LESSON FIVE: Retell events
Using non-fiction resources, practice retelling events associated with nature. Focus on a tree, a monarch butterfly, a frog, or other text to support the life cycle concept.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
R3C Use details from the text to retell sequence of events
W1A Use a simple graphic organizer in prewriting with/without assistance.
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Sources of Literature
o None
§ Supplies
o Non-fiction texts on life cycles, science books, magazines, posters and charts that reflect life cycles
o A finished flip-book for example
o Pieces of construction paper cut like a lily pad with one part of the life cycle of a frog written on each pad. (This could be done after using the website suggested or reading from a text.)
§ Handouts provided
o Nature Detective graphic organizer
§ Words to know
o graphic organizer
o nonfiction
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Students create a flip-book that shows a nature subject life cycle. Scoring guide provided.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Tell students they are nature detectives. Review how a detective finds information. Refer to the Detective Skills handout.
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Questions for Students |
Remember the strategies used by a detective. Can you name them? I can ask questions to help find information. What would be a question to learn about snakes? What keyword could help find information about a horse’s diet? |
2. Draw students attention to the bottom of the chart—the strategies for handling information used by detectives. Detectives keep their information straight. A good detective always:
3. Use non-fiction texts such as science books, magazines, posters, and charts that reflect life cycles. Stress the importance of retelling in proper sequence especially in nature because most things in nature have a cycle. As you refer to life cycle charts, text, website or the Monarch Butterfly handout from Lesson One, point out the exact pattern that must be retold.
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Idea |
The website http://www.tooter4kids.com/Frogs/life_cycle_of_frogs.htm shows the cycle of a frog. Four students, holding hands, make a circle to retell the life cycle. |
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Idea |
The website http://www.allaboutbutterflies.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/lifecycle.shtml shows the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. Return the student copy of the Monarch Butterfly handout from Lesson One. Locate headings that inform about a Monarch life cycle. |
4. Students produce a flip-book showing the life cycle of a monarch butterfly.
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Strategy |
Making a flipbook, students fold a piece of manila paper “hot dog style” (lengthwise) and then open up and cut the top side into four equal sections just to the fold. The teacher may make copies using the My Life Cycle Flipbook handout. On the front, students write the stage of the life cycle starting with the egg. They open the flap and draw a picture of that stage. They continue through four stages using the “My Graphic Organizer About” handout from Lesson Three, and other resources. |
Flip Book Scoring Guide
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3 points---4 stages of life cycle are correct 2 points---3 stages of the life cycle are correct 1 points---2 stages of the life cycle are correct 1 point-----1 stage of the life cycle is correct
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Idea |
The Nature Detective graphic organizer may be used to assess the strategies of the research detective. |