A Grand Old Canyon

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Science

Grade(s)

2

Overview

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to provide information regarding geologic events that happen over a long period of time, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This learning activity includes a StepRead: StepReads are less complex versions of the original article. StepRead1 (SR1) is less complex than the original article, and StepRead2 (SR2) is less complex than SR1. This will allow the teacher to use this learning activity with students of varying ability levels.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.4
Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.

Vocabulary

Orally
Who, what, when where, why, and how questions
Complete sentences
Key ideas
Key details

Knowledge

Students know:

Key ideas and details should be included when answering questions.
Complete sentences, which contain a subject and a predicate, should be used when answering questions.
Who, when, and where questions will have a concrete, objective answer.
What, why, and how questions may have a more abstract, subjective answer.

Skills

Students are able to:

Orally answer questions about a text or conversation using complete sentences that provide information about key ideas and details.
Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation with appropriate key ideas and details.

Understanding

Students understand that:

When answering who, what, when, where, why, and how questions they should provide key ideas and details from a text or conversation to demonstrate their comprehension.
Speaking in complete sentences helps them clearly communicate their message and their understanding.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 2

SC15.2.8
Make observations from media to obtain information about Earth’s events that happen over a short period of time (e.g., tornados, volcanic explosions, earthquakes) or over a time period longer than one can observe (e.g., erosion of rocks, melting of glaciers).

Vocabulary

Earth events/natural phenomena
Earthquake
Flood
Tornado
Volcanic explosions
Glaciers
Erosion
Landslides
Weathering

Knowledge

Students know:

Earth events and the results of those events may occur slowly or rapidly.
Some events are much longer than can be observed.

Skills

Students are able to:

Make observations and obtain information from multiple sources to provide evidence about Earth events.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Eart's events may change the Earth slowly or rapidly.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Crosscutting Concepts

Stability and Change

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

ReadWorks.org

License Type

Custom

https://www.readworks.org/article/A-Grand-Old-Canyon/d0dc0d74-0a19-40fc-ac0f-97…

Custom License Type (URL)

https://about.readworks.org/terms-of-use.html

Accessibility

Audio resources: includes a transcript or subtitles

Comments or Notes

ReadWorks is a website that provides K-12 teachers with free literacy resources (About ReadWorks). ReadWorks has literary and informational texts on a variety of subjects and reading skills. You may narrow your search using grade level or Lexile level, making this website a wonderful tool for differentiation. Students will complete their work digitally, and you will provide their score and feedback digitally. This makes it easy to go paperless for this activity.

Prior to implementing this activity, you will need to sign up for an Educator Account on ReadWorks. After setting up an account, create a class from the Class Admin tab, this will provide you with a Class Code to give to students. Next, use the Find Content tab to search for the informational article that will be used during this activity, "A Grand Old Canyon." After navigating to the article, click on the blue Assign button to assign it to your class.

Each student will need access to a digital device, such as a tablet or laptop. The first time students enter the website they will need to enter the Class Code that is listed on your Class Admin page. Alternatively, you can print the article and corresponding questions for students, if digital devices are not available. The teacher could also complete this activity by projecting the article and questions for the whole class to view.

Approved Date

2020-03-20

Design by Adaptive Theme