Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Exploring Forests

• focus on three expository frames and apply this understanding in their reading and response to particular articles.
• select key characteristics of owls when listening to text read aloud and, then, forests after reading independently.
• construct a forest bulletin board - half a map of world forests, half a model of forest layers - after reading "Fascinating Forests" and "A World of Forests and Amazing Trees."
• order stages of giant sequoia tree growth after listening to a read aloud.
• order steps in creating a fire line after reading "Blazing Forests."
• select and categorize points of comparison after listening to a read aloud on wasps and bees.
• select and categorize points of comparison after reading "A People and a Tree."
• create a Forests of the World bulletin board

• October 2003 issue of APPLESEEDS
• copy of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• copy of All About Owls by J. Amosky (1995, NY:Scholastic) or any informational text that focuses on description
• copy of Giant Sequoia Trees by G. Wadsworth (1995, Chicago:Lerner) or any informational text that focuses on sequence
• copy of A Wasp is not a Bee by M. Singer (1995, NY: Holt) or any informational text that focuses on comparison
• graphic organizers

1. Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Ask students to share their thoughts and/or reactions to the poem.
2. Tell students that over the next few days we'll be talking about trees and forests as well as our relationship to these resources.

1. Introduce the October 2003 APPLESEEDS issue. Have students examine, read, and discuss the magazine cover page, "About the Cover," and the "Editor's Note."
2. Model how to survey the Table of Contents and illustrations for the purpose of making predictions that will guide comprehension. Invite students to also "download their thinking" on the article titles and illustrations.
3. Review the concept of text structure in narratives. Review story grammar or elements of character(s), setting, problem, events, and resolution. Explain that informational text has specific kinds of structures as well. These are called frames. A piece of informational writing can be mostly one kind of structure or frame, but may likely include many kinds as the author's purpose differs from section to section.
4. Explain that today we are focusing on informational text that describes. This writing uses a descriptive frame. The author writes about characteristics of a topic, item, or person in such a way that it becomes easy to visualize or picture it.
5. Tell students that you want them to listen carefully and be ready to share characteristics of owls that the author gives. Read "All About Owls" (or another descriptive informational text).
6. Invite students to share descriptive details they heard. As information is shared the teacher creates a web that categorizes the information on the topic of owls.

1. Reinforce the point that readers must monitor their own understanding as they go and sometimes need to reread for good comprehension. Explain that the articles they'll be reading, "Fascinating Forests" and "A World of Forests and Amazing Trees" are descriptive frames.
2. Direct students to independently read the article, "Fascinating Forests" When they finish reading they can work with a partner to complete the web.
3. The teacher will circulate to provide assistance as needed.
4. Collaboratively read and discuss the article, "A World of Forests and Amazing Trees." Read the map using the legend and locate each tree location on the world map.

Have partners share the webs they created. Students may add information to their web after listening to others. Webs will be referred to as students work on the bulletin board.

1. Explain that today we are focusing on informational text that presents information or events in an order. The order is important for understanding the author's message. This writing uses a sequence frame. The author writes about a number of ideas, steps, or stages in a specific order that is essential. When authors present a list of ideas where relatedness is the focus rather than any specific order, they are giving a collection. An example of a collection would be . . . The five characteristics of mammals are . . .
2. Tell students that you want them to listen carefully and be ready to identify ideas in a sequence. Read Giant Sequoia Trees (or another informational text presenting a sequence).
3. Invite students to share details they heard. As information is shared the teacher creates an organizer that orders the information on the topic of sequoia trees.

Giant Sequoia Trees

1. _______________________

2. _______________________

3. _______________________

1. Reinforce the point that readers must monitor their own understanding as they go and sometimes need to reread for good comprehension. Explain that the article they'll be reading is a sequence frame. It explains the steps in a process used to stop a forest fire.
2. Direct students to independently read the article, "Blazing Forests." When they finish reading they can work with a partner to complete the organizer.
3. The teacher will circulate to provide assistance as needed.

Have partners share the organizer they created. Students may add information to their organizer after listening to others.

1. Explain that today we are focusing on informational text that presents information that compares items, topics, or people. The author is helping readers understand the likeness and differences between the things compared. This writing uses a comparison frame. The author writes about ways in which the topic, ideas, or items are alike and how they are different.
2. Tell students that you want them to listen carefully and be ready to identify ways in which two insects are alike and different. Read A Wasp is Not a Bee (or another informational text presenting a comparison).
3. Invite students to share details they heard. As information is shared the teacher creates a venn diagram that orders the information on the topic of wasps and bees.

1. Reinforce the point that readers must monitor their own understanding as they go and sometimes need to reread for good comprehension. Explain that the article they'll be reading is a comparison frame.
2. Direct students to independently read the articles, "A People and a Tree" and "Little Homes in the Big Woods." When they finish reading they can work with a partner to complete the matrix.
3. The teacher will circulate to provide assistance as needed.

Have partners share the matrix they created. Students may add information to their matrix after listening to others.

Over the time of these readings and the ongoing unit on the rain forest, students will create a bulletin board. One half will depict the forests of the world, designating the location of different types of forests. The other half will be a "window into a rain forest," depicting the forest layers, plant life, and animals found at each layer. Students will label key points of interest on the bulletin board with brief paragraphs.

1. survey text, generate predictions related to its content, and set appropriate purposes for reading.
2. identify information related to text frames as they listen to selections read-aloud.
3. read with understanding as reflected in the completion of organizers.
4. work appropriately with a partner in completing an organizer and sharing work with the class.
5. effectively work in groups to complete a bulletin board that is appealing and accurate.

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Updated: 11/21/08 02:31 pm
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