20. Extension Activities

NEW YORK LANGUAGE ARTS

BY CORE KNOWLEDGE ®

EXTENSIONS

The purpose of Extensions is to provide students with additional opportunities to hear and use the language of the specific read-aloud and the domain in general. For nonfiction domains, the intent and focus of all the activities should clearly be on providing contexts in which children can listen to and talk about the content they are studying. As the children share, teachers should repeat and expand upon each response using richer and more complex language, including, if possible, any read-aloud vocabulary. Extensions should last approximately twenty minutes and teachers should choose between one and two activities.

Image Review

Extension exercises may include the following:

On Stage

Domain-Related Teaching Ideas

(and Worksheets) from the Teacher Handbooks

Somebody Wanted But So Setting Know-Wonder-Learn Chart

Interactive Illustrations

Drawing the Read-Aloud

Characters, Setting, and Plot

Using a Three Circle Map

Making Comparisons and Connections

Using Two or Three Column Charts & Venn

Diagrams

Timelines

Story Map

Which Happened First? Personification Lifelines

Retelling a Read-Aloud or Sequence of Events

(Including Beginning, Middle, and

End;

Story Map)

Brainstorming Links

Personal Stories

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I MAGE R EVIEW

One of the most effective ways to revisit and extend either a fiction or nonfiction read-aloud is to refer to the images used to illustrate the read-aloud. You might select specific, individual images in order to clarify specific content and/or vocabulary (in which case, the Think Pair Share strategy may be especially useful). You might also choose to page through the images as they sequentially appear in the flip-book to provide a structured retelling of the read-aloud.

Examples

Show an image. Have the students use “think-pair-share” to discuss what is happening in the image. Specifically direct students to study the image to determine if the event depicted happened at the beginning, the middle or the end of the text. Say: I will give you a minute to think about this image and recall what is happening. Now, pair with your partner and share what you recalled and decide if it happened in the beginning, middle or the end of the story. After several minutes, call the group together and have two or three children share what they think is happening in the picture and where it occurs in the story.

Show an image. Instruct students to think about a significant event. Say: Turn to your neighbor and each of you should take a turn sharing all that you remember. After several minutes, call the group together and have two or three children share what they recalled.

One by one, show several images. Ask students to explain what is happening in each picture. Help them to create a continuous narrative which follows the sequence of events. Also encourage the use of temporal vocabulary (e.g. first, then, next, later, finally, etc.) to help in introducing and sequencing events and ideas.

D RAWING THE R EAD -A LOUD

Ask students to think about the read aloud that they listened to earlier in the day and then to draw three details that they remember (allowing no more than 6-8 minutes for the drawing).

Explain that the drawing does not have to recreate a “scene” from the read aloud or represent a coherent, integrated drawing of the read-aloud; the students may draw any three “things” that they remember. Allow children to talk about what they draw and why.

I NTERACTIVE I LLUSTRATIONS

Give every student a sheet of paper folded in half. Have each child draw a picture about the readaloud they just heard on one half of the paper. Pair them with a partner and ask them to talk about their picture for a minute and then trade illustrations. Using the second section on their partner’s paper, have each child draw a response to their friend’s picture. Encourage them to add information or share their own thoughts about the read-aloud. Return the papers to the original owner and discuss with students how each person was able to add some new information to the original illustration. Allow several children to share and discuss their own and their partner’s illustrations.



W HICH H APPENED F IRST ?

Ask: Which happened first? Cinderella went to the ball or Cinderella and the Prince lived happily ever after? Which happened first? Cinderella danced with the prince or Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a coach? Which happened first? Cinderella ran home at midnight or Cinderella helped her stepsisters get ready for the ball? Which happened first?

Cinderella tried on the glass slipper or each of her stepsisters tried on the glass slipper?

R ETELLING A R EAD -A LOUD OR S EQUENCE OF E VENTS

( INCLUDING B EGINNING , M IDDLE , AND E ND ; S TORY M AP )

Asking students to retell a fictional read-aloud or a sequence of events from a nonfiction readaloud can be an extremely effective way of helping children to re-conceptualize the read-aloud, relate ideas in an organized way, and use the read-aloud specific vocabulary. Initially do the activity as a whole or small group activity in order to provide considerable support and model the retelling with rich and complex language.

Examples

Retell the story, but pause at the end of sentences, inviting the children to provide key information - “Once upon a time, there were three bears who lived in the …………. . There was a

Papa Bear, a ……….. and a …….. . One morning the Mama Bear made porridge for breakfast but it was too ………. so they decided to go for a .......

Ask leading questions to setting up the order in which the story will be retold - “Who are the characters in the story?” “What did they like to eat for breakfast?” “What happened one morning?” Use words like “first,” “next,” “then,” “finally,” etc. to reinforce the sequence of events. If using props, such as domain image cards, flannel board pieces, stuffed animals, etc., show them to the students in the order of events.

Tell the students that all good stories have a beginning, middle, and an end. Encourage them to think about the story they just heard (e.g. The Tortoise and the Hare). What happened at the beginning of the story? The middle? The end? Say: We are going to think about the beginning, the middle and the end of The Tortoise and the Hare fable. Give them a minute or two to think, then say: Now, turn to you neighbor and share what you remember happening at all three parts of the fable (the beginning, the middle and the end). After several minutes pull them back together as a group and have 3 students share with the class the beginning, the middle and the end of The Tortoise and the Hare.

S TORY M AP

Create a story map with your class. Make a two-column chart. On the left, list characters, setting, and plot. On the right use the information from the story you have just heard and complete the chart. Provide each student with a sheet of paper folded in half twice (this should make four boxes). Say: What four important events happened in the story you just heard? Discuss the events and then ask each child to illustrate the four events in the boxes. When they are finished illustrating, ask them to cut out the boxes and glue them to a larger piece of paper, using arrows to indicate the sequence of events. Finally, have them talk about their work with a partner.



O N S TAGE

Acting out or dramatizing a story, and even parts of some of the nonfiction read-alouds, is another way to retell a read-aloud. Young children especially will enjoy this approach to retelling. These dramatizations do not require anything elaborate, though children may enjoy occasionally making simple paper bag or stick puppets. (You might consider creating worksheets with story characters for the children to color, cut out and attach to straws, popsicle sticks or paper bags. Children could then be paired or placed in small groups and use the puppets to act out the story.) Provide some simple “extras” as pretend props - such as three different size bowls and spoons, chairs, and three different size towels (to represent beds) when acting out Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It is important to keep in mind that the focus should still be on the children’s use of language.

Finally, in creating On Stage extensions, it will be important to come up with ways that as many children as possible are engaged, not just sitting and watching.

Example

Tell students that today they will have the opportunity to be “slow and steady” tortoises. Reread the passage from the story that describes in detail the tortoise moving “slowly but steadily.” Ask:

What did the tortoise look like when he moved slowly but steadily? Move the children throughout the room and have them practice moving like the tortoise—slow and steady. Bring them back together and ask: What did you do with your arms to move slowly but steadily? What did you do with your legs? Your back?

S OMEBODY , W ANTED , B UT , S O

( COULD BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH I MAGE R EVIEW OR ANY OF THE R ETELLING EXERCISES )

Create a chart with two columns. In the left column write: somebody, wanted, but, so, then. Have the students fill in the answers in the right column. If using this activity with emerging readers, explain that you are going to discuss the read-aloud and that you are going to record what they say. Remind students that they are not expected to be able to read what you write because they are still learning all the rules for decoding. Emphasize that you are writing what they say so that you don’t forget and tell them that that you will read the words to them.

Example

Somebody

Wanted

But

So

Then

Little Red Riding Hood

Wanted to visit her sick grandmother in the woods.

The wolf had eaten her grandmother and also ate Little Red Riding Hood!

A hunter heard the wolf, cut open his stomach and freed Little Red Riding

Hood and her grandmother.

Little Red Riding Hood, grandmother and the hunter went home for tea.



S ETTING

Ask students about the setting: Does anyone know what we call the place where a story happens? What was the setting of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? What was the setting of Pinocchio at the Puppet Show? What was the setting of The Tale of Peter Rabbit? Discuss details about the setting of the Peter Rabbit story. Use the illustrations from the read-aloud to help students identify important characteristics of the setting in the story. If possible, keep a list on chart paper of the details students point out for each setting.

C HARACTER , S ETTING , AND P LOT

Use a three-circle map to introduce the story elements of character, plot and setting. Model the use of the three circle map as a demonstration activity with the whole group, using a familiar story. Draw three circles on the blackboard or chart paper, labeling the first circle “Characters,” the next circle “Setting” and the last circle, “Plot.” Then, students are asked to independently complete another three circle map for a different read-aloud.

M AKING C OMPARISONS AND C ONNECTIONS U SING T WO OR T HREE C OLUMN C HARTS & V ENN D IAGRAMS

Character Comparison Examples

Create a two-column chart and write a character name on each side (e.g. Medio Pollito and

Pinocchio). Ask: How are Medio Pollito and Pinocchio alike? Write their answers on the chart.

Then ask: How are they different? Discuss students’ answers as a class or have them share their answers with partners. Encourage them to brainstorm other similarities and differences between the characters. There are a few clear similarities between the two characters, such as the fact that both disobeyed their parents and ran away from home. However, there are also subtle similarities. For instance, both meet other influential characters in their travels, and both characters are “different” from their peers—Pinocchio is an outcast who does not fit in with other puppets or “real” boys, and Medio is half a chick, which sets him apart from other chickens for obvious reasons. Discuss the important theme, or message, behind the two characters: Most children have a desire to “do whatever they want,” but children also need to learn that it is important to listen to older people because they have learned through experience that misbehavior and disobedience will only lead to trouble.

Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two characters. Ask: How are they alike? Write their responses in the center where the two circles intersect. Then, ask: How are they different?

Record that information in the appropriate area on the Venn diagram.

Setting Comparison Example

Draw a Venn diagram on the board or chart paper. Label the left side Arctic and label the right side Sonora Desert. Record students’ answers in the appropriate area on the Venn diagram. Tell students to think about what they learned about the Arctic in the previous read-aloud and what they learned about the Sonora Desert today. Ask: What is the climate like in the Arctic? What is the climate like in the Sonora Desert? In what ways are the desert and arctic climate the similar?

(This is a more complex question that can lead to rich discussion. You might want to refer to



Setting Comparison Example continued images from the read-alouds to help spur ideas. Both habitats may appear barren, as though nothing lives there. Both have harsh climates, yet each is home to many special plants and animals that have adapted to life there.)

Other Connections

Create a two-column chart. Label the first column Arctic Life and label the second column

Adaptations. Remind the students what the word adaptation means. Model going back through the text to find animal names and information. In the second column, list the way that each animal or plant adapted to their environment. Again, model going back through the text to find animal names and information.

Take a Nature Walk. You may divide students into pairs or small groups. Tell students that they are going to take a nature walk outside in their own school-yard to look for animals and plants that make their home there. After their walk, they will report back to you about what types of animals and plants they saw. [If the weather or regulations prohibit such an adventure, simply wait for a better day or have students brainstorm the types of animals and plants they have seen in their own neighborhoods or on trips.]Remind students that animal and plant life is all around us. It might be up in the sky, in our school-yard, in the park, or in the water. Identify things that animals might be able to eat, such as nuts or seeds. (Do not eat wild plants!) Look for insects.

How might they be related to other animals in the habitat? Do insects have shelters, too? Count all the different types of plants you see, including trees, weeds, grasses, flowers, bushes, etc.

Count all the different animals or bugs that you see. Look for signs that these creatures are specially adapted to this habitat. As you as you are settled back in the classroom, go around the room and ask each student to name or describe a plant, animal, or bug that s/he saw on the nature walk. Make a list on the board or chart paper. Remember to encourage students to use domain vocabulary words during discussion.

P ERSONIFICATION

Many fables, stories, and poems feature animals as the characters of the story. Discuss with students how animals act like people. Suggest making a two-column chart listing the character on the left hand side and their human traits on the right. Also, use this activity as an opportunity to discuss fantasy vs. reality (e.g. whether characters in the story/poem are behaving as real animals or are fantasy or behaving only as animals could in ‘make-believe’).



B RAINSTORMING L INKS

Revisit any Brainstorming Links activities that may have been presented in introducing the readaloud. Ask if students have additional ideas now that they have heard the read-aloud and add their responses to the chart. Or create a new brainstorming activity designed to follow the readaloud, instead of introducing it.

Example

Draw a large circle in the middle of the blackboard or on a sheet of chart paper and write the words “Sleeping Beauty” inside the circle. Read the words “Sleeping Beauty” and tell your students you want them to think of words that relate to what happened in the story of Sleeping

Beauty. Ask them to tell you some words that are important to the story. To start them off, you may want to say something like, “the fairies were an important part of the story.” Write the word fairies inside its own circle on the blackboard or sheet of chart paper and draw a line from the

“Sleeping Beauty” circle to the “Fairies” circle. Ask: What else was important to the story?

(princess, prince, spindle, spinning wheel, king, queen, etc.) As the students respond, write each of their answers in its own circle surrounding the main “Sleeping Beauty” circle and draw a line to connect the two.

K NOW -W ONDER -L EARN C HART

Whenever a KWL chart has been used to introduce a read-aloud, review the K and L columns that were created earlier during an extension activity. Ask students what they learned in the readaloud and record their responses. Re-read small sections of the text aloud as necessary to help students “check” the accuracy of their responses. As students respond, refer back to both the K and W portions of the chart to see if and how what they have learned relates to what was written in either the K or W columns. In the event that something newly learned in the L column contradicts something that was recorded earlier in the K column, this should be discussed. For example, “Yesterday, when we were talking about what we knew, we said that chickens can fly.

What you think now?” (Then cross out the inaccurate information in the K column.) At the very end of the domain, review the W column to see if there are any unanswered questions. If so, perhaps additional library research, other trade books may be of interest. If all of the questions in the W column have been answered, and time permits, ask: What would you STILL like to know?

Include a fourth column if students have further questions.

T IMELINES

Create a timeline for historical events, using pictures, symbols and words. Add new events to the timeline as new read-alouds and events are presented. The timeline will be particularly effective if prominently displayed in the classroom and referred to when presenting read-alouds throughout the entire domain.



L IFELINES

Create a timeline based upon the events in a real or fictional character’s life, using pictures, symbols and words. Add to the timeline as new events are learned. This extension will be particularly useful when reading biographical information.

P ERSONAL S TORIES

Use an event or experience from a read-aloud, fiction or nonfiction, and ask students to relate this to their own personal experience.

Examples

Draw a picture of the arctic and the animals that live in it. Be sure to think about all the different ways the animals have adapted to living in the Arctic. Next draw yourself into the picture. Think about what you would have to do to adapt to the climate.

Ask the students to draw a picture of what the inside of their family’s compost bin might look like.

Tell them to be sure to include pictures of a few (3 – 5) food scraps and other items that they might put in their bin—foods they eat for breakfast and dinner, for instance, from banana peels to leftover peas, as well as leaves or grass from the yard. In addition, you can ask students to draw something that they would like to grow in a vegetable garden or flowerpot. Ask them to present their work to the class or small group.

Ask students to think about a time when a family member told them a story. Students can share with the entire class or partners who told them a story and what it was about. How was their story similar to one described in a text? Different? What are the elements that all stories have?

(characters, setting, problem, solution) Why are some stories written down? (So we can remember and share them.) You might want to expand upon this later and have students illustrate the story that a family member shared with them.



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