Text Title: Make Way for Ducklings Author: Robert McCloskey ISBN 13: 9780670451494 Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated LESSON SUMMARY Reading Task: The students will listen to the teacher read the text aloud in its entirety at least one time. Students will then, with teacher guidance, revisit chunks of the text to clarify meaning. The teacher will ask questions and solicit student s ideas and thoughts to guide them through purposeful interaction with the text. The questions will focus on Key Ideas, Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas with both fiction and non fiction texts. Discussion Task: Through the use of text dependent questions, the students will be guided to look at text closely and engage in thinking that will deepen their understanding of key ideas, craft and structure and the integration of knowledge and ideas. Students will discuss the characters, setting, and major events in the story in great depth, performing activities that result in understanding and enjoying the text. Vocabulary and Syntax Task: Most of the meanings of the words in the text can be discovered from careful reading of the context or use of illustrations in the text. Teachers will use rereading, discussions and modeling to introduce and reinforce how to learn vocabulary from contextual clues. Syntax and language structure will be closely examined through discussion. Writing Task: Students will use writing to summarize and extend learning. Writing tasks will vary depending on the choice of culminating activity. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 1
Lesson Sequence: Day 1: 1. Read the story aloud to students straight through with very little discussion. 2. When the story is over, ask the students to turn and talk to their partners about how they liked or disliked the story. Ask students to support their statements with specific examples in the text. After a short time, have students that are willing share their discussion points. (Note: The teacher should not share his/her opinion about the story, as students need to use their own judgment.) Day 2 and beyond (varies): 1. Revisit specific sections of text. 2. Teacher should ask guiding questions. Student responses and behaviors should be noted so that the discussion activities do not last too long for their age and attention span. Make note which activities were completed each day, so that the other lesson discussions can be complete on subsequent days. (Note: Not all discussion lessons need to be completed. In addition, discussions do not need to follow a specific sequence.) Final Read: The teacher should read the text all the way through a final time without stopping or pausing to discuss the story. After the read, the teacher should introduce ONE of the cumulative writing activities. Standards Addressed/Outcomes: RL.1 with prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL.2 with prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL.3 with prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL.4 ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. RL.5 recognize common types of texts (storybook) RL.7 with prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear. RL.9 with prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. SL.1 participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and large groups. SL.2 confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood. L.4 determine and clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content. L.6 use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts W.1 use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion about the topic or book. W.3 use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. SC.K.L.14.2 recognize that some books and other media portray animals and plants with characteristics and behaviors they do not have in real life. SS.K.G.1.1 describe the relative location of people, places, and things by using positional words. SS.K.G.2.1 locate and describe places in the school or community. SS.K.E.1.1 describe different kinds of jobs that people do and the tools or equipment used. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 2
Vocabulary: The words selected are more abstract, likely to be encountered in a variety of situations and could have different meanings dependent on the context. These words deserve more attention in the context of daily instruction. Student friendly definitions using academic language, may be found at the at www.wordsmyth.net Most of the meanings of words in this selection can be discovered from careful reading of the context in which they appear. This practice is both called for by the standards and is vital. Teachers must be prepared to reinforce it constantly by modeling and holding students accountable for looking in the context for meaning as well. The teacher will explore unfamiliar vocabulary words and phrases with the students to increase comprehension of the story. The students will be supported to describe how words and phrases may have multiple meanings. Words to address: duckling, mallard, raise, further, public, fished, enormous, polite, proud, answer, waddled, bank, delighted, suited, squawked, dither, horrid, rushing, remembering, hatch(ed), chose, cozy, among, settled, molt, bursting, pride, responsibility, taught, distance, satisfied, wink, opposite, waded, ashore, highway, tumbled, planted, center, beckoned, meanwhile, reached, corner, stared, amazing, headquarters, traffic, 15 minutes over 2 3 days should be allotted do not try and do all vocabulary words in one day Let s go back into the text and find words we are not familiar with. We are going to use the text to help us understand these new words and create definitions for them. What is a duckling? What does fished mean? What does it mean to be polite? What is satisfied? Give me an example of opposites. Think of a time you were cozy. Where might you be if you went ashore? The policeman beckoned the ducks, how might you beckon someone? Repeat for words as teacher determines class needs, vary questions using the higher order question grid. Have students support their answers with the text. Example: Teacher What is a duckling. Student A duckling is a baby duck because I see the picture of the baby ducks. Teacher can have the students work in pairs or small groups to create definitions for words with support from the text. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 3
Text Based Questions: These questions can only be answered correctly by close reading of the text. The evidence in the response comes directly from the text and does not depend on additional information from other sources. Text dependent questions assure knowledge from a specific text is clearly understood prior to leaping into synthesizing. 1. Teacher introduces the text and the teacher reads the entire text without asking any questions or beginning any dialogues/discussions with/among students. 2. Teacher asks the class a small set of guiding questions and the teacher rereads the text in response to guiding questions. During rereading, teachers will ask vocabulary and comprehension questions. Teacher should only read select text during guided questioning, NOT THE ENTIRE TEXT. Students should support all their answers with text and illustrations. 15 minutes 2 3 days DO NOT DO ALL TEXT BASED QUESTIONS IN ONE DAY Where in the text does the other reference the city that is the setting for the story? Let s go back into the story and find the place where the writer s words would help us to remember the name of the city and the names of the parts that Mr. and Mrs. Mallard visited. Support your answers with the text. Robert McCloskey is the author and illustrator of this story. How does he use the expressions of the characters to show their emotions? Let s reread the text and find an illustration that shows an expression; be prepared to tell us what expression you see and what emotion we connect with that expression. How do you know Mrs. Mallard is angry? How can you tell that Michael is worried? How did the policemen show that they were happy? Support your answers with the text. Let s make connections between ourselves and the story, have you ever been to a new city? What happened? How did you feel? What did you see? Who did you meet? What was different about the new city? Describe Mr. Mallard. Describe Mrs. Mallard. How are they alike? How are they different? Give examples using the text and illustrations to support your description. Time is passing in the story how much? How do you know? How does the author show the passage of time? Support your answer with the text. What would make a place bad for the ducks to start a family? What might make a place good for the ducks to start a family? How do you know? Give examples using the text and illustrations to support your answers. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 4
When in the day do the ducks eat breakfast? The ducks fished for their breakfast in the mud, what type of food did they have for breakfast? What wouldn t they eat for breakfast? Why do they get their breakfast from the mud at the bottom of the pond? Why didn t they find much to eat? Support your answers. Why didn t the bird pushing the boat answer Mrs. Mallard? Was the big bird polite? Was the man sitting on its back? Is the bird pushing the boat, living or nonliving? Is it pushing the boat? Is the big bird proud? How do you know? What type of bird is the big bird? Would a swan be that large? Why do the people on the boat throw peanuts into the water? What do the ducks eat for their second breakfast? Why would Mrs. Mallard want to raise her ducklings in the pond? Why wouldn t Mrs. Mallard want to raise her ducklings in the pond? Support your answers from the text. Why does the island in the river look like the right place to hatch ducklings? Why do the Mallards chose a cozy spot? Why is it among the bushes? Why is it near the water? What happens when a duck molts? Support your answer. Why did the ducks find the island just in time? Who did the Mallards meet at the park? What type of community helper was he? How did they get to the park? Why didn t they fly? Why did the ducks visit him every day? Support your answers. Why did Mrs. Mallard stop visiting Michael? What didn t Mrs. Mallard do while she was waiting for her eggs to hatch? Explain your answers. What can you tell me about the names of the ducklings? (They rhyme.) Why would they give the ducklings those name? Would you give a pet those names? Why were the Mallards bursting with pride? Why were the Mallards very busy? How might raising a family be a great responsibility? Why did Mr. Mallard leave? Do you think he should have left his family? What would be a good reason to leave his family? Why shouldn t he leave his family? What did Mrs. Mallard do while he was gone? What should she teach her ducklings? Why? What shouldn t she teach her ducklings? Why? Why did she teach them to keep a safe distance from bikes and scooters? Support your answers. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 5
Why did Mrs. Mallard take her ducklings to the opposite bank? How did they get there? What did they do when they got there? Where did they go? Why does Mrs. Mallard have a difficult time crossing the highway? How is the problem resolved? What could have happened if Michael didn t show up? Why did Michael rush back to his police booth? talk to? What did he do when he got there? Who did he Why is Mrs. Mallard proud as she walks through the city? Why did she tip her nose in the air and put and extra swing in her waddle? Is it good or bad to be proud? How did the policemen know to stop the traffic? Why did they stop the traffic? What would happen if they didn t stop the traffic? Where did the policemen come from? Where did the ducks go after they crossed the street? Is it part of a policeman s job to stop traffic for ducks? What did the ducks do when they got to the Public Gardens? Were the ducks thankful? How do you know? Were the policemen happy? How do you know? What did Mr. Mallard promise? Did he keep his promise? How do you know? Why did the ducks move to the new island? Did the ducks ever go back to the island in the river? What do the ducks do at their new home? What don t they do? How are things for Mr. and Mrs. Mallard at the end of the book? How did the Mallard family change during the course of the story? Where did the Mallard family go? Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 6
Syntax: This portion will include a close examination of the arrangement of words and phrases or wellformed sentences to help students better understand text meaning. Phrases to focus on: make way, no good, raise a family, on and on, any further, on their way, came by, being polite, too proud, all round, better than the first, on the bank, waddled along, all a dither, run over, got her breathe, rushing about, horrid things, little way, right place, cozy spot, settled down, just in time, called on, bursting with pride, great responsibility, taking care of, further on, off he set, bring up children, keep a safe distance, perfectly satisfied, come along, before you could wink an eyelash, fell into line, waded ashore, waddled along, tumbled back, just as loud as their little quackers could quack, made such a noise, planted himself, cross over, turned into, tipped her nose in the air, extra swing in her waddle, held back, right on into, turned round, night falls 15 minutes over 2 3 days DO NOT DO ALL SYNTAX LESSONS IN ONE DAY. Let s go back into the text and find phrases we are not familiar with. We are going to use the text to help us understand these new phrases and create definitions for them. What does it mean to make way? (title page) What does no good mean? What does Mrs. Mallard mean by raise a family? What do you think on and on means? The policeman planted himself, how might you plant yourself? Repeat for phrases as teacher determines class needs, vary questions using the higher order question grid. Have students support their answers with the text. Example: Teacher What does the author mean when he writes night falls? Student A The night fell down because that is what it means when you fall. Student B Night falls means bedtime because the story says the ducks go to sleep. (Student B supported answer with text while Student A used background knowledge of vocabulary. Teacher should redirect Student A to get answer from text.) Teacher can have students work in pairs or small groups to create definitions for phrases using the text to support their answers. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 7
Writing Task (in response to reading): Writing tasks will allow students to expand their repertoire and control of different narrative strategies. In opinion pieces, they will have opportunities to extend and elaborate their work by providing examples, offering reasons for assertions, and explaining cause and effect. 1. Teacher asks students to discuss their favorite parts of the story, including setting and characters. Students must explain why it is their favorite part of the story. 2. The teacher assists students in using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate their favorite part of the story including their reaction to what happened. This may be a small group experience, with students that liked the same part, or students writing individually using phonetic spelling. 3. Students will share their responses during Author s Chair. 15 20 minutes lesson 1 2 days during the lesson. Teacher picks prompts. Students will use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to narrate their favorite event in the story, providing their reaction to the event and why they enjoyed it. What is your favorite part of the story? Why? The Mallards had many adventures during the story. Do you think they lived happily ever after? Why? What type of place was Mrs. Mallard looking for to make her nest and raise her family? Use a variety of drawing, dictating, and writing to support your opinion. Have you ever been to a duck pond? Did the ducks there act the same or different than the Mallard family in the story? Did the Mallards trust Michael? Support your opinion with examples from the text. This story is a fiction story. The author made it up. Could it really happen? Could parts of it happen in real life? Explain your answer. The Mallards were thankful to the policemen. Do you think that people are thankful to policemen? Why? Would Mrs. Mallard have gotten to the Public Gardens if the policemen didn t help? What would have happened if the policemen didn t help? Why didn t Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings fly to the Public Gardens? Explain your answer. Mrs. Mallard is afraid of foxes and turtles. Are you afraid of foxes of turtles? Why do you think she was afraid of foxes and turtles? Support your answer. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 8
Story Text: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live. But every time Mr. Mallard saw what looked like a nice place, Mrs. Mallard said it was no good. There were sure to be foxes in the woods or turtles in water, and she was not going to raise a family where there might be foxes or turtles. So they flew on and on. When they got to Boston, they felt too tired to fly any further. There was a nice pond in the Public Garden, with a little island on it. The very place to spend the night, quacked Mr. Mallard. So down they flapped. Next morning they fished for their breakfast in the mud at the bottom of the pond. But they didn t find much. Just as they were getting ready to start on their way, a strange enormous bird came by. It was pushing a boat full of people, and there was a man sitting on its back. Good morning, quacked Mr. Mallard, being polite. The big bird was too proud to answer. But the people on the boat threw peanuts into the water, so the Mallards followed them all round the pond and got another breakfast, better than the first. I like this place, said Ms. Mallard as they climbed out on the bank and waddled along. Why don t we build a nest and raise our duckling s right in this pond? There are no foxes and no turtles, and the people feed us peanuts. What could be better? Good, said Mr. Mallard, delighted that at last Mrs. Mallard had found a place that suited her. But Look out! squawked Mrs. Mallard, all of a dither. You ll get run over! And when she got her breath she added: This is no place for babies, with all those horrid things rushing about. We ll have to look somewhere else. So they flew over Beacon Hill and round the State House, but there was no place there. They look in Louisburg Square, but there was no water to swim in. Then they flew over the Charles River. This is better, quacked Mr. Mallard. That island looks like a nice quiet place, and it s only a little way from the Public Garden. Yes, said Mrs. Mallard, remembering the peanuts. That looks like just the right place to hatch ducklings. So they chose a cozy spot among the bushes near the water and settled down to build their nest. And only just in time, for now they were beginning to molt. All their old wing feathers started to drop out, and they would not be able to fly again until the new ones grew in. But of course they could swim, and one day they swam over to the park on the river bank, and there they met a policeman called Michael. Michael fed them peanuts, and after that the Mallards called on Michael every day. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 9
After Mrs. Mallard had laid eight eggs in the nest she couldn t go to visit Michael any more, because she had to sit on the eggs to keep them warm. She moved off the nest only to get a drink of water, or to have her lunch, or to count the eggs and make sure they were all there. One day the ducklings hatched out. First came Jack, then Kack, and then Lack, then Mack and Nack and Ouack and Pack and Quack. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were bursting with pride. It was a great responsibility taking care of so many ducklings, and it kept them very busy. One day Mr. Mallard decided he d like to take a trip to see what the rest of the river was like, further on. So off he set. I ll meet you in a week, in the Public Garden, he quacked over his shoulder. Take good care of the ducklings. Don t you worry, said Mrs. Mallard. I know all about bringing up children. And she did. She taught them how to swim and dive. She taught them to walk in a line, to come when they were called, and to keep a safe distance from the bikes and scooters and other things with wheels. When at last she felt perfectly satisfied with them, she said one morning: Come along, children. Follow me. Before you could wink an eyelash Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack fell into line, just as they had been taught. Mrs. Mallard led the way into the water and they swam behind her to the opposite bank. There they waded ashore and waddled along till they came to the highway. Mrs. Mallard stepped out to cross the road. Honk, honk! went the horns on the speeding cars. Qua a ack! went Mrs. Mallard as she tumbled back again. Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! went Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack, just as loud as their little quackers could quack. The cars kept speeding by and honking, and Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings kept right on quack quack quacking. They made so much noise that Michael came running, waving his arms and blowing his whistle. He planted himself in the center of the road, raised one hand to stop the traffic, and then beckoned with the other, the way policeman do, for Mrs. Mallard to cross over. As soon as Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings were safe on the other side and on their way down Mount Vernon Street, Michael rushed back to his police booth. He called Clancy at headquarters and said: There s a family of ducks walkin down the street! Clancy said: Family of what? Ducks! yelled Michael. Send a police car, quick! Meanwhile Mrs. Mallard had reached the Corner Book Shop and turned into Charles Street, with Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack all marching in a line behind her. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 10
Everyone stared. An old lady from Beacon Hill said: Isn t it amazing! and the man who swept the streets said: Well, now, ain t that nice! and when Mrs. Mallard heard them she was so proud she tipped her nose in the air and walked along with an extra swing in her waddle. When they came to the corner of Beacon Street there was the police car with four policemen that Clancy had sent from headquarters. The policemen held back the traffic so Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings could march across the street, right on into the Public Garden. Inside the gate they all turned around to say thank you to the policemen. The policemen waved good by. When they reached the pond and swam across to the little island, there was Mr. Mallard waiting for them, just as he had promised. The ducklings liked the new island so much that they decided to live there. All day long they followed the swan boats and eat peanuts. And when night falls they swam to their little island and go to sleep. Kindergarten Marion County School System revised: 9/23/2012 Page 11