Amazing Animals

Reading Focus Areas

• To understand details in an informational text, readers think about how details are connected.

• Illustrations help the reader learn more about a particular idea or topic.

Writing Focus Areas

Narrative Writing

• Stories have a beginning, middle, and end. 

• Writers introduce the characters and the setting in the beginning of the story.

• Organize ideas with a clear begining, middle, and end.

• Writers engage readers by starting with a sound effect. 

• Write an ending that provides a sense of closure.

Informational Writing

• Writers plan their writing by identifying 2–3 details and a main idea about a topic.

• Writers plan their writing by carefully selecting facts that tell the reader more about a problem and a related solution. 

• Writers determine the main idea of a topic by thinking, "What do these facts tell about the topic?" 

• Writers introduce the main idea in the first sentence. 

• Writers pose a question within their introduction to capture the readers' interest. 

• Writers add text features including captions and headings to tell the reader more information.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions.

• Use specific vocabulary. Use vocabulary that is specific to the subject and task to clarify and share their thoughts.

• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

• Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.