In this module, students will use literacy skills to become experts--people who use reading, writing, listening, and speaking to build and share deep knowledge about a topic. The module begins with students reading poetry and pourquoi tales about different kinds of frogs to generate "why" questions. At the end of the unit, they write their own fictional pourquoi narratives to attempt to answer some of their "why" questions. In Unit 2, students research to find out the real answers to their frog questions and write paragraphs to communicate their research.

In Unit 3, students will form research groups to become experts on various "freaky" frogs--frogs that have unusual adaptations that help them to survive in extreme environments throughout the world. Students will build their reading, research, writing, and collaborative discussion skills through studying their expert frog. Throughout the module, students will consistently reflect on the role of literacy in building and sharing expertise. They will demonstrate their expertise through a Freaky Frog book and trading card to educate students in grades 2 and 3.

Big Ideas and Guiding Questi0ns:

• How does an author engage the reader in a narrative?

  1. An effective narrative has a beginning that establishes the character and situation, a middle that introduces a problem with character response, and an ending that resolves the problem.

• How do experts build knowledge and share expertise about a topic?

  1. Experts build knowledge by studying a topic in depth.

  2. Experts share information through writing and speaking.

• How do frogs survive?

  1. Frogs have unique adaptations that help them to survive in various environments.