Constructed Response

Response To Text (Two Bad Ants): Lesson Plans for Grade Two

Day 1:
Introduce Two Bad Ants and vocabulary from text:

Consequence: The result of something happening earlier
Scout: A person sent out to see something
Crystal: (show a crystal, compare to sugar crystal)
Chamber: An enclosed space
Unaware: not knowing
Greedy: selfish, wanting a lot more than you need

Read book aloud to class
Post up focus statement: The two ants had consequences for being so greedy.
Show photocopied pictures from text as evidence (got roasted in toaster, almost drowned in a cup of coffee, zapped by an electrical outlet, etc.)
Have students list their responses under the posted focus statement.

Day 2:

Re-read Two Bad Ants aloud.
Review defintion of "greedy" and "consequence".
Review focus statement and evidence listed underneath.
Review "five finger essay" introduced last year.
Read typed introduction and "wrap up" aloud.
Read again as a whole class.
Have students cut out strips and paste on corresponding fingers (three middle strips are still blank.)

Day 3:

Re-read The Two Bad Ants.
Tell students they will fill in the three middle fingers with evidence from their public notes.
Model how to write a full sentence from public notes.
Students choose 3 examples of evidence from public notes and fill in the three middle fingers.
Students read their finished essay to two other students.