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LiteracyB e n c h m a r k

Teacher’s Guide Grade K • Unit 3 2Week

® B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Determine Text Importance/Identify Sequence of Events

Unit 3/Week 2 at a Glance

Day Mini-Lessons

ONE • Activate Prior Knowledge: KWL Chart

• Introduce the Book

• Front-Load Academic Vocabulary

• Read Chapter 1: Determine Text Importance/Identify Sequence of Events

TWO • Read Chapter 2: Identify Sequence of Events

• Focus on Text Structure and Organization: Sequence of Events

THREE • Read Chapter 3: Identify Sequence of Events

• Focus on Nonfiction Text Features: Boldfaced Words and Sidebars

FOUR • Read Conclusion: Identify Sequence of Events

• Summarize & Synthesize Information: Compare and Contrast Concepts Using a Venn Diagram

FIVE • Shared Writing: Use Sequence of Events to Write a Science Lesson

Day One

Benchmark Literacy • Grade K • Unit 3/Week 2 ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC2

Read-Aloud (10 minutes)

Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Determine Text Importance.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.

Mini-Lessons (20 minutes)

Activate Prior Knowledge: KWL Chart

Display a blank KWL Chart (BLM 1) like the one shown here.

Say: A life cycle is the changes an animal goes through during its life. All animals have life cycles. What do you know about a frog’s life cycle?

•Whatarebabyfrogscalledandwhatdotheylooklike?•Wheredofrogsliveandwhatdotheydo?

Model sentence frames. Support ELLs by modeling how you use the following sentence frames:

Frogs . Frogs live . Baby frogs are called .

Think/Pair/Share. Tell partners to talk about what they know and want to know about frogs and then share their ideas. Record their responses in the first two columns in the KWL Chart (BLM 1).

Make cultural connections. Invite students who have lived in or visited other countries to tell about where they’ve seen frogs there.

Tell students that they will be reading about the life cycle of a frog. While they read the book they will add what they learned to the chart.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Build academic vocabulary and concepts related to frogs.

• Determine text importance.

• Identify sequence of events using a graphic organizer.

• Identify and discuss nonfiction text features (table of contents and glossary).

• Build oral language and vocabulary through whole-group and partner discussion.

Related Resources

• Whiteboard CD-ROM

• KWL Chart (BLM 1)

• Vocabulary Notebook (BLM 2)

• Identify Sequence of Events (BLM 3)

• Watch Me Grow! (BLM 4)

Nonfiction Big Book

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

Baby frogs are tadpoles.

Some frogs are green.

Some frogs are brown.

Frogs live in ponds.

Frogs hop.

How are frogs born?

What do they look like when they are born?

How do frogs grow?

What are the parts of a frog’s life cycle?

Sample KWL Chart Annotations (BLM 1)

Day One

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Benchmark Literacy • Grade K • Unit 3/Week 2 3

Make Content Comprehensible for ELLs

Beginning and IntermediateUse images from the book or from the image bank on the Whiteboard CD-ROM to convey to ELLs the meaning of the term life cycle. Point to and identify each picture on the inside front cover and say: First, there is an egg. Next, it becomes a tadpole. Finally, it becomes an adult. Repeat the words egg, tadpole, adult frog. Have students say the words with you.

All Levels If you have students whose first language is Spanish, use the English/Spanish cognates provided in the Front-Load Academic Vocabulary section on this page.

Pair ELLs with fluent English speakers during partner discussions and activities.

Model the use of academic sentence frames to support ELLs’ vocabulary and language development. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Support Special Needs Learners Throughout the week, use the following strategies to help students who have learning disabilities access the content and focus on skills and strategies.

Spend additional time previewing each chapter to build background and vocabulary. Use the image bank on the Whiteboard CD-ROM as you discuss each stage with students.

Read aloud the text more than once for students who would benefit from auditory input, or play the talking e-book on the Whiteboard CD-ROM. Students can listen and follow along as the text is highlighted.

Use the graphic organizer activities to build students’ schema related to the content.

Validate and support students’ efforts to participate in instructional conversations and activities.

Introduce the Book

Display the book The Life Cycle of a Frog on an easel, or use the Whiteboard CD-ROM to display the book on your whiteboard.

Show students the book cover. Read aloud the title and the author’s name. Invite students to identify and discuss what they see in the cover photograph.

Ask: •Whatdoyoupredictyouwilllearnaboutinthisbook? •Isthisbookfictionornonfiction? •Howdoyouknow?Allow responses.

If necessary, point out that this is a nonfiction book. The title and photograph on the cover provide clues that readers can use to predict the genre and what they will learn.

Turn to the Table of Contents. Read the entries with students.

Ask: Why do you think this book has a Table of Contents? Allow responses.

Review that the Table of Contents helps readers get an overview of a book. It shows how the information is organized and what they can find out by reading the book. Then turn to the Glossary on page 16. Explain that a Glossary tells the meaning of important words in the book. Point to and read the words in the Glossary.

Ask: •WhydoyouthinknonfictionbooksmighthaveaGlossary? •HowcanaGlossaryhelpyouunderstandwhatisinabook?

Front-Load Academic Vocabulary

Open the book to the Words to Think About on pages 2–3, or use the images on the Whiteboard CD-ROM to display the spread on your whiteboard. Point to each photograph and read the matching label and sentence.

If you have students whose first language is Spanish, ask: Does adult sound like a word you know in Spanish? (Allow responses.) The English word adult sounds like the Spanish word adulto. Adult and adulto mean the same thing. Repeat for other cognates in the book: animal/el animal; cycle/el ciclo; air/el aire; probably/probablemente.

Ask students to predict what each word means and use each word in a sentence of their own.

Day One


Display or print the Vocabulary Notebook page (BLM 2). Ask students to review the Words to Think About. Encourage partners to share what they know about each word. Then have pairs share with the class. Write students’ ideas on the Vocabulary Notebook page, or have students write or draw independently.

Say: You will learn more about these words as we read the book.

Read Introduction and Chapter 1 Content Comprehension: Determine Text Importance/Identify Sequence of Events

Read aloud the Introduction and Chapter 1 to students.

Display or print an Identify Sequence of Events graphic organizer (BLM 3).

Explain. Say: Somenonfictionbooksgiveinformationaboutrealevents.Whenyouread,ithelpstothinkabouttheorderoftheevents.Youcanfigureouttheorderbyaskingyourself,“Whathappenedfirst?Whathappenednext?” Sometimes clue words can help you determine the important text and figureouttherightorder.First, then, next, and finally are examples of clue words.

Activate metacognitive strategies. Say: Remember that good readers identify important information as they read. The sequence of events is usually important to a book. Paying attention to the order can help you remember the information that the author wants you to know. Let’s read this chapter again, and I’ll show you how I determine the important text as I identify the sequence of events.

Model. Say: Thetitleofthechapteris“HowDoesaFrogBegin?”Thattellsmewewilllearnaboutthefrog’slifecycleinorder,startingwiththefirststage.The word begin is a clue about the order of events. Page 6 tells about the egg, whichisthefirststageinafrog’slifecycle.AsIstarttoreadpage7,Iseetheword after. This is a clue that I will learn about the next stage in the frog’s life cycle. This second stage is the tadpole hatching from the egg. The stages are important information. Knowing the stages helps me understand the information in the text.

Write the first two events on the graphic organizer. Save your graphic organizer to add to later.

Words to Think About, page 2

Words to Think About, page 3

eggs

2

These eggs will become frogs.

Words to Think Aboutadult

An adult frog can live out of water.

Many animals live on Earth.

animals

frog

3

tadpole

This frog lives in a pond.

A tadpole will become an adult frog.

A frog changes and grows during its life cycle.

life cycle

Vocabulary Notebook (BLM 2)

Name Date

Benchmark Literacy • Grade K • Unit 3/Week 2 ©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

BLM 2

Vocabulary NotebookMy word to think about is ___________________________________________________.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Day One


Comprehension Quick-CheckObserve whether students are able to articulate the correct sequence of events in the chapter. If they have difficulty, use the following additional explicit instruction.

Say: This chapter tells about two important events in a frog’s life cycle. Remember, we used clue words to help us determine the important text about theevents.Wereadaboutthefirstevent.Next, we read about the second event.

Reread the chapter with students. Ask them to point to and read the first important event using the words begins and eggs as clues. Repeat for the second event using the words after and tadpole. Or, you may underline the events on the whiteboard.

Return to your graphic organizer. Say: We wrotethefirsttwoimportanteventsinorder on our graphic organizer. Let’s read them together.

Home/School Connection Have students take home BLM 4 and work with a family member to draw parts of their own life cycle. Explain to students their family member can tell them about the early parts of their lives that they do not remember and can help them put the events in the correct sequence, or order.

Say: In this chapter, you read about how a frog begins. What did you learn about how a frog begins its life cycle? Record students’ responses in the KWL Chart (BLM 1) in the What I Learned column.

Connect and transfer. Say: Whenyoureadanonfictionbookonyourownorduringasmall-groupreading,remembertoaskyourself,“HowcanItellwhich text is important? What is the order of the important events?” This will help you be a better reader.

Small-Group Reading Instruction (60 minutes)

Based on students’ instructional reading levels, select titles that provide opportunities for students to practice identifying sequence of events. See the list provided on the Small-Group Reading Instructional Planner.

Use the before-, during-, and after-reading instruction provided in the Teacher’s Guide for each text.

Individual Student Conferences (10 minutes)

Confer with individual students on their text selections and application of strategies. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conferences.

Phonics Workshop (20 minutes)

Use the Day 1 instruction provided in StartUp Phonics Skill Bag 3.

Sample Identify Sequence of Events Annotations (BLM 3)

Watch Me Grow! (BLM 4)

Name Date

Benchmark Literacy • Grade K • Unit 3/Week 2 ©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

BLM 4

Watch Me Grow!Parents: Talk with your child about how his or her appearance has

changed since babyhood and how it might change in adulthood.

Then have your child draw a picture of himself or herself at each life

stage in the correct order. Help your child write a label or caption for

each picture.

egg

1

tadpole

2



Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Determine Text Importance.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Read Chapter 2 Content Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events

Say: Yesterdaywereadaboutthefirsttwostagesinafrog’slife.Whichstagesdid we learn about? What did you learn? Allow responses.

Say: Today we’ll read about what happens next, the third stage in the life cycle. As we read, we’ll pay attention to words that signal the order of the events. We can use these clues to identify the important text. This will help you understand and remember the events and their order.

Read aloud Chapter 2.

Invite students to turn and talk with a partner to discuss the sequence of events described in this chapter. Have them use words to help keep the order of events clear. Students can use the following academic sentence frames:

First, .Next, .At last, .

Bring students together to share their ideas. As a whole group, record the sequence of the important events for the chapter in circles 3, 4, and 5 on the graphic organizer.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Build academic vocabulary and concepts related to the life cycle of frogs.



• Identify and discuss text structure (sequence of events).


Related Resources




Day Two

Nonfiction Big Book



Beginning Point to and name each part of the tadpole and frog shown on pages 8–9. Have students repeat each.

Intermediate Use simple sentence frames and the photos to discuss the changes the frog goes through, for example:

Look at the photos. First, the tadpole .

Then the tadpole .

At last, .

All Levels If you have students whose first language is Spanish, share the English/Spanish cognate adult/el adulto.


Model the use of academic sentence frames to support ELLs’ discussion of main ideas and supporting details. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Comprehension Quick-CheckTake note of which students can or cannot contribute to the discussion of identifying sequence of events in Chapter 2. Use the following activity to provide additional instruction.

Write the following sentences on strips of paper: First, the tadpole grows legs.

Next, the tadpole loses its tail. At last, the frog is an adult.

Work together with students to arrange the strips on the ledge of the board in the correct order. Have students read the sentences with you when done.

Say: In this chapter, you read about what happens as a tadpole grows. Let’s add what you learned to our KWL Chart.

Focus on Text Structure and Organization: Sequence of Events

Remind students that authors organize nonfiction texts in different ways depending on the type of information they are communicating. For example, sometimes an author needs to use description to give information. Other times, an author wants to show how things are alike or different.

Say: The author of this book wants us to understand an order, or sequence, of events—the stages of a frog’s life cycle. She needs to tell what each stage is and when it happens. To do this, she uses a sequence-of-events text structure.

Read aloud the “Look at Text Structure” sidebar on page 9. Invite students to find other sequence words on this page and on other pages of the text.

Connect and transfer. Say: Remember,manynonfictionbooksusesequenceof events to organize the information. Look for this structure as you read. Pay attention to the clue words the author uses to signal the order of the events. Theseclueswillhelpyoufigureoutwhicheventshappenedfirst,next,andlast.

Day Two


Tadpole grows legs.

3

Tadpole loses tail.

4

Tadpole is an adult

frog.

5


Day Two


Based on students’ instructional reading levels, select titles that provide opportunities for students to practice identifying sequence of events. See the list provided on the Unit at a Glance chart.






Oral Language ExtensionDuring independent workstation time, have partners role-play scientists talking about the life cycle of frogs. Scientist A tells about Chapter 1 and the beginning of a frog’s life by using the sentence frames: First . Next . Scientist B continues by telling about the events in Chapter 2 with the sentence frames: After a week, the tadpole . Finally, the tadpole . Tell students to be prepared to report on their conversation during individual conference time.

Home/School ConnectionHave students draw three pictures to show the frog as an egg, a tadpole, and an adult. Students can take their pictures home to share and tell a family member about what they now know about the life cycle of a frog.


Lesson Objectives

Students will:



• Learn about nonfiction text features (sidebar, boldfaced words).


Related Resources



• Vocabulary Notebook (BLM 2)


Day Three


Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Determine Text Importance.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Read Chapter 3 Content Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events

Say: Yesterday we read about how a tadpole changes. What happens as a tadpole grows? What does a tadpole grow into? Allow responses.

Say: Today we’re going to read about an adult frog. As we read the chapter, we’ll focus on the sequence of events. Remember to look for important text, such as clue words, to help you understand the events.

Read aloud Chapter 3.

Invite students to turn and talk with a partner to discuss the important events and the order in which they occurred. Students can use the following academic sentence frames:

First, adult frogs .Then, they .

Bring students together to share their ideas. As a whole group, record the sequence of events for this chapter in the remaining circles on the graphic organizer.

Say: In this chapter, you read about what the adult frog does. Let’s add what you learned to our KWL Chart.

Nonfiction Big Book


Adult frog lays eggs.

6

Frog dies.

7


Focus on Text Features: Boldfaced Words and Sidebars

Draw students’ attention to the chapter title on page 10.

Say: Darker, or boldfaced, words are important to the topic. The chapter title is bold because it names a section of the book. In this chapter, I know to pay close attention to anything that tells about adult frogs.

Have students locate other boldfaced words, such as animals and life cycle on page 4. They can find the meanings of these words in the Glossary.

Next, point to the “Animal Fact” sidebar on page 11 and read it aloud.

Say: A sidebar has information that appears next to the main text, usually in a box. Sidebars help readers by explaining something in more detail.

Model how sidebars help readers.

Say: The main text says that frogs breathe through skin and lungs but not why. The sidebar says it depends on whether the frog is in water or on land.

Connect and transfer. Say: Pay attention to boldfaced words and sidebars. Askyourself,“Whydidtheauthorboldfacethesewords?Howcantheyhelpme notice important text? What details can I learn from this sidebar?”









BeginningAs you point to the picture on page 10, say: Adult frogs breathe air. Have students act out breathing. Repeat with the photo of a frog hopping on page 11.

IntermediateDiscuss the photographs. Say: This frog is an . The adult frog can .

Intermediate and AdvancedRepeat the sentence frames that follow, pointing to the photo that goes with each. Then invite ELLs to complete the frames:

An adult frog uses its lungs to .

It uses its legs to .

It lays .

After several years an adult frog .

Pair ELLs with fluent English speakers during partner discussions and activities. Support discussion of the sequence of events by using the academic sentence frames provided.

Comprehension Quick-CheckAs students turn and talk with a partner, monitor their conversations to identify which students can or cannot identify a sequence. Based on your observations, identify students who need additional explicit reinforcement of the strategy during small-group reading instruction.

Home/School ConnectionHave students take home the Vocabulary Notebook page (BLM 2) and focus on one of the following vocabulary words: frog, life cycle, tadpole. Tell students they may work with a family member to explore what they know about the word.

Day Three



Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Determine Text Importance.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Read Conclusion Content Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events

Invite students to retell the facts and details from Chapters 1, 2, and 3 using the Identify Sequence of Events graphic organizer they have been constructing.

Read the Conclusion to students.

Have students turn and talk to a partner to discuss the sequence of events in the Conclusion. Remind them to focus on the author’s sequence structure to help them identify the correct order.

Invite pairs of students to share their ideas. As a group, compare different students’ ideas and develop a consensus on the sequence of events in the Conclusion. Look back at the Identify Sequence of Events graphic organizer and agree upon the group’s ideas on whether to change or keep the events in the graphic organizer.

Say: This Conclusion summarized what we learned about the life cycle of a frog. Let’s look at our KWL Chart. Review the third column of the chart. Did you learn anything else about the life cycle of a frog we should add to the chart?

Lesson Objectives

Students will:


• Use academic sentence frames to summarize and synthesize content information.

Related Resources




• Venn Diagram (BLM 5)

Day Four

Nonfiction Big Book


Summarize and Synthesize Information: Compare and Contrast Concepts Using a Venn Diagram

Display the Venn Diagram (BLM 5) for The Life Cycle of a Frog and explain how the diagram will help them show how tadpoles and frogs are alike and different.

Lead a discussion to refine and synthesize students’ understanding of tadpoles and adult frogs.

Review pages 7 and 8 to find qualities of a tadpole. Ask: What are some things we read about tadpoles? Help students by providing the example “Tadpoles have tails.” Write responses in the Tadpole circle. Then review pages 9 and 10 and write qualities of frogs in the Frog circle. Say: Tadpoles and frogs can live in water. I will put this fact in the overlapping circles.

When the diagram is complete, invite students to share their conclusions about tadpoles and frogs. You can scaffold their responses by providing the following academic sentence frames:

One way that tadpoles and frogs are alike is . One way that tadpoles and frogs are different is .

Connect and transfer. Say: We focused on identifying sequence of events in the life cycle of a frog. We used clue words as signals to determine the important text and order of events. You can do this whenever you read nonfiction.


Beginning and IntermediatePoint to each photo on the conclusion spread and read the labels. Say: These are . This is a . This is an

. Have students repeat and point to each picture as they complete each frame.

All LevelsIf you have students whose first language is Spanish, share English/Spanish cognate adult/el adulto.


Provide academic sentence frames to help ELLs summarize and synthesize information from the big book. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Comprehension Quick-CheckDuring the Summarize and Synthesize activity, note students who are and are not able to compare and contrast tadpoles and frogs. Say: Remember, to compare the animals, you need to focus on how they arealike.Tocontrasttheanimals,findouthow they are different. Look at the Venn Diagram (BLM 5) to help you.

During independent student conferences, review the Venn Diagram (BLM 5) with students and review how to look in each section to find similarities and differences.

Day Four

Sample Venn Diagram Annotations (BLM 5)

Tadpole• hatches from an egg• has tail• swims• lives in water• cannot live out of water• breathes through gills

Frog• has no tail• has strong legs• hops• can live in water

and on land• breathes through

lungs and skin• some lay eggs

Both• live in water


Oral Language ExtensionDuring independent workstation time, invite pairs of students to share the academic vocabulary words they explored at home (frog, life cycle, or tadpole). Ask them to use the following sentence frames as they discuss their words: A is a .

A has . A can .

Home/School ConnectionYou may wish to have students take home a copy of the KWL Chart (BLM 1) and have a family member help them record in the L (What I Learned) column their own ideas based on their understanding of the big book concepts. Or have students draw a picture about something they learned about frogs from the book. A family member can help them write a sentence about their picture. Use this activity as an informal assessment of students’ text comprehension.








Day Four



Revisit the week’s read-alouds to make text-to-text connections and provide opportunities for reader response. Use the suggested activities in the Benchmark Literacy Overview, or implement ideas of your own.


Shared Writing: Use Sequence of Events to Write a Science Lesson

Say: Let’s look at Identify Sequence of Events and KWL Chart. We learned many facts about the life cycle of a frog. We can use this information to write a science lesson for other students.

Say: Let’s pretend we are science teachers. Sometimes science teachers give lectures. That means they talk to their class and tell information about a scientificsubject.Let’swritealessonaboutthelifecycleofafrog.

Guide students to identify sequence of events as an appropriate text structure to use.

As a group, decide on a title for your lesson.

Help students begin with an introductory sentence to explain what the lesson will be about. Then help them focus on the text structure. Ask: What clue words can we use to help us use the correct order of events in our lesson?

Help students use clue words and details from the charts to create sentences in correct sequence. Prompt students with questions like the following:

• Whatisthefirststagethefroggoesthrough?• What clue word can we use to begin this sentence?

Write students’ sentences on chart paper.

Reread the sentences with students, inviting them to suggest ways to focus on the sequence of events.

Model how writers edit and revise their work by checking spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Display your class science lesson on a classroom wall. Have students take turns teaching the lesson using their writing and pictures from the big book.

Connect and transfer. Say: We used the sequence-of-events structure for a science lesson. Use this structure when you need to tell events in an order.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Use sequence of events to write about the life cycle of a frog.

Related Resources




Day Five

Nonfiction Big Book


Day Five








Writing Model

Science Lesson: Let’s Learn About the Life Cycle of a Frog

Today we will learn about the different stages, or parts, of a frog’s life. This is the life cycle of a frog. First, the frog is born. It is an egg. Then, the tadpole hatches from the egg. Next, the tadpole grows legs and loses its tail. Finally, the frog is an adult.

egg

1

tadpole

2

Tadpole grows legs.

3

Tadpole loses tail.

4

Tadpole is an adult

frog.

5

Adult frog lays eggs.

6

Frog dies.

7


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