Interactive Read Aloud Plan
Title: Owls
Author: Gail Gibbons
CONNECTING ACTIVITY (Question, conversation, brainstorming, quick write):
I am going to take a moment to think about an owl (show cover). Make a picture in
your mind of an owl.
BRIDGING CONVERSATION:
(KWL) put on chart paper
Right now we are going to make a list of all the things we know about owls. (have
students work with their partners to share what they know about owls. Then Share
out)
GENRE SET-UP:
This book is a piece of informational text. As good readers, we know that when we
read informational text or non-fiction, we need to be on the lookout for facts,
information, things that are true and real. The information might be something we
already know, or it might be information that broadens or extends what we already
know, or it might be new information.
STRATEGY FOCUS:
As a good reader, we listen for the important information the author gives us to help
us understand the text. Authors give us a lot of information. We need to figure out
what information is most important for us to be able to understand the text. In a
non-fiction text, this would be the important details about the topic.
VOCABULARY SET-UP:
In this story we will hear some new words. One of these words is raptors. The word
raptor is a bird of prey, another way of saying a bird that hunts and eats meat.
Another new word is talons. Talons and claws are the same thing. You may have a
pet cat who has claws, talons are usually much longer. Later in the story we will
hear the word incubation. Incubation is when a bird keeps an egg warm while a
chick grows inside the shell.
ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TITLE AND COVER ILLUSTRATIONS:
The title of this book is called Owls. When I look on the front of the book I see an
owl. I know to look at the picture and ask a question. So I wonder if where the owl
is? What do you wonder when you look at the cover. (Could make this the L on the
KWL)
Opportunities to Model Strategies
Purpose
Before we start lets fill out the next portion of our chart.
(KWL) What are some things we would like to know
(KWL)
about owls. Lets take a peak at some of the pictures to
come up with some questions. (have students share
their questions)
After “Raptors are birds of prey, meaning they are
hunters that eat meat.” Page 5
Oh there is that word raptor and the author gave us the
Vocabulary
definition write in the story. Now we know that raptors
Interactive Read Aloud Plan
are birds that eat meat. Lets add this information to our
chart under learned.
End of Page 5
Look there is that word talons, the author tells us that
they are claws that are very sharp. When I look at the
picture I can see that the owl’s talons are very long.
End of page 11
Wow we have been given a lot of information. Lets think
about what information is the most important. As a good
reader we know that we must make sure that we keep
track of all of the important information an author tells
us about. Let’s write down what new important
information we learned so far.
(On the KWL chart fill out what the students have
learned so far.)
End of page 21
Remember, we need to add new important details and
information to what we have already read to make sure
that we understand the whole text. Lets think about
things we have learned so far and add it to our chart.
(KWL) (Go back and use the pictures to help recall the
information)
End of page 24
Oh look, there is that word incubation when a bird keeps
an egg warm while a chick grows inside the shell. Wow
the author told how the eggs are incubated, the bird sits
on them to keep them warm.
End of book
Wow we now know a lot about owls. Let’s read what we
learned so far. (read L part of KWL) Did we learn
anything more? Lets list those new important details.
Vocabulary
Determining Importance
Determining Importance
Vocabulary
Determining Importance