Teacher’s
Resource
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
Welcome to Nelson Literacy
Features of this Teacher’s Resource
• Planning support to assist you in developing a comprehensive
literacy program for your students
Instructional approaches that facilitate a gradual release of
responsibility, from teacher modelling to guided and independent
experiences in all the language arts, based on the BC Language
Arts IRP 2006
Assessment tools that help guide instruction
Differentiated instruction to meet individual needs, based on data
gathered from observation and formative assessment
Curriculum-area units directly aligned to BC’s Grade 4 Social
Studies, Science, and Health and Careeer Education to help
improve students’ literacy skills in content areas
Opportunities for in-depth study and enjoyment of a variety of
literary 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
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 Prescribed
Learning Outcomes, and available assessment tools.
• Read the suggestions in the sections Planning the Unit, Ongoing
Activities, What You Need, and Family and Community
Connections.
STEP 1
Use “Launching the Unit” and “Let’s Talk” (Teacher’s
Resource 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 opener
page (Student Book 4a, page 41) to preview the focus of instruction
and assessment.
• Then use the Let’s Talk spread (Student Book 4a, pages 42–43) to
engage students and access prior knowledge.
• Use the Read-Aloud selection “Our Natural Homes” (found in the
Transparencies for Teacher Modelling).
STEP 2
4
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
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 for
guided practice and teacher modelling of strategies.
STEP 3
Use the Unit Lesson Plans
Note that every lesson begins with an overview page that identifies
BC Prescribed Learning Outcomes and previews the Assessment
for 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, with
pages from the Student Book conveniently reproduced.
There are two kinds of lesson plans:
– Understanding Strategies lessons (e.g., Teacher’s Resource
pages 17–21) provide explicit instruction in using a strategy in
one of the English Language Arts organizers. This type of lesson
usually begins with a teacher-modelled experience.
– This is followed by an Applying Strategies lesson (e.g., Teacher’s
Resource pages 23–28), which provides guided and
independent practice with the strategy.
Each lesson provides multiple opportunities for students to speak,
listen, read and view, write and represent, and develop media
literacy. Special features include Differentiated Instruction,
Vocabulary, Word Study, and Writing Mini-lessons.
Each lesson engages students in meaningful group, partner, and
independent work, often supported by blackline masters (found at
the back of this Teacher’s Resource).
Assessment materials on the closing page of each lesson include
suggestions for checking progress and next steps, accompanied by
a rubric strip for formative assessment.
STEP 4
•
•
•
•
•
•
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 each
student to guide instruction.
• After completing the selection lesson plan with students, refer to
the assessment section (Teacher’s Resource pages 68–69), which
provides a reading response and integrated English Language Arts
performance task for summative assessment. The task is supported
by rubrics available on blackline masters. Also featured are ideas for
reflecting back on the learning in the unit, student self-assessment,
and goal setting.
STEP 5
NEL
Welcome to Nelson Literacy
5
Instructional Framework: Grade 4
4a
WHAT A
STORY!
Literature
HABITATS AND
COMMUNITIES
Science
4b
FIRST
PEOPLES
Social Studies
HEALTHY LIVING
Health and
Career
Education
LEGENDS
Literature
LIGHT
Science
ORAL LANGUAGE
(SPEAKING AND
LISTENING)
Active Listening/
Interactive
Strategies
• Practise
common
courtesies in
conversation
Comprehension
Strategies
• Visualize while
you listen
Appropriate
Language
• Use appropriate
words and
phrases to
communicate
meaning
Demonstrating
Understanding
• Identify
important
information
while you listen
Making
Inferences
• Make inferences
while you listen
Active Listening/
Interactive
Strategies
• Ask questions to
gather information and clarify
understanding
READING/
VIEWING
Activating Prior
Knowledge/Making
Connections
• Use personal
experiences to
make
connections
Visualizing
• Make pictures in
your mind using
text and
personal
experience
Predicting
• Make
predictions
using text,
illustrations, and
personal
experiences
Finding Important
Ideas
• Distinguish
between what’s
important to the
main idea and
what’s just
interesting
Making
Inferences
• Use text cues
and personal
experiences to
make inferences
Questioning
• Ask questions to
clarify meaning
and check
understanding
Text Pattern
• Narrative
Text Pattern
• Description
Text Features
• Titles, headings
Text Pattern
• Cause/Effect
Text Pattern
• Narrative
Text Features
• Charts and
diagrams
Text Form
• Recounts, short
story, poem,
cartoon,
storyboard
Text Form
• Information
report, travel
poster, travel
brochure, web
report, narrative,
cartoon, photo
match game
Text Form
• Information
report, personal
recount, legend,
short story
Text Form
• Information
reports, web
report,
persuasive text,
quiz, recount,
illustration
search, cartoon
Text Form
• Legends,
graphic story,
cartoon
Form and Style
• Idioms, similes
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;
quotation
marks; verbs,
adjectives,
adverbs
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;
apostrophes/
possession;
nouns
Form and Style
• Sentence
patterns
Language
Conventions
• Compound
words, prefixes;
dictionary skills;
capitalization;
verbs,
prepositions
Form and Style
• Simple and
compound
sentences
Purpose and
Audience
• Identify purpose
and audience
for movie
posters
Media Forms
• Identify the
characteristics
of posters
Conventions and
Techniques
• Explain how
conventions of
book covers
help convey
meaning
Making
Inferences/
Interpreting
Messages
• Use both overt
and implied
messages in
packaging
Audience
Responses
• Explain why
different
audiences
respond
differently to
media texts
Media Forms
• Identify the
characteristics
of PowerPoint
presentations
Trait
• Ideas: Build a
main idea
Trait
• Ideas: Identify
which details
are important to
the main idea
Trait
• Organization:
Write strong
leads
Trait
• Organization:
Write strong
endings
Trait
• Voice: Write
with a strong
voice
Trait
• Voice: Use
formal and
informal voice
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Draft and revise
➤Text Patterns
and Features
➤Word Study
Language
Conventions
• Plurals;
dictionary skills;
verbs, adjectives
➤Media
WRITING/
REPRESENTING
Process
• Generate,
gather, and
organize ideas
6
Process
• Generate,
gather, and
organize ideas
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;
commas; verbs
Text Form
• Information
report,
procedural text,
interview, short
story, illustration
search, cartoon
Language
Conventions
• Syllabification,
compound
words; verbs;
dictionary skills;
quotation marks,
exclamation
marks, commas
NEL
4b
CANADA’S
REGIONS
Social Studies
4c
SOUND
Science
ADVENTURE
Literature
FIRST
CONTACT
Social Studies
GETTING ALONG
Health and
Career
Education
WEATHER
Science
Extending
Understanding
• Make
connections in
oral texts to
personal
experiences
Appropriate
Language
• Make meaning
clear
Vocal Skills and
Interactive
Strategies
• Practise
effective
speaking
Demonstrating
Understanding/
Clarity and
Coherence
• Communicate in
a clear manner
for an oral report
Active Listening/
Interactive
Strategies
• Deal with
conflicting views
Presentation
Strategies/Clarity
and Coherence
• Communicate in
a clear, coherent
manner for a
book talk
Summarizing
• Summarize
main ideas
using a graphic
organizer
Monitoring
Comprehension
• Clarify meaning
of words and
concepts and
check
understanding
Retelling
• Retell a story
using a graphic
organizer
Making
Inferences
• Use stated and
implied ideas
and personal
experiences to
make inferences
Evaluating
• Examine the text
to determine
writer’s point of
view
Synthesizing
• Synthesize
information
between text
and visuals to
extend
understanding
Text Pattern
• Sequence
Text Pattern
• Question/Answer
Text Pattern
• Narrative
Text Features
• Labelled map
Text Pattern
• Problem/Solution
Text Pattern
• Compare/
Contrast
Text Form
• Map, recount,
information
report, poem,
adventure story,
travel journal,
photo essay,
photo collage
Text Form
• Information
report,
explanation,
poem, interview,
procedural text,
illustration
search, cartoon
Text Form
• Graphic story,
adventure story,
personal
recount, factual
recount, cartoon
Text Form
• Map,
information
report,
explanation
Text Form
• Graphic story,
advice column,
poem,
information
report, website,
short story,
cartoon
Text Form
• Information
report,
explanation,
newspaper
report, cartoon
Form and Style
• Similes
Form and Style
• Alliteration;
compound
sentences
Form and Style
• Similes
Language
Conventions
• Dictionary skills;
verbs, adjectives
Language
Conventions
• Compound
words;
dictionary skills;
apostrophes;
nouns,
prepositions
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;
exclamation/
question marks,
commas; nouns,
verbs
Language
Conventions
• Base words,
syllabification,
mnemonics;
dictionary skills;
adjectives,
prepositions
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns;
dictionary skills;
prepositions,
conjunctions,
verbs, adjectives
Language
Conventions
• Word patterns,
base words;
dictionary skills;
quotation
marks; verbs
Conventions and
Techniques
• Explain how
conventions of a
postcard help
convey meaning
Point of View
• Identify whose
point of view is
presented in
web articles
Responding to
and Evaluating
Texts
• Express
supported
opinions in
movie reviews
Conventions and
Techniques
• Explain how
conventions of
photos are used
to help convey
meaning
Point of View
• Identify point of
view in comic
strips
Media Forms
• Identify
characteristics
of placards
Trait
• Word Choice:
Use sensory
words to create
vivid details
Trait
• Word Choice:
Use strong
verbs
Trait
• Fluency: Write
effective
dialogue
Trait
• Fluency: Vary
sentence
beginnings
Trait
• Conventions:
Use editorial
symbols
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Draft and revise
Process
• Edit and
proofread
Trait
• Publishing: Use
titles, subtitles,
and bullets for
effective
presentation
Process
• Draft and revise
NEL
Process
• Publish/Share
Instructional Framework: Grade 4
7
Introducing the Unit
Unit at a Glance
Planning the Unit
LESSON INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS
UNIT OVERVIEW
Launching the Unit
Let’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
Understanding Reading Strategies:
Visualizing
Teacher Modelling/Guided Practice
Transparency 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. 23–28
Guided and Independent Reading Kit
Understanding Writing Strategies:
Identifying Which Details Are Important
to the Main Idea
Modelled Writing/Representing
Transparency 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. 29–33
Shared 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. 34–39
Independent Writing/Representing p. 38
Understanding Listening Strategies:
Visualizing While You Listen
Teacher Modelling/Guided Practice
Transparency 8: Visualizing While You Listen
“Visualizing While You Listen” SB 4a, p. 54;
TR pp. 40–44
Understanding Media: Identifying
Characteristics of Posters
Teacher Modelling/Guided Practice
Transparency 9: Say It in a Poster!
“Say It in a Poster!” SB 4a, pp. 55–56; TR pp. 45–49
Independent Reading/Viewing p. 48
Understanding Text Patterns: Identifying
Characteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern
Teacher Modelling/Guided Practice
Transparency 10: A Grassland Food Chain
“Be an Arctic Explorer!” SB 4a, pp. 57–59;
TR pp. 50–56
• Demonstrate an understanding of
the structures and behaviours of
animals and plants in different
habitats and communities
Applying Strategies: Identifying
Characteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern
Guided or Independent Reading/Viewing
“Marshes” SB 4a, pp. 60–62; TR pp. 57–62
• Determine how personal choices
and actions have environmental
consequences
Putting It All Together
Summative Assessment
“Wolf Island” SB 4a, pp. 63–66; TR pp. 63–69
Students explore a variety of habitats,
including a rotting log, temperate
and tropical rainforests, Canada’s
Arctic, a freshwater marsh, and an
island. They see how populations of
animals and plants interact and they
are also introduced to the idea that
humans can affect the natural world.
As students read the articles, web
page, posters, photo essays, and
stories, they develop
• the reading and listening
comprehension strategy of
visualizing
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES/RESOURCES
• the writing strategy of identifying
what is and is not important to the
main idea
• an understanding of descriptive
text pattern
• an understanding of the
characteristics of a poster
• word study skills
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED
INSTRUCTION: SCIENCE
The purpose of this unit is to
provide opportunities for students to
develop language arts skills in all
organizers while working in the
content area of Science. While the
unit has strong links to the Life
Science curriculum, it does not
provide comprehensive coverage of
the Science curriculum.
Teachers can make links to the
following Life Science Prescribed
Learning Outcomes:
8
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
SB = Student Book TR = Teacher’s Resource
NEL
Student Book 4a, pages 41–66
NEL
PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
OL Use speaking/listening to share ideas and opinion and
improve/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 Sheet
BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking Sheet
OL Listen to visualize and share
OL 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 Questions
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
OL Contribute to a class goal, share ideas, and improve comprehension
OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain a viewpoint
R/V Develop understanding using strategies before, during, and after
reading/viewing
W/R Use a variety of informational writing for a range of purposes
Demonstration Task and Key Assessment Question
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting
BLM 6
OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain viewpoint
R/V Use strategies during reading/viewing to determine the importance
of events/ideas and to summarize
W/R Write text with introduction, logically sequenced details, and ending
W/R Identify audience before writing/representing
W/R Select and use strategies after writing/representing to improve work
Demonstration Task and Key Assessment Questions
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 8: Demonstration Task
BLM 9: Writing Process Assessment Checklist
BLM 10: Strategy Rubric Strip
OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using listening/speaking
strategies
R/V Use strategies before and after reading/viewing to develop
understanding, locate information, and summarize
R/V Explain how structures and features of text work to develop meaning
W/R Use clearly developed ideas in informational writing
Key Assessment Question
Demonstration Task
BLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 10
BLM 11: Demonstration Task—Main Idea Rescue!
OL Listen to visualize and share
R/V Read/comprehend stories from Aboriginal and other cultures
R/V View and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts
R/V Explain how structures/features of text develop meaning
W/R Create visual representations of ideas in response to a topic
Key Assessment Question
Demonstration Task
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting
BLM 13: Demonstration Task—Visualizing While You Listen
BLM 14: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing While You Listen
OL Share ideas and opinions using speaking/listening
R/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 ideas
W/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas
Key Assessment Questions and Demonstration Task
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting
BLM 15: Poster Analysis Form
BLM 16: Strategy Rubric Strip—Identifying Characteristics of Posters
OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using speaking/listening
strategies
R/V Read/view and show comprehension of non-fiction materials
R/V Determine the importance of events/ideas during reading/viewing
R/V Locate and record information after reading/viewing
W/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas
Key Assessment Questions
BLM 2, BLM 3
BLM 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 Task
Key Assessment Question
BLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 17
OL Speak/listen to express/visualize ideas/information for different purposes
OL Use strategies to practise delivery when presenting/expressing
R/V Read fluently and comprehend a range of grade-appropriate texts
W/R Write clearly for a range of purposes and audiences
BLM 4, BLM 18: Reading Response Form
BLM 19: Reading Record Form
BLM 20: Performance Task—Design a Creature and Its Habitat
BLM 21: Reading Response and Performance Task Rubric
Planning the Unit
9
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WRITING/REPRESENTING
Throughout this unit, students have
numerous opportunities to practise
planning and drafting using a variety
of forms. Their work in progress
should be stored in their writing
folder. Consider asking students to
select one or two pieces to revise,
edit, and publish. You may wish to
use BLM 9: Writing Process
Assessment Checklist to assess
students’ work at various stages of
writing.
A mini-lesson is provided in each
unit to help you develop students’
writing skills. This unit includes the
mini-lesson Drafting and Revising:
Word Choice (page 33). Consult the
Nelson Literacy Overview for a list of
mini-lessons that can be used to
support students as they work
through the writing process.
ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT
DATA
The instructional focuses of the unit
are the focuses for assessment:
visualizing while reading, identifying
which details are important to the
main idea, visualizing while
listening, identifying the
characteristics of a poster, and
identifying the characteristics of
descriptive text pattern.
Throughout the unit, there are
multiple opportunities to observe as
students learn, practise, and
demonstrate target strategies.
Formative assessment data
(generated by discussion
opportunities, Key Assessment
Questions, and Demonstration
Tasks) can be recorded on specific
assessment tools. By analyzing the
data, you can guide students
through subsequent lessons with the
correct level of support. The data
can help you plan for instruction,
differentiate instruction, and begin
to make evaluative decisions about
students’ progress for reporting
purposes.
10
The Performance Task provides
valuable summative assessment data
that can be used for reporting and
for communicating with parents,
caregivers, and administrators.
Students are invited to assess their
own learning throughout the unit.
They can use their self-assessment
data to make adaptations to their
learning and to set personal goals
for future learning.
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
• Oral Language Tracking Sheet
(BLM 2): You may wish to use this
tracking sheet when observing
students during the unit launch
and periodically throughout the
unit. Taking multiple
opportunities to focus on a small
number of students at a time
allows you to observe every student
over the course of the unit.
• Small-Group Observation
Tracking Sheet (BLM 3): This tool
can be used to monitor and make
notes on students’ participation in
various small-group activities in all
the organizers: oral language,
reading and viewing, and writing
and representing.
• Strategy Rubric Strips (BLMs 6,
10, 14, 16, 17): These help
facilitate recording and updating
student achievement data over the
course of the unit. Each rubric
strip focuses on one strategy, and
has multiple checkboxes so you
can reuse this tool every time the
student is required to demonstrate
the target strategy. Use the rubric
strips to determine the correct
level of support for students in
subsequent lessons and plot
students’ progress over the course
of the unit.
• Reading Response and
Performance Task Rubric
(BLM 21): Intended for use at the
end of the unit, this rubric is for
recording assessments of student
achievement in oral language,
reading and writing skills. The data
can be used as a summative
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
measure of the students’ ability to
demonstrate the strategies and skills
taught in the unit as a whole. The
rubric facilitates reporting and links
to the Performance Standards.
• Self-Assessment Checklist and
Personal Goal Setting (BLM 4):
Throughout the unit, students are
invited to assess their own ability
to use the strategies taught in the
unit. They can use their selfassessment data to make
adaptations to their learning and
to set personal goals for future
learning.
• Metacognition: The ability to think
about and reflect on one’s own
thinking and learning processes is
a key skill for successful learners.
Metacognition is a crucial step in
the self-assessment process. Every
unit in Nelson Literacy 4 engages
students in metacognitive activities
by means of Reflect On questions
in the Student Book, recurring
self-assessment opportunities
within each lesson, and the
Criteria for Success self-assessment
checklist included in the
Performance Task (see BLM 20:
Performance Task—Design a
Creature and Its Habitat).
Ongoing Activities
The following activities can be done
concurrently with the unit.
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:
BUILDING A WORD WALL
1. Create two word lists at the
beginning of the unit to help
students build vocabulary. Use
one list to capture key content
words related to the study of
habitats. Focus on words
students are likely to encounter
in Science in the years to come
(such as “herbivore”), rather
than on words that are rarely
used outside specialized
contexts (such as “liana”). Use
the second list to highlight verbs
that aid visualization.
NEL
2. Add words throughout the unit
and invite students to suggest
words for the wall. Refer students
to the wall as they talk and write
about habitats and communities.
Your class’s word lists might look
something like this:
Key Content
Words
Verbs That Help
You Visualize
litter feeders
recyclers
canopy
understorey
carnivore
herbivore
omnivore
seeped
riddled
poke
compete
dangle
crowds out
drift
howled
scrambled
gnawed
VOCABULARY STRATEGIES
Vocabulary strategies are introduced
in some of the lessons. As each new
strategy is introduced, record it on a
class list of vocabulary strategies.
Encourage students to refer to this
list whenever they encounter an
unfamiliar word in their reading.
From time to time, model the
strategies on this list while working
on other curriculum subjects.
YOUR LOCAL HABITAT:
DEVELOPING A BULLETIN BOARD
1. Engage students in a discussion
about the natural environment
near the school. Ask:
• Where can you find nature
close to our school? (park,
wooded area, open field, hills or
mountains, pond, river, lake, ocean)
• What do you see there? (rolling
hills, water, trees, tall grass,
squirrels, birds, frogs)
• What do you hear or smell?
(birds singing, wind blowing
through trees, wildflowers)
• How does this place change
with the seasons? (leaves change
colour, pond freezes over, animals
hibernate)
2. Ask students to suggest words
that describe the local habitat,
prompting them to think about
plants, animals, land features,
and climate. Write each word or
phrase on a small index card.
Tack these to a bulletin board
and let students decide on a title
for the board.
Family and
Community
Connections
Students benefit from the active
engagement of family members and
community partners in their
learning. Family members may talk
with students and engage in
activities that enhance the relevance
of the unit content. Their interest
motivates student achievement and
facilitates communication with the
school about performance.
Community members may
introduce students to the diversity
around them as they learn about
hobbies, careers, and cultural
connections that expand their
worlds. As one tool in establishing a
communication link with family
members and the community
beyond the school, you may wish to
reproduce or adapt the letter to
parents/guardians in BLM 1: Family
and Community Connections.
3. Over the course of the unit, give
students opportunities to add to
and revisit the bulletin board.
What You Need
NELSON LITERACY COMPONENTS
OTHER NELSON RESOURCES
OTHER RESOURCES
Student Book 4a
Boldprint 4:
Bugs
PM Library, Sapphire Level:
Jungle Trek
PM +, Ruby Level:
Where Would We Be Without Plants?
Wildlife in the City
Frogs: Fascinating … and Fragile
Power Magazine, Volume 4:
Basketball
Water 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 Bug
Connection: An Ecological Mystery. New
York: HarperCollins, 1993.
George, Jean Craighead. There’s an Owl in the
Shower. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
Hewitt, Sally. All Kinds of Habitats. New York:
Children’s Press, 1999.
Llewellyn, Claire. Protect Natural Habitats. North
Mankato, MN: Chrysalis Education, 2003.
Pipe, Jim. Ecosystems. North Mankato, MN:
Aladdin Books, 2005.
Riley, Peter. Habitats. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth
Stevens, 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.
Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Resource
Transparencies for Teacher Modelling
Guided and Independent Reading Kit
Audio CD
NEL
Planning the Unit
11
Launching the Unit
Science
ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
1. Provide groups of students with
a stack of small, blank pieces of
paper. Challenge them to
brainstorm as many animals as
they can, taking turns saying an
animal name and writing it on a
piece of paper.
2. Provide each group with a large
sheet of paper, a glue stick, and
markers. Ask groups to classify
their animals by whatever
criteria makes sense to the
group, such as how they travel
(land, water, air); size (small,
medium, large); or what they eat
(plants, animals, both). Any
sorting rule students can
describe is acceptable. Students
should create a label for each
sorting rule.
3. Let groups share their
classification with the class,
describing how each animal fits
the chosen criteria.
In this unit, you will
INTRODUCING LEARNING GOALS
Have students turn to Student Book
page 41 and give them a brief time
to view the illustration and read the
learning goals. Read the learning
goals aloud. Ask students to identify
words they know and talk briefly
about each goal. Give students a few
minutes to discuss with a partner
which goal they think will help them
the most in developing their
language skills.
• visualize while
you read
• visualize while
you listen
• identify
characteristics
of descriptive
text pattern
• learn about
habitats and
communities
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
OL: Oral Language
OL
OL
OL
12
• identify which
• identify
details are
characteristics
important to the of posters
main idea in
your writing
R/V: Reading/Viewing
W/R: Writing/Representing
A1: Use speaking and listening to share ideas and opinions and
improve/deepen comprehension
A2: Stay on topic and recount experiences in a logical order when
speaking
A2: Give details/examples and explain/support a viewpoint when
speaking
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
LINKING INSTRUCTION TO
ASSESSMENT
Throughout the unit, the
instructional goals are linked to
assessment in the following ways:
• Oral Language—You can use
BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking
Sheet during this lesson and again
whenever students are given the
opportunity to discuss content,
skills, and strategies related to this
unit. Taking multiple
opportunities for assessment
allows you to focus on a
manageable number of students at
a time.
• Self-Assessment and Personal
Goals—As you review the
instructional goals with students,
you may wish to introduce BLM 4:
Self-Assessment Checklist and
Personal Goal Setting. Explain to
students that they will have the
opportunity to assess their own
progress as they learn new strategies
using BLM 4. At the end of the unit,
students reflect on the strategy that
helped them the most and set a
personal goal for future learning.
BLM 4
Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting
Name: ________________________________________________
BLM 2
BLM 20
Date: ________________________
Unit: __________________________________________________
Strategies
Always
Sometimes
Not Yet
1. I use visualizing to help me understand what I read.
Oral Language Tracking Sheet
Beginning of unit
Middle of unit
Student Name
Observations
You are an environmental expert. You have been invited by a Grade 4
class to give a presentation about a new creature that has been
discovered. You will be writing a paragraph and then reading it to the
class. Your presentation can only be 1 to 2 minutes long.
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.
End of unit
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.
Follow-up
Page 1 of 3
•
•
•
•
idea to help me in my writing.
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
Performance Task: Design a Creature and Its Habitat
What To Do
Plan
2. I identify which details are important to the main
Observation Period:
• Performance Task—Explain to
students that they will demonstrate
strategies they are learning in this
unit in a final task. In this task,
outlined on BLM 20: Performance
Task—Design a Creature and Its
Habitat, each student will imagine
that he or she is an environmental
expert who has discovered a new
creature. Students will share
important information about their
creatures and the habitats they live
in with the class.
Draft
• Write a draft of your paragraph.
• Use your brainstorming notes and your pictures.
5. I identify characteristics of descriptive text pattern
to help me understand what I read.
Revise
Reflecting Back
The strategy that has helped me the most is ____________________________________________
because __________________________________________________________________________.
Looking Ahead
My new personal goal will be _________________________________________________________
• 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
SMART Goals
Specific: My goals are well defined and easily understood by everyone.
Measurable: I can tell if I have achieved my goals.
• Read your paragraph out loud. Correct grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
• Have a classmate read your edited draft for errors.
Publish
Action-oriented: My goals can be achieved through doing.
• Copy out your paragraph neatly, or input it on a computer and print it.
Realistic: My goals will challenge me but I can meet them.
Present
Timely: I have a time frame in which I will complete my goals.
• Read your paragraph to the class clearly and with expression.
76
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson
74
NEL
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
95
Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson
Launching the Unit
13
Let’s Talk: A Habitat Is
a Home
LET’S TALK
A Habitat Is a Home
INTRODUCING UNIT CONCEPTS
1. Have students turn to Student
Book pages 42 and 43. Give
them a few minutes to view the
pages. Ask:
• According to the title, what is
a habitat? (a home)
• What habitats do you see on
these pages? (wetland,
grassland, evergreen,
forest/mountain)
• What characteristics can you
identify about each habitat
from the photos or from your
own experiences?
• Let’s see if we can put the
animals in the habitats where
they will be “at home.” Some
of these animals may live in
more than one of the habitats.
(Canada jay: evergreen,
forest/mountain, wetland; bighorn
mountain sheep: evergreen
forest/mountain; snowshoe hare:
evergreen forest/mountain; great
blue heron: wetland; snapping
turtle: wetland; wood duck:
wetland; pronghorn antelope:
grassland; gopher: grassland;
prairie rattlesnake: grassland)
• What characteristic(s) about
each animal or knowledge
from your own experience
helped you to match each
animal to its habitat?
2. Record students’ responses on
the board. Challenge students to
match the animals they
brainstormed in the classifying
activity in Launching the Unit to
the habitats shown in the
Student Book. Add the name of
these animals on the board.
Likely, some of the animals will
live somewhere other than in
one of the three described
habitats. Ask students to predict
what kind of habitats these
animals live in. Record their
responses.
14
Habitat: wetland
bighorn mountain sheep
snapping turtle
Habitat: grassland
prairie rattlesnake
42
Habitats and Communities
great blue heron
NEL
Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL
Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content Concepts
Before ESL/ELL students participate in individual lessons with other
students, reduce the language demands by previewing with them both the
key vocabulary and the key content concepts.
• Print instructional vocabulary such as page, picture, title, turn, and
visualize 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 and
point 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 can
sketch pictures and label each word in both English and their first language.
• Have ESL/ELL students participate fully in the lessons with Englishspeaking students. Encourage them to talk and experiment with language.
Respect the “silent phase” that many ESL/ELL students go through.
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
TALKING ABOUT A MEDIA TEXT
Guide students in describing and
thinking about the purpose and the
audience for “A Habitat Is a Home.”
Say:
• These two pages are
interesting. They aren’t all
words or all pictures. What
different kinds of things do
you see? (title, three large
photographs of different scenes,
many small “cut out”
photographs, labels, short
sentences speaking directly to the
reader)
Which of the animals below live in each habitat shown here?
Some animals may live in more than one of the habitats.
pronghorn antelope
Habitat: evergreen forest/mountain
• Why do you think the pages
are set up this way? (to make a
game or activity; something to do;
to involve students in the idea of
habitats, not just tell them about
habitats)
Canada jay
• Why was this a good way to
introduce us to the idea that a
habitat is a home? (pictures help
us make connections; a game is
fun; gets us thinking)
snowshoe hare
gopher
wood duck
NEL
43
• What other ways could you
introduce the idea that a
habitat is a home? (a picture of
one habitat along with all the
many animals that live in the
habitat; an article explaining how
a habitat is a home)
Read-Aloud
Introducing Authors and Illustrators
The About the Authors/Illustrators feature boxes that accompany many of
the lessons in this Teacher’s Resource provide opportunities for you and
your students to get to know the people behind the Student Book
selections. In these boxes, you can read about the personal backgrounds
and professional practices of authors and illustrators and gain insight into
the creation of the stories and pictures in the Student Book.
In many of these boxes, authors and illustrators describe aspects of their
lives in their own words, creating a mix of standard biographical information
and interesting personal detail.
Use the Read-Aloud “Our Natural
Homes” and the accompanying
questions in Transparencies for Teacher
Modelling to further students’
understanding of the concept of a
habitat and major habitat types. The
Read-Aloud also models the strategy
of visualizing while listening.
Learning about the varied career paths of authors and illustrators will
expose students to a variety of career possibilities.
NEL
Let’s Talk: A Habitat Is a Home
15
Life in a Rotting Log
Instructional Focus
VISUALIZING
Visualizing is the process of using
words, structures, and meanings
in a text to create mental pictures
as one reads in order to aid
comprehension.
Instructional Approach
TEACHER MODELLING/
GUIDED PRACTICE
Transparency 6: Hello from P.E.I.
“Life in a Rotting Log” Student
Book 4a, p. 44
Selection available on audio CD.
Student Book 4a, pages 44–45
Understanding Reading Strategies
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
OL: Oral Language
R/V: Reading/Viewing
W/R: Writing/Representing
A3: Listen to visualize and share
A4: Use strategies to make/share connections when interacting with
others
R/V B5: Use strategies before reading/viewing to access prior knowledge to
make connections
R/V B6: Use strategies during reading/viewing to visualize
W/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposes
and audiences
OL
OL
SCIENCE CONNECTION
Life Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and
plants in different habitats and communities.
About This Selection
This highly descriptive article tells how a dead tree in a forest helps keep
various organisms alive.
ACCESSIBILITY
This article will be accessible to most
students. It is written in clear yet vivid
sentences. Some vocabulary may be
unfamiliar to some students.
Easy
Average
Challenging
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Ongoing Observation
Differentiated Instruction
Assessment
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 monitor
comprehension
If students do not understand,
• use Listening and Drawing (see
Differentiated Instruction: Extra
Support, p. 19)
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 more
information?
• How did connecting your reading to
personal experience help you to
visualize?
• How did visualizing help you
understand what you read?
Assessment Tools
BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking Sheet
BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking
Sheet
BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
What Research Says about Visualization
Visualization is a comprehension strategy that enables readers to make the
words on a page real and concrete. (Keene & Zimmerman, 1997)
NEL
Life in a Rotting Log
17
Teacher Modelling
Before
VISUALIZING A FOREST
1. Direct students’ attention to the
forest habitat shown in Let’s Talk
(Student Book pages 42 and 43).
Tell them you will describe a
scene inside this forest.
erstanding
nd
rseadiniegs
U
Transparency 6
Use Transparency 6: Hello from
P.E.I. and its related teacher notes in
Transparencies for Teacher Modelling to
model how readers use visualizing.
t r ate g
Visualizing
Making pictures
in your mind, or
visualizing, while
you read can help
you understand
what you read.
Informational
writers often give
you details to
help you make
clear pictures in
your mind.
• In front of you is a path into
the forest. There are small
twigs and leaves on the path.
The twigs snap as you walk on
them. You see galls and
funguses growing on some
trees. Leaves rustle in the wind.
Birds chirp in the trees. You
hear a rustling sound. You see
a salamander darting over a
fallen tree. You look more
closely and see some
centipedes and sowbugs
crawling on a fallen tree.
• What pictures did you make in
your mind?
• Were there any words you had
a hard time visualizing?
Point out that if students have a
hard time visualizing, it might
be because they don’t
understand one or more of the
words used. Clarify any
unknown words with students.
Point out that they can also
make pictures in their minds
while they read to themselves to
help them understand what they
are reading.
18
Look for words
that help you make
pictures in your
mind. Visualize the
beetles making
tunnels. Now
visualize water
seeping in.
Add to the picture
in your mind when
you get more
information. Stop
to visualize what is
happening in this
busy sentence!
2. Have students imagine they are
hiking through the forest. Say:
3. Tell students that making
pictures in their minds while
they listen to words being read
aloud helps them to understand
what they are hearing. Ask:
Written by Donald M. Silver
Illustrated by Allan and Deborah Drew-Brook-Cormack
There’s a dead tree in the forest. It has been lying on
the forest floor for years. And yet … it’s too alive for
any nature detective to ignore. Dead and alive? It’s one
mystery that’s easy to solve!
As soon as the tree fell, beetles began to tunnel
under the bark. Water seeped in. Funguses and bacteria
invaded and started to soften and break down the
wood inside.
Look at the tree now. It is riddled with tunnels and
full of cracks. Ants and termites nest within. Mosses and
mushrooms grow from it. The tree is alive with snails
and sowbugs, salamanders, spiders, and centipedes—
making their living feeding, hunting, and hiding.
protists
springtails
roundworms
Many creatures live
among the fallen leaves.
You can see some of them
under a magnifying glass.
Bacteria and most protists
are invisible except
under a microscope.
bristletails
bacteria
mites
44
Habitats and Communities
NEL
Vocabulary
bacteria one-celled micro-organisms
centipedes insects with long, flat bodies and many pairs of legs
fertile able to produce
funguses living things that live on other organic matter
galls growths found on the leaves, stems, or roots of plants
nutrients substances in a plant’s or animal’s food that it needs to
live and grow
protists one-celled micro-organisms that live in moist habitats
riddled having many holes
salamanders lizard-like amphibians
sowbugs small insects that can curl into a ball
Strategy Tip: Sound it out
Show students how to break a word they don’t know into syllables
in order to figure it out. Suggest that they sound out each syllable,
for example, “salamanders”: sal-a-man-ders.
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
During
INTRODUCING THE TEXT
1. Give students a few moments to
look at the article’s title and
illustrations. Ask:
Meanwhile, bacteria and funguses are causing the dead
tree to slowly rot. But more than the fallen tree will decay and
disappear. So will last year’s leaves that litter the forest floor.
The animal droppings, pods, galls, and dead animals will
disappear, too. Bite by bite they will be eaten by insects, worms,
and other litter feeders. Bit by bit they will be broken down
into 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 not
keep growing.
Yes, there’s a dead tree in the forest, and it
helps the woods stay alive.
• What do you think you are
going to read about?
2. Direct students to read
Understanding Reading
Strategies with you. Tell them
that they will be learning to use
the strategy of visualizing while
they read this article.
Connect to personal
experience. Have
you ever seen a
dead bird or squirrel
outside? Use the
information here to
visualize how an
animal decomposes
over time.
READING/VIEWING AND
DISCUSSING THE TEXT
1. Let students read the first
paragraph on page 44. Ask:
• How do you think a tree can
be both dead and alive?
2. Have students read the second
and third paragraphs. Invite
them to create a picture in their
minds of what they’ve read. Ask:
Unlike termites,
carpenter ants don’t
eat wood. Instead, they
chew out tunnels from
the wood for their nests.
• What did you see as you read
the paragraphs?
3. Direct students’ attention to the
first sticky note on page 44 and
have them read it. Ask:
NEL
Differentiated Instruction: Extra Support
Listening and Drawing
Present visualizing in a listening activity. Describe a picture without
showing it to students. Ask them to draw what they visualize.
Reveal the picture. Talk about how students used both what they
heard and their personal experiences to create their pictures. Tell
students that making pictures in their minds while they read also
helps them to understand what they are reading.
45
• What words really helped you
make a picture in your mind
as you read?
• What did you visualize when
you read the word “riddled”?
If necessary, define it as “having
many holes.”
4. Have students read the second
sticky note on page 44. Ask:
• What living things can you add
to your mental picture?
• What are the living things in
your picture doing?
• How is this picture different
from your first picture?
➜ CONTINUED
NEL
Life in a Rotting Log
19
5. Direct students’ attention to the
captioned illustration on page 44.
Ask:
• Why do you think some living
things are shown with a
magnifying glass? (you can’t see
them without it)
Clarify the meaning of
“bacteria” and “protists” (see
Vocabulary box).
6. Instruct students to read
page 45. Ask:
• What are two ways in which
dead material disappears in
the forest? (eaten by insects,
worms, and other creatures;
broken down by bacteria, protists,
and funguses)
7. Ask students to read the sticky
note on page 45 and share their
experiences of seeing a dead
bird or squirrel. Ask:
• How can connecting your
reading to personal
experience help you to
visualize? (remembering
something helps me form a picture
in my mind)
• What happens if you have no
personal experience to draw
on? (it’s hard to visualize)
After
These questions and activities give
students the opportunity to share
and consolidate their learning about
visualizing. You may use BLM 2:
Oral Language Tracking Sheet and
BLM 3: Small-Group Observation
Tracking Sheet to track student
progress through the unit.
REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY
1. Have students reread the title.
Ask:
• Now that you’ve read this
article, what do you think the
title means? (many creatures live
in the rotten log)
• How can a dead tree be both
“dead and alive”? (the tree has
died, but other living things
depend on it)
2. Revisit the strategies for
visualizing. Ask:
• Why is it helpful to visualize as
you read? (understand better,
remember better, notice when I’m
not understanding)
• What did you notice about
your reading when you were
visualizing? (slowed down, reread
parts, noticed words I didn’t
know)
ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSING
THE TEXT
1. Ask students to tell a partner
what recyclers do in the forest.
(they break down material and
return it to the soil)
2. Why do you think they are
called recyclers? (they reuse dead
material)
3. Invite partners to discuss how
life in a forest would be
different if there were no
recyclers. (many creatures would
have nowhere to live; old trees would
pile up; new trees would have
nowhere to grow)
4. Ask students how their
understanding of the article
might change if it had photos
instead of illustrations. (photos
would make it easier to visualize so
it would be easier to understand)
WRITING/REPRESENTING: WHAT
AM I?
1. Invite students to write a brief
descriptive passage about an
object or animal of their choice.
In small groups, have each
student read his/her description
aloud and have the other group
members identify the subject.
2. Give students an opportunity to
provide feedback for each other
using prompts such as “a part
that I could really visualize ...” or
“a part I had a hard time
visualizing ... .” Students could
use the feedback to make their
descriptions more detailed.
Have students store their
descriptions in their writing
folders.
READING/VIEWING: RESEARCH
ANIMALS AND HABITATS
1. Let students read a variety of
texts about animals and their
habitats. Have them make notes
and highlight the language in
these texts that helps the reader
visualize.
2. Have students select two strong
examples and post them to
share with other students.
3. Tell students to store the notes
in their writing folders as they
will need them for a writing
activity in the upcoming lesson
on “In a Rainforest.”
Word Study
Understanding Antonyms
1. 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 opposite
of another word).
2. List the following words from the article: on, easy, began, under, down,
inside, full, slowly, disappear, last, without. Ask students to suggest
antonyms 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.
20 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Checking Progress
Next Steps
Key Assessment Questions
Students may respond to the Key Assessment Questions either
in 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?
For students who need extra support with visualizing, use “In a Rainforest” in Student
Book 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.
Record individual progress on BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—
Visualizing.
Strategy Rubric Strip: Visualizing
A full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6.
Criteria
Not Yet Within Expectations
Meets Expectations
(Minimal to Moderate)
Fully Meets Expectations
Exceeds Expectations
• identifies words that help
create pictures in the mind
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• adds to the picture when
more information is provided
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• connects the reading to
personal experience
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• explains how visualization
helps the reader to
understand the text and
monitor comprehension
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
Cross-Curricular Application
• applies the skills involved in
visualization strategies to
aid comprehension in other
areas of the curriculum
NEL
Life in a Rotting Log
21
In a Rainforest
Instructional Focus
VISUALIZING
Visualizing is the process of using
words, structures, and meanings
in a text to create mental pictures
as one reads in order to aid
comprehension.
Instructional Approach
GUIDED OR INDEPENDENT
READING/VIEWING
“In a Rainforest” Student
Book 4a, p. 46
Guided and Independent Reading Kit
Student Book 4a, pages 46–49
Applying Strategies
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
OL: Oral Language
R/V: Reading/Viewing
W/R: Writing/Representing
A1: Use speaking and listening to contribute to a class goal, share ideas
and opinions, and improve/deepen comprehension
OL A2: Stay on topic, recount experiences in a logical order, give
details/examples, and explain/support a viewpoint when speaking
R/V B5, B6, B7: Select and use strategies before, during, and after reading
and viewing to develop understanding of text
W/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposes
and audiences
OL
SCIENCE CONNECTION
Life Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and
plants in different habitats and communities.
About This Selection
Selection available on audio CD.
This richly illustrated article tells about the animals and vegetation in
temperate and tropical rainforests.
The straightforward text, together with the
photographs and illustrations, make this
article accessible to most students. New
vocabulary is explained in context.
ACCESSIBILITY
Easy
Average
Challenging
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Ongoing Observation
Differentiated Instruction
Assessment
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 monitor
comprehension
If students do not understand,
• provide extra support in a guided
reading lesson (see Differentiated
Instruction: Guided Practice, p. 25)
Demonstration Task, p. 28
If students find this text difficult to read,
• use a guiding practice approach, or
• choose an alternative selection from
your school collection
Key Assessment Question
• How did visualizing help you to
understand what you read?
Assessment Tools
BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking Sheet
BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking
Sheet
BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and
Personal Goal Setting
BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing
What Research Says about Read Alouds
The term visualizing implies seeing pictures. Proficient readers create
images from all of their senses when they read. (Harvey, 2000)
Reflecting on Your Practice
How might I use examples of vivid text to give students
opportunities to practise visualization?
NEL
In a Rainforest
23
Before
ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
1. Tell students that the title of the
article they will be reading is “In
a Rainforest.” Encourage them
to think about what they may
already know about rainforests.
2. Ask students to visualize what
they might see, hear, smell, or
feel in a rainforest.
3. Give students BLM 5: My
Rainforest Visualization and
have them jot down words that
describe their visualization, for
example:
My Rainforest Visualization
I see
I hear
I smell
I feel
tall green
trees
birds
sweet
flowers
the hot
sticky air
Written by Sally Morgan
Illustrated by Bart Vallecoccia
Applying
Strategies
Visualizing
As you read, use
visualizing to help
you understand
what you are
reading:
A rainforest gets lots of rain, which
helps the trees and plants in it to grow.
The forest is like a tall building with
many floors. Each floor, or layer, is
home to different plants and animals.
• Look for words
that help you
make pictures
in your mind.
• Add to the
pictures
as you get more
information.
• Find connections
to personal
experiences.
During
INTRODUCING THE TEXT
1. Let students spend a few
minutes previewing the article.
Invite them to add to their
visualization organizer. Most new
vocabulary is clearly defined in
the article.
2. Direct students to Applying
Strategies and read it aloud to
them. Ask:
• How will using these
reminders help you to
understand “In a Rainforest”?
(help me see when I’m confused;
help me remember)
READING/VIEWING THE TEXT
INDEPENDENTLY
1. Have students read to the end of
the article independently, using
visualization to aid
comprehension.
2. Provide students with sticky
notes to mark places in the text
where visualization helped them
understand what they were
reading.
rainforest in British Columbia
46
Habitats and Communities
NEL
Vocabulary
canopy a rooflike covering
carnivores animals that eat other animals
decomposers funguses that decay or break down dead plants
emergents tall trees that rise above the canopy
herbivores animals that eat plants
lianas climbing vines
omnivores animals that eat every kind of food
temperate a region or climate marked by mild temperatures
tropical typical of or found in regions close to the equator
understorey the middle layer of a rainforest
Strategy Tip: Using context
Tell students that, as they come across an unfamiliar word, they
should look at what comes before and after it. As an example, ask
students to locate and read the sentence at the top of page 49
about lianas. Ask:
• What are lianas? What words helped you to figure out the
meaning of this word?
24 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
OR
FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO
NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION:
GUIDED PRACTICE
1. Read the first paragraph on
page 46 to students. Ask:
• What has the writer done to
help you visualize the
rainforest? (compared a
rainforest to a tall building)
The tops of the trees make up the roof
of the forest, called the canopy. Most of
these trees are about 40 metres tall.
A few even taller trees, called emergents,
poke their heads above the canopy.
Beneath the canopy is the understorey.
In this shady area, small trees, shrubs,
and climbing plants compete for the light.
Little sunlight passes through the
understorey down to the forest floor. It is
damp and warm, so leaves and twigs
rot quickly. Funguses are important
decomposers 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 floor
for food.
NEL
47
Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL
Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content Concepts
Preview the key vocabulary and content concepts by using the following
activities:
• Introduce key vocabulary by sketching a tree and labelling the key
concepts (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 to
your drawing and use the term visualize. Print visualize on the board.
• Read “In a Rainforest” aloud in chunks, pointing to the text and then to
your sketch and the printed vocabulary. Summarize by saying “I
visualized as I read.” Check understanding by asking the students to
point to the canopy and to the rotting log.
• Ask students to create their own sketches of the rainforest, including
some creatures. Encourage them to label their creatures and to use their
drawings to describe the rainforest orally.
• Have them participate fully in the visualizing lesson with the other students.
Sketch a tall building to help
students relate the rainforest to
the image described in the
Student Book.
2. Read the heading The Canopy,
on page 47, then ask students to
read the text under it. Ask:
• What makes up the roof of
the rainforest? (the tops of trees)
3. Make a comparison to a
structure known to students
that is about 40 m high, such
as a building of about 10 to 12
stories.
4. Read the heading The
Understorey, then ask students
to read the text under it. Ask:
• What makes the understorey
so shady? (lots of trees above,
shrubs and plants are crowded
together)
Refer back to the sketch you
drew and show where the
understorey would be.
5. Read the heading The Forest
Floor, then ask students to read
the text under it. Ask:
• When you make a picture in
your mind, what do you see
on the forest floor? (fallen
trees, rotting leaves, insects,
funguses)
• How does this mental picture
remind you of what you
learned in “Life in a Rotting
Log”? (it reminds me that there
is life among dead things on the
forest floor)
Refer back to your sketch and
show where the forest floor
would be.
➜ CONTINUED
NEL
In a Rainforest
25
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION:
GUIDED PRACTICE
6. Read the opening paragraph
on page 48 to students. Say:
• When I see the word
“temperate,” it reminds me of
“temperature,” but when I
look at the ending, I see that it
is different from the ending
of “temperature.”
Encourage students to sound
out the word, correcting their
pronunciation as necessary.
Ask what they think
“temperate” means (something
to do with temperature) and
clarify the meaning (not very
hot or very cold).
temperate rainforest
Temperate rainforests are found on
some cool, wet coasts, such as the
coast of British Columbia. The soil in
the forest is very rich and full of
nutrients.
7. Point out to students that they
will be reading about two
different rainforests. Remind
them that all rainforests have a
canopy, an understorey, and a
forest floor. Instruct students to
read to the bottom of page 48
to learn about temperate
rainforests. Ask:
• What would you see, hear,
smell, and feel on a walk in a
temperate rainforest? (wolves,
elk, black bears; birds singing;
smells of things rotting and
growing; cool, wet air)
8. Tell students to read the
remainder of the article on
page 49 to learn about tropical
rainforests. Ask:
• What would you see, hear,
smell, and feel on a walk in a
tropical rainforest? (monkeys,
butterflies, lianas; frogs calling;
sweet-smelling flowers; warm,
moist air)
• Did you know the word
“liana” before you read this
article? How can you figure
out what it means? (read the
words before and after; they tell
you lianas are climbing plants
that look like ropes)
black bear
elk
48
Bald eagles, ravens, woodpeckers,
and Steller’s jays make their homes
in the canopy. Flying squirrels are
found in the understorey. Most
animals live on the forest floor.
Carnivores (meat eaters) such as
wolves and cougars share the forest
floor with herbivores (plant eaters)
such as elk, black-tailed deer, and
beavers. Omnivores (animals that eat
both plants and meat) such as black
bears roam the forest floor, too.
Habitats and Communities
NEL
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 model
how adjectives can make nouns come to life. Ask students to suggest
describing words when they picture a bear.
3. Write students’ suggestions on the board to create a chain of adjectives
before 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 an
animal, and writes down the animal’s name on the right-hand side of a
piece of paper and an adjective on the left-hand side. The next student
adds an adjective, as does the next, until the paper returns to the first
student, who reads the whole adjective chain to the group. Each group
member should get a turn choosing the animal and starting the chain.
You may use Word Study Master 2.
26
Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL
3. Have students return to BLM 5:
My Rainforest Visualization. Give
them a few minutes to add to it.
Ask:
Tropical rainforests are found near the
equator. The soil is very poor and does
not contain many nutrients. Climbing
plants, called lianas, look like ropes as
they dangle from the understorey down
to the forest floor.
The canopy is full of life. Many of the
forest animals live here. Monkeys swing
from branch to branch. Colourful birds
and butterflies fly about. Amphibians
(animals that live both in water and on
land) such as frogs live in the
understorey. Lizards, snakes, and insects
move between the different layers of the
rainforest. Wild pigs and other animals
live on the forest floor.
• What would you like to revise
or delete from your organizer?
ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSING
THE TEXT
1. Name two types of rainforest
and describe each one.
(temperate rainforest: soil is cool and
rich; bald eagles, flying squirrels,
wolves, elk live there; tropical
rainforest: found near equator;
monkeys, butterflies, snakes, wild
pigs live there)
tropical
rainforest
2. How would life in a rainforest
be different if there were no
carnivores? (more herbivores; fewer
plants since there would be more
herbivores sharing same food source)
toucan
3. Describe a movie you have seen
or a book you have read with a
rainforest as the setting.
Reflect on
Strategies: What words did
writer Sally Morgan use that
helped you visualize?
capuchin monkeys
NEL
After
These questions and activities give
students the opportunity to share
and consolidate their learning about
visualizing. You may use BLM 2:
Oral Language Tracking Sheet and
BLM 3: Small-Group Observation
Tracking Sheet to track student
progress through the unit.
REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY
1. Read aloud the Strategies
question on Student Book
page 49 and give students a few
minutes to share responses with
a partner. Then ask students to
share their responses with the
NEL
Your Learning: What did
you learn about the rainforest
that you did not know before
you read this article?
4. How do you think the author,
Sally Morgan, feels about
rainforests? What makes you
think so? (they are important
habitats; they should be protected)
➜ CONTINUED
49
class. Possible responses include
layer, roof, canopy, damp, creatures,
equator.
2. Read the Your Learning
question on page 49 to students
and let them respond. Highlight
common responses and
interesting ideas for the whole
class. Ask:
• Why do you think the author
wrote this article? (to share
information; to share something
that is important to her)
• What do you think the author
did to get the information
needed to write this article?
(did research, travelled to a
rainforest)
In a Rainforest
27
ORAL LANGUAGE: ROLE-PLAY
1. Ask students to role-play being
the owner of a travel company
who has just returned from a
visit to a rainforest.
2. In small groups, invite students
to take turns telling about their
trip and trying to persuade
others in the group to visit (or
not visit) the rainforest.
3. Work with students to develop a
list of reasons to use to persuade
someone to visit (or not visit) a
rainforest. For example, a
reason to visit a rainforest might
be great weather or an
opportunity to see colourful
animals. A reason not to visit a
rainforest might be a fear of
being bitten by a poisonous
frog.
WRITING/REPRESENTING:
RAINFOREST HAIKU
Ask students to write a haiku focusing
on the rainforest. Remind them that a
haiku has three lines: one with five
syllables, then one with seven syllables,
then one with five syllables again. For
example:
The croaking of frogs
The chattering of monkeys
Rainforest music
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Checking Progress
Next Steps
Demonstration Task
Direct 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 a
Rainforest” that prompt visualization.
• In the second column, “I Visualize,” they draw what they see
in their minds when they read the word items they listed in
the first column.
• In the third column, “What This Reminds Me Of,” students
explain how their personal experiences connect with their
visualizing.
Use the following resources to give students further opportunities to practise their reading
strategies in small groups, independently, or in literature circles.
Nelson Literacy
Guided and Independent Reading Kit
#5 Well Below: Desert Life
#6 Easy: Tundra
#7 Average: Habitats in Danger
#8 Challenging: Tidal Pools
Other Nelson Resources
PM Library, Sapphire Level: Jungle Trek
PM+, Ruby Level: Where Would We Be
Without Plants?
Power Magazine, Volume 4: Basketball
Skyrider Chapter Books 4: The Living
Rain Forest
Skyrider Double Takes 4: Helpful or
Harmful?
Key Assessment Question
Students may respond to the Key Assessment Question either
in 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.
Strategy Rubric Strip: Visualizing
A full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6.
Criteria
Not Yet Within Expectations
Meets Expectations
(Minimal to Moderate)
Fully Meets Expectations
Exceeds Expectations
• identifies words that help
create pictures in the mind
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• adds to the picture when
more information is provided
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• connects the reading to
personal experience
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• explains how visualization
helps the reader to
understand the text and
monitor comprehension
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
Cross-Curricular Application
• applies the skills involved in
visualization strategies to aid
comprehension in other
areas of the curriculum
Student Self-Assessment
Encourage students to think back to their learning with “Life in a Rotting
Log” and “In a Rainforest” and reflect on their ability to use and understand
visualizing as a reading comprehension strategy. Ask them to describe,
while conferencing with you or a peer, how they might have used this
strategy in other subject areas. Then direct them to check off the appropriate
box on BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting.
28 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL