CONTENT AREA LITERACY UNIT

Content area lesson plan with literacy strategy

LESSON TOPIC: States of matter book pass

RATIONALE: In the past, students have been introduced the vocabulary that this unit focuses
on. Students have also learned that there are three different forms of matter. Currently, the
students will participate in a book pass activity where they will gain information about the
different states of matter by looking at a variety of books. This strategy is an effective way for
students to view different texts that all address a common idea. Students will be looking at
several titles all related to the same theme on matter. In the future, students can apply this
strategy for independent reading purposes and during other units. Students will apply
background knowledge and facts learned to future instruction.

COMMON CORE STANDARD (S):

Reading: Informational Text (RI. 2.1) Key Ideas and Details
Reading: Informational Text (RI. 2.2) Key Ideas and Details
Reading: Informational Text (RI.2.5) Craft and Structure
Reading: Informational Text (RI. 2.9) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Writing: (W.2.8) Research to Build and Present Knowledge
Speaking & Listening: (SL. 2.1) Comprehension and Collaboration
Speaking & Listening (SL. 2.2) Comprehension and Collaboration
Language: (L. 2.3) Knowledge of Language

OBJECTIVE: The students will be able to read several books on a central theme (states of
matter) and identify new or interesting facts. Students will record these facts on a book pass log.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
Book pass (literacy strategy)
Matter, solid, liquid, gas (content area vocabulary)

MOTIVATION OR ANTICIPATORY SET: To introduce the book pass strategy and engage the
students in a new form of learning, the teacher will introduce an anchor chart. The anchor chart
shows the students the parts of a book where they can find new and important information. The
anchor chart will be used as a resource throughout the lesson. The anchor chart will point out the
cover, title, author, back cover, illustrations, and pages inside. The teacher will remind the
students that these are some of the parts that we want to look at when examining a new book.

BRIEF PROCEDURE:

After the teacher and students discuss the anchor chart, the teacher will hand out the book
pass log with an example already filled in. The teacher will model how a book pass
should be done with the example provided for them. Modeling the strategy allows for the
students to see how the strategy should be executed properly. The teacher will also go
over the log form and explain how it should be filled out for each book.
Next, the students will be put into groups of 4. Each group will get 4 books to examine
the different books. Students will get 5 minutes to look at each book and find interesting
or new facts. At the end of the 5 minutes, the timer will go off and the teacher will say,
Book pass! At this time students will know to switch books with the students in their
group.
Once each student in the group has looked at the 4 different books, the students will
discuss their findings with each other to compare facts.
To close the lesson, the class will come together and each student will say the most
interesting fact that they found from their book pass. Students can comment if they had a
similar fact. The purpose of having the students discuss their results is that they are able
to practice pronouncing and saying the vocabulary, as well as reading and writing about
it.

MATERIALS USED:
Anchor chart
Book pass log
Weidner Zoehfeld, K. (1998). What Is the World Made Of? All about Solids,
Liquids, and Gases. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
 Book review: This book uses a conversational tone and introduces students to the three
states of matter. The book describes the different qualities of each and provides details
and examples.
Boothroyd, J. (2007). What Is a Solid? New York, New York: Lerner Publishing Group.
Book review: This book describes the solid state of matter. It explains that solids have
their own shape and do not take the shape of their container. The book gives several
examples of items that are solids and describes different properties.
Boothroyd, J. (2007). What Is a Liquid? New York, New York: Lerner Publishing Group.
Book review: This book gives specific information about liquids with photos to illustrate
the different properties of a liquid (e.g., it takes the shape of its container, it flows). The
book gives the students different examples of liquids and mentions what happens when
you heat or cool a liquid.
Boothroyd, J. (2007). What Is a Gas? New York, New York: Lerner Publishing Group.
Book review: This book explains how gas is the most difficult to see. The book shows a
diagram to help students gain a better understanding. It also gives the students fun facts
about gas, which they might not know.

TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT (IF APPLICABLE): Not applicable

ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARD (S)

Formal: The students will formally be assessed from their book pass log. The students
responses on the log will provide the teacher with information to see if the students
successfully understood the purpose of the strategy. It will also allow the teacher to see if
any students had difficulty.

Informal: The students will be informally assessed through teacher observation while the
students are working in their small groups and from the responses to the teacher's
questions throughout the lesson.

ADAPTATIONS:

Student with special needs: An adaptation for students with special needs could be doing
the book pass as a class. The teacher could read the book aloud to the students and the
students could recite facts learned. Instead of having the students complete the log, the
teacher could create a class log that contains all of the information stated by the students.
The teacher could do this at different times with the different books.
 English Language Learner: An adaptation for ELL students could be recording
vocabulary words found in the text, rather than facts learned. ELL students could focus
on the vocabulary and terms within the context.

Struggling Reader: An adaptation for struggling readers could be having the students
listen to the story, either read aloud by the teacher or from an audio book. This will allow
the students to focus on the content of the text, rather than struggling with words on a
page. This strategy could enhance comprehension, which would allow them to focus on
listening to new or interesting facts.
 Book Pass Log

Title of Book Page Number Facts I Learned

Example: Everything on Earth is

made up of matter
What Is the World Made Blocks is an example of a
Of? All about Solids, Page 5 solid
Liquids, and Gases Milk is an example of a
liquid