Learning literacy strategies through geography in India You need to have on your desk: Sticky notes Pencil

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Common Core State Standards Learning Targets Learning Target Common Core State Standards Evidence of Learning Literacy: Students will be able to integrate information presented in different media/formats to develop an understanding of a topic. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7 Students will make a hand that has the topic of which they observed and read with five pieces of evidence from the texts. Social Studies: Students will understand the diverse geography of India. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH-6.8.2 Students will share with their hands with group members and discuss the geography of India.

Why is this important? Be conscious of what you are reading Familiarizing yourself with a style Become better writers As we learn about India and India’s geography you will need to know how to find the topic of a text. Many of you do this already without knowing what you are doing. Today, I want you to be conscious of what you are reading in order to pull out the main topic and think about how the text supports that topic. By doing this, you will be preparing for writing your own essays in the future. This may seem weird but you are becoming familiar with what you will be doing in your near future which is going to make it so much easier for you! And when I designed my lesson for today I had to create a main idea and figure out the supporting details. Much of what we do is centered around a main idea and supporting that main idea. Right now, turn to your table partner and share with them the best food you have ever eaten and what about that food makes it the best. Wait 2 minutes. What was the main topic? What were the supporting details? Call on students. That’s right, the food is the main topic and the why are the supporting details. I just want you guys to be conscious of what you are reading and what authors are telling you. So for now, let’s start small and read for the main idea and see if we can see how the author supports his/her main idea.

Turn & Talk What is the best food you have eaten? What makes it the best food that you have eaten?

Let’s begin! I do, We do, You do

I DO

I DO The Deccan Plateau is a triangle-shaped area between two mountain ranges in southern India. A plateau is an elevated, or raised, area of land that is flatter than a mountain. The plateau has different kinds of land. In the flatter parts, large granite rocks formed by volcanoes cover the land. These rocks are among the world’s oldest, dating back more than 600 million years. The hillier parts of the plateau have thin forests and low, scrubby bushes. The plateau is fairly dry. There are a few rivers, but the monsoon rains provide most of the water. The soil on the plateau is black, yellow, or red. The black soil is rich in iron and good for growing cotton. The yellow and red soils are missing important minerals. Farmers have a hard time growing plants in them.

WE DO

WE DO The massive Thar Desert in northern India is mostly sand and stone. Huge, rolling sand dunes stretch for hundreds of miles. The landscape is littered with rocks. There is very little plant life except for grass and low, hardy shrubs. Most of the time, the heat is unbearable. Water is a precious resource in the desert. There is evidence of dried-up riverbeds near the desert’s borders, but there are no rivers now. Rain is rare, although the monsoons occasionally bring a soothing storm. The dry conditions make dust storms common. A variety of animals and birds make their home in the desert. There are more than 45 kinds of lizards and snakes. Gazelles lope across the sand. Birds include quail, ducks, and geese.

YOU DO Look at the photographs you were given. Jot down notes for the following questions: What do you see? What can we know about the geography of India? What is the “topic” of the photographs? What aspects convey the topic?

YOU DO Read the accompanying text and take notes on anything that stands out to you, then answer the following questions? What do you see? What can we know about the geography of India? What is the “topic” of the text? What evidence is there for the topic in the text?

Show me what you know Read the assigned text. On a post-it, write the topic after reading the text On the palm of one side write your main idea. Reread your text and find descriptions/supporting details/evidence for your main idea On the same side as the main idea, write one descriptions/supporting details/evidence per finger.

Show me what you know On the opposite side, make a design that represents your main idea and is in the style of mehndi tattoos. When finished, go over design with either a brown marker, pencil, or crayon and over words with black marker or pencil. Write your name under your topic. Share your hand with your tablemates.

Show me what you know Fold your hand making a crease at the palm of the hand (folding at the forearm and hand; see example). Glue all hands from group onto one poster (putting glue on folded forearm; see example).