Lost in the Snow Guided Reading Plan

Standard(s):
 NJSLSA.R2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
 NJSLSA.R3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop
and interact over the course of a text.

Objective:
Second grade ELA students will be able to determine and analyze the central theme
and development of ideas of the text Lost in the Snow by completing a character
interaction web at a level 3 proficiency based on a 4-point rubric scale.

I. Preparation for Reading

A. Activate/Build Prior Knowledge
The teacher will prompt the students with questions including:
-Have you ever lost your mom in the grocery store? How did you feel?
In the story, Otis the puppy gets lost and cannot find his mom. Having a
discussion about being lost and what that felt like will help students relate
to the main character. Expected responses may include feeling scared
and not knowing where to go or what to do.
-Do you remember the first time you played in the snow? If not, do you remember
a time when you experienced something new for the first time? How did you feel?
In the story, Otis sees snow for the first time and is so curious and excited
that he ends up getting separated from his family. Expected responses
from students may include feelings of excitement but also nervousness
being in a new situation for the first time.

B. Preview and Predict

The teacher will read the title and show students the cover picture. Students will
observe and be asked what they think the book will be about based on the title and
cover page. The title “Lost in the Snow” and the cover depicting a lonely puppy in a
snowstorm will prompt the students to predict that a puppy gets lost in the snow and the
story is about his journey.
The teacher will then guide the students on a Picture-Walk. Students will look at
each picture, describe verbally what is happening in the picture, and predict how that
may fit into the story. This will allow students to make predictions about the story based
on the sequence of pictures. They will not look at the last page during the picture walk.

C. Develop Vocabulary Knowledge

 As students engage on the picture walk, the teacher will pause on every page
that includes a vocabulary word. The teacher will say the word and ask students to find
it and point to it in their books. Students will guess the meaning of the word based on
the picture and other context clues. The teacher will then define the word and write the
word/definition on a sticky note and post it on the word wall.
Vocabulary words/phrases:
 Plopped
 Farmyard
 Loomed
 “Ollie’s paws scrabbled and skidded”
 whimpered
 disappeared/disappearing
 shone
 adventure

Academic Language Demands:

Students will use academic language to help increase comprehension, determine
key elements, and analyze interactions between characters and plot points. The
vocabulary words listed above are all tier 2 words. Students will plot the words and
definitions on a word wall and will be able to refer to it while reading the story.

D. Set a Purpose for Reading

Before students begin reading the story, they will be instructed to read until they
find out what the puppies are running from (what scared them). They will be asked to
discover how this led to Ollie being separated from his family and getting lost.

II. Read Silently

Students will be instructed to start reading until they discover the purpose for
reading. Students will read silently as the teacher monitors for any difficulty. The teacher
will also look for which strategies students are/are not using (word tracking with finger,
quietly mouthing words, re-reading, etc.). Assistance will be provided as needed but this
should be a time for students to read quietly and independently as much as possible. As
students reach the set purpose, instruct them to stop reading and add to the character
web. (The web will connect the central theme, Ollie in the snow, with other characters
and the feelings associated with those characters).

III. Respond to Reading to Develop Comprehension

A. Revisit Purpose Setting Question
After all students have reached the first checkpoint, they should have discovered
that Ollie and the other puppies were playing in the snow when a large dog barked and
scared them, causing everyone to run off in different directions, leading to Ollie getting
lost. Once all the students have stopped reading there will be a discussion about this
discovery to ensure comprehension. The discussion will also include predictions of what
will happen next before the next purpose setting question is given. This discussion will
repeat after every purpose setting question is reached.

B. Clarify Additional Concepts/Vocabulary

Before moving on, the discussion will address any vocabulary words
encountered up to this point in the story. Students will discuss words they learned
during the picture walk and will be able to revisit the sticky notes with the definitions that
were made during the picture walk. Vocabulary words specific to the context of the
story, like “scrabbled” and “skidded” will connect the discussion to the unit theme
(weather) and snow. Students will be asked about the dangers of being lost in a snow
storm and about what types of animals survive in snowy conditions. They will make
predictions about what animals Ollie may encounter next in the story.

C. Supporting Comprehension of Structure

At this time, students will have the opportunity to share the beginnings of their
character maps with one another and with the teacher. After each purpose setting
question is reached a character will be added to the map as a group and the discussion
will repeat (part III).

D. Seeking Additional Resources

Inspire students by allowing them to preview titles from the classroom library in
the thematic unit: weather section. Available books will include fiction and non-fiction
stories about snow and other weather events, some about animals. Students will be
encouraged to find other research-based resources like the weather channel. The
teacher will attempt to spark student interest in research by hinting at the idea of going
outside and observing the weather (primary research). This will preview the integrated
task without giving much away.

E. Additional Purpose Setting Questions

Throughout the story, Otis encounters other animals and elements which will all
be key components to his adventure. Students will be told to keep this in mind as they
continue with reading. The next purpose setting questions are:
 Read until Ollie encounters another character. What advice is he given?
 Read until Ollie encounters other animals. How do they make him feel?
 Read until you discover when Ollie feels defeated.
 Read until the end. Who is Ollie with and how does that make him feel?
IV. Review/Reread and Explore Strategies
All of the purpose setting questions will be laminated on key rings. Students will
pair up and one student will read aloud while the other student listens, paying attention
to the purpose setting question. The student listening will stop once they hear the
answer to the purpose setting question, then the two will discuss and relate it back to
their character maps. The students will switch roles after every question so they both
get the chance to read out loud and listen. At this time, the teacher will be observing for
any fluency techniques the students may be using.

V. Applying the Literature/Extending Reading Across the Curriculum

The unit is centered around weather and begins with outdoor exploration.
Throughout the unit, students will act as researchers. They will go outside and observe
the temperature, cloud types, wind, and any weather events of the day. They will journal
about their observations. Students will then pick one of three stations set up around the
classroom (sunny desert, rainforest, or snowy mountain). For their station, each student
will find out:
 animals that live there
 real-life places that have this climate
 actual forecasts for that place
At the end of the unit students will create a commercial for why that type of weather is
the best. Each group will pick a book from the classroom library to read and use as
evidence.