Lesson 12:

Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts About Poison Dart Frogs: Eggs and Tadpoles

Poison Dart Frogs Up Close (pages 16-19)

Deadly Poison Dart Frogs (pages 10-11)

1. Core Learning Target: I can compare and contrast the main ideas and key details in
two texts on the same topic. (3.R.I.8) -> DOK 2

1. Skill: I can compare (find things that are the same) and contrast (find things that
are different) information about Poison Dart Frogs.

2. Supplementary Learning Target: I can read and u

se context clues to identify the main
ideas and key details in two texts on the same topic. (3.RI.2) -> DOK 2

2. Skill: I can correctly identify (find and show) important information about the main
idea in a text.

Criteria For Success:

1. I can highlight main ideas and key details in a text using the text (words) and
illustrations (photographs/pictures).
2. I can reformat information into the appropriate location on a Venn Diagram.

Strategic Questions:
1. (DOK 2) How do you know that poison dart frogs help their babies survive? What
evidence would you use to support your ideas?
a. Follow Up: How would you compare how poison dart frogs help their
babies survive to how humans help their babies survive?
2. (DOK 2) What would happen if frogs didnt have babies? Can you elaborate on
your reasoning (TMM)?
 ~ Opening ~
We have been learning q uite a lot about poison dart frogs lately! In our last lesson,
does anyone remember what we learned about?
Answer: Legs and Toes!
Today, we get to read about your favorite topic EVER - poison dart frogs BABIES!
Remember, when people read informational texts, they often just choose certain
sections of the book to focus on.
Clarifying: They choose sections that have information on the specific topics
they want to learn more about.
*Hand out Deadly Poison Dart Frogs*
Take a look at the table of contents friends.
TPS - How do you think we could use our text feature, the t able of contents, to find the
information about frog babies?
Answer: pages 10 and 11
Students may struggle a bit since none of the headings in the table of contents
directly names babies, eggs, or tadpoles.
Try to get students to infer that Piggyback Rides has to do with children riding
on their parents backs.
If students are still struggling, ask them to define piggyback and then see if they
can infer.
If they are not able to infer, then clarify what piggyback means for the
students and remind them that sometimes the table of contents has the
exact words for the topic, and sometimes it does not.
This time, the table of contents was kind of tricky to use since they didnt say babies, or
eggs, or tadpoles; but we were able to figure out that piggyback rides are something that
parents give their children, so we i nferred that maybe it was talking about the frogs
giving rides to their children.
Lets take a look at pages 10 and 11. Please follow along as I read outloud.
*Read pages 10 and 11 aloud.

~ Review Learning Targets ~

Today, we are working on two skills! They are both skills that we are familiar with and
have lots of practice using.
orrectly identifying (finding and
The first skill we will be working on today is c
showing) important information about the main idea in a text.
We practiced this skill in our last lesson when we were highlighting and taking notes.
The second skill that we will be working on today is c omparing (finding things that
are the same) and contrasting (finding things that are different) information about
Poison Dart Frogs.
This is a skill weve been working on a lot lately!
TPS - Pair and share with your shoulder buddy: What does it mean to c ompare and
contrast?
 Answer: We find things that are the same or similar and things that are
different.
What topic did we compare and contrast in our last lesson?
Answer: Legs and Toes!
In order to build expertise on a topic, people read a lot about a topic and look for
patterns. These patterns are often the main ideas about that topic.
For example, in our last lesson we looked at the main ideas of two texts. What
were those main ideas? (Poison Dart Frogs Legs and Toes) Exactly! That was
a pattern that we saw in both texts!

~ Abbreviated Close Reading of Pages 10 & 11 in D eadly Poison Dart Frogs ~

Today, we are going to be reading about a new main idea - see if you can be expert
detectives and find the pattern!
Remember, when we read,
1st: We read and think on our own
Then: We talk with our group about the text
Finally: We write notes or answers to the questions about the text
(GIST):
ist, and to think about what the m
As usual, our first goal is to capture the g ain
idea might be.
Make sure you are looking for the gist and any juicy vocabulary.
Take 5 minutes now to reread pages 10 and 11 on your own.
Okay, times up! Please discuss with your table teams what you wrote.
Did you have a similar gist for this section of the text?
Did you find similar juicy vocabulary words?
Take 3 minutes now to fill in the box about the m ain idea on your Recording
Forms!
Your sentence starter might look like:
The main idea of this text is __________.
(Important Details):
Experts gather as many facts, definitions, and details as they can while they
read, so you will have an opportunity to do that today!
Make sure to pay close attention to the text a nd t he vivid photograph!
You have 5 minutes now to read pages 10 and 11 on your own and w rite down
key details that you notice on your recording form, GO!
Times up, swivel forward! Now that you have had a chance to read on your
own and take notes on the key details, you will take 5 minutes to discuss what
you noticed with your table teams.
Make sure that you are using our C onversation Norms and that everyone in
your group has a chance to share. Get ready, get set, go!
Probing Questions:
What key details supported the main idea?
 What are the most interesting things you learned about poison
dart frogs?
Times up eyes up! Now that youve had a chance to share your thoughts with
your group, please take 3 minutes now to write the most important, cant
understand without it, key detail that you found.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The most important key detail I found was ____________. This is
the most important key detail because it supports the main idea by
____________.
----------
Okay, this time we are going to look very closely at the photograph!
You have 2 minutes now to read pages 8 and 9 on your own and write down key
details that you notice about the illustration o
n your recording form, GO!
Times up, swivel forward! Now that you have had a chance to read on your
own and take notes on the key details, you will take 3 minutes to discuss what
you noticed with your table teams.
Make sure that you are using our C onversation Norms and that everyone in
your group has a chance to share. Get ready, get set, go!
Probing Questions:
What key details supported the main idea?
What are the most interesting things you learned about poison
dart frogs?
Times up eyes up! Now that youve had a chance to share your thoughts with
your group, please take 3 minutes now to write the most important, cant
understand without it, key detail that you found.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The most important key detail I found was ____________. This is the
most important key detail because it supports the main idea by
____________.
----------
Take 3 minutes now to fill in the last section of your recording form now: What
adaptations help a poison dart frog survive?
Remember to use information that you learned from the text t oday.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The adaptations that help a poison dart frog survive are ________ and
________.
TPS - What adaptations help a poison dart frog survive?

~ Read-aloud: Main Idea and Supporting Details of Pages 16-19 in P oison Dart Frogs Up
Close ~
**Students receive books after filling in their recording form and listening to the
information
 Remember friends, the skills were working on are hunting down and i dentifying the
main idea and key details in a text so that we can use our safari hunter skills to
compare and contrast the information that we find today!
**Hand out 2nd Recording Form**
Just like in our last lesson, we will be practicing our listening skills!
So were not going to look at the text right now; instead, you will just be listening and
trying to determine (figure out) the main idea and key details.
Okay, Im looking for a section about frog babies, which text feature should I use to find
information about frog babies?
Answer: The Table of Contents!
Ah! Here it is! Its in t wo different sections! I found information about frog babies on
pages 16 and 18!

(Main Idea):
ain idea.
Remember, as I read out loud, you should be listening for the m
*Read pages 16 and 18 out loud -- also read the captions for the close up photograph*
Now that youve had a chance to hear the information, please Ink-Pair-Share the main
idea. Remember, when we Ink-Pair-Share,
We write first, (3 minutes to write)
Pair up with our shoulder buddy second, and
Share third. (3 minutes to share)
Your sentence starter might look like:
The main idea of this text is __________.
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said about what the main idea
might be?
*Have 2-3 students share*

(Important Details):
Okay, now I will read the text a second time, and this time, I want you to use your
elephant listening ears to hear the important k ey details in the text.
*Read pages 16 and 18 aloud again*
Now that youve had a chance to hear it a second time, we will I nk-Pair-Share again
about the details that you hear in the story.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The most important key detail I found was ____________. This is the most
important key detail because it supports the main idea by ____________.
This time, when you are done, give me a thumbs up and I will pair you with a different
buddy to talk to.
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said about what the key details
might be?
*Have 2-3 students share*
Good job practicing your c lose listening skills! Now I will give you a chance to check
out our text, Poison Dart Frogs Up Close.
 *Hand out the texts*
----------
Okay, this time we are going to look very closely at the photograph!
You have 2 minutes now to read pages 16 through 19 on your own and write down key
details that you notice about the illustration o
n your recording form, GO!
Times up, swivel forward! Now that you have had a chance to read on your own and
take notes on the key details, you will take 3 minutes to discuss what you noticed with
your table teams.
Make sure that you are using our C onversation Norms and that everyone in your
group has a chance to share. Get ready, get set, go!
Probing Questions:
What key details supported the main idea?
What are the most interesting things you learned about poison dart frogs?
Times up eyes up! Now that youve had a chance to share your thoughts with your
group, please take 3 minutes now to write the most important, cant understand without
it, key detail that you found.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The most important key detail I found was ____________. This is the most
important key detail because it supports the main idea by ____________.
----------
Take 3 minutes now to fill in the last section of your recording form now: What
adaptations help a poison dart frog survive?
Remember to use information that you learned from the text t oday.
Your sentence starter might look like:
The adaptations that help a poison dart frog survive are ________ and
________.
TPS - What adaptations help a poison dart frog survive?

~Scaffolded Compare/Contrast Venn Diagram Lesson~

**Make copies of both pages 16-19 (Poison Dart Frogs Up Close) and pages 10-11 (Deadly
Poison Dart Frogs)
Weve been looking a lot at key details lately. Can someone remind me what a detail
is?
Answer: Details describe/support/tell me more about the Main Idea
Were working on becoming frog experts in this classroom, and today, were going on a
safari! We are going to become hunters today and hunt for details in our texts!
**Pair students into teams of 2**
**Seat students in a group of 4 at a table (partners sit next to each other and across from
the other team)**
**Give one side of the table the copies of pages 16-19 and yellow highlighters and the
other side of the table pages 10-11 and blue highlighters**
 Each team is working on the same text, but both teams at your table have a different
texts. Using your information, you and your partner will hunt for details in your text.
You and your partner are going to work together to pick out the m ost important 3
details in your text for the pages that have words. For the pages that have photographs,
you and your shoulder buddy are going to pick out 1 -2 most important details. You
can make notes below the images if you would like to help you remember the key
details.
When you find your most important, cant-live-without-it key details, you are going to
oison Dart Frogs Up Close and highlight
highlight that key detail (highlight in yellow for P
in blue for Deadly Poison Dart Frogs).
Dont get tricked though! Highlighters are not markers!
**Identify how to use a highlighter**
Should we scribble on our papers with a highlighter? A: NO!
Should we highlight gently? A: YES!
Should we highlight the whole page? A: NO!
Should we highlight just the key details and information we need? A: YES!
Do I need to highlight the whole sentence, or just the information that I need? A:
Just the information that you need!
You have 15 minutes on the clock to read and highlight the most important key details in
your texts. On your marks, get set, go!
**Circulate to answer questions
Probing Questions:
Why did you choose that detail? Do you think this one could be more
important?
Okay, now that youve had a chance to hunt for information in your text, were going to
switch and look at the other teams text!
**Demonstrate each step/action as you say it**
If you have a yellow highlighter, hold it high up in the sky and stand up!
If you have a blue highlighter, hold it high up in the sky and stand up!
Okay, now yellow highlighters, slowly lower your highlighter hand down to the blue
highlighter partner across the table.
Blue highlighters, slowly lower your highlighter hand down to the yellow highlighter
partner across the table.
Now on three, yellow highlighters, you hand off the yellow highlighter to your partner
across the table and blue highlighters, you hand off the blue highlighters to your partner
across the table. 1 - 2 - 3! **Students switch so that if they were previously using blue,
they now have yellow and if they were previously using yellow, they now have blue**
Hmm, thats interesting Does the highlighter in your hand match the color of the
highlighter on your paper?
A: No!
Well then I guess you need a different text!
 **If students previously had P oison Dart Frogs Up Close pages 16-19, give them D eadly
Poison Dart Frogs pages 10-11. If students previously had D eadly Poison Dart Frogs
pages 10-11, give them P oison Dart Frogs Up Close pages 16-19.
Alright - just like last time, we are going on a safari to hunt for key details!
If a page has text/words on it, how many most important, cant-live-without-it key details
can we highlight?
A: 3!
If a page has photograph(s) on it, how many most important, cant-live-without-it key
details can we highlight?
A: 1-2!
Can we make notes if a page has a photograph(s) on it?
A: Yes!
Alright! Now, when you find your most important, cant-live-without-it key details, you
are going to highlight that key detail (highlight in yellow for Poison Dart Frogs Up Close
and highlight in blue for Deadly Poison Dart Frogs).
Just remember - highlighters are not markers! We highlight gently and we only highlight
the key details/information that we think is most important.
Okay, you have 15 minutes on the clock to read and highlight the most important key
details in your texts. On your marks, get set, go!
**Circulate to answer questions
Probing Questions:
Why did you choose that detail? Do you think this one could be more
important?
Now that weve had a chance to look for the most important details in both texts, lets
get our thinking caps on. Search for something that you highlighted that was the same
or similar in both texts!
2 minutes on the clock to find something thats the same in both texts, when you have it,
put your thumb up high in the sky. Timer is on, go!
Awesome! We found something thats the same in both texts!
Okay, now heres where the magic really happens, you have to watch closely!
**Take the Poison Dart Frogs Up Close page and highlight over the yellow key detail
with the blue highlighter so that it turns green**
Wasnt that cool! Now its your turn! Give it a try!
**Give kids time to highlight and oh and ah.
When we want to compare and contrast something, we can use a Venn Diagram.
**Hand out blank white paper
When you get your paper, please put your first name, last name, and the date at the
top. After youve done that, please draw two large circles - youre going to be writing in
them, so make sure theyre big enough - that overlap in the middle, like mine do on the
board.
Lets see oh! We need a title! Now what were we comparing and contrasting again
today?
A: Poison Dart Frog Legs and Toes
 Lets make that our title! Poison Dart Frog Legs and Toes - Im going to capitalize it and
write it at the top above both circles so that I know that is the main idea and what Im
going to be learning about today!
Show me with your hands - does the title go at the top, middle, or bottom?
**Include hand motions for top, middle, and bottom so that students can show
you with their hands
A: Top!
Hmm What did we use to compare and contrast information about Poison Dart Frog
Legs and Toes today?
A: Our texts! The books! Poison Dart Frogs Up Close and Deadly Poison Dart
Frogs
Yes! I think we should title one circle P oison Dart Frogs Up Close and the other circle
Deadly Poison Dart Frogs, so that we know which text our information came from!
I notice that the middle section has part of both circles in it, I wonder what we should
name that?
A: Same/Both
Great idea! We will name it Same/Both since we put information that we find in both
texts in the middle.
My Venn Diagram circles are drawn in the colors that we highlighted our text in - yellow
for Poison Dart Frogs Up Close, blue for D eadly Poison Dart Frogs, and green for where
I found information that was the same. Why dont you do that now too to help you
remember where the information goes!
Great job everybody! Now lets take a look at our Venn Diagram. Where do you think
we could put information thats the same/that we found in both texts?
A: In the middle!
**Write information identified as the same in the middle section of the Venn
Diagram on the board.
**Venn Diagram is color-coded. The P oison Dart Frogs Up Close circle is drawn
in yellow and the Deadly Poison Dart Frogs circle is drawn in blue. The
overlapping middle section is outlined in green to show that that is where
information that is the same/overlapping goes.
Nice work! Now its your turn! Fill in the information on your own Venn Diagram!
Its important for us to highlight the information on both pages of our text so that we
know its the same detail.
Now give it a try with your partner! See if you can find another detail that is the same in
both texts and write it down on your Venn Diagram!
**Give students 3 minutes to look, highlight, and write
Times up, eyes up! Would someone like to share the detail that they found that was
the same?
Allow 1-2 students to share, have whole class highlight similarities on their texts,
and put information in the middle section of the Venn Diagram on the board.
**Write down 1., 2., in the middle section of the Venn Diagram so that students
know they need to find two details that are the same in the texts
 Now that weve had some time to look for details that are the same, were going on
another safari hunt for details that are different!
Take a look at your texts! Is there a detail that you found in Poison Dart Frogs Up Close
that you didnt see in Deadly Poison Dart Frogs?
Put a star next to it when you find a detail that is only in one text!
Lets take a look! Did anyone find a detail that was only in P oison Dart Frogs Up
Close?
Allow 1-2 students to share
Where do you think that should go in our Venn Diagram?
A: The yellow circle that corresponds with P oison Dart Frogs Up Close
Thats right! Great job! Since we highlighted it in yellow, it should go in the yellow side
of our Venn Diagram. Thats the side for information that we found in P oison Dart Frogs
Up Close.
Now, did anyone find a detail that was only in D eadly Poison Dart Frogs?
Allow 1-2 students to share
Where do you think that should go in our Venn Diagram?
A: The blue circle that corresponds with D eadly Poison Dart Frogs
Thats right! Great job! Since we highlighted it in blue, it should go in the blue side of
our Venn Diagram. Thats the side for information that we found in D eadly Poison Dart
Frogs.
Now give it a try with your partner! See if you can find two more details that are
different in both texts and write them down on your Venn Diagram! You should have
three details in each side of your Venn Diagram (Poison Dart Frogs Up Close and
Deadly Poison Dart Frogs)when youre done!
**Give students 5 minutes to look and write
**Write down 1., 2., 3., in each side of the Venn Diagram so that students know they
need to find 3 differences in each text.
Times up, eyes up! Would someone like to share the details that they found that were
different?
Allow 2-4 students to share, put information in the respective sides of the Venn
Diagram on the board.
Remember, you need to have 3 details that are different for each text and 2 details that
are the same from both texts in your Venn Diagram. You can work with a partner, but
you need to write down your own answers in your Venn Diagram.
Great job today safari hunters! You worked really hard hunting down those details!
When you and your partner are finished filling in the details on your Venn Diagram,
please bring your highlighted texts and Venn Diagram to me to be stapled and then you
can spend some time checking out our frog books on the carpet!

~Engage New York (Non-Scaffolded) Compare/Contrast with Venn Diagram~

*** If students are struggling with identifying key details, use alternate lesson above ***
 Today we will be using a Venn Diagram again. Can someone explain how a Venn
Diagram works for our friends who werent here yesterday?
A Venn Diagram is a tool that experts use to organize information that is the
same and different.
*Pair students up*
I have a few questions to ask some experts Do I have any experts in here? (Answer:
YES!)
Okay experts, you can use your notes to help you discuss and answer these questions!
Ready? Here we go! The first question is What is the t opic of both texts? Get
ready, get set, 2 minutes to Think-Pair-Share (TPS)!
*Students share their thoughts/answers with their shoulder buddy for 2 minutes (1
minute per person to share)*
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said about what the main idea
might be?
*Have 1-2 students share*
Okay, get ready, here comes the second question What details from each of the texts
are the same?
*Students share their thoughts/answers with their shoulder buddy for 2 minutes (1
minute per person to share)*
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said about what the main idea
might be?
*Have 1-2 students share*
Alright, youve made it to the last question! What details from each of the texts are
different?
*Students share their thoughts/answers with their shoulder buddy for 2 minutes (1
minute per person to share)*
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said about what the main idea
might be?
*Have 1-2 students share*
Alrighty experts, here comes the most fun part! Yesterday, we worked together to make
our Venn Diagram, but today, you will be working with a partner to make your Venn
Diagram!
You will be comparing pages 10-11 in D eadly Poison Dart Frogs with pages 16-19 in
Poison Dart Frogs Up Close, and looking for things that are similar (compare), different
(contrast), and the same.
Good luck experts, you have 10 minutes, GO!

--------

Times up, eyes up!

Youve all been working very hard on your Venn Diagrams, but something is missing
we need a TITLE!
What should we title our Venn Diagram?
 Answer: (some version of) babies
TPS - How do poison dart frogs help their babies survive?
*Students share their thoughts/answers with their shoulder buddy for 2 minutes
(1 minute per person to share)*
Would anyone like to share something juicy their partner said?
*Have 1-2 students share*
Answers:
Poison dart frogs carry their tadpoles piggyback into the water.
Please make sure that your names are on your Venn Diagram and your recording
forms, great work today experts!