Teacher's Resource - Nelson Education

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.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
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
Demonstration Task
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.
Key Assessment Question
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
Guided and Independent Reading Kit
#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
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• adds to the picture when
more information is provided
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• connects the reading to
personal experience
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
• explains how visualization
helps the reader to
understand the text and
monitor comprehension
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
effectiveness
Cross-Curricular Application
• applies the skills involved in
visualization strategies to aid
comprehension in other
areas of the curriculum
• with limited
effectiveness
• with some effectiveness
• with considerable
effectiveness
• with a high degree of
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.
28 Nelson Literacy 4 Teacher’s Resource: Habitats and Communities
NEL