LESSONS & UNITS: CLASSIFY AND CATEGORIZE 3RD GRADE UNIT

Lesson 2: Organizing Information into an Outline

Learning Outcome
Classify and categorize information into an outline form

Duration
Approximately 50 minutes

Necessary Materials
Provided: Direct Teaching Example Chart, Guided Practice Notetaking Chart, Independent Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: Animal Homes by Ann O. Squire, chart paper, markers

Lesson Plan

DIRECT TEACHING

will explain that good researchers classify their information by organizing it into an outline. I will model transferring our notes from Lesson 1 into
an outline. (Direct Teaching Teacher Example Chart is provided in Teacher and Student Materials below.) I will explain how text features such as
table of contents and headings help me categorize the information I learned into an outline. The outline provides more structure and organization
to the information I have gathered from the text. I can organize the outline using Roman Numerals and then letters to show the relationship
between information and how it is related. For example, a new paragraph or topic would start a new Roman Numeral. I will present the class with
our next research question, “Why do animals need homes?”

THINK CHECK

Ask: How did I categorize information into an outline? Students should respond you used Roman Numerals, numbers, and letters to categorize
information into separate topics that all answer the same question.

GUIDED PRACTICE

will read Animal Homes by Ann O. Squire, stopping at page 16. While we read, we will take notes on why animals need homes and examples of
animal homes. (Guided Practice Teacher Example Chart is provided below.) We will begin to classify and categorize our notes into an outline
form.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

will finish classifying and categorizing our notes to develop an outline. (Student Independent Practice is provided below.)

TIP: Support your students with developing outlines by having them use index cards to record their notes. Students can write one sentence or
phrase on each note card and then classify the note cards into categories based on the main topic. Using this categorization, they will then write
their outline.

Build Student Vocabulary shallow

Tier 2 Word: shallow

Contextualize the word as it is On a hot day, a tortoise will dig a shallow hole to stay cool.
used in the story

Explain the meaning student- Shallow means not very deep. When a tortoise makes a shallow hole, he is digging a hole that is not very deep.
friendly definition)
 LESSONS & UNITS: CLASSIFY AND CATEGORIZE 3RD GRADE UNIT

Lesson 2: Organizing Information into an Outline

Students repeat the word Say the word shallow with me: shallow.

Teacher gives examples of When it rained, my dog splashed around in the shallow puddles. When I was little, I liked to swim in the shallow end of
the word in other contexts the pool. The water at the deep end of the pool scared me.

Students provide examples Can you think of a time when you were in shallow water or saw shallow water? Start by saying, “Once I saw shallow
water _______________.”

Students repeat the word What word are we talking about? shallow
again.

Additional Vocabulary Words invades, humid

Build Student Background Knowledge

Pause while reading page 6 and explain that when we think about endangered animals, we often think of big beasts of the sea and land. We do not think of
honeybees; however, they are endangered as well. The homes and habitats of honeybees are impacted by climate change, parasites, and pesticides. This is
important to humans because honeybees pollinate 90 different kinds of important crops, from carrots to the cotton that we wear on our backs. Protecting
honeybees is very important, even if they sting.
 CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: CLASSIFY AND CATEGORIZE 3rd GRADE UNIT

Lesson 2: Direct Teaching Example Chart

Topic: How do sea animals find food?

I. Octopus
a. Squeeze into tiny places
b. Use tentacles to open oyster shells
II. Lobsters
a. Claws have sharp teeth
b. Grab and tear prey
III. Barnacles
a. Stretch out feathery legs
b. Grab food that floats by
IV. Seagulls
a. Fly around looking for:
i. Garbage
ii. Bugs
iii. Berries
iv. Fish
v. Clams
vi. Mussels
vii. Sea urchins
viii. Herring
b. Drop mussels and clams from above to
break shell
V. Pelicans
a. Search for fish from sky
b. Swoop down and pluck fish out of water with
bill
VI. Penguins: find food in water

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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: CLASSIFY AND CATEGORIZE 3rd GRADE UNIT

Lesson 2: Guided Practice Example Chart

From Animal Homes by Ann O. Squire

Research Question: Why do animals

need homes?
Notes: To store their food
• Honeybees live in hives that are made
up of waxy honeycombs where they
store honey.
To have a safe place to raise young
• Bird nests, alligator mounds, and
polar bear dens are made for raising a
family.
Protection from bad weather
• Desert tortoises dig a shallow burrow
to protect themselves from heat in the
summer and cold in the winter.
Protection from enemies
• Prairie dogs dig long winding burrows
with different rooms, tunnels, and
doors to escape from predators if
needed.
To trap food
• Spiders spin webs to trap insects.

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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: CLASSIFY AND CATEGORIZE 3rd GRADE UNIT

Lesson 2: Guided Practice and Independent Practice Worksheet

Name: _______________________________________________

Topic: Why do animals need homes?

I. To Store Their Food

a. Honeybees live in hives that are made up of

waxy honeycombs where they store honey.

II. _____________________________________

a. ___________________________________

b. ___________________________________

c. ___________________________________

III. _____________________________________

a. ___________________________________

IV. _____________________________________

a. ___________________________________

V. _____________________________________

a. ___________________________________

Note: Section I and Ia are charted with the class during Guided Practice. (We)

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