In a Tropical Rain Forest TG
Level I/16
In a Tropical Rain Forest Teacher’s Guide For students reading at Literacy Level I/16, including: •• English-language learners •• Students reading below grade level •• First-grade readers
Skills & Strategies
ANCHOR Comprehension STRATEGY
•• Make predictions
METACOGNITIVE/FIX-UP STRATEGY
•• Read aloud to clarify
Vocabulary
•• Recognize high-frequency words •• Develop Tier Two vocabulary •• Develop Tier Three vocabulary
Grammar, Word Study, and Language Development
•• Use prepositions near and between •• Use synonyms •• Recognize the sentence structures A ____ is ____ and ____ live in ____.
Phonics
•• Problem-solve by searching all the way through words •• Recognize words with initial r-family blends
Fluency
Theme: Habitats •• The Arctic (F/10) •• Colorful Coral Reefs (G/12) •• The Savannas of Africa (H/14)
Science Big Idea: Readers learn about animals and plants that live in a tropical rain forest.
•• Read using prosody
Writing
•• Write to a picture prompt •• Write to a text prompt
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Before Reading Related Resources The following Benchmark Education resources support this lesson. Other Early Explorers Books • What Can You See in a Desert? (A/1) • On a Coral Reef (C/3) • In the Forest (D/5) • Ponds (E/7) • In the Backyard (K/20) • Polar Habitats (M/28)
K many trees
Fluency and Language Development • In a Tropical Rain Forest Audio CD
many other plants
Comprehension Resources • In a Tropical Rain Forest question card • Power Tool Flip Chart for Teachers • Student Bookmark • Make Predictions poster
hot
Assessment • Early Explorers Overview & Assessment Handbook • Grade 1 Comprehension Strategy Assessment Book
Make Connections and Build Background • Use a Photograph Display page 5 in the book. Say: We will read a book about a tropical rain forest. Page 5 has a picture of a tropical rain forest. I know something about tropical rain forests. I know that a tropical rain forest has many trees. Ask students to Think/Pair/Share what they know about tropical rain forests. • Use a Graphic Organizer Draw a KWL chart on the board. Explain that K stands for What I Know, W stands for What I Want to Find Out, and L stands for What I Learned. Say: We shared some things we know about tropical
2
rain forests. Now we will write our ideas on the chart. Write students’ responses in the K column of the chart. Then ask them what they want to find out about tropical rain forests. Write their questions in the W column. Finally, read the entries in both columns and ask students to echo-read.
In a Tropical Rain Forest
rainy many animals
W
L
Where are tropical rain forests? What animals live in tropical rain forests? What plants live in tropical rain forests? How can we take care of tropical rain forests?
Introduce the Book • Give each student a copy of the book. Remind students they will read about a tropical rain forest. Preview the book, encouraging students to interact with the pictures and text on each page as you emphasize the elements from the page 3 chart that will best support their understanding of the book’s language, concepts, and organization. (Items in bold print include sample “teacher talk.”) • Pages 2–3 Words to Discuss Ask students to point to each photograph as you say its matching label. Repeat the process, inviting students to echoread. After students Think/Pair/Share what they know about each word, fill in any missing details. Say: We will see these words in the book.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Pages
Text and Graphic Features
Words to Discuss
Cover
title, author, photo
1
title, author, table of contents, photo
2–3
photos, map, inset illustrations
canopy, emergent layer, equator, forest floor, rain forest, understory
4
chapter head, map
tropical, rain forest, habitat, equator, warm, wet
5
photo, caption
different, types, animals, plants
6
layers, parts, forest floor, understory, sunlight, canopy, emergent layer
English/Spanish Cognates
tropical/tropical, habitat/el hábitat, equator/el ecuador
Sentence Structures
A ____ is ____.
different/diferente, type/el tipo, animal/el animal, plant/la planta part/la parte, emergent/emergente
7
diagram, labels, inset photos
8
chapter head, photos, insects, nests, labels leaf-cutting ants, tapir
insect/el insecto
9
photos, captions
move
move/mover
10
photos, labels
butterflies, bats, sloths
11
photos, labels
birds, toucan, macaw, parrot, harpy eagle
12
chapter head, photo, caption
woody vines, trees
13
photos, captions
fruits, air plants
14
chapter head, photo, caption
danger
15
photos
crops, build, graze
16
photo, caption
____ live in ____.
fruit/la fruta, air/el aire
© 2008 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-60437-493-3
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
3
Before Reading (continued) • Page 4 Graphic Feature Say: This page has a map of the world. A map shows where things are. Where is the equator on this map? (it is the line across the middle) Where are the tropical rain forests on this map? (in the dark green areas) • Page 4 Spanish Cognate Ask: Does tropical sound like a word you know in Spanish? (Allow time for students to respond.) The English word tropical sounds like the Spanish word tropical. Tropical and tropical mean the same thing. What is one thing you might find in a tropical habitat? (Allow time for students to respond.) Write the word tropical on the board and ask students to locate it on page 4 in the book. • Page 4 Sentence Structure Write A ____ is ____ on the board. Read the sentence structure aloud and ask students to repeat it several times. Say: We use this sentence structure to tell about something. Model using the sentence structure to tell about the photographs, such as A tropical rain forest is near the equator or A sloth is furry. Then assist students in forming their own sentences using the structure. Say: This sentence structure is in the book. Can you find the structure on page 4? Frame the first sentence. Let’s read the sentence together. Repeat for the third sentence on page 4.
4
In a Tropical Rain Forest
Rehearse Reading Strategies • Say: One word in this book is different. What letters do you expect to see after /d/? Allow time for students to respond, assisting as needed. Then ask them to find the word different on page 5. Say: Search all the way through a word to help you when you read. • Remind students to use other reading strategies they are learning as well, such as looking at the pictures for additional information or rereading part of the sentence if something doesn’t sound right.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Direct students’ attention to the KWL chart. Say: Now it’s time to whisperread the book. Read to learn more about the tropical rain forest.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
During Reading
After Reading
Observe and Prompt Reading Strategies
Use the Graphic Organizer to Summarize
• After the supportive introduction, students should be able to read all or most of the book on their own. Observe students as they read. Take note of the graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic cues they use to make sense of the text and self-correct. Prompt individual students who have difficulty problem-solving independently, but be careful not to prompt English-language learners too quickly. They may need more time to process the text as they rely on their first language for comprehension.
• Ask students to think about their reading. Ask: Can you answer any questions in the W column of our chart? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting as needed.) What did you learn about the tropical rain forest? Record appropriate responses in the L column of the KWL chart. Choral-read the entire chart. Then ask students to use the graphic organizer to tell a partner about the book.
K many trees
Cue Source Prompt Graphophonic
Syntactic
Semantic
Example
Search all the way through the word. Are you blending the right sounds?
branches
You read “Some insect have nests on the forest floor.” Let’s read this sentence together and make it sound right.
Some insects have nests on the forest floor.
Page 13
many other plants hot rainy many animals
What do you see climb in the picture that would make sense in this sentence?
8
W Where are tropical rain forests?
Tropical rain forests are near the equator.
What animals live in tropical rain forests?
Ants and tapirs live on the forest floor.
What plants live in tropical rain forests?
Jaguars and redeyed tree frogs are in the understory.
How can we take care of tropical rain forests?
12
L
Butterflies, fruit bats, and sloths live in the canopy. Many birds live in the emergent layer. Vines grow from the forest floor. Air plants and fruits are in the canopy. Laws help protect tropical rain forests.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
5
After Reading (continued)
Reading Strategy Mini-Lesson: Read Aloud to Clarify • Reflect Ask: Did you understand what you read? What parts were hard to understand? How did you help yourself? • Model Say: I want to understand what I read. Sometimes I read aloud to figure out a tricky part. Ask students to turn to page 6. Say: The first time I read this page I was confused. How can two layers of the tropical rain forest be in the treetops? Then I read that part of the page aloud: “Most treetops are in the third layer, the canopy. The canopy has more sunlight than the understory. The tallest treetops are in the fourth layer, the emergent layer.” Now I understand. The tops of most of the trees form the third layer. Only the tops of the tallest trees form the fourth layer. Now the page makes sense. I’m ready to keep whisper-reading. • Guide Ask students to turn to page 13. Ask: Where do air plants grow? (Allow time for students to respond.) Let’s check by reading the page aloud together. Then we will be sure we understand where air plants grow. Read the page aloud together and briefly discuss how this clarifies or confirms students’ understanding. • Apply Invite each student to turn to a tricky page. Then ask students to tell a partner about the page. Afterward, they should read the page aloud to make sure they understand it. Observe students as they read aloud to clarify, providing assistance if needed. See the Early Explorers Overview & Assessment Handbook for an observation chart you can use to assess students’
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
understanding of the monitor-reading strategy. Then say: You can read aloud any time you need to. Remember to read aloud to help you understand.
Answer Text-Dependent Questions • Explain Remind students they can answer questions about books they have read. Say: We answer different types of questions in different ways. I will help you learn how to answer each type. Tell students today they will practice answering Look Closer! questions. Say: The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question. • Model Use the first Look Closer! question on the question card. Say: I will read the question to figure out what to do: “Because people cut down trees . . . Explain your answer. Use a cause-and-effect chart.” This question asks why something happens, or a cause and effect. I know because the question has the clue word because. What other words in the question will help me? (Allow student responses.) Yes, I need to know what happens when people cut down trees. Model looking through the book. Say: On page 14, I read People cut down the trees. The sentence before says Our tropical rain forests are getting smaller. Now I know that because people cut down trees, the tropical rain forests are getting smaller. Putting this information together answers the question. The answer makes sense. I have found the answer in the book.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
• Guide Ask students to answer the other questions on the question card. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart and Student Bookmark to provide additional modeling as needed. Remind students to ask themselves: What is the question asking? How can I find the answer? Does my answer make sense? How do I know?
Build Comprehension: Make Predictions • Explain Create an overhead transparency of the graphic organizer on page 12 or draw it on the board. Say: We make predictions before we read a book and while we read. Then we check our predictions. Making predictions helps us pay close attention to our reading. • Model Say: Let’s think about a prediction someone might make before reading In a Tropical Rain Forest. The title tells us the book is about tropical rain forests. The photo on the cover shows a colorful frog on a leaf. The book could be about a frog in the tropical rain forest. Write this prediction in the before-reading box on the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by beginning to read the book. We can’t put a checkmark in the Yes box because the prediction is not correct. The book is about many different animals and plants. Write this statement in the first No box on the graphic organizer.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
• Guide Say: Now let’s think about another prediction. Reread page 5 and look at the photograph. What might readers predict about animals in a tropical rain forest? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, readers might think most animals in a tropical rain forest live in trees. Write the page number and prediction on the second row of the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by reading on. Is the prediction correct? (Again, allow time for students to respond.) Yes, on page 10 the author says the canopy has the most animals. We can put a check mark in the Yes box on the graphic organizer. • Apply Ask students to work with a partner to think of one more prediction readers might make based on the text and photographs. As each partnership shares, record the predictions and results on the graphic organizer. Finally, read the completed graphic organizer aloud and invite students to echo-read.
In a Tropical Rain Forest
7
After Reading (continued)
Mini-Lessons for Differentiating Instruction
Home Connection
Write to a Picture Prompt
• Give students the take-home version of In a Tropical Rain Forest to read to family members. Encourage students to work with a friend or family member to draw and label some animals and plants in a tropical rain forest. Invite them to bring their drawings to share with the group.
• Write a Description Tell students they will talk about a picture from the book. Then they will write about the picture. Ask them to turn to page 11. Say: I can describe one of the birds in my own words: The macaw is bright red with blue and green wings. The macaw has a fat, curved beak and tiny eyes. Now I will write my idea. Model writing your sentences on the board. Ask students to choose a picture in the book and describe it to a partner. Allow time for students to share their descriptions, providing assistance as needed. Then say: You described a picture in the book. Now write your idea. When you finish, read your writing to a partner.
Reader Response Invite students to respond to the book in a way that is meaningful to them. Model and use think-alouds as needed to scaffold students before they try the activities on their own. • Act out ways different animals move in a tropical rain forest. • Name your favorite animal and plant in the book. Tell why you like them. • Tell how each layer of the tropical rain forest is different from the others. • Use the pictures in the book to retell the information to a partner. • Write a new caption for one of the photographs. • Write a question you would like to ask the author.
Write to a Text Prompt • Write a Summary Say: Think about something you learned in the book. Then write what you learned in your own words. When you finish, read your writing to a partner.
Phonics: Initial r-family Blends • Ask students to locate the word tropical on page 4. Write tropical on the board. Explain that we blend the /t/ and /r/ sounds at the beginning of the word to make /tr/. Slowly draw your finger under the word as you blend the sounds. Then ask students to do the same in their books. Say: The word tropical begins with an r-family blend. Another consonant blends with the letter “r” at the beginning of the word. Repeat the process with treetops on page 6, branches on page 11, trees on page 12, crops on page 15, and protect on page 16.
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
• Ask students to brainstorm words that begin with the above r-family blends as you record them on index cards. Then spread the cards out in a pocket chart or on a table. Read each word, inviting students to echo-read. • Say: We can sort the cards using the r-family blend at the beginning of each word. Hold up a card with an initial /tr/ word on it, such as truck. Say: Find the other words that begin like truck. Repeat the process for each blend. Once all the cards area sorted, invite each student to select a pile and think of one more word to add.
Vocabulary • Tier Two Vocabulary Pronounce the word allow and ask students to repeat it. Say: If you allow something, you let it happen. The trees in a tropical rain forest do not allow sunlight to reach the forest floor. People allow farm animals to graze on the land. Discuss familiar scenarios, such as people who allow their pets to sit on the couch or friends who allow us to borrow their books. Then model a sentence, such as The principal will allow us to hang our posters in the hall. Invite students to share their own sentences, providing assistance as needed. Ask: What word have we been talking about? Yes—allow. Let’s try to use the word allow many times today. We can use the word at school and at home. • Tier Three Vocabulary Review the book with students and write tropical rain forest on the board. Then record the words canopy, emergent layer, equator, forest floor, habitat, layers, and understory on index
words with you. Mix the word cards and place them facedown on the table. Choose a card, read the word, and model an oral sentence using that word and tropical rain forest. Finally, invite students to take turns making their own sentences. Continue the game until each student has had several turns with different words. For additional practice, students may work as a group or in pairs to complete the vocabulary activity on page 11.
Grammar, Word Study, and Language Development Prepositions near and between • Model Explain that authors sometimes use phrases that begin with the word near. Ask students to read the second sentence on page 4 with you: “This habitat is near the equator.” Say: The phrase near the equator explains where this habitat is. I can use the word near, too. Use classroom objects to illustrate sentences with near phrases, such as these: The paper is near the top of the board. The tape is near the scissors. The bottom shelf is near the floor. • Guide Invite students to read the first sentence on page 9. Ask: Where do some animals move? (between the forest floor and the understory) Ask a volunteer to walk between your desk and the classroom door and back. Then invite students to make up sentences using the word between and pantomime the movements.
cards. Ask students to read the © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
9
• Apply Pair students and give each pair an object. Ask them to put the object near them and make up a sentence using the word near. Then ask them to pass the object between them and make up a sentence using the word between. As each partnership shares, write their sentences on the board and circle the words near and between. Synonyms • Model Explain that when you’re not sure what a word means, you can sometimes use a word with a similar meaning to help you. Tell students words with similar meanings are called synonyms. Ask them to turn to page 6. Say: Pretend I’m not sure what the word layers means on this page. I can use the word parts in the sentence to help me. The author uses a comma and the word or to show that parts is a synonym for layers. Layers and parts have similar meanings on this page. • Guide Invite students to read page 15 with you. Say: Pretend I don’t know what the word graze means. What word on the page is a synonym for graze? (eat) How do we know? (The author uses a comma and the word or between eat and graze.) Write Farm animals graze on the land and Farm animals eat on the land on the board. Underline the synonyms as students read the sentences with you. Point out that both sentences have similar meanings.
10
In a Tropical Rain Forest
• Apply Pair students and ask them to think of synonyms for other words in the book, such as types (kinds) on page 5, dark (shady) on page 6, move (travel) on page 9, small (little) and large (big) on page 10, and need (require) on page 13. Each time, substitute a synonym students suggest in the sentence to demonstrate that the new sentence has a similar meaning.
Fluency: Read Using Prosody • Say: We think about the author when we read. We try to talk like the author would talk. We change our voice to match the author’s feelings about the information on the page. • Ask students to turn to page 5. First, read the caption flatly, with no expression. Discuss how this makes the listener feel. Then read the page again, modeling the author’s amazement that the tropical rain forest gets so much rain. Ask students to echo-read. • Ask students to turn to page 14. Choral-read the page with them using a concerned tone to reflect the author’s feelings about people cutting down trees in tropical rain forests. • Invite students to take turns rereading In a Tropical Rain Forest with a partner. Remind them to think about the author’s words and talk like the author would talk.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name:
Date:
Vocabulary Fill in the blanks. Use the words from the box. Then read the paragraph to a partner. canopy
equator
emergent layer
forest floor
habitat
understory
A tropical rain forest is a _____________ for many
plants and animals. Tropical rain forests are near the
_____________. A tropical rain forest has four layers:
1. The first layer is the dark _____________.
2. The second layer is the _____________.
3. The third layer, the _____________, has the
most animals.
4. The fourth layer, the _____________, has the
tallest treetops.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
11
Name:
Date:
In a Tropical Rain Forest
Prediction
Yes
No
Before reading the book someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest Teacher’s Guide For students reading at Literacy Level I/16, including: •• English-language learners •• Students reading below grade level •• First-grade readers
Skills & Strategies
ANCHOR Comprehension STRATEGY
•• Make predictions
METACOGNITIVE/FIX-UP STRATEGY
•• Read aloud to clarify
Vocabulary
•• Recognize high-frequency words •• Develop Tier Two vocabulary •• Develop Tier Three vocabulary
Grammar, Word Study, and Language Development
•• Use prepositions near and between •• Use synonyms •• Recognize the sentence structures A ____ is ____ and ____ live in ____.
Phonics
•• Problem-solve by searching all the way through words •• Recognize words with initial r-family blends
Fluency
Theme: Habitats •• The Arctic (F/10) •• Colorful Coral Reefs (G/12) •• The Savannas of Africa (H/14)
Science Big Idea: Readers learn about animals and plants that live in a tropical rain forest.
•• Read using prosody
Writing
•• Write to a picture prompt •• Write to a text prompt
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Before Reading Related Resources The following Benchmark Education resources support this lesson. Other Early Explorers Books • What Can You See in a Desert? (A/1) • On a Coral Reef (C/3) • In the Forest (D/5) • Ponds (E/7) • In the Backyard (K/20) • Polar Habitats (M/28)
K many trees
Fluency and Language Development • In a Tropical Rain Forest Audio CD
many other plants
Comprehension Resources • In a Tropical Rain Forest question card • Power Tool Flip Chart for Teachers • Student Bookmark • Make Predictions poster
hot
Assessment • Early Explorers Overview & Assessment Handbook • Grade 1 Comprehension Strategy Assessment Book
Make Connections and Build Background • Use a Photograph Display page 5 in the book. Say: We will read a book about a tropical rain forest. Page 5 has a picture of a tropical rain forest. I know something about tropical rain forests. I know that a tropical rain forest has many trees. Ask students to Think/Pair/Share what they know about tropical rain forests. • Use a Graphic Organizer Draw a KWL chart on the board. Explain that K stands for What I Know, W stands for What I Want to Find Out, and L stands for What I Learned. Say: We shared some things we know about tropical
2
rain forests. Now we will write our ideas on the chart. Write students’ responses in the K column of the chart. Then ask them what they want to find out about tropical rain forests. Write their questions in the W column. Finally, read the entries in both columns and ask students to echo-read.
In a Tropical Rain Forest
rainy many animals
W
L
Where are tropical rain forests? What animals live in tropical rain forests? What plants live in tropical rain forests? How can we take care of tropical rain forests?
Introduce the Book • Give each student a copy of the book. Remind students they will read about a tropical rain forest. Preview the book, encouraging students to interact with the pictures and text on each page as you emphasize the elements from the page 3 chart that will best support their understanding of the book’s language, concepts, and organization. (Items in bold print include sample “teacher talk.”) • Pages 2–3 Words to Discuss Ask students to point to each photograph as you say its matching label. Repeat the process, inviting students to echoread. After students Think/Pair/Share what they know about each word, fill in any missing details. Say: We will see these words in the book.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Pages
Text and Graphic Features
Words to Discuss
Cover
title, author, photo
1
title, author, table of contents, photo
2–3
photos, map, inset illustrations
canopy, emergent layer, equator, forest floor, rain forest, understory
4
chapter head, map
tropical, rain forest, habitat, equator, warm, wet
5
photo, caption
different, types, animals, plants
6
layers, parts, forest floor, understory, sunlight, canopy, emergent layer
English/Spanish Cognates
tropical/tropical, habitat/el hábitat, equator/el ecuador
Sentence Structures
A ____ is ____.
different/diferente, type/el tipo, animal/el animal, plant/la planta part/la parte, emergent/emergente
7
diagram, labels, inset photos
8
chapter head, photos, insects, nests, labels leaf-cutting ants, tapir
insect/el insecto
9
photos, captions
move
move/mover
10
photos, labels
butterflies, bats, sloths
11
photos, labels
birds, toucan, macaw, parrot, harpy eagle
12
chapter head, photo, caption
woody vines, trees
13
photos, captions
fruits, air plants
14
chapter head, photo, caption
danger
15
photos
crops, build, graze
16
photo, caption
____ live in ____.
fruit/la fruta, air/el aire
© 2008 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-60437-493-3
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
3
Before Reading (continued) • Page 4 Graphic Feature Say: This page has a map of the world. A map shows where things are. Where is the equator on this map? (it is the line across the middle) Where are the tropical rain forests on this map? (in the dark green areas) • Page 4 Spanish Cognate Ask: Does tropical sound like a word you know in Spanish? (Allow time for students to respond.) The English word tropical sounds like the Spanish word tropical. Tropical and tropical mean the same thing. What is one thing you might find in a tropical habitat? (Allow time for students to respond.) Write the word tropical on the board and ask students to locate it on page 4 in the book. • Page 4 Sentence Structure Write A ____ is ____ on the board. Read the sentence structure aloud and ask students to repeat it several times. Say: We use this sentence structure to tell about something. Model using the sentence structure to tell about the photographs, such as A tropical rain forest is near the equator or A sloth is furry. Then assist students in forming their own sentences using the structure. Say: This sentence structure is in the book. Can you find the structure on page 4? Frame the first sentence. Let’s read the sentence together. Repeat for the third sentence on page 4.
4
In a Tropical Rain Forest
Rehearse Reading Strategies • Say: One word in this book is different. What letters do you expect to see after /d/? Allow time for students to respond, assisting as needed. Then ask them to find the word different on page 5. Say: Search all the way through a word to help you when you read. • Remind students to use other reading strategies they are learning as well, such as looking at the pictures for additional information or rereading part of the sentence if something doesn’t sound right.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Direct students’ attention to the KWL chart. Say: Now it’s time to whisperread the book. Read to learn more about the tropical rain forest.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
During Reading
After Reading
Observe and Prompt Reading Strategies
Use the Graphic Organizer to Summarize
• After the supportive introduction, students should be able to read all or most of the book on their own. Observe students as they read. Take note of the graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic cues they use to make sense of the text and self-correct. Prompt individual students who have difficulty problem-solving independently, but be careful not to prompt English-language learners too quickly. They may need more time to process the text as they rely on their first language for comprehension.
• Ask students to think about their reading. Ask: Can you answer any questions in the W column of our chart? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting as needed.) What did you learn about the tropical rain forest? Record appropriate responses in the L column of the KWL chart. Choral-read the entire chart. Then ask students to use the graphic organizer to tell a partner about the book.
K many trees
Cue Source Prompt Graphophonic
Syntactic
Semantic
Example
Search all the way through the word. Are you blending the right sounds?
branches
You read “Some insect have nests on the forest floor.” Let’s read this sentence together and make it sound right.
Some insects have nests on the forest floor.
Page 13
many other plants hot rainy many animals
What do you see climb in the picture that would make sense in this sentence?
8
W Where are tropical rain forests?
Tropical rain forests are near the equator.
What animals live in tropical rain forests?
Ants and tapirs live on the forest floor.
What plants live in tropical rain forests?
Jaguars and redeyed tree frogs are in the understory.
How can we take care of tropical rain forests?
12
L
Butterflies, fruit bats, and sloths live in the canopy. Many birds live in the emergent layer. Vines grow from the forest floor. Air plants and fruits are in the canopy. Laws help protect tropical rain forests.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
5
After Reading (continued)
Reading Strategy Mini-Lesson: Read Aloud to Clarify • Reflect Ask: Did you understand what you read? What parts were hard to understand? How did you help yourself? • Model Say: I want to understand what I read. Sometimes I read aloud to figure out a tricky part. Ask students to turn to page 6. Say: The first time I read this page I was confused. How can two layers of the tropical rain forest be in the treetops? Then I read that part of the page aloud: “Most treetops are in the third layer, the canopy. The canopy has more sunlight than the understory. The tallest treetops are in the fourth layer, the emergent layer.” Now I understand. The tops of most of the trees form the third layer. Only the tops of the tallest trees form the fourth layer. Now the page makes sense. I’m ready to keep whisper-reading. • Guide Ask students to turn to page 13. Ask: Where do air plants grow? (Allow time for students to respond.) Let’s check by reading the page aloud together. Then we will be sure we understand where air plants grow. Read the page aloud together and briefly discuss how this clarifies or confirms students’ understanding. • Apply Invite each student to turn to a tricky page. Then ask students to tell a partner about the page. Afterward, they should read the page aloud to make sure they understand it. Observe students as they read aloud to clarify, providing assistance if needed. See the Early Explorers Overview & Assessment Handbook for an observation chart you can use to assess students’
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
understanding of the monitor-reading strategy. Then say: You can read aloud any time you need to. Remember to read aloud to help you understand.
Answer Text-Dependent Questions • Explain Remind students they can answer questions about books they have read. Say: We answer different types of questions in different ways. I will help you learn how to answer each type. Tell students today they will practice answering Look Closer! questions. Say: The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question. • Model Use the first Look Closer! question on the question card. Say: I will read the question to figure out what to do: “Because people cut down trees . . . Explain your answer. Use a cause-and-effect chart.” This question asks why something happens, or a cause and effect. I know because the question has the clue word because. What other words in the question will help me? (Allow student responses.) Yes, I need to know what happens when people cut down trees. Model looking through the book. Say: On page 14, I read People cut down the trees. The sentence before says Our tropical rain forests are getting smaller. Now I know that because people cut down trees, the tropical rain forests are getting smaller. Putting this information together answers the question. The answer makes sense. I have found the answer in the book.
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• Guide Ask students to answer the other questions on the question card. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart and Student Bookmark to provide additional modeling as needed. Remind students to ask themselves: What is the question asking? How can I find the answer? Does my answer make sense? How do I know?
Build Comprehension: Make Predictions • Explain Create an overhead transparency of the graphic organizer on page 12 or draw it on the board. Say: We make predictions before we read a book and while we read. Then we check our predictions. Making predictions helps us pay close attention to our reading. • Model Say: Let’s think about a prediction someone might make before reading In a Tropical Rain Forest. The title tells us the book is about tropical rain forests. The photo on the cover shows a colorful frog on a leaf. The book could be about a frog in the tropical rain forest. Write this prediction in the before-reading box on the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by beginning to read the book. We can’t put a checkmark in the Yes box because the prediction is not correct. The book is about many different animals and plants. Write this statement in the first No box on the graphic organizer.
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• Guide Say: Now let’s think about another prediction. Reread page 5 and look at the photograph. What might readers predict about animals in a tropical rain forest? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, readers might think most animals in a tropical rain forest live in trees. Write the page number and prediction on the second row of the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by reading on. Is the prediction correct? (Again, allow time for students to respond.) Yes, on page 10 the author says the canopy has the most animals. We can put a check mark in the Yes box on the graphic organizer. • Apply Ask students to work with a partner to think of one more prediction readers might make based on the text and photographs. As each partnership shares, record the predictions and results on the graphic organizer. Finally, read the completed graphic organizer aloud and invite students to echo-read.
In a Tropical Rain Forest
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After Reading (continued)
Mini-Lessons for Differentiating Instruction
Home Connection
Write to a Picture Prompt
• Give students the take-home version of In a Tropical Rain Forest to read to family members. Encourage students to work with a friend or family member to draw and label some animals and plants in a tropical rain forest. Invite them to bring their drawings to share with the group.
• Write a Description Tell students they will talk about a picture from the book. Then they will write about the picture. Ask them to turn to page 11. Say: I can describe one of the birds in my own words: The macaw is bright red with blue and green wings. The macaw has a fat, curved beak and tiny eyes. Now I will write my idea. Model writing your sentences on the board. Ask students to choose a picture in the book and describe it to a partner. Allow time for students to share their descriptions, providing assistance as needed. Then say: You described a picture in the book. Now write your idea. When you finish, read your writing to a partner.
Reader Response Invite students to respond to the book in a way that is meaningful to them. Model and use think-alouds as needed to scaffold students before they try the activities on their own. • Act out ways different animals move in a tropical rain forest. • Name your favorite animal and plant in the book. Tell why you like them. • Tell how each layer of the tropical rain forest is different from the others. • Use the pictures in the book to retell the information to a partner. • Write a new caption for one of the photographs. • Write a question you would like to ask the author.
Write to a Text Prompt • Write a Summary Say: Think about something you learned in the book. Then write what you learned in your own words. When you finish, read your writing to a partner.
Phonics: Initial r-family Blends • Ask students to locate the word tropical on page 4. Write tropical on the board. Explain that we blend the /t/ and /r/ sounds at the beginning of the word to make /tr/. Slowly draw your finger under the word as you blend the sounds. Then ask students to do the same in their books. Say: The word tropical begins with an r-family blend. Another consonant blends with the letter “r” at the beginning of the word. Repeat the process with treetops on page 6, branches on page 11, trees on page 12, crops on page 15, and protect on page 16.
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
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• Ask students to brainstorm words that begin with the above r-family blends as you record them on index cards. Then spread the cards out in a pocket chart or on a table. Read each word, inviting students to echo-read. • Say: We can sort the cards using the r-family blend at the beginning of each word. Hold up a card with an initial /tr/ word on it, such as truck. Say: Find the other words that begin like truck. Repeat the process for each blend. Once all the cards area sorted, invite each student to select a pile and think of one more word to add.
Vocabulary • Tier Two Vocabulary Pronounce the word allow and ask students to repeat it. Say: If you allow something, you let it happen. The trees in a tropical rain forest do not allow sunlight to reach the forest floor. People allow farm animals to graze on the land. Discuss familiar scenarios, such as people who allow their pets to sit on the couch or friends who allow us to borrow their books. Then model a sentence, such as The principal will allow us to hang our posters in the hall. Invite students to share their own sentences, providing assistance as needed. Ask: What word have we been talking about? Yes—allow. Let’s try to use the word allow many times today. We can use the word at school and at home. • Tier Three Vocabulary Review the book with students and write tropical rain forest on the board. Then record the words canopy, emergent layer, equator, forest floor, habitat, layers, and understory on index
words with you. Mix the word cards and place them facedown on the table. Choose a card, read the word, and model an oral sentence using that word and tropical rain forest. Finally, invite students to take turns making their own sentences. Continue the game until each student has had several turns with different words. For additional practice, students may work as a group or in pairs to complete the vocabulary activity on page 11.
Grammar, Word Study, and Language Development Prepositions near and between • Model Explain that authors sometimes use phrases that begin with the word near. Ask students to read the second sentence on page 4 with you: “This habitat is near the equator.” Say: The phrase near the equator explains where this habitat is. I can use the word near, too. Use classroom objects to illustrate sentences with near phrases, such as these: The paper is near the top of the board. The tape is near the scissors. The bottom shelf is near the floor. • Guide Invite students to read the first sentence on page 9. Ask: Where do some animals move? (between the forest floor and the understory) Ask a volunteer to walk between your desk and the classroom door and back. Then invite students to make up sentences using the word between and pantomime the movements.
cards. Ask students to read the © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
In a Tropical Rain Forest
9
• Apply Pair students and give each pair an object. Ask them to put the object near them and make up a sentence using the word near. Then ask them to pass the object between them and make up a sentence using the word between. As each partnership shares, write their sentences on the board and circle the words near and between. Synonyms • Model Explain that when you’re not sure what a word means, you can sometimes use a word with a similar meaning to help you. Tell students words with similar meanings are called synonyms. Ask them to turn to page 6. Say: Pretend I’m not sure what the word layers means on this page. I can use the word parts in the sentence to help me. The author uses a comma and the word or to show that parts is a synonym for layers. Layers and parts have similar meanings on this page. • Guide Invite students to read page 15 with you. Say: Pretend I don’t know what the word graze means. What word on the page is a synonym for graze? (eat) How do we know? (The author uses a comma and the word or between eat and graze.) Write Farm animals graze on the land and Farm animals eat on the land on the board. Underline the synonyms as students read the sentences with you. Point out that both sentences have similar meanings.
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
• Apply Pair students and ask them to think of synonyms for other words in the book, such as types (kinds) on page 5, dark (shady) on page 6, move (travel) on page 9, small (little) and large (big) on page 10, and need (require) on page 13. Each time, substitute a synonym students suggest in the sentence to demonstrate that the new sentence has a similar meaning.
Fluency: Read Using Prosody • Say: We think about the author when we read. We try to talk like the author would talk. We change our voice to match the author’s feelings about the information on the page. • Ask students to turn to page 5. First, read the caption flatly, with no expression. Discuss how this makes the listener feel. Then read the page again, modeling the author’s amazement that the tropical rain forest gets so much rain. Ask students to echo-read. • Ask students to turn to page 14. Choral-read the page with them using a concerned tone to reflect the author’s feelings about people cutting down trees in tropical rain forests. • Invite students to take turns rereading In a Tropical Rain Forest with a partner. Remind them to think about the author’s words and talk like the author would talk.
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Name:
Date:
Vocabulary Fill in the blanks. Use the words from the box. Then read the paragraph to a partner. canopy
equator
emergent layer
forest floor
habitat
understory
A tropical rain forest is a _____________ for many
plants and animals. Tropical rain forests are near the
_____________. A tropical rain forest has four layers:
1. The first layer is the dark _____________.
2. The second layer is the _____________.
3. The third layer, the _____________, has the
most animals.
4. The fourth layer, the _____________, has the
tallest treetops.
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
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Name:
Date:
In a Tropical Rain Forest
Prediction
Yes
No
Before reading the book someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
On page(s) _____ someone might predict . . .
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In a Tropical Rain Forest
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