U3_1 Assessment
Completion requirements
Read Like a Writer
Page 135 of Literacy in Action 5A.
Click each coloured row for information about the activity.
Some features of an explanation are:
Most of the suggestions in the list tell about how ideas are used to make an explanation clear and understandable.
Planning an Explanation: The Human Eye has been included for you to save to your Documents folder or to print out to use for future reference.
To help you make a decision about your topic, create a list of as many body systems or organs as you can name in Question 1 of the After Reading section of the Reader's Notebook: Read Like a Writer.
After you have completed your list, look it over carefully. Is there one topic that you are interested in more than the rest? This is the topic you should choose to write an explanation about.
You will have to gather information about how the body organ you have chosen works. You might want to create a chart like the one you used to study the heart, lungs, or skin. Find out as much information as you can about your topic. You might choose to use books, an encyclopedia, magazine, or the Internet.
Some websites you might want to try are:
When you have collected all of your information your next step will to be to read through it and choose the parts you want to use. Use Planning an Explanation to help you to organize your explanation.
Document: Planning an Explanation
Click here to download
For a printer-friendly version of the file, click here.
Unit 3
How Does the Human Body Work?
Lesson 5
Reader's Notebook
Read Like a Writer
Page 135 of Literacy in Action 5A.
Click each coloured row for information about the activity.
You have been reading scientific explanations about body systems. Ideas in an explanation help readers understand what something is like or how it works.
Some features of an explanation are:
- All the ideas and information are about the same topic.
- Specific details make the information easy to understand and remember.
- Graphics help explain the topic.
- Surprising and exciting ideas keep the reader interested.
- Cause and effect words, such as because and causes, help to show how ideas relate to each other.
Most of the suggestions in the list tell about how ideas are used to make an explanation clear and understandable.
- Read page 135 of Literacy in Action 5A.
- Answer Question 1 of the Before Reading section on the Reader's Notebook: Read Like a Writer.
Download PDF
- Download the document Reader's Notebook: Read Like a Writer.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: When the download screen opens:
- Click the "Open with" button.
- Select "Adobe Reader".
- Click "OK".
- You will then be able to view the document Reader's Notebook: Read Like a Writer.
- Print the document.
Nancy is back to tell you how she plans an explanation.
I am going to model for you how to plan an explanation using Planning an Explanation as a guide.
I hope that my modelling of this topic was helpful to you.
- I am going to choose the eyes as my explanation topic because I read a lot about the eyes and I think that how the eyes work is fascinating.
- I need to think about a purpose or focus my research question for this explanation. I have decided that my question will be: How does the human eye work?
- I selected this research question because I knew I could find enough information about it and it was specific (not too broad). I did not select the question how do mammal eyes work? This question is too broad. I would need to write a book to research that topic!
- I need to think about how I will make the ideas interesting for the reader and what specific details I should include to make the explanation clear. I have decided that I will write three informational paragraphs and each one of them will answer a question about the human eye.
- I will use cause and effect words to show relationships. For example, it is important to get enough sleep because the muscles in the eyes need to rest.
- I have added a section called: DO YOU KNOW that will provide unique, interesting information about the human eye.
- I also need to include different text features in my explanation such as graphs, photographs, and diagrams. I have decided to include a drawing of an eye and I will make sure that it is labelled.
- I have decided that I will use subtitles in my layout and the type and colour of the fonts I will use. This might change when everything is all typed out.
I hope that my modelling of this topic was helpful to you.
Planning an Explanation: The Human Eye has been included for you to save to your Documents folder or to print out to use for future reference.
Download PDF
- Download the document Planning an Explanation: The Human Eye.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: When the download screen opens:
- Click the "Open with" button.
- Select "Adobe Reader".
- Click "OK".
- You will then be able to view the document Planning an Explanation: The Human Eye.
- Print the document.
It is time to choose a body system or organ that you would like to write an explanation about.
To help you make a decision about your topic, create a list of as many body systems or organs as you can name in Question 1 of the After Reading section of the Reader's Notebook: Read Like a Writer.
After you have completed your list, look it over carefully. Is there one topic that you are interested in more than the rest? This is the topic you should choose to write an explanation about.
You will have to gather information about how the body organ you have chosen works. You might want to create a chart like the one you used to study the heart, lungs, or skin. Find out as much information as you can about your topic. You might choose to use books, an encyclopedia, magazine, or the Internet.
Websites
Some websites you might want to try are:
When you have collected all of your information your next step will to be to read through it and choose the parts you want to use. Use Planning an Explanation to help you to organize your explanation.
Document: Planning an Explanation
Click here to download
For a printer-friendly version of the file, click here.
Download PDF
- Download the document Planning an Explanation.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: When the download screen opens:
- Click the "Open with" button.
- Select "Adobe Reader".
- Click "OK".
- You will then be able to view the document Planning an Explanation.
Save
How to save a file for submission:
- Scan the document to your computer.
- Select your Documents folder as the location to Save In.
- Name the document. You will always name your documents in a similar way.
- Use the first letter of your first name, followed by your last name, then an underscore (_), then the name of the file.
- In this case, the file name is Planning an Explanation. For example, if my name is John Smith, I would name my file jsmith_planninganexplanation.
- Click Save. Your chart is in your Documents folder.
Submit your file to the teacher:
- The submission of your completed worksheet is an opportunity for formative assessment by your teacher. Your teacher may review your work to check your understanding of concepts you have studied.
- The activity sheet you submit is NOT for marks.
- Submit your completed worksheet Planning an Explanation.
- Click on the Add Submission button to upload your document.