curriculum Embedded Performance Assessments, and resources. In using these units, it is important to consider the variability of learners in your class and make adaptations as necessary. This work is licensed by the MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). Educators may use, adapt, and/or share. Not for commercial use. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 8/ 2013 Page 1 of 47 Table of Contents Unit Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………….………….3 General Resources and Notes………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Lesson 1 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….……………………..8 Lesson 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….……….….……….11 Lesson 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….14 Lesson 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….18 Lesson 5, 6 and 7 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...22 Lesson 8 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..26 Lesson 9, 10 and 11 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....29 Lesson 12, 13 and 14 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......32 CEPA Teacher Instructions…………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….…….......35 CEPA Student Instructions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..37 CEPA Rubric……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38 Unit Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39 Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………….....41 This work is licensed by the MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). Educators may use, adapt, and/or share. Not for commercial use. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 8/ 2013 Page 2 of 47 Stage 1 Desired Results ESTABLISHED GOALS G Transfer CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.1 Ask and answer Students will be able to independently use their learning to… T questions about key details in a text. Generate open ended questions and seek answers through critical analysis of text, media, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.5 Know and use interviews, and/or observations. various text features to locate key facts or Communicate ideas effectively in writing to suit a particular audience and purpose. information in a text. Meaning CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.7 Use the UNDERSTANDINGS U ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Q illustrations and details in a text to describe Students will understand that… its key ideas. U1 A habitat meets an animal’s needs by EQ1. What is a habitat? CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1c Ask questions to providing food, water, shelter, and space. clear up any confusion about the topics and U2 Text features help readers understand EQ2. How do readers get information from texts under discussion. information informational text? CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.2 Ask and answer U3 Research provides information needed questions about key details in a text read for written or oral presentations. EQ3. How does research help us learn? aloud or information presented orally or Acquisition through other media. Students will know… K Students will be skilled at… S CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4 Describe people, K1 The definition of a habitat. S1 Using the academic and discipline- places, things, and events with relevant K2 Vocabulary for talking about habitats related vocabulary and concepts that are details, expressing ideas and feelings including animals’ needs, sets of animals, introduced in the unit. clearly. wild animals, shelter, and the names of five S2 Forming questions that can be answered CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.5 Add drawings or major habitats: Arctic (Polar), Desert, Ocean by research. other visual displays to clarify ideas, (Tide Pools or Coral Reefs), Rainforest, and S3 Using the features of informational text thoughts, and feelings. Savanna (Tropical Grassland), to find information within the book. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.2 Write K2 Text features add to comprehension of a S4 Use information from sources to present informative/explanatory texts in which they text. on a topic name a topic, supply some facts about the K3 Information is presented in different topic, and provide some sense of closure. formats. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.7 Participate in K4 Research helps us better understand a shared research and writing projects (e.g., topic. This work is licensed by the MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). Educators may use, adapt, and/or share. Not for commercial use. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 8/ 2013 Page 3 of 47 explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships. Stage 2 - Evidence Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence Criteria for success: CURRICULUM EMBEDDED PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT (PERFORMANCE TASKS) PT • See CEPA Rubric This CEPA is composed of three different performance tasks: • The visual and written information is • Students will write a research report, an informational paragraph, explaining the accurate; the main idea and details are answer(s) to their research question(s). This part of the CEPA begins in Lesson 8. clear. • Working in small groups, students will create an informational display for a new zoo • Students contribute to making the exhibit about their selected habitat. Each student will contribute a piece of art and some exhibit and to the oral presentation writing, such as labeling or explanation, to accompany their artwork. showcasing their knowledge. • Each small group will give an oral presentation about their habitat, drawing on information from the group display. The presentation can take a variety of forms such as a guided tour of the display, a skit, play or other informational presentations. Each student will have a role in the presentation. Criteria for success: OTHER EVIDENCE: OE • Students develop answers to the three • Students’ answers to the essential questions (ongoing) essential questions in their own words, • Students’ ability to explain the term habitat with content-specific vocabulary e.g. a using content specific vocabulary. habitat is a place that provides for an animal’s needs: food, water, and shelter. Students • Students display knowledge of research may also be able to explain how an animal’s external parts help them to survive, grow, This work is licensed by the MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0). Educators may use, adapt, and/or share. Not for commercial use. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 8/ 2013 Page 4 of 47 skills: using features of informational and meet their needs, e.g. a giraffe has a long neck to make it easier to reach tree leaves text, forming research questions, and which it eats. note-taking. • Students’ participation in the different phases of the inquiry circle. • Students’ questions about animals and habitats; use of features of informational text to find answers; and use of more than one source to answer the research question. Stage 3 – Learning Plan Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction Lesson 1: Students learn the concept of habitat and discuss the Essential Question: What is a habitat? (Immersion phase of the inquiry circle.) Lesson 2: Students are introduced to five different habitats around the world and the idea that sets of animals live in a given habitat. Students start a group RAN (Reading and