LESSON 24 TEACHER S GUIDE by Rhonda Jackson Fountas-Pinnell Level I Informational Text Selection Summary A firefly is not a fly; it is a beetle. Fireflies are also called lightning bugs because they glow at night. A firefly s life cycle is the same as that of many insects: a larva hatches from an egg, develops into a pupa, and changes into an adult firefly. Number of Words: 319 Characteristics of the Text Genre Informational Text Text Structure Content Themes and Ideas Language and Literary Features Sentence Complexity Vocabulary Words Illustrations Book and Print Features Focused on a single topic Each page presents one simple category of information Details help the reader identify a sequence of events Firefl ies Firefl ies life cycle An insect s life cycle involves changes in form. Insects can be interesting to read about. Simple, straightforward language Meaning provided through integration of photos with text Direct questions to the reader: Do you know what a glow worm is? A mix of short and more complex sentences Full range of punctuation Content words, not all of which are defi ned in text: beetle, lightning bugs, insects, larva, glow worm, pupa, nectar Some target vocabulary highlighted in text Repeated use of high-frequency words Words labeled in photographs Photos on every page that support the text Nine pages of text, with photos on every page Labels on photos identify some content vocabulary Most sentences stand alone, not run into paragraphs 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30085-6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited. Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.
by Rhonda Jackson Build Background Read the title to children and ask them what they think the children on the cover are doing. Ask them whether they have ever seen fireflies twinkling at night. Encourage children to use their knowledge of insects to think about the book. Ask questions such as the following: Why do you think fireflies light up at night? Front-Load Vocabulary Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: beetle, special, glow, stripe, grow, lays, hungry, worms, snails, light, adult, nectar. Introduce the Text Guide children through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any labels. Here are some suggestions: Page 2: Explain that this book gives facts about fi refl ies. Point out that the labels in the illustrations name things and actions and can help children read. Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Look at the illustration. Let s read the labels together. The kind of animal you see is a fi refl y. Say kind. What letter would you expect to see fi rst in kind? Point to the word kind in the fi rst sentence. What kind of animal is a fi refl y? It s not a fl y; it s a beetle. Page 3: Remind children to look at the pictures and read the labels to help them understand the words. The labels can make it easier to read the book. Page 3 tells you another name for fi refl ies. Let s read the label together: lightning bugs. The book says: Firefl ies are also lightning bugs. Also starts with the letter a. Can you fi nd also on this page? Why do you think fi refl ies are called lightning bugs? Yes, it s because they light up, or glow at night. Page 5: Point out that this book includes many terms related to insects. Make sure children understand the terms egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Page 9: Explain that some fi refl ies eat nectar, which is a sweet liquid made by a flower. What do you think the fi refl y in the photo is doing on the fl ower? Find the word fl ower two times on this page. Now go back to the beginning to learn about the life of a fi refl y. Words to Know also flower places upon anything kind ready warm 2 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Read As children read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that supports their problem-solving ability. Respond to the Text Personal Response Ask children to share their personal responses to the book. Begin by asking what they liked best about the book, or what they found interesting. Suggested language: What did you learn about fireflies that you didn t know before? What was the most interesting thing you learned? Ways of Thinking As you discuss the text, make sure children understand these teaching points: Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text A firefly is a beetle, not a fly. Fireflies glow at night. They use their lights to talk to each other. A firefly larva hatches out of an egg, develops into a pupa, and in about ten days changes into an adult firefly. An insect s life cycle involves changes in form. Insects can be interesting to read about. Some insects have very special traits. Labels in the photos help readers understand what is shown. The author makes it easy to understand how fireflies grow from an egg into an adult. 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Choices for Support Fluency Invite children to choose a passage from the text and demonstrate phrased fluent reading. Remind them to read with phrasing and expression that shows they understand what they are reading. Phonemic Awareness and Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and sounds, using one of the following activities: Clapping Syllables Have children hear and say syllables in words from the book, such as animal, fi refl ies, lightning, beetle, larva, under, egg, hungry, glow, adult. Have them clap on each syllable: an-i-mal, fi re-fl ies, light-ning, bee-tle, lar-va, un-der, egg, hungry, glow, a-dult. Word Wall Materials: words on word wall, index cards. Have children choose six or seven words from the word wall and read them. Then have children write the words on cards. Have partners build sentences using some of their words and adding other words. 3 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Writing About Reading Critical Thinking Read the directions for children on BLM 24.10 and guide them in answering the questions. Responding Read aloud the questions at the back of the book and help children complete the activities. Target Comprehension ension Skill Sequence of Events Remind children that when they read, they can look for details that tell the order in which things happen. Model how to think about the sequence of events in a book: Think Aloud On page 8, I read that in the fall and winter, the larva gets cold and goes under the ground. That s the first event. In the spring, the larva makes a house. That s the second event. Read the last two sentences on page 8. What s the next event that happens? The larva grows and now is a pupa. Practice the Skill Have children share an example of another science book in which they find out the order in which things happened. Writing Prompt Read aloud the following prompt. Have children draw and write their response, using the writing prompt on page 6. Draw a picture of fireflies dancing in the grass. What do the fireflies look like? 4 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Read directions to children. English Language Learners Reading Support Make sure the text matches the children s reading level. Language and content should be accessible with regular teaching support. You may also wish to have students use the audio or online recording. Oral Language Development Check the children s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child. Beginning/ Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced Speaker 1: What is this book about? Speaker 2: fireflies Speaker 1: What is another name for fireflies? Speaker 2: lightning bugs Speaker 1: How do fireflies talk to each other? Speaker 2: They use their lights Speaker 1: What hatches from a firefly egg? Speaker 2: A larva hatches from a firefly egg. Speaker 1: Why is glow worm another name for a firefly larva? Speaker 2: A firefly larva looks like a worm, and it can glow. Speaker 1: What do adult fireflies eat? Speaker 2: Some fireflies eat nectar from flowers, and others eat insects. Name Lesson 24 BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10 Write an answer to the question. Responses may vary. 1. What can a firefly larva do that an adult firefly can do? It can glow and light up. Making Connections Think about the different names fireflies have. Write some sentences about a name you would give a firefly.. All rights reserved. 12, Unit 5: Watch us Grow 5 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Name Date Draw a picture of fireflies dancing in the grass. What do the fireflies look like? 6 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Name Lesson 24 BLACKLINE MASTER 24.10 Write an answer to the question. 1. What can a firefly larva do that an adult firefly can do? Making Connections Think about the different names fireflies have. Write some sentences about a name you would give a firefly. 7 Lesson 24: Fireflies
Student Date Lesson 24 BLACKLINE MASTER 24.14 LEVEL I Running Record Form page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections 2 What kind of animal is a firefly? A firefly is not a fly! A firefly is a beetle. It is a special beetle. A firefly can light up at night! 3 Fireflies have another name. Fireflies are also lightning bugs. Fireflies glow and light up at night. Fireflies talk to each other when they glow and light up. Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/57 100) % Self-Correction Rate (# errors + # Self-Corrections/ Self-Corrections) 1: Behavior Code Error Read word correctly cat 0 Repeated word, sentence, or phrase Omission cat 0 cat 1 Behavior Code Error Substitution cut cat 1 Self-corrects cut sc cat Insertion the ˆcat 1 Word told T 1 cat 0 1413399 8 Lesson 24: Fireflies