Small Group – Night Animal, Day Animal

(Old adoption McGraw Hill Leveled Readers)

Instructional 2.2

Lesson 1:

Teacher Tip: Before using this book in reading group, cover page 16 so that the students can not read this page. It is an Animal Facts page that the advanced students can create on their own on day 2 of lessons.

Before reading:

  • Preview and Predict: Ask a student to read the title and the names of the author and illustrator. Ask: What animals do you think this book is about?
  • Preview the title page and the illustrations inside the book.
  • Set a purpose: Say: Let’s read to find out about night and day animals.

Skills/Vocabulary:

  • Instructional vocabulary: Disturb, explore, facts, nature, object, several
  • Phonics digraphs ph, tch
  • Main Idea and Details

During reading:

  • Have children turn to page 2 and whisper-read the first two pages. Have them place self-stick notes next to difficult words or vocabulary words they don’t know.
  • Remind students that when they come to unfamiliar words they can look for familiar spellings. Break longer words into smaller chunks.
  • Monitor reading. Stop periodically and ask open-ended questions to facilitate rich discussion, such as what does the author want us to know about day and night animals?Build on student responses to develop deeper understanding of the text.
  • Main Idea and Details: Ask students what the main idea of a selection is. Use the main idea Web on Teaching Chart 35. After the students have finished reading the selection, ask them what some of the important details were. Ask: How did the details help you understand the main idea? Model how to record the information. Have students fill in their chart on Reproducible, page 55.

After reading:

  • Draw Conclusions: What is the difference between a night animal and a day animal? What is a formal word for a night animal? (nocturnal) What does “nocturnal” mean? (active at night)
  • T-Chart: Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and ask the students what could be compared in the book: (night and day animals) Have students share what animals from the story are day animals and what ones are night animals. OR
  • Venn Diagram: Draw two interconnecting circles with Night Animals on one side and Day Animals on the other. Have students share what is different and the same about day and night animals.

Lesson 2:

Before reading:

  • Retell: Have students quietly retell Night Animal, Day Animal to a partner.

During reading:

  • Main Idea and Details: Remind students that thinking about the main idea and details help in checking to see if you remember the facts about night and day animals in the book and gives you a chance to use new words you have learned.
  • Students can add more details to their Main Idea and Details Web on the Reproducible page 59.

After reading:

  • Retell: Using the Main Idea and Details Web, ask the students to WRITE what the selection was about and important details they learned in Night Animals, Day Animals.

Activity:

  • Remind or show students the T-Chart and or Venn diagram that was worked on the first day of small group.
  • Using the book and the T-chart/Venn diagram, have students create a chart. (the one on page 16)
  • The student handout for the chart is already created. See student handout. The students can do this during reading group, stations or at home.

“Night Animal/Day Animal” Teacher Handout- A

1-U1W1

Name______date______

Day Animals / Homes / What They Eat
Night Animals / Homes / What They Eat

“Night Animal/Day Animal” Student Handout- A

1-U1W1