Jessica D'Auria
Grade: 3rd grade
Subject/Topic/Activity: Guided Reading: Readers Use Key Terms to Figure Out Text Structure: Compare and Contrast
CCSS: RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast using nonfiction texts.
Materials: Start Your Engines, National Geographic Kids: Cats vs. Dogs, iPad, Whiteboard, dry erase markers, pencil, and paper.
Procedure:
Introduction:
- Teacher will transition from writing to reading.
- Teacher will have students move from desks to carpets bringing their reading notebooks and a pencil with them.
- Teacher will discuss using comparing and contrasting methods. The teacher will go over signal words (like, same, different, different than, alike, both, but).
- Teacher will explain an author uses these words to compare and contrast information between sentences or paragraphs.
- Nonfiction writers often use compare and contrast to show how things are alike and different just like when we compared and contrasted characters in series books. We use the same clues in nonfiction writing
Body:
- Teacher will model process with Start Your Engines and create a Venn diagram of information.
- Teacher will read class the paper and highlight using the desk camera to highlight compare and contrast words and information.
- The teacher will then show the Venn diagram she created based off of the highlighted text.
- Teacher will then instruct the students to draw a blank Venn diagram on their papers and title it “Cats vs. Dogs”
- The teacher will then read the National Geographic Kids piece Cats vs. Dogs.
- The teacher will stop periodically and have students jot down ideas and discuss with partners differences and similarities. (Depending on time teacher may not read the whole book, just enough for students to understand the basics of comparing and contrasting)
Closure:
- Teacher will give students a few minutes to think to themselves and write down any comparisons they may have missed
- The teacher will then go over with students what they have written down. Teacher may make a large Venn diagram on board or just verbal discussion based on the amount of time left.
- Teacher will close lesson by reminding students that when they read non-fiction, like their country books, it could be useful to note similarities and differences they see in their books. Could be between clothing types, food dishes or even other countries.
- Students should look for: like, but, different than, same, alike, both. These words give a clue to what the author compares and contrasts. Ask yourself when reading what is the author trying to teach me? What things are being compared? How are items similar and different?
- Teacher will then have students put away notebooks and prepare themselves for lunch
Assessment:
- Teacher will base assessment based off of either the class discussion or class Venn diagram. This will be an informal assessment to see if they picked up on the cues of the signal words that are being taught. Teacher will pay attention to what students believe are being compared and contrasted and will also listen to students speaking to their partners. This will be another way to informally check if the students understand the compare and contrast ideas. If students appear to not be grasping the concept, the teacher may make a Venn diagram as they read along the text or instead of partner talk, guide a group discussion of materials.
Management and Transitions:
- The transitions will be from writing to reading. The students will begin this transition by switching from writing notebooks to reading notebooks. After this switch, they will transition from desks to the carpet. The teacher will do this by calling tables to the carpet based on how ready they look. Readiness will be based on how quiet the students are and how ready they look to move into instruction. After the lesson, the students will go back to their desks and put away their notebooks, they will transition either by gender or book bin number.
Differentiation:
- This lesson will be differentiated in a few ways. The first will be modeling. Students who understand compare and contrast as well as the use of Venn Diagrams will get a review while students who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with compare and contrast processes will get a detailed example of how the process works and what words and phrases to pull out in order to form comparisons. It will also be differentiated in the discussion. Whether it is partner discussion or group discussion, students who need more processing time to gather their thoughts and make the comparisons will have time to do so as well as hear ideas from partners. Students who firmly grasp the concept will be able to help others as well as understand information on their own. The debriefing afterwards using a Venn diagram or group discussion will allow all students to make sure they have all the information they would need as well as support and add to the pre-existing diagram students have.
Grade: 3rd grade
Subject/Topic/Activity: Guided Reading: Readers Use Key Terms to Figure Out Text Structure: Compare and Contrast
CCSS: RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast using nonfiction texts.
Materials: Start Your Engines, National Geographic Kids: Cats vs. Dogs, iPad, Whiteboard, dry erase markers, pencil, and paper.
Procedure:
Introduction:
- Teacher will transition from writing to reading.
- Teacher will have students move from desks to carpets bringing their reading notebooks and a pencil with them.
- Teacher will discuss using comparing and contrasting methods. The teacher will go over signal words (like, same, different, different than, alike, both, but).
- Teacher will explain an author uses these words to compare and contrast information between sentences or paragraphs.
- Nonfiction writers often use compare and contrast to show how things are alike and different just like when we compared and contrasted characters in series books. We use the same clues in nonfiction writing
Body:
- Teacher will model process with Start Your Engines and create a Venn diagram of information.
- Teacher will read class the paper and highlight using the desk camera to highlight compare and contrast words and information.
- The teacher will then show the Venn diagram she created based off of the highlighted text.
- Teacher will then instruct the students to draw a blank Venn diagram on their papers and title it “Cats vs. Dogs”
- The teacher will then read the National Geographic Kids piece Cats vs. Dogs.
- The teacher will stop periodically and have students jot down ideas and discuss with partners differences and similarities. (Depending on time teacher may not read the whole book, just enough for students to understand the basics of comparing and contrasting)
Closure:
- Teacher will give students a few minutes to think to themselves and write down any comparisons they may have missed
- The teacher will then go over with students what they have written down. Teacher may make a large Venn diagram on board or just verbal discussion based on the amount of time left.
- Teacher will close lesson by reminding students that when they read non-fiction, like their country books, it could be useful to note similarities and differences they see in their books. Could be between clothing types, food dishes or even other countries.
- Students should look for: like, but, different than, same, alike, both. These words give a clue to what the author compares and contrasts. Ask yourself when reading what is the author trying to teach me? What things are being compared? How are items similar and different?
- Teacher will then have students put away notebooks and prepare themselves for lunch
Assessment:
- Teacher will base assessment based off of either the class discussion or class Venn diagram. This will be an informal assessment to see if they picked up on the cues of the signal words that are being taught. Teacher will pay attention to what students believe are being compared and contrasted and will also listen to students speaking to their partners. This will be another way to informally check if the students understand the compare and contrast ideas. If students appear to not be grasping the concept, the teacher may make a Venn diagram as they read along the text or instead of partner talk, guide a group discussion of materials.
Management and Transitions:
- The transitions will be from writing to reading. The students will begin this transition by switching from writing notebooks to reading notebooks. After this switch, they will transition from desks to the carpet. The teacher will do this by calling tables to the carpet based on how ready they look. Readiness will be based on how quiet the students are and how ready they look to move into instruction. After the lesson, the students will go back to their desks and put away their notebooks, they will transition either by gender or book bin number.
Differentiation:
- This lesson will be differentiated in a few ways. The first will be modeling. Students who understand compare and contrast as well as the use of Venn Diagrams will get a review while students who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with compare and contrast processes will get a detailed example of how the process works and what words and phrases to pull out in order to form comparisons. It will also be differentiated in the discussion. Whether it is partner discussion or group discussion, students who need more processing time to gather their thoughts and make the comparisons will have time to do so as well as hear ideas from partners. Students who firmly grasp the concept will be able to help others as well as understand information on their own. The debriefing afterwards using a Venn diagram or group discussion will allow all students to make sure they have all the information they would need as well as support and add to the pre-existing diagram students have.