Organizational Structure of Text Lesson Standard 2: Comprehension of Informational Text Indicator 3: Develop and apply knowledge of organizational structure of informational text to understand what is read. Materials: Several selections of text, (attached to this document), that illustrate organizational structure of text. For this lesson, we are focusing on main idea and details, time order, problem/solution, description and compare/contrast. Lesson Outline: 1. Model procedure of activity with short piece of text. The teacher will: Read the text. Determine the proper layout. Determine the organizational structure Respond to the attached prompt. 2. Divide the class into groups of 2. Give each pair a short piece of text (included). 3. Through sharing and discussion the students should correctly identify the organizational structure. 4. Each group will then share their findings with the class and discuss their reasons for the structure they selected 1
All About Dogs We know that dogs are a human's best friend -- they love us and we love them. However, we're not so sure where they came from. Many scientists think they came from wolves 15,000 years ago. Although wolves are wild and dogs are tame, they're still a lot alike. Both wag their tails when happy and put their tails between their legs when scared. They also growl when angry, mark their territory, and want to be part of a "pack," or community. Other scientists think today's nearly 400 breeds of pet dogs came from wild dogs. No matter who their ancestors were, dogs have a "leg up" on their wilder cousins when it comes to reading humans' signals. In one experiment, conducted with chimpanzees, dogs, and wolves, food was hidden under one of two containers. The dogs did much better than the other animals because they watched the human experimenter, who pointed to, looked at, or tapped the container with food. 2
On The Job: Service Dog Trainer Jane Eckes, Service Dog Trainer for Helping Paws with her dog, Cedar Helping Paws' Mission: to further the independence of people with physical disabilities through the use of service dogs. How do you train Cedar, the dog you work with? While I'm at work, Cedar retrieves things, opens doors, turns lights on and off, and carries small items for me. After we get home she takes off her pack and runs and plays like a normal dog. Once a week we formally train at Helping Paws' training center. Throughout the week we train at places like grocery stores, malls, movie theaters, and restaurants. Cedar is allowed to go into any public place. Are there any difficult tasks a dog can perform that might surprise people? Cedar is trained to open and close doors, turn lights on and off, bark for help, retrieve objects, assist walking, aid undressing, and perform many other tasks. Another difficult skill that Cedar has learned is to pick up a quarter, dime, or nickel and put it on a counter or table. 3
All About... Polar Bears Polar bears are large, powerful animals that live in the Arctic Circle, the icy cold area around the North Pole. Winter temperatures there can hover around 40-50 degrees below zero for weeks at a time. But polar bears are well suited for the cold, with up to 4 inches of blubber under a thick, two-layer fur coat. The "Kings of the North" are actually more likely to overheat than to freeze. They can run up to 25 miles per hour, but because they get hot so quickly, they mostly walk at a leisurely pace. Polar bears are the world's largest land predators, with males ranging from 775-1,500 pounds (females are much smaller). The ice bears spend most of their time hunting the seals that make up most of their diets. Polar bears also eat walrus, beluga whale and bowhead whale carcasses, birds, vegetation and kelp. 4
Classic American Toys... Yesterday And Today The first half of the 20th century was a golden time for toy making. Some of the most popular toys in history were invented then, and are still going strong today. Lionel Trains started in 1901, after Joshua Lionel Cowen made a battery-powered train for a store window display. Customers just wanted the trains; they didn't care about the rest of the window. Lionel has sold over 50 million train sets since then. In 1902, Rose Michtom made stuffed bears to sell in a store she ran with her husband in Brooklyn. She named them after President Teddy (Theodore) Roosevelt, and started a big trend. Stieff (1903) and Gund (1906) are the oldest Teddy Bear makers in business today. Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith made their first box of Crayola crayons in 1903. There were 8 colors--compared to 120 today. The Crayola factory in Easton, Pennsylvania, now produces nearly 3 billion crayons each year (12 million per day!). Dr. A.C. Gilbert invented the Erector Set in 1913. The nut-and-bolt metal construction sets were an American version of the British "Mechanics Made Easy" (later Meccano) sets from 1901. Erector Sets are now made by Meccano (in France). The next year, 1914, Charles Pajeau developed wooden Tinker Toys for children too young for the Erector Set. Today they are made by OddzOn (a division of Hasbro). John Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916. He got the idea while watching his father design an earthquake-proof building in Japan. More than 100 million Lincoln Log sets have been sold since then. Ole Kirk Christiansen invented plastic LEGO bricks in Denmark in 1949. The company, whose name comes from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" (play well) has since made more than 206 billion of them! Imagine if you had to clean up that many in your room. 5
When Elephants Fly Alaska's only elephant relocates to a warmer climate with the help of some friends! When you think of the amazing animals that live in Alaska, an elephant probably isn t the first one that comes to mind. But this state known for its very cold climate called Maggie the elephant their very own, until now. On November 2, Maggie made her way to a new home in California aboard a huge cargo plane piloted by the United States Air Force. The elephant had recently developed health problems, and her caretakers agreed that a warmer climate and living with other elephants could help her get better. Alaska Zoo officials worked with an organization called the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to move Maggie to a warmer climate. Her new home is at the PAWS wildlife sanctuary, called ARK 2000, in San Andreas, California. 6
Panda Power in D.C. New panda exhibit opens at National Zoo The pandas in the nation's capital have a new home! The Fuji film Giant Panda Habitat and Asia Trail opened to the public on October 17, 2006. It provides more space for the panda family that lives at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The new habitat took three years to plan and two years to build. It will provide lots of space to grow for Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub, Tai Shan. "First of all, we now have a panda cub, so we really needed the space," said Kara Blonde, Exhibit Developer for the newly developed Asia Trail. The new cub celebrated his first birthday at the zoo in July. Included in the exhibit is an indoor cubbing den. A cubbing den is a private place for the mother and cub to spend time together out of the public eye. This new home will provide the pandas with plenty of space to raise their new family! 7
Compare & Contrast Description Cause & Effect Question and Answer Time Order Main Idea and Details For teacher reference: All About Dogs Compare & Contrast On the Job Service Trainer Question and Answer All About Polar Bears Description Classic American Toys: Yesterday and Today.. Time Order When Elephants Fly Cause and Effect Panda Power in DC Main Idea and Details 8