LESSON 23 TEACHER’S GUIDE Gentle Redwood Giants

Number of Words: 1,776

L E S S O N 2 3 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Gentle Redwood Giants by Donna J. Watson

Fountas-Pinnell Level SInformational TextSelection SummaryCentral and northern California is home to the giant sequoia and the coast redwood trees. These related species grow in three areas of California. Fortunately, these trees are protected now, after almost being wiped out by logging operations.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Informational text

Text Structure • Third-person narrative in ten chapters Content • Dangers facing giant sequoias, coast redwoods, and ecosystem

• Conservation efforts; Save–the–Redwoods League• National State Parks in California

Themes and Ideas • Ecosystems are unique.• National and state parks are sanctuaries for wildlife.• Conservation efforts are very important.

Language and Literary Features

• Informative language • Tone is upbeat and conversational; cautions conservation is an ongoing need

Sentence Complexity • Many long, complex sentences• Dependent and independent clauses

Vocabulary • Native American names might be unfamiliar: Yokuts, Monache• Descriptive words, such as turbulent, sparkling, interconnectedness, not always defi ned

in textWords • Multisyllable words: interconnectedness, salamander, conservationists

Illustrations • Photographs have captionsBook and Print Features • Twelve pages of text

• A map, photos, and a timeline© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Expand Your Vocabulary

ecology – the science of the relationships between organisms and their environments, p. 14

indigenous – originating and

living or occurring naturally in an area or an environment, p. 13

preservation – protection from harm or destruction, p. 5

restoration – bringing back to former condition, p. 11

vegetation – the plants of an area or region, p. 5

Gentle Redwood Giants by Donna J. Watson

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge about trees and plants to visualize the selection. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: Have you seen pictures of a sequoia or a coast redwood park? Did you know that giant sequoias and coast redwoods are the largest living objects on earth? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Tell the students that this selection is informational text, so it gives facts and examples about a topic.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Page 6: Explain that the map on page 6 shows California’s redwood parks, a group of national and state parks. Have students read the Key at the bottom of the map.Ask: How many National and State parks are shown on this map?

Page 10: Explain that the giant sequoia can grow to be over 250 feet tall. Suggested language: How do you think a tree that tall can have shallow roots?

Page 12: Mention the importance of national parks. It says that Congress created the fi rst two parks in 1800s in order to preserve the giant sequoia. Have students look at the photograph and read the caption. What other benefi ts, in addition to preserving wildlife, do you think national parks provide?

Page 13: Have students read the sentence with the highlighted word. Ask: What plants are indigenous to our area?

Now go back to the beginning and read to fi nd out all about giant sequoias and coast redwoods.

2 Lesson 23: Gentle Redwood Giants Grade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Monitor/Clarify Strategy and to look for clues that help explain confusing parts of the selection.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: Why do you think as many as 3.5 million people visit the national and state parks in California each year? What activities do you think you would enjoy doing there?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Giant sequoias and coast redwoods are the largest living things on earth

• These trees require very unique ecosystems in order to grow.

• It is important to conserve our natural resources.

• Ecosystems are very complicated and delicate.

• National Parks are great places to visit.

• The table of contents provides clues about content.

• Chapter headings are helpful while reading

• The map on page 6 shows where coast redwoods and giant sequoias can be found.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them that the chapter

headings provide natural breaks in the text where the reader can pause to consider what is in the section that is about to be read.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word roots, using examples from the text. Remind students that the word root re can mean “to fi x something.” An example from the text is restoration on page 11. Other examples include revive, restore, repair, and resuscitate.



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 23.9.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillText and Graphic Features

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can use text and

graphic features to help them understand a selection. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

The sidebar on page 9 lists activities people can enjoy at Redwood National State Park. The chapter heading on page 10 emphasizes that the sequoias are enormous or giant. These features emphasize the purpose of text and graphic features.

Practice the SkillHave students share examples of other features that describe the parks and their ecosystems.

Writing Prompt: Thinking About the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think about the text, they refl ect back on the text. They should notice and evaluate language, genre, literary devices, and how the text is organized.

Assessment Prompts• The main purpose of the graphic feature on page 6 is to

________________________________________.

• Which words on page 13 help the reader understand what indigenous means?

• One idea present in this selection is that

________________________________________.



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What makes two types of trees found

in California world record holders? What are their names?

2. Think within the text Why do redwoods need moist soil?

3. Think beyond the text Invent a group to save a plant or an

animal. What plant or animal would you want to save? What

would you name your group?

4. Think about the text Why does the author include the

“Important Dates” graphic on page 14?

Making Connections An ecosystem is the community formed by the plants and animals and their environment. Describe the ecosystem where you live.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Gentle Redwood GiantsCritical Thinking

Lesson 23B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 3 . 9

Name Date

11Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Grade 4, Unit 5: Change Is All Around

The giant sequoia and coast redwood trees are the largest and the tallest living

things in the world.

Redwoods need moist soil because they have a shallow root system that needs

surface moisture. They need the water for their roots and for new seeds to grow.

I would like to form a group to save and protect the apple trees in my

neighborhood because apples are my favorite fruit. I would call my group “Kids-

United-to-Save-Our-Apple-Trees.”

It shows important dates in the history of redwood parks in a easy-to-read format;

it gives information not covered in the main text; it gives some context as to how

old the redwood parks are.

Possible responses shown.

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First Pass

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Make sure the text matches the students’ reading level. Language and content should be accessible with regular teaching support.

Idioms The selection includes some idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of expressions such as are also both world-record holders (page 3) and stripped many of the redwood forests bare (page 4).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What is the selection about?

Speaker 2: giant sequoias and coast redwoods

Speaker 1: How wide can the trunk of a giant sequoia get to be?

Speaker 2: over thirty feet

Speaker 1: Are giant sequoia and coast redwood parks popular with tourists?

Speaker 2: yes

Speaker 1: Are giant sequoias and coast redwood related?

Speaker 2: They are closely related.

Speaker 1: How much water do giant sequoias and coast redwoods need?

Speaker 2: They need large amounts of water.

Speaker 1: What is the most spectacular thing about giant sequoias and coast redwoods?

Speaker 2: Their great size is spectacular. The coast redwood is the tallest living thing on earth. The giant sequoia is not quite as tall as the coast redwood, but has a wider trunk. People are amazed when they look at trees that are over 200 feet tall.



Name Date

Gentle Redwood GiantsThinking About the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two or three paragraphs.

Remember that when you think about the text, you reflect back on the text. You notice and evaluate language, genre, literary devices, and how the text is organized.

How are the giant sequoia and the coast redwood similar? How are they different? How did the text help you to see how these two redwood trees survive? How did the photographs, map, and other graphics help you to understand the differences and similarities between these redwood trees and their ecosystems?



Gentle Redwood GiantsCritical Thinking

Lesson 23B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 3 . 9

Name Date


Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What makes two types of trees found

in California world record holders? What are their names?

2. Think within the text Why do redwoods need moist soil?

3. Think beyond the text Invent a group to save a plant or an

animal. What plant or animal would you want to save? What

would you name your group?

4. Think about the text Why does the author include the

“Important Dates” graphic on page 14?

Making Connections An ecosystem is the community formed by the plants and animals and their environment. Describe the ecosystem where you live.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.


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Student Date Lesson 23

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 3 . 1 3

Running Record Form

Gentle Redwood Giants • LEVEL S Gentle Redwood GiantsRunning Record Form

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

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0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

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Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

7 Redwoods need a lot of water. They need water for both their

root system and for new seeds to reproduce and grow. There

is plenty of rainfall off the Pacific Ocean that helps supply

water to the redwoods. The redwoods also need the fogs of

Northern California to stay moist. During the drier summer

months, the trees would normally lose a lot of water because

of transpiration, which is when water absorbed by plants

evaporates through pores in their leaves. Thankfully, however,

the trees receive moisture as the fog condenses, or changes

into water droplets, and drips off the needles into the soil

below.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/104 ×

100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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LESSON 23 TEACHER’S GUIDE Gentle Redwood Giants