Polar Bears Reading Comprehension

Polar Bears Reading Comprehension {and Freebie}

First graders love learning about polar bears!  It is always a fun topic to teach during the winter months.

Using paired fiction and nonfiction texts is a great way to learn about polar bears because there are SO many opportunities for teaching your core English Language Arts Standards. 

I paired the read-aloud books The Snowy Day by Jan Brett and National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears by Laura Marsh for this resource.  

You can check out my other Winter Paired Text set here.

The Three Snow Bears is wonderful for teaching the skills of sequencing key details, studying characters and their traits, comparing and contrasting texts with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and opinion writing.

The nonfiction text about polar bears provides opportunities to teach finding key details, close studying the text feature of a diagram, learning how glossaries work, and writing informative pieces. 

Informative Standards

Using a graphic organizer is the perfect way for students to find and record key details. This graphic organizer helps them focus on one topic at a time: polar bear bodies, food, environment, and cubs.

Main idea and detail is a tricky topic that students need a LOT of practice with!  This sheet scaffolds their learning by providing the main idea- students then add some related details.  A version without the main idea already listed is also included.

Kids will study a diagram of the polar bear paw.  Then they make their own diagram.  

Students will write a 5-sentence informative paragraph about polar bears.  This version provides a topic and closing sentence to support emergent learners.  A version for students to write all 5 sentences is also included. 

Free download: Click here to download the writing page.

Your class will learn how the text feature of a glossary works.  They will also also create their own picture glossary with the vocabulary words.

Literature Standards

After listening to The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett students will work together to sequence key details from the text.

Students will focus on character traits and search for text evidence of each trait.  Versions with and without character traits listed are included for easy differentiation.

The Three Snow Bears is the perfect text to compare and contrast with a more traditional version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Cut and glue pieces are included, or students can fill in their own ideas.

Students will write a 5-sentence opinion piece about which story is their favorite!  

You will love all of the options for easy differentiation!  Many more ideas included.

Detailed lesson plans aligned to Common Core State Standards are included!

You can click here to learn more about this polar bears reading comprehension resource.

 

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Close Reading for Winter- Paired Texts

Today I wanted to share with you one of my Paired Text Units.  This unit is perfect for coming back to school in January.  It is for the books Animals In Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

I really enjoy pairing a fiction and non-fiction books on similar topics.  It is a great way to be sure and get a 50/50 balance of narrative and expository texts.  It is fun for students, and a great way to introduce close-reading to beginning readers.

In Animals In Winter the authors explore the different ways animals survive in the winter such as hibernating, migrating, storing food, and no special adaptations.  It explores two or more animals that fit each category.  The text has amazing illustrations.   

A "pre-write" of what students already know on the topic is a great way to begin.  I have included themed paper in the unit, but you could also have students write this in their journal, or on plain paper. Next, read aloud the story and give students some time to discuss what they learned with partners or small groups.

The next day introduce the vocabulary: migrate, hibernate, gather food, and nothing. (The set has these great little cards ready to print with the vocabulary and a definition.)  As you read, have students listen for the different animals, and which category they fit into.  Then you are ready to sort the animal picture cards.  You can create an anchor chart or use a pocket chart to sort.  

There is also a student sheet, for students to cut and sort the animals into the categories. 

 Read the story several times throughout the week.  Students should now be ready to work on Main Idea/Details.  The sheet has the main idea already listed for students to scaffold their learning.  I have also included pictures of some of the animals by each bubble.  This supports students in remembering details from the text.

The last activity for this story is a close study of a diagram.  I have included a questioning guide to help you lead this activity. 

After the discussion, students complete three facts they learned about woodchucks from the diagram.

In the classic story The Snowy Day we follow along with a little boy named Peter and his adventures in the snow.  This book won the Caldecott Medal for the illustrations, which are very unique, and an important part of telling the story.

A questioning guide is included to guide your discussion for both a first, and second reading of the text. Click here to download the first days questioning guide.

The second reading focuses on noticing the illustrations and how they help to tell the story.

A story map is included.

Students think more deeply about the character Peter by exploring what he thought, saw, and did with his hands and feet.

Students also compare themselves to Peter by thinking about what they like to do on a snowy day.

Want to learn more about this set?  Click here.

Looking for more winter paired text sets?  Check out my polar bear paired text set for the books The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett and National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears by Laura Marsh.

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Teaching Theme in First Grade

Teaching theme can be a lot of fun in First Grade.  I like to explain theme or central message to firsties this way, "What do you think the author wants you to learn from this story that you can use in your life?"  It can be tricky, and takes LOTS of practice!  Usually the students will say something very literal from the story at first.  For example, in the story The Little Red Hen they might at first say something like "How to grow wheat!" But sometimes a student will say something so insightful it makes your heart flutter!  So...how do we get them to that point!

I think a good place to start is telling students what the theme of a story is, and then modeling finding evidence in the story to support the theme. Here is an example from The Little Red Hen.

 After reading aloud the story, I would display a graphic organizer like the one above, that already has the theme listed.  I would read the story again, and stop along the way listing some events from the story that support this theme.  At the end of the lesson the chart would look like this:

The next day, I would start with a similar chart (with the theme listed) for a new story.  This time, students would help me find the evidence to support the listed theme.

 I think folk tales are a great place to start.  Here are some ideas of folktales and themes:
The Three Little Pigs- Take the time to do things the right way
Chicken Little/Henny Penny- Don't believe everything someone says, or Think things through before jumping to conclusions
City Mouse, Country Mouse- Home is the best place to be

After we have practiced together several times, then I would have students complete a graphic organizer on their own (with the theme already listed).  Over time, with lots of modeling and guided practice, I will have students begin to determine the theme on their own.  This is a skill that takes lots of time to develop, and we will revisit it over and over again throughout the year.  Also, I think it is important to recognize that there can be more than one theme in a book, there isn't necessarily one "right" answer.

Another fun way to teach this skill is to choose a variety of books centered around one theme.

The books above all center around the theme of "Being different is good" or "Just be yourself".

Here are some additional books that I think are great for teaching theme.

Charlie the Caterpillar- like The Ugly Duckling, theme of not judging someone by how the look
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble- theme of being happy with what you already have
Hooway for Wodney Wat- theme of even though you are small, you can do great things
The Principal's New Clothes- theme of don't follow the crowd if you know it isn't right
Officer Buckle and Gloria- theme of the importance of working together

I've also included some graphic organizers for your students to use.

Download Theme Worksheets

Do you have any books you love to use to teach theme?

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Contractions

Have you ever noticed how sometimes the simplest activities are the best?  A few weeks ago we were studying some of the most common contractions.  We had been using some of our Words Their Way activities to sort and notice patterns in the contractions.

By Friday I could tell the students were ready for something a little fun and low-key.  I grabbed some index cards from my desk, and my bag of elbow macaroni from my cabinet.  {Seriously, elbow macaroni is the best.  We have also used them to learn quotation marks, and commas in a series. They provide a great hands-on experience that the students will remember.}

I had students use their word cards from the week to write the contractions with pencil.  Then they glued a piece of elbow macaroni for the apostrophe.  Last they traced their words with a marker. They really enjoyed the activity.  If I did it again, I would also have students write the two words of the contractions on the other side of the cards.

This would make a great center too!

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Thanksgiving Week

This week we only have school Monday and Tuesday.  I am definitely ready for the break!  Since we only have two days we won't be using our normal ELA curriculum, and that frees up a little time for some seasonal activities.


We are going to read my favorite Thanksgiving story A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting.  If you haven't read it before, it is a super cute book.  Mrs. Moose wants to have a turkey for Thanksgiving.  She sends Mr. Moose out to find a turkey, which he drags to their house.  The surprise ending is that Mrs. Moose wants turkey to be a guest, not dinner!

After we read we are going to make a flap-book to retell the story.

We are also going to read All About Turkeys by Jim Arnosky.  I love pairing fiction and nonfiction titles on the same topic.  After reading students are going to web four new facts they learned about turkeys.

I also created a fact family practice sheet to go with our theme this week.

You can click on any of the pictures to head over to my TPT store and pick up this free download.

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Guided Reading

Are you planning yet for Back To School? 

Sadly, I am.  I was looking today at my old Guided Reading notebook.  It was functional, but not attractive!!!  I have decided to spiff up a few of my pages and thought they would be helpful to others as well. 

Every year we start with a Benchmark Assessment.  I created this cute form to record my scores.

I also created a grouping form.  I will use this form to record my groups on.  I usually just name my groups Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, etc. 

Last, I created a Week at a Glance form.  I use this form to record the names of the stories we are reading for the week in each group. 

 Click here to download

I hope you enjoy these planning sheets.  I am hoping to add a few more in the coming weeks.



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Reading Center

I LOVE this new sign I made for my Reading Center.  It was super easy to make!

I purchased my letters at Hobby Lobby.  I found them a few weeks ago when they were on sale for 50% off- score!  They are regularly $2.99 per letter.  Next, I chose some scrapbook paper, I chose a different paper for each letter, I have a blue and green theme this year, and I had these coordinating papers already at home.  I flipped the letters upside down on top of the paper and traced around them, and then cut them out.  I did have to erase some pencil marks on the letters.  Then I used a little Modge Podge to adhere the paper to the letters.  I decided not to put any Modge Podge on top of the letters.  I didn't want them to have that grainy effect you sometimes get with the Modge Podge on top.  They are a little fragile since there isn't Modge Podge on top, but they are hanging high enough on the wall that little fingers shouldn't touch them.  Last, I hung them on my wall with Mounting Putty.  They are a little heavy, so I used a lot! 

Here is a close up of one:

Have you ever done a similar project?  They would be SUPER cute in a kid's bedroom with their name!

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