Earth Cycles Seasons Day and Night Weather.

1. Earth CyclesSeasonsDay and NightWeather. English unit planning Writing Level 2 Text Type: Explanation.

2. Reading Big book study Blend study Shared reading Speaking and listening How is our literacy block structured? Writing Library Spelling Guided reading Handwriting Literacy rotations

3. Weekly Planner Level 2 Doveton North Primary School Term 2 2007

4. Reading sessions. Big book study Literacy rotations.

5. Writing • Writing generally focuses on a particular text type linked to inquiry unit. • Including; • Narrative • Recount • Procedural • Explanation • Exposition • Report • Writing is the focus of this scaffolded planning.

6. Student current understanding Students have been successful writing simple narrative and recount text. Ranging from Writing letter strings, short simple sentences to texts up to a page in length with some complex features. We explored exposition text which some of the students found difficult as they are still working at a phonetic (basic sounds heard in words and stretching out) level. Progression point Range 0.5-2.25

16. Understanding Goal For students to write, recognise the purpose and structure of explanation texts. (Related to inquiry unit focusing on weather cycles, seasons and day and night.) Explanation may vary in length from a simple sentence to a fully structured paragraphed text dependent on student’s development

17. Strategies for writing explanation text. Informal explanations- When talking with children encourage them to reflect on things that are happening around them so they begin to think about cause and effects eg. Why do we eat soup in winter? What happens to the leaves on some trees in Autumn. Why? Why does school start at 9.00am? Why do we eat lunch? Why do some plants die in Summer? Planning oral explanations:Teachers can extend language by providing a framework to guide children to reflect on the process involved in making things, e.g. What is it called? What did you need ot make it? How did you make it? How does it work? Why does it work? Did you have any problems? What did you do? Shared reading:Exposure to different explanatory text will help students internalize language used to understand the structure of the text. Big Books, Guided Reading texts, Information texts, group constructed texts and individual students writing samples shared. Look for and list cause and effect signal words in these texts for use in future writing. Tell your partner: After reading a section of text or a shared experience have children orally explain to a partner what they have just read. Make sure they include reasons.

18. Tell from the diagram:Using a text that has an explanatory diagram, ask children to work together to write an explanation of the phenomenon illustrated. Eg. Day and night diagram. Weather chart. Seasons diagram showing earths rotation and position of sun. Direct model: Students work together to build a framework of headings and understanding to illustrate the structure of an explanation text. Explanation Title –Tells the reader what is being explained Definition-tells us what it is. Sequenced Explanation- Components/parts-describes the components Operations- Tells and how it works (cause and effect) Applications- Tells us where it can be used. Modelled writing:Model the writing of an explanation about Seasons, Day and Night and the Weather e.g. Why is it hot in Summer? What will the weather be like today? Joint construction:Collaborative and shared writing. Students work in pairs to write a short explanation in response to student developed questions. Students work in small groups of 3 and 4 to write an explanation ‘Why do we sleep at night?’ Independent construction: Use a plan: Students use an appropriate graphic organizer to plan writing.

19. Use diagrams: Children are encouraged to include diagrams, flow charts and pictures to support the text in their explanations. • Other scaffolding not specific to text type: • Stretching out of words appropriate to text for students still learning alphabet sounds, to put sounds of paper. • Explanations written by students may be in form of a simple sentence up to a paragraphed text. • Rewrite and illustrate writing samples for display and for sharing with others. • Spell unfamiliar words using strategies such as syllabification, sounding out and matching familiar words and word parts. • Use spelling strategies (e.g. word wall, word lists, have a go book, THRASS chart) • Model writing upper and lower case letters legibly with consistent slope and spaces. Text presented in Victorian cursive script as model for students own writing. Alphabet charts in appropriate font available for each student. • Model use of capital letters, full stops and question marks correctly. • Use resources to select appropriate vocabulary and have vocabulary charts on concepts displayed in classroom. • Have a range of explanation texts on related topics available for student browsing in book corner.

20. Modelled writing: Do a class construction of an explanation text ‘Why is it hot in summer?’ Using structure and features outlined in model shared reading text. Construct a class explanation about how Seasons are created (Earth’s rotation around sun) including some of cause and effect words. Ask: What will the weather be like today? Share: Discuss the possibilities. Do not indicate correct or incorrect hypothesis. Accept every shared ideas. Explain: What will the weather be like today? Will it be warm? Cold? Wet? Dry? The weather changes depending on the time of year and what the wind blows into the area you live. Sometimes the weather can be very powerful and bring violent storms or cyclones. Experience: Watch a weather report for your area. On chart paper, draw pictures to show what the weather will be like. E.g. draw a sun for sunshine, raindrops for rain showers, sun and cloud for partly cloudy and so on. Class model: Write an short explanation ‘What will the weather be like today? Model writing an explanation text. Show students diagram ‘Day and Night’ BLM 59 pg 106 Blake Understanding Science Lower Primary. Why is it dark at night? Discuss this question in relation to diagram and come up with an explanation. Refer back to previous model of structure and cause and effect words.

21. Shared reading: Read ‘Why can you see your breath on a cold day? From Text type books level 3. Look at structure and features of an explanation text. Definition of Phenomenon -What is being explained Sequenced Explanation Components/parts -Description of parts Operations -How it works -Why it works -Cause and effect Applications -When and where it works or is applies Interesting Comments, Special Features, Evaluation Read Big Book‘Seasons” In response students write an explanation for the following questions. Refer them back to modeled writing from yesterday for structure. Why is it cold in winter? Why do we have to wear a hat and sunscreen in summer? How do we know when it’s Spring? (Or what do we see that tells us it is Spring?) What is the difference between Summer and Autumn?

22. Read text about seasons Big Book. Search explanation text for cause and effect words. (Have these words on class chart) Focus on words such as if …then, becomes…when, causes, effects, in view of, because so, as a result of, since, as, consequently, makes, results in, creates, forms, therefore, for this reason, hence, due to, brings about, by reason of, on account of, gives rise to, makes, produces Shared reading ‘The Sun’ and ‘The Moon’ BLM 53 and 54. page 97 and 95. Students attempt to independently write an explanation one of the following choices. What is the Sun? What is the Earth?

23. Group task. Based on the following Spelling Assessment data from a grade 1/2 class. • Identify current understanding • Set goal • Develop strategies

24. Spelling Assessment data Grade 1 spelling M100w (Hundred Most Used Words)

25. Spelling Assessment data Grade 2 spelling M100w (Hundred Most Used Words)

26. Spelling Assessment data Grade 1.Hearing and Recording sounds in dictated sentence.

27. Spelling Assessment data Grade 2.Hearing and Recording sounds in dictated sentence.