FSTL TEKS FP Perspectives - Thinking Outside The Box

Graphic Organizer: Know and Wonder

Lesson Plan

What do you know about thinking outside the box – about inventing, problem-solving and being creative? What do you still wonder?

Know

Wonder

Fluent Plus reading stage

How do people solve problems?

How do they invent new things?

Level P (38)

PERSPECTIVES

Contents • It’s only natural • Speak out!

• Accidental inventions • A clever solution

Paired connected texts

Electric Wind: The Story of William Kamkwamba recounts the amazing story of William Kamkwamba from Malawi. He used pieces of junk to make a windmill to generate electricity.

Maddie’s incredible ideas and inventions often end badly. But when Maddie gets caught in an emergency, her inventive idea saves the day.

Content vocabulary accidentally challenge/ing creative/ly determined ideas imagination inspired invent/tions nature original persisting problem-solving scientist solution

Correlations with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Flying Start to Literacy Lesson Plan Perspectives Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean? © 2020 EC Licensing Pty Ltd. © 2020 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. In addition to certain rights under applicable copyright law to copy parts of this work, the purchaser may make copies of those sections of this work displaying the footnote: “© 2020 EC Licensing Pty Ltd”, provided that: (a) the number of copies made does not exceed the number reasonably required by the purchaser for its teaching purposes; (b) those copies are only made by means of photocopying and are not further copied or stored or transmitted by any means; (c) those copies are not sold, hired, lent or offered for sale, hire or loan; and (d) every copy made clearly shows the footnote copyright notice.

All other rights reserved.

Developed by Eleanor Curtain Publishing

okapi educational publishing

Text: Kerrie Shanahan Consultant: Linda Hoyt Designed by Derek Schneider Printed in China through Colorcraft Ltd, Hong Kong Distributed in the USA by Okapi Educational Publishing Inc. Phone: 866-652-7436 Fax: 800-481-5499 Email: info@myokapi.com www.myokapi.com www.flying-start-to-literacy.com

Reading 3(6) (F) Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding.

3(6) (H) Synthesize information to create new understanding.

3(9) (E) Recognize characteristics and structures of argumentative text.

3(10) (A) Explain the author’s purpose and message within a text.

Writing 3(12) (C) Compose argumentative texts, including opinion essays, using genre characteristics and craft.

Speaking and Listening 3(6) (B) Generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information.

PERSPECTIVES Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean?

Key concepts • P eople who invent things or find solutions to problems do so in a range of ways.

• M ost inventors and problem-solvers are creative, persistent, observant, and they often “think outside the box.”

Initiate ideas

Explore further

Introduce the book

Read the text

Ask: Have you heard the saying “think outside the box?” What do you think it means? Have students talk with a partner about this.

Show the students the front cover of PERSPECTIVES: Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean?

Say: This book is about inventing and problem-solving. It has several texts that discuss different points of view about how this is done.

Read the title and ask: What do you expect to find out about in this book? Discuss students’ ideas.

Have students turn to the “Speak out!” section on pages 10 and 11 and read the introduction.

Invite a student to read aloud one of the “speak outs” to the group. Ask: What is your view on this opinion?

Continue reading and discussing each “speak out” opinion in a similar manner.

Have students turn to “Accidental inventions” on pages 12 and 13. Ask: What do you think the title “Accidental inventions” means? Discuss.

Say: Read the text independently, and then talk to your partner about what you find out.

Ask: Does it surprise you that some things are invented by accident?

Why? Is this a good way of inventing things? Why? Discuss as a group. Use students’ ideas to record points on a Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI) chart about accidental inventions.

Read the text Give each student a copy of PERSPECTIVES: Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean? Have them browse through the book.

Have students turn to page 4, and read the introduction aloud to them. Ask: What do you think about these questions?

Have students share their ideas with the group.

Have students turn to “It’s only natural” on pages 6–9.

Say: This text is about ideas that are inspired by nature. Read the introduction aloud to the students.

Have students view the images independently.

Ask: What did you learn from this? Do you know of other ideas that have been copied from nature? Are there things in nature that give you ideas? Have students talk with a partner and then share their ideas as a group.

Respond to the text Introduce the Graphic Organizer: Know and Wonder.

Ask: What do you now know about thinking outside the box? What do you wonder? Have students talk with a partner.

Say: Work with your partner to write one or two points on your Know and Wonder charts.

Collect students’ graphic organizers to revisit later.

Respond to the text Say: So far, we have learned about inventions that were inspired by nature and inventions that have happened accidentally. We have also read about some children’s opinions on thinking outside the box.

Have your ideas about this topic changed? What are your ideas now?

Discuss as a group.

Have pairs of students revisit their graphic organizers. Say: Think about what you have read and what we have talked about. Use this information to add to your Know and Wonder charts.

Collect students’ graphic organizers to revisit later.

Draw conclusions

Express opinions

Read the text

Setting the task

Ask: Have you ever seen or heard a bird fly into a window? Do you wonder why they do this? Is there a way to stop them? Provide time for students to share their personal stories.

Have students turn to “A clever solution” on pages 14 and 15 and read the title to them.

Ask: What do you predict this text might be about? Have students talk with a partner about this.

Have students read the text independently. Ask: Why was Arnold the perfect person to solve this problem? Discuss and draw out that Arnold had a passion to solve the problem, and he had materials and equipment available to experiment with.

Ask: What qualities does a person need to be an inventor or problemsolver who thinks outside the box? Discuss, and use students’ ideas to record a list on a chart.

Students can choose one or both of the following options as a way to show their thinking or express their opinion.

Respond to the text Have pairs of students revisit their graphic organizers. Say: Think about the information you now have. Think about the things you still wonder about. Work with your partner to add points to your Know and Wonder charts.

Bring it all together Have students meet with their completed graphic organizers.

Invite pairs of students to share their Know and Wonder charts at a group discussion. Use the students’ ideas to record points on a chart.

Discuss the various points of view and opinions that arise.

During the discussion, encourage students to draw on information in the texts to back up their opinions.

Writing Have students respond by writing about their opinion. Say: Think about what you have learned about thinking outside the box and how you feel about this information.

Present the Graphic Organizer: How to write about your opinion (see PERSPECTIVES: Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean?, page 16). Support students by guiding them through the steps involved.

1. Have students revisit the questions posed in the introduction on page 4. Ask: What is your opinion now about inventing and solving problems? Have students discuss with a partner.

2. Model how to find further information about the topic, or, if appropriate, students could do independent research.

3. Say: Now that you have the information you need, you can write a plan. Use the graphic organizer to help you.

4. Have students publish their writing. Say: Think about the graphics or images you can include to support your written opinion.

Top five inventions Have small groups of students decide on their “top five” inventions of all time. Encourage them to think “outside the box” when making their list, and remind them that they need to justify their choices.

Have each group record their “top five” on a T-chart with the headings “Invention” and “Importance.” Each group then presents their T-charts to the whole class.

Think tank If students are passionate about the issue, they may like to think about it further and take action.

Have students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas about things they would like to invent and/or problems they would like to solve.

If appropriate, students could work further on a particular idea by drawing a design and/or making notes about it.

Graphic Organizer: Know and Wonder

Lesson Plan

What do you know about thinking outside the box – about inventing, problem-solving and being creative? What do you still wonder?

Know

Wonder

Fluent Plus reading stage

How do people solve problems?

How do they invent new things?

Level P (38)

PERSPECTIVES

Contents • It’s only natural • Speak out!

• Accidental inventions • A clever solution

Paired connected texts

Electric Wind: The Story of William Kamkwamba recounts the amazing story of William Kamkwamba from Malawi. He used pieces of junk to make a windmill to generate electricity.

Maddie’s incredible ideas and inventions often end badly. But when Maddie gets caught in an emergency, her inventive idea saves the day.

Content vocabulary accidentally challenge/ing creative/ly determined ideas imagination inspired invent/tions nature original persisting problem-solving scientist solution

Correlations with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Flying Start to Literacy Lesson Plan Perspectives Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean? © 2020 EC Licensing Pty Ltd. © 2020 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. In addition to certain rights under applicable copyright law to copy parts of this work, the purchaser may make copies of those sections of this work displaying the footnote: “© 2020 EC Licensing Pty Ltd”, provided that: (a) the number of copies made does not exceed the number reasonably required by the purchaser for its teaching purposes; (b) those copies are only made by means of photocopying and are not further copied or stored or transmitted by any means; (c) those copies are not sold, hired, lent or offered for sale, hire or loan; and (d) every copy made clearly shows the footnote copyright notice.

All other rights reserved.

Developed by Eleanor Curtain Publishing

okapi educational publishing

Text: Kerrie Shanahan Consultant: Linda Hoyt Designed by Derek Schneider Printed in China through Colorcraft Ltd, Hong Kong Distributed in the USA by Okapi Educational Publishing Inc. Phone: 866-652-7436 Fax: 800-481-5499 Email: info@myokapi.com www.myokapi.com www.flying-start-to-literacy.com

Reading 3(6) (F) Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding.

3(6) (H) Synthesize information to create new understanding.

3(9) (E) Recognize characteristics and structures of argumentative text.

3(10) (A) Explain the author’s purpose and message within a text.

Writing 3(12) (C) Compose argumentative texts, including opinion essays, using genre characteristics and craft.

Speaking and Listening 3(6) (B) Generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information.