Common Core Content Exemplar: Primary Close Analytic Read Through Read Aloud
Subject/Topic: Living Things: Narrative Fiction paired with a Non-Fiction Text
Fiction Text: Bats at the Beach
Non-fiction Text: Bats
Author: Brian Lies
Author: Gail Gibbons
Learning Objectives
The goal of this series of lessons is to give primary students an opportunity to explore a set of complex texts. Students will, through
teacher aural reading and scaffolded discussion of text-dependent questions, recognize that content information is gleaned from
careful reading and rereading of texts, vocabulary is learned from context and writing supports deeper understanding of what is
read. The learner will learn to draw information from text to use in speaking and writing.
Rationale: Bats at the Beach, a fictional illustrated poem, was chosen as a piece of complex literature to be read aloud. Its use will allow
students to practice Literary grade level standards with teacher guidance and support in kindergarten through 2nd grade. By pairing Bats at
the Beach with Bats, another complex informational text to be read aloud, students will practice Reading Informational Text standards as
well as connecting content learned from multiple sources.
Reading Task: The students will listen to the teacher read the text aloud in its entirety at least one time. Students will then, with
teacher guidance, revisit chunks of the text to practice continually attempting to clarify the meaning of what they read and making
inferences about the text. The teacher will ask questions and solicit student’s ideas and thoughts to guide them through purposeful
interaction with the text. The questions will focus on Key Ideas (1.1, 1.3), Craft and Structure (1.4 and 1.5) and Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas (1.7) with both the fiction and non-fiction texts.
Discussion Task: Through the use of a series of text-dependent questions, the students will be guided to look at text closely and
engage in thinking that will deepen their understanding of key ideas (1.1), craft and structure (1.4 and 1.5) and integration of
knowledge and ideas (1.7). Through structured discussions with partners, small groups, teachers and larger groups (S.L.1, S.L.2,
S.L.3), the students will make sense of text and learn to cite evidence to rely on the text to support their ideas.
Vocabulary Task: Most of the meanings of the words in the text can be discovered from careful reading of the context or use of
illustrations in the text. Teachers should use rereading, discussions and modeling when necessary to introduce and reinforce how to
learn vocabulary from contextual clues. In the primary grades, students must learn and be held accountable for engaging in this
practice.
Writing Task: Students will use writing to summarize learning at selected intervals. Writing tasks will vary depending on choice of
culminating activity.
Standards Addressed/Outcomes:
Kindergarten: Students will, with teacher prompting and support:
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Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. (RL.K.1, RI.K.1)
Retell familiar stories, including key details. (RL.K.2)
Identify characters, settings and major events in a story. (RL.K.3)
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. (RL.K.4, RI.K.4)
Describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment or person, place, thing or idea in
the story or text an illustration depicts). (RL.K.7, RI.K.7)
Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. (RL.K.10, RI.K.10)
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. (RI.K.2)
Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions or procedures).
(RI.K.9)
Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing
about and supply some information about the topic. (W.K.2)
Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the
order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. (W.K.3)
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and
larger groups. (SL.K.1)
Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions
about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood. (SL.K.2)
Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood. (SL.K.3)
Explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings. (L.K.5)
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. (L.K.6)
Grade 1: Students will:
 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. (RL.1.1, RI.1.1)
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Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. (RL.1.2)
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. (RL.1.3)
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. (RL.1.4)
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. (RL.1.7)
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories. (RL.1.9)
With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1. (RL.1.10)
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. (RI.1.2)
Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. (RI.1.3)
Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text. (RI.1.4)
Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a
text. (RI.1.5)
Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text. (RI.1.6)
Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. (RI.1.7)
Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures) (RI.1.9)
With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1. (RI.1.10)
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
(W.1.8)
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
(SL.1.1)
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. (SL.1.2)
With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
(L.1.5)
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring
conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because). (L.1.6)
Grade 2: Students will:
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Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. (RL.2.1, RI.2.1)
o Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. (RL.2.2)
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
(RL.2.5)
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue
aloud. (RL.2.6)
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
(RL.2.7)
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range (RL.2.10)
Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. (RI.2.3)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.(RI.2.4)
Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or
information in a text efficiently. (RI.2.5)
Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe. (RI.2
Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text. (RI.2.7)
By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2–3 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. (RI.2.10)
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. (W.2.8)
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
(SL.2.1)
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. (SL.2.2)
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding
of a topic or issue. (SL.2.3)
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from an array of strategies. (L.2.4)
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. (L.2.5)
o Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender,
skinny, scrawny).
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and
adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy). (L.2.6)
The Texts: Author, Title (Date)
Author: Brian Lies
Text: Bats at the Beach (2006)
ISBN-10: 0-618-55744-X
Author: Gail Gibbons
Text: Bats (1999)
ISBN:978-0-8234-1637-0
Rules of the Road
The Text is the Expert
Students should look to the text as the expert in the classroom, not the teacher. The teacher’s goal is to foster student confidence when encountering
complex text and to introduce and reinforce skills that students need to be successful when working in groups and eventually independently. A general
principle is to always reread the passage or consult the illustration that provides evidence for the question under discussion. This gives students another
encounter with the text, helps them develop fluency and reinforces their use of textual evidence.
Student Work/Support
Working in pairs, small groups and whole class settings can all work to support student listening, speaking and writing skills. By building in structures and
time for collaborative discussion and processing, students learn and internalize the skill they will later practice more independently.
Overall Goal
The goal must be to help students develop a total understanding of the text – not to rush through a text. Students should be held to a high standard of
understanding so that they will begin to develop this expectation of themselves.
Timing
Timing is often the strongest consideration for both teachers and students as they prepare for different learning experiences. For Close Analytic Reading
to be successful, teachers and students must allow themselves time to learn and practice the processes involved and to have patience with what could
be a slower learning process. Allowing for this time has shown that teachers are far more effective at teaching the skills demanded by the Common Core
State Standards and that students, once used to the format and its demands, dramatically improve their ability to read, write and discuss on new levels.
Common Core State Standards Connections
Teachers should outline the Common Core State Standards that are the focus of the CAR unit. Making these available for classroom display will provide
the clear understanding of the learning goals for the unit. In addition, some schools may require teachers to provide a rationale for how each standard
will be addressed at different points throughout the unit.
Text
In the primary grades, the text should be read aloud to students. Teachers may choose to have the text in front of the students by using a projector or
big book. The text should always be referenced by page or illustration section when providing answers for guiding text-dependent questions. Full copies
of the text may be provided to students following the unit, if appropriate, or the book placed in the classroom library for student rereading.
Key Reminders:
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Do not front-load these assignments in effort to maximize content coverage. The content should be embedded both in the chosen texts
and illuminated by the discussion questions, writing activities, and extension activities.
Selected texts should enhance student literacy-based exercises and allow them to practice analyzing content-based themes.
Engagement strategies and processing structures, though not specifically outlined in the exemplar, should be thoughtfully pre-planned
by the teacher to maximize student learning and to support the objects of the unit itself.
Extension activities should provide students with enrichment, support and content materials that supplement the activities associated
with the CAR.
Lesson Sequence
Day 1:
1. The teacher will read Bats at the Beach text aloud in its entirety. Rereading on day one is an option.
2. Students should discuss and, if appropriate, write about, the initial meaning they have made from listening to the
poem read aloud.
Days 2, 3 and 4:
1. Returning to the text, the teacher asks students a small set of guiding questions about the text. If possible, the
text should be in front of the students as they engage in their discussions.
Sun slips down and all is still,
What time is it when the poem begins? Students could arrive at this answer in two ways - from
their knowledge about bats or from the “sun slips down”. Teachers should point both of these
out.
and soon we can’t tell sky from hill.
Ask students if they can figure out what the second line of the poem means. This is a complicated
way of saying it is getting dark.
Now from barn and cave and rafter,
Why is it “we” can’t tell? Who is the “we”? These first two stanzas are by an observer. The 3rd stanza
(and the remainder of the poem) is from the bats’ perspective. You know the first two stanzas are a
non-bat voice because bats CAN see well in the dark (building content knowledge).
bats pour out with shrieks of laughter.
Students are not likely to know the meaning of “rafter”. Unlike “pour” and “shriek”, “rafter” is a much
more concrete word and would not need nearly as much discussion as the more abstract pour or
shriek.
Why did the author use “pour out” instead of “come out”? Teachers should point out here that “pour”
tells us many bats are coming out and coming fast. You can compare it to, “It’s not raining but
pouring” - an expression with which students may be familiar.
What do you think “shrieks” means? Teachers should explain that shrieks of laughter means loud
laughter. You can also demonstrate how it is high pitched. Just as “pour” shows us how the bats came
out of the cave, “shrieks” tells us how they laughed.
What was the mood or feeling of the first stanza? What words did the author use to create this mood?
The rising moon can grow no fatter
as sky lights up with gleeful chatter:
Quick, call out! Tell all you can reach—
The moon is just perfect for bats at the beach.
What do you think the author means by, “The rising moon can grow no fatter”? Some students will
know about the stages of the moon, but this should be explained with the help of pictures from the
story.
“Gleeful chatter” will need to be explained as students are not likely to know both words, and the
context here does not provide much support. Both words are fairly concrete, and students would
benefit from a quick explanation using the story’s context.
This leads to the question of why “fatter” and not just “bigger”. Re-reading the stanza with
exaggerated emphasis on “fatter” and “chatter” should seal the deal.
Soon we’ve got our buckets, trowels,
banjoes, blankets, books and towels,
strapped on backs and under wings.
---Have we forgotten anything?
Launching out into the breeze,
we sail above the darkened trees,
flying fast, to wet our feet
where land and foamy ocean meet.
At last we hear the deep bass thump,
as waves on seashore crash and bump.
Now the shoreline spreads below;
we pull wings in, and down we go.
How delicious---oh, how sweet,
to feel warm sand beneath our feet.
Quick, set up---spread blankets on sand!
We want to get going when fun is at hand.
Why do you think the print changed? What is happening with these words? Some students will see
that the bats are speaking, and this is why the author changed the print. There is no reason not to
explain that this kind of print is called italics.
“Trowels” - Once again, this is a concrete word which can be explained quickly - “a small shovel.”
What are some things the bats will do next? How did you come to that idea? Lead students to predict
using the words and ideas – blankets, books, towels, banjoes, buckets, trowels – to activities that
include use of them.
The author uses the word launching. What does that mean and how do you know? Students use the
illustrations and the words sail above and flying fast to deduct that launch means to begin to fly or
taking off.
Describe in your own words what the bats have done since it has gotten dark. Students pull words
from the text to retell story sequence. This can be supported with the illustrations. First, the bats fly out
with shrieks laughter, they are going to the beach, they pack up buckets, trowels, banjoes, books and
towels. They are flying to the beach. (This could be followed by student or modeled writing.)
What noise does the author say the waves makes as the bats get closer? The author says the waves,
“crash and bump.” The bats hear the “deep bass thump.” If students are unfamiliar with the ocean, a
video clip can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAwZGszH-Lg .
How do bats make their bodies go down? Students know from the text pulling their wings in makes the
bats descend., “we pull wings in and down we go.”
What words does the author use to describe how the sand feels to the bats? Pulling right from the
text, the author uses “delicious”, “sweet” and “warm” to describe how the beach feels. Discussing why
the sand is warm might be interesting.
What does “fun is at hand” mean? Students can infer from the text that the bats want to get going
quickly because they want to go have fun and play. The teacher can reinforce that “fun is at hand”
means the fun is about to happen, it is in front of them. Students also could refer to the items the bats
were carrying and infer they wanted to begin the fun.
We hurry down to test the ocean.
Don’t forget the moon-tan lotion!
What’s the first thing we should do?
So many games before night’s through.
Like playing with the stuff we find,
which others must have left behind.
Burying friends from chin to knee,
we’re scratchy where no sand should be.
The author says the bats are going “to test” the ocean. Looking at the illustration of the bat in the
water, what do you think “to test the ocean” means? Students could conclude the bat looks cold
because he is showing his teeth and his wings are wrapped around him. Also, he has not ventured in
any deeper than his toes.
What joke is the author making when he says, “moon-tan lotion”? Although not a text-dependent
question, this joke enables students to complete one of the culminating activities and teaches
background knowledge. If the students are not able to grasp the joke after discussion, the teacher
could reference the use of sunscreen or teach the concept.
Who are the “others” that left things behind? How do you know? Others are people since in the
illustrations we see straws, a bottle and a pail and shovel.
What does “we’re scratchy where no sand should be” mean? Students could use the illustration and
the text to know that the bats got buried completely and have sand in body parts that don’t typically
get sandy, like under their wings, on their bellies, etc.
Making friends from other places
With different foods and different faces.
Or sailing to terrific heights,
taking turns at being kites.
Little bats dig their sand caves deep,
as old bats lie in the moon, asleep.
What can you learn about bats from the lines, “Making friends from other places with different foods
and different faces?” Students could answer that there are different types of bats around the world
that eat different foods – pictured are a berry and bugs. (This, too, is a potential place to have
students respond in writing.)
Reread the lines, “Little bats dig…” through “lie in the moon, asleep.” Why did the author say, “old bats
lie in the moon, asleep”? Students realize that to rhyme the lines, the author had to end with “asleep.”
There’s really no more thrilling ride
than surfing on a summer tide.
Or sailing in the wing-boat races,
The poem reads, “There’s really no more thrilling ride than surfing on a summer tide.” Using the
illustration and the words, describe what that means in your own words. Students might describe
surfing as exciting, thrilling or fun. They can tell from the picture that the summer tide involves the
waves. It would be good here to describe the difference between the chosen words and talk about the
distinctions.
Tell students that the ocean is made up of salty water and that when the wind blows, it catches the
water from the waves and blows it up as in the illustration. This is building background knowledge
from context.
with salty sea spray in our faces.
What do you know so far about the setting of this poem? Students know that it’s a little windy from the
kite picture and the “salty sea spray.” The beach is sandy, it is dark and it might be a little cool since
the bat “tested the ocean” and didn’t go all the way in the water. (Students could write or illustrate the
answer to this question using evidence from the poem.)
Now it’s munchtime; what’s to eat?
What does the author mean by “munchtime?” Students will mention it rhymes with lunchtime. (If they
have heard the story, The Hungry Thing, that author uses the same rhyme.) They will also know it is
time to eat but since it is the night, it is not lunchtime.
Baskets groan with yummy treats.
Beetles, ants, and milkweed bugs,
Crickets, moths, and pickled slugs.
Damselflies, or salted ’skeeters--no room here for picky eaters!
Bug-mallows toast on slender sticks
while cousins do their ocean tricks.
And later on, though stomachs hurt,
we’ll try the snack bar for dessert.
Since the students cannot glean the meaning from the text, mention that groan means that the
baskets are full and heavy and make a noise when they are carried. Also, since poetry does need
some recitation, this would be a great stanza to have children memorize and recite.
What are some of the foods the bats have brought to eat? Students refer to the text and mention the
bugs, crickets, moths, pickled slugs, damselflies and salted ‘skeeters.
Since there is not strong context support for it, tell students that “picky eaters” refuse to eat some
foods.
Why does the author say, “no room here for picky eaters?” Students will know that the bats will have
to eat the snacks they brought.
Since there is not strong context support for “slender,” explain that slender means slim, graceful or
thin. This word could use more focus as the distinction between skinny, slim, slender are not easy but
important.
Using the illustration, what will the bats eat for dessert at the snack bar? Answers could include bugs,
moths, mosquitos, or any insect pictured.
How is this setting different from the other settings in the poem so far? Students notice that this is
indoors and there is a light on in the snack bar.
Quick, don’t miss it---the old bats are singing
the bat songs that they learned
when they were first winging!
Music rolls on, but no more games.
as embers pop within the flames,
little ones climb onto leathery lap,
determined to rest but not to nap.
Then east sky purples----sun is coming!
A last few notes of banjo-strumming
bring our beach night to an end,
so say farewell to newfound friends.
Pack our things up, shake the sand out,
give the noisy gulls a handout.
Quick, let’s go, let’s fly away--We’ve got to be home before it’s day!
Flutter homeward, drained and weary.
Small bats doze off, tired and teary.
In these lines, who are they? Students deduct that “they” is referring to the old bats.
When did they learn the songs they are singing? The poem tells the reader that they learned the
songs “when they were first winging.” That means when they were younger.
Quickly tell that “embers” are burned pieces of wood that sometimes make sparks and “pop” in a
campfire. This word is a concrete word that is not part of a word family and does not require much
focus.
What does determined mean here? Students know that the bats want to rest but not nap on the
leathery lap. Determined means that they are trying hard not to nap. This is a tier 2 word that is more
abstract, part of a word family (determine, determination, determining) and also likely to appear in a
wide range of feature texts and subjects.
What is happening when the author says, “then east sky purples --- sun is coming?” Students will
know that the night is coming to an end. The sun is coming up, it is getting light, the day is beginning.
Why does the author say all this instead of just, “it’s getting light”?
What words does the author use instead of “goodbye” in the poem? Who are the newfound friends?
The author uses the word “farewell” instead of goodbye. Students will remember that the “newfound
friends” are the bats from other places that brought different foods and had different faces.
List the things the bats did to get ready to leave the beach. The students refer to the text for they
ended the music, they said farewell to newfound friends, they packed things up, shook out the sand
and gave the gulls a handout.
What is the author telling you about bats when they say, “Quick, let’s go, let’s fly away--- we’ve got to
be home before it’s day?” Students infer that bats sleep during the day because all the young bats are
tired and the text says, “we’ve got to be home before it’s day.” At this point, the word nocturnal could
be introduced if unknown or reinforced if familiar.
How does the author describe how tired the bats are at the end of the night? The author earlier said
the “little bats climb onto leathery lap, determined to rest but not to nap.” He uses, “drained and weary,
doze off, tired and teary.” The illustration shows a baby sleeping on the way home.
now back to crack and crevice creep.
Using the words, “back to crack and crevice creep,” and the illustration, where and how do bats like
to sleep? Using the text and illustration, students infer bats like to sleep upside down, in a dark, small
place that has places for them to hide. They creep in quietly so they are not noticed.
We sigh and snuggle close together
What joke does the author make when he says, “dream about the moony weather?”
Day birds start to chirp and peep;
to dream about the moony weather.
Shh—now sleep. The moon’s out of reach.
The night was just perfect for bats at the beach.
When does the story begin? At this point, revisit the beginning of the story, “sun slips down”, “east sky
purples.” When does it end? What words and illustrations does the author use to show when the end
of the story is happening? The author says, “day birds start to chirp and peep” and “the moon’s out of
reach.” The illustration shows the blue sky with the sun just coming up. Also, “the night was just
perfect” implies that it is over.
In your own words, tell how the author concludes the story. Students say the bats went home to the
small space to sleep upside down and dream about the good time they had at the beach.
Possible Culminating Activities
Culminating activities for primary students might include the use of group discussion followed by construction of a class poster, interactive writing or student
writing.
1. What were some of the real pieces of information about bats the author used in this poem?
2. Use a Venn diagram to compare what the young bats and old bats did.
3. The author used the word “moon” in a joking way. When were the two places he did this?
4. Pretend another bat comes to the beach from somewhere there are no beaches. Write a story about how one of the bats already there tells the new
bat all about what happens at the beach and shows him or her what to do.
5. Use information from the poem that shows bats are nocturnal creatures to complete a chart or piece of writing.
Vocabulary List: Vocabulary bolded in the poem is critical to the students’ understanding of the text although the amount of focus on each word
should vary. Tier 2 words are more abstract, likely to be encountered in a variety of situations and could have different meanings depending on
the context. These words deserve more attention in the context and in daily vocabulary instruction and use. Tier 3 words in the text are more
concrete and can quickly be told or pointed out with respect to the illustrations so the student can make meaning of the context and text. They
do not need extensive focus. The student-friendly definitions for the words below were found at the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
English at http://www.ldoceonline.com/ .
Tier 2 words:
shriek - a loud high sound made because you are frightened, excited, angry, etc.
launch - to jump up and forwards into the air with a lot of energy
test – to check something before you decide , to try out
slender – thin in an attractive or graceful way (=slim)
determined – having a strong desire to do something, so that you will not let anyone stop you
drained – very tired and without any energy
weary –very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time
creep - if something such as an insect, small animal, or car creeps, it moves slowly and quietly
Tier 3 words
rafter
embers
gleeful chatter
crevice
trowel
deep bass thump
Paired Read: Bats by Gail Gibbons
The goal of this paired fiction/non-fiction set of lessons is to give students an opportunity to encounter and learn content from
complex texts while engaging in a process that will improve their reading process. By listening to the text being read and reread,
focusing discussions around text dependent questions and responding to the text through writing, students will deepen their
understanding of and ability to interact with complex texts. In this exemplar, a processing chart is used to allow students to classify
and record information that can be used for discussion or writing support. See appendix 1.
Day 1: Read the text in its entirety. Have students discuss and/or write about the meaning made from the text.
Day 2: Revisit the text, asking a series of text-dependent questions. Guide students to use evidence found in the text. Begin building the public
chart for classifying and processing information found in the text.
P. 1 nocturnal
P. 2.3 actually
What words does the author use to
describe the bats’ flight? “Bats dive,
swoop and swerve through the night
sky.”
Why do people think bats are scary? The
author says in stories bats were “evil”,
“friends of ghosts and witches’ and
people believed the “unkind things said
about bats.”
Describe how you know when this scene
is taking place. Students could use the
illustration or the words, “dark night sky”
or “nocturnal” to justify that the setting is
at night.
What words shows that this is not true?
Actually is a very important word that
the author uses before giving the fact,
“bats are shy and gentle creatures.”
P. 4 mammals, humans
p. 5 wingspan
What does the author say it means to be
a mammal? Mammals are warmblooded, “babies are born alive instead
of being hatched from eggs” and dogs,
cats and humans are all mammals.
What information do you learn from
this illustration? Students learn about
the size of a bat’s wingspan, body
parts (tail, foot, wing, eye, nose, ear)
and fur color (black, white, red,
brown, gray). This is a little brown bat.
Why are bats different than the other
mammals? They are the only ones that
can fly.
P. 5 fossil, prehistoric
How does the author know that “bats
have been around for a long time”?
Students know “the oldest bat fossil
found is about 50 million years old.”
Quickly tell students that prehistoric
refers to the time before information was
written down. How do we know what
“prehistoric bats looked…”? The fossil
showed how the bat looked.
p. 5 characteristics, including
What features, or characteristics, do
bats have? The author says, and the
illustration shows, large wings, small
bodies and light-weight bones.
Why do you think the bats have “lightweight bones”? This enables the bat
to fly.
p. 6
What is the author telling you all about on
this page? The author is describing the
wings of a bat.
What details does she use? The author
uses the illustration with fingers, thumb,
claw and membrane labeled. In the text,
she describes the wing – “long arm
bones”, “long finger bones”, “different
from the wings of insects or birds”, “thin
skin, called a membrane”.
p. 7 membrane
What is the membrane and what does it
do? A thin skin connecting the bones and
the body and legs.
Explain how the bat changes speed and
direction quickly. The bat moves “each
finger separately to change the shape of
its wings.” Relate this back to Bats at the
Beach where the bats pulled wings in to
go down.
P. 8, 9
Quickly tell students that the author uses
parentheses to show more information
about words in the text so that “15 miles
(24 km) “is showing that 15 miles is the
same as 24 km and 10,000 feet is 3,050
m). This is done just to build text
awareness at this point.
What are two uses of the toe claw? The
bat “hangs by its’ toe claw” and uses it to
move around.
At this point, direct the students’ attention to the processing chart. Depending on the level of students, information from the text could be
recorded on a large picture of a bat or a processing chart such as the one in Appendix 1. Lead the discussion and scribe some information
learned from the text so far. Gather ideas from the students, returning to the text to verify the information before adding it to the chart.
Characteristics to add today could include: “shy, gentle animals”, mammals that fly, large wings, small bodies, lightweight bones, long arm
bones, membranes connect finger bones to make wings, etc.
p. 10 migrate, roosts, nooks, crannies
p.11 hibernate
What are roosts? Roosts are “nooks and
crannies”, “places for bats to live,” “caves,
attics, barns or tall trees.” Connect this
back to Bats at the Beach where, “back to
crack and crevice creep.”
What are three things that happen
before a bat hibernates? The author
says bats “eat lots of food”, “heartbeats
slow down, and “body temperatures
drop”.
What are two things the bats do where it
gets cold in the winter? Migrate, or go
warmer climates” or “use their roosts to
hibernate.”
p. 12 continents
Where do bats live? Most live in hot
climates and on every continent
except Antarctica.
What do you know about bats and the
weather so far? They live where it is
warm, migrate to get away from
winter or hibernate when it is winter.
What are some foods bats eat?
Insects, fruits and flowers are in the
text.
p. 13 ounce, pound, inches, feet
What do smallest and biggest mean in the
text? Students will discuss this. If
necessary clarify that they are the “most”
of both small and big.
What are the two measurements the
author uses to tell you about the biggest
and smallest types of bats? The author
gives the wingspan measurement, “five
inches”,” five feet” and weight, “onefourteenth of an ounce” and “two
pounds.”
p. 14, 15 echolocation, echo, rapid
How does the text say echolocation
works? The bat “sends out a rapid
beeping sound”, the sound wave hits the
insect and “the waves bounce back to
the bats ears as echoes.” The echoes tell
the bat the size, shape and location of
the bug.
What do most bats eat and how is that
helpful? Most bats eat insects. If not for
bats, “there would be too many insects.”
p. 16 pollinate, pollination, nectar
p. 17 allow
p. 18
What kinds of meat does the text say
bats eat? It says bats eat fish, frogs,
mice and birds.
Describe in your own words how the
vampire bat eats. Students know from
the text that they eat only blood, it
makes a tiny cut in the animal’s skin
and uses it tongue to lap up the
blood. It does not hurt the animal.
What allows bats to eat meat? They
have smooth, sharp, crushing teeth so
they can eat the “bones and all”.
Point out that in this context allows
means that it is made possible.
Why does the author put the illustration
in the box on top of the page? The author
uses it explain how pollination works.
What words and illustration does the
author use to tell you what bats eat on
this page? The picture shows the bat
drinking nectar. The words are, “fruit and
nectar-eating.”
What are two ways bats are helpful in this
section? They pollinate plants and scatter
seeds.
If you have not done so already, add to the process chart. Information from the text on where they live (roosts, all continents but Antarctica,
trees, caves, hot climates), what they eat (pollen, nectar, fish, blood, meat) and interesting facts (they migrate or hibernate to get out of the cold
weather, they use echolocation to hunt insects, etc.).
p. 19 untrue, fictional
What words does the author use to tell
you Dracula is not real? The author says,
“untrue stories” have been told about
vampires. Dracula is a “fictional vampire”.
You could connect this to page 2 when
the author again mentioned bats in
stories.
p. 20, 21
What words describe the different bat
faces on this page? Describing words
include, “long”, “narrow”, “short”,
“round”, “leaf-like shapes on their faces”,
“look like dogs”. Connect this back to
Bats at the Beach and the “friends from
other places with different foods and
different faces”.
What “good senses” do bats have? The
text says they have good hearing, sight,
and sense of smell.
p. 22 nurseries , birth
p. 23 nurses, adult
What are some things that happen in the
roosts that become nurseries? In spring
female bats give birth to pups, one at a
time. The mothers hang with their heads
up, by the thumb claws. She forms a
basket with her tail membrane. They baby
is born into that “basket.”
Why does the author use an illustration of
the bat on this page? The picture helps
the reader to understand the words.
What does the mother bat do after the
pup is born? The mother hangs head
down and the cradles the pup under her
wing.
What does the pup do? The text says,
“the pup nurses” and “clings to its
mother’s fur, using its own sharp teeth
and claws”.
Describe the pup at 10 days old, 3 months
old and one year old.
p. 24 populations, endangered, pollution,
pesticides, damage
What does, “destroy their habitats”
mean? Whose habitats is the author
talking about? The bats’ habitats are
being taken away by people.
What are pesticides used for? Pesticides
kill, “crop-damaging insects.”
What are the reasons the author says bats
are endangered? People “destroy their
habitats”, “pollution” and the “use of
pesticides”.
P. 24, 25
Why do pesticides affect bats? They kill
the food bats eat most, insects.
The author says, “in many places bat
populations are getting smaller”. What
does this mean? Students explain in their
own words that there are fewer bats.
Support from the text includes,
“endangered”, “there aren’t enough bats
to keep down the number of pests”,
pesticides are killing the bats’ food.
p. 26, 27 protect, entrance, grillwork,
preserves
How is the word grillwork explained in
the text? The illustration shows an
example and the words, “cover the
entrance” and “bats are free to come and
go, but people can’t enter” help the
reader understand.
According to the book, why should people
help bats? The text said they eat “insect
pests” and help “pollinate flowers” and
“foods we eat such as avocados, figs and
bananas”.
What are some ways people are
protecting bats? People put up bat
houses, cover cave entrances with
grillwork and make “nature preserves that
protect large groups of bats.”
Add the final notes to the processing chart at this point, if you have not done so already. Students can be reviewing and using the “notes” on the
chart in discussions, journaling or writing activities as appropriate.
What are three things people are
doing to protect bats?
Possible Culminating Activities
Again, depending on student needs, these activities can be done interactively, in groups or independently.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Students create their own processing chart, filling it in using illustrations or written notes
Compare and contrast how two different types of bats mentioned in the book eat using a Venn diagram.
Make an illustration showing how bats use echolocation to hunt.
Write a short book telling the most important facts you learned about bats.
Vocabulary List
Tier 2
nocturnal – active at night
actually – used to tell the truth as opposed to what people think
mammals – warm-blooded animals that have live babies and feed the babies milk
characteristic - a quality or feature of something or someone that is typical of them and easy to recognize
including – adding to a group or larger set
migrate – go to and from a winter climate
hibernate – sleep deeply for long periods of time
climate – area with a particular weather conditions
allow – make something possible
untrue – not true
fictional- untrue, made up
nursery – a place where young are cared for
nurses – drinks milk from the mother’s body
birth- the point when the baby comes out of the mothers body (born)
adult – a fully-grown animal
population – the number of animals living in an area
endangered- a species that may no longer exist
protect – to keep something safe
entrance – a door or gate you go through to enter a place
Tier 3
human – a person
wingspan – distance of one wingtip to the other
prehistoric – of the time before anything was written down
membrane – a thin skin
ounces, pounds – units of measure for weight
inches, feet – units of measure of length
pollinate, pollination – to give a plant pollen so it can produce seeds
nectar – sweet juice from flowers
pollution – substances that make the air, water or land dangerously dirty
pesticide – a chemical used to kill animals or insects that destroy crops
damage – physical harm or destruction
preserve – an area of land that is saved for a purpose
Appendix 1: Informational Processing Chart
Information about Bats
Characteristics
Habitat
Where they live
Food
Other Facts
Appendix 2 Extension Activities
1. Visit National Geographic website for video footage and short non-fiction student texts:
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/sites/kids/NGS/wpf/printcreature/vampire-bat.html
2. Write an opinion piece about whether bats are bad or good.
3. Create a poem showing what you learned about bats.