Amazing Salamanders / Salamander Surprise! Lesson Plan

Blackline master Lesson Plans Xx Fluent Plus

Xxxxxxxxx reading stage Level N (30)

Amazing Salamanders is a report that describes salamander characteristics such as habitat, food, how they stay safe, and how they grow and change.

Running words: 1,037 Text type: Report

In Salamander Surprise! one girl believes her dog is the best pet and is jealous when interest is shown in an “ugly salamander.” But a brave act makes her realize that all pets are precious.

Content vocabulary

amphibians carnivores gills glands larvae lungs metamorphosis mucus nervous system nocturnal oxygen predator prey poison salamanders species vivarium

Phonics

• Identifying “i” making the /e/ sound as in technique, unique • Identifying “eous” making the “schwa” vowel as in gorgeous behaviors Earth Europe gorgeous guilty half jealous larvae laughed neighbor palm technique tongues unique weigh weirdest

Irregularly spelled words

Running words: 1,585 Text type: Narrative

Text structures and features Amazing Salamanders

• Contents page, introduction, conclusion, glossary • Fact files, photographs with captions, diagrams with labels

Salamander Surprise!

• First-person narrative with dialogue • Contents page, chapter headings

Reading strategies

• Using diagrams to confirm information in the text • Self-correcting to maintain the meaning of the text

Correlations with State Standards Reading literature 3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Xxx? Informational texts 3.RI.4 Determine the meaning Xxx? of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in a text relevant to Grade 3 topic or subject matter.

Foundational skills 3.RF.3a Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational Flying Start to Literacy Lesson suffixes.

Plans Xx / Xx © 2010 EC Licensing Pty Ltd.

Assessment

Writing 3.W.1a Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.

Speaking and listening 3.SL.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Language 3.L.1c Use abstract nouns.

Lesson 1 Amazing Salamanders

Lesson 2 Salamander Surprise!

Key concepts • Salamanders are amphibians that have specific characteristics.

• Salamanders need specific conditions to survive.

Before reading

After reading

Getting ready to read

Talking about the book

Support the students in activating their prior knowledge by playing a “What am I?” game. Say: What am I? I am an animal. I am an amphibian. I look like a lizard but I am similar to a frog. I start my life in the water where I breathe through lungs. As I grow, I change.

As an adult I have four legs, a tail, and soft, moist skin. My name starts with an “s.” What am I? Give as many clues as needed until a student guesses that the animal is a salamander. If students do not guess, supply them with the name.

Have the students talk about the book. Promote discussion by choosing questions that are appropriate for your students. Ask them to support their thinking by referring to the photographs and the text in the book.

What does a salamander look like? Describe the typical life cycle of a salamander. (Literal) Why have salamanders remained unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs? Why do salamanders have such different colors and patterns on their skins? (Inferential) Where might you see a salamander in the wild? Why are they not commonly seen in their natural environments? (Synthesizing) Why has the book been called Amazing Salamanders? Do you agree with the title? Why?/Why not? (Critical)

Vocabulary building Say: We are going to read a factual book about salamanders. Ask each student to work with a partner to brainstorm words that might be in the book. Invite students to share their ideas and compile a group list.

Introducing the book Give each student a copy of Amazing Salamanders. Direct students to use the cover, title page, and contents page to get themselves ready to read. Ask: What do you already know about this book? Ask students to look at the photographs before they read.

Reviewing reading strategies Encourage students to identify what they did to help themselves as readers. Ask: Does looking at the diagram help you to understand what is written in the text? How? Why is it important to read the diagram as well as the text?

ELL support

During reading As each student reads the text independently, monitor and support the students where appropriate. Ask the students to stop reading and remind them to use the reading strategies you are focused on. Ask: Why has the author included a diagram here? What information does it give you?

Encourage the students to apply appropriate comprehension strategies, such as asking questions about the information they are reading. Say: Think about what you want to know about salamanders. Does this book answer those questions?

• Introduction and conclusion state and restate the key concepts.

• Photographs support and extend the written language.

• Chapter headings and subheadings clearly signal content.

Returning to the book

Key concepts • Salamanders are amphibians that have specific characteristics.

• Salamanders need specific conditions to survive.

Provide multiple opportunities for the students to reread and interact with the book – with teacher support, with a partner, and independently. Choose activities that are appropriate for your students.

Returning to the book Provide multiple opportunities for the students to reread and interact with the book – with teacher support, with a partner, and independently. Choose activities that are appropriate for your students.

Developing fluency

Developing fluency

Students could take turns reading a page each in a small group. Encourage them to read fluently. Say: When you read, try to make your voice sound smooth.

Have students read the book to partners. Encourage them to read expressively. Talk about how the main character’s voice would sound when she says, “Then Isabella stood up to talk about her salamander. Great, I thought. Now everyone will be really bored!” Encourage the students to make their voices sound like this.

Word work Phonics Write the word technique. Ask each student to turn to a partner and discuss the sounds in the word and what letters make each sound. Repeat with the word unique. Ask: What is similar about the sounds and letters in these two words?

Discuss students’ responses. Draw out that both words have the letter “i” making the /e/ sound. Say: The letter “i” is not a common way for the long /e/ sound to be represented.

Exploring words Ask pairs of students to find and list words in the book used to describe salamanders (e.g. amazing, amphibians, air-breathing, brightly colored). Have students share their lists and compile a class list. Say: These words are used to describe salamanders. Words used to describe the qualities of something are called adjectives. Ask: What other adjectives could be used to describe salamanders? Add these to the list.

Writing Ask: Do you think salamanders are amazing animals? Why or why not? Discuss students’ responses. Ask each student to write an answer to this question, including reasons. Encourage students to use facts from the book to support their opinions.

Sharing and presenting Students could sit in pairs and take turns to read their writing to each other. Encourage students to ask their partners questions about why they have included certain points in their writing.

Before reading

After reading

Getting ready to read

Talking about the book

Support the students in activating their prior knowledge.

Ask pairs of students to talk about the pets they have or would like to have. Ask: What pets can people have? List students’ responses on a chart. If a salamander is listed, ask: What might it be like having a salamander as a pet? If a salamander is not suggested, add it yourself. Say: An uncommon pet to own is a salamander. Ask: Who knows what a salamander is? Discuss students’ responses.

Have the students talk about the book. Promote discussion by choosing questions that are appropriate for your students. Ask them to support their thinking by referring to the illustrations and the text in the book.

Why did the children take their pets to school? Where was the pet salamander found? (Literal) Why didn’t the girl say she had seen the lost salamander straight away? Why didn’t the girl like Isabella’s pet salamander? (Inferential) What pet would be the most difficult to look after? Why? Would you like to have a pet salamander? Why?/Why not? (Synthesizing) What pet would you like to take to a pet day at your school? Why? Would everyone like a pet salamander? (Critical)

Vocabulary building Write the words salamander and vivarium. Say: A salamander is an amphibian. It looks like a lizard but is more like a frog. Some people have salamanders as pets. These people each need a vivarium, which is like a big fish tank, to keep the pet salamander in.

Introducing the book Give each student a copy of Salamander Surprise! Direct students to use the cover, title page, and contents page to get themselves ready to read. Ask: What do you already know about this book? Discuss responses. Ask pairs of students to take turns predicting what the story will be about.

Encourage them to use the chapter headings as clues.

During reading As each student reads the text independently, monitor and support the students where appropriate. Ask the students to stop reading and remind them to use the reading strategies you are focused on. For example, does the student independently self-correct when the meaning of the text is lost? Ask: Why did you reread that sentence?

Encourage the students to apply appropriate comprehension strategies, such as using knowledge of narrative text structure as they read. Say: Think about how the author organized the events in the story.

Reviewing reading strategies Encourage students to identify what they did to help themselves as readers. Say: I noticed that you corrected yourself by rereading a sentence. How did you know what you read first was incorrect? Why is it important to reread when this happens?

ELL support • The story is written in the first person.

• Illustrations support the story.

• Content vocabulary is supported by the context.

Word work Phonics Write the word gorgeous on a card. Ask: What sounds can you hear in this word? Discuss students’ responses. Say: In this word the letters “eous” make a sound called the “schwa” vowel. Ask: What other words have the schwa vowel in them? Make a list (e.g. doctor, teacher, garden, lion, circus). Highlight the letters that make the “schwa” vowel. Say: There are a range of letters that make the “schwa” vowel sound.

Exploring words Ask: What tense is the story written in? Draw out that it is written in the past tense. Ask students to find three words that show this (e.g. said, whispered, brushed). Make a class list. Ask students to choose a word from the list and write it in three sentences using a different tense for each (e.g. “I brushed my dog’s hair.

I am brushing my dog’s hair. I will brush my dog’s hair.”)

Writing Ask: What is similar about having a dog and having a salamander as a pet? What is different? Discuss this with the students.

Students could then use a Venn diagram to write answers to these questions.

Sharing and presenting Students could sit in a small group and take turns sharing their Venn diagrams.

Synthesizing: Talk about the pair Ask: What did you learn about salamanders by reading these books? Discuss students’ responses. Each student could then work with a partner to brainstorm a list of facts

about salamanders. Give students a five-minute time limit to write their lists. Invite each pair of students to share their facts. Compile a group list.

Activity card

Blackline master Would you like a pet salamander?

A salamander home

Think about what it would be like to have a salamander as a pet. What would be good about it? What would be bad? What would you find interesting about it? Use this PMI (plus, minus, and interesting) chart to organize your ideas. Share your chart with a partner. Explain why you included the points you did.

Plus

Minus

Assessment Can the student use his/her knowledge of a topic to form opinions?

Can the student justify his/her point of view?

Flying Start to Literacy Lesson Plans Amazing Salamanders / Salamander Surprise! © 2012–2015 EC Licensing Pty Ltd.

Use what you know about salamanders to create the perfect home for a pet salamander. Think about the things a salamander would need in its home to survive and be happy. Draw and label your salamander and everything it would need in the vivarium below.

Interesting

Flying Start to Literacy Lesson Plans Amazing Salamanders / Salamander Surprise! © 2012–2015 EC Licensing Pty Ltd. © 2012–2015 EC Licensing Pty Ltd. This work is protected by copyright law, and under international copyright conventions, applicable in the jurisdictions in which it is published. The trademark “Flying Start to Literacy” and Star device is a registered trademark of EC Licensing Pty Ltd in the US.

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