the text aloud. Instruct students to read compound words in a loud
•Reread
voice. Mark the words with a sticky note and write these words on an anchor
chart (see below for examples from the text).
Compound Words
Definition – two smaller words put together to make a new word
Examples: motorboat
wildlife
something
seagull
downstream
students work in small groups to brainstorm other examples of compound
•Have
words. Add these examples to the Compound Words chart.
copies of the Compound Words Concentration Game (see page 65).
•Provide
Explain the rules and have students play the game with a partner.
Rules:
1. Players turn cards face down in a random pattern.
2.First player turns over two cards. If the two cards match (e.g., two words
that go together to make a new word), the player wins those cards. If the two
words do not match, the player turns the cards face down again.
3. Next player turns over two cards, looking for a match.
4. Play continues until all cards have been won.
5. Winner of the game is the one with the most cards.
Answers: motorboat, wildlife, something, seagull, downstream, waterfall, upstream,
groundwater, underground, wetlands, sea water, fishtail, everything, rainfall, riverbed
SESSION 6
Shared Reading: The Water Cycle,
pages 14–17
Text Type: Non-fiction: Explanation—Cyclical Flow Diagram
Summary: This text explains how water is a finite resource; Earth has always had the
same amount of water. An illustrated flow diagram outlines the water cycle with four
major sections: “Evaporation,” “Condensation,” “Precipitation,” and “Collection.”
Time:
Materials:
© 2014 Scholastic Canada Ltd. Text Features
Visual Literacy
and subheadings
• heading
text
boxes
•
flow diagram
• cyclical
arrows
showing
direction of cycle
•
two sessions of approximately 15 minutes each
Magazine (Big Book)
•Explore!
R.A.N.
Chart
• durability. copied on ledger-size paper (1 per group) These may be laminated for
notes for each group
• sticky
class
version
of the R.A.N. Chart (from Session 1)
• Inquiry Notebooks
(1 per student)
• class version of the Alphaboxes
Chart (from Session 3)
•
Literacy Place for the Early Years—Grade Two
27
Grouping:
whole class, small groups, partners, and individuals
Reading Strategy
Focus
Comprehension:
• Making Connections
• Analyzing
Word Solving:
• using root words to assist
in determining the
meaning of larger words
Oral Language
Activities
• Small-Group Discussions
of R.A.N. Chart
• Brainstorming
• whole-class presentation
of Small-Group
Discussions
• Turn and Talk
Critical
Thinking
• compare and contrast
information
• determine how parts
relate to the whole
(cause and effect)
Modelling or Guided Practice Opportunities:
• use of R.A.N. Chart in small groups
Assessment Opportunities:
• participation in small-group discussions
•contribution of ideas to group discussions (R.A.N. Chart)
BEFORE READING
Activate and Build Background Knowledge
Making connections
the class into groups of 4 or 5 students for Small-Group Discussions.
•Divide
Provide each group with a R.A.N. Chart and sticky notes. Appoint a recorder
and other roles in each group. Have students work together to brainstorm what
they think they know about the water cycle. Remind the scribes to write one
idea per sticky note and to place the sticky notes in the “What I Think I Know”
column on the chart. Review the rules of Brainstorming before students begin
the activity (e.g., all ideas are accepted, everyone gets a turn, piggyback on the
ideas of others, encourage each other).
groups share their thinking in a whole-group setting. If necessary, discuss
•Have
the meaning of the word “cycle.”
•
Provide an introduction to
the cyclical flow diagram
included in the text.
Set a Purpose for Reading
Analyzing
nvite students to read with you to confirm
•Iinformation
or learn new facts about the
water cycle.
28
The text we are going to read includes
a flow diagram. A flow diagram is a
type of picture that shows a process
and uses lines or arrows to link the
parts of the process.
Literacy Place for the Early Years—Grade Two
Let’s read together to see
if our thinking about the
water cycle is confirmed
or if we learn new facts
about this process.
© 2014 Scholastic Canada Ltd.
DURING READING
Evaluating
ead the “Did You Know?” section and
•Rhave
students respond to the statement
using a Turn and Talk activity.
Analyzing
Analyzing
•Read the explanatory text on page 14.
look carefully at the illustration and
•Hturnavetostudents
a partner to discuss what they see in the
What are you thinking?
How can that be? Talk
to a partner about your
reactions to the statement
about water and dinosaurs.
What is the purpose
of the water cycle?
picture (e.g., large body of water with whales spouting, clouds in the sky, a
Canada Goose flying, rain falling from one of the clouds, forests, rivers, ponds).
Analyzing
“What text features are used on this diagram?” (e.g., large arrows, text
•Ask,
boxes, red bolded headings) Point at each heading. Discuss the purpose of the
arrows and the text boxes. Ask, “Where do we start reading?” (at any point along
the cycle)
Sequencing
egin reading the information in the “Evaporation” text box and continue
•Baround
the cycle. It may be helpful to draw a simpler version of each section of
the cycle as it is read. Clarify any vocabulary that might limit comprehension
(e.g., evaporation, vapour, condensation, precipitation, liquid, underground,
collection) by discussing “root words” to help determine the meaning of the
larger word. It may prove beneficial to relate condensation to a glass of cold
juice on a hot day—water forms on the outside of the glass (water vapour from
air condenses).
AFTER READING
Revisit the Purpose for Reading
Analyzing
students meet again in their groups to review their thinking and compare
•Have
it to what the author stated in the text. Instruct students to read each sticky note
on their R.A.N. Chart and decide as a group whether it should be placed in the
“What I Know Is True” column or in the “I Don’t Think This Anymore” column.
Analyzing
sk students to use a different coloured sticky note to record any new
•Ainformation
learned about the water cycle. These notes should be place in the
“New Facts” column.
have students collaborate to share any questions they have about the
•Finally,
water cycle and post those in the “Wonderings” column.
Note: Ensure that students’ wonderings are placed on the class version of the R.A.N.
Chart.
© 2014 Scholastic Canada Ltd. Literacy Place for the Early Years—Grade Two
29
Link to the Framing Question
Analyzing/evaluating/
synthesizing
ead a whole-group discussion about the importance of the water cycle and
•Lhow
it links to the framing question. Use the following prompts to guide the
discussion:
- What is the water cycle?
- Why does it matter to us?
- What can we do to help the water cycle?
- Why is the water cycle important to clean water?
FURTHER READINGS
Comprehension and Text Features
the text again and discuss why the diagram is an effective method of
•Read
showing the water cycle, rather than many paragraphs of text.
students create their own version of a water cycle diagram in their Inquiry
•Have
Notebooks. Ask, “Besides oceans or lakes, what other sources of water would
turn to vapour when heated?” (e.g., swimming pools, puddles, human sweat,
waterfall, backyard ponds, pail full of water, etc.) Have students explain the
water cycle process to a partner.
Working with Words
students reread the text to find words pertaining to water. Add students’
•Have
suggestions to the class Alphaboxes Chart (e.g., evaporation, vapour, water
cycle, condensation, liquid, precipitation, rain, snow, sleet, hail, underground,
collection).
on students’ understanding of the vocabulary found on the water cycle
•Expand
diagram (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection) by demonstrating
how to take the word apart. Explain that when you add the “-tion” ending to the
word “evaporate” the word changes from a verb (action word) to a noun (thing).
evaporation
Root Word
evaporate
+
Ending
tion
how to create other words using various endings (e.g., evaporates,
•Model
evaporated, evaporating).
students choose one of the words from the water cycle diagram and create
•Have
other words using various endings.
30
Literacy Place for the Early Years—Grade Two
© 2014 Scholastic Canada Ltd.