LESSON 23 TEACHER S GUIDE Life Among the Redwoods by Barbara A. Roenz Fountas-Pinnell Level S Informational Text Selection Summary The Redwood Forest is alive with many different types of creatures, from birds to cougars. These creatures are all part of a food chain, meaning they depend on each other for survival. Number of Words: 1,410 Characteristics of the Text Genre Informational text Text Structure Seven short chapters about different kinds of animals Content Animals in the redwood forest Species interdependency for survival The food chain Themes and Ideas There are wondrous creatures in the redwood forest. Each animal is an important link in the food chain. Language and Descriptive words in italics Literary Features Pronunciation guides Sentence Complexity A mix of short and complex sentences Multiple items in a series Questions and exclamations Vocabulary Many wildlife terms: salamanders, peregrine falcon, bobcats Words Many multisyllable words such as slithering, invertebrate, environment Illustrations Color photographs with captions Book and Print Features Twelve pages of text, photographs or graphic features on most pages Map, charts, diagram Table of contents 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30607-0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited. Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format. 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 1 11/4/09 11:23:52 PM
Life Among the Redwoods by Barbara A. Roenz Build Background Help students use their knowledge about forests to visualize the sequence of events. Build interest by asking questions, such as the following: What types of animals live in a forest? In what way do animals depend on each other for food? Remind students that this is an informational text about life in a redwood forest. Introduce the Text Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so that they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions: Pages 3 4: Explain that this nonfi ction text provides information about life in the redwood forest, which is found on the North American continent. Have students look at the map on page 3. Discuss with students possible reasons why the forest has declined. Page 4: Read the last sentence on page 4. Ask: What other animals do you know of that migrate from one place to another? Pages 6 7: Point out the sidebar about a large woodpecker. Explain that the author includes various bird sounds in italics. Suggested language: Why might the author have chosen to include the birds sounds in this way? Pages 13 14: Review with students the purpose of graphic organizers, such as the charts found on pages 13 and 14. Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to fi nd out about the various creatures found in the redwood forest. Target Vocabulary civilized advanced and has reasonable laws, p. 11 continent one of the main landmasses on Earth, p. 4 customs traditions and common ways of behaving in a society, p. 11 dense parts packed together closely, p. 3 evaporate becomes a gas, p. 3 independent don t rely on something, p. 9 moisture tiny drops of water in the air or on a surface, p. 5 opportunities chances for a person to do something, p. 6 resources an available supply of something that can be used when needed, p. 9 shallow not deep, p. 3 2 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 2 12/17/09 10:55:39 AM
Read Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their problem solving and fluency as needed. Remind students to use the Monitor/Clarify Strategy text and to notice what they find confusing and ways to understand it. as they read the Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal Response Invite students to share their personal responses to the story. Suggested language: Why is it important for people to try and protect the animals of the redwood forest? What might happen if one of the links in a food chain disappeared? Ways of Thinking As you discuss the text, help students understand these points: Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text There are many types of animals found in the redwood forest. Each species in a forest depend on one another for survival. The links of a food chain are necessary for the survival of each member. There are many wondrous creatures found in the redwood forest. Each animal is an important link in the food chain. 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. The vivid photographs increase the clarity of the text. The photographs include captions to help further explain the text. The graphic features provide additional information not found in the main body of text. Choices for Further Support Fluency Invite students to choral read a passage from the text and demonstrate phrased fl uent reading. Remind them to vary tone, pitch, and volume to attract and hold their listeners attention. Comprehension Based on your observations of the students reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas. Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Explain to students that most words have different forms. For example, the word civilized (p. 11) is an adjective. The word civilization is a noun. Another example is continent (p. 4), which is a noun. However, the word continental is an adjective. Have students use a dictionary to look up the various forms of the other vocabulary words. 3 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 3 11/4/09 11:23:57 PM
Writing about Reading Have students complete the questions on BLM 23.8. Responding Have students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill. Target Comprehension on Skill Text and Graphic Features Have students examine how the text and pictures work together. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a Think Aloud like the one below: Think Aloud Fill in the chart to show the information provided in both the text and graphic features and how this information is connected. For example, on page 5, the caption is an example of a text feature. It tells more about the photo. Write this example in your graphic organizer along with its purpose. Continue in this way for other text and graphic features in the story. Practice the Skill Have students share an example of other text and graphic features in the selection. Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text Have students write a response to the writing prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings. Assessment Prompts Complete the following sentence in your own words. The author organizes the selection by. Which sentences on page 14 help the reader understand what food chain means? What is this selection mainly about? 4 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 4 11/5/09 12:03:03 AM
English Language Development Reading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the story softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that the redwood forest is home to numerous creatures. Cognates The text includes many cognates. Point out the English words and their Spanish equivalents: civilized (civilizado), continent (continente), dense (denso), evaporate (evaporar), independent (independiente), and resource (recurso). Oral Language Development Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students English proficiency. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student. Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced Speaker 1: What is this story about? Speaker 2: animals in the redwood forest Speaker 1: What is a predator? Speaker 2: an animal that hunts other animals Speaker 1: What is a producer? Speaker 2: something that produces its own energy Speaker 1: What are different layers of the redwood forest? Speaker 2: The canopy is the top layer and the understory is the bottom layer. Speaker 1: Why are bears considered the top predators in the forest? Speaker 2: Bears are the top predators because nothing hunts them. Speaker 1: Why was the American bald eagle taken off the endangered species list? Speaker 2: The American bald eagle was taken off the list because more of them started to appear. Name Date Lesson 23 BLACKLINE MASTER 23.8 Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown. Life Among the Redwoods 1. Think within the text Name two animals that live in the redwood forest. The Stellar s jay and the bald eagle live in the redwood forest. 2. Think within the text Why do only a few insects live in redwood forests? Few insects live there because redwood trees make a harsh chemical insects avoid. 3. Think beyond the text Each creature has a place in the food chain. What would happen if an animal in the chain died out? The chain would not work as well if an animal in the food chain died out. Other animals that depend on the animal that died out for food might also disappear. 4. Think about the text Study the food chain diagram on page 14 carefully. Where would people fit in the food chain? Why doesn t the author include people in the diagram? People are tertiary consumers. People would be at the top of the food chain. The author does not show people on this graphic because people don t live in the forest. This article is mostly about plants and animals that live in the redwoods. Making Connections Many different plants and animals make up the ecosystem of a redwood forest. Describe the ecosystem where you live. Write your answer in your Reader s Notebook.. All rights reserved. 10, Unit 5: Change Is All Around 5 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 5 1/12/10 1:36:15 AM
Name Date Life Among the Redwoods Thinking Beyond the Text Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two paragraphs. Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings. On page 3, the caption under the map says: Sadly, redwood forests have greatly declined along the Pacific coastline. What do you think are some of the reasons that the redwood forests might have declined? Why do you think it is so important to protect the redwood forests against further decline? Use details from the selection in your response. 6 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 6 7/28/09 4:16:55 PM
Name Date Lesson 23 BLACKLINE MASTER 23.8 Read and answer the questions. Life Among the Redwoods 1. Think within the text Name two animals that live in the redwood forest. 2. Think within the text Why do only a few insects live in redwood forests? 3. Think beyond the text Each creature has a place in the food chain. What would happen if an animal in the chain died out? 4. Think about the text Study the food chain diagram on page 14 carefully. Where would people fit in the food chain? Why doesn t the author include people in the diagram? Making Connections Many different plants and animals make up the ecosystem of a redwood forest. Describe the ecosystem where you live. Write your answer in your Reader s Notebook. 7 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 7 7/28/09 4:16:56 PM
Student Date Animals of the Redwood Forest LEVEL S Lesson 23 BLACKLINE MASTER 23.14 Animals of the Redwood Forest Running Record Form page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections 11 The redwood forest has bigger animals that are also important to the forest. Elk and deer are herbivores, or plant-eaters. They eat grass and leaves in the forest s middle layer, or understory. Cougars and black bears hunt these animals. The cougar is a big, tan member of the cat family. It purrs, growls, and hisses. Sometimes it whistles like a bird! It is also called a mountain lion, puma, or panther. It weighs between 75 and 250 pounds and can be 9 feet long. It can jump 18 feet into a tree and jump onto its prey from 30 feet away. Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/102 100) % Total Self- Corrections Behavior Code Error Read word correctly cat 0 Repeated word, sentence, or phrase Omission cat 0 cat 1 Behavior Code Error Substitution cut cat 1 Self-corrects cut sc cat 0 Insertion the 1 Word told T 1 cat 1413999 8 Lesson 23: Life Among the Redwoods 4_306070_OL_LRTG_L23_lifeamongredwoods.indd 8 7/28/09 4:16:56 PM