Unit Name/ Topic:Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows

Anticipated Time Allotted for Unit:

4-5 weeks

Key Vocabulary:Academic and core vocabulary demonstrated throughout Lessons 1 - Lessons 15

Lesson 1 • backwater • bolted • contemplated • hesitating • interferes • meandered

 Lesson 2 • arranged • dejected • escorted • seized • stability

 Lesson 3 • call-on • common • mended • possessed • state

Lesson 4 • domestic • evasively • feeble • heartily • postpone

Lesson 5 • atmosphere • conduct • retired • summoned • thoroughly

Lesson 6 • advance • recollection • reproached • subtle • unerring • tailor • nephew • merchant • magician • treasure • glittering • precious

 Lesson 7 • blues • capital • dismally • forage • perceive • slumber

 Lesson 8 • conceited • gross • hour • impertinence • improvised • sensible • whisk • genie • monstrous • glimpse • sultan • astounding • radiant • servant • palace • celebrate Chapter

Lesson 9 • disguise • distress • dungeon • particularly • pursued • lurk • peddler • obey • storm

Lesson 10 • deprive • fate • occupant • revenge • solitary • unrestrainedly • adventures • remarkable • peculiar • pop • cupboard • ma’am • spotted

Lesson 11 • ecstasies • gaining on • keenly • proposal • recklessly • spirit

Lesson 12 • imprisoned • sentries • startled • surveyed • warily • odd • curious • currant • enthusiastically • patter • splendidly • muttering • duchess • cross • scurry • caterpillar • sternly • confusing • irritated • temper

Lesson 13 • deafening • expedition • immense • modest • sentinels • mad • vanished • remained • dormouse • indignantly • civil • concluded

Lesson 14 (no vocabulary words)

Lesson 15 • courtier • croquet • chaos • furrow • hedgehog • mallet • witness • sentence • jury • verdict

NYS Learning Standards:

Speaking and Listening: Students will determine the main idea and supporting details of a text read aloud. [SL.3.2]

Reading: Students will compare and contrast the two characters from The Wind in the Willows. [RL.3.3]

Foundational Skills: Students will review short vowel sounds and multisyllable words. [RF.3.3]

Reading: Students will ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for their answers. [RL.3.1]

Point of View Rewrite a passage from third- to first person point of view. [RL.3.6]

Content/ Skills Taught:

This unit will expose students to classic children’s stories that use rich language and introduce students to a variety of vocabulary words. Students will be enchanted by descriptive paragraphs and memorable characters as they explore interesting themes and discuss character traits. As they go on adventures with these characters, instruction will reinforce understanding of the elements of fictional narratives, including dialogue, narration, characters, plot, and setting. Students will also discuss the literary tools of personification, perspective, and point-of-view, as well as the themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, responsibility, and irresponsibility.

Areas for Differentiated Instruction:

Added Foundational skills from 2nd grade curriculum where we thought there were gaps.  (i.e. vowel teams)

Pre Teaching of nouns and adjectives.

Most of the reading was completed whole group. Occasionally students would read in select partner pairs.

Workbook pages were completed in whole group

PP pages were used for independent or additional practice

Short response questions were modeled by classroom teacher

Learning Activities:

Graphic Organizer:

• Venn diagram to compare and contrast characters
• Used a story/writing organizer that contains a topic sentence, 3 details, and a concluding sentence

Draft/Final copy regarding a character who demonstrated one of the following themes;

• Friendship/loyalty
• Responsibility
• Irresponsibility
• Hospitality

Anchor Charts

Map skills

We created a poster with the 6 syllable types and showed videos for each syllable.

Reviewed synonyms and antonyms with examples

Assessments:

Silent Reading Assessment:

• “The Bug Hunt”

• “The Snake”
• “Moans at Midnight”
• “The Dog Show”
• “The Black Diamond”

We utilized these assessments to help us to better understand fluency and comprehension of each student.

No end of unit assessment

Resources: Videos on youtube for the foundational skills