Read Aloud Lesson for the Book Snow (Bauer)

Snow (Bauer, 2003)

Description of Text: This nonfiction book provides step-by-step information for the reader about how snow is formed and what happens to it when it melts in warm weather.

Overall Curriculum Expectations (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006):

Language Arts: Demonstrate understanding and critical awareness of a variety of written materials that are read by and with the teacher; Use reading strategies that are appropriate for beginning readers in order to make sense of a variety of written materials; Communicate in writing, using strategies that are appropriate for beginners

Mathematics: Describe, sort, classify, and compare two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, and describe the location and movement of objects through investigation

Specific Curriculum Expectations (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006):

Language Arts

14. Respond to a variety of materials read aloud to them

15. Use illustrations to support comprehension of texts that are read by and with the teacher

16. Use prior knowledge to make connections to help them understand a diverse range of materials read by and with the teacher

17. Make predictions regarding an unfamiliar text that is read by and with the teacher, using prior experience, knowledge of familiar texts, and a general knowledge of the world around them

24. Demonstrate an awareness that writing can convey ideas or messages

Mathematics

19. Compose pictures and build designs, shapes, and patterns in two-dimensional shapes, and decompose two-dimensional shapes into smaller shapes using various tools or strategies

Materials Needed: book Snow (Bauer, 2003), a KWL chart, various enlarged pictures of real snowflakes found from a science book or the internet, felt board, felt pattern block pieces, wooden pattern block pieces, camera

Before Reading the teacher prepares children for the reading by setting the stage for understanding of the text (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003).

1. Prior to reading this book to students, the teacher can ask them to close their eyes and think about what they know about snow and what questions might have in order to activate prior knowledge and generate excitement towards the book. Students can then have an opportunity to turn to an elbow partner and share their thoughts. The teacher can ask students to regroup and introduce the KWL chart (headings are K – Know about a topic, W – Want to know about it, and L – learned or still want to learn about a topic). Students can be invited to share what they know about snow (e.g., “It’s white.”, “It’s cold.” “It falls from the sky.”) and this can be recorded using modeled or shared writing in the “K” section of the chart. Teacher talk might include:

• “Close your eyes. Let’s think about the white snow outside our window. What do you know about snow? What have you done with snow before? Where have you seen snow? What would you like to know about snow?”

• “Turn to an elbow partner and share something you know about snow. Share a question you still have about snow.”

• “This is a KWL chart. We’re going to use it to organize our thoughts and ideas about snow. In the “K” column I am going to/you can help write down your ideas about what we already know about snow. Tell me some of the things you and your elbow partners discussed. Let’s write them down here.”

2. The teacher can encourage students to track and read along with the ideas listed in the “K” section of the chart as he or she reads them aloud. Students can then be encouraged to think back to their discussion with an elbow partner and share the questions they might have regarding snow. These can be listed in the “W” section of the KWL chart using modeled or shared writing. Teacher talk might include:

• “In your discussions with elbow partners, I asked you to share questions you had about snow. Think back to what you discussed with your partners. We’re going to record your questions and ideas in the “W” column of our chart.”

3. The teacher can then introduce the book Snow to students and explain that it is a nonfiction book that will provide information about how snow is made. Students can be prompted to reflect upon their prior knowledge and questions (as recorded in the KWL chart) as the information in the book is shared. Teacher talk might include:

• “We are going to read a book called ‘Snow’ by Marion Bauer. This is a nonfiction book, which means it is going to provide us with some interesting information about how snow is formed and what happens to it when it melts.”

• “As I read this book I would like you to be thinking about what information in the story you already know. Some of the questions we have listed on our KWL chart might be answered too!”

During reading the teacher helps children comprehend the text by stopping and thinking aloud about something, by making connections to other texts read by the class, or in order to ask a question about the text (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003).

4. The teacher begins to read the text. Even though this is a nonfiction book, the illustrations used are drawings rather than real pictures. The teacher may wish to point this out so the students understand that drawings, and not necessarily photographs, can still express information about a real thing like snow.

• “What do you notice about the illustrations in this book? What information do they tell you? Does this book/these illustrations remind you of other books we have read? Why?”

5. At the beginning of the book the author discusses outdoor characteristics of winter (e.g., it’s cold, the trees are bare, the grass is brown). A think aloud can be made at this time comparing the book to the current season outside.

• This book reminds me of what is happening outside now that it is winter. Look outside our classroom windows. What signs do you see that it is winter? Think of what is happening in your yards and neighbourhoods. Share with us signs of winter.”

6. As the book is read the cycle of snow formation (clouds are crystals of ice, this ice clings to dust, the dust gets heavy and falls from the clouds) is presented in a very simplified manner. The teacher can paraphrase the pages and draw reference to the illustrations to help students comprehend this complicated cycle.

• “When the air is not so cold, the flakes grow softer and larger and larger. Look at the picture on this page. See how the snowflakes are drawn very large and detailed? This reminds me of when very large raindrops fall from the clouds and get the ground very wet very quickly. It’s the same idea with snowflakes too!”

7. As the story continues detailed descriptions and pictures of individual snowflakes are shown. Students can be encouraged to look at these snowflakes and note the different shapes they observed in each one.

• “Each snowflake has six sides. Look at the illustrations of snowflakes! They are very geometrical! Look at the shapes and designs that are in each one! What shapes do you see?”

• “These snowflakes are symmetrical. That means that if I cut a snowflake in half, one side would match the other side. Look at this large one. If I put a line in the middle (demonstrates using the illustration) this side is the same as the other side.”

8. The teacher can put the book down and further discuss the idea of snowflakes as unique, intricate, and delicate creations. Various enlarged pictures of snowflakes can then be shown and discussed with students. Rich, descriptive language can be used to describe the pictures including words such as geometrical, symmetrical, sparking, shimmering, icy, and any other language that arises and is appropriate to the context of the discussion.

9. The teacher can finish reading the book. At this point the KWL chart can be revisited and the teacher can read the K and W columns to refresh student memory of what they discussed prior to the book. Students can then be lead in a discussion about what they learned or still want to learn after reading the book. Using modeled/shared writing, this information can be added to the chart and reviewed with students. Teacher talk might include:

• “Now that we have finished reading our ‘Snow’ book, think about something interesting and amazing that you learned about snow! Let’s record these ideas in the L column of our KWL chart.”

• “Do you still have questions about snow after reading our book and having a discussion? We can record these questions on our KWL chart too! We can keep these questions in mind as we continue to explore snow in other books, outside on the playground, and at our classroom centers. We’re going to hang our Snow KWL chart in our science area and if we learn anything new or find further answers to our questions, we can continue to add them to the chart.”

After reading the teacher can help students to extend their learning and comprehension through a variety of large, small and independent activities (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003) including:

10. After reading the story the teacher can use felt pattern block pieces (these have been made at the teacher media center) and demonstrate to students using the felt board how geometrical pattern block snowflakes can be made. Some students may have experience putting together the pattern blocks to represent various designs and patterns and this modeling will serve the purpose of scaffolding student learning in this context (Vygotsky, 1978). The teacher can describe step-by-step how the snowflake is made using various shapes in order to create a geometrical, symmetrical snowflake like the ones in the book and pictures. These can be shown to students again as a reference.

11. Students can be invited as a whole group to practice making geometrical snowflakes using the felt pieces and the felt board. These can be discussed and the teacher can promote an exploration of the shapes and encourage snowflakes to be of varying sizes, patterns, and shapes.

12. After students have practices using the felt pieces, the teacher can show them the wooden pattern blocks that are identical to the felt pieces. These pattern blocks will be available at the math center and students can spend time creating snowflakes in a similar manner during center time. The felt board and felt pattern block pieces will also be available to students at this time.

13. At center time the teacher will remain at the math center with the pattern block pieces in order to encourage and challenge students in their explorations creating snowflakes. Pictures can be taken of the snowflakes students create and this information can be used as assessment, posted on a bulletin board near the math center, or placed in a class created book called “Our Geometrical Snowflakes” which can then be circulated among families in the classroom take home “book in a bag” program.

Assessment: The concrete materials (e.g., felt and wooden pattern block pieces) provide a tactile opportunity for children to explore and describe the mathematical problem of designing and creating a snowflake using various shapes that must fit together in a puzzle-like manner (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006). Teachers can support, observe, and assess student progress by questioning them as they are in action at this center using the following prompts:

• Describe what you are doing?

• Tell me how you are going to make your snowflake?

• List the shapes you have included in your snowflake.

• How can you make your snowflake more symmetrical/the same on each side?

• How is your snowflake similar to the ones we saw in the book we read/the pictures we looked at?

• How can you design a snowflake that…

Direct observation of what students are doing and what they are saying can be recorded using open-ended anecdotal notes on a master page that describes the activity for future reference.

A sample of this master page:

Date:____________________

Students were asked to create two-dimensional geometrical snowflakes using pattern blocks and/or felt pattern pieces after reading the book ‘Snow’.

Observations and Samples of Student Talk

Name:

Name:

Name:

References

Bauer, M. D. (2003). Snow. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2003). A guide to effective instruction in reading: Kindergarten to Grade 3. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2006). The kindergarten program (revised). Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Vygosky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.