Elementary English and Language Arts UDL Instructional Unit - Lesson 2

Objectives:

Students will identify the author's purpose, message, or theme. Common Core State Standards: RL.3.2 and RL.4.1, RL.4.2

Students will identify central ideas and key details to derive the author's purpose, message, or theme. Common Core State Standards: RL.3.2 and RL.4.1, RL.4.2

Students will use a graphic organizer to develop and organize ideas. Common Core State Standards: W.3.3a, W.3.8, W.4.3a, W.4.8

Students will discuss ideas on a topic or text with their peers and then with the teacher. Core Content Connectors: 3.WL.h3 and 4.WL.h3

Students will gather information f rom the literary text and write the key points. Core Content Connectors: 3.WL.i1 and 4.WL.i1

Essential Question(s):

What is the author's purpose?

How do the details in the text help the reader determine its theme?

Vocabulary:

Humor - Something that is funny

Opinion - What someone thinks or believes

Conclusion - The end

Materials:

• The picture book, Saturdays and Teacakes, by Lester Laminack
• Smart Board
• LCD projector
• Theme strips
• T-chart labeled theme and not theme
• Sticky notes
• Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken"
• Author's Purpose Sorting Sheet
• Writer's Notebook

Lesson 2 - Introduction

Activate Previous Knowledge

1. Review the definition of author's purpose. Ask students: Why does an author write a text in a particular way? (to convey a message to the reader) Identify the three reasons why an author writes a text (to persuade, to inform, to entertain). Ask students to name characteristics of a text that is written to inform (teach information, give facts). Name characteristics of a text that is written to persuade (sway thoughts, change opinion). Name characteristics of a text that is written to entertain (tell a story, humor, relate to self). Show students various titles from the classroom library (should be familiar books to students). Ask students: What is the author's purpose? \*If you have access to a Smart Board, the teacher can review these characteristics using the Smart Board activity, "Author's Purpose: Which Piece of the P.I.E.?" using exchange.smarttech.com.
2. Display the cover of Saturdays and Teacakes which was read aloud in Lesson 1. Ask students: 1. What do you notice about this book? 2. Why do you think Lester Laminack wrote Saturdays and Teacakes? (refer back to Lesson 1 whole group graphic organizer where a brainstormed list of author's purpose/theme was written).

Definitions:

Author's Purpose: the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic

Multiple means of representation – large graphic organizer, list on chart paper, projected onto screen, Smart Board

Multiple means of expression – share answers with large group, manipulate Smart Board

Multiple means of engagement – Students use prior knowledge on author's purpose.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

1. As the teacher reviews the definition of author's purpose, provide a personal copy of the definition with symbol-based text. Provide symbol-based text versions of the three reasons why an author writes a text and the characteristics of each. Provide a 3-column T-chart with the columns labeled (in symbol-based test) persuade, inform, and entertain. Before this activity, copy the covers of the familiar books the teacher will be asking about and reduce their size to about 2-inch square. Have the student sort the "book covers" into the correct category of author's purpose as a result of the ongoing class discussion. The student could show his or her T-chart to respond to the teacher's questions or pre-plan a specific question and answer that the student can give.
2. Allow the student to respond to the teacher's question using his or her preferred mode of communication. He or she can also use the symbol-based test versions of the author's purpose provided in the first activity above.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. As the teacher reviews the definition of author's purpose, provide a personal copy of the definition with symbol-based text or other symbolic tactile representations appropriate for the student. Provide symbol-based text (or other symbolic tactile representations appropriate for the student) versions of the three reasons why an author writes a test and the characteristics of each. Provide a 3-column T-chart with the columns labeled (in symbol-based test or other symbolic representation appropriate for the student) persuade, inform, and entertain. Before this activity, provide the student with the previously accommodated book titles/covers (note: since these are familiar books having already been taught, provide the same accommodations used in the previous lessons). Have the student sort the "book titles/covers" into the correct category of author's purpose as a result of the ongoing class discussion. The student could show his or her T-chart to respond to the teacher's questions or pre-plan a specific question and answer that the student can give. A pre-planned answer might be pre-recording into a voice-output device which the student can activate in response to the teacher's questions.
2. Allow the student to respond to the teacher's question using his or her preferred mode of communication. He or she can also use the symbol-based test (or other symbolic tactile representations appropriate for the student) versions of the author's purpose provided in the first activity above.

Establish Goals/Objectives for the Lesson

Inform students: "Today we are going to take a closer look at the author's purpose in the book, Saturdays and Teacakes. We are going to find key details in the text to support our conclusions.

Multiple means of representation – large graphic organizer, list on chart paper, writing on sticky notes

Multiple means of expression – read book with small group, discuss with large group

Multiple means of engagement – Students read book with the small group and write key details on sticky notes.

Lesson 2 - Body

Direct Instruction and/or Facilitation of the Lesson Activity(ies) –

1. Have students retell key events in the story. Or if time permits, reread Saturdays and Teacakes as a whole group.
2. Ask students: 1. What was the author's purpose? (to entertain) 2. Why is it important to know the author's purpose? (able to comprehend the story better, become a better reader)
3. Inform students that while Laminack wrote the book to entertain the readers there is a deeper message or theme in the text. Provide several possibilities to complete the sentence: The theme in this book is____________. Display strips listing the possible themes: childhood memories, bravery, relationships, family traditions, farm life, historical events, friendship, coming of age.
4. In small groups of 3 to 4 students, students discuss which theme would relate to the text and sorts them.
5. As a large group, sort the strips into two categories: theme, not theme. Discuss student rationales.

Theme	Not Theme
Childhood memories	Bravery
Relationships	Farm Life
Family Traditions	Historical Events
Friendship
Coming of Age

6. From the the large group t-chart, students will individually write a rationale in their writer's notebook for the choices they made. Students should use information they remember from the text to support their rationale. This is a quick write exercise. Students will use the texts and their small group to find exact points of data to write on sticky notes.

Multiple means of representation – word strips, chart paper with T-chart or projected onto screen

Multiple means of expression – retell in large group, sort/discuss in small groups then in large group, write in writer's notebook

Multiple means of engagement – Students sort themes into the T-chart with the large group, discuss where the themes go in the small group.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

1. Allow student to use his or her preferred mode of communication to participate in retelling key events in the story. Allow the student to use the symbolic representation of the text, the story map graphic organizer, the bank of events, or any other resource to help recall events as necessary. If the book is reread as a whole group, provide the same accommodations as in Lesson 1, Introduction, step 3.
2. Allow the student to use the accommodations developed and used in this lesson, Activate Previous Knowledge, step 1. to answer the question "1. What was the author's purpose?" For the question "2. Why is it important to know the author's purpose?", provide several possible answers (in accommodated format) for the student to choose from. Since this is not an assessment activity, all the choices can be "correct." Pre-plan information for the student to share in the large group.
3. Provide the theme/not theme strips in accommodated formats (symbol-based, etc.) to the student for use as the teacher delivers the information.
4. As the students discuss and sort the themes and not themes:
1. Provide the themes in a symbol-based format (icons, pictures, concrete tactile representations /real, with supplemental textures, etc.).
2. Provide the student with a 2-column T-chart that might be outlined or have the background with colors and textures. The theme and not theme columns could be supplemented with other icons such as a happy face/frowny face, yes/no, etc. respectively.
3. Have the student sort the themes by:
1. Placing the theme/not theme strips into the correct categories.
2. Indicating by AAC or AT which category they should be placed in.

The questions to facilitate the student's responses could be asked in two ways:

5. The student could be asked, "Does the possible theme go here or here?" and the student would indicate which category through his or her preferred mode of communication.
6. The student could be presented with the possible themes and asked, "Does this belong here?" to which the student would answer "yes" or "no" through his or her preferred mode of communication.
7. The student should participate in the large group activity using the same processes as in step 4.
8. Provide the student with the theme/not theme choices made by the large group. These should be in an accommodated format that the student can manipulate to place in his or her writer's notebook (symbol-based text pasted in a physical notebook, digitally placed in a virtual notebook, etc.).

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. Allow student to use his or her preferred mode of communication to participate in retelling key events in the story. Pre-plan an event to share using augmentative and alternative communication system and/or assistive technology. For example, an event could be recorded on a voice output device which the student could activate. Allow the student to use the symbolic representation of the text, the story map graphic organizer, the bank of events, or any other resource to help recall events as necessary. If the book is reread as a whole group, provide the same accommodations as in Lesson 1, Introduction, step 3.
2. Allow the student to use the accommodations developed and used in this lesson, Activate Previous Knowledge, step 1. to answer the question "1. What was the author's purpose?" For the question "2. Why is it important to know the author's purpose?", provide several possible answers (in accommodated format) for the student to choose from. Since this is not an assessment activity, all the choices can be "correct." Pre-plan information for the student to share in the large group.
3. Provide the theme/not theme strips in accommodated formats (symbol-based, etc.) to the student for use as the teacher delivers the information.
1. As the students discuss and sort the themes and not themes:
2. Provide the themes in a symbol-based format (icons, pictures, concrete tactile representations /real, with supplemental textures, etc.).
3. Provide the student with a 2-column T-chart that might be outlined or have the background with colors and textures. Another option would be to have the T-chart represented by two boxes or other containers. The theme and not theme columns could be supplemented with other icons such as a happy face/frowny face, yes/no, etc. respectively.
4. Have the student sort the themes by:
1. Placing the theme/not theme strips into the correct categories.
2. Indicating by AAC or AT which category they should be placed in.

The questions to facilitate the student's responses could be asked in two ways:

3. The student could be asked, "Does the possible theme go here or here?" and the student would indicate which category through his or her preferred mode of communication.
4. The student could be presented with the possible themes and asked, "Does this belong here?" to which the student would answer "yes" or "no" through his or her preferred mode of communication.
4. The student should participate in the large group activity using the same processes as in step 4.
5. Provide the student with the theme/not theme choices made by the large group. These should be in an accommodated format that the student can manipulate to place in his or her writer's notebook (symbol-based text pasted in a physical notebook, concrete tactile representations /real placed in a box representing a writer's notebook, digitally placed in a virtual notebook, etc.).

Lesson 2 - Practice

1. Students return to their small group. Using a copy of Saturdays and Teacakes, students will mark pages with a sticky note that hold key details to support their conclusion. On the sticky notes, students will write down key details or terminology they chose.
2. Students come back to the large group setting. The individual small groups will take turns placing their sticky notes next to the theme it supports. Each group will explain why they chose the detail and why it supports a particular theme. You may find that the details students have chosen can support several of the listed themes.
3. Read aloud or ask several students to read aloud the theme and its supporting details from the sticky notes.

Multiple means of representation – key details on sticky notes, T-chart on chart paper or projected onto screen

Multiple means of expression – read and discuss in small group, share details in large group, write on sticky notes

Multiple means of engagement – Students skim book and write down key details on sticky notes, manipulate theme strips and sticky notes present in large group.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

1. Provide the student with sticky notes pre-marked with symbols representing the themes chosen in Lesson 2, Body, step 6. For example, if the theme of Family Traditions were previously indicated with an icon of family, the student would be provided with several sticky notes pre-marked with that icon. Sticky notes for the other chosen themes would be provided in the same manner. As the student and his or her partner reread the text (provided for the student with all of the appropriate accommodations) and identify pages containing key details, allow the student to place the appropriate theme sticky note on the appropriate page and have the partner write down the key detail or terminology.
2. In the large group activity, have the student match the sticky notes to the appropriate themes.
3. If the student is chosen to read the theme and supporting details, he or she can:
1. Use the preferred mode of communication to read the theme and supporting details.
2. Indicate the theme and details as the partner reads.
Pre-plan a specific theme and supporting details for the student to read.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. Provide the student with sticky notes pre-marked with symbols representing the themes chosen in Lesson 2, Body, step 6. For example, if the theme of Family Traditions were previously indicated with an icon of family, the student would be provided with several sticky notes pre-marked with that icon. Sticky notes for the other chosen themes would be provided in the same manner. As the student and his or her partner reread the text (provided for the student with all of the appropriate accommodations) and identify pages containing key details, allow the student to place the appropriate theme sticky note on the appropriate page and have the partner write down the key detail or terminology.
2. In the large group activity, have the student match the sticky notes to the appropriate themes.
3. If the student is chosen to read the theme and supporting details, he or she can:
1. Touch or otherwise indicate (e.g., eye-gaze, etc.) the theme and details as the partner reads.
2. Activate a voice output device on which the themes and details have been pre-recorded.
Pre-plan a specific theme and supporting details for the student to read.

Lesson 2 - Closure

Revisit/Review Lesson and Objectives

1. Project poem onto screen. Read the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. You may need to reread the poem several times for students.
2. Have students write the purpose of the poem and list possible themes or messages. (to entertain, possible themes: being an individual, making your own choice)
3. Students share their ideas with the large group.

Multiple means of representation – projected onto screen, words in front of students

Multiple means of expression – discuss in large group

Multiple means of engagement – Students listen and/or read the poem, write and share theme in large group.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

1. Provide the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost with the text printed in symbol-based format. Adapted with symbols for key words attached with hook-and-loop tape to a Road Not Taken file folder, have the student either peel off or put on the symbols as the teacher reads about them.
2. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1., have the student choose which author's purpose fits the poem. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Body, step 4. a., have the student choose which theme fits the poem. Provide options of themes (as many or as few as the student can handle but at least two) the student can choose from.
3. When the student shares with the large group, he or she can:
1. Use the preferred mode of communication to read the author's purpose and theme.
2. ndicate the author's purpose and theme as a partner (peer or adult) reads.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. Provide the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost with the text printed in symbol-based format, with tactile qualities, with concrete tactile representations /real. Adapted with symbols (and supplemented with textures if appropriate) for key words attached with hook-and-loop tape to a Road Not Taken file folder, have the student either peel off or put on the symbols as the teacher reads about them. If the student uses concrete tactile representations /real, have him or her take them out of or put them into a Road Not Taken basket or box.
2. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1., have the student choose which author's purpose fits the poem. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Body, step 4. a., have the student choose which theme fits the poem. Provide options of themes (as many or as few as the student can handle but at least two) the student can choose from.
3. When the student shares with the large group, he or she can:
1. Touch or otherwise indicate (e.g., eye-gaze, etc.) the author's purpose and theme as a partner (peer or adult) reads.
2. Activate a voice output device on which the author's purpose and theme have been pre-recorded.

Revisit/Review Lesson and Objectives

1. Project poem onto screen. Read the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. You may need to reread the poem several times for students.
2. Have students write the purpose of the poem and list possible themes or messages. (to entertain, possible themes: being an individual, making your own choice)
3. Students share their ideas with the large group.

Multiple means of representation – projected onto screen, words in front of students

Multiple means of expression – discuss in large group

Multiple means of engagement – Students listen and/or read the poem, write and share theme in large group.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

4. Provide the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost with the text printed in symbol-based format. Adapted with symbols for key words attached with hook-and-loop tape to a Road Not Taken file folder, have the student either peel off or put on the symbols as the teacher reads about them.
5. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1., have the student choose which author's purpose fits the poem. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Body, step 4. a., have the student choose which theme fits the poem. Provide options of themes (as many or as few as the student can handle but at least two) the student can choose from.
6. When the student shares with the large group, he or she can:
1. Use the preferred mode of communication to read the author's purpose and theme.
2. Indicate the author's purpose and theme as a partner (peer or adult) reads.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. Provide the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost with the text printed in symbol-based format, with tactile qualities, with concrete tactile representations /real. Adapted with symbols (and supplemented with textures if appropriate) for key words attached with hook-and-loop tape to a Road Not Taken file folder, have the student either peel off or put on the symbols as the teacher reads about them. If the student uses concrete tactile representations /real, have him or her take them out of or put them into a Road Not Taken basket or box.
2. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1., have the student choose which author's purpose fits the poem. Using the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Body, step 4. a., have the student choose which theme fits the poem. Provide options of themes (as many or as few as the student can handle but at least two) the student can choose from.
3. When the student shares with the large group, he or she can:
1. Touch or otherwise indicate (e.g., eye-gaze, etc.) the author's purpose and theme as a partner (peer or adult) reads.
2. Activate a voice output device on which the author's purpose and theme have been pre-recorded.

Exit Assessment

Students complete a sheet by identifying passages as the correct author's purpose: persuade, inform, or entertain.

Multiple means of representation – sheet

Multiple means of expression – write, discuss answers

Multiple means of engagement – Students will apply knowledge of author's purpose by identifying 3 passages.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Readers

1. Provide the three passages in the most appropriate accommodated format for the student. Have him or her use the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1. and match the author's purpose to the appropriate passage by:
1. Writing.
2. Verbalizing as someone scribes.
3. Matching theme specific sticky note to each passage.
4. Drawing a line from each passage to the appropriate theme.
Since this is an assessment activity, no prompting or cueing that leads the student to the correct performance should be used.

Additional Consideration for Emerging Communicators

1. Provide the three passages in the most appropriate accommodated format for the student. Have him or her use the accommodations developed and used in Lesson 2, Introduction, step 1. and match the author's purpose to the appropriate passage by:
   1. Vocalizing (or otherwise indicate, e.g., eyegaze, touch, point, grasp, etc.) to indicate the answer in response to the question, "Is this the author's purpose or is this the author's purpose?" as someone scribes.
   2. Matching theme specific sticky note to each passage.
   3. Responding with a "yes" or "no" (using AAC or AT) to the question, "Is the author's purpose to insert "persuade", "inform", or "entertain"?"
   Since this is an assessment activity, no prompting or cueing that leads the student to the correct performance should be used.

Lesson 2 - Resources

Freedman, R. (2005). Children of the Great Depression. (p. 20). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Laminack, L. (2004). Saturdays and Teacakes. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers, LTD.

Schmidt, G.D. (1994). Poetry for Young People Robert Frost. (p. 21). New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Return to Lesson 1 Proceed to Lesson 3