Day
Shared Reading
“Sea Anemones
and Clownfish”
5
KEY IDEA Sea anemones and clownfish help each other. Although sea anemones kill most
fish, they do not kill clownfish. Clownfish use sea anemones as a safe home. At the same
time, clownfish help sea anemones. Sea anemones eat big fish that try to catch clownfish.
LEARNING FOCUS
RI.1.1*
Students ask and answer questions about key details in a text, referring to what is explicitly
stated, and use the details to support basic inferences.
3 minutes
PREVIEWING THE TEXT
Who can tell us the title of the text?
What kinds of questions do you ask yourself when you read this title?
These are good questions to ask. Let’s see if we discover the answers as we
read.
7 minutes
CLOSE READING OF THE TEXT
Can someone tell us what the key details of the first paragraph are?
Who can share a question you’ve asked yourself about the text so far?
That’s a good question. Let’s keep it in mind as we keep reading.
Who can share some key details from the second paragraph?
Did we find an answer yet about whether sea anemones sting and eat every kind
of fish?
Remember that inferences are ideas that are not stated in the text but that you
can figure out by reading the details of the text. Who would like to share an
inference you made based on what we have read so far?
Who wants to tell the heading of the second section of the text?
Can someone share details we learn about in this section?
Who would like to add to that?
Let’s think about inferences we can make based on the details of the text.
Who would like to share an idea?
The text doesn’t say this directly, but you were able to make this good guess
from the details of the text.
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 1 • THEME 5 1
Let’s use our Sound, Read, and Check strategy with this word. When I first try to
sound it and blend it, I get cat-chuh. Read it with me in the sentence. Then we’ll
check to see if it makes sense. . . Does cat-chuh make sense here? No. Let’s try
to correct it. (Say catch.) 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.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT
10 minutes
When we listen to others talk, it’s important to listen carefully to what they are
sharing. We want to be sure we understand. If we are not clear, we can ask,
“Please say that again—I’m not sure I understand what you said” or “Can you
please explain that again?”
What do you notice about the word clownfish?
Words that are made up of two smaller words are called compound words. I’m
sure you can think of other compound words, too. What are other compound
words we know?
Any other words?
Who’d like to share details of this text?
Who has made an inference from the details of this text?
2 CONNECTIONS IN NATURE
Day
Shared Reading
“Sea Anemones
and Clownfish”
6
LEARNING FOCUSES
RI.1.1*, RI.1.5*, RI.1.7
Students describe the overall structure to establish how the order of events contribute to the
understanding of key concepts in a text. Students use the illustrations and details in a text
to describe its key ideas and continue to ask and answer questions about key details that are
explicitly stated in a text and to make basic inferences.
RETURNING TO THE TEXT
3 minutes
Let’s take a moment to recall “Sea Anemones and Clownfish” and summarize
what it was mostly about. When we summarize, we retell the main points.
Who would like to summarize “Sea Anemones and Clownfish”?
We’re going to reread this text again today. Let’s remember what we discussed
in our last session about the details we read and inferences we made. When we
reread the text, I want us to focus first on using the structure of the text. Who
can tell us about the logical structure of the text?
CLOSE READING OF THE TEXT
7 minutes
We’re going to reread this selection together without stopping. We want to look
at the photo to see how it helps us describe the key ideas.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT
10 minutes
Let’s look at the picture on this page. Has anyone seen a real clownfish or a
picture of a clownfish before?
From what we know about clownfish, who can point out the clownfish on this page?
Who can point out the sea anemone?
Has anyone seen a sea anemone before? If not, how does this photo help you
understand the details of the text?
When we talk together today, I’d like you to use your own words to share your
thoughts about how clownfish and sea anemones need each other. Then we’ll go
back to the text to find specific evidence that supports our thinking. How can
we begin our discussion?
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 1 • THEME 5 1