Lesson 17 | Exploring Habitats | 2nd Grade Language Arts

Lesson Map

Identify questions about forest, desert, rainforest, and water habitats by asking and answering "what" questions about key details in a text.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat
A Desert Habitat
Water Habitats
A Forest Habitat

Standards

RI.2.1RI.2.7SL.2.1

Lesson

Identify key information about forest habitats by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

A Forest Habitat pp. 1–15

Standards

L.2.4RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.4RI.2.5

Lesson

Explain where different plants and animals in forest habitats live and get their energy by asking and answering "where" questions about key details in a text.

Materials

A Forest Habitat pp. 16–31

Standards

RI.2.1RI.2.3

Lesson

Language

Generate a variety of sentence types orally and in writing.

Materials

Sentence 3-Corners Cards (G2, U2, L4)

Standards

L.2.2

Lesson

Explain how the author uses various text features to teach the reader about a forest habitat by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

A Forest Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.2RF.2.3RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.2RI.2.5

Lesson

Create a visual representation of a forest habitat that shows how plants and animals depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs.

Materials

A Forest Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1RI.2.3SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.5

Write an informational book all about how plants and animals in the different habitats depend on their surroundings and other living things to survive and thrive in the places they live.

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm a single paragraph using facts and details to support the topic.

Materials

Single Paragraph Outline (G2)
Single Paragraph Outline With Topic & Concluding Sentences (G2, U2, L7)

Standards

L.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft an informational paragraph about forest habitats that introduces a topic, includes related details, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials

Sentence Expansion Organizer (G2, U2, L7)

Standards

L.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Lesson

Explain what types of plants and animals live in the desert and why they live there by asking and answering "who" and "why" questions about details from the text.

Materials

A Desert Habitat pp. 1–17

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1RI.2.4

Lesson

Explain how plants and animals in the desert survive by asking and answering "how" questions about key details in a text.

Materials

A Desert Habitat — pp. 18–end

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1RI.2.4

Lesson

Explain how the author uses various text features to teach us about a desert habitat by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

A Desert Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.2RF.2.3RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.2RI.2.5

progress
monitoring

Lesson

Create a visual representation of a desert habitat that shows how plants and animals depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs.

Materials

A Desert Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.5

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Write an informational book all about how plants and animals in the different habitats depend on their surroundings and other living things to survive and thrive in the places they live.

Drafting

Draft an informational paragraph about desert habitats that introduces a topic, includes related details, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials

Single Paragraph Outline (G2)

Standards

L.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Lesson

Discussion & Writing

Compare and contrast how plants and animals in two habitats depend on their surroundings to meet their needs by identifying key details from two texts.

Materials

A Desert Habitat
A Forest Habitat

Standards

L.2.2L.2.3.aL.2.6RI.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.6

Lesson

Identify key information about water habitats by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

Water Habitats pp. 1–17

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1RI.2.4

Lesson

Describe what life is like in a pond, river, and swamp, and how plants and animals depend on their habitats by asking and answering "how" questions about key details in the text.

Materials

Water Habitats — pp. 18–end

Standards

L.2.2RI.2.1RI.2.4

Lesson

Explain how the author uses various text features to teach us about a water habitat by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

Water Habitats — entire text

Standards

L.2.2RF.2.3RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.2RI.2.5

progress
monitoring

Lesson

Language

Correctly use regular and irregular plural nouns in writing.

Materials

Plural Nouns Handout (G2, U2, L17)

Standards

L.2.1.b

Lesson

Create a visual representation of a water habitat that shows how plants and animals depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs.

Materials

Water Habitats — entire text

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RI.2.1SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.5SL.2.6

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Write an informational book all about how plants and animals in the different habitats depend on their surroundings and other living things to survive and thrive in the places they live.

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm an informational paragraph about water habitats that introduces a topic, includes related details, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials

Main Idea and Detail Sentence Cards (G2, U2, L19)
Main Idea and Detail Sentence Cards Answer Key (G2, U2, L19)
Single Paragraph Outline (G2)

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft an informational paragraph about water habitats that introduces a topic, includes related details, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials

Single Paragraph Outline

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Lesson

Identify key information about what makes a rainforest habitat unique by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat pp. 1–17

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.4

Lesson

Explain how animals in the rainforest survive by asking and answering questions about key details in the text.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat — pp. 18–end

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RI.2.1SL.2.1

progress
monitoring

Lesson

Explain how the author uses various text features to teach us about a rainforest habitat by reading with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RF.2.3RF.2.4RI.2.1RI.2.2RI.2.5

Lesson

Create a visual representation of a rainforest habitat that shows how plants and animals depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat — entire text

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RI.2.1SL.2.1SL.2.2SL.2.5

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Write an informational book all about how plants and animals in the different habitats depend on their surroundings and other living things to survive and thrive in the places they live.

Drafting

Draft an informational paragraph about rainforest habitats that introduces a topic, includes related details, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials

Single Paragraph Outline (G2)

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Lesson

Discussion & Writing

Compare and contrast how plants and animals in two habitats depend on their surroundings to meet their needs by identifying key details from two texts.

Materials

A Rainforest Habitat — entire text
Water Habitats — entire text

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2RI.2.9SL.2.1SL.2.6W.2.2

Lesson

Writing

2 days

Overview

Write an informational book all about how plants and animals in the different habitats depend on their surroundings and other living things to survive and thrive in the places they live.

Day 1 - Revision & Editing

Revise and edit the pages of an informational book to prepare for publication.

Materials

Revision Sentences (G2, U2)

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Day 2 - Publishing

Publish an informational book on habitats.

Materials

Habitats Book Example (G2, U2)
Target Task Handout (G2, U2, L26)

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.2W.2.7W.2.8

Lesson

Assessment

Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.

Lesson

Writing

Overview

Write an opinion paragraph supported by relevant details, facts, illustrations, labels, and information about the plants and animals that live in a habitat.

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm and organize facts and information about a chosen habitat to support an opinion paragraph.

Materials

Habitats Brochure Template (G2, U2, L28)
Single Paragraph Outline (G2)

Standards

L.2.1.bL.2.2W.2.1W.2.8

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft an opinion paragraph about a habitat that introduces a topic, states an opinion, includes supporting reasons, and provides a concluding statement.

Materials