Teacher's Resource - Nelson Education

Teacher’s 

Resource 

Sample material from the 

Habitats and Communities 

unit 

This Teacher’s Resource sampler includes: 

Welcome to Nelson Literacy................................... 4 

Instructional Framework ......................................... 6 

Introducing the Unit................................................. 8 

Planning the Unit .................................................................... 8 

Launching the Unit................................................................ 12 

Let’s Talk: A Habitat is a Home ............................................ 14 

Lesson Plan: Life in a Rotting Log....................... 17 

Understanding Reading Strategies 

Lesson Plan: In a Rainforest ................................ 23 

Applying Strategies

Welcome to Nelson Literacy 

Features of this Teacher’s Resource 

• Planning support to assist you in developing a comprehensive 

literacy program for your students 

Instructional approaches that facilitate a gradual release of 

responsibility, from teacher modelling to guided and independent 

experiences in all the language arts, based on the BC Language 

Arts IRP 2006 

Assessment tools that help guide instruction 

Differentiated instruction to meet individual needs, based on data 

gathered from observation and formative assessment 

Curriculum-area units directly aligned to BC’s Grade 4 Social 

Studies, Science, and Health and Careeer Education to help 

improve students’ literacy skills in content areas 

Opportunities for in-depth study and enjoyment of a variety of 

literary forms, text types, and structures in fiction and non-fiction 

Word study and vocabulary development strategies 

An Instructional Framework chart (Teacher’s Resource pages 6–7) 

outlining the instructional focuses in each unit 

Teaching a Unit: A Quick Tour 

STEP 1 Begin with the planning tools in “Introducing the Unit” 

(Teacher’s Resource pages 8–11) 

• Refer to the Unit-at-a-Glance chart on pages 8–9, which outlines 

each lesson focus and instructional approach, the BC Prescribed 

Learning Outcomes, and available assessment tools. 

• Read the suggestions in the sections Planning the Unit, Ongoing 

Activities, What You Need, and Family and Community 

Connections. 

STEP 2 Use “Launching the Unit” and “Let’s Talk” (Teacher’s 

Resource pages 12–15) to get started with students 

• Start with the Accessing Prior Knowledge activity on Teacher’s 

Resource page 12. 

• Draw students’ attention to the learning goals on the unit opener 

page (Student Book 4a, page 41) to preview the focus of instruction 

and assessment. 

• Then use the Let’s Talk spread (Student Book 4a, pages 42–43) to 

engage students and access prior knowledge. 

• Use the Read-Aloud selection “Our Natural Homes” (found in the 

Transparencies for Teacher Modelling). 

4 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities 

NEL

STEP 3 

Use Transparencies for Teacher Modelling 

• Use the Read-Aloud and the accompanying questions or discussion 

prompts to introduce and model the strategy for students. 

• Use the transparency with the accompanying think-alouds for 

guided practice and teacher modelling of strategies. 

STEP 4 Use the Unit Lesson Plans 

• Note that every lesson begins with an overview page that identifies 

BC Prescribed Learning Outcomes and previews the Assessment 

for Learning in the lesson, which outlines ongoing observation, 

ideas for differentiating instruction, and assessment tools. 

• Each lesson is organized in a Before/During/After format, with 

pages from the Student Book conveniently reproduced. 

• There are two kinds of lesson plans: 

– Understanding Strategies lessons (e.g., Teacher’s Resource 

pages 17–21) provide explicit instruction in using a strategy in 

one of the English Language Arts organizers. This type of lesson 

usually begins with a teacher-modelled experience. 

– This is followed by an Applying Strategies lesson (e.g., Teacher’s 

Resource pages 23–28), which provides guided and 

independent practice with the strategy. 

• Each lesson provides multiple opportunities for students to speak, 

listen, read and view, write and represent, and develop media 

literacy. Special features include Differentiated Instruction, 

Vocabulary, Word Study, and Writing Mini-lessons. 

• Each lesson engages students in meaningful group, partner, and 

independent work, often supported by blackline masters (found at 

the back of this Teacher’s Resource). 

• Assessment materials on the closing page of each lesson include 

suggestions for checking progress and next steps, accompanied by 

a rubric strip for formative assessment. 

STEP 5 Conclude the Unit with the “Putting It All Together” 

lesson (Teacher’s Resource pages 63–69) 

• This lesson helps students apply and reflect on all the strategies 

developed in the unit, and assists in developing a profile of each 

student to guide instruction. 

• After completing the selection lesson plan with students, refer to 

the assessment section (Teacher’s Resource pages 68–69), which 

provides a reading response and integrated English Language Arts 

performance task for summative assessment. The task is supported 

by rubrics available on blackline masters. Also featured are ideas for 

reflecting back on the learning in the unit, student self-assessment, 

and goal setting. 

NEL Welcome to Nelson Literacy 5

Instructional Framework: Grade 4 

WHAT A 

STORY! 

Literature 

HABITATS AND 

COMMUNITIES 

Science 

4a 

FIRST 

PEOPLES 

Social Studies 

HEALTHY LIVING 

Health and 

Career 

Education 

LEGENDS 

Literature 

4b 

LIGHT 

Science 

ORAL LANGUAGE 

(SPEAKING AND 

LISTENING) 

Active Listening/ 

Interactive 

Strategies 

• Practise 

common 

courtesies in 

conversation 

Comprehension 

Strategies 

• Visualize while 

you listen 

Appropriate 

Language 

• Use appropriate 

words and 

phrases to 

communicate 

meaning 

Demonstrating 

Understanding 

• Identify 

important 

information 

while you listen 

Making 

Inferences 

• Make inferences 

while you listen 


Interactive 

Strategies 

• Ask questions to 

gather information 

and clarify 

understanding 

READING/ 

VIEWING 

Activating Prior 

Knowledge/Making 

Connections 

• Use personal 

experiences to 

make 

connections 

Visualizing 

• Make pictures in 

your mind using 

text and 

personal 

experience 

Predicting 

• Make 

predictions 

using text, 

illustrations, and 

personal 

experiences 

Finding Important 

Ideas 

• Distinguish 

between what’s 

important to the 

main idea and 

what’s just 

interesting 

Making 

Inferences 

• Use text cues 

and personal 


make inferences 

Questioning 

• Ask questions to 

clarify meaning 

and check 

understanding 

➤Text Patterns 

and Features 

Text Pattern 

• Narrative 

Text Form 

• Recounts, short 

story, poem, 

cartoon, 

storyboard 

Text Pattern 

• Description 

Text Form 

• Information 

report, travel 

poster, travel 

brochure, web 

report, narrative, 

cartoon, photo 

match game 

Text Features 

• Titles, headings 

Text Form 


report, personal 

recount, legend, 

short story 

Text Pattern 

• Cause/Effect 

Text Form 


reports, web 

report, 

persuasive text, 

quiz, recount, 

illustration 

search, cartoon 

Text Pattern 

• Narrative 

Text Form 

• Legends, 

graphic story, 

cartoon 

Text Features 

• Charts and 

diagrams 

Text Form 


report, 

procedural text, 

interview, short 

story, illustration 


➤Word Study 

Form and Style 

• Idioms, similes 

Language 

Conventions 

• Plurals; 

dictionary skills; 

verbs, adjectives 

Language 

Conventions 

• Word patterns; 


quotation 

marks; verbs, 

adjectives, 

adverbs 

Language 

Conventions 



apostrophes/ 

possession; 

nouns 


• Sentence 

patterns 

Language 

Conventions 



commas; verbs 

Language 

Conventions 

• Compound 

words, prefixes; 


capitalization; 

verbs, 

prepositions 


• Simple and 

compound 

sentences 

Language 

Conventions 

• Syllabification, 

compound 

words; verbs; 


quotation marks, 

exclamation 

marks, commas 

➤Media 

Purpose and 

Audience 

• Identify purpose 

and audience 

for movie 

posters 

Media Forms 

• Identify the 

characteristics 

of posters 

Conventions and 

Techniques 

• Explain how 

conventions of 

book covers 

help convey 

meaning 

Making 

Inferences/ 

Interpreting 

Messages 

• Use both overt 

and implied 

messages in 

packaging 

Audience 

Responses 

• Explain why 

different 

audiences 

respond 

differently to 

media texts 

Media Forms 

• Identify the 


of PowerPoint 

presentations 

WRITING/ 

REPRESENTING 

Trait 

• Ideas: Build a 

main idea 

Process 

• Generate, 

gather, and 

organize ideas 

Trait 

• Ideas: Identify 

which details 

are important to 

the main idea 

Process 

• Generate, 

gather, and 

organize ideas 

Trait 

• Organization: 

Write strong 

leads 

Process 

• Draft and revise 

Trait 

• Organization: 

Write strong 

endings 

Process 


Trait 

• Voice: Write 

with a strong 

voice 

Process 


Trait 

• Voice: Use 

formal and 

informal voice 

Process 



NEL

CANADA’S 

REGIONS 


4b 

SOUND 

Science 

ADVENTURE 

Literature 

FIRST 

CONTACT 


4c 

GETTING ALONG 

Health and 

Career 

Education 

WEATHER 

Science 

Extending 

Understanding 

• Make 

connections in 

oral texts to 

personal 

experiences 

Appropriate 

Language 

• Make meaning 

clear 

Vocal Skills and 

Interactive 

Strategies 

• Practise 

effective 

speaking 

Demonstrating 

Understanding/ 

Clarity and 

Coherence 

• Communicate in 

a clear manner 

for an oral report 


Interactive 

Strategies 

• Deal with 

conflicting views 

Presentation 

Strategies/Clarity 

and Coherence 

• Communicate in 

a clear, coherent 

manner for a 

book talk 

Summarizing 

• Summarize 

main ideas 

using a graphic 

organizer 

Monitoring 

Comprehension 

• Clarify meaning 

of words and 

concepts and 

check 

understanding 

Retelling 

• Retell a story 

using a graphic 

organizer 

Making 

Inferences 

• Use stated and 

implied ideas 

and personal 


make inferences 

Evaluating 

• Examine the text 

to determine 

writer’s point of 

view 

Synthesizing 

• Synthesize 

information 

between text 

and visuals to 

extend 

understanding 

Text Pattern 

• Sequence 

Text Form 

• Map, recount, 

information 

report, poem, 

adventure story, 

travel journal, 

photo essay, 

photo collage 

Text Pattern 

• Question/Answer 

Text Form 


report, 

explanation, 

poem, interview, 

procedural text, 

illustration 


Text Pattern 

• Narrative 

Text Form 

• Graphic story, 

adventure story, 

personal 

recount, factual 

recount, cartoon 

Text Features 

• Labelled map 

Text Form 

• Map, 

information 

report, 

explanation 

Text Pattern 

• Problem/Solution 

Text Form 

• Graphic story, 

advice column, 

poem, 

information 

report, website, 

short story, 

cartoon 

Text Pattern 

• Compare/ 

Contrast 

Text Form 


report, 

explanation, 

newspaper 

report, cartoon 


• Similes 

Language 

Conventions 

• Base words, 

syllabification, 

mnemonics; 


adjectives, 

prepositions 


• Alliteration; 

compound 

sentences 

Language 

Conventions 



prepositions, 

conjunctions, 



• Similes 

Language 

Conventions 

• Word patterns, 

base words; 


quotation 

marks; verbs 

Language 

Conventions 

• Dictionary skills; 


Language 

Conventions 

• Compound 

words; 


apostrophes; 

nouns, 

prepositions 

Language 

Conventions 



exclamation/ 

question marks, 

commas; nouns, 

verbs 


Techniques 


conventions of a 

postcard help 

convey meaning 

Point of View 

• Identify whose 

point of view is 

presented in 

web articles 

Responding to 

and Evaluating 

Texts 

• Express 

supported 

opinions in 

movie reviews 


Techniques 


conventions of 

photos are used 

to help convey 

meaning 

Point of View 

• Identify point of 

view in comic 

strips 

Media Forms 

• Identify 


of placards 

Trait 

• Word Choice: 

Use sensory 

words to create 

vivid details 

Process 


Trait 

• Word Choice: 

Use strong 

verbs 

Process 


Trait 

• Fluency: Write 

effective 

dialogue 

Process 


Trait 

• Fluency: Vary 

sentence 

beginnings 

Process 


Trait 

• Conventions: 

Use editorial 

symbols 

Process 

• Edit and 

proofread 

Trait 

• Publishing: Use 

titles, subtitles, 

and bullets for 

effective 

presentation 

Process 

• Publish/Share 

NEL Instructional Framework: Grade 4 7

Introducing the Unit 

Planning the Unit 

UNIT OVERVIEW 

Students explore a variety of habitats, 

including a rotting log, temperate 

and tropical rainforests, Canada’s 

Arctic, a freshwater marsh, and an 

island. They see how populations of 

animals and plants interact and they 

are also introduced to the idea that 

humans can affect the natural world. 

As students read the articles, web 

page, posters, photo essays, and 

stories, they develop 

• the reading and listening 

comprehension strategy of 

visualizing 

• the writing strategy of identifying 

what is and is not important to the 

main idea 

• an understanding of descriptive 

text pattern 

• an understanding of the 

characteristics of a poster 

• word study skills 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED 

INSTRUCTION: SCIENCE 

The purpose of this unit is to 

provide opportunities for students to 

develop language arts skills in all 

organizers while working in the 

content area of Science. While the 

unit has strong links to the Life 

Science curriculum, it does not 

provide comprehensive coverage of 

the Science curriculum. 

Teachers can make links to the 

following Life Science Prescribed 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Demonstrate an understanding of 

the structures and behaviours of 

animals and plants in different 

habitats and communities 

• Determine how personal choices 

and actions have environmental 

consequences 

Unit at a Glance 

LESSON INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS 

Launching the Unit 

Let’s Talk 

Understanding Reading Strategies: 

Visualizing 

Applying Strategies: Visualizing 

Understanding Writing Strategies: 

Identifying Which Details Are Important 

to the Main Idea 

Applying Strategies: Reading Like a Writer 

Understanding Listening Strategies: 

Visualizing While You Listen 

Understanding Media: Identifying 

Characteristics of Posters 

Understanding Text Patterns: Identifying 

Characteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern 

Applying Strategies: Identifying 

Characteristics of Descriptive Text Pattern 

Putting It All Together 

INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES/RESOURCES 

Read-Aloud 

“Our Natural Homes,” Transparencies for Teacher 

Modelling 

“A Habitat Is a Home” SB 4a, pp. 42–43; 

TR pp. 14–15 

Teacher Modelling/Guided Practice 

Transparency 6: Hello from P.E.I. 

“Life in a Rotting Log” SB 4a, pp. 44–45; 

TR pp. 17–21 

Guided or Independent Reading/Viewing 

“In a Rainforest” SB 4a, pp. 46–49; TR pp. 23–28 

Guided and Independent Reading Kit 

Modelled Writing/Representing 

Transparency 7: Identifying Which Details Are 

Important to the Main Idea 

“Identifying Which Details Are Important to the 

Main Idea” SB 4a, p. 50; TR pp. 29–33 

Shared Writing/Representing p. 31; Guided or 

Independent Writing/Representing p. 32 


“Helping Animals Cross the Road” SB 4a, 

pp. 51–53; TR pp. 34–39 

Independent Writing/Representing p. 38 


Transparency 8: Visualizing While You Listen 

“Visualizing While You Listen” SB 4a, p. 54; 

TR pp. 40–44 


Transparency 9: Say It in a Poster! 

“Say It in a Poster!” SB 4a, pp. 55–56; TR pp. 45–49 

Independent Reading/Viewing p. 48 


Transparency 10: A Grassland Food Chain 

“Be an Arctic Explorer!” SB 4a, pp. 57–59; 

TR pp. 50–56 


“Marshes” SB 4a, pp. 60–62; TR pp. 57–62 

Summative Assessment 

“Wolf Island” SB 4a, pp. 63–66; TR pp. 63–69 


SB = Student Book TR = Teacher’s Resource 

NEL

Student Book 4a, pages 41–66 

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES 

OL 

OL 

OL 

Use speaking/listening to share ideas and opinion and 

improve/deepen comprehension 

Stay on topic and recount experiences in a logical order 

Give details/examples and explain/support a viewpoint 

OL Listen to visualize and share 

OL Use strategies to make/share connections 

R/V Visualize and access prior knowledge during reading/viewing 

W/R Create a variety of informational writing for a range of purposes 

OL Contribute to a class goal, share ideas, and improve comprehension 

OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain a viewpoint 

R/V Develop understanding using strategies before, during, and after 

reading/viewing 

W/R Use a variety of informational writing for a range of purposes 

OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain viewpoint 

R/V Use strategies during reading/viewing to determine the importance 

of events/ideas and to summarize 

W/R Write text with introduction, logically sequenced details, and ending 

W/R Identify audience before writing/representing 

W/R Select and use strategies after writing/representing to improve work 

OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using listening/speaking 

strategies 

R/V Use strategies before and after reading/viewing to develop 

understanding, locate information, and summarize 

R/V Explain how structures and features of text work to develop meaning 

W/R Use clearly developed ideas in informational writing 

OL Listen to visualize and share 

R/V Read/comprehend stories from Aboriginal and other cultures 

R/V View and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts 

R/V Explain how structures/features of text develop meaning 

W/R Create visual representations of ideas in response to a topic 

OL Share ideas and opinions using speaking/listening 

R/V Make inferences/draw conclusions during reading/viewing 

R/V View and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts 

W/R Create visual representations that communicate meaningful ideas 

W/R Use strategies to generate, select, develop, and organize ideas 

OL Share ideas and improve comprehension using speaking/listening 

strategies 

R/V Read/view and show comprehension of non-fiction materials 

R/V Determine the importance of events/ideas during reading/viewing 

R/V Locate and record information after reading/viewing 


OL Stay on topic, recount experiences, give details, and explain a viewpoint 

R/V Locate information using text features after reading/viewing 


W/R Write text with introduction, logically sequenced details, and ending 

OL Speak/listen to express/visualize ideas/information for different purposes 

OL Use strategies to practise delivery when presenting/expressing 

R/V Read fluently and comprehend a range of grade-appropriate texts 

W/R Write clearly for a range of purposes and audiences 

ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS 

BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking Sheet 

BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking Sheet 

Key Assessment Questions 

BLM 2, BLM 3 

BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing 

Demonstration Task and Key Assessment Question 

BLM 2, BLM 3 

BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting 

BLM 6 

Demonstration Task and Key Assessment Questions 

BLM 2, BLM 3 

BLM 8: Demonstration Task 

BLM 9: Writing Process Assessment Checklist 

BLM 10: Strategy Rubric Strip 

Key Assessment Question 

Demonstration Task 

BLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 10 

BLM 11: Demonstration Task—Main Idea Rescue! 



BLM 2, BLM 3 


BLM 13: Demonstration Task—Visualizing While You Listen 

BLM 14: Strategy Rubric Strip—Visualizing While You Listen 

Key Assessment Questions and Demonstration Task 

BLM 2, BLM 3 


BLM 15: Poster Analysis Form 

BLM 16: Strategy Rubric Strip—Identifying Characteristics of Posters 


BLM 2, BLM 3 

BLM 17: Strategy Rubric Strip—Identifying Characteristics of Descriptive 

Text Pattern 



BLM 2, BLM 3, BLM 4, BLM 17 

BLM 4, BLM 18: Reading Response Form 

BLM 19: Reading Record Form 

BLM 20: Performance Task—Design a Creature and Its Habitat 

BLM 21: Reading Response and Performance Task Rubric 

NEL Planning the Unit 9

OPPORTUNITIES FOR 

WRITING/REPRESENTING 

Throughout this unit, students have 

numerous opportunities to practise 

planning and drafting using a variety 

of forms. Their work in progress 

should be stored in their writing 

folder. Consider asking students to 

select one or two pieces to revise, 

edit, and publish. You may wish to 

use BLM 9: Writing Process 

Assessment Checklist to assess 

students’ work at various stages of 

writing. 

A mini-lesson is provided in each 

unit to help you develop students’ 

writing skills. This unit includes the 

mini-lesson Drafting and Revising: 

Word Choice (page 33). Consult the 

Nelson Literacy Overview for a list of 

mini-lessons that can be used to 

support students as they work 

through the writing process. 

ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT 

DATA 

The instructional focuses of the unit 

are the focuses for assessment: 

visualizing while reading, identifying 

which details are important to the 

main idea, visualizing while 

listening, identifying the 

characteristics of a poster, and 

identifying the characteristics of 

descriptive text pattern. 

Throughout the unit, there are 

multiple opportunities to observe as 

students learn, practise, and 

demonstrate target strategies. 

Formative assessment data 

(generated by discussion 

opportunities, Key Assessment 

Questions, and Demonstration 

Tasks) can be recorded on specific 

assessment tools. By analyzing the 

data, you can guide students 

through subsequent lessons with the 

correct level of support. The data 

can help you plan for instruction, 

differentiate instruction, and begin 

to make evaluative decisions about 

students’ progress for reporting 

purposes. 

The Performance Task provides 

valuable summative assessment data 

that can be used for reporting and 

for communicating with parents, 

caregivers, and administrators. 

Students are invited to assess their 

own learning throughout the unit. 

They can use their self-assessment 

data to make adaptations to their 

learning and to set personal goals 

for future learning. 

ASSESSMENT TOOLS 

• Oral Language Tracking Sheet 

(BLM 2): You may wish to use this 

tracking sheet when observing 

students during the unit launch 

and periodically throughout the 

unit. Taking multiple 

opportunities to focus on a small 

number of students at a time 

allows you to observe every student 

over the course of the unit. 

• Small-Group Observation 

Tracking Sheet (BLM 3): This tool 

can be used to monitor and make 

notes on students’ participation in 

various small-group activities in all 

the organizers: oral language, 

reading and viewing, and writing 

and representing. 

• Strategy Rubric Strips (BLMs 6, 

10, 14, 16, 17): These help 

facilitate recording and updating 

student achievement data over the 

course of the unit. Each rubric 

strip focuses on one strategy, and 

has multiple checkboxes so you 

can reuse this tool every time the 

student is required to demonstrate 

the target strategy. Use the rubric 

strips to determine the correct 

level of support for students in 

subsequent lessons and plot 

students’ progress over the course 

of the unit. 

• Reading Response and 

Performance Task Rubric 

(BLM 21): Intended for use at the 

end of the unit, this rubric is for 

recording assessments of student 

achievement in oral language, 

reading and writing skills. The data 

can be used as a summative 

measure of the students’ ability to 

demonstrate the strategies and skills 

taught in the unit as a whole. The 

rubric facilitates reporting and links 

to the Performance Standards. 

• Self-Assessment Checklist and 

Personal Goal Setting (BLM 4): 

Throughout the unit, students are 

invited to assess their own ability 

to use the strategies taught in the 

unit. They can use their selfassessment 

data to make 

adaptations to their learning and 

to set personal goals for future 

learning. 

• Metacognition: The ability to think 

about and reflect on one’s own 

thinking and learning processes is 

a key skill for successful learners. 

Metacognition is a crucial step in 

the self-assessment process. Every 

unit in Nelson Literacy 4 engages 

students in metacognitive activities 

by means of Reflect On questions 

in the Student Book, recurring 

self-assessment opportunities 

within each lesson, and the 

Criteria for Success self-assessment 

checklist included in the 

Performance Task (see BLM 20: 

Performance Task—Design a 

Creature and Its Habitat). 

Ongoing Activities 

The following activities can be done 

concurrently with the unit. 

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT: 

BUILDING A WORD WALL 

1. Create two word lists at the 

beginning of the unit to help 

students build vocabulary. Use 

one list to capture key content 

words related to the study of 

habitats. Focus on words 

students are likely to encounter 

in Science in the years to come 

(such as “herbivore”), rather 

than on words that are rarely 

used outside specialized 

contexts (such as “liana”). Use 

the second list to highlight verbs 

that aid visualization. 


NEL

2. Add words throughout the unit 

and invite students to suggest 

words for the wall. Refer students 

to the wall as they talk and write 

about habitats and communities. 

Your class’s word lists might look 

something like this: 

Key Content 

Words 

litter feeders 

recyclers 

canopy 

understorey 

carnivore 

herbivore 

omnivore 

Verbs That Help 

You Visualize 

seeped 

riddled 

poke 

compete 

dangle 

crowds out 

drift 

howled 

scrambled 

gnawed 

VOCABULARY STRATEGIES 

Vocabulary strategies are introduced 

in some of the lessons. As each new 

strategy is introduced, record it on a 

class list of vocabulary strategies. 

Encourage students to refer to this 

list whenever they encounter an 

unfamiliar word in their reading. 

From time to time, model the 

strategies on this list while working 

on other curriculum subjects. 

YOUR LOCAL HABITAT: 

DEVELOPING A BULLETIN BOARD 

1. Engage students in a discussion 

about the natural environment 

near the school. Ask: 

• Where can you find nature 

close to our school (park, 

wooded area, open field, hills or 

mountains, pond, river, lake, ocean) 

• What do you see there (rolling 

hills, water, trees, tall grass, 

squirrels, birds, frogs) 

• What do you hear or smell 

(birds singing, wind blowing 

through trees, wildflowers) 

• How does this place change 

with the seasons (leaves change 

colour, pond freezes over, animals 

hibernate) 

2. Ask students to suggest words 

that describe the local habitat, 

prompting them to think about 

plants, animals, land features, 

and climate. Write each word or 

phrase on a small index card. 

Tack these to a bulletin board 

and let students decide on a title 

for the board. 

3. Over the course of the unit, give 

students opportunities to add to 

and revisit the bulletin board. 

Family and 

Community 

Connections 

Students benefit from the active 

engagement of family members and 

community partners in their 

learning. Family members may talk 

with students and engage in 

activities that enhance the relevance 

of the unit content. Their interest 

motivates student achievement and 

facilitates communication with the 

school about performance. 

Community members may 

introduce students to the diversity 

around them as they learn about 

hobbies, careers, and cultural 

connections that expand their 

worlds. As one tool in establishing a 

communication link with family 

members and the community 

beyond the school, you may wish to 

reproduce or adapt the letter to 

parents/guardians in BLM 1: Family 

and Community Connections. 

What You Need 

NELSON LITERACY COMPONENTS OTHER NELSON RESOURCES OTHER RESOURCES 

Student Book 4a 

Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Resource 

Transparencies for Teacher Modelling 


Audio CD 

Boldprint 4: 

Bugs 

PM Library, Sapphire Level: 

Jungle Trek 

PM + , Ruby Level: 

Where Would We Be Without Plants 

Wildlife in the City 

Frogs: Fascinating … and Fragile 

Power Magazine, Volume 4: 

Basketball 

Water Sports 

Skyrider Chapter Books 4: 

The Living Rain Forest 

Skyrider Double Takes 4: 

Helpful or Harmful 

Wood Stork Swamp 

Skyrider Investigations 4: 

Lake Life 

George, Jean Craighead. The Fire Bug 

Connection: An Ecological Mystery. New 

York: HarperCollins, 1993. 

George, Jean Craighead. There’s an Owl in the 

Shower. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. 

Hewitt, Sally. All Kinds of Habitats. New York: 

Children’s Press, 1999. 

Llewellyn, Claire. Protect Natural Habitats. North 

Mankato, MN: Chrysalis Education, 2003. 

Pipe, Jim. Ecosystems. North Mankato, MN: 

Aladdin Books, 2005. 

Riley, Peter. Habitats. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth 

Stevens, 2003. 

Woods, Shirley. Amber: The Story of a Red Fox. 

Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004. 

Woods, Shirley. Jack: The Story of a Beaver. 

Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2002. 

NEL Planning the Unit 11

Launching the Unit 

ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE 

1. Provide groups of students with 

a stack of small, blank pieces of 

paper. Challenge them to 

brainstorm as many animals as 

they can, taking turns saying an 

animal name and writing it on a 

piece of paper. 

2. Provide each group with a large 

sheet of paper, a glue stick, and 

markers. Ask groups to classify 

their animals by whatever 

criteria makes sense to the 

group, such as how they travel 

(land, water, air); size (small, 

medium, large); or what they eat 

(plants, animals, both). Any 

sorting rule students can 

describe is acceptable. Students 

should create a label for each 

sorting rule. 

3. Let groups share their 

classification with the class, 

describing how each animal fits 

the chosen criteria. 

INTRODUCING LEARNING GOALS 

Have students turn to Student Book 

page 41 and give them a brief time 

to view the illustration and read the 

learning goals. Read the learning 

goals aloud. Ask students to identify 

words they know and talk briefly 

about each goal. Give students a few 

minutes to discuss with a partner 

which goal they think will help them 

the most in developing their 

language skills. 

In this unit, you will 

• visualize while 

you read 

• visualize while 

you listen 

• identify which 

details are 

important to the 

main idea in 

your writing 

• identify 


of posters 

• identify 


of descriptive 

text pattern 

Prescribed Learning Outcomes 

• learn about 

habitats and 

communities 

Science 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 

OL: Oral Language R/V: Reading/Viewing W/R: Writing/Representing 

OL A1: Use speaking and listening to share ideas and opinions and 

improve/deepen comprehension 

OL A2: Stay on topic and recount experiences in a logical order when 

speaking 

OL A2: Give details/examples and explain/support a viewpoint when 

speaking 


NEL

Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson 

Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson 

LINKING INSTRUCTION TO 

ASSESSMENT 

Throughout the unit, the 

instructional goals are linked to 

assessment in the following ways: 

• Oral Language—You can use 

BLM 2: Oral Language Tracking 

Sheet during this lesson and again 

whenever students are given the 

opportunity to discuss content, 

skills, and strategies related to this 

unit. Taking multiple 

opportunities for assessment 

allows you to focus on a 

manageable number of students at 

a time. 

BLM 2 

Oral Language Tracking Sheet 

Observation Period: Beginning of unit Middle of unit End of unit 

Observe and record students’ ability to 

• access and discuss prior knowledge they may have about the topic 

• listen and respond to the ideas of others 

• use content-specific vocabulary 

Student Name Observations Follow-up 

• Self-Assessment and Personal 

Goals—As you review the 

instructional goals with students, 

you may wish to introduce BLM 4: 

Self-Assessment Checklist and 

Personal Goal Setting. Explain to 

students that they will have the 

opportunity to assess their own 

progress as they learn new strategies 

using BLM 4. At the end of the unit, 

students reflect on the strategy that 

helped them the most and set a 

personal goal for future learning. 

BLM 4 

Name: ________________________________________________ 

Unit: __________________________________________________ 

Strategies Always Sometimes Not Yet 

1. I use visualizing to help me understand what I read. 

2. I identify which details are important to the main 

idea to help me in my writing. 

3. I visualize while listening to help me understand 

what I hear. 

4. I identify characteristics of a poster to help me read 

and understand the poster as a media form. 

5. I identify characteristics of descriptive text pattern 

to help me understand what I read. 

Reflecting Back 

Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting 

Date: ________________________ 

The strategy that has helped me the most is ____________________________________________ 

because __________________________________________________________________________. 

Looking Ahead 

My new personal goal will be _________________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________________________. 

SMART Goals 

Specific: My goals are well defined and easily understood by everyone. 

Measurable: I can tell if I have achieved my goals. 

Action-oriented: My goals can be achieved through doing. 

Realistic: My goals will challenge me but I can meet them. 

Timely: I have a time frame in which I will complete my goals. 

• Performance Task—Explain to 

students that they will demonstrate 

strategies they are learning in this 

unit in a final task. In this task, 

outlined on BLM 20: Performance 

Task—Design a Creature and Its 

Habitat, each student will imagine 

that he or she is an environmental 

expert who has discovered a new 

creature. Students will share 

important information about their 

creatures and the habitats they live 

in with the class. 

BLM 20 Performance Task: Design a Creature and Its Habitat 

You are an environmental expert. You have been invited by a Grade 4 

class to give a presentation about a new creature that has been 

discovered. You will be writing a paragraph and then reading it to the 

class. Your presentation can only be 1 to 2 minutes long. 

What To Do 

Plan 

• Brainstorm a creature and a habitat. Draw pictures to help you visualize. 

• Jot down words to help your audience visualize the creature. 

• Decide on a main idea for your paragraph. 

• Does your information support your main idea Cross out any information 

that does not. 

• Add detail. 

Draft 

• Write a draft of your paragraph. 

• Use your brainstorming notes and your pictures. 

Revise 

• Read your paragraph out loud. 

• Think about your purpose and your audience. 

– Why is it important for you to share your information 

– Is your main idea clear 

– Did you include details to support your main idea 

– Did you use language that will help your listeners visualize 

• Cross out information that is not important to the main idea. Add detail. 

• Change words to create powerful pictures. 

• Read your paragraph out loud. Can you read it in 1 to 2 minutes If not, go 

back and look for things you can cut. 

Edit 

• Read your paragraph out loud. Correct grammar, spelling, and 

punctuation. 

• Have a classmate read your edited draft for errors. 

Publish 

• Copy out your paragraph neatly, or input it on a computer and print it. 

Present 

• Read your paragraph to the class clearly and with expression. 

Page 1 of 3 


Copyright © 2008 by Thomson Nelson Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities 95 


NEL Launching the Unit 13

Let’s Talk: A Habitat Is 

a Home 

INTRODUCING UNIT CONCEPTS 

1. Have students turn to Student 

Book pages 42 and 43. Give 

them a few minutes to view the 

pages. Ask: 

• According to the title, what is 

a habitat (a home) 

• What habitats do you see on 

these pages (wetland, 

grassland, evergreen, 

forest/mountain) 

• What characteristics can you 

identify about each habitat 

from the photos or from your 

own experiences 

• Let’s see if we can put the 

animals in the habitats where 

they will be “at home.” Some 

of these animals may live in 

more than one of the habitats. 

(Canada jay: evergreen, 

forest/mountain, wetland; bighorn 

mountain sheep: evergreen 

forest/mountain; snowshoe hare: 

evergreen forest/mountain; great 

blue heron: wetland; snapping 

turtle: wetland; wood duck: 

wetland; pronghorn antelope: 

grassland; gopher: grassland; 

prairie rattlesnake: grassland) 

• What characteristic(s) about 

each animal or knowledge 

from your own experience 

helped you to match each 

animal to its habitat 

2. Record students’ responses on 

the board. Challenge students to 

match the animals they 

brainstormed in the classifying 

activity in Launching the Unit to 

the habitats shown in the 

Student Book. Add the name of 

these animals on the board. 

Likely, some of the animals will 

live somewhere other than in 

one of the three described 

habitats. Ask students to predict 

what kind of habitats these 

animals live in. Record their 

responses. 

LET’S TALK 

A Habitat Is a Home 

bighorn mountain sheep 

prairie rattlesnake 

42 Habitats and Communities 

snapping turtle 

Habitat: wetland 

great blue heron 

Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL 

Habitat: grassland 

Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content Concepts 

Before ESL/ELL students participate in individual lessons with other 

students, reduce the language demands by previewing with them both the 

key vocabulary and the key content concepts. 

• Print instructional vocabulary such as page, picture, title, turn, and 

visualize on one list. Print concept vocabulary such as habitat, rainforest, 

rotting log, recycle, nutrients, and plants on another list. 

• Introduce concept vocabulary by using the illustrations. Talk about and 

point to the concept vocabulary. 

• Talk about key content concepts using graphics such as a food chain. 

• Post your graphics and word lists for future reference. 

• Ask students to keep a personal dictionary for new vocabulary. They can 

sketch pictures and label each word in both English and their first language. 

• Have ESL/ELL students participate fully in the lessons with Englishspeaking 

students. Encourage them to talk and experiment with language. 

Respect the “silent phase” that many ESL/ELL students go through. 

NEL 


NEL

Which of the animals below live in each habitat shown here 

Some animals may live in more than one of the habitats. 

Habitat: evergreen forest/mountain 

snowshoe hare 

wood duck 

gopher 

Canada jay 

pronghorn antelope 

NEL 43 

Introducing Authors and Illustrators 

The About the Authors/Illustrators feature boxes that accompany many of 

the lessons in this Teacher’s Resource provide opportunities for you and 

your students to get to know the people behind the Student Book 

selections. In these boxes, you can read about the personal backgrounds 

and professional practices of authors and illustrators and gain insight into 

the creation of the stories and pictures in the Student Book. 

In many of these boxes, authors and illustrators describe aspects of their 

lives in their own words, creating a mix of standard biographical information 

and interesting personal detail. 

TALKING ABOUT A MEDIA TEXT 

Guide students in describing and 

thinking about the purpose and the 

audience for “A Habitat Is a Home.” 

Say: 

• These two pages are 

interesting. They aren’t all 

words or all pictures. What 

different kinds of things do 

you see (title, three large 

photographs of different scenes, 

many small “cut out” 

photographs, labels, short 

sentences speaking directly to the 

reader) 

• Why do you think the pages 

are set up this way (to make a 

game or activity; something to do; 

to involve students in the idea of 

habitats, not just tell them about 

habitats) 

• Why was this a good way to 

introduce us to the idea that a 

habitat is a home (pictures help 

us make connections; a game is 

fun; gets us thinking) 

• What other ways could you 

introduce the idea that a 

habitat is a home (a picture of 

one habitat along with all the 

many animals that live in the 

habitat; an article explaining how 

a habitat is a home) 

Read-Aloud 

Use the Read-Aloud “Our Natural 

Homes” and the accompanying 

questions in Transparencies for Teacher 

Modelling to further students’ 

understanding of the concept of a 

habitat and major habitat types. The 

Read-Aloud also models the strategy 

of visualizing while listening. 

Learning about the varied career paths of authors and illustrators will 

expose students to a variety of career possibilities. 

NEL Let’s Talk: A Habitat Is a Home 15

Life in a Rotting Log 


Understanding Reading Strategies 

Instructional Focus 

VISUALIZING 

Visualizing is the process of using 

words, structures, and meanings 

in a text to create mental pictures 

as one reads in order to aid 

comprehension. 

Instructional Approach 

TEACHER MODELLING/ 

GUIDED PRACTICE 

Transparency 6: Hello from P.E.I. 

“Life in a Rotting Log” Student 

Book 4a, p. 44 

Selection available on audio CD. 




OL A3: Listen to visualize and share 

OL 

A4: Use strategies to make/share connections when interacting with 

others 

R/V B5: Use strategies before reading/viewing to access prior knowledge to 

make connections 

R/V B6: Use strategies during reading/viewing to visualize 

W/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposes 

and audiences 

SCIENCE CONNECTION 

Life Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and 

plants in different habitats and communities. 

About This Selection 

This highly descriptive article tells how a dead tree in a forest helps keep 

various organisms alive. 

This article will be accessible to most 

students. It is written in clear yet vivid 

sentences. Some vocabulary may be 

unfamiliar to some students. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Easy Average Challenging 

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 

Ongoing Observation 

Students who understand will 

• identify words that help them create 

pictures in their minds 

• add to their mental pictures when they 

get more information 

• connect the reading to personal 

experience 

• explain how visualization helps them to 

understand the text and monitor 

comprehension 

Differentiated Instruction 

If students do not understand, 

• use Listening and Drawing (see 

Differentiated Instruction: Extra 

Support, p. 19) 

Assessment 


• What words in the article helped you to 

create a picture in your mind 

• How did the picture in your mind 

change when you read more 

information 

• How did connecting your reading to 

personal experience help you to 

visualize 

• How did visualizing help you 

understand what you read 

Assessment Tools 


BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking 

Sheet 


What Research Says about Visualization 

Visualization is a comprehension strategy that enables readers to make the 

words on a page real and concrete. (Keene & Zimmerman, 1997) 

NEL Life in a Rotting Log 17

Teacher Modelling 

Transparency 6 

Use Transparency 6: Hello from 

P.E.I. and its related teacher notes in 

Transparencies for Teacher Modelling to 

model how readers use visualizing. 

Before 

VISUALIZING A FOREST 

1. Direct students’ attention to the 

forest habitat shown in Let’s Talk 

(Student Book pages 42 and 43). 

Tell them you will describe a 

scene inside this forest. 

2. Have students imagine they are 

hiking through the forest. Say: 

• In front of you is a path into 

the forest. There are small 

twigs and leaves on the path. 

The twigs snap as you walk on 

them. You see galls and 

funguses growing on some 

trees. Leaves rustle in the wind. 

Birds chirp in the trees. You 

hear a rustling sound. You see 

a salamander darting over a 

fallen tree. You look more 

closely and see some 

centipedes and sowbugs 

crawling on a fallen tree. 

3. Tell students that making 

pictures in their minds while 

they listen to words being read 

aloud helps them to understand 

what they are hearing. Ask: 

• What pictures did you make in 

your mind 

• Were there any words you had 

a hard time visualizing 

Point out that if students have a 

hard time visualizing, it might 

be because they don’t 

understand one or more of the 

words used. Clarify any 

unknown words with students. 

Point out that they can also 

make pictures in their minds 

while they read to themselves to 

help them understand what they 

are reading. 

Understanding 

reading 

strategies 

Visualizing 

Making pictures 

in your mind, or 

visualizing, while 

you read can help 

you understand 

what you read. 

Informational 

writers often give 

you details to 

help you make 

clear pictures in 

your mind. 

44 

Add to the picture 

in your mind when 

you get more 

information. Stop 

to visualize what is 

happening in this 

busy sentence! 

Look for words 

that help you make 

pictures in your 

mind. Visualize the 

beetles making 

tunnels. Now 

visualize water 

seeping in. 

Habitats and Communities 

springtails 

Many creatures live 

among the fallen leaves. 

You can see some of them 

roundworms 

under a magnifying glass. 

Bacteria and most protists 

are invisible except 

under a microscope. 

Vocabulary 

mites 

Written by Donald M. Silver 

Illustrated by Allan and Deborah Drew-Brook-Cormack 

There’s a dead tree in the forest. It has been lying on 

the forest floor for years. And yet … it’s too alive for 

any nature detective to ignore. Dead and alive It’s one 

mystery that’s easy to solve! 

As soon as the tree fell, beetles began to tunnel 

under the bark. Water seeped in. Funguses and bacteria 

invaded and started to soften and break down the 

wood inside. 

Look at the tree now. It is riddled with tunnels and 

full of cracks. Ants and termites nest within. Mosses and 

mushrooms grow from it. The tree is alive with snails 

and sowbugs, salamanders, spiders, and centipedes— 

making their living feeding, hunting, and hiding. 

protists 

bacteria 

bristletails 

bacteria one-celled micro-organisms 

centipedes insects with long, flat bodies and many pairs of legs 

fertile able to produce 

funguses living things that live on other organic matter 

galls growths found on the leaves, stems, or roots of plants 

nutrients substances in a plant’s or animal’s food that it needs to 

live and grow 

protists one-celled micro-organisms that live in moist habitats 

riddled having many holes 

salamanders lizard-like amphibians 

sowbugs small insects that can curl into a ball 

Strategy Tip: Sound it out 

Show students how to break a word they don’t know into syllables 

in order to figure it out. Suggest that they sound out each syllable, 

for example, “salamanders”: sal-a-man-ders. 

NEL 


NEL

Meanwhile, bacteria and funguses are causing the dead 

tree to slowly rot. But more than the fallen tree will decay and 

disappear. So will last year’s leaves that litter the forest floor. 

The animal droppings, pods, galls, and dead animals will 

disappear, too. Bite by bite they will be eaten by insects, worms, 

and other litter feeders. Bit by bit they will be broken down 

into minerals and other nutrients by bacteria, protists, 

and funguses. These recyclers return the minerals 

and nutrients to the soil, keeping it fertile. 

Without recyclers, trees and other plants could not 

keep growing. 

Yes, there’s a dead tree in the forest, and it 

helps the woods stay alive. 

NEL 

Unlike termites, 

carpenter ants don’t 

eat wood. Instead, they 

chew out tunnels from 

the wood for their nests. 

Differentiated Instruction: Extra Support 

Connect to personal 

experience. Have 

you ever seen a 

dead bird or squirrel 

outside Use the 

information here to 

visualize how an 

animal decomposes 

over time. 

Listening and Drawing 

Present visualizing in a listening activity. Describe a picture without 

showing it to students. Ask them to draw what they visualize. 

Reveal the picture. Talk about how students used both what they 

heard and their personal experiences to create their pictures. Tell 

students that making pictures in their minds while they read also 

helps them to understand what they are reading. 

45 

During 

INTRODUCING THE TEXT 

1. Give students a few moments to 

look at the article’s title and 

illustrations. Ask: 

• What do you think you are 

going to read about 

2. Direct students to read 

Understanding Reading 

Strategies with you. Tell them 

that they will be learning to use 

the strategy of visualizing while 

they read this article. 

READING/VIEWING AND 

DISCUSSING THE TEXT 

1. Let students read the first 

paragraph on page 44. Ask: 

• How do you think a tree can 

be both dead and alive 

2. Have students read the second 

and third paragraphs. Invite 

them to create a picture in their 

minds of what they’ve read. Ask: 

• What did you see as you read 

the paragraphs 


first sticky note on page 44 and 

have them read it. Ask: 

• What words really helped you 

make a picture in your mind 

as you read 

• What did you visualize when 

you read the word “riddled” 

If necessary, define it as “having 

many holes.” 

4. Have students read the second 

sticky note on page 44. Ask: 

• What living things can you add 

to your mental picture 

• What are the living things in 

your picture doing 

• How is this picture different 

from your first picture 

➜ CONTINUED 



captioned illustration on page 44. 

Ask: 

• Why do you think some living 

things are shown with a 

magnifying glass (you can’t see 

them without it) 

Clarify the meaning of 

“bacteria” and “protists” (see 

Vocabulary box). 

6. Instruct students to read 

page 45. Ask: 

• What are two ways in which 

dead material disappears in 

the forest (eaten by insects, 

worms, and other creatures; 

broken down by bacteria, protists, 

and funguses) 

7. Ask students to read the sticky 

note on page 45 and share their 

experiences of seeing a dead 

bird or squirrel. Ask: 

• How can connecting your 

reading to personal 

experience help you to 

visualize (remembering 

something helps me form a picture 

in my mind) 

• What happens if you have no 

personal experience to draw 

on (it’s hard to visualize) 

After 

These questions and activities give 

students the opportunity to share 

and consolidate their learning about 

visualizing. You may use BLM 2: 

Oral Language Tracking Sheet and 

BLM 3: Small-Group Observation 

Tracking Sheet to track student 

progress through the unit. 

REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY 

1. Have students reread the title. 

Ask: 

• Now that you’ve read this 

article, what do you think the 

title means (many creatures live 

in the rotten log) 

• How can a dead tree be both 

“dead and alive” (the tree has 

died, but other living things 

depend on it) 

2. Revisit the strategies for 

visualizing. Ask: 

• Why is it helpful to visualize as 

you read (understand better, 

remember better, notice when I’m 

not understanding) 

• What did you notice about 

your reading when you were 

visualizing (slowed down, reread 

parts, noticed words I didn’t 

know) 

ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSING 

THE TEXT 

1. Ask students to tell a partner 

what recyclers do in the forest. 

(they break down material and 

return it to the soil) 

2. Why do you think they are 

called recyclers (they reuse dead 

material) 

3. Invite partners to discuss how 

life in a forest would be 

different if there were no 

recyclers. (many creatures would 

have nowhere to live; old trees would 

pile up; new trees would have 

nowhere to grow) 

4. Ask students how their 

understanding of the article 

might change if it had photos 

instead of illustrations. (photos 

would make it easier to visualize so 

it would be easier to understand) 

Word Study 

WRITING/REPRESENTING: WHAT 

AM I 

1. Invite students to write a brief 

descriptive passage about an 

object or animal of their choice. 

In small groups, have each 

student read his/her description 

aloud and have the other group 

members identify the subject. 

2. Give students an opportunity to 

provide feedback for each other 

using prompts such as “a part 

that I could really visualize ...” or 

“a part I had a hard time 

visualizing ... .” Students could 

use the feedback to make their 

descriptions more detailed. 

Have students store their 

descriptions in their writing 

folders. 

READING/VIEWING: RESEARCH 

ANIMALS AND HABITATS 

1. Let students read a variety of 

texts about animals and their 

habitats. Have them make notes 

and highlight the language in 

these texts that helps the reader 

visualize. 

2. Have students select two strong 

examples and post them to 

share with other students. 

3. Tell students to store the notes 

in their writing folders as they 

will need them for a writing 

activity in the upcoming lesson 

on “In a Rainforest.” 

Understanding Antonyms 

1. Refer to “Life in a Rotting Log.” Ask: 

• What was the mystery (tree was both dead and alive) 

• What kind of words are these 

If necessary, explain the term antonym (a word that means the opposite 

of another word). 

2. List the following words from the article: on, easy, began, under, down, 

inside, full, slowly, disappear, last, without. Ask students to suggest 

antonyms for each one. 

3. Ask students to store the list of antonyms and use them in their writing. 

You may use Word Study Master 1. 


NEL


Checking Progress 


Students may respond to the Key Assessment Questions either 

in writing or orally in a conference. Ask: 

• What words in the article helped you to create a picture in 

your mind 

• How did the picture in your mind change when you read 

more information 

• How did connecting your reading to personal experience 

help you to visualize 

• How did visualizing help you understand what you read 

Record individual progress on BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip— 

Visualizing. 

Next Steps 

For students who need extra support with visualizing, use “In a Rainforest” in Student 

Book 4a, pp. 46–49, for guided reading. 

For students who understand visualizing, use “In a Rainforest” in Student Book 4a, 

pp. 46–49, for independent practice. 

Strategy Rubric Strip: Visualizing 

A full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6. 

Criteria Not Yet Within Expectations Meets Expectations Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations 

(Minimal to Moderate) 

• identifies words that help 

create pictures in the mind 

• with limited 

effectiveness 

• with some effectiveness 

• with considerable 

effectiveness 

• with a high degree of 

effectiveness 

• adds to the picture when 

more information is provided 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

• connects the reading to 

personal experience 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

• explains how visualization 

helps the reader to 

understand the text and 

monitor comprehension 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

Cross-Curricular Application 

• applies the skills involved in 

visualization strategies to 

aid comprehension in other 

areas of the curriculum 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 


In a Rainforest 

Instructional Focus 

VISUALIZING 

Visualizing is the process of using 

words, structures, and meanings 

in a text to create mental pictures 

as one reads in order to aid 


Instructional Approach 

GUIDED OR INDEPENDENT 

READING/VIEWING 

“In a Rainforest” Student 

Book 4a, p. 46 


Selection available on audio CD. 




Applying Strategies 


OL 

OL 

A1: Use speaking and listening to contribute to a class goal, share ideas 

and opinions, and improve/deepen comprehension 

A2: Stay on topic, recount experiences in a logical order, give 

details/examples, and explain/support a viewpoint when speaking 

R/V B5, B6, B7: Select and use strategies before, during, and after reading 

and viewing to develop understanding of text 

W/R C2: Write a variety of clear informational writing for a range of purposes 

and audiences 

SCIENCE CONNECTION 

Life Science: Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and 

plants in different habitats and communities. 

About This Selection 

This richly illustrated article tells about the animals and vegetation in 

temperate and tropical rainforests. 

The straightforward text, together with the 

photographs and illustrations, make this 

article accessible to most students. New 

vocabulary is explained in context. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Easy Average Challenging 


Ongoing Observation 

Students who understand will 

• identify words that help them create 

pictures in their minds 

• add to their mental pictures when they 

get more information 

• connect the reading to personal 

experience 

• explain how visualization helps them 

understand the text and monitor 

comprehension 

Differentiated Instruction 

If students do not understand, 

• provide extra support in a guided 

reading lesson (see Differentiated 

Instruction: Guided Practice, p. 25) 

If students find this text difficult to read, 

• use a guiding practice approach, or 

• choose an alternative selection from 

your school collection 

Assessment 

Demonstration Task, p. 28 


• How did visualizing help you to 

understand what you read 

Assessment Tools 


BLM 3: Small-Group Observation Tracking 

Sheet 

BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and 

Personal Goal Setting 


What Research Says about Read Alouds 

The term visualizing implies seeing pictures. Proficient readers create 

images from all of their senses when they read. (Harvey, 2000) 

Reflecting on Your Practice 

How might I use examples of vivid text to give students 

opportunities to practise visualization 

NEL In a Rainforest 23

Before 

ACCESSING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE 

1. Tell students that the title of the 

article they will be reading is “In 

a Rainforest.” Encourage them 

to think about what they may 

already know about rainforests. 

2. Ask students to visualize what 

they might see, hear, smell, or 

feel in a rainforest. 

3. Give students BLM 5: My 

Rainforest Visualization and 

have them jot down words that 

describe their visualization, for 

example: 

My Rainforest Visualization 

I see I hear I smell I feel 

tall green 

trees 

birds 

During 

sweet 

flowers 

the hot 

sticky air 

Applying 

Strategies 

Visualizing 

As you read, use 

visualizing to help 

you understand 

what you are 

reading: 

• Look for words 

that help you 

make pictures 

in your mind. 

• Add to the 

pictures 

as you get more 

information. 

• Find connections 

to personal 

experiences. 

Written by Sally Morgan 

Illustrated by Bart Vallecoccia 

A rainforest gets lots of rain, which 

helps the trees and plants in it to grow. 

The forest is like a tall building with 

many floors. Each floor, or layer, is 

home to different plants and animals. 

INTRODUCING THE TEXT 

1. Let students spend a few 

minutes previewing the article. 

Invite them to add to their 

visualization organizer. Most new 

vocabulary is clearly defined in 

the article. 

2. Direct students to Applying 

Strategies and read it aloud to 

them. Ask: 

• How will using these 

reminders help you to 

understand “In a Rainforest” 

(help me see when I’m confused; 

help me remember) 

READING/VIEWING THE TEXT 

INDEPENDENTLY 

1. Have students read to the end of 

the article independently, using 

visualization to aid 


2. Provide students with sticky 

notes to mark places in the text 

where visualization helped them 

understand what they were 

reading. 


Vocabulary 

rainforest in British Columbia 

canopy a rooflike covering 

carnivores animals that eat other animals 

decomposers funguses that decay or break down dead plants 

emergents tall trees that rise above the canopy 

herbivores animals that eat plants 

lianas climbing vines 

omnivores animals that eat every kind of food 

temperate a region or climate marked by mild temperatures 

tropical typical of or found in regions close to the equator 

understorey the middle layer of a rainforest 

Strategy Tip: Using context 

Tell students that, as they come across an unfamiliar word, they 

should look at what comes before and after it. As an example, ask 

students to locate and read the sentence at the top of page 49 

about lianas. Ask: 

• What are lianas What words helped you to figure out the 

meaning of this word 

NEL 


NEL

OR 

FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO 

NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT 

The tops of the trees make up the roof 

of the forest, called the canopy. Most of 

these trees are about 40 metres tall. 

A few even taller trees, called emergents, 

poke their heads above the canopy. 

Beneath the canopy is the understorey. 

In this shady area, small trees, shrubs, 

and climbing plants compete for the light. 

Little sunlight passes through the 

understorey down to the forest floor. It is 

damp and warm, so leaves and twigs 

rot quickly. Funguses are important 

decomposers that live on the forest floor. 

Decomposers break down the leaves 

and release nutrients (chemicals that help 

other plants grow). Creatures such 

as termites, earthworms, and 

spiders search the floor 

for food. 

NEL 47 

Differentiated Instruction: ESL/ELL 

Introducing Key Vocabulary and Content Concepts 

Preview the key vocabulary and content concepts by using the following 

activities: 

• Introduce key vocabulary by sketching a tree and labelling the key 

concepts (canopy, understorey, forest floor). Then draw a rotting log. 

• Print and review the key vocabulary from pages 44 and 45 (rotting log, decay, 

feeders, recyclers, nutrients, plants, animals). Point to the words and then to 

your drawing and use the term visualize. Print visualize on the board. 

• Read “In a Rainforest” aloud in chunks, pointing to the text and then to 

your sketch and the printed vocabulary. Summarize by saying “I 

visualized as I read.” Check understanding by asking the students to 

point to the canopy and to the rotting log. 

• Ask students to create their own sketches of the rainforest, including 

some creatures. Encourage them to label their creatures and to use their 

drawings to describe the rainforest orally. 

• Have them participate fully in the visualizing lesson with the other students. 

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION: 


1. Read the first paragraph on 

page 46 to students. Ask: 

• What has the writer done to 

help you visualize the 

rainforest (compared a 

rainforest to a tall building) 

Sketch a tall building to help 

students relate the rainforest to 

the image described in the 

Student Book. 

2. Read the heading The Canopy, 

on page 47, then ask students to 

read the text under it. Ask: 

• What makes up the roof of 

the rainforest (the tops of trees) 

3. Make a comparison to a 

structure known to students 

that is about 40 m high, such 

as a building of about 10 to 12 

stories. 

4. Read the heading The 

Understorey, then ask students 

to read the text under it. Ask: 

• What makes the understorey 

so shady (lots of trees above, 

shrubs and plants are crowded 

together) 

Refer back to the sketch you 

drew and show where the 

understorey would be. 

5. Read the heading The Forest 

Floor, then ask students to read 

the text under it. Ask: 

• When you make a picture in 

your mind, what do you see 

on the forest floor (fallen 

trees, rotting leaves, insects, 

funguses) 

• How does this mental picture 

remind you of what you 

learned in “Life in a Rotting 

Log” (it reminds me that there 

is life among dead things on the 

forest floor) 

Refer back to your sketch and 

show where the forest floor 

would be. 

➜ CONTINUED 


DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION: 


6. Read the opening paragraph 

on page 48 to students. Say: 

• When I see the word 

“temperate,” it reminds me of 

“temperature,” but when I 

look at the ending, I see that it 

is different from the ending 

of “temperature.” 

Encourage students to sound 

out the word, correcting their 

pronunciation as necessary. 

Ask what they think 

“temperate” means (something 

to do with temperature) and 

clarify the meaning (not very 

hot or very cold). 

7. Point out to students that they 

will be reading about two 

different rainforests. Remind 

them that all rainforests have a 

canopy, an understorey, and a 

forest floor. Instruct students to 

read to the bottom of page 48 

to learn about temperate 

rainforests. Ask: 

• What would you see, hear, 

smell, and feel on a walk in a 

temperate rainforest (wolves, 

elk, black bears; birds singing; 

smells of things rotting and 

growing; cool, wet air) 

8. Tell students to read the 

remainder of the article on 

page 49 to learn about tropical 

rainforests. Ask: 

• What would you see, hear, 

smell, and feel on a walk in a 

tropical rainforest (monkeys, 

butterflies, lianas; frogs calling; 

sweet-smelling flowers; warm, 

moist air) 

• Did you know the word 

“liana” before you read this 

article How can you figure 

out what it means (read the 

words before and after; they tell 

you lianas are climbing plants 

that look like ropes) 


Word Study 

black bear 

elk 

temperate rainforest 

Temperate rainforests are found on 

some cool, wet coasts, such as the 

coast of British Columbia. The soil in 

the forest is very rich and full of 

nutrients. 

Bald eagles, ravens, woodpeckers, 

and Steller’s jays make their homes 

in the canopy. Flying squirrels are 

found in the understorey. Most 

animals live on the forest floor. 

Carnivores (meat eaters) such as 

wolves and cougars share the forest 

floor with herbivores (plant eaters) 

such as elk, black-tailed deer, and 

beavers. Omnivores (animals that eat 

both plants and meat) such as black 

bears roam the forest floor, too. 

Creating Adjective Chains 

1. Tell students that writers use adjectives to help readers visualize. Remind 

students that adjectives describe nouns. 

2. Use names of animals, for example, bear, from “In a Rainforest,” to model 

how adjectives can make nouns come to life. Ask students to suggest 

describing words when they picture a bear. 

3. Write students’ suggestions on the board to create a chain of adjectives 

before the noun, for example: black, huge, bellowing, smelly bear. 

4. Ask students to find a picture of a mammal, bird, or amphibian. 

5. Let students work in small groups. One student shows a picture of an 

animal, and writes down the animal’s name on the right-hand side of a 

piece of paper and an adjective on the left-hand side. The next student 

adds an adjective, as does the next, until the paper returns to the first 

student, who reads the whole adjective chain to the group. Each group 

member should get a turn choosing the animal and starting the chain. 

You may use Word Study Master 2. 

NEL 


NEL

Tropical rainforests are found near the 

equator. The soil is very poor and does 

not contain many nutrients. Climbing 

plants, called lianas, look like ropes as 

they dangle from the understorey down 

to the forest floor. 

The canopy is full of life. Many of the 

forest animals live here. Monkeys swing 

from branch to branch. Colourful birds 

and butterflies fly about. Amphibians 

(animals that live both in water and on 

land) such as frogs live in the 

understorey. Lizards, snakes, and insects 

move between the different layers of the 

rainforest. Wild pigs and other animals 

live on the forest floor. 

tropical 

rainforest 

capuchin monkeys 

toucan 

Reflect on 

Strategies: What words did 

writer Sally Morgan use that 

helped you visualize 

Your Learning: What did 

you learn about the rainforest 

that you did not know before 

you read this article 

NEL 49 

3. Have students return to BLM 5: 

My Rainforest Visualization. Give 

them a few minutes to add to it. 

Ask: 

• What would you like to revise 

or delete from your organizer 

ORAL LANGUAGE: DISCUSSING 

THE TEXT 

1. Name two types of rainforest 

and describe each one. 

(temperate rainforest: soil is cool and 

rich; bald eagles, flying squirrels, 

wolves, elk live there; tropical 

rainforest: found near equator; 

monkeys, butterflies, snakes, wild 

pigs live there) 

2. How would life in a rainforest 

be different if there were no 

carnivores (more herbivores; fewer 

plants since there would be more 

herbivores sharing same food source) 

3. Describe a movie you have seen 

or a book you have read with a 

rainforest as the setting. 

4. How do you think the author, 

Sally Morgan, feels about 

rainforests What makes you 

think so (they are important 

habitats; they should be protected) 

➜ CONTINUED 

After 

These questions and activities give 

students the opportunity to share 

and consolidate their learning about 

visualizing. You may use BLM 2: 

Oral Language Tracking Sheet and 

BLM 3: Small-Group Observation 

Tracking Sheet to track student 

progress through the unit. 

REFLECTING ON THE STRATEGY 

1. Read aloud the Strategies 

question on Student Book 

page 49 and give students a few 

minutes to share responses with 

a partner. Then ask students to 

share their responses with the 

class. Possible responses include 

layer, roof, canopy, damp, creatures, 

equator. 

2. Read the Your Learning 

question on page 49 to students 

and let them respond. Highlight 

common responses and 

interesting ideas for the whole 

class. Ask: 

• Why do you think the author 

wrote this article (to share 

information; to share something 

that is important to her) 

• What do you think the author 

did to get the information 

needed to write this article 

(did research, travelled to a 

rainforest) 


ORAL LANGUAGE: ROLE-PLAY 

1. Ask students to role-play being 

the owner of a travel company 

who has just returned from a 

visit to a rainforest. 

2. In small groups, invite students 

to take turns telling about their 

trip and trying to persuade 

others in the group to visit (or 

not visit) the rainforest. 


3. Work with students to develop a 

list of reasons to use to persuade 

someone to visit (or not visit) a 

rainforest. For example, a 

reason to visit a rainforest might 

be great weather or an 

opportunity to see colourful 

animals. A reason not to visit a 

rainforest might be a fear of 

being bitten by a poisonous 

frog. 

WRITING/REPRESENTING: 

RAINFOREST HAIKU 

Ask students to write a haiku focusing 

on the rainforest. Remind them that a 

haiku has three lines: one with five 

syllables, then one with seven syllables, 

then one with five syllables again. For 

example: 

The croaking of frogs 

The chattering of monkeys 

Rainforest music 

Checking Progress 


Direct students to make a chart with three columns. 

• In the first column, “The Text Says,” students write three 

examples of words, phrases, or sentences from “In a 

Rainforest” that prompt visualization. 

• In the second column, “I Visualize,” they draw what they see 

in their minds when they read the word items they listed in 

the first column. 

• In the third column, “What This Reminds Me Of,” students 

explain how their personal experiences connect with their 

visualizing. 


Students may respond to the Key Assessment Question either 

in writing or orally in a conference. Ask: 

• How did visualizing help you to understand what you read 

Record individual progress on BLM 6: Strategy Rubric Strip— 

Visualizing. 

Next Steps 

Use the following resources to give students further opportunities to practise their reading 

strategies in small groups, independently, or in literature circles. 

Nelson Literacy 


#5 Well Below: Desert Life 

#6 Easy: Tundra 

#7 Average: Habitats in Danger 

#8 Challenging: Tidal Pools 

Other Nelson Resources 

PM Library, Sapphire Level: Jungle Trek 

PM + , Ruby Level: Where Would We Be 

Without Plants 

Power Magazine, Volume 4: Basketball 

Skyrider Chapter Books 4: The Living 

Rain Forest 

Skyrider Double Takes 4: Helpful or 

Harmful 

Strategy Rubric Strip: Visualizing 

A full-size version of this rubric, suitable for recording assessments, is provided on BLM 6. 

Criteria Not Yet Within Expectations Meets Expectations Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations 

(Minimal to Moderate) 

• identifies words that help 

create pictures in the mind 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

• adds to the picture when 

more information is provided 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

• connects the reading to 

personal experience 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

• explains how visualization 

helps the reader to 

understand the text and 

monitor comprehension 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

Cross-Curricular Application 

• applies the skills involved in 

visualization strategies to aid 

comprehension in other 

areas of the curriculum 


effectiveness 



effectiveness 


effectiveness 

Student Self-Assessment 

Encourage students to think back to their learning with “Life in a Rotting 

Log” and “In a Rainforest” and reflect on their ability to use and understand 

visualizing as a reading comprehension strategy. Ask them to describe, 

while conferencing with you or a peer, how they might have used this 

strategy in other subject areas. Then direct them to check off the appropriate 

box on BLM 4: Self-Assessment Checklist and Personal Goal Setting. 


NEL

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