1. UNIT: CLOSE READING - FOSSILS 3 RD GRADE – Spanish Immersion Unit 3 – Assignment 3 Carol Ann Barry National City ETL – 684 – Differentiated Online Instruction July 27, 2013

2. English Language Arts Standards.-  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. Science Content Standards.- 3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept: d. Students know when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce; others die or move to new locations. e. Students know that some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth have completely disappeared and that some of those resembled others that are alive today.

3. Throughout this Unit:  Students will learn to use Close Reading to get a better comprehension of the article “A Snapshot in Time”.  Students will use a Web Quest to learn about fossils.  Students will relate Language Arts standards to Science Standards.  Students will create their own fossil.

4. Objectives.- Students will be able to:  Identify the purpose of Close Reading.  Predict the validity of statements made, based on the Article at hand with an Anticipation Guide.  Define, in their own words, what a fossil is and how it is formed.  State the main idea in the Article.  Consult a Web Quest to learn about Fossils. “Repeated readings make for better overall comprehension.”

5.  Students will learn the importance of Close Reading for deep comprehension when reading a text.  Students will watch a Video on fossils.  Students will be given an Article titled “A Snapshot in Time”.  Students will use an Anticipation Guide to make predictions about the content of the article on fossils.  Students will fill out a graphic organizer about the Main Idea of the Article.  Students will start working on a Web Quest. to learn about fossils.

6.  Students will watch a video on Close Reading and discuss with me why a same text must be read three times, the first for general understanding, the second for annotating and questioning, and the third for questioning and producing a written product.Close Reading  Students will watch a Video titled “Finding Purusaurus Fossils in the Amazon” (Username: wkreuder, password: teacher).Finding Purusaurus Fossils in the Amazon  Students will fill in the first column of an Anticipation Guide to make predictions about what they will learn (In-class work).  Students will read the Article “ A Snapshot in Time ” for the first time ( Username: beatriz.manriquez, password: deer). A Snapshot in Time  Students will write the Main Idea and four supporting details on a graphic organizer (In-class work).  Students will participate in a Discussion Board based on the Web Quest “Fossils”, after reading Steps 1 & 2 under The Student Process.Fossils

7. Practice Activities:  Students will practice vocabulary words from their Science Text and the Article on the computer through games. Assessments:  Observation and active participation in class.  Anticipation Guide.  Main Idea organizer.  Discussion Board based on Web Quest about Fossils.

8. In-class work is scaffolded by me to adapt to every student’s needs. The Video provides close caption if so desired. It also addresses auditory and visual learners. The Anticipation Guide statements can be read to them on the computer and is in English and Spanish. A hard copy is also available. The Article can be read to them on the computer and is in English and Spanish. A hard copy is also available. The students will be able to discuss about the purpose of Close Reading and the steps involved. I will record key concepts on a Chart. The Article “A Snapshot in Time”, can be found on Achieve 3000, in both English and Spanish, which helps low achievers and ELL students. (. The online games provide practice for all students. The Discussion Board gives all students a space to express themselves. High achievers will do a Digital Story of their fossil using “Myths and Legends”.Myths and Legends Links to important web sites will be given (Close Reading, Video, Article, Web Quest, and Digital Storytelling). Rubrics will be posted to aid students in realizing the expectations. Practice activities adjust to student’s abilities.

9. Objectives.- Students will be able to:  Identify the purpose of Close Reading.  Annotate the article “A Snapshot in Time”.  Indicate exactly where they find the evidence to answer the questions posed.  Create a Word Cloud with 5-10 vocabulary words they didn’t understand in the Article, together with a synonym for each one. “Annotating a text helps pinpoint words or ideas that need clarifying.”

10.  Students will learn the importance of annotating in Close Reading when reading a text.  Students will read the Article “A Snapshot in Time” a second time.  Students will create a Word Cloud with words they don’t understand, together with a synonym for each one.  Students will continue working with the Web Quest.  Students will practice formulating questions for Critical Thinking based on the Article, and the “Questions Starters”.

11.  Students will read the Article “A Snapshot in Time” and they will annotate it (in-class work).  Students will choose 5-10 words they don’t understand and find a synonym for each one. They will create a Word Cloud with them on “Wordle”.“Wordle”  Students will answer critical thinking questions and state exactly where they found the evidence to each answer (in-class work).  Students will continue working on their Web Quest “Fossils”, steps 3, 4, and 5 under The Student Process. They will participate in a Discussion Board.Fossils TEXT CODES ✓ for something known L for new learning ? or Q for a question ?? for confusion 2 for important information ! for exciting or surprising information R for a connection (Reminds me…)

12. Practice Activities:  Students will continue to practice vocabulary words from their Science Text and the Article on the computer through games. Assessments:  Word Cloud.  Verbal responses to questions, stating where they found the answers.  Participation in Discussion Board based on their readings in the Web Quest “Fossils”.

13. The Article can be read to them and is in English and Spanish. The students will be able to read about the purpose of Close Reading and the steps involved. The Article is presented in two options, one at 2 nd grade level, and the other at 3 rd grade level, which helps low achievers and ELL students. The Word Cloud provides practice for all students with words they choose and get to understand thanks to the synonyms they find for each one. The Discussion Board gives all students a space to express themselves. High achievers will continue with their Digital Story. Links to important web sites will be given (How to annotate, Question Starters). Rubrics will be posted to aid students in realizing the expectations. Early finishers may go on a “Sternberg Museum of Natural History” for a virtual tour of fossils from land and ocean.Sternberg Museum of Natural History Practice activities adjust to student’s abilities.

14. Objectives.- Students will be able to:  Identify the purpose of Close Reading.  Question words or ideas by formulating critical thinking questions, based on the article “A Snapshot in Time”.  Write a newspaper article or three journal entries by date about a fossil discovery.  Draw their fossil discovery to accompany their newspaper article or journal entries.  Confirm the validity of statements made, based on the Article at hand with an Anticipation Guide.  Create a real fossil in the classroom “Critical thinking questions and writing aid in deep understanding of a topic.”

15.  Students will learn the importance of questioning and writing in Close Reading.  Students will read the Article “A Snapshot in Time” a third and last time.  Students will formulate their own critical thinking questions based on the Article, and the “Questions Starters”.  Students will finish working on the Web Quest.  Students will write a newspaper article or three journal entries about a fossil discovery.  Students will create a drawing of the fossil they are writing about.  Students will create their own fossil to be found in 100 years.

16.  Students will read the Article “A Snapshot in Time” for the last time.  Students will formulate critical thinking questions to be answered by others on the Discussion Board.  Students will write a newspaper article or three journal entries about a fossil discovery (the same fossil they will create in class)  Students will draw the fossil they wrote about to include with their writing (in-class work).  Students will make their own fossil to be discovered in 100 years (in-class work).  Students will fill in the second column in the Anticipation Guide and discuss with a partner. (in-class work).  Students will finish working on the Web Quest, Step 7 based on their fossil discovery.  Students will take a Quiz on the information learned in the Web Quest.

17. Practice Activities:  Students will continue to practice vocabulary words from their Science Text and the Article on the computer through games. Assessments:  Questions they formulate.  Newspaper Article or Journal Entries.  Drawing of their fossil discovery.  The creation of their own fossil with a classroom item to be discovered in 100 years.  Participation in Discussion Board by answering the questions of others (partner work).  Option of Power Point or Digital Story.  Final Quiz.

18. The Article can be read to them and is in English and Spanish. The students will be able to read about the purpose of Close Reading and the steps involved. The Article is presented in two options, English and Spanish, which helps low achievers and ELL students. The critical thinking questions give the students many “question starters” for different levels. The Discussion Board gives all students a space to express themselves and this time the questions are posed by the students themselves. This is a partner activity. High achievers will finish their Digital Story or Power Point about the fossil they will be making in class. Links to important web sites will be given (How to write a newspaper article, how to write a journal entry, question starters). Practice activities adjust to student’s abilities. Rubrics will be posted to aid students in realizing the expectations. Early finishers may go on a “Virtual Dinosaur Dig” to understand the steps involved in finding and preserving fossils.Virtual Dinosaur Dig Early finishers can select between doing a Power Point Presentation or Digital Story about the fossil they made. (Pictures of each one will be taken by me).

19. Differentiation in Teaching is vital because the needs of all students must be met. Some of these groups of students include low achievers, English Language Learners, high achievers, students with different learning styles, and students with disabilities. Burden, P.R. & Byrd, D.M. (2010) state, “Differentiation can be achieved in three ways: 1) the content – the curriculum and the materials and approaches used for students to learn the content, 2) the process - the instructional activities or approaches used to help students to learn the curriculum, and 3 ) the products – the assessment vehicles through which students demonstrate what they have learned.” (p.60- 61). By differentiating the content, the process, and the products, we are certain that we are reaching each and every learner, but most importantly, we are providing each one with the personalized tools they need to be successful.

20.  Birt, R. (2002). The Martha Gesling Weber Reading Center. Fossils - A Web Quest for 3rd Grade. Retrieved from Fossils Web Quest. Fossils Web Quest  Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs. Retieved from Bloom’s Taxonomy.Bloom’s Taxonomy  Burden, P.R. & Byrd, D.M. (2010). Methods for Effective Teaching: Meeting the Needs of All Students. Pearson Custom Education. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.  Harvey, S. & Daniels, H. (2009). Comprehension Collaboration. Text Codes. Retrieved from Annotation Text Codes.Annotation Text Codes  McGraw-Hill Education. Close Reading and the Common Core Standards Part 1, an Interview with Douglas Fisher. (2013). Retrieved from Close Reading.Close Reading  Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Department of Paleobiology’s Virtual Dinosaur Dig. Retrieved from Dinosaur Dig. Dinosaur Dig  Sternberg Museum of National History. (2012). The Unofficial Virtual Tour. Retrieved from Earth and Ocean Fossils.Earth and Ocean Fossils