Title of Text: A Walk in the Desert
Author/Illustrator: Rebecca L. Johnson/Phyllis V. Saroff GRL: T Series: Biomes of North America Genre: Nonfiction, Science Standard: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Lesson Objectives: Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections Skill: Compare and Contrast Fluency: Intonation Academic Vocabulary: explain or research the meanings of the words below. Discuss the morphology of the words: suffixes, taking a root word and adding to it to change the meaning of the word. Have students talk about the meaning of each word, using antonyms, synonyms and situations where each word can be used correctly. a. nocturnal b. pollen c. predator d. prey e. harsh f. cactus Before Reading: ENGAGE! THINK! 1. Build Background Knowledge a. Let’s look at the front and back cover. What do you know about the desert? b. What would you like to learn about the desert? c. Look at page 8 – what words would you associate with the location of the deserts? d. What are some words you think of when you hear the word desert? 2. Skill Introduction: a. Compare and Contrast – you will be concentrating on making comparisons when you read today. For example, I know the desert is a very dry place. It is the opposite of a rain forest. 3. Strategy Introduction: a. Making Connections – I can make a connection to the desert because I traveled to Arizona and saw a bunch of cactus. Can anyone else make a connection? 4. Fluency: Intonation‐ read the first paragraph of page 6 to the students and discuss how your voice changed when you read the sentences with question marks Standard ‐ Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. As I look at the picture on pages 4‐5, I can see that a fox is an animal in the desert. I will infer that the desert could be a dangerous place and I wouldn’t bring my dog as the fox would try to eat him. Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™ are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com During Reading: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late! Check for Understanding (Stop after reading page 21) 1.
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3. Were you surprised to learn that deserts could be cold? Where and when do you think that happens? 4. The author tells us the desert can be a harsh place – what can we infer about this? 5.
Tell me about a part you didn’t understand? Turn and Talk: how is using the strategy of making connections helpful in your reading? Standard: Explain the relationship between the weather and the plant life in the desert. After Reading: EVALUATE! 1. What did you learn? What more do you want to learn about the desert? 2. Summarize what you learned about the plant group: cactus? 3. Choose an animal or insect found in the desert. Develop a cause and effect statement about it. 4. Make three connections about the desert. One needs to be about your life and two need to be within the desert. 5.
Standard: What is the most important thing to remember from this book? What are the details that can help you remember this? 6.
Standard: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. What are some inferences you can make about animal life in the desert? 7. Academic Vocabulary: harsh – give 5‐8 examples of what is considered harsh. Writing Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. . Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because). d. Use precise language and domain‐specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Task: Write an informative piece comparing and contrasting the desert to where you live. Use information from the text and the points above in your piece. IF/THEN: If students are having trouble comparing and contrasting, have them make a chart with similarities and differences as headings. Have them compare and contrast the desert and a location in the mountains and complete the chart. Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner Digital™ and Lerner eSource™ are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com