Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Text Title: Communities of Life: Deserts by Jane Hurwitz 

Level: 9-12 years, HUR 551.4 

Fiction/NF: Non Fiction 

Book Introduction (Before Reading): 

• Students will be grouped based upon their reading level. 
• They will be called by color (ex. "I need the Purple Group to come to the group reading table." 
• Introduction of the book will begin by handing the books out and discussing what the cover shows us. 
• Ask the students specific questions to encourage their understanding of the book (ex. "What is the title?" "What are the three pictures in the boxes at the bottom of?"

Phonics Focus: (CC): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.F

Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

            Word Work Activity (Hyperlink): Baseball Spelling Game
                                                    Use this to create your own game. Use the following          irregularly spelled words. 

Vocabulary Focus:

• adapt- to learn to successfully live in an environment
• community- organisms that live together in a particular location
• native- originally living in an area
• organism- living thing
• plain- flat, treeless land 

Word Work Activity: Desert Vocabulary

                                   Vocabulary Matching Game

• I will give the students in the group each a sheet with the vocabulary words from the book. They will use the Glossary text feature to write the definitions of each word. 

Before Reading

• Start with whole-group discussion at the carpet. 
• Assess students' prior knowledge of deserts (if any).
• What do you know about deserts? 
• Has anyone ever seen a camel (and other desert animals) in real life? 
• Build knowledge by showing Desert Video 
• The Guided Reading with small groups will begin. 

During Reading 

            We will take a picture walk, discussing the different text features throughout the book. The students will each read a page of the book. 
            

            Comprehension non-fiction: After each section is read, I will ask specific questions to help enhance the students' understanding 

•  "What is one thing we learned about.....?"

Fluency and phrasing: By having the students read aloud, this will assess the students' fluency. 

Word decoding:

• When the students read one of the vocabulary words, we will stop and point it out. 
• Ask the students if they found any irregularly spelled words after certain pages. (I will guide this.)

After Reading
Whole group: develop a graphic organizer about deserts. Students can use this and their vocabulary as aids for their writing activity. 

            Writing Activity: The students will Think-Pair-Share about specific questions on the board (ex. What did you learn about biomes and ecosystems? Where on Earth are deserts?) After, the students will write a paragraph about something they discussed with their partner.
               Students will be expected to (after they finish their writing) go back and find irregularly spelled words, using a green highlighter. This is developed for higher-level learners who finish their work early. 

Supplies:

• Informational book, Communities of Life: Deserts by Jane Hurwitz 
• Copy for each student 
• Matching cards 
• "Yes" and "No" cards 
• Vocabulary word list
• Graphic organizer- New Words  
• Writing paper 
• Smart Board 
• Green highlighter 
• One for each student