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Sample 1st Grade Instructional Module
 The following is a sample module intended to provide an example of possible instruction
for Unit Four of the Fresno Unified School District Scope and Sequence
(http://beta.fresnounified.org/dept/sss/curr/ela/ELA%20Scope%20and%20Sequence/Fo
rms/By%20Grade%20Level.aspx?InitialTabId=Ribbon%2EDocument&VisibilityContext=
WSSTabPersistence).
 Consider this a work in progress. As a sample instructional plan, it should invite
discussion and development. It is not intended to be prescriptive, only suggestive. It
may provide ideas and guidance. The module can be adapted, modified, expanded,
delivered as-is, or not used at all. It simply provides an example of a shorter module of
instruction which incorporates:
o Integration of interactive reading, writing, and speaking processes
o Text dependent writing and speaking
o Formative assessment opportunities
 Additional instructional supports should be planned in addition to the activities contained
within this sample module. Some suggestions are included at the end of each task.
Others to consider include:
o Extension activities for advanced students
o Read more challenging text (suggestions are listed in text set resources)
o Participate in a Literature Circle
o Explicit language instruction for English Language Learners
o Designated time to address Reading Foundational Skills, including different levels of
support for Phonics and Word Recognition
o Targeted instruction for grammar, conventions, and writing strategies.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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First Grade Sample Module Unit 4 Sample
Big Idea: Perseverance
Enduring Understandings of the module:
Work hard and always do your best!
Possible essential questions addressed the Unit:




Why do we help others?
How do you overcome a challenge?
How can we help others?
How do leaders show perseverance?
Culminating Module Task:
Big Idea: Perseverance
Enduring Understanding:
Work hard and always do your best!
Writing Prompt:
Why do we help others? After reading the texts, draw/write a poster to explain why we help others. Give some
examples from the texts to support your opinion.
Criteria for success:
1. Uses a combination of drawing/dictating/writing.
2. Names the topic or the book.
3. States an opinion about the topic or the book.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Module Text Set
Text Title
Resource
“The Secret Code”
HM Theme 4
“The Ant and the
Grasshopper”
California Vistas; page 204
“The Lion and the Mouse”
Focus on Plays: HM Theme 7
“Maya Angelou”
“The Surprise Family”
“We Are Good Helpers”
Purpose/Commentary
Scope & Sequence Anchor Text
This is a realistic fictional text. The following
essential questions can be utilized with the
text:
a. Why do we help others?
b. How can we help others?
c. How do you overcome a challenge?
Scope & Sequence Anchor Text
This text is an adaptation of Aesop’s fable. The
text can be utilized with the following essential
question:
a. Why is it important to always
work hard and do your best?
Scope & Sequence Suggested Related Text
This text is a play based on Aesop’s fable, The
Lion and the Mouse. The text can be utilized
to address the following essential questions:
a. Why do we help others?
b. How can we help others?
c. How do you overcome a challenge?
Curious About Words; Vol. 1, pages
Scope & Sequence Suggested Related Text
This is narrative non-fiction text. The text can
38-39
be utilized to address the following essential
questions:
a. Why is it important to always work
hard and do your best?
b. How does someone overcome a
challenge?
c. How do leaders show perseverance?
HM Theme 9
Teacher choice
This is a fictional text. The text can be utilized
to address the following essential questions:
a. Why do we help others?
b. How can we help others?
California Vistas; page 60
Scope & Sequence Suggested Related Text
This text is a poem that may be utilized to
activate prior knowledge prior to the module.
It can also be used as a text to continually
revisit during the module.
Other Possible Resources
Biography: Maya Angelou
http://mayaangelou.com/bio/
Perseverance quotes/kids
connections/additional perseverance
play scripts
http://www.kidsinco.com/our-values/perseverance/
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Possible Launching the Module Tasks
Purpose: Activating students’ background knowledge, building schema, and preparing students to enter into content
through complex text.
Launching the module could include activities that address the following concepts:
 Getting Ready to Read
 Exploring Key Concepts
 Making Predictions and Asking Questions
 Understanding Vocabulary
*Note: Tasks 1 and 2 may be “new” strategies that have not been used in previous sample modules.
Teachers may also choose to utilize strategies from previous sample modules to activate prior knowledge, build
background, and motivate students for the upcoming learning. A list of strategies from previous sample modules
has been included after Task 2.
Task 1
Launching the unit
Purposes:
Activator/Motivator
This activity is to give students a nonthreatening way to share things about
Strategy:
Standards
themselves and to make connections
Clusters:
to the upcoming content.
Just Like Me!
Materials: List of statements to utilize with students.
Instructional Notes:
 Prior to activity, teacher develops a list of things for the students to agree/disagree with in regards to the
upcoming content. This is an oral activity accompanied with Total Physical Responses that are meant to
activate students’ thinking and background knowledge and help them make connections to the big idea.
 Teacher makes a statement. If students agree with that statement, they stand up and say “just like me”. If
they disagree, they stay seated.
 Have all students in a seated position before articulating the next statement.
 A list of things for this module might include:
a. I help my (E.g. mom, dad, grandma, brother, etc.) at home.
b. I always try my best, even when something is hard for me.
c. I help other people because (E.g. I care about them. I love them. I want to. I am their friend, etc.)
d. When something is hard for me, I (E.g. get mad, get frustrated, keep trying, do my very best, etc.)
e. People who are leaders are (E.g. brave, courageous, etc.).
f. Leaders (E.g. work hard, do their best, keep trying, etc.)
Task Scoring: Observe students’ responses to gain insight and information regarding students’ level of connection
with the big idea.
Task 2
Launching the unit
Activator/Motivator
Strategy:
Standards
Clusters:
Brainstorm
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)
Possible Prompts:
What does it mean to persevere?
How do you overcome a challenge?
Instructional Notes:
 After posing the prompt have students pair-share with a partner.
 Conduct a class discussion to allow students to share their thinking.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
Purposes:
Activate students’ prior knowledge.
Motivate students for upcoming
learning.
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
Record students’ ideas for future reference and to guide instructional next steps.
Task Scoring:
Strategies from previous sample modules that may be utilized to build background knowledge, make connections, and motivate
students for the upcoming content.
Strategies from Unit 1:
Strategies from Unit 2:
Strategies from Unit 3,
Strategies from Unit 3,
1.
Word
Splash
Module
1:
Module 2:
1. Total Physical
2.
Vocabulary
1.
Word
Splash
1.
Write
Five Words
Response
Acquisition
2.
Sorting
Cards/Pictures
2.
K-W-H-L
Chart
2. Vocabulary
3.
Brainstorm
3.
Prediction
Acquisition
4. Compare/Contrast
3. Brainstorm
4. Categorize/Classify
Entering the Text Set
Integrated Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking
Complex Text, Talk, and Task
Task 3
(may be broken down into
multiple tasks)
Reading with a purpose.
Reading for meaning.
Standards Cluster:
Purpose:
 Closely reading a realistic fiction text
to gain an in-depth understanding of
the text.
 Making connections with the big idea
and enduring understandings.
Strategies:
Reading for meaning
Comprehension: Prediction
Text Dependent Questions
Active Listening
Writing to text to make meaning
Oral Comprehension
Close reading
Writing to synthesize learning
Topic, Main Idea, Details
Resources:
CA Vistas: A Poem: “We Are Good Helpers”; pages 60-61
HM Theme 4: “The Secret Code”
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)
Possible Before-Reading Tasks:
1. Read the poem, “We Are Good Helpers” brainstorm with students the following ideas to activate their
background knowledge and help them to make connections with the essential question: “Why do we help
others?” and the big idea “Perseverance”.
a. How do we help others?
b. Why do we help others?
Revisit the above discussions after each text, allowing students to revise their thinking as they read, learn, and
grow in their understanding of perseverance and working hard to help others.
2. Conduct a discussion on the meaning of perseverance (what it is and what it is not).
3. Set the context for reading the texts in the text set by discussing with students how they are going to be discussing
and learning about perseverance. Specifically about always working hard and always doing our best to help
others.
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4. Choose a song from the “Character Development Songs: Perseverance” to utilize as a digital anchor that you can
return to throughout the unit.
5. Vocabulary Acquisition:
Preview vocabulary as needed.
Teacher may wish to provide visuals/realia to support vocabulary words.
Possible vocabulary words: Braille, message
Possible During Reading Tasks:
Decide how to chunk text for reading and instruction.
1. Have students read text independently. Provide students with a procedure to annotate the text while they are
reading.
2. Teacher engages students in re-reading of text.
Some possible formats for re-reading include:
a. Teacher supporting through read aloud as students follow along.
b. Choral reading (Teacher voicing in/out depending on level of scaffolds students need.)
c. Partner Reading
2. Ask some general understanding text dependent questions to assess students’ level of comprehension of the text.
Possible general understanding questions:
a. What is this text about? How do you know?
b. Who are the characters in the book?
c. What was the “secret code”?
3. Re-read the text with students for the purpose of being able to retell key details from the text. Stop along the way to
pose questions and allow time for collaborative conversations with diverse partners and in small and large groups.
**Note: Teachers will need to ensure routines and procedures are in place to engage students in complex talk, both with
partners and whole class.
Possible Text Dependent Questions for Key Details include:
1. What can both Oscar and Lucy do with their books?
2. How are the letters in Lucy’s book like the raised dots in Oscar’s book?
3. What did you learn about Braille in the story?
During Reading
*Note: Depending upon students’ needs, an explicit lesson, on the skill of comparing/contrasting, might be necessary
prior to engaging in the following task.
Utilizing a graphic organizer (E.g. Venn Diagram/Double-Bubble, etc.) compare/contrast the following:
a. Characters
b. Lucy and Oscar’s books
c. The way each of the characters read.
After Reading:
 Connect the reading back to the big idea using the prompts: How can we help others? How do people overcome
challenges?
Opinion Writing Resources and possible structure: HM Theme 4, pages W4-W5
Writing Prompt: How do you overcome a challenge? After reading The Secret Code, write a paper in which you answer
the question and explain how the characters overcome the challenges presented in the text. Give several examples from
the text to support your opinion.
Task Scoring: Score students writing with a rubric.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Reading with a purpose.
Reading for meaning.
Task 4
Standards Cluster:
Purpose:
 Closely reading an adaptation of a
fable to gain an in-depth
understanding of the text.
 Identifying the basic similarities in
and differences between two texts
on the same topic.
Strategies:
Oral Comprehension
Comprehension: Prediction
Text Dependent Questions
Active Listening
Close reading
Writing to synthesize learning
Writing to text to make meaning
Resources: “The Ant and the Grasshopper”: California Vistas pgs. 204-207
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk, & task)
Possible Pre-Reading Tasks:
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Set the stage by discussing with students how this task connects back to the big idea of “Perseverance”.
Have students look at the illustrations on page T204-T205 and have them predict what they think the text is
going to be about. Teacher may record students’ predictions so that predictions can be confirmed or rejected
during and after reading.
Read the title. Give students an opportunity to revise their predictions.
Discuss the author and illustrator.
(Not more than 1-2 minutes.) Picture walk through the illustrations, having students describe what they think the
characters are doing.
Preview vocabulary as needed. Some possible words for vocabulary instruction and discussion include:
foolish, prepared
EL support for vocabulary: Act out words such as “hop” and “sing”. Add gestures/motions to words such as
“saw” and “come”
Possible During Reading Tasks:
Decide how to chunk text for reading and instruction.
1. Have students read text independently. Provide students with a procedure to annotate the text while they are
reading. (E.g. post it notes to mark difficult or unfamiliar words.)
2. Teacher engages students in re-reading of text.
Some possible formats for re-reading include:
a. Partner Reading
b. Choral reading (Teacher voicing in/out depending on level of scaffolds students need.)
c. Teacher reading aloud as students follow along with the text.
3. Ask some general understanding text dependent questions to assess students’ level of comprehension of the text.
Possible Text Dependent Questions
Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage
students. The use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk
formats to facilitate discussion include: think-pair-share and then share out with whole class, whole class
discussion, individual response with random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered
heads, etc.
Possible General Understanding Questions include:
 What is the story about?
 Who are the main characters in the story?
 What is the setting of the story?
Follow up the above questions with guiding questions that will cause students to provide text based evidence for
their answers and reasoning.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Sample Guiding Questions to guide students to cite textual evidence:
a. How do you know?
b. What in the text supports your answer/thinking?
c. What examples from the text can you give?
Possible text dependent questions to deepen understanding:
o Why is ant putting food away?
o Why did ant work during the summer?
o Why doesn’t grasshopper put food away?
o What happens when winter comes?
o Why does the author say ant is wise and grasshopper is foolish?
Possible After Reading Tasks:
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
Students work in partners to orally summarize and retell the events of the text in their own words.
Students create a sequence of events graphic organizer and write to explain the key details in the text including the
characters, settings, and major events in the story.
 After strategically pairing students, have students act out the fable by taking the role of either the Ant or the Grasshopper.
Have the pairs use gestures and language from the text to tell the story. Provide the pairs with the opportunity to reverse
the roles so that both students can understand both characters’ perspectives of working hard and being prepared versus
playing/not working and not being prepared.
Writing Opportunity: (Informative/Explanatory) Write a paragraph to explain what lesson the grasshopper learned. In your writing
describe how grasshopper felt at the beginning of the story compared to the end of the story.
Criteria for success:
a. Name the topic or name the text.
b. Supply some facts about the topic.
c. Provide a sense of closure.
Task Scoring: Check for students’ understanding of text during discussions.
Score students’ graphic organizers and writing with appropriate criteria for success or rubric.
Reading with a purpose.
Reading for meaning.
Task 5
Standards Cluster:
Purpose:
 Closely reading an adaptation of a
fable to gain an in-depth
understanding of the text.
 Identifying the basic similarities in
and differences between two texts
on the same topic.
Strategies:
Oral Comprehension
Text Dependent Questions
Active Listening
Close reading
Writing to synthesize learning
Writing to text to make meaning
Resources: “The Lion and the Mouse” Focus on Plays: HM Theme 7
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk, & task)
Possible Pre-Reading Tasks:


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
Explain to students that the upcoming text is another adaptation of a different Aesop’s fable and that this
adaptation is written in the form of a play.
Read and discuss page 113 which includes information on the text features and purpose of plays with students.
(E.g. characters’ names, the role of the narrator, text divided into parts to be read and acted out, etc.)
Discuss the author and illustrator.
(Not more than 1-2 minutes.) Picture walk through the illustrations, having students describe what they think the
characters are doing.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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
Preview vocabulary as needed. Some possible words for vocabulary instruction and discussion include: jungle,
den
Possible Reading Format:
 Have students read the text independently to get an understanding of the text.
 Teacher engages students in re-reading of text.
Some possible formats for re-reading include:
 Triad Groups with each student being assigned a part: Narrator, Mouse, and Lion
 Choral reading (Divide the class into three groups and assign each group a part to read.)
c. Teacher reading aloud as students follow along with the text.
3. Re-read the text and ask some general understanding text dependent questions to assess students’ level of
comprehension of the text.
Possible Text Dependent Questions
Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage
students. The use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk
formats to facilitate discussion include: think-pair-share and then share out with whole class, whole class
discussion, individual response with random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered
heads, etc.
Possible General Understanding Questions include:
 What is a play?
 What is the play about?
 Who are the main characters in the play?
 What is the setting of the play?
Follow up the above questions with guiding questions that will cause students to provide text based evidence for
their answers and reasoning.
Sample Guiding Questions to guide students to cite textual evidence:
 How do you know?
 What in the text supports your answer/thinking?
 What examples from the text can you give?
Possible text dependent questions to deepen understanding:
 Why did the Lion trap the Mouse?
 What are the reasons that the Mouse gave to the Lion to get him to let him go?
 What caused the Mouse to go running back to the Lion?
 What did the Mouse find when he got back to the jungle?
 How does the Mouse get the Lion out of the net?
Possible After Reading Tasks:

Students create a sequence of events graphic organizer and write to explain the key details in the text including the
characters, settings, and major events in the story.
 After strategically group students in triads, have students act out the fable by taking the roles of the Narrator, the Mouse,
and the Lion. Encourage the triads to use gestures when reading their parts of the play.
 Writing Opportunity: (Informative/Explanatory) Write a paragraph to explain how the Mouse demonstrated perseverance.
In your writing describe how mouse felt at the beginning of the story compared to the end of the story.
Criteria for success:
a. Name the topic or name the text.
b. Supply some facts about the topic.
c. Provide a sense of closure.
Task Scoring: Check for students’ understanding of text during discussions.
Score students’ graphic organizers and writing with appropriate criteria for success or rubric.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Reading with a purpose.
Reading for meaning.
Task 6
Standards Cluster:
Purpose:
 Closely reading a realistic fiction text
to gain an in-depth understanding of
the text.
Strategies:
Oral Comprehension
Text Dependent Questions
Active Listening
Close reading
Writing to synthesize learning
Writing to text to make meaning
Resources: “Maya Angelou”: HM Curious About Words Read Aloud, Vol. 1, pages 38-39
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk, & task)
Possible Pre-Reading Tasks:


Set the stage by discussing with students how this task connects back to the big idea of “Perseverance”.
Bridging conversation: Discuss with students how they are going to listen to a realistic fiction story about a
famous author.
Preparing for the text:
 Preview vocabulary as needed. Some possible words for vocabulary instruction and discussion include:
struggles, compositions, honors, ceremony
o Teacher may wish to provide a short explanation and example for each word.
o Teacher may wish to have students act out the vocabulary words that are verbs.
Possible During Reading Tasks:
 Read text aloud to students.
 Ask the general understanding questions below.
 Re-read the text for the purpose of asking specific text dependent questions that will engage students in
answering questions about key details in the text.
Possible Text Dependent Questions
Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage
students. The use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk
formats to facilitate discussion include: think-pair-share and then share out with whole class, whole class
discussion, individual response with random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered
heads, etc.
Possible General Understanding Questions include:
 Who was the text about?
 Who encouraged and helped Maya?
 What was the name of the first book that Maya wrote?
Follow up the above questions with guiding questions that will cause students to provide text based evidence for
their answers and reasoning.
Sample Guiding Questions to guide students to cite textual evidence:
 How do you know?
 What in the text supports your answer/thinking?
 What examples from the text can you give?
Possible text dependent questions to deepen understanding:
 In what ways has Maya shared her life with other people?
 How did Maya overcome the struggles in her life?
 How did Maya demonstrate perseverance?
Possible After Reading Tasks:


Students work in partners to orally summarize and retell the events of the text in their own words.
Utilize one of the online resources to solidify learning.
Task Scoring: Check for students’ understanding of text during discussions.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Task 7
Reading with a purpose.
Reading for meaning.
Standards Cluster:
Purpose:
 Closely reading a fictional text to gain
an in-depth understanding of the
text.
Strategies:
Oral Comprehension
Comprehension: Prediction
Text Dependent Questions
Active Listening
Close reading
Writing to synthesize learning
Writing to text to make meaning
Resources: “The Surprise Family”: HM Theme 9
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk, & task)
Possible Pre-Reading Tasks:



Set the stage by discussing with students how this task connects back to the big idea of “Perseverance”.
Have students look at page 78 in their anthology. Ask them to predict what they think the text will be about.
Have students browse the illustrations in the text. Ask students to generate questions that they may have about
the text. Teacher may choose to generate a list of questions whole class or have students write down one
question each on post it notes.
 Possible vocabulary words: expected, gizzard, clutch of eggs, danger, edge of the water, gathered, beaks,
webbed feet, waterproof, ducklings, waded
Possible During Reading Tasks:
 First Read=Have students read text to themselves.
 Second Read= Chorally read text with students.
 Third Read = Re-read pages or excerpts from the text for the purpose of asking specific text dependent
questions that will engage students in answering questions about key details in the text.
Possible Text Dependent Questions
Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage
students. The use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk
formats to facilitate discussion include: think-pair-share and then share out with whole class, whole class
discussion, individual response with random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered
heads, etc.
Possible Text Dependent Questions:
 What kind of mother had the chick expected to see when she hatched out of her egg? Who was her mother
instead?
 What kinds of things did the boy and hen do together?
 On page 84, why did the little hen say “following the boy was not enough”?
 What was the hen’s problem?
 How did the boy help the hen to solve her problem?
 What kinds of things did the hen teacher her babies?
 What happened when the boy and the hen took her chicks to the water?
 Why did the hen cry her danger cry and dance her danger dance?
 How does the hen feel as her babies swim away?
 What was the little hen’s “surprise”?
 What could the boy and the ducklings do that the hen could not?
Follow up the above questions with guiding questions that will cause students to provide text based evidence for their
answers and reasoning.
Sample Guiding Questions to guide students to cite textual evidence:
 How do you know?
 What in the text supports your answer/thinking?
 What examples from the text can you give?
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4
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Possible After Reading Tasks:
1. Opportunities to compare/Contrast
*Note: Teacher will need to make instructional decisions on whether or not students need direct instruction on
the skill, what elements of the story to compare/contrast, what graphic organizer to utilize, and the format in
which to process. (E.g. whole group, small group, or individual.)
a. Compare/contrast the boy’s actions with the hen’s actions.
b. Compare/Contrast the hen to her babies.
2.
Writing Prompt:
“To demonstrate perseverance, someone has to work hard, always do their best, and never give up.” How and
why do you think the hen demonstrated perseverance? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.
Task Scoring: Check for students’ understanding of text during discussions.
Score students’ writing and collaborative discussions with rubrics or specific criteria for success.
Teacher observation and note taking.
Module Culminating Task
Standards Clusters:
Culminating Module Task:
Big Idea: Perseverance
Enduring Understanding:
Work hard and always do your best!
Writing Prompt:
Why do we help others? After reading the texts, draw/write a poster to explain why we help others. Give some
examples from the texts to support your opinion.
Criteria for success:
1. Uses a combination of drawing/dictating/writing.
2. Names the topic or the book.
3. States an opinion about the topic or the book.
Resources: Prompt and writing materials.
Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)
 Teacher may need to quickly review the texts in the text set prior to the culminating task.
 Students should be completing task independently.
 Teacher should provide students with a copy of rubric along with the task.
Rubrics should be decided upon by Accountable Communities.
 Students should be given a criteria of success for self-evaluation. Criteria of success may be developed by
Accountable Communities or by teachers along with their students.
Task Scoring:
Writing can be scored with rubrics.
FUSD First Grade, ELA Sample Module, Unit 4