Lessons & Units :: Main Idea Kindergarten Unit

Lesson 3: Using Details to Create a Title

Lesson Plan

Amazing Gorillas! | 670L

Amazing Gorillas!
Learning Goal
Create a title for a book using textual details.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided: Guided Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: Amazing Gorillas! by Sarah L. Thomson, In the Wild: Leopards by Stephanie St. Pierre, chart paper, markers

  • Teacher Modeling

    will do a picture walk of Amazing Gorillas! by Sarah L. Thomson with the title covered. I will read aloud the first few pages and think aloud about what I think the book is mainly about. I will suggest some possible titles for the book. I will say: "All the text and pictures in the book are about gorillas so I think a good title for this book could be 'Gorillas'. Let’s check and see if I’m right. I will then show the title of the book.

  • Think Check

    Ask: "Why did I decide to title the book 'Gorillas'?" Students should respond that you looked at the pictures in the book and read part of the text. Then you thought about what the book is mostly about.

    TIP: Scaffold this lesson for struggling students by providing three title choices to choose from based on the pictures and text in the book.

  • Guided Practice

    will read a short passage and create a title based on what the passage is mainly about. (Passage is included in the unit.) We will read In the Wild: Leopards by Stephanie St. Pierre and chart important information from the book. Note: Do not share the title prior to reading the Independent Practice.

    TIP: Write the Guided Practice passage on chart paper or on the board before the lesson to save time.

  • Independent Practice

    will think about what the book, In the Wild: Leopards is mainly about (with the title covered) as I read the book aloud. You will create a title for this book based on what it is mainly about.

    TIP: Create a Class Big Book as the culminating assessment. Have students choose a favorite book. They can write a sentence and draw a picture illustrating what the book is mostly about. In addition, have them complete this sentence starter, “If I could give this book a new title, it would be _______________.”

Build Student Vocabulary grooms

Tier 2 Word: grooms
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story Sometimes one gorilla grooms another.
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) To groom means to clean up a body. When gorillas groom each other, they use their fingers to out pick dirt, pieces of sticks, seeds, and bugs, which are in another gorilla’s hair.
Students repeat the word Say the word groom with me: groom.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts People groom themselves in the morning by taking a shower, brushing their hair and teeth, and putting on clean clothing. People groom pets such as dogs and horses by brushing and cleaning them.
Students provide examples How do you groom yourself each day? Tell me about it by saying “I groom myself by _______________.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? grooms
Additional Vocabulary Words male, grunts

Build Student Background Knowledge

After reading In the Wild: Leopards, reinforce the fact that house cats are from the same feline family as leopards. Like leopards, house cats stalk, hunt, and pounce on their prey. House cats are also good climbers, sometimes getting stuck on rooftops or in trees. Ask: "What are some other similarities between leopards and house cats?"

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

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