SAMPLE LESSON
Small-group Teacher’s Manual
CCC Collaborative Literacy
SET
11
Being a Reader™ Small-group Reading Lesson, Set 11
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Comprehension
Determining Topic
RESOURCES
Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear
by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Gary Blythe
This nonfiction text provides information about what life is like for
polar bears living in the Arctic from an Inuit perspective.
Assessment Resource Book
•
Set 11 assessments
Online Resources
Visit the CCC Learning Hub (ccclearninghub.org) to find your online resources for this week.
Assessment Forms
•
“Individual Reading Observation” sheet (IR1)
•
“Group Progress Assessment” sheet (GA4)
36 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
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OV E R V I E W
Academic Focus
•
Students determine and discuss topic in a nonfiction text.
•
Students read and discuss a nonfiction text.
Social Development Focus
•
Students share their thinking.
DO AHEAD
✓ Prior to Day 2, visit the CCC Learning Hub (ccclearninghub.org) to access and print
the “Group Progress Assessment” sheet (GA4); see page 251 of the Assessment
Resource Book.
ELL SUPPORT
•
Build Background Knowledge: To help the students understand language used to
describe the Arctic environment, define, using the illustrations as appropriate:
frost: thin coating of ice that can form on any surface in cold weather (p. 9)
beating cold: keeping out cold (p. 9)
cutting winds: strong, cold winds that can blow through cracks and openings (p. 11)
will sleep away a blizzard in a drift: stay asleep during a long, powerful
snowstorm (p. 11)
ice floes: large, flat pieces of ice floating in the ocean (p. 14)
(continues)
Comprehension 37
37
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ELL SUPPORT (continued)
To help the students understand language used to describe polar bears and their
behavior, use the illustrations to clarify vocabulary:
camouflaged: hard for other animals to see because its color matches the area
around it (p. 10)
outweighs: is heavier than (p. 12)
water-shedding: fur that water cannot stick to (p. 15)
prey: animal hunted by another animal for food (p. 16)
lightning paw strike: fast, hard hit with its paw (p. 17)
clasp jaws so tenderly: bite each other’s mouths very softly (consider pantomiming
interlocking jaws with your hands) (p. 25)
try each other’s strength: check to see who is stronger (p. 25)
The students will hear some of these words defined again when you teach the lesson to
the small group.
38 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
© Center for the Collaborative Classroom
collaborativeclassroom.org
Ice Bear
Reading a Nonfiction Book
In this lesson, the students:
Day 1
Materials
•
Listen to, read, and discuss part of a book
•
Share their thinking
• Teacher
and student copies of
Ice Bear (pages 6–17)
• Self-stick
note for each student
• Group
1 Gather and Introduce Ice Bear
Show the cover of Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear and read the title,
the subtitle, and the names of the author and illustrator aloud. Tell the
students that Ice Bear is a nonfiction book—a book that gives readers true
information about a topic. Explain that the topic of a nonfiction book is
what the whole book is about. Ask:
set of the “Individual
Reading Observation”
sheet (IR1), prepared ahead
• (Optional)
World map or globe
Q What do you think the topic of this book is? Why do you think that?
If necessary, tell the students that the topic of this book is polar bears—
that the whole book helps readers learn about polar bears. Ask and
briefly discuss:
Q What do you think you know about polar bears?
2 Read Aloud and Build Background Knowledge
Show pages 6–7 to the students and have them look at the illustration.
Ask and briefly discuss:
Q What do you notice about the illustration on these pages?
Tell the students that the illustration shows Inuit people watching a
polar bear. Explain that the Inuit people have lived in the Arctic, the cold
part of Earth near the North Pole, for thousands of years. In the past, the
Inuit hunted animals such as seals and walruses for food and survived
the cold by building homes out of snow blocks and wearing animal furs.
Teacher Note
Consider pointing out the Arctic on a
world map or globe.
Explain that the author wrote the beginning of the book to sound as if
the Inuit are telling readers about polar bears. Read page 7 aloud.
Direct the students’ attention to the caption on page 6 and read it aloud.
Explain that many nonfiction books have captions, or words or sentences
that give information about illustrations or photographs. Point out that
the captions in this book are printed in curved lines and in small letters.
Tell the students to read the captions and to look at the pictures carefully
as they read.
Comprehension O Ice Bear O Day 1 39
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3 Read and Discuss Part of Ice Bear
Tell the students that the next part of the book gives readers information
about what the weather is like in the Arctic, where polar bears live.
Explain that frost is a thin coating of ice that can form on any surface
in cold weather. Explain that when the author says that polar bears
“will sleep away a blizzard in a drift” she means that polar bears can
sleep inside a big pile of snow to stay warm during a blizzard, or a long,
powerful snowstorm.
Distribute Ice Bear and the self-stick notes. Have the students open their
books to page 11 and mark the page so they know where to stop reading.
Have the students turn back to page 8 and read pages 8–11 quietly to
themselves. Remind them to read the captions below the pictures and to
look at the pictures carefully as they read.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, ask:
Q What information did you read about polar bears? Turn to your partner.
Have a few students share their thinking. Then ask and briefly discuss:
Q What helps polar bears live in a cold place like the Arctic?
Q What do you think “No frost can steal polar bear’s heat” means?
4 Read and Discuss the Next Part of the Book
Explain that the students will now read and discuss the next part of the
book. Tell the students that in the next part of the book, they will read
about ice floes. Explain that ice floes are large, flat pieces of ice floating
in the ocean and that polar bears walk on them or swim between them
as they travel in search of food.
Have the students turn to page 17 and mark the page with the self-stick
note so they know where to stop reading. Have them turn back to page 12
and read pages 12–17 quietly to themselves.
INDIVIDUAL R EADING
OBSERVAT ION NOT E
Listen to a few students as they read, taking notes on the “Individual
Reading Observation” sheet (IR1) and offering support as needed; see
page 144 of the Assessment Resource Book.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, ask:
Q What did you read about polar bears? Turn to your partner.
Have a few students share their thinking. Then ask and briefly discuss:
Q What makes polar bears good at travelling?
40 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
© Center for the Collaborative Classroom
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Q What makes polar bears good at catching seals?
Q What do you think “Nothing stops polar bear” means?
5 Reflect on the Reading
Review that nonfiction books like Ice Bear help readers learn about a
topic, like polar bears. Ask:
Q What is something interesting you read about polar bears today?
Explain that in the next lesson, the students will continue reading
Ice Bear and talk about what they learn. Collect Ice Bear, keeping the
self-stick notes in the books.
Ice Bear
Determining Topic
In this lesson, the students:
Day 2
Materials
•
Determine and discuss topic in parts of a book
•
Read and discuss part of a book
•
Share their thinking
• Teacher
and student copies of
Ice Bear (pages 8–21)
• “Group
Progress Assessment”
sheet (GA4)
1 Gather and Review Ice Bear
Remind the students that in the last lesson, they read the first part of
the nonfiction book Ice Bear. Ask and briefly discuss:
Teacher Note
Q What do you remember reading about polar bears?
If the students need support
remembering the story, encourage
them to refer back to the book.
2 Reread and Model Determining Topic
Review that the topic of Ice Bear is polar bears. The whole book helps
readers learn about polar bears. Tell the students that part of a book can
also have a topic. Explain that today they will reread parts of Ice Bear and
talk about the topics of those parts.
Distribute Ice Bear. Have the students open to page 11 and mark the page
so they know where to stop reading.
Have them turn back to page 8 and reread pages 8–11 quietly to
themselves. When all the students have reread the pages at least once,
ask them to listen as you think aloud about the topic.
Comprehension O Ice Bear O Day 2 41
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You might say:
“When I read part of a book and I’m trying to figure out what the
topic is, I ask myself, ‘What are these pages mostly about?’ I think
these pages are mostly about how polar bears stay warm. I think that
because it tells about the polar bear’s double coat of fat and fur. Fur
helps keep polar bears warm and the layer of fat underneath their
skin helps keep them warm, too. I think the topic of this part is how
polar bears stay warm.”
Ask and briefly discuss:
Q What other information on these pages tells readers how polar bears
stay warm?
Tell the students that when readers want to know the topic of part of a
book, they can ask themselves what that part is mostly about. Explain
that knowing the topic of part of a nonfiction book can help readers
understand and remember that part.
3 Reread Part of Ice Bear and Determine Topic
Tell the students that they will reread the next part of the book quietly
to themselves and then talk about what they think the topic is. Have
them turn to page 17 and mark the page so they know where to stop
reading.
Have the students turn back to page 12 and reread pages 12–17 quietly
to themselves.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, review that
when readers want to know the topic of part of a book, they can ask
themselves what that part is mostly about. Ask:
Q What is the part you just read mostly about? Turn to your partner.
Discussion Support
Encourage the students to refer to the text and illustrations on pages 12–17 to
help them answer the question. If they have difficulty answering, ask additional
questions such as:
Q At the beginning of the part you just read, it says, “Polar bear is a great hunter.”
What makes polar bears great hunters?
E ELL Note
You might provide the prompts,
“The topic of the part I just read
is
.” and “I think that
because
.” to your students
to help them verbalize their answers to
the questions.
Q Polar bears often have to travel far to find food. How do they travel?
Q It says seals are polar bears’ prey. What makes polar bears good at catching seals?
Do not yet have the students share their thinking with the group.
Ask and briefly discuss:
Q What is the topic of the part you just read? Why do you think that?
42 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
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Explain that readers may have different ideas about what the topic
of part of a book is, and that is okay. What is important is that they
understand that part and can share what they learned with others.
Tell the group that you think the topic of these pages is how polar bears
are good hunters. Ask:
Q What words or pictures on these pages tell readers about polar bears
hunting? Turn to your partner.
Have a few students share their thinking.
4 Read the Next Part of the Book and
Determine Topic
Tell the students that they will read the next part of the book quietly to
themselves and then talk about what they think the topic is. Explain that
when a mother polar bear suckles a cub, it means that she feeds the cub
milk. Point out that many animal mothers, including polar bears, suckle
their babies.
Have the students open to page 21 and mark the page so they know
where to stop reading. Then have them turn back to page 18 and read
pages 18–21 quietly to themselves.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, ask:
Q What is the part you just read mostly about? Turn to your partner.
Observe the students as they talk with their partners, offering support
as needed.
GRO U P P RO G R E SS A SSESSMENT NOT E
As you observe the pairs, ask yourself:
•
•
•
Are the students able to say what they think the pages are mostly about?
Are they referring to the text and illustrations as needed to support their
thinking?
Are partners working well together?
Record your observations on the “Group Progress Assessment”
sheet (GA4); see page 251 of the Assessment Resource Book.
Support any student who struggles by asking questions such as:
Q What did you read about polar bear cubs?
Q What does a mother polar bear do to take care of her cubs?
Comprehension O Ice Bear O Day 2 43
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Do not yet have the students share their thinking with the group.
Ask and briefly discuss:
Q What is the topic of the part you just read? Why do you think that?
Students might say:
“I think the topic of this part is polar bear babies because it gives
information about the babies, like how big they are and how long they
stay with their mom.”
“The topic of the part I just read is polar bear moms and cubs. I think
that because it’s mostly about how polar bear moms take care of
their cubs.”
“I think the topic is polar bear moms and cubs, too, because there are
pictures of the mom and the cubs. The cubs are really cute.”
Review that readers may have different ideas about what the topic of
a part of a book is, and that is okay. What is important is that they
understand that part and can share what they learned with others.
5 Reflect on Topic
Remind the students that today they read about several topics. Ask and
discuss:
Teacher Note:
Q Which topic is the most interesting to you? What was interesting about it?
If the students have difficulty identifying
topics from the reading, review that the
parts they read today were mostly about
how polar bears stay warm, how polar
bears are good hunters, and how polar
bear mothers take care of cubs.
Review that knowing the topic of part of a nonfiction book can help
readers understand and remember that part. Explain that in the next
lesson, the students will read the rest of Ice Bear and discuss parts of
the book.
Collect Ice Bear, keeping the self-stick notes in the books.
44 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
© Center for the Collaborative Classroom
collaborativeclassroom.org
Ice Bear
Determining Topic
In this lesson, the students:
Day 3
Materials
•
Determine and discuss topic in parts of a book
•
Read and discuss part of a book
•
Share their thinking
• Teacher
and student copies of
Ice Bear (pages 22–27)
1 Gather and Review Topic
Remind the students that in the last lesson they read parts of the
nonfiction book Ice Bear and talked about the topic of each part. Review
that knowing the topic of part of a book can help readers understand and
remember that part. Ask:
Q What are some topics you talked about in the last lesson?
Teacher Note
If necessary, review that the parts the students read in the last lesson
were mostly about how polar bears stay warm, how polar bears are good
hunters, how polar bear mothers take care of cubs. Tell the students that
today they will hear and read the rest of the book and talk about the topic
of each part.
If the students have difficulty answering
the question, consider doing a picture
walk through pages 8–21 to help them
remember the topics of the parts they
talked about on Day 2.
2 Read Aloud and Discuss Part of Ice Bear
Distribute Ice Bear to the students. Have the students open their books
to page 22 and follow along as you read pages 22–23 aloud, including
the captions.
Ask and briefly discuss:
Q What did you hear about polar bears in the part I just read?
3 Read Part of the Book and Determine Topic
Explain that the students will now read the same part quietly to
themselves and then talk about what they think the topic is.
Teacher Note
Have the students read pages 22–23 quietly to themselves. Remind them
to look carefully at the illustrations and read the captions.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, review that
when readers want to know the topic of part of a book, they can ask
themselves what that part is mostly about. Ask:
Q What is the part you just read mostly about? Turn to your partner.
The sections the students use for
determining topic later in this step
and in the next step (pages 22–23 and
pages 24–27) do not have clear topics.
Accept the students’ ideas as long as
they are able to provide evidence from
the text and illustrations to support
their thinking. If they struggle to provide
evidence, ask them to reread and, if
necessary, revise their ideas.
Comprehension O Ice Bear O Day 3 45
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
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Discussion Support
E ELL Note
You might provide the prompts,
“The topic of the part I just read
is
.” and “I think that
because
.” to your
English Language Learners to help
them verbalize their answers to the
questions.
If the students have difficulty remembering what they read, ask additional
questions such as:
Q This is the only part of the book that has two different illustrations on the same pages.
Why do you think there are two illustrations on these pages?
Q In what ways are winter and summer different in the Arctic?
Q How do polar bears survive in the summer?
Do not yet have the students share their thinking with the group. Ask:
Q What is the topic of the part you just read? Why do you think that?
Facilitate a discussion by asking follow-up questions such as:
Q What words or pictures on these pages make you think the topic is [how
polar bears live in different seasons]?
Q Do you agree that the topic of this part of the book is [polar bears living
alone]? Why or why not?
Q [Kaylee] thinks this part is mostly about [winter and summer in the
Arctic]? If you have a different idea, what is it?
Review that readers may have different ideas about the topic of part of a
book, and that is okay. What is important is that they understand that
part and can share what they learned with others.
4 Read the Next Part of the Book and
Determine Topic
Explain that the students will read the next part quietly to themselves
and then talk about what they think the topic is. Explain that when the
author writes that polar bears are alone “until the paths of two lone
hunters cross,” she means that adult polar bears live alone except when
they meet other polar bears.
Have the students turn to page 27 and mark the page below the end of
the first sentence so they know where to stop reading.
Teacher Note
You may want to explain that when
polar bears without cubs meet, they
are usually friendly and gentle with
each other.
Have the students turn back to page 25 and read quietly to themselves,
beginning on page 25 and stopping at the end of the first sentence on
page 27.
When all the students have read the pages at least once, ask and briefly
discuss:
Q What happens when two polar bears meet?
Then ask:
Q What is the part you just read mostly about? Turn to your partner.
46 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
© Center for the Collaborative Classroom
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Discussion Support
If the students have difficulty remembering what they read, ask additional
questions such as:
Q What do polar bears do to greet each other?
Q What do two polar bears do to get ready to play? Why do you think they do that?
Q Why do male polar bears play-fight?
Do not yet have the students share their thinking with the group.
Ask:
Q What is the topic of the part you just read? Why do you think that?
Facilitate a discussion by asking follow-up questions such as:
Q What words or pictures on these pages make you think the topic is [how
polar bears play]?
Q Do you agree that the topic of this part of the book is [playing and
fighting]? Why or why not?
Q [Jonas] thinks this part is mostly about [what happens when polar bears
are together]. If you have a different idea, what is it?
Students might say:
“I think the topic is how polar bears play. The word ‘play’ is really big
and the picture shows two polar bears playing.”
“The topic of this part is what happens when polar bears are together.
I think that because the last part was about how they live alone and
this part says all the things they do when they meet.”
“I think the topic is polar bears playing and fighting because it talks
about them playing and also has information about males fighting.”
Remind the students that readers may have different ideas about the
topic of part of a book, and that is okay. What is important is that they
understand that part and can share what they learned with others.
5 Read and Discuss the Last Part of the Book
Have the students open their books to page 27. Have them listen as you
read the closing aloud, beginning with “We Inuit, we watch Nanuk . . . .”
Then ask and briefly discuss:
Q What are some things the Inuit have learned from watching polar bears?
Have the students reread the closing quietly to themselves. When all the
students have read page 27 at least once, ask:
Teacher Note
You may want to explain that “Many
polar bears and Inuit have passed”
means a long time has gone by, and that
gratitude is the feeling of being thankful
for something.
Q How do you think the Inuit feel about polar bears? Why do you think that?
Turn to your partner.
Have a few students share their thinking.
Comprehension O Ice Bear O Day 3 47
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6 Reflect on Working in Pairs
Ask and discuss:
Q What went well when you worked with your partner today?
Have the students put Ice Bear into their toolboxes. Encourage them to
reread the book independently and to share what they have learned about
polar bears with others.
48 Being a Reader™ Small-group Teacher’s Manual, Set 11
Being a Reader™ Sample Lesson, Set 11
© Center for the Collaborative Classroom
collaborativeclassroom.org