Aide Rocha April 11, 2017

Reading to Learn

Unit Planning

1. The Ecosystem (Unit of Study)

Do your part on Recycling (Name of the Unit)

Science and Writing Literacies for 5th Graders

2. TEKS learning objectives Science, Grade 5.

(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student

conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following

home and school safety procedures and environmentally

appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected

to:
(A) Demonstrate safe practices and the use of

safety equipment as described in the Texas

Safety Standards during classroom and

outdoor investigations: and

(B) Make informed choices in the conservation,

disposal and recycling of materials

(4) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows

how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct

science inquiry. The student is expected to:

(A) collect, record and analyze information using

tools, including cameras, computers, and notebooks

Text Selection
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3. I choose Recycling during part of a Science content area for 5 th

graders. The author is Soft Schools

<http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/reading_comprehension/

science/80/recycling/> I also found Resources to Reduce Waste by

Take Care of Texas. http://takecareoftexas.org/hot-wire/recycling-

resources-reduce-waste. These two short texts are informational and

talk about our ecosystem. They inform the reader that recycling is the

best way to reduce waste and help our environment. It mentions

different ways on how we can contribute on achieving the goal of

reducing waste. They state that there are three ways of learning how

to recycle and how to contribute by making great recycling decisions.

They give examples of the process of how paper, glass and aluminum

can be easier to recycle than other products. They also state why it is

beneficial to recycle and what items can be easier to recycle and

others can be challenging. Take Care of Texas website has interactive

games for students to gain more information and promote recycling in

their lifestyles.

Vocabulary

4. I chose the following words as important vocabulary words to learn

since some students might have heard them but never implemented

them on their daily lifestyle. It is important to know the meaning of

each word but it is significantly and importantly to know the great

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effect these words have by implementing them at home and

personally.
Recycle
Organic
Collected
Hazardous
Dispose
Deforest
Sorted
Processed
Pollution
5. These vocabulary words will be presented to the students before

reading the text in order to activate their prior knowledge with new

knowledge. The students will create a word map for each vocabulary

word listed above and they will fill the map starting by looking up their

meaning on the dictionary. Then, they will work together in groups of

three to four students to help them engage and deepen their

knowledge. They will have the opportunity to discuss some key clues

and associations to the vocabulary words. This technique will help

them associate their new knowledge while they read the text and the

understanding can be amplified by discussing their ideas in small

groups.
Another supplemental strategy that I would implement is the Frayer

Model. It will definitely help students understand new vocabulary and

concepts in relation to their prior knowledge. This model can be broken

down into four categories: definition, characteristics, examples, and

non-examples. I would advise students to use synonyms and

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antonyms to broaden their vocabulary words and knowledge. This

model will be a great tool to use as their personal vocabulary word

portfolio to review it as necessary.

Preparing Students to Read/Setting a Purpose

6. I would first active their prior knowledge and ask them to help me

choose what objects can be recycled around the classroom. The

students will participate as I write their opinions on the board. Then I

would ask them to work in small groups of three to four members and

discuss who has contributed in any recycling program and what

recycling is done currently at home? Once, they interact and discuss

with each other, I would give them some facts about waste by using

the website, Take Care of Texas (http://takecareoftexas.org/kids/fun-

facts). This website has fun facts about several information regarding

waste, recycling and contributions. There is an interactive house on

this website where the kids could navigate around and gain more

knowledge regarding extra ways to contribute on recycling. The best

way to grab their attention is by putting the website on the projector

and show them how to go around the house to find different forms of

helping the environment by recycling.

Fluency

7. I would implement whole-class choral reading strategy before the unit

is taught. Students would have to read the texts, I would indicate to

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acquire the proper fluency of the text which lead them to take less

time concentrating on the fluency rather than the content. This

strategy will be given as a reading homework two weeks in advance to

improve rapid identification of new words. It can also inspire them to

look up the meaning of unknown words and therefore, be ready once

the subject is being taught. Once the unit of study is ready to be

taught, I would also use a read aloud strategy in order to scaffold the

appropriate use of expressing reading, reading rate and strict attention

in punctuation such as commas, periods and phrases. This technique

can allow students to follow the text while I read.

During Reading Strategies

8. The best traditional strategy used during reading is note-taking

system. It has more advantages if only one notebook is specifically for

their notes since it can be modified and organized differently as the

student wishes. However, it is recommended to have only one

notebook for reading. I would advise to divide it into two columns by

having the left side for recording important topics, key terms and

questions that might assist them remembering the lesson; on the right

side, mark with asterisks or stars the important notes and also write

minor ideas or use abbreviations to remember the topic faster.

Students can review these notes by looking either side to help them

remember important topics or key terms.

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After Reading Strategies

9. I believe the best approach to reinforce their understanding on the

content reading is to implement WALS (Written Academic Learning

Summaries). This technique will also help students practice their

writing skills as they retell their understanding of the content by

providing a written summary. As the textbook indicates that these

written retellings help students connect concepts and see relationships

and finally to a written summary of three to five paragraphs.

Another best way and fun technique is the Six Degrees of Separation.

This strategy helps students create a web in which they connect one

term to another in six or fewer steps. I would implement this

technique by providing two terms and allow the students to connect

them with key terms or ideas. For example, I would provide recycle

and ecosystem and the students would have to connect them with

key terms that will end up summarizing the concepts given at first.

This is a way for student to provide a written summary by providing

specific terms that connect one concept to the other.

RTI/ELLs
10. I would use different techniques for every students needs. For

example, if I have struggling readers with learning disabilities, I would

use SIP technique. This strategy will help them to engage actively in

the comprehension of the text. I would ask them to read each

paragraph and summarize it so that students can reflect on the

content and ask any questions they have. I would assist them as one-
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to-one instruction or in small-groups. Then, I would allow them to also

draw some pictures of their understanding as they go along so this

activity can be entertained as well; this imaging and drawing will form

a visual display in content which will provide them a faster engagement

of the text important features. Lastly, as they go along reading, I would

ask them to predict what will happen next or what can they learn next

on the text. This strategy will allow students to activate their interest

on continue reading as they can relate the content with their previous

experiences. A great advantage is that students are allowed to imagine

and interact with the content as they continue reading the text.
I would use the same technique with the English learners as they will

have the time to read and reread the text in case they have difficulties

understanding the content. However, with the English learners I would

add post-reading discussion groups to help them interact with native

English speakers and give them the opportunity to clarify some doubts

about the text by discussing them with their group peers. Since in this

project there is no much vocabulary words to learn, I would not reduce

the load. I would instead, pre-teach the key vocabulary concepts

before the students start reading. As one of my previous strategies for

reading fluency, I asked students to pre-read the text, I would use this

time to provide my ELs the vocabulary concepts so they can use a

dictionary, learn their meaning and familiarize with them.

Technology
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11. As I mention previously, the technology I would use is my computer,

the projector and allow students use the internet. First, I would set up

the projector so I can go to the website www.takecareoftexas.com and

play the interactive house that is provided on the website. This

interaction will help students learn more about how they can contribute

at home. Once they are working in small groups, they can go to the

website and input their birth year and gather information regarding all

the waste, water and electricity being used since they were born. Once

they are navigating throughout this website, the students would have

to answer the following questions:

1. How much waste does Texas generate per person

approximately?
2. How many gallons of water is wasted in your community or

per household?
3. What is the best energy source to help our ecosystem?
4. What products have you recycled to help the environment?
5. Have you and your family implemented a recycle, reuse or

reduce system at home?

Using technology in the appropriate way, helps tremendously the

students to gain more information when using the proper websites. As

I found this website, I learned numerous ways of recycling and this

strategy will inspire the students to learn more about the topic and

share their learning with their family.

Aide Rocha April 11, 2017