ALEX Lesson Plan

     

Going Batty

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  This lesson provided by:  
Author:Ashley McDaniel
System: College/University
School: University of North Alabama
  General Lesson Information  
Lesson Plan ID: 33413

Title:

Going Batty

Overview/Annotation:

In this activity, students will learn the characteristics of bats. The students will be able to see that different texts can present points in different ways. The introduction to the lesson will begin with a video clip of bats. They will listen to two stories one fiction and the other nonfiction. They will listen to learn the characteristics of bats from both stories. Students will turn and talk with a partner after each book to discuss characteristics they learned about bats. Once they have heard both stories they will complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the two books. Students will use a digital learning management system to publish their writing and share it with their classmates. They will have the chance to read other students' posts and reply back with meaningful text connections. This lesson would work well around Halloween.

 Associated Standards and Objectives 
Content Standard(s):
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
R6) Produce, review, and revise authentic artifacts that include multimedia using appropriate digital tools.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will create and edit multi-media projects with digital tools.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • video
  • audio
  • record
  • text
  • digital
  • multi-media
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • devices can record pictures, drawings, videos, audio and text.
  • programs and applications can organize and help you edit pictures, drawings, videos, audio, and/or text.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • type, record audio and video, and draw in a digital environment.
  • organize text, audio, video, and or drawings in a digital environment.
  • record their learning into a digital device using video, text, and/or pictures/drawings.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they can show what they have learned using a digital resource such as video, audio, text, and or pictures/drawings.
  • because the work has been done in a digital environment, it can be easier to edit.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
6) Demonstrate appropriate behaviors for communicating in a digital environment.

Example: netiquette.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will be kind in a digital environment.
  • will take turns in a digital environment.
  • will respect other's work in a digital environment.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • netiquette
  • respect
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to take turns in a digital environment.
  • that respectful behavior in a digital environment means acting kindly and respectfully and respecting other's work.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • transfer their knowledge of polite behavior to the digital environment.
  • take turns, speak/type respectfully, respect others work.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • being kind and respectful online is just as important as it is offline.
  • their online behavior is recorded.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
26. Compare and contrast important details presented by two texts on the same topic or theme.

a. Compare and contrast different versions of the same story by different authors, from different cultures, or from different points of view.

Examples: The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl

b. Compare and contrast story elements of literary texts.

Examples: characters, settings, sequence of events, plots
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
26.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Topic
  • Theme
26a.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Authors
  • Cultures
  • Points of view
26b.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Story elements
  • Literary texts
Knowledge:
26. Students know:
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
26a.
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
  • The same story can be told by different authors, can exist in different cultures, or can be told by different narrators.
26b.
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
  • Literary texts include common story elements.
Skills:
26. Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast important details after reading two texts that have a common theme or topic.
26a.
  • Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by different authors, from different cultures, or from different points of view.
  • For example, The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs or Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl.
26b.
  • Compare and contrast story elements in literary texts, such as characters, settings, sequence of events, and plots.
Understanding:
26. Students understand that:
  • Texts about the same topic or theme will have similarities and differences.
  • Comparing and contrasting texts with the same topic or theme will improve their overall comprehension of the texts.
26a.
  • Similarities and differences between the same stories can teach the reader about different cultures and explain different points of view.
26b.
  • Comparing and contrasting story elements of literary texts can improve their comprehension, or understanding, of the texts.

Local/National Standards:

 

Primary Learning Objective(s):

  1. Students will use both fiction and nonfiction texts and a video to gather information about bats.
  2. Students will discover the patterns and relationships among a variety of texts.
  3. Students will compare and contrast details in two texts using an online interactive Venn Diagram tool.
  4. Students will write a compare-and-contrast response to their reading using word processing software.
  5. Students will post and reply to a classmate's writing using text connections.
  6. Students will use appropriate behaviors when communicating with classmates digitally. 

Additional Learning Objective(s):

 
 Preparation Information 

Total Duration:

91 to 120 Minutes

Materials and Resources:

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Bats by Gail Gibbons

Notebook paper or journal

Venn Diagram

Technology Resources Needed:

Computer

Document camera

projector

YouTube Video: Bats by Night | Wild Detectives

Interactive Venn Diagram Tool | ReadWriteThink.org

Background/Preparation:

Students should be familiar with a Venn Diagram.

Students should be instructed on the use of Edmodo and accounts should be created.

  Procedures/Activities: 

1. Tell students they are going to go batty today. Tell students they will first watch a nonfiction video on bats to learn more about them. Tell them to listen for characteristics of bats they didn't know before the video. Show the nonfiction video Bats by Night | Wild Detectives.

2. Before reading tell students their reading purpose is to gather information about bats. Read aloud Stellaluna by Janell Cannon to the class. This book can be projected for students to choral read. Explain that the book is fiction or a 'made up' story.  Explain that we can often learn factual information by reading a fiction book. Explain that fiction books can have things that aren't factual, but they can also have some factual information as well.

3. Have students turn and talk with a partner about the information they heard that they know could be true because it was in the nonfiction video. Have students fold a sheet of paper in half and write Stellaluna on one side and Bats on the other. Have them write the information they gained under Stellaluna.

4. Explain to students that they are now going to listen to a nonfiction book or informational book about bats. Remind students their reading purpose is to gather characteristics of bats. Read aloud Bats by Gail Gibbons to the class. Have students turn and discuss with a partner the information they gained about bats from this book. Then have the students write down the information under Bats.

5. Allow students to turn and talk with a partner and discuss what was the same about both books and what was different. Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two books read aloud. They may refer back to their folded paper. Students can use the Interactive Venn Diagram Tool.

6. Students will transfer their Venn Diagram information to a written response on your preferred learning management platform. Remind students they should write in complete sentences telling at least 3 details that are different between the two books and at least 3 that are the same. Remind students to think about the characteristics of bats as they do this task and go back to the text as needed to see how bats are depicted.

7. After students have written their posts, they will read other students' posts and find one thing they didn't have in their post or something they found interesting and respond to the post accordingly using complete sentences.


  Assessment  

Assessment Strategies

An ongoing assessment will be conducted through teacher observation:

  • Are students able to discuss the characteristics of bats?
  • Are students able to record new information on the Venn Diagram?

  • Do students understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts? Can they explain how they both can be used for learning?

  • Are students able to transfer their Venn Diagram information to paragraph form?

Students will be assessed by comparing the two texts using this rubric.

 

Acceleration:

Students will create their own fictional story about bats.

Intervention:

Peer tutoring will be incorporated as students turn and talk with a partner.

A small group can be compiled and guided during the Venn Diagram activity.


View the Special Education resources for instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
Alabama State Department of Education