Reading Level:
K

Word Count:
453

Pages:
16 

Text Summary
People have been flying kites for many years and have used them in a variety of ways. This informative text shows the many uses of kites, as well as giving readers directions on how to make their own kite. 

Lesson Objectives

Reading Strategies
Students should use a variety of strategies to determine word meaning and comprehend text. The target strategy for this lesson is: making connections between what they read and what they already know. 

Word and Print Skills
Phonics
CVCe long vowel pattern
Grammar
Nouns
Word Work
Time and order words 

Targeted Vocabulary Words
kite(bird), invented, legend, fort, instruments, parafoil, parachutes, bridle
These are difficult words that students will encounter in the text. You may want to review and discuss these words and have students add them to the classroom word wall or dictionary. 

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as students work to understand the text. The target comprehension strategy for this lesson is: understand the features of a procedural text. 

Before Reading

Introduce the Book
Show students the cover photo and have them read the title to make predictions about the main idea or topic.
Ask: What do you see on the cover? What do you think this book is about? What do the illustrations tell you about the kind of text this is? What else can you guess from the illustrations or title? 

Build Background
Involve students in a discussion about kites to elicit prior knowledge and build background.
Ask and say: How many of you have flown a kite? Tell us what it was like. Where do you think the very first kites came from? Have you ever made a kite? 

Book Walk
Give students their copies of the book, and go through as much of the book as you feel is necessary. Point out things you feel will challenge students when they read. Look at the pictures with students and discuss what they see. You may want to write down some of the words they suggest. 

Read the introduction together with students. Ask them if reading the introduction has changed their idea of what the book is about. 

Reading Strategies
Remind students to use any or all of the following strategies to help them in their reading:

• Ask themselves: Does it make sense? Does it sound right? Does it look right?
• Reread any sentence or page that was difficult, to make sure they understand the text
• Use what they know about letters and sounds to read new words
• Connect the text with what they already know

Discuss how connecting information in the text to what they already know can help them understand the text.
Say: We talked about kites and what we know about them. Some of you have had lots of experience with kites. Do you think it might be easier to read a book about a topic that you know a little bit about? How can this help you better understand the text? 

During Reading

Student Reading
Have students whisper-read the book independently. Tell students you want them to pay attention to the different parts of the book and think about the purpose of each part.
You may suggest they read through the book once, and then read it again. If the book is being used as a consumable, you may have students mark or highlight words that were difficult or places where they have questions. 

After Reading

Reflect on Reading Strategies
Discuss with students the strategies they used while they were reading.
Ask and say: Were there any words you had trouble with? What strategies did you use to work them out? Did you use what you know about letters and sounds to work out some new words? Show me a word that you were able to sound out. Did you find that knowing a little about kites helped you read the book? 

Comprehending the Text
Discuss the two types of text included in the book.
Ask: How is this book organized? What is the purpose of the first part of the text? (provides the reader with information or facts about kites) What were some facts you learned about kites from this part of the book? What is the purpose of the second part of the text? (describes how to make a kite) How does the text look different in the two parts? (The report is organized in paragraphs with headings. The procedural text is a list of steps to follow.) How do you know what to do first when you make a kite? What do you notice about the type of verbs in the procedural text? (They are command verbs, telling the reader to do something.)  

Give students worksheet 1 and tell them you want them to use the procedural text in the book as a model to write a procedure of their own. Review what information is needed when giving directions: a title, the materials needed, and the steps written in order. Help them brainstorm ideas of something simple they know how to do, for example, How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich. 

Building Skills

Phonics
CVCe long vowel pattern
Write the word kite on the board and ask students what vowel sound they hear in the word. Point out that the e in the word is silent. Write the word kit on the board and ask students what vowel sound they hear in this word. Explain that in the kite vowel pattern, where there is a consonant and a vowel followed by a consonant and a final e, the vowel often has the long sound. Write these examples on the board, and have students identify the long and short vowels: cap/cape; rat/rate; bit/bite; mop/mope; rob/robe; can/cane. Ask students to think of other examples of CVCe long vowel words. Record these on the board. Write C, V, C, and e over the appropriate letters of each word. 

Grammar
Nouns
Explain that nouns are words that name a person, place, thing, quality, or idea. Have students make a list of nouns from the text. Record on cards the nouns that students find in the text. Then explain the different categories of nouns and provide an example of each type.
Say: Nouns can be sorted into different types. Common nouns name general things, like paper or pencils. These are also called concrete nouns because we can hold or touch them. Proper nouns name specific people or places, like New York or Mr. Smith. Collective nouns name groups, like army and team. Abstract nouns name ideas or qualities, like happiness or anger.
Record types of nouns on a chart and provide an example for each one. Have students sort the cards into the types of nouns. 

Give students worksheet 2 and have them categorize the nouns. 

Word Work
Time and order words
Explain how time and order words are used in a text. Write an example sentence on the board and use it to show how these words are used. The sentence might be, After lunch, Laura went to the park.
Say and ask: Many words help us know the time or order in which things happen. For example, in this sentence, which word tells me when Laura went to the park? (after) Let’s look through the text and find the words that help us understand when things happen or the order in which they happen.
Make a list of words suggested by students. Point out the order words in the procedural part of the text. Ask: What would happen if we didn’t do things in the order presented in the text?

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
As a group, write a haiku about kites. Provide an example of a haiku. Point out that a haiku has 17 unrhymed syllables organized into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Write a sample haiku or use the following example:
(5 syllables) Flying high above
(7 syllables) Swimming in a sky so blue
(5 syllables) Dipping and diving
Have students brainstorm words that could describe how kites look and move. Then have them create the haiku while you record it on the board. Ask students to provide descriptive words. Have students edit the poem to determine if they have included the right number of syllables. Then have students try to write their own haiku about kites. Students can cut out kite-shaped paper on which to write the poems. 

Science Connection
Read books about how kites are made, materials that are used, and the dynamics of flight. Have students try making different designs and evaluating which designs fly best. Have students first hypothesize how different designs will affect flight, and then have them experiment to test their hypotheses. 

Math Connection
Use the measurements in the procedural text to teach a unit on length conversion, changing the measurements from inches to feet, yards, centimeters, and meters. 

Reading Independently
Invite students to reread the book independently or with a partner. Have students share their poems from the Writing Connection with each other.

Home Connection
Invite students to take the book home to read with their families. Have them share their Writing Connection poems with a family member. 

Assessment

• Monitor students’ responses in the Comprehending the Text section to assess how well they understand the purpose of each part of the book. Note if they can compare the features of a report and a procedural text. Review their completed worksheets to assess if they can create a procedural text. Note if they use language appropriate to a procedural text, such as time order words and imperative verbs.
• Monitor reading to see if students are using effective reading strategies. Listen to their comments during the Reflect on Reading Strategies section to determine what strategies they use.
• Assess their knowledge of nouns by reviewing the completed worksheet 2.