Second Grade Reading/Writing Unit Theme: Earth Day
Standards Reading Informational Text 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. RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe. RI.2.9 Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic. Writing W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section. Expectations for Learning Students will read and comprehend second grade informational and fictional texts through writing and response to text. Materials: This packet Pencil Tasks Day One: Read The Earth Helpers. Complete the Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choice Board by answering three questions in a row (down, across, or diagonal). Write your answer on the Earth Day Answer Sheet. Write the number of the question you re answering in the small white box. Complete the Earth Day Graphic Organizer. Complete the Earth Day Writing Connection. Day Two: Read A Day to Celebrate the Earth. Complete the Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choice Board by answering three questions in a row (down, across, or diagonal). Write your answer on the Earth Day Answer Sheet. Write the number of the question you re answering in the small white box. Complete the Earth Day Graphic Organizer. Complete the Earth Day Writing Connection. Day Three: Read the reading selection. Complete the Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choice Board by answering three questions in a row (down, across, or diagonal). Write your answer on the Earth Day Answer Sheet. Write the number of the question you re answering in the small white box. Complete the Earth Day Graphic Organizer. Complete the Earth Day Writing Connection. Columbus City Schools Page 2 of 17
Take Care Of Earth Day 1 Earth Helpers People work together to help our planet. April 22 is Earth Day! That day reminds people to take care of our planet. Many kids and adults will take part in the Great American Cleanup. It is held each year from March 1 to May 31. Weekly Reader spoke with Gail Cunningham. She is in charge of the Great American Cleanup. She says, "People should get into the habit of taking care of Earth all year long." Here are some ways people can help. Clean Up Litter People will clean up beaches and parks this year. They will pick up litter, or trash. Animals can mistake litter for food and choke on it. Last year, volunteers for the Great American Cleanup collected more than 200 million pounds of litter. Plant a Tree Many people will plant trees. Last year, volunteers planted more than 4 million trees. Trees are very important. They help clean the air. They also give off a gas called oxygen. People and animals need oxygen to live. Recycle People will recycle paper, bottles, and cans. When something is recycled, it is made into something new. Volunteers collected more than 70 million plastic bottles last year. The bottles were recycled, and a company used them to make backpacks for kids. This year, the bottles will be made into fleece jackets. Those jackets will be given to kids who don't have enough warm clothing. "It is wonderful to turn plastic bottles into something fantastic," says Cunningham. 2012 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved. Columbus City Schools Page 3 of 17
Day 1 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choose Three in a Row! What and When? What is the Great American Cleanup? When is it held? Describe It! Describe three reasons why trees are important. How Can You Help? According to the passage, describe two things people can do to help the planet. Why are these things important? 1 2 3 Help Stop Littering! What is littering? How does it hurt animals? What do you think you can do to help? Love the Earth! How often should people take care of the earth? Use a detail from the selection to support your answer. Let s Recycle! What does it mean to recycle? What are some of the things you can do to recycle? 4 5 6 Think of a New Title! What is a new title that you could call the reading selection? Give two reasons from the text to support your answer. New Uses! According to the reading selection, what are two things you can make from recycled bottles? Find the Text Feature! Locate three headings in the text and write a detail to support each heading. 7 8 9 Columbus City Schools Page 4 of 17
Day 1 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Answer Sheet Columbus City Schools Page 5 of 17
Day 1 Earth Day Graphic Organizer What is the main idea of the reading selection? 1. What is a detail from the selection that supports your choice? 2. What is another detail from the selection that supports your choice? 3. What is a third detail from the selection that supports your choice? Columbus City Schools Page 6 of 17
Day 1 Earth Day Writing Connection Write a letter to your family asking them to do three things to help the planet. Make sure you include what you ve learned from the Earth Helpers text. Dear, Columbus City Schools Page 7 of 17
Day 2 A Day to Celebrate Earth Each year, Earth Day is celebrated in April. On Earth Day, millions of people will think of ways to stop pollution. They will talk about recycling and planting trees. People will look for ways to save energy and water. Lend Earth a Helping Hand! People have been celebrating Earth Day since 1970. Earth Day was started by a man named Gaylord Nelson. Nelson was a United States senator from Wisconsin. He was worried about the damage being done to the planet. To celebrate Earth Day, people get together once a year to think about ways to protect the earth. But many people think that every day should be Earth Day. They say people should always work to stop pollution and clean up the land and water. Here are a few ways that you can help make every day Earth Day! Don't Be a Litterbug! Don't litter! Be a good example for other kids. If you see litter, pick it up and put it in trash cans or recycling bins. Recycle! Cans, bottles, and newspapers can be recycled. That means these objects are put through a special process so they can be used again. Start a can recycling program at your school. Use the money you earn from returning the cans to buy new playground equipment or to have an Earth Day party. Save a Tree, Plant a Tree! Paper is made from trees. You can save a tree by not wasting paper. Use both sides. Celebrate National Arbor Day by planting a tree. This holiday encourages people to plant and care for trees. Don't Waste Water! You can easily conserve, or save, water. Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth and washing your face. Save Energy! Save electricity by turning off the lights when you leave a room. Do not leave a radio or TV on if you aren't using it. 2012 Read Works, Inc. All rights reserved. Columbus City Schools Page 8 of 17
Day 2 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choose Three in a Row! Celebrate Earth Day! When is Earth Day held? Name two ways people celebrate Earth Day. Conserve! What does conserve mean? What can you do to conserve water? Help the Trees! What is National Arbor Day? What can you do to celebrate it? 1 2 3 Help Stop Littering! What is littering? How does it hurt animals? What do you think you can do to help? 4 Turn off the Lights! According to the reading selection, what are some things that you can turn off to help save electricity? Who Created Earth Day? Who created Earth Day? When did it begin? 5 Don t Be A Litterbug! According to the reading selection, what can you do to help stop litter? What Can You Recycle? According to the reading selection, write three things you can recycle. What are some things in your home that you can recycle? Find the Text Feature! Locate three headings in the text and write a detail to support each heading. 6 7 8 9 Columbus City Schools Page 9 of 17
Day 2 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Answer Sheet Columbus City Schools Page 10 of 17
Day 2 Earth Day Graphic Organizer Compare the text. Write two examples of how they are alike in the middle of the diagram. Write two examples of how the texts are different on the sides. A Day to Celebrate Earth Earth Helpers Columbus City Schools Page 11 of 17
Day 2 Earth Day Writing Connection Write two interview questions to ask a family member about Earth Day. Interview him/her and then record the answers. Question: Answer: Question: Answer: Columbus City Schools Page 12 of 17
I am the Earth And the Earth is me. Each blade of grass, Each honey tree, Each bit of mud, And stick and stone Is blood and muscle, Skin and bone. Day 3 Earth Day Jane Yolen And just as I Need every bit Of me to make My body fit, So Earth needs Grass and stone and tree And things that grow here Naturally. That's why we Celebrate this day. That's why across The world we say: As long as life, As dear, as free, I am the Earth And the Earth is me. Canteach.ca Columbus City Schools Page 13 of 17
Day 3 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Choose Three in a Row! What do you Think? Highlight or Underline! Be an Illustrator! Why do you think the author wrote this poem? Give a detail from the poem to support your answer. Which words do you think are important? Underline the words or highlight them! Then write them on the answer sheet. Create an illustration to go with the poem. 1 2 3 What does it Mean? Check for Details! How do you Feel? What does it mean when the author says, I am the Earth. And the Earth is me? The author used capital letters throughout the poem when she named the earth. Why do you think she capitalized Earth? How does reading this poem make you feel? (Choose a descriptive characteristic like concerned, appreciative, or upset.) Use a detail from the poem to support your choice. 4 5 6 Be a Poet Write an acrostic poem for Earth. Connect it! Write two ways this poem is similar to Earth Day Helpers or A Day to Celebrate Earth. Make a Personal Connection! How does this poem connect to your own life? What will you do after reading this poem? 7 8 9 Columbus City Schools Page 14 of 17
Day 3 Earth Day Tic Tac Toe Answer Sheet Columbus City Schools Page 15 of 17
Day 3 Earth Day Web Summarize your learning. Write four important facts that you ve learned from Earth Day Helpers, A Day to Celebrate Earth, and Earth Day. Columbus City Schools Page 16 of 17
Day 3 Earth Day Web Create your own Earth Day poem. Use the facts that you wrote on the Earth Day web to write your poem. Columbus City Schools Page 17 of 17