Turtle Day

Recently our school has had a focus on comprehension and all the different ways to encourage this. We looked at the Four Resource Model, Meaning Maker, Text User, Text Participant and Text Analyst. I have planned a unit of work around the fiction book Turtle Day. My plan lasts 12 days/lessons, which can be done daily or over a few weeks.  I also plan on reading the story each day even if I do not have time for a follow up activity. Hopefully some of my EALD learners will also read the story independently. 

Introduction lesson

• Talk about the front cover. What will this book be about? How do you know?
• What kinds of activities/events will happen in Turtle's day?
• Read the text.
• Each time we get to a problem/event, ask students to predict what Turtle might do.

*Before reading the text you may want to make a KWL chart about turtles. At the end of the story you would add anything you may have learned. Be aware that this book may not add any new information, but it is a good source for opening up students to questions e.g. When Turtle was cold, he sunned himself on a log. Why did he have to lay in the sun instead of being active to his warm his body?