Day
Shared Reading
“Extreme Storms”
5
KEY IDEA Tornadoes are dangerous storms that form from thunderstorms, although
scientists do not know why they form. Storm chasers use special equipment to find out
more about how tornadoes form and behave.
LEARNING FOCUS
RI.1.1*
Students read closely to ask and answer questions about key details, referring to explicit
content and using details to support basic inferences.
3 minutes
PREVIEWING THE TEXT
Today we will read a short informational text. Let’s read the title. Who can share
what the word extreme means?
We will apply one of the strategies we’ve been discussing and practicing by
asking and answering questions about a text and making inferences. Who can
tell us what an inference is?
7 minutes
CLOSE READING OF THE TEXT
Let’s review what we are looking for as we read today.
And if we can’t find the answers stated directly, what will we do?
Let’s read the first two paragraphs and think about questions we might have.
Please read along with me.
Who can share questions that came up during the reading?
Those are good questions. Do we have any answers yet? Can we make
any inferences? As you answer, please point to a place in the text that
supports your idea.
I like how you used a detail from the text to make an inference. We’ll keep
reading to find answers to our other questions.
Let’s use the Sound, Read, and Check strategy with this word. When I
first try to sound it and blend it, I get suh-tud-ee. Read it with me in the sentence.
Then we’ll check to see if it makes sense. . . . Does suh-tud-ee make sense here?
No. Let’s try to correct it. (Say study.) Let’s check again. Does it make sense
now? Remember to sound, read, and check when you come to a word you do
not know.
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 1 • THEME 11 1
Let’s continue reading to the end of the text. Pay close attention to the details
about tornadoes that help you answer your questions. Read along with me. If
you notice an important detail, keep it in mind so we can talk about it during
our discussion.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT
10 minutes
When we meet in groups to discuss a text we have read, we should take turns
and speak one at a time. Each speaker should remember to talk only about the
topic. Everyone else should listen carefully to what the speaker says.
Let’s reread the first paragraph, which describes a twister or tornado, as a cone
of wind. First of all, what does a cone of wind look like? Who would like to draw
one to show us?
That’s a great image. It’s an ice cream cone without the ice cream—pointy at
the bottom but a big circle at the top. Keep that image in mind as we talk more
about tornadoes.
Let’s take some time to talk about our questions about tornadoes and then find
answers in the text. . . . Who’d like to start?
Your inference is based on a detail in the text. That’s good! Anyone else?
So you found your answer in the text. Did anyone figure out if twisters form
during every thunderstorm?
I like how you made an inference from what the author did not say. Remember
to use your inference-making skills as you read other texts in this theme.
2 WHAT IS THE WEATHER?
Day
Shared Reading
“Extreme Storms”
6
LEARNING FOCUSES
RI.1.1*, RI.1.5*, RI.1.7
Students read closely to describe a cause/effect or chronological text structure and explain how it
contributes to their understanding of key concepts as they use illustrations and details to describe
key ideas. They continue to ask and answer questions about key details, referring to explicit
content and using details to support basic inferences.
RETURNING TO THE TEXT
3 minutes
Let’s think about the text “Extreme Storms” and summarize what it was
mostly about. In a summary, we retell the most important points. Take a
moment to think about what you learned from reading the text. . . . Who’d
like to summarize the text?
That’s a good summary.
Today we’re going to reread the text about tornadoes. Remember that last time
we asked and answered questions about the text. This time when we reread,
we’ll think about the text structure. We’ll look for cause-effect relationships or
events that are described in the order they happened. We’ll also look at the
words and the pictures to describe the text’s key idea.
CLOSE READING OF THE TEXT
7 minutes
We’re going to reread this text together from beginning to end without
stopping. I want you to look for words or phrases that tell you what kind of
structure the author used to tell about tornadoes. Also, look at the photographs
for more information about the text’s key idea. We’ll talk about your ideas
during our discussion.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT
10 minutes
When we talk about the text with our partners, I want you to look for causeeffect relationships that helped you understand more about what tornadoes are
like. Be sure to point out evidence in the text to support your ideas. Who would
like to start?
Any other causes or effects?
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 1 • THEME 11 1
You did a great job of seeing causes and effects in the text.
Let’s talk now about how the photographs help us describe the key idea in
the text. Who can tell us what the images show and how they help with our
understanding?
What about the other photograph?
The photographs support the text by showing what the text can’t describe. They
help us figure out which ideas in the text are most important.
2 WHAT IS THE WEATHER?