Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

This is actually for a day that you decide to integrate all day. I leave this for a substitute. I put the plans and all the necessary papers, book, etc. in a basket for an emergency sub day.  DON’T MENTION THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Probable Passage:
1. Read this list of words to the kids (I also write it on the board):  wolf, Sylvester, shiny, red pebble, lion,  scared,dogs, searching,
rain ceased, Acorn Road, Mrs. Duncan, howling all night, wishes

2. Talk about how to write a story. For example,

Once upon a time there was a wolf named Sylvester. He had a friend that was a
lion. The lion was scared of a shiny, red pebble he found on Acorn Road. The
dogs were searching and howling all night long. Sylvester wishes his friend
wasn’t afraid.

Give the kids the lined paper with donkeys on it. Have them write a story using the above words. If they don’t use all the words it is ok or even if they only use a few words. Whatever they do is ok. We’ll repeat this activity several times throughout the year.
Have the kids stop writing after 10 minutes. Call on 4 or 5 volunteers to share what they have written so far.
Let them write about 5-10 more minutes. Then collect their papers.
Have them sit by the white board on the floor. Read to the kids. Tell the kids “Let’s find out the way that the author, William Steig, used these words…
4. Do together — List cause and effects on board.

IDEAS…

Cause Effect
Sylvester collects rocks He finds a red, shiny pebble.
Sylvester wished the rain would stop. It ceases.
Sylvester sees a lion He is frightened.
He is frightened He wishes he is a rock
Parents were worried They looked for Sylvester
Sylvester was lost Parents went to police
Parents found pebble Mother wished for Duncan
Duncan found Everybody happy
5. Have kids write advice on star shaped paper
Do you have a magic pebble that makes wishes come true? If you do, take my
advice and remember these two things. ….
6. Share papers

7. A Map of Oatsdale
Talk about maps. Maps help people know how to get around.

Begin by asking the class where Sylvester lived. He lived on Acorn Road in
Oatsdale. Then reread to the class the part in the story that tells about
Sylvester being less than a mile away from his home during the time that he
was a rock.

Have the class brainstorm parts of Oatsdale. MODEL Draw the places on the
board. Then have the kids make own map or work with partners or small
groups. They can pick.

Strawberry Hill
Acorn Road
the Duncan’s home
the place where Sylvester found the magic pebble
lion’s home

8. As a final end of the day activity, I give each child a red spray painted pebble (little rocks from the beach) as a sstory bit. The kids love going home and telling their parents about the story.

Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch (Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way) Quick Ideas

Happy Birthday, Moon written by Frank Asch
(I used this on an easy reading day in second grade. deb)

Day 1 guided reading:
I read the kids the whole book. I use echo reading. I make sure they get the story. We talk about pretend and make believe and that the moon can’t really answer…etc. I have the kids read in partners and enjoy the book on day one.

Day 2 guided reading:
Then I read the first five pages of print.

Teacher reads the following text:
Now I am much closer to the moon, thought Bear, and again he shouted: “Hello!”
This time his own voice echoed off one of the other mountains: “Hello!”
At this point I tell the kids they can help me read the story. They can be the moon. I’ll be the bear. I told them I would point to them and would repeat after me. I only read the part being echoed… for example, I don’t say the “asked Bear” part. I have prepared sentence strips of the echoes. I have the kids read it after me. I put the strip up and read it then point to them and they read it.

Hello!
Tell me when is your birthday?
Well it just so happens that my birthday is tomorrow!
What do you want for your birthday?
I would like a hat.
Goodbye.

Read the book from the staple in the middle to the second to last page. Then have the kids help you read again.

Hello!
I lost the beautiful hat you gave me.
That’s okay, I still love you!
Happy Birthday!

Then as the kids read with a partner today I encourage them to take turns being the bear and the moon.

Transferring Comprehension from Listening to Reading (idea from Pat Cunningham)

“Transferring comprehension from listening to reading” is an excellent article written by Patricia Cunningham The Reading Teacher volume 29 date 1975 pages 169-172

Another sample listening reading transfer lesson from the article:

Patricia Cunning writes, “Stating the main idea of a selection is very difficult for most elementary school children. Often they do not understand exactly what is being asked of them. Stating the task in several ways (main idea, most important idea, what you would tell someone if they asked you about) often clarifies the task.”

Then Cunningham continues to explain how to go about this lesson:

1. Set the purpose for listening. “There are three sentences on the board. All are about things that happen in the story I am about to read to you. As you listen try to decide which sentence tells the main idea of this story, the most important. Try to choose a sentence you would tell someone if they asked you what this story was all about.”

2. Read the selection

3. Have the children volunteer choices for main idea; have them explain why that choice seems to tell what the story is mainly about and why the others don’t.

4. Give the children sheets with three sentences and a story. Tell them to read to determine which of these sentences tells the main idea.

5. Children read and choose the main idea

6. Children share their choice and the explanation for that choice as a whole class or in small groups.

Pat Cunningham adds, “As in the sequence of events lesson, this lesson can and should be varied. Many paragraphs have a topic sentence. Children may select the topic sentence after reading and listening. The most difficult main idea task is stating the main idea in one’s own words.

WOW again! This was written in 1975…… sounds like Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way to me! Really good comprehension lesson. Thanks, Pat!!

Transferring comprehension from listening to reading (ideas from Pat Cunningham)

The following article helps clarify why you teach 2 days below grade level and 3 days on. First students are listening and practicing comprehension strategies using listening skills. The material may be too hard but the teacher is giving them opportunities — strategies — direct modeling of how to think while dealing with on grade level material. Then the below grade level material is an opportunity for the students to practice the strategy on material they CAN read. The transfer can’t happen if:

1. You are not teaching all kids how to read on grade level material
2. You are not allowing a time to practice the strategy with material they can read.

“Transferring comprehension from listening to reading” is an excellent article written by Patricia Cunningham
The Reading Teacher volume 29 date 1975 pages 169-172

WOW! You all should get your hands on her article and read the complete article. I found a copy through the local university. It really explains the listening/reading transfer. I have struggled with how to do listening reading transfer when I read the brief overview in the teacher’s guide to 4 blocks and Classrooms That Work so I looked up the references after that chapter.

It states:
“One strategy is a listening-reading transfer lesson. The act of listening differs from the act of reading in several ways. Unlike the reader, the listener cannot control the rate at which he receives information or regress to check his listening. Often, the listener must adjust his listening to a speaker’s dialect which differs from his own. Finally, the listener cannot re-listen. On the other hand the reader lacks intonation and nonverbal cues to meaning available to the listener. He must also translate the written code to the familiar verbal code. There is, however, one very important similarity between reading and listening: in both the receiver is the object of some message and is trying to construe its meaning. It is estimated that, for good readers, reading ability surpasses listening ability somewhere during the secondary school years; for most elementary children, however, listening ability is superior to reading ability. Elementary children can understand more when a passage is read to them than when they read it themselves. (pages 169-170)”

“In a listening-reading transfer lesson, the students learn that the kinds of things they can do after listening to a passage are the same kinds of things they are asked to do after reading a passage. To achieve this, the teacher plans two parallel lessons. In the first the students listen and respond in the same ways. Some sample lessons will illustrate this principle. (page 170)”

Sequencing Events Sample Lesson from page 170
Many children have difficulty ordering the events in a story they have read.     A listening-reading transfer lesson will help them. There are six steps to this lesson:

1. Set the purpose for listening: “Listen so that when I have finished reading, you can put the events of the story in the order in which they actually happen.”

2. Read a selection to the students

3. Write the major events of the story on sentence strips and tape them to the board (nowadays, use a pocket chart). The children physically should be able to rearrange these strip until they agree that the order is correct.

4. Give the children passages to read. Tell them that they will do the exact same thing reading that they have just done in listening. They should read to be able to put the events of a story in order.

5. As the children finish reading, give them a sheet with the main events of the story. They cut apart the sentences and physically order the events.

6. The children share their orderings and explanation for their orderings as a whole class or in small groups.

To make this lesson easier Pat includes this:

*The teacher could read the main events to the students
*When the students begin reading, they will have a copy of the main events ready before reading

To make this lesson harder Pat includes this:
*Having the children listening for main events; they generate the list of events then writing them (not having the teacher pre-list the main events)
*During reading they would be asked to read, list, cut the list, and put it in order

TRANSFER
“To achieve the transfer the children should regularly be reminded, “See what you just did after listening, I want you to do the same thing after reading.” page 170

Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way: a few ideas for Little Bear by Else Homelund Minarik

Little Bear, by Else Homelund Minarik

This is one of the sweetest chapter books around. Little Bear has been helping children make that transition from picture books to chapter books for over 20 years. Perhaps because of this, or because of my own fond memories of this book, I chose to use this book with my first graders this year. They handled the text well, and fell in love with this charming little bear along the way.

We worked with this book during our Guided Reading Block. We spend 3 days a week reading from our required basal. We spend the other 2 days a week using materials that I choose based on the children’s reading level. Therefore, we spent 2 days a week reading and discussing Little Bear’s adventures. The unit was organized over a five week period, one for each chapter in the book. The fifth week, we culminated our reading with a Reader’s Theater production of the book. The children chose which chapter they liked best and we broke into four groups. Each group decided how to present their chapter, assigned roles, wrote the script and made any necessary props. They practiced and we then invited parents, administrators, and other school personnel to see our show.

Week One:

Introduction of Book/Chapter One

Chapter One was used to teach Problem/Solution. Preview the selection prior to reading and select 5 sightwords to focus on during Working with Words Block. Also select 5-6 vocabulary words that you feel will be difficult for your students to read. Be very selective as you do not want to take away an opportunity for them to practice their strategies. The sight words will be chanted and added to the word wall, so also be selective.

Prior to reading, introduce vocabulary using RIVET activity. Children are placed into groups to read the chapter. Set a purpose for reading ~ Everybody Read to Find Out What Happened to Little Bear One Winter Day. Children then work in group to read the chapter. They are told to focus on a problem that Little Bear had, and how he solved that problem. In discussions after reading, children identify the problem and what they felt was the solution. The next day, they reread the chapter and were given a long piece of white drawing paper. The paper is folded in half and one side is labeled Problem, the other Solution. The children work together to write about and illustrate the problem/solution.

Chapter Two:

Chapter Two was used to teach Sequence of Events. Again, choose 5 sight words and 5-6 vocabulary words. Follow same procedures for indtroucing and working with words. Begin a graphic organizer on chart paper with two columns – Character and What Did They Bring. Set purpose for reading ~ Everybody Read to Find Out Who Came to Little Bear’s Birthday. Children can be placed in different reading groups, or stay with the same group for the entire selection. Children read the chapter and list the characters that come to the party. They also list what each character brings. During discussions after reading, complete the graphic organizer as each group presents. The next day, the children can take a large piece of white drawing paper and fold into six boxes. They can number each box and write a sentence about and illustrate what each character brings.

Chapter Three:

Chapter Three was used to focus on Prediction. Again, choose 5 sight words, and 5-6 vocabulary words. Set purpose for reading ~ Everybody Read to Find Out if Little Bear Goes to the Moon. For a nice curriculum connection, during your Science lessons, you can learn about and discuss the moon. During after reading discussions, we discussed how Little Bear used his imagination in this chapter. The children also role played, making inferences, how Little Bear felt when he thought he was on the moon.

Chapter Four:

Chapter Four was used to teach both Prediction and Sequence of Events. Choose sight and vocabulary words. Prior to reading, children make predictions as to what Little Bear’s wish is. Begin a graphic organizer with headings – Little Bear’s Wish and What Happened. Set purpose for reading ~ Everybody Read to Find Out What Little Bear Wished For. Children read chapter and then go back and list the wishes and results. During after reading discussions, complete graphic organizer in sequence.

Reader’s Theater:

The final week of this Book Club was spent putting together a Reader’s Theater. The children were given index cards. They were told to write their name and list the chapter they would like to present. They were told to make a first and second choice. I then placed them into four groups, based on these choices. I made sure to have at least one strong reader/leader in each group. The children had to work together to decide how they would present their chapter ~ play, read aloud, puppet show, etc. They then had to assign roles, write scripts and make props. All four of my groups decided on puppet show. The scripts were simple, written on index cards. The puppets were also simple cut outs made from oak tag that were hand held. The puppet theater was made from a project display board. We cut out an opening and they sponge painted the board. We then placed material on for the curtain. The groups did a simple retelling/summary of the chapter. This was a wonderful assessment for me to measure comprehension. We made invitations and invited parents and staff members. We had a packed room, and the children did great. A nice culminating activity for this wonderful book.

Bulletin Board:

When we were finished I put together a bulletin board display outside our room to showcase their work. The border was bears reading books and the caption was – Our Book Club. In the center of the board I placed a piece of oak tag which read – This Month’s Selection. From the computer, I printed in color the cover of the Little Bear book. This was glued onto the oak tag. I then had a few children work in a group to write book reviews of this book. 3 of these were mounted on the oak tag under the caption – Our Reviews. (2 gave it 5 stars, 1 gave it 1 star. He said it repeated too much.)

Around the oak tag on the bulletin board I displayed the group work they had completed when reading. There was one area with Problem/Solution, one with Sequence, one with Character Webs and one with the Predictions about Little Bear’s Wish. I added the invitation we had made to our Reader’s Theatre and stapled some of the puppets the children had made around the board. A very nice display of their work and they were very proud of it.

Stellaluna – a few quick ideas

I read the book with the kids for enjoyment first. Then I read looking for bat facts and bird facts and things that are the same and different.

The kids read in groups of two or three depending on the strength and grade of the readers in your room. I start a venn diagram graphic organizer with the whole class. Then the kids read looking for information to add the the venn diagram. I give the kids sticky notes so the kids can put a sticky note where they find the information. We gather back together and add to the graphic organizer. To “assess/grade” I have them write two ways that bats are alike and two ways bats are different.

Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way: Frog and Toad Quick Notes

Materials Required: Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel
Concepts Taught: comprehension

(These notes to trigger your planning make a LOT more sense if you read the stories in the book.)

Frog and Toad Together “A List”
1. Make a list of different ways to say said. Make sure to include the following words from the story to build vocabulary support, “A List”: cried, wailed, shouted, and gasped.

2. Read

3A. To reinforce that the author is telling the kids something, have the kids go back to Toad’s list and figure out what Toad didn’t do. There may be discussion about the following because the list was lost at this point of the story. My kids were amused that Toad did all the things on his list except eat. The characters, Frog and Toad didn’t think they needed to read “eat” to remember.

3B. Generate a school list of what we do in a day.

3C. This could then lead to making a list of what each child does.

Frog and Toad Together “A Garden”
1. To build prior knowledge, in science class read in the science books about planting seeds. If time allows, plants seeds (grass works well). Talk about the cycle of plant life.

2. Read

3. What do the kids think is hard work for them.
Frog and Toad Together “Cookies”
1. Buy a box of cookie crisp cereal to use during math class. Kids will be using cookies and frog and toad to write story problems. I then type up their story problems and make them into a class book.

Frog says, “We need will power.” on page 34. What does that mean? Everybody read pages 34 and 35. Now what do you think it means? What is the author trying to tell you? When have you had to use will power? When have you had to use will power at school? At home? On the bus? On the playground?

2. Read

3. What is Toad going to do? Does he have will power? Do you think he’ll eat the whole cake? Write down what you think will happen.

Frog and Toad Together “Dragons and Giants”
1. Introduce vocabulary using the technique RIVET that the kids may not know: dragons, avalanche, trembling, brave

2. Read

3. Discuss brave. How were toad and frog brave?

Frog and Toad Together “The Dream”

1. Discuss showing off. How do you feel when your friend brag about stuff they can do? What are things friends talk about?

2. Read

3A. Discuss dark during the dream. Light when friend Frog was by the bed.

3B. Do one of the following activities:
Make a list of things to do with a friend.
Make a list of the things you do from morning to bedtime.
Write a story about Frog and Toad having an adventure.
Write a story about you and a friend spending time together.

Think Aloud The Trumpet of the Swans by EB White

Materials Required: The Trumpet of the Swans written by EB White
Concepts Taught: reading, ssr, think aloud

The Trumpet of the Swan THINK ALOUD technique
I keep the OWL questions in mind throughout the chapters and the days. I seldom cover each question on one day, but I do use the vocabulary, I observe, I wonder, This links to me…. .

To teach the children how to interact with text and to think about their thinking, I decided to read The Trumpet of the Swan, written by E.B. White aloud. After each chapter, I am going to think-aloud about the chapter. First read the title and the book jacket or back cover (or both). THINK ALOUD: “I wonder who Louis is. I wonder if Louis is the trumpeter swan. How did Sam Beaver and the swans start talking to each other?”

Read Chapter 1′s title: SAM. THINK ALOUD: “Oh the back cover said that Sam agrees to help. I wonder if Sam is the boy on the cover.

Read Chapter 1 just the first page then revisit the first paragraph.
THINK ALOUD: Reread the beginning: “Walking back to camp through the swamp, Sam wondered whether to tell his father what he had seen. “I know one thing,” he said to himself. “I’m going to that little pond again tomorrow. And I’d like to go alone. If I tell my father what I saw today, he will want to go with me. I’m not sure that’s a very good idea.” THEN think aloud, “I am curious about why he doesn’t want his dad to come.”

Finish Chapter 1
THINK ALOUD: Hmmmmmm I wonder what is going to happen? I am a little bit interested in the story but not very interested. I am going to read more tomorrow. I observed that Sam likes to write things down because right here on page 5 it says, “On the day he found the swan’s nest, this is what Sam wrote in his diary.”

SIDE NOTE: Because this is the first time the kids are hearing a chapter book I am not going to start recording the swan facts yet. I am going to read three chapters then suggest to the class that we keep a class notebook about swans. Then I will reread chapters 1-3 skimming for facts and we’ll record them on a notebook chart.

CHAPTER TWO
What book did we start yesterday? Does anyone remember who wrote the book? (E.B. White) Who did we read about? (Sam seeing a swan, not wanting to tell dad) Who is the main character? (Sam)

Read Chapter 2′s title The Pond THINK ALOUD: I wonder if Sam is going to the pond alone or with his dad.

Read Chapter 2
THINK ALOUD: What didn’t the swans know I wonder? I wonder if Sam’s dad is following Sam and Sam doesn’t know it? Do you think Sam should tell his dad? I am more interested in the book now. I wish we had more time to read another chapter.

Read Chapter 3′s title A Visitor
THINK ALOUD: I wonder who the visitor is? I wonder if the guest is Sam because he sees the swans or maybe his dad might be spying on Sam. I wonder if the swans see Sam or Sam sees the swans — maybe both are visitors.

Read Chapter 3
THINK ALOUD: My favorite part of this chapter was where the boy says he felt happy when he was in a wild place among the wild creatures. Sitting on his log, watching the swans, he had the same good feeling some people get when they are sitting in church. It reminds me of when I am at the beach in the summer, watching my two kids lay in the water and feeling the sun warming my skin.

Do you remember how the first chapter ended? Reread the last line from his journal: Why does a fox bark? I think the author is foreshadowing -hinting- about the trouble with the fox in this chapter.

Chapter 4
Do Rivet for the word: Cygnets
The title of chapter 4 is The Cygnets
What is that? A newborn trumpeter swan. I wonder if we should keep track of the facts we are learning about trumpeter swans. Let’s keep a list like Sam is. Brainstorm what we know so far.

If your students can’t think of any, here are some pages. I would slow this way down and reread parts of the book. It isn’t the point to only concentrate on the swan facts. We study animals and I like finding new facts about animals so I tie this into the book. This shouldn’t be a distraction. If it bugs you don’t do it.
page 2 — first long paragraph
page 5 — second line
page 8 — last half of page
page 9-14 — all of it
etc.

+++++++++++++++
THINK ALOUD At this point I read the title and show wonder in my eyes saying, I bet cygnets are the baby trumpeter swans. Let’s find out about those babies! I bet the mama is as excited as I was when I had my babies!

Read Chapter 4.
THINK ALOUD I wonder why Sam fell asleep wondering about what he would be when he grew up. I thought that he would think about those baby cygnets.

Read Chapter 5′s title Louis.

THINK ALOUD I think that we are going to find out about Louis.

Read Chapter 5.
THINK ALOUD This reminds me of how my mom and dad treated me. They loved me even though I started talking at around age 7 or 8. Doctors said that I would not be able to read or talk. And here I am!

Read Chapter 6′s title Off to Montana
and jump right into Reading Chapter 6.
THINK ALOUD I wonder if Sam will see the swans again? I wonder if Sam will ever tell his dad?

Read Chapter 7′s title School Days
Read the chapter. (note to teachers — This is a good chapter to lead into problem solving in math.)
THINK ALOUD I noticed that this class is unusual. It has a swan, the math lessons have more than one answer. The kids are reading big words like CATASTROPHE in first grade. (I would also use this chapter as a spring board for recording what happens in the classroom. Teachers could go and reread the journals that Sam has written and see if it tells an overview of the book.)

Read Chapter 8′s title Love
Read the chapter
THINK ALOUD I wonder what cob was going to try and do? Why don’t cob and the wife have names? The cob and wife want to fix Louis’ problem. I think cob is going to do something but I don’t know if it will be a good plan.

Read Chapters 9-11 continuing with making comments about the book.
Read Chapters 12-15
Read Chapters 16-18
Read Chapter 19
Read Chapter 20
Read Chapter 21

Bats

Book Club Books
A Smart Start Reader Bats by Scholastic 0-590-96960-9
All Aboard Reading Bats Creatures of the Night by Joyce Milton 0-448-40193-2
Bats A First Nature-Fact Book 1-56156-253-0
Bats by Gail Gibbons 0-439-14787-5

Teacher Resource Books about BATS
Bats Scholastic Books Grades 1-3 by Robin Bernard 0-590-10617-1
Bats Evan-Moor EMC 535 JoEllen Moore 1-55799-385-8
Bats A Science Discovery Book by Annalisa McMorrow mm2090
(Monday Morning PO Box 1680 Palo Alto, CA 94302 http://www.mondaymorningbooks.com)

Another guided reading book activity
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon 0-590-48379-X

Guided Reading

Anticipation Guide
Children will answer the following questions. After reading several bat books we will revisit these questions. The children can record yes/no or true/false.
1. A bat is a kind of furry bird.
2. All bats can fly.
3. Flying foxes eat rabbits.
4. Most bats are blind.
5. Vampire bats suck lots of blood from animals.
6. Little Brown Bats hibernate for the winter.
7. Bats are nocturnal animals.
8. Bats hang by their tails.
9. A bat’s wings are covered with feathers.
10. Baby bats hatch from eggs.
11. Bats are very clean animals.
12. Mother bats feed their babies milk.
13. All bats use echolocation to find food.
14. Mother bats find their babies by sight.
15. Some bats catch fish.
16. Bats build nests for their babies.
17. The smallest bat is the size of a bumblebee.
18. People would be better off without bats.
Day one
Using the book club format I will teach my class about bats (see the book club group section in The Teacher’s Guide to Four Blocks, pages 58-61). THIS LESSON is totally based on the example given in the guide using different books.

I divide the kids into 4 equal groups. I follow the guide’s suggestion of letting the children preview the books for 5 minutes on a book. After the 5 minutes is up, I switch the books. I have found that instead of having the kids move, it is quicker to have the books move. After the kids have seen all 4 books, I have them write their first, second, and third choice on an index card. They are reminded that they can select the other books to read during ssr time next week.

The guided reading time today is getting a bit familiar with the bat books then signing up for a book to read.

The teacher needs to plan who will be in which group, how to divide the book into three days of reading; get a KWL chart ready for each group; and post the name of the book with the names of the children in a group.
Day two
Each group has an assigned area. Each group has a marker to record on the KWL chart. Each group has a KWL chart. For the first 10 minutes the groups record as much as they can in the first two columns: What do they Know? and What do they Wonder? The teacher circulates encouraging.

The second twenty minutes the teacher explains that the groups have 20 minutes to read the pages in the first third of the book. I use paper clips to clip down the last page they read to the back cover so they know exactly where to stop. The students record what they are learning on their group’s KWL chart.

The last 10 minutes the groups gather together and share what they are learning as a group. I list “bat” vocabulary on chart paper. I also will list more questions with them to help focus their learning the next day.

Day three
Repeat day two reading the second third of the books.

Day four
Repeat day three reading the last third of the books.

Day five
This is the section I do a little different from the teacher’s guide.

Important Poems: Children write their own Important Poems based on The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. I use this technique often. After we have finished a unit, then I have them write an important poem to show what they remember. An important poem example: The most important thing about a pencil is you write with it. It has lead and an eraser. You write spelling words with it. You write notes to Junie B. with it. You get a new one for 25 cents from the office. But the most important thing about a pencil is you write with it.

Basically, the kids pick one fact for the beginning and the ending sentence (same fact) then they list facts in the between. I compare it to an oreo cookie. I give each kid a cookie and the figure out the top and bottom are the same…

The way The Teacher’s Guide to Four Blocks works just as well. I just try to have a variety.

Day six
I begin today’s guided reading with a graphic organizer called a Venn Diagram. I label one circle bats, the other birds, and the middle overlap both.

I read Stellaluna as a read-aloud sometime earlier in the unit. The kids hear and enjoy the language and the story. Then as they read with partners today, they can look for facts about birds and facts about bats. I give them a venn diagram of their own to jot notes on. I do not expect super duper independent facts yet. It is just a place to jot down notes.

Owls

All About Owls written by Jim Arnosky 0-590-46791-3
Owl At Home written by Arnold Lobel 0-06-444034-6
Owl Moon written by Jane Yolen 0-590-42044-5
SSR read aloud Day 1 (I don’t do Owl Moon’s guided reading lesson on the same day)

Read Aloud Owl Moon to kids for the enjoyment the first time.

Have the kids sit in a circle (if they aren’t already). After reading the first time through, go back and read the following part to them:

for one minute
three minutes
maybe even a 100 minutes
we stared at one another

Ask the kids, “Has time ever seemed to stop or stand still?” Link this book to your life. Share an experience with the students where you were in a similar situation. For example, maybe you are sitting out on the deck. The sun is setting. It is a calm, peaceful night. The birds are nesting and the bats are coming out. You see bat silhouette against the full moon. Maybe you hear the night noises in the quiet of the evening.

Then she “passes the book to the next person. That person can tell a link or look in the book and then tell a link. The person with the book is the person talking. This is the last step of a procedure called OWL (observe, wonder, link).
The kids then read while I conference and meet with kids. The rest of the week I have books with owls in them to read aloud. I have fact and fiction books about owls available at SSR time, including the ones we are reading for guided reading. Some people prefer to add the guided reading books the following week.

Guided Reading Day one
Pass out copies of Owl At Home.
Set purpose for reading: What are the silly things that owl did? What happened to owl and the others in the story because of the silly things that owl did?
Do a quick picture walk with the students through page 16.
ERT (Everyone Read To)…page 16.
Start a graphic organizer labeled with two headings: cause and effect. Fill in the chart with the students from chapter one. Some examples are:

cold winter night / owl eating pea soup in front of the fire
loud noise / owl checks the door
no one there / owl leaves door open so whoever can come in
open door / winter blows in
owl slammed door / snow melted

Kids read chapter 2 with a small group (play school groups work well).
Gather together and fill in more of the cause/effect graphic organizer.
Guided Reading Day two

Pass out copies of Owl At Home.
Remind the kids the purpose for reading: What are the silly things that owl did? What happened to owl and the others in the story because of the silly things that owl did?
Discuss the chart we did together yesterday.
Kids read chapters 3, 4, and 5. The students who finish early can list cause and effect on paper or on reading response paper.
Gather together and fill in more of the cause/effect graphic organizer.
Guided Reading Day three
Pass out copies of Owl Moon.
Read aloud while they follow along until you get to where dad is calling, “Whoo- whoo-who-who-who-whooooooo” to the Great Horned Owl.
Let’s look at the descriptive language that Jane Yolen used in this story. Find where it says, “as if reading a map up there.” What do you think this means?
(The teacher should begin a list on a poster or butcher paper with the two headings: what is it and how it is described. )
searching the stars————reading a map

With you have the students look on the same page for more places to find description. Here are just a few examples:

late————–long past my bedtime
trees————-giant statues
bright moon—–sky shining
train whistle———–song
snow————-white milk in cereal bowl

Then students in small groups or partners (depending on age, and # of copies) should read the story looking for more descriptions to add to the list. I give them a book mark with an owl at the top (using clip art picture on card stock). Then the students can record their findings if they finish reading earlier then the other students.
Bring the kids back together. Have them share their words and descriptions. Have them prove finding the answer “right there” in the book by reading the sentence that the description comes from. I often see the less able reader is able to find the sentence and reads it with the stronger reader.

Guided Reading Day four
Pass out the book All About Owls (any nonfiction book will do).
Introduce the animal owl if you haven’t previously discussed. I usually do a KWL at this time. Another graphic organizer might be a web with the who, what, when, where, how, and why questions around it.
Read the first few pages aloud to the class while they follow along. I usually read 4 or 5 pages. Then as a class I ask them what do they know from the words we just read? What can we add to the “W” column of the chart? I record a few answers.
Set the purpose for reading this nonfiction book: Find out the answers to our questions.
The kids read with partners or small groups until they get to the double page spread with the staples in the middle. I often do three ring circus for this activity. The higher readers who are good at being independent then record some facts in their reading response journal while waiting for others to finish reading. The lower readers and less independent readers get extra support from me, or an aide, or a partner.
Then we join together and add information to the graphic organizer.

Guided Reading Day five
Pass out the book, All About Owls.
I read aloud as the kids follow along. I read as far as we read yesterday (this catches up any absent kids). I have the kids add any facts to the graphic organizer that they have noticed from the pages I read.
In three ring circus groups (or partners) they finish reading the book.
We gather together, add on to the graphic organizer and then have a focused writing time at this point.

Focused Writing Block Day one
Teacher models writing. Looking at all the silly things that owl did reminds me of a time when I did a silly thing. Teacher writes a story about a silly thing (or better yet several silly things…)
The children tell about a silly thing that happened to them.
The children write about their silly time.
Then the children share (if they want to) about the silly time they had.

Writing Block Day two
Teacher models writing
Children write — Kids can finish yesterday’s writing. Work on an old piece or a new piece. Wherever the child is in the writing workshop is ok.
Children share

Focused Writing Block Day three
After reading Owl Moon, I model writing a letter to my special person. I include the five senses in describing what special memory I have of going somewhere with my special person.
The children pick a special person and tell the person next to them.
Then children take turns telling someone about a special event with the special person.
Then the children write letters telling a special person a memory. I encourage the use of the five senses.
The letters are put in envelopes and taken home to be shared with the special person.

Writing Block Day four
Teacher models writing
Children write — Kids can finish yesterday’s writing. Work on an old piece or a new piece. Wherever the child is in the writing workshop is ok.
Children share

Focused Writing Block Day five
Pass out owl paper. I have lined owl shape paper with a blank owl paper for the cover. You could have lined paper with clip art owls on it. Whatever special paper you have available works for this.
The kids brainstorm facts about owls. I model writing on the overhead. I write some of their ideas and some of mine. I model sounding out words. I model using the word wall.
Then the kids write facts on their owl paper.
Then the kids divide into three groups of equal numbers. They read their owl paper to the rest of the small group.