Nonfiction Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Date: May 2020

Group: Rebecca and Hannah

Text: “Coral Reefs”

Level: E

Iowa Core/High Priority Milestones and Learning Targets

Iowa Core Standards:

● RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

● RI.1.2: Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
● RI.1.4: Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a
text.

High Priority Milestones:

● Read authentic text accurately and with appropriate rate and expression (RF.1.4)
● Monitor comprehension while reading (RL.1.7; RI.1.7)
● Connect prior knowledge to information in the text (NA)

Learning Targets (Performance Skills):

● Read with fluency, accuracy, and comprehension

● Use prior knowledge about the topic before and during reading
● Use key details to describe events, themes, and settings.
● Monitor comprehension and reread when the text does not make sense.

I Can Learning Targets:

● I can ask questions to clarify and to find more information about the text. (Comprehension and
understanding)
● I can identify the main topic of a text and retell key details. (comprehension and understanding)
● I can make inferences about what will happen in a text before reading. (Making predictions)
● I can cross-check to make sure words make sense. (Monitor reading and comprehension)
● I can read the words in this story. (Fluency)

Before Reading

Relate the topic to the reader: Have any of you ever seen a coral reef? Does anyone know what is in a coral
reef? Today, we are going to read a book called “Coral Reefs.” By looking at the cover, can anyone name the
animals that you see?
Here is a video that we will watch before reading the book to try to get some background knowledge about coral
reefs.

https://youtu.be/61RzwbaSoeU

Summary statement: In this book, we are going to read about coral reefs and see what kinds of plants and
animals can be found in coral reefs.

Picture walk/preview: Before we read this book, we are going to take a picture walk to learn more about the
book before we read it. Everyone take a look at the cover of the book. This book is called “Coral Reefs” and it
was written by Paula Shricker.

Let’s take a look at…

- TOC: Does anyone know what a table of contents is used for? What can we see in this table of
contents? (text features)
- pp. 3-4: What do you see in these pictures? Have any of you ever seen either of these animals in real
life? Where do you think they can be found? (topic)

Can anyone find the word ‘coral’ on page 4? What letter does it start with? What do you think coral is?
(inference)

- pp. 5-6: What do you see in these three pictures? Why do you think they are different shapes? (topic and
inference)
- pp. 7-8: Does anyone know what kinds of fish these are? What places can you name on this map? What
do you think this map will have to do with the coral reefs? (topic and setting)
- pp. 9-10: What do you see in these pictures? What kinds of fish do you think live in these coral reefs?
(topic and setting)
- pp. 11-12: What do you think these smoke stacks have to do with the rest of the book? What would they
do to coral reefs? What do you think happened to the coral reef in the picture on page 12? (events)
- pp. 13-14: What things can you think of that might be harmful to coral reefs? (inference and events)
- pp. 15: What do you think this picture has to do with what the book is about? (inference)

**picture walk would cover every page since there isn’t an event at the end that should be concealed

Predict: Before we read this book, let’s make a prediction about what this story will be about. We use these
predictions to think about what we are reading more deeply. I will go first to show you an example. Also, we can
use the statement ‘I think that [...] because [...]’ to help us come up with predictions. I think that many kinds of
fish call coral reefs home because we see fish in almost every picture and on the cover. Now it’s our turn to make
a prediction together. What do you all think will be discussed in this book about coral reefs? Don’t forget the
statement that will help you give your inference. We think that barrier reefs are similar to coral reefs because we
see pictures on pages 9-10 that look similar to the coral reefs shown earlier.

Repeat unusual language: p.4 coral reefs (common phrase that is the main idea of this book)

Locate key vocabulary: coral (p.4), polyps (pg.4), algae (pg.5), surface (p.8), fringing reef(pg.8), barrier reefs
(pg.9), atolls (pg.10), lagoon (pg.10)

Set the purpose: We are reading this book in hopes to learn more about coral reefs and the ocean. We can also
predict some of the damaging factors to coral reefs, as introduced toward the beginning of the book.
State the strategy focus: Before we start reading, we need to think about what strategy we would use if we came
across a word that we don’t know how to read or that we don’t know how to pronounce. What would you do
when you come to one of these tricky words? One strategy would be sounding the word out slowly. You can
either say or write out the word slowly to help you pick what letters you think make up the word. For example, if
you didn’t know how to say the word coral, you could slowly say ‘cor-al’ and write each sound as you hear it.
We can put all those sounds together and say the word ‘coral.’

During Reading

Fountas and Pinnell Prompts:

Teach: Listen to how I start it. Prompt: It starts like this ____________ (say sound). Reinforce: You noticed the
first letter and made the sound.

Teach: That didn’t make sense (sound or look right). You need to stop when it doesn’t make sense (sound or
look right). Prompt: Find the part that’s not quite right. Put your finger under the tricky part. Reinforce: You
found the tricky part all by yourself. You knew how to make it right.

Teach: The picture will help you think about this part of the story. You said ___________. That doesn’t make
sense in the story. Prompt: Can the picture help you think about this part of the story? Reinforce: That makes
sense in (or goes with) this part of the story. You were thinking about what would make sense.

Second reading (reread until others are finished): Please reread the book until everyone is finished.

After Reading

Respond to text: What did you think about [...]? (coral reefs, fish, barrier reefs, debris) - (record response) Do
you know the setting of the book? What were the main topics in this book? What do you think would be a threat to
coral reefs based on what you read?

Check predictions: What predictions did you make ahead of time? Were you right in any of these predictions?

Return to text/review reading strategies used: (praise and teaching point) i.e. “I loved the predictions you
made and how you correctly predicted certain parts of the story.”

Assessment

Text reading: Running records, observation notes, anecdotal notes, evidence of strategy use (word solving,
monitoring, fluency)