NCDPI – AIG Instructional Resource: Background Information

Resource Title: Synthesizing Information
Subject Area/Grade Level (s): ELA Grade 1 / Time Frame: Three 45 minute class periods
Common Core/Essential Standard Addressed:
RI.1. 8 Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
W.1. 1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name of the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
Additional Standards Addressed:
L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
·  Capitalize dates and names of people,
·  Use end punctuation for sentences.
·  Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.
·  Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
·  Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
Brief Description of Lesson/Task/Activity: Using the DPI online graphic organizer for synthesizing information found at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/standards/common-core-tools/organizers/ela/synthesizing.pdf, students will identify the reasons the author of the article “Garden Helpers” provides to support his point that not all garden creatures are pests. The students will fill out a graphic organizer to show evidence that some creatures are helpful, and then they will fill out another organizer to show that some are harmful. After identifying the reasons in the text, the students will write a summary opinion on the organizer, drawing upon other resources for further information and investigation. After completing both organizers, AIG students will synthesize the information about helpful and harmful garden creatures in order to write an explanatory/informative report on living creatures in the garden.
Type of Differentiation for AIGs (include all that apply): x Enrichment x Extension x Acceleration
Adaptations for AIGs: Content x Process x Product
Explanation of How Resource is Appropriate for AIGs: Synthesizing information requires the higher level thinking that is most appropriate for AIG students. Furthermore, since students will use this information to write an opinion piece, they will not only identify the reasons the author gives to support points in a text, they will also have to describe how the reasons support specific points the author makes in text. Describing how the reasons support specific points is the reading standard objective for second grade, RI.2.8, making this an accelerated learning objective for first grade.
Acceleration is appropriate for AIG learners because they are often ready for the next set of skills for a grade or more above their current grade due to mastery of grade level skills. AIG students benefit from the accelerated content and process based upon academic readiness.
Needed Resources/Materials:
·  “Garden Helpers” article, National Geographic Kids Magazine (website reference below)
·  Synthesizing Information Graphic Organizer, DPI online instructional tool support resource- two copies per student
·  Additional library books, websites and nature magazines about insects, bugs and “creepy crawlers” for students to look through for more information about helpful and harmful garden creatures
Sources :
·  “Garden Helpers” (2009) Retrieved July 8, 2012, from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngyoungexplorer/0909/readstory.html
·  “Synthesizing Information Graphic Organizer “(2012) Retrieved July 8,2012, from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/standards/common-core-tools/organizers/ela/synthesizing.pdf
TEACHER NOTES: NA


NCDPI AIG Curriculum Resource Outline

STAGE ONE: ENGAGE
Day One
Hook: Say: “What are bugs? Have you ever killed a bug and thought to yourself “I got ‘em!?” Have you ever seen a scary-looking bug and wanted to run away from it? Do you swat flies, kill mosquitoes, squash spiders, or step on roaches? Do your parents buy fly bait, mosquito spray, insect repellent products and hire exterminators?” (the students will raise their hands if these questions apply to them). “You are not alone if you said yes to these questions. Most people dislike bugs and creepy crawlers and think of them as pests.”
Prior Knowledge: Continue with this line of questioning: “Do you think all bugs are pesky and bothersome? Do you think we should get rid of all bugs? Why or why not? Could we get rid of all of them? What do you know about bugs and their role in the world?” Note what students say by writing their responses on the board.
Instructional Input: The students most likely will respond that not all bugs are pests and that we could never get rid of all of the bugs in our world. The teacher will now tell the students that today they will view an on-line article from the National Geographic Kids website entitled “Garden Helpers.” (see resources) Ask the students to predict what they think the article will be about. Write these predictions on the board. Next tell the students that they will read the text to find out about how bugs can be pests or helpers. Can they predict any that will be named as pests, or as helpers? Use a graphic organizer to classify the students’ predictions for pesky bugs vs. helpful bugs. They should brainstorm as many bugs that fall under both categories as they are able. After classifying, prepare the students for reading by telling them that they will listen to the text read aloud to them by the on-line sound recording. Also tell them to listen carefully for reasons the author gives to support his point of view. After listening, students should be able to identify the author’s point of view and the reasons he has for holding that view.
Modeling: The teacher can model making predictions from prior experience. He or she can say, “I predict houseflies are pests. They land on the food in my kitchen and are very unsanitary. They buzz around my head and bother me. I have never seen a housefly do anything helpful so I predict it is a pest.” The teacher can model prediction making and metacognition, thinking about thinking, in this manner. The teacher should
also model writing an opinion statement in front of the group since this will be required of the students during independent practice.
After brainstorming, modeling and prediction making, the students should listen to the story, “Garden Helpers”, as it is read aloud to them from the on-line website.
After listening to the text, ask the students to silently re-read it as he or she clicks on the pages to turn to each new page.
Ask these guiding questions:
·  Can you find reasons why the author thinks that some creatures are helpful? Where in the article is this evidence?
·  What does the text state about the helpfulness of earthworms?
·  How are earthworms connected to gardens?
·  How does the soil being made “rich and healthy” by earthworms support the author’s point that some garden creatures are helpers?
·  What does the text state about the job of ladybugs in the garden?
·  How are ladybugs connected to gardens?
·  Why is it important that “the bugs can’t eat the plants” as stated on page 2 of the text?
·  How does a bug’s lack of ability to eat plants due to the ladybug support the author’s point that there some creatures are garden helpers?
·  Compare the praying mantis to the ladybug. What does the author state about the praying mantis? Is this like or unlike the ladybug?
·  Do you think the praying mantis’s ability to “eat any bug it can catch” makes it a helpful or harmful insect? Why?
·  Describe how what the author writes about the praying mantis supports his point.
·  Describe how the praying mantis is connected to plants in the garden.
·  Lastly, the author describes spiders in the garden. What is their job?
·  How is a spider connected to a garden?
·  Why is the spider’s ability to “keep bugs away from your garden” important?
·  Describe how what the author writes about spiders either supports or does not support his main point.
·  Can you find reasons in the text to show that the author thinks some creatures are not helpful in the garden?
Use this line of questioning to lead the students to the independent practice activity. Next tell the students that they will use what they found and what they discovered to fill in a synthesizing information graphic organizer (see resources). Each student will need copies of the graphic organizer. Use this graphic organizer to work with students to both find text-based evidence and to understand the information well enough to generate thoughts and opinions.
Now show the students the graphic organizer. Students are to find the evidence and write it in the first part of the organizer. Then, the students write what they are thinking (their ideas, inferences, or conclusions) and then finally write their opinion of the information based on the details from the text and their understanding. The students are to name their first topic page something like “Helpful Creatures”, or “Garden Helpers”, or “Garden Friends.” The title is to be chosen by the student. They will complete information on helpful creatures today using only the text.
To write their opinion of the article and the author’s view, the students will need to use the last part of the graphic organizer. Here, they must
clearly state their opinion, supply a reason for their thinking and write a closing sentence. After reviewing their work and editing for errors, students may submit their graphic organizers to the teacher for checking
Day Two
Students will title their second graphic organizer page something like “Harmful Creatures” or “Those Not Wanted in the Garden.” The title is student choice. The students will need additional information to accurately identify some of the harmful bugs that are not named in the article but which are referred to by what they do that is harmful (i.e. bugs that eat your (garden) plants, bugs (to) keep away from your garden, etc.). In order for students to research this topic further, provide some library books about bugs and insects for the students to browse through, websites for students to look to for more information or nature-type magazines such as North Carolina Wildlife. Students will need most of the class period to complete the synthesizing information graphic organizers for this topic.
STAGE TWO: ELABORATE
To write their opinion of the article and the author’s view, the students will need to use the last part of the graphic organizer. Here, they must
clearly state their opinion, supply a reason for their thinking and write a closing sentence. After reviewing their work and editing for errors, students may submit their graphic organizers to the teacher for checking.
Day Three
AIG students will now synthesize the information from both graphic organizers to write an informative report on living things in the garden. They could use a title such as “What’s in your Garden?” or “Garden Friends and Foes.” Brainstorm ideas for titles with the students and revise the expectations that they will name their topic, supply facts about the topic (on both helpful AND harmful creatures in the garden) and write a closing sentence. Emphasize that information found in the report should come from the graphic organizers. They may illustrate their reports. Extra credit could be given to students who can bring in living examples of garden friends, or garden foes, to share with the class.
STAGE THREE: EVALUATE
Each student’s success with this lesson can be assesses with a teacher-made rubric that is written based on the following criteria and is judged on a scale from 1 to 5 with a 5 being the best and highest score a student could receive:
·  The student identified the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
·  The student described the connection between two pieces of information in a text.
·  The student wrote an opinion piece in which he or she introduced the topic, stated an opinion, supplied reasons supporting the opinion and wrote a closing sentence.
·  The student wrote an informative/explanatory text in which he or she named a topic, supplied facts about the topic and wrote a closing sentence.
·  With guidance and support, the student demonstrated command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling.
·  The student illustrated his or her informative text.
TEACHER NOTES: NA

PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project