Chameleon’s Color, Guided Reading Plan

Standard(s):
NJSLSA.R10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and
proficiently with scaffolding as needed.

L.3.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and
domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships
(e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).

Objective: Students will read and discuss narrative text and engage in discussion of key
concepts and vocabulary through the development of graphic organizers to demonstrate
comprehension at a level of (3) proficiency based on a 4 point rubric scale.

I. Preparation for Reading

A. Activate/Build Prior Knowledge

Asking students about their favorite animals. Ask them if they know any animals that can
disguise themselves or make themselves look different. Have students describe the animals that
they know that do this. Explain to them that it is because it is how the animals survive. (Hiding
from predators, finding food, etc.) Then discuss how each animal is unique in its own way.
Describe and have students understand that each animal has characteristics that are special to
them. Ask students about characteristics that they think are unique to themselves. Have them pair
up with a partner and share their answers. Think pair share. Students will share the unique trait of
their partner to the class.

B. Preview Text and Make Predictions

Preview the book with a picture walk. Students will be able to see the different animals and make
predictions about what is happening throughout the story. The teacher will ask students what they
think is happening in certain pictures. The teacher will ask students to elaborate on the pictures
they see. “What do you think the chameleon is going to do with the coconuts filled with colors?”

C. Develop Vocabulary Knowledge

If there are any words that the teacher feels the students will not be able to identify, they will talk
to the class about them in advance and keep a list of them on the board for when they read. The
teacher will prompt the students to discuss what they think the vocabulary means. After doing so,
a direct instruction lesson on the words will be taught so students can fully understand the
context. This way, when they pair up to read, they can use the knowledge they obtained from the
direct instruction lesson to understand the words. Example of vocabulary: Popular, pattern, edge,
surroundings, blossoms (Tier 3)
 D. Set a Purpose for Reading

Encourage students to read about Chameleon and his journey through the jungle. Ask them to
read to find out how the other animals feel about what Chameleon is doing. Ask them to read to
figure out how unique every character in the story is.

II. Read Silently

Encourage students to read about Chameleon and his journey through the jungle. Ask them to
read to find out how the other animals feel about what Chameleon is doing. Ask them to read to
figure out how unique every character in the story is. Using their graphic organizer, they will fill
in the emotions they think each animal has throughout the story.

III. Respond to Reading to Develop Comprehension

A. Revisit Purpose Setting Question

Develop a discussion as students begin reading through the story. Have this discussion circle
back to the purpose set for this specific story. Students will begin to understand who
Chameleon is and how the other animals feel about them. Have students stop and share what
they find unique about each character, and analyze why Chameleon feels the way he feels.
Have students record how they feel so you can evaluate how much of the story they are able to
comprehend. Some examples of what students might say are as follows,

 Chameleon wants to be like everyone else so he shows them what it is like

 The other animals are upset with Chameleon because he changed what makes them
unique

 Chameleon should learn that everyone is unique and looks the way they are supposed to
look

B. Clarify Additional Concepts/Vocabulary

Take this time to clarify vocabulary that students may be unfamiliar with. Keep the list of
vocabulary to about 5 to 6 words. In Chameleon’s Colors words that could be used are as
follows; blossoms, coconuts, polka-dotted, checkered, and trembling. Have students decipher
these words with the teacher. This will not only help students broaden the vocabulary they use in
their lives, but it will ensure they are getting the most meaning out of the story.

C. Supporting Comprehension of Structure

Take this time to have students expand on the interactions that Chameleon has with the others
animals. Using the information students have gathered throughout their reading, motivate
students to share their findings with the rest of the class. Guide students with questions that help
them think about how Chameleon and his feelings change throughout the story. Have students
participate in a Readers Theatre. This will help students take on the roles of the characters and
act like them. In return, students will be able to understand how the characters develop
throughout the events in the book.

D. Seeking Additional Sources for Information

Encourage students to discover additional information that can be found or highlighted in the
story by sharing appropriate sources that could support the reading. For example, students could
inquire about the ecosystem in the jungle. They could scientific sources to research and learn
about the ways in which parts of the jungle interact with each other. Students could also choose a
certain animal in the jungle to further their investigation with. Inspire students to use many
different resource books to build their information and understanding of the area they choose to
explore.

E. Additional Purpose Setting Questions:

Encourage students to continue reading so they can find out what will happen to all of the
animals who have been painted and colored by Chameleon. Ask them to read to discover how
Chameleon fixes what he has done.

IV. Review/Reread and Explore Strategies

Provide a direct lesson instruction on cause and effect. Have students utilize a t-chart graphic
organizer for cause and effect. Have students work together in pairs to practice cause and effect
skills. Have them write down or draw their findings in the graphic organizer.

V. Applying the Literature/Extending Reading Across the Curriculum

Engage students in exploring the ecosystem of the jungle. Have them learn about the
deforestation of jungles and rainforests around the world. Once they have enough understanding
and an opinion on the topic, have students write letters addressed to companies that are hurting
these ecosystems. Have them propose a plan to get these companies to stop endangering the
ecosystems found in jungles and rainforests. Next, students will pick an animal or organism from
the jungle or rainforest. They will create a paper mache model of their animal or organism and
present to the class the information they learned. This will let students express themselves
artistically as well as verbally. This will then move students into engaging in a discussion on how
the animals and organisms all connect. Have students created a web that shows the interactions.