Informational Text Close Reading

As part of my undergraduate work I prepared a second grade level close reading to engage students in deep questioning. This exercise helped pinpoint the topics I planned to discuss during the close reading and match each to the grade level Common Core State Standards. Some strategies that this close reading addresses are recognizing details and locating key facts through the use of text features, while also encouraging students to clarify their comprehension by gathering information and recounting key details.

Swim with Seahorses

By Lynn Brunelle

National Geographic Explorer, Pioneer Ed.

Close Reading Read-Aloud Plan Grade 2

Prepared by Olivia O’Connor

December 7, 2016

Part 1: Main Ideas

1. Seahorses are a type of fish

2. Seahorses body parts help them survive

3. Seahorses have dif/iculty swimming

4. Baby seahorses are easy prey

Part 2: Big Ideas

1. All creatures are made with benefits and set-backs to surviving.

2. By using the correct tools and body parts, you have the ability to survive or

overcome any obstacle.

Part 3: Essential Questions

1. How is surviving possible?

2. Can all obstacles be overcome in order to survive?

Part 4: Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

CCSS: Grade 2 Informational Text

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text ef/iciently.

CCSS Grade 2 Speaking and Listening

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

Part 5: Goals

What about the seahorse reminds you of a fish?

Fish and seahorses are similar because they both have the ability to swim underwater for a long period of time! Also, a seahorse has a fin, just like some fish.However, they are in different spots, a fish usually has a tail fin,5 a seahorse has a back fin.

What are some downfalls of being a seahorse? How can they overcome them to

survive?

Seahorses have dif/iculty swimming. The seahorse must slowly /lutter using one /in

or use it’s swim bladder to get around. It is possible to survive with this downfall

because seahorses can strategically let air out of their bladder in order to go down,

or add to go up, whenever they please. People are clearing the bamboo forests to

build homes, so there is less bamboo for pandas to eat. The pandas move to other

places, but their ecosystem is getting smaller and smaller. The Chinese government

is creating reserves, which are places where people cannot hunt or cut down the

bamboo. They are hoping that these ecosystems will keep the pandas alive.

Scientists are also studying pandas to find out more about them. They have created

research centers where they can take care of sick pandas or raise pandas whose

mothers cannot take care of them.

What may be some difficulties for baby seahorses to survive?

Baby seahorses have a dif/icult time surviving because the ocean can pick them up,

they do not have the ability to camouflage themselves, and they do not have bony

plates to stop predators from going after them.

Pre-Reading

A seahorse is a type of fish that has a very unique way of surviving. (Point to seahorse)

This is a photo of a seahorse. The title says we will “Swim With Seahorses” which means we are going to pretend we are swimming with them and learn a lot more about what their life is like. When we read today, we’re going to be learning new things about seahorses. First, we’re going to be thinking about some different body parts of seahorses. One of these body parts is a fin (write on board), this word can be tricky but what other animals have fins? (a fish, dolphin, —or other water animal) That is correct, and what is one thing that they all have in common? (they all live in the ocean, they all swim) Awesome, so they all live in the ocean and they all swim through the ocean! A fin is a body part used for steering and swimming. When a seahorse is swimming all around they also need a way to get from the top of the

ocean to the bottom, for this they use something called a swim bladder (write on board). Let me ask you a question, when you fill up a balloon with helium does it fly up into the air or sink down to the ground? (fly into the air) That’s right, a swim bladder would work the same way. So when air is added to it, it helps the seahorse float upward, and when air is taken out it goes downward. is something you do (like putting on extra clothes) to protect yourself or make sure you can live. After hearing about these two body parts, are either of them found on your body? (no). That’s right they are not, so this shows us that seahorses need different parts then we do to survive! That’s important to remember when reading this article. So while we read, we’re going to think about what different body parts and abilities that a sea horse has, that we may or may not have, and what they do to make sure they survive.

Here are some questions we want to be able to answer when we’re finished reading:

1. What about the seahorse reminds you of a /ish?

2. What are some downfalls of being a seahorse? How can they overcome them to

survive?

3. What may be some dif/iculties for baby seahorses to survive?

Assessing Learning Goals and Standards

Assessment: Use a basic outline printout of a seahorse, students will label body parts from the article and draw a background that describes where the seahorse may live or what it needs to survive. Students will then write one idea for how seahorses can survive in the large ocean. Students may use their article as a guide while completing the assignment.

Differentiated: Have basic outlined printout of seahorse, with arrows pointed to important body parts and a fill in the blank line on the other end of the arrow. Include a word bank at the bottom of the page in order for students to be able to draw answers directly from the word bank.

Planning ways to support students during reading

P. 2, picture + subtitle

Q: Let’s look at the photo of this close-up seahorse, what parts

of the seahorse body do you see?

A: Multiple answer: Head, Neck, Nose etc.

Q: What makes these body parts different from what your

head and neck look like?

A: Multiple answers: they are different colors / a different

shape

Q: So the word “odd” means different! Why might these be

“odd” body parts?

A: Because they look different from ours or others that we

have seen before

P. 4. First paragraph of ‘Rings of Plates’

Q: So, seahorses can swim anywhere! Where would you /ind a

seahorse?

A: The Ocean

Q: The author told us here that some can be “as small as a

bean and “as big as a banana”. Can you show me how big a

bean is? Then a banana?

A: *shows size of small bean and shows size of banana*

Q: Now show me the size of how small a seahorse could be?

How big?

A: Should be around the same sizes the student showed when

representing bean and banana

P. 4, Conclusion of 2 paragraph; “vertebrates”

Q: The text says that seahorses are a vertebrate, which is

bolded that means it can be found in our glossary! (see

de/inition in glossary)and vertebrates have backbones, what

is a bone?

A: Part of your body, we have a lot

Q: Where would you /ind a BACK-bone (stress)?

A: On your back

P. 4, 3rd paragraph; Rings of Plates + Seeing the Seahorse

Q: What did we just learn about the seahorse?

A: It has scales

Q: Yes, lets look at the “Seeing a Seahorse” photo, can we point

out the scales? What are they shaped like?

A: Yes, (points to them on page) they are all box (square or

rectangle) shaped

Q: I noticed that, the article says the plates are “bony”. If you

touch something bony what does it feel like?

A: Hard

Q: So if you poked something bony would you be able to hurt

what is on the other side of it?

A: No, because it is hard

Comment: Right! So the plates protect the seahorse’s insides!

P. 4, Seeing the Seahorse

Q: This diagram points out different parts of a seahorse. What parts do you see?

A: (multiple answers) a long neck, powerful back /in, strong

snout, gripping tail

Q: So what happens when all of these parts work together?

A: the seahorse can survive

*Students may have trouble coming to this; may need to add: Q: Will the seahorse be able to live without these parts? A: no

Q: Why? A: they help them survive

P. 4, Blending In

Comment: I wonder what “blending” means

P. 4, 2nd paragraph; Blending In

Q: What did we learn?

A: Camouflage

Q: What does that mean?

A: Skin color can change

Comment: That’s right! So the next part says if a pink

seahorse swims in front of green seahorse it will change to be

green, or “blend” in.

P. 4, 3rd paragraph, Blending In

Q: What kind of seahorse did we just read about?

A: The pygmy seahorse

Q: Yes, this seahorse is pink and white with bumps just like

it’s home. Where does this creature live?

A: A coral

Q: We live in buildings that are strong enough to protect us. A

coral must be strong to. Why?

A: To protect the seahorse.

P. 5, photo of pygmy seahorse

Comment: This photo does a good job showing how the

pygmy seahorse uses camouflage!

P. 6, 1st paragraph, Getting Around “Fins”

Comment: i noticed that the word /ins is bolded. This means

we can /ind it in our Wordwise glossary. Please /lip to that!

Q: What is the de/inition of /ins?

A: a body part used for steering and swimming

P. 6: 2nd Paragraph “The seahorse doesn't have a tail fin”,

Q: So without a strong /in, what may the seahorse not be

strong at?

A: steering and swimming

P 6, Getting Around “It’s like a balloon"

Q: What happens when you blow up a ballon?

A: it gets bigger and /lys into the air

Q: And take the air out?

A: it gets smaller

Q: So when a swim bladder it blows up...

A: it gets bigger and moves upward in the water

P. 6 Touching with Tails end of section

Q: Why can’t the seahorse be sweep away

A: Because it’s tail is around the plant

Q: Yeah, so without wrapping it’s tails the light seahorse

would...

A: be taken into the ocean

Comment: Awesome, look at the photo on the top left of the

article, it looks like that seahorse is using his tail to hold on

Super tight!

P. 6 “snout as a hunting tool” On the hunt

Comment: I see another bolded word! “Snout”

Q: Can we locate that in our glossary? What does it mean?

A: the long part of a seahorses head; including nose and

mouth

Q: The author said it might be good for hunting. What do you

think the seahorse may be hunting for?

A: food

* If having difficulty:

Q: What does hunting mean?

A: to look for something

Q: So if the seahorse is looking for something with his nose

and mouth, what might he want to do with what he /inds?

A: eat it!

P. 6 end of first paragraph

Comment: This is a great example of how seahorses can see

all around them without moving! They can look at two

completely different things at once!

P. 7 Snout

* Read captions and refer back to bolded word snout, eyes

looking in other directions, and hunting for food*

P. 6, Fast Fact

Comment: Wow as unique as a fingerprint! Well, we know no

two people have the same /ingerprint. Does this mean no two

seahorses have the same ridges on their head!

P. 8 “keys to success”

Q: On the last page we talked about how important a snout is

to a seahorse when hunting. But instead of saying it is

important the author chose the words “keys to success”. thats

a funny phrase! Let’s break it down:

Q: When you get to a locked door, what do you use to get in?

A: A key

Comment: So we could say a snout is how a seahorse gets to

success as a hunter.

Q: What is success?

A: when you complete something correctly / accomplishment

Q: So keys to success means getting into / toward an

accomplishment

P. 8 “prey”, Sucking Up Supper

Q: When you see one of your favorite foods on the table what

do you do?

A: pick it up and eat it

Comment: Right, so your food would be your prey, or what

you are looking for to eat! For the seahorse, their prey is the

shrimp.

P. 8 Sucking up supper “A seahorse - quickly”

Q: This says a seahorse doesn't have a stomach, what does a

stomach do?

A: it holds your food!

Q: Right, it stores your food and when it gets rid of it you have

to go to the bathroom. But without one seahorses always ___.

A: Have to go to the bathroom

P. 8 Sucking up supper “it must eat - a day”

Q: So we have stomachs which hold our food so we can use it

for...

A: energy

Q: So if we didn't have somewhere to hold our food and our

energy, we would need constant energy! How does the

seahorse get constant energy?

A: it is constant eating

P. 8 Baby Boom “ It’s important - baby seahorses”

Q: This says that the males need to eat a lot because they give

birth to baby seahorses. Giving birth is super hard and

requires a lot of energy. We just talked about this! Where

might the males get the energy from?

A: Food

Comment: Yeah! So they need a lot of food!

P. 9 Photo

Comment: Wow this photo shows what it actually looks like when the baby fry leaves the pouch!

P. 8 1st paragraph Soft and Small

Q: So we just read that baby seahorses can get carried away. If

I put a feather on my hand in the wind would that get carried

away?

A: Yes

Q: Why?

A: Because it is light! (or small)

Q: just like the baby seahorses it is light and small!

P. 8 “prey", Small and Soft

Comment: I see a familiar word that we talked about earlier!

Prey

Q: Remind me, what does that mean?

A: something looked for the eat

Q: So the baby seahorse is easy to eat?

A: Yes

Comment: it sounds like life as a baby seahorse is very

difficult!

P. 8 Seahorse Survival

Comment: This part of the article first says the seahorse’s life is full of

range, then says it has body parts to help it survive. When two

statements are opposites like.

Q: What literacy device must we use to put them in the same article?

A: A conjunction word.

Q: what word is here?

A: Yet.