LESSON 24 TEACHER’S GUIDE
All About Fireflies
by Rhonda Jackson
Fountas-Pinnell Level I
Informational Text
Selection Summary
A firefly is not a fly; it is a beetle. Fireflies are also called lightning
bugs because they glow at night. A firefly’s life cycle is the same as
that of many insects: a larva hatches from an egg, develops into a
pupa, and changes into an adult firefly.
Number of Words: 319
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Informational Text
• Focused on a single topic
• Each page presents one simple category of information
• Details help the reader identify a sequence of events
• Fireflies
• Fireflies’ life cycle
• An insect’s life cycle involves changes in form.
• Insects can be interesting to read about.
• Simple, straightforward language
• Meaning provided through integration of photos with text
• Direct questions to the reader: Do you know what a glow worm is?
• A mix of short and more complex sentences
• Full range of punctuation
• Content words, not all of which are defined in text: beetle, lightning bugs, insects, larva,
glow worm, pupa, nectar
• Some target vocabulary highlighted in text
• Repeated use of high-frequency words
• Words labeled in photographs
• Photos on every page that support the text
• Nine pages of text, with photos on every page
• Labels on photos identify some content vocabulary
• Most sentences stand alone, not run into paragraphs
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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All About Fireflies
by Rhonda Jackson
Build Background
Read the title to children and ask them what they think the children on the cover are doing.
Ask them whether they have ever seen fireflies twinkling at night. Encourage children
to use their knowledge of insects to think about the book. Ask questions such as the
following: Why do you think fireflies light up at night?
Front-Load Vocabulary Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English
learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: beetle, special,
glow, stripe, grow, lays, hungry, worms, snails, light, adult, nectar.
Introduce the Text
Guide children through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar
language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any
labels. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that this book gives facts about fireflies. Point out that the labels in
the illustrations name things and actions and can help children read.
Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Look at the illustration. Let’s read the labels
together. The kind of animal you see is a firefly. Say kind. What letter would you
expect to see first in kind? Point to the word kind in the first sentence. What kind
of animal is a firefly? It’s not a fly; it’s a beetle.
Page 3: Remind children to look at the pictures and read the labels to help them
understand the words. The labels can make it easier to read the book. Page 3 tells
you another name for fireflies. Let’s read the label together: lightning bugs. The
book says: Fireflies are also lightning bugs. Also starts with the letter a. Can you
find also on this page? Why do you think fireflies are called lightning bugs? Yes,
it’s because they light up, or glow at night.
Page 5: Point out that this book includes many terms related to insects. Make sure
children understand the terms egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Page 9: Explain that some fireflies eat nectar, which is a sweet liquid made by a
flower. What do you think the firefly in the photo is doing on the flower? Find the
word flower two times on this page.
Now go back to the beginning to learn about the life of a firefly.
Words to Know
also
flower
places
upon
anything
kind
ready
warm
Grade 1
2
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Read
As children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that
supports their problem-solving ability.
Respond to the Text
Personal Response
Ask children to share their personal responses to the book. Begin by asking what they
liked best about the book, or what they found interesting.
Suggested language: What did you learn about fireflies that you didn’t know before?
What was the most interesting thing you learned?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, make sure children understand these teaching points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• A firefly is a beetle, not a fly.
• An insect’s life cycle involves
changes in form.
• Labels in the photos help readers
understand what is shown.
• Insects can be interesting to read
about.
• The author makes it easy to
understand how fireflies grow
from an egg into an adult.
• Fireflies glow at night. They use
their lights to talk to each other.
• A firefly larva hatches out of an
egg, develops into a pupa, and in
about ten days changes into an
adult firefly.
• Some insects have very special
traits.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Support
Fluency
Invite children to choose a passage from the text and demonstrate phrased fluent reading.
Remind them to read with phrasing and expression that shows they understand what they
are reading.
Phonemic Awareness and Word Work
Provide practice as needed with words and sounds, using one of the following activities:
• Clapping Syllables Have children hear and say syllables in words from the book, such
as animal, fireflies, lightning, beetle, larva, under, egg, hungry, glow, adult. Have them
clap on each syllable: an-i-mal, fire-flies, light-ning, bee-tle, lar-va, un-der, egg, hungry, glow, a-dult.
• Word Wall Materials: words on word wall, index cards. Have children choose six or
seven words from the word wall and read them. Then have children write the words
on cards. Have partners build sentences using some of their words and adding other
words.
Grade 1
3
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Writing About Reading
Critical Thinking
Read the directions for children on BLM 24.10 and guide them in answering the questions.
Responding
Read aloud the questions at the back of the book and help children complete the activities.
Target Comprehension Skill
Sequence of Events
Remind children that when they read, they can
look for details that tell the order in which things happen. Model how to think about the
sequence of events in a book:
Think Aloud
On page 8, I read that in the fall and winter, the larva gets cold and goes
under the ground. That’s the first event. In the spring, the larva makes a
house. That’s the second event. Read the last two sentences on page 8.
What’s the next event that happens? The larva grows and now is a pupa.
Practice the Skill
Have children share an example of another science book in which they find out the order
in which things happened.
Writing Prompt
Read aloud the following prompt. Have children draw and write their response, using the
writing prompt on page 6.
Draw a picture of fireflies dancing in the grass.
What do the fireflies look like?
Grade 1
4
Lesson 24: Fireflies
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English Language Learners
Reading Support Make sure the text matches the children’s reading level. Language
and content should be accessible with regular teaching support. You may also wish to
have students use the audio or online recording.
Oral Language Development
Check the children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English
proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.
Beginning/ Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is this book about?
Speaker 1: How do fireflies talk to each
other?
Speaker 1: Why is glow worm
another name for a firefly larva?
Speaker 2: They use their lights
Speaker 2: A firefly larva looks like
a worm, and it can glow.
Speaker 2: fireflies
Speaker 1: What is another name for
fireflies?
Speaker 2: lightning bugs
Speaker 1: What hatches from a firefly
egg?
Speaker 2: A larva hatches from a firefly
egg.
Speaker 1: What do adult fireflies
eat?
Speaker 2: Some fireflies eat
nectar from flowers, and others
eat insects.
Lesson 24
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10
Name
Think About It
All About Fireflies
Think About It
Write an answer to the question.
Responses may vary.
1. What can a firefly larva do that an adult firefly can do?
It can glow and light up.
Making Connections Think about the different
names fireflies have. Write some sentences about a
name you would give a firefly.
Read directions to children.
Think About It
12
Grade 1, Unit 5: Watch us Grow
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5
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Name
Date
All About Fireflies
Draw a picture of fireflies dancing in
the grass.
What do the fireflies look like?
Grade 1
6
Lesson 24: Fireflies
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Lesson 24
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10
Name
Think About It
All About Fireflies
Think About It
Write an answer to the question.
1. What can a firefly larva do that an adult firefly can do?
Making Connections Think about the different
names fireflies have. Write some sentences about a
name you would give a firefly.
Grade 1
7
Lesson 24: Fireflies
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Student
Lesson 24
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 24.14
All About Fireflies • LEVEL I
page
2
All About Fireflies
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Self-Correction
Rate
What kind of animal is a firefly?
A firefly is not a fly!
A firefly is a beetle.
It is a special beetle.
A firefly can light up at night!
3
Fireflies have another name.
Fireflies are also lightning bugs.
Fireflies glow and light up
at night.
Fireflies talk to each other
when they glow and light up.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/57 × 100)
(# errors + #
Self-Corrections/
Self-Corrections)
%
1:
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 1
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat

Error
1413399
Behavior
1
Lesson 24: Fireflies
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