Lesson Plans for EXTREME ANIMALS level K

Text Type:
Fiction / Informational

Reading Level:
K

Word Count:
438

Pages:
14

Text Summary
In Extreme Animals, readers can discover why a flamingo is pink and what animal lives the longest. This is an informational text containing many fun facts about animals. After reading this book, children will be able to share amazing facts about the richly varied animal kingdom with their friends and family.

Suggested Lesson Focus
The following skills are suggested for the lesson focus and strategies will be provided for these skills throughout the lesson. Most likely, other skills will be addressed in the course of reading and discussing the book.

Comprehension
Main Idea and Supporting Details

Phonics
Short and Long Vowels

Word Work
Opposites

Mechanics/Word Structure
Possessives

Visual Learning
Visual learning is a very important comprehension strategy. Model this strategy through teacher think aloud, sharing with children what you see in your mind as you read through the text. Have children discuss their impressions of each animal as they look through the book for the first time in the Book Walk section of this lesson. Explain that the photographs will help them understand what is going on in the text.

Targeted Vocabulary Words
High Utility Words
long, much, your, than

Content Words
reptiles, creatures, mammals, quietest, loudest

Before Reading

Introducing the Book
Write the title on the board and ask: What does the word extreme mean? Show children the covers of the book and the title page. Have children tell you what they notice on the title page that is different from the front cover (author, illustrator, pictures). Explain that the title page always tells the reader the names of the author and illustrator, if there is one. Point out that some books do not have illustrations.

Building Background
Ask questions to help children brainstorm what they know about some tall animals, fast animals, slow animals, big animals, and small animals. Make connections to any other text that the class may have read comparing animals.

Book Walk
Take a book walk, having children comment on each picture. Ask: What is this a photograph of? What is the animal doing? Where do you think the animal lives? Would you like to be this animal?

Setting the Purpose
Say: The purpose for reading today is for enjoyment and to listen for interesting facts about animals. Be sure to listen for your favorite animal and tell me what you have picked once we have read the book.
Giving children a focus as they read increases comprehension and retention. If they are looking for something specific, they will be paying attention to the content rather than simply reading the words. This will be followed up in the After Reading section of this lesson.

During Reading

Model Reading
Provide a copy of the book to each child. Direct them to read silently or quietly to themselves. Tell those that finish before others, to reread the book or to think about what they have read in order to respond to the purpose you set before the reading.

After Reading

Have children gather as a group and share their favorite part of the book. Ask: Did you enjoy the book? Why? Have children tell you what their favorite animal was. If you like, you can do this by writing each animal’s name on the board. By a show of hands, have children vote for their favorite animal. Write the number of votes next to the name of the animal.

Building Skills

Phonics
Long and Short Vowel Sounds
All vowel letters have more than one sound associated with them. Draw a two-column chart on the board. Write Short Vowel Sounds at the top on the left and Long Vowel Sounds at the top on the right. Write the words fat/fate, met/meet, Tim/time, pot/poke, and tub/tube in the appropriate columns. Have children say these words. Have volunteers come up with other examples. Give children the vowel worksheet to complete, leaving the chart on the chalkboard for reference.

Word Work
Have children look through the text to find the opposites. Make a list of opposites on the chalkboard. Have children brainstorm their own favorite opposite words and incorporate them in the list. Have children add the words to their word notebooks. Word notebooks are spiral notebooks or any type of notepad in which children write new vocabulary words.

Mechanics/Grammar
Discuss how the apostrophe s shows ownership. Write the following words on the board: whale’s, lizard’s, father’s, cricket’s, eagle’s, ostrich’s. Have children say a sentence using each word, for example—The whale’s tail made a big splash. Ask children how else they can express ownership. To help them think of ownership words, say: This is ________ shirt. These are ________ shoes. Point to children’s clothing or your own to demonstrate as you read the sentences.

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
Have children write a story about their favorite animal from the text. They should include the animal’s eating habits, traits, and a story line that the child will enjoy writing about. Encourage children to use apostrophe s to show ownership when writing.

Science Connection
Invite a zoologist or veterinarian to speak to the class about animals. Make sure you have a lot of time for the guest speaker and that children have at least one question each they would like to ask the guest speaker. You can also bring in a few books about zoos for children to look through. You can also read several animal books to the class for an entire unit of study. You can adapt this lesson for other factual animal books, substituting the activities.

Reading Independently
Have children read the book independently or with a partner. You can also encourage them to read other books of their choice at the appropriate level. If you like, you can have children find comfortable places around the room to feel like it is more their own reading experience.


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