Classroom Resource

Animal Study: From Fiction to Facts

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

K, 2

Overview

This lesson describes how to use selected fiction and nonfiction literature and careful questioning techniques to help students identify factual information about animals. Children first identify possible factual information from works of fiction which are read aloud, then they listen to read-alouds of nonfiction texts to identify and confirm factual information. This information is then recorded on charts and graphic organizers. Finally, students use the Internet to gather additional information about the animal and then share their findings with the class. The lesson can be used as presented to find information about ants or can be easily adapted to focus on any animal of interest to students. Resources are included for ants, black bears, fish, frogs and toads, penguins, and polar bears.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.2

Actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge needed to be successful as they learn to read and, later, read to learn.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.2

Vocabulary

  • Actively engage
  • Teacher-led reading experiences
  • Collaborative discussions
  • Background knowledge
  • Peers

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How to engage in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers to build background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Build background knowledge by actively engaging in teacher-led reading experiences and collaborative discussions with peers.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They need to build background knowledge to be successful as they learn to read and read to learn.
  • They need to actively engage in teacher-led reading experiences and discussions with peers to build their background knowledge.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.21

Use new and previously-taught vocabulary to produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.21

Vocabulary

  • New vocabulary
  • Previously-taught vocabulary
  • Produce
  • Expand
  • Complete sentences
  • Shared language activities

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Components of a complete sentence.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use new and previously-taught vocabulary in complete sentences in shared language activities.
  • Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can use new and previously-taught vocabulary to produce and expand complete sentences.
  • Using vocabulary words in complete sentences can help them convey meaning in speaking and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.30

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.30

Vocabulary

  • Ask
  • Answer
  • Key details
  • Literary text
  • Informational text
  • Prompting
  • Support

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Key details in literary and informational texts.

Skills

Students are able to:
With prompting and support,
  • Ask questions about key details in literary and informational texts.
  • Answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Text includes key details.
  • After reading a text, knowledge and understanding can be expanded by asking and answering questions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.37

Actively participate in shared and independent writing experiences, for varied purposes and audiences, across different genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.37

Vocabulary

  • Actively participate
  • Shared writing experiences
  • Independent writing experiences
  • Varied purposes
  • Varied audiences
  • Difference genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Different genres of writing.
  • The purpose and audience for writing can change.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write for various purposes and audiences across different genres, with teacher assistance and independently.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing conveys a message, and the format of writing will change, depending on its purpose, audience, and intended meaning.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): KG

ELA21.K.39

Participate in shared research and writing projects to answer a question or describe a topic.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.K.39

Vocabulary

  • Participate
  • Shared research
  • Shared writing projects
  • Answer a question
  • Describe a topic

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Research and writing can answer questions or describe a topic.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Work collaboratively with peers and adults in research and writing projects.
  • Use research and writing to answer questions about a topic.
  • Use research and writing to describe a topic.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Shared research and writing projects can help answer questions or describe a topic.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.26

Compare and contrast important details presented by two texts on the same topic or theme.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.26

Vocabulary

  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Topic
  • Theme

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast important details after reading two texts that have a common theme or topic.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Texts about the same topic or theme will have similarities and differences.
  • Comparing and contrasting texts with the same topic or theme will improve their overall comprehension of the texts.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/animal-study-from-fi…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Approved Date

raulstoncg
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