Utah Core State Standards (UCSS)
Elementary English Language Arts (Grs. 2-6)
Comprehending and Composing Template
1Salt Lake City School District
Core Theme 2 Grade 2
What is the theme?
What is the essential question I would like students to engage at the end of the theme?
Universal Theme: Working Together
Grade Level Theme: Doing Our Best
Essential Question: Why is it important to keep trying even when it is hard?
Essential Question Writing Task (Week 5):
BEFORE READING
What is the essential sub-question for each lesson, as it relates to the theme?
Background knowledge: build or activate students’ related knowledge to the theme or topic.
Week 1 Lesson 6
Week 2 Lesson 7
Week 3 Lesson 8
Week 4 Lesson 9
Title of Main Reading Selection:
Title of Main Reading Selection:
Title of Main Reading Selection:
Title of Main Reading Selection:
Winners Never Quit
Gus and Grandpa and the TwoThe Great Ball Game
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Wheeled Bike
Genre: Autobiography
Genre: Pouroquoi Tale
Genre: Fiction
Essential Sub-Question:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Essential Sub-Question:
Essential Sub-Question:
Essential Sub-Question:
DURING READING
What reading instruction is needed? (skills, strategies, higher level questions)
Focus Comprehension Skill: Make Predictions
Focus Comprehension Skill: Plot
Focus Comprehension Strategy: Use Prior Knowledge
Focus Comprehension Strategy: Use Story Structure
What is the intended comprehension objective of student learning?
Comprehension Objective:
To understand characteristics of
realistic fiction
Comprehension Objective:
To recognize the characteristics of
realistic fiction
Comprehension Objective:
To understand the characteristics of
pourquoi tales
Comprehension Objective:
To understand characteristics and
features of fiction
AFTER READING
Short Response (Weekly Writing Tasks)
Create the writing task by turning the sub-question into a prompt. Discuss the sub-question and answer it orally before students write.
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
2
Theme 2
Possible Theme Essential Questions
What happens when you keep trying
something even if it is hard?
Why is it important to keep trying even
when it is hard?
Possible Main Selection Sub-Questions
Lesson 6
What does Mia Hamm learn about trying even
when she wanted to quit?
Possible Theme Essential Writing Tasks
Describe what happens when you keep trying
something even if it is hard. Use examples from
the stories.
Explain why it is important to keep trying even
when it is hard.
Possible Main Selection Sub-Question Writing
Tasks
Explain what Mia learned about trying when she
wanted to quit. Use details from the story to
prove your answer.
What lesson does Mia Hamm learn?
Use 4 details from the story to describe what
lesson Mia Hamm learned.
Lesson 7
Lesson 8
How does Gus change because he doesn’t give Use details form the story to show how Gus
up even though it was hard?
changes.
How did grandpa help Gus change?
Explain how grandpa helps Gus change.l
What does Bat do when the Birds will not let him
join their team?
Describe what Bat does when the birds will not
let him join their team.
What are the two ways that bat helps the
animals win?
Explain two ways that bat helps the animals win.
Use details from the story to explain your answer.
3
Lesson 9
How do Farmer Brown and the cows both get
what they want at the end?
Using details from the story explain how Farmer
Brown and the cows both get what they want?
Why did Farmer Brown give in to the cows?
Explain why Farmer Brown gave in to the cows.
Lesson 10 Return to Essential Question
Respond to writing prompt.
Principles of the CCSS found in this template:
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Working around an essential question that binds selections together.
Facilitating extended thinking and reasoning.
Reading across multiple texts for different purposes.
Writing to deepen reading comprehension.
Scaffolding and extensive practice using oral language to support written language.
Learning of academic language and vocabulary.
Learning to write in different genres.
Using on-line resources to support learning.
Ability to substitute CCSS standards for basal reading and writing skills and strategies.
Using various elements of the writing process.
Practicing short responses to a prompt.
Practicing extended responses to a prompt.