English Language Arts
Taken from EngageNY's website:
Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others: Biodiversity in Rainforests of the Western Hemisphere
This module—intended to be used in conjunction with a Social Studies unit about Latin America—features a close read of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World (1160L)* by Kathryn Lasky. This beautifully illustrated informational text describes the work of scientists documenting the biodiversity of rainforests. The specific literacy focus is on reading scientific and technical text as well as writing to inform and explain. In the first unit, students build basic background knowledge about the rainforest (particularly those of the Western Hemisphere), and begin to examine how scientists closely observe the natural world to then help them communicate their research through carefully organized and worded scientific text. Unit 2 focuses on a case study of Meg Lowman, the researcher featured in The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. Students then analyze the structure and function of scientific field guides and filed journals determining what quality field guides and journals look and sound like. Students research about a living thing that scientist Meg Lowman may encounter in the rainforest in her research and write with clear and effective word choice about their chosen insect of the rainforest. As the final performance task, students produce an informational report and then field journal–style pages intended for younger readers. This performance task centers on NYSP12 ELA CCSS RI.5.7, RI.5.9, W.5.2, W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.7, W.5.8, and W.5.9.
UNIT ONE
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE: HOW SCIENTISTS COMMUNICATE ABOUT THE LIVING THINGS OF THE RAINFOREST
In this first unit, students will explore the question: “What is unique about living things in the rainforest?” Students will begin by building background knowledge about unique living things in the rainforests and the scientists that study them. Students will also explore various forms of informational text as ways to communicate about rainforest scientists’ research. Students examine two types of informational texts, an interview and an article, for specific elements and how those elements inform the reader. During those close reads, students will also build their background knowledge about rainforests of the Western Hemisphere through a focus on vocabulary and finding the main idea. The mid-unit assessment will gauge students’ mastery of comprehending an interview as an informational text by answering text-dependent questions for a given new and unfamiliar interview of a scientist doing work in the rainforest. Students will continue to gain knowledge about living things in the rainforest and apply the skills learned to explore one more type of informational text, a video, in order to continue to develop an understanding of the biodiversity of the rainforest. Through further close reads, an introduction to notetaking, synthesis, and comparisons of these informational texts, students will begin to formulate an opinion on what types of informational texts, based on their specific features, made it easiest for them to learn about rainforests and why. Finally, the on-demand end of unit assessment will measure students’ ability to comprehend an unfamiliar informational text on rainforest biodiversity as well as write an opinion paragraph that states which text they consider most helpful based on its features and why.
UNIT TWO
CASE STUDY: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOF IN THE WORLD AND THE WORK OF RAINFOREST SCIENTIST MEG LOWMAN
In this unit students will continue to build new reading skills and learn about the process scientists use to conduct research in the natural world through a close-read of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy (L1160), by Kathryn Lasky, with photographs by Christopher G. Knight. They will take an in-depth view of how one scientist, Meg Lowman, became interested in her chosen career, created new ways to study the natural world, and communicates her findings to others. Students will compare and contrast Meg Lowman’s work to other rainforest scientists while navigating the terrain of various forms of informational text (articles, interviews, videos). The class also will read the short story “The Wings of a Butterfly,” fiction modeled after an indigenous tribe’s folktale of animal encounters with humans in the Amazon rainforest. This will allow the students further opportunity to practice fluency when reading as well as compare literature to informational text. For the mid-unit assessment, students will demonstrate skills learned for determining the meaning of new vocabulary and the main ideas in informational text through the completion of a textdependent short- answer quiz. In the end of unit assessment students will continue to demonstrate their ability to summarize, use quotes to explain the meaning of text, and determine the meaning of new words in context. In preparation for individual research to be conducted in Unit 3, the members of the class will hone in specifically on the research Meg Lowman did during extended stays in the canopy of the rainforest. Students will write an essay in which they analyze Lowman’s research of biodiversity in the rainforests, providing examples of what and how she researches in order to clarify their analysis.
UNIT THREE
READING AND WRITING LIKE A SCIENTIST: OBSERVING NATURE, CONDUCTING RESEARCH, AND CREATING A FIELD JOURNAL ENTRY
In this third unit, students will focus on the literacy skills that scientists need to use in order to take field notes, deepen their knowledge through research, and communicate information in writing. First, students will learn how to write field notes like a scientist, by observing carefully and writing precisely about their local natural environment. Then they will work within expert groups to conduct research on the insects found in the rainforest, taking notes from print and digital sources. The mid-unit assessment will gauge students’ mastery of note-taking skills: They will read and take notes on passages of unfamiliar informational text on a different rainforest species—the howler monkey. Students will then return to their focus on insects and will write narratives in the form of rainforest explorer’s field journal entries that incorporate their research notes on insects. This will be the unit’s final performance task. For the on-demand end of unit assessment, students will use the notes they took during the mid-unit assessment to create an additional field journal page on the howler monkey. (As an extension, students also may create a field guide to the local environment, drawing on their observations from nature and making parallels to the information they have gathered about the rainforest.)
Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others: Biodiversity in Rainforests of the Western Hemisphere
This module—intended to be used in conjunction with a Social Studies unit about Latin America—features a close read of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World (1160L)* by Kathryn Lasky. This beautifully illustrated informational text describes the work of scientists documenting the biodiversity of rainforests. The specific literacy focus is on reading scientific and technical text as well as writing to inform and explain. In the first unit, students build basic background knowledge about the rainforest (particularly those of the Western Hemisphere), and begin to examine how scientists closely observe the natural world to then help them communicate their research through carefully organized and worded scientific text. Unit 2 focuses on a case study of Meg Lowman, the researcher featured in The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. Students then analyze the structure and function of scientific field guides and filed journals determining what quality field guides and journals look and sound like. Students research about a living thing that scientist Meg Lowman may encounter in the rainforest in her research and write with clear and effective word choice about their chosen insect of the rainforest. As the final performance task, students produce an informational report and then field journal–style pages intended for younger readers. This performance task centers on NYSP12 ELA CCSS RI.5.7, RI.5.9, W.5.2, W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.7, W.5.8, and W.5.9.
UNIT ONE
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE: HOW SCIENTISTS COMMUNICATE ABOUT THE LIVING THINGS OF THE RAINFOREST
In this first unit, students will explore the question: “What is unique about living things in the rainforest?” Students will begin by building background knowledge about unique living things in the rainforests and the scientists that study them. Students will also explore various forms of informational text as ways to communicate about rainforest scientists’ research. Students examine two types of informational texts, an interview and an article, for specific elements and how those elements inform the reader. During those close reads, students will also build their background knowledge about rainforests of the Western Hemisphere through a focus on vocabulary and finding the main idea. The mid-unit assessment will gauge students’ mastery of comprehending an interview as an informational text by answering text-dependent questions for a given new and unfamiliar interview of a scientist doing work in the rainforest. Students will continue to gain knowledge about living things in the rainforest and apply the skills learned to explore one more type of informational text, a video, in order to continue to develop an understanding of the biodiversity of the rainforest. Through further close reads, an introduction to notetaking, synthesis, and comparisons of these informational texts, students will begin to formulate an opinion on what types of informational texts, based on their specific features, made it easiest for them to learn about rainforests and why. Finally, the on-demand end of unit assessment will measure students’ ability to comprehend an unfamiliar informational text on rainforest biodiversity as well as write an opinion paragraph that states which text they consider most helpful based on its features and why.
UNIT TWO
CASE STUDY: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOF IN THE WORLD AND THE WORK OF RAINFOREST SCIENTIST MEG LOWMAN
In this unit students will continue to build new reading skills and learn about the process scientists use to conduct research in the natural world through a close-read of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy (L1160), by Kathryn Lasky, with photographs by Christopher G. Knight. They will take an in-depth view of how one scientist, Meg Lowman, became interested in her chosen career, created new ways to study the natural world, and communicates her findings to others. Students will compare and contrast Meg Lowman’s work to other rainforest scientists while navigating the terrain of various forms of informational text (articles, interviews, videos). The class also will read the short story “The Wings of a Butterfly,” fiction modeled after an indigenous tribe’s folktale of animal encounters with humans in the Amazon rainforest. This will allow the students further opportunity to practice fluency when reading as well as compare literature to informational text. For the mid-unit assessment, students will demonstrate skills learned for determining the meaning of new vocabulary and the main ideas in informational text through the completion of a textdependent short- answer quiz. In the end of unit assessment students will continue to demonstrate their ability to summarize, use quotes to explain the meaning of text, and determine the meaning of new words in context. In preparation for individual research to be conducted in Unit 3, the members of the class will hone in specifically on the research Meg Lowman did during extended stays in the canopy of the rainforest. Students will write an essay in which they analyze Lowman’s research of biodiversity in the rainforests, providing examples of what and how she researches in order to clarify their analysis.
UNIT THREE
READING AND WRITING LIKE A SCIENTIST: OBSERVING NATURE, CONDUCTING RESEARCH, AND CREATING A FIELD JOURNAL ENTRY
In this third unit, students will focus on the literacy skills that scientists need to use in order to take field notes, deepen their knowledge through research, and communicate information in writing. First, students will learn how to write field notes like a scientist, by observing carefully and writing precisely about their local natural environment. Then they will work within expert groups to conduct research on the insects found in the rainforest, taking notes from print and digital sources. The mid-unit assessment will gauge students’ mastery of note-taking skills: They will read and take notes on passages of unfamiliar informational text on a different rainforest species—the howler monkey. Students will then return to their focus on insects and will write narratives in the form of rainforest explorer’s field journal entries that incorporate their research notes on insects. This will be the unit’s final performance task. For the on-demand end of unit assessment, students will use the notes they took during the mid-unit assessment to create an additional field journal page on the howler monkey. (As an extension, students also may create a field guide to the local environment, drawing on their observations from nature and making parallels to the information they have gathered about the rainforest.)