TCH_LRN 413 - Preparing Tasks WORKSHEET

To help students meet your content and/or language objective(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.6
Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

1. What engagement facilitator(s) (Authenticity, Interest, Social interaction,

Challenge/skills balance, Autonomy/ structure balance, Support and Feedback) are you

drawing on?

Interest: I can find informational text that spark interest in my students. For example, I could

ask my students what they think they are experts in already, then find texts that teaches about

those topics. This way the students can pick something up that they are already interested in but

also, they may find they learn more about the topic than they knew before.

Challenge/skills: I can find multiple informational books on one topic, in many different reading

levels. As a teacher we must find balance between too easy and too hard so that our students stay

challenged. Some of the lower-level books may not teach them as much but the pictures may

create a connection for them that they may not find in higher reading level books. In high reading

level books, they may be able to find more in-depth facts and descriptions that they could then

make connections within other books on that same topic.

2. What task processes (Grouping, Mode, Structure, Time and pacing, Scaffolding,

Teacher/student roles, and Procedural tools) are you drawing on?

Time and pacing: During the lesson and activity, I will make sure to pace the activity at a speed

that most of the students can keep up with. It is important to pause to check for understanding to
make sure you are not going too slow or too fast. For those students you see who need extra time

or assistance, I can hold a small group session with them.

Grouping: I can group students together who have similar informational text topics. Those

students can work together to find the purpose of the text and help make connections when they

come together to share their findings and realizations. Students can also work together to

scaffold to create understanding of new words that they may not all know.

3. What additional task processes (Audience and Mode) are you drawing on?

I can also draw on assessment as an additional task process to check for understanding. They can

be as informal as an exit ticket where they state information they have learned from their text. I

can also create more formal assessments where I ask my students to state the purpose of their

text or any new words they learned and have them state their own definition beside it.

4. What aspect(s) of culture (General, Family, The Life Cycle, Roles, Interpersonal

Relationships, Communication, Decorum and Discipline, Religion, Health and Hygiene,

Food, Dress and Personal Appearance, History and Traditions, Holidays and Celebrations,

Education, Work and Play, Time and Space, Natural Phenomena, Pets and Other Animals, Art

and Music, Expectations and Aspirations) are you drawing on?

I can draw on many aspects of culture by choosing informational texts that highlight different

parts of history and the traditions practiced within different groups of people. For example, if a
student is wanting to learn about Chinese New Year and the traditions practiced in their

celebration then I could find a book that specifically describes these ideas. Within the book they

may also find information about the types of foods they eat, dress they wear, and the

interpersonal relationships that are shared within that family and culture.

5. What pedagogical connections are you making?

During my lesson I can make connections to other learning standards from different

content areas. I can incorporate art integration by having my students create pictures of different

information they gather. For example, if a student is reading about tigers, I may ask them draw

pictures of the prey they hunt and the geological area they usually live in. This will help make

connections within the students because they are drawing out their understanding of the text.

6. Do your students design any aspect(s) of your task?

Students can help design our tasks by collecting their preferences on how they would like to be

assessed, informally or formally. I could create a little survey with options like “1. Exit tickets, 2.

silent thumbs or 3. 3 things you learned, 2 things you found interesting, 1 thing you still have

questions about”. This is a great way to incorporate student voice in the classroom and students

may perform better if their preferences are incorporated.

Summary (describe your task)

I will introduce the informational reading task by first stating our learning objectives then

moving into a group warmup. In this warmup I will read a chosen text and together we will

dissect it to find the authors purpose as well as key words that the author wants us to know. I will
give them tips to find meanings of these words by using context clues or sometimes the author

will leave textboxes where the definition can be found. This warmup will give my students a

clear step by step on how I want them to read these kinds of texts. I will also be constantly

asking questions as I read it aloud and as a class, we will continue reading to answer these

questions. During this part of the lesson, I will pause, and we will have group discussions to

check for understanding. After I have modeled my expectations for this task, I will then ask my

students what they think they are experts in out a series of different topics. From there I will

group my students in about 4 different groups where they will read their chosen texts. As a group

they will share their findings on information as well as new words they have defined. Each

student will be asked to complete a mini worksheet where they will state 3 things they learned, 2

things they found interesting, and 1 thing they still have questions on. I will also ask them to

state the authors purpose and 3 new words they found definitions of. Lastly, I will ask them to

make connections on their informational texts culture. For example, If the book is about an

animal, I will ask them the types of food they eat. If they book is about a person or place, I will

ask them to state the traditions and celebrations they practice. During this time they are allowed

to talk with their groupmates and when they are finished I will collect their worksheets to check

for understanding.