Pet Tiger Attack Day 1

(Small Group Read180 Lesson)

by
Alyssa Carmona

1. Learning Outcomes:
During this lesson, students will read and collaboratively discuss various components of
a news article (Pet Tiger Attack). First, they will discuss and identify what the article
is mostly about (the articles key idea). They will later discuss and identify a
cause/effect relationship within the news article. This will occur among other
opportunities to identify causes and effects within more isolated given examples.

2. Common Core Standards:

CC.1.2.6.A: Determine the central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or
judgments.
CC.1.2.6.J: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
CC.1.4.6.D: Organize ideas, concepts, and information using strategies such as
definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; use appropriate
transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts; provide a concluding
statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.
CC.1.4.6.F: Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
CC.1.5.6.A: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level
topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CC.1.5.6.G: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when
speaking based on grade 6 level and content

3. Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to follow along silently as the teacher reads, and will fill in any
words that are left out.
Students will be able to collaboratively discuss and identify the key idea of the given
text.
Students will be able to identify the causes and effects within given examples.
Students will be able to collaboratively discuss, identify, and organize information in a
news article to identify causes and effects.

4. Anticipatory Set:
Remind students that, last week, we began exploring ideas related to our new Taming
Wild Beasts unit.
o We watched some introductory videos, and discussed several different ideas
with one another. We talked about wild animals, their habitats, and some of the
 reasons that they are sometimes taken, or captured, from them. We also
reviewed some of the unit vocabulary.
Ask students to recall the wild animal that we saw was found living as a pet in a New
York City apartment. (A tiger, belonging to Antoine Yates).
o Tell students that this is what we are going to be reading, and talking more,
about today.
At this point in time, move to the procedures portion of the lesson.

5. Procedures:
Have the students turn to page 184 in their books.
o Also display this page on the whiteboard.
Tell the students that the news article will be read aloud, but that they will need to
follow along silently.
o Inform them that anytime a word is left out, they must read that word aloud.
o Also inform students that, once we are done reading, they should be prepared to
tell what the article is mostly about.
Read the article aloud, leaving out some words for the students to fill in.
Once the article has been read, ask the students what the news article is mostly about.
(A pet tiger bit its owner).
o Provide students with a chance to share their ideas, and then have them record
the key idea in their books.
At this point in time, have students turn their attention to page 185 (also display this
page on the whiteboard), and tell them that we are going to begin discussing cause and
effect.
Read aloud the text at the top of page 185, which provides information about cause and
effect.
Next, provide the students with an example of a cause and effect, telling them what the
cause is, and what the effect is.
o Display the list of written examples on the whiteboard.
o First example: I stubbed my toe because I tripped.
Effect (what happened): I stubbed my toe.
Cause (why it happened): I tripped.
Then provide/review a few more examples, prompting the students to identify each
examples cause and the effect (examples obtained from
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/cause-and-effect-examples.html#oy0O4g0i4RPLLPlr.99).
o The baby was crying, so Dad picked him up.
Cause: The baby was crying.
Effect: Dad picked him up.
o He broke his arm. As a result, the doctor put it in a cast.
Cause: He broke his arm.
Effect: The doctor put it in a cast.
o The boss was busy. Therefore, her secretary took a message.
 Cause: The boss was busy.
Effect: Her secretary took a message.
o Maria didnt follow the recipe correctly. For this reason, the cake did not come
out as expected.
Cause: Maria didnt follow the recipe correctly.
Effect: The cake did not come out as expected.
Tell the students that, now, we are going to reread the first paragraph of the news
article, and work together to identify a cause/effect relationship.
o Reread the first paragraph.
Ask students to identify what happened.
o The tiger was removed by the police.
Next, ask students if this would be considered the cause or the effect.
o It is the effect, since it is what happened, and not why something happened.
Use the graphic organizer on page 185 to fill in the effect. Have students
copy this into their books.
Then ask students what the cause was (why the tiger was removed).
o If students are struggling, point out the signal word (because).
o The cause was that the pet was a 450-pound tiger.
Use the graphic organizer on page 185 to fill in the cause. Have students
copy this into their books.
Reiterate to the students that the cause resulted in the effect.
o The tiger was removed by the police because the pet was a 450-pound tiger.
At this point in time, move on to the closure portion of the lesson.

6. Differentiated Instruction:
In order to provide differentiation for the students throughout the course of this lesson,
the students are gradually and continually provided with more independence. Being
that cause/effect is new to the students, they are first provided with direct information.
Next, they are provided with an example of a cause/effect relationship, and are
explicitly told what the cause is, and what the effect is. Next, they will work as a group
(with support from the teacher) to evaluate other cause/effect relationships, and will be
asked to identify each examples cause, as well as each examples effect. They will then
work to identify a cause/effect relationship within the context of the news article.
Although they will still be working with each other, and with the teacher, this will allow
them to generalize the skill of identifying a cause/effect relationship. Lastly, they will
independently work to identify causes and effects within given examples. This time, the
examples will again be provided in isolation, but the students will need to identify each
cause/effect on their own.
Differentiation will also be provided via the approaches used within the lesson. For
instance, prior to providing written responses, the students will be able to think
through and orally discuss their ideas. In addition, the students will be provided with a
number of active learning opportunities throughout the lesson. As the news article is
read aloud, students will be required to engage in the act of reading silently. They will
 be held responsible for doing so due to the fact that several words will be omitted
during the reading that they will need to fill in. Students will also be provided with
active opportunities to engage in discussions with their peers, and will need to
continually record written responses based on these conversations. Furthermore,
regarding the identification of causes/effects, the students will not only discuss the
provided cause/effect relationships, but will also identify them physically (via
underlining and circling). As the group reviews examples together, the students will be
provided with opportunities to come up to the whiteboard in order to participate, and
identify causes/effects. Later on, students will follow the same process (while
independently using paper and a pencil) in order to identify causes/effects once more.
Utilizing such strategies will appeal to students different learning styles, and will also
help to make cause/effect relationships more concrete for them.

7. Closure:
Ask students to recall the difference between a cause and an effect.
o A cause is why something happened.
o An effect is what happened.
o Effects happen after causes.
o Causes result in effects.
Tell students that, the next time we meet, we will start by reading the news article again, and
will work to identify another cause/effect relationship.
Before the students rotate/line up to leave, have each student complete an exit ticket.
o The exit ticket will contain 3 cause/effect relationships.
o Students will be asked to identify each cause, and each effect.
Collect each students exit ticket, and have the students rotate/line up to leave the classroom.

8. Assessment (Formative and Summative):

Formative Assessment
o Formative assessment will occur throughout the entirety of the lesson. The first
instance of formative assessment (for objective #1) will occur as the news article
is read aloud by the teacher. Being that the students are to read along silently,
the teacher will monitor their ability to do so by leaving out words that the
students will need to fill in. If the students continually fill in the words omitted
by the teacher, their ability to meet this lesson objective will be verified. If the
students struggle to do so, however, this will signal that the students are not
meeting the lesson objective, and may be in need of a reminder.
o The next instance of formative assessment (for objective #2) will occur once the
news article has been read. The students ability to meet this lesson objective
will occur via their oral responses when the texts key idea is being initially
discussed. Formative assessment for this objective will also occur via students
written responses, being that they are required to write down the articles key
idea in their individual books.
o Formative assessment regarding the lessons third objective will occur at
multiple points during the lesson. First, students ability to meet this lesson
 objective will be assessed as they work as a group to identify causes/effects
within given examples. Each student will be assessed via not only his/her oral
responses, but also via his/her written responses when they come up to the
whiteboard. This same objective will later be assessed via each students
individual exit ticket responses. This will provide a physical work sample for
each student, and will be used to formatively assess whether or not each student
can successfully identify causes and effects, and differentiate between the two.
This will be especially helpful as the next small group lesson is prepared for,
being that cause/effect will be revisited. In addition, cause/effect will continue to
be explored throughout the remainder of the unit, so this will allow students
progress to be continuously be monitored.
o Formative assessment regarding the lessons fourth, and last, objective, will
occur via students oral responses as they collaboratively discuss/identify the
cause/effect relationship located within the articles first paragraph. Each
individual students ability to meet this objective will also be formatively
assessed via his/her written responses, being that they will be required to
record the cause/effect at hand using the graphic organizer on page 185 of their
books.
Summative Assessment
o Summative assessment will occur at the end of the Taming Wild Beasts unit via
an online assessment (Read180 rSkills Test).

9. Materials/Equipment:
rBook (Teacher edition, and each students personal copy, as well as the online version)
Pencils (one per student)
Interactive whiteboard
Cause/effect examples
Exit ticket (one per student)

10. Technology:
The classrooms interactive whiteboard will be used throughout the entire duration of
this lesson. It will be used to display the online version of the rBook, as well as the
cause/effect examples that will be explored.

11. Reflection on Planning:

This was a very different lesson to plan for compared to the math lessons that I more
frequently plan. With math, its more like starting from scratch. With this lesson, on the
other hand, since it is a Read180 lesson, I was provided with much more of a starting
point. The teacher version of the rBook lays out much of what the lesson should cover,
which I reviewed prior to discussing my plans with Mrs. Watkins. Then, on Friday after
school, we were able to sit down and talk everything out. Being that Mrs. Watkins
knows her students so well, her feedback and suggestions are invaluable, and really
helped me with the planning process. She was not only able to provide me with
suggestions regarding what the rBook sets forth, but also with things that the rBook
does not set forth (i.e. the types of cause/effect examples to provide).
 Another difference between this lesson and the math lessons that I am more used to
planning/teaching is the fact that the small group Read180 lessons have a shorter time
constraint. With math, I really feel that I am able to get into things with the students.
With Read180, on the other hand, I sometimes feel myself wishing that I had more time.
I have also found, though, that this depends on the exact group that I am working with. I
could teach the same lesson multiple times, and finish just on time with some, be
running late with others, and finish early with others. The past small group Read180
lessons that I taught dealt with aspects of grammar/writing more than reading, so I am
eager to see how this lesson goes! While not every single aspect of this lesson involves
the reading at hand, it is definitely going to have a different feel to it. I am also hoping
that, the more small group Read180 lessons I teach, the more I am able to adjust my
timing and delivery of instruction. I definitely feel that my math instruction has grown,
so I am very hopeful that my Read180 instruction will as well!
One thing that I have noticed throughout the previous Read180 lessons that Ive taught
is that most of the students love coming up to the whiteboard. So, when planning for
this lesson, I incorporated an opportunity for them to do so. Originally, the cause/effect
examples were going to just be a verbal discussion, but I decided to incorporate a more
physical component that would not only help to make cause/effect relationships more
concrete for the students, but that would also provide them with an opportunity to
become more actively engaged (via the usage of the interactive whiteboard). Since the
timing for these small group lessons is somewhat more limited, I am hoping that this
will be a beneficial usage of time, and will also help the students to more successfully
grasp the lessons content.

12. Reflection on Instruction (once the lesson has been taught):