Reading

1. Reading Unit: 1 Lesson: 9 Module: A • Objectives: • Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a scientific text. • Refer to details in a text when drawing inferences. Today we will be doing a Close Reading of pages 64-70. • Essential Questions: • How does a reader consider point of view? • How does a writer use experiences, narration, and description to compel a • reader?

2. First Read Let’s explore the text! A frontier can refer to a “field of study which is being newly discovered.” Page through the text to preview the photographs and captions.

3. Read Aloud Routine Focus: What is the “gist” of the text? Read along silently as I read pages 64-70 aloud to you. Focus on understanding the key ideas and details of the text, including the research habits and strategies of Sam’s students. Be prepared to discuss the following questions when you are done with the reading: • What evidence from the text supports the idea that tarantulas have “dining etiquette”? • Based on details in the text, how are spiders in the family Barychelidae different from tarantulas? • What questions do you have?

4. Second Read Focus on key details regarding how scientists and researchers learn about tarantulas. Be prepared to discuss the following questions when you are done with the reading: 1. What is Michelle Hawk’s research question? What strategies does Michelle use to find the answer to her question? 2. What advice does Sam give to his students about how to learn about spiders? What do Melissa Varrecchia and Vanessa Gorley learn by following Sam’s advice? 3. What does bedlam mean? What clues in the paragraph help you understand its meaning? 4. What does secrete mean? What is one reason that female spiders secrete chemical signals in their silk? 5. Why might it be important that both West African and East African spiders share food?

5. Focused Reading • Text-Based Vocabulary • aggressive, p. 64 • documented, p. 66 • Vocabulary Routine: • 1. Read the sentence containing the word. • 2. Identify context clues about its meaning within the passage. • 3. Look up the word in a dictionary and read the definition. • 4. Use the word in other ways. • *After we review these words, write your sentences on p. 14 in your Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.*

6. Focused Reading Small Group Discussion Routine On p. 64 and p. 66, Michelle observes that the spider tries to get away from the prodding tube. When it can’t get away, it attacks. Michelle may conclude that the spider is aggressive only when threatened. Identify and explain the importance of the procedures and habits the researchers use.

7. Focused Reading Team Talk Routine Is it important for researchers to investigate basic questions about how these giant, ancient spiders live? Use details from the text to support your opinion.

8. Reading Analysis Reasons and Evidence When an author or a researcher makes a point—for example, about spiders—he or she must support the point with reasons and evidence, such as facts, quotations, or observations.

9. Reading Analysis Cite Text Evidence Focus on p. 64 and 66. • Point: Barychelidae are “very aggressive.” (column 1) • What reason does Michelle give that supports this point? (column 2) • What evidence does Michelle observe that supports (or contradicts) this point? (column 3)

10. Independent Reading Language Analysis Work independently to complete the three-column chart for the following point from the text: West African Cameroon red tarantulas are unselfish eaters. Writing in Response to Reading Write a paragraph describing the eating habits of a West African tarantula. Use details from the text in your paragraph. Reading Wrap-Up Share responses

11. Small Groups It’s time to get into our groups! Please see me if you don’t know what group you belong in.

12. Writing • Informative/Explanatory Writing • Objectives: • Use precise language and domain-specific • vocabulary when writing. W.4.2.d • Understand modal auxiliaries. L.4.1.c

13. Writing Informative/Explanatory Writing Precise language is important to the writer of an informational text. Precise language tells the reader exactly what the writer wants to say, with a high degree of specificity. A writer could write any of these sentences: The student went home. The student ran home. The student skipped home. The student plodded home. The choice of a precise word helps a writer to convey different shades of meaning.

14. Writing Informative/Explanatory Writing Informative/explanatory writing also often deals with a particular domain, or area, of knowledge. For instance, an informative text may deal with science, politics, or history. Domain-specific vocabulary—vocabulary used within an area of knowledge—helps a writer to accurately inform readers about a topic. A text about science, such as The Tarantula Scientist, may include domain-specific words such as scientist, laboratory, and experiment.

15. Writing Analyze the Model Read the following from The Tarantula Scientist. Find examples of precise words.

16. Writing Conventions Focus: Modal Auxiliaries You may sometimes write a verb in a verb phrase that is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verbs. A helping verb is also called an auxiliary verb. Three auxiliary verbs you sometimes use are can, may, and must. Each of these auxiliary verbs expresses a different condition. The auxiliary verb can tells whether a person is able to do something. The auxiliary verb may tells that a person is allowed to do something or that there is a possibility a person will do something. The auxiliary verb might usually expresses less of a possibility than the verb may.

17. Writing Independent Writing Practice Read the prompt on p. 20 of the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal. Write a descriptive paragraph containing vivid, specific language and domain-specific vocabulary to describe the Spider Lab at Hiram College. Remember that your descriptions should be accurate and precise.