First Grade Quarter 1 ELA Performance Task

Content Area English Language Arts

Text Many different texts can be used. The teacher will need one or
more books in the following areas. A book about Johnny
Appleseed, a non-fiction book about seeds and plant growth, and
a fiction book to support these topics. Possible texts: Johnny
Appleseed by Steven Kellogg, (Informational/Biography), Miss
Rumphius, Barbara Cooney (Fiction) , From Seed to Plant, Gail
Gibbons (Informational)
Grade Level Grade 1
Target Area Text-Dependent Questions, Writing Assignment,
Projects/Products
ELA Common
Core State
Standards
RL 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7,
RI 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7
RF 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
W 1.2,
SL 1.1, 1.2, 1.6
L 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.6
Task
Overview
Students will learn about Johnny Appleseed, plants, and seeds.
They will learn what made Johnny Appleseed famous, or well
known and popular. By the end of the lesson, students should be
able to explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants and
how plants are useful to humans because they provide humans
with oxygen and food.
DOK
Questions
DOK 2 What do you notice about ____?
DOK 2 What can you say about_____?
DOK 3 What would happen if_____?
DOK3 Can you go into more detail about____?
Components
1) Objectives
2) Vocabulary
3) Academic Vocabulary
4) Comprehension
5) Writing and Activities
6) Rubrics
Core Content Objectives
Johnny Appleseed
Students will:
Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
Demonstrate familiarity with the tall tale Johnny Appleseed
Core Vocabulary
The books listed are suggested readings; therefore vocabulary
words are suggested list as well.
eventually, adv. At some later time; in the end Example: After
weeks of practice, the boy eventually mastered his piano
piece. Variation(s): none
hero, n. A very brave person Example: The fireman who saved
the people stuck in the house was a hero. Variation(s): heroes
orchards, n. Areas of land where fruit trees are grown Example:
They were picking apples in the orchards. Variation(s): orchard

Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 1
barefoot eventually apples
hero extraordinary seeds
orchards hopeful towns
saplings loneliness
violin wander


Comprehension Questions
If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread pertinent lines
of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific images. If students give one-
word answers and/or fail to use read-aloud or domain vocabulary in their
responses, acknowledge correct responses by expanding the students
responses using richer and more complex language. Encourage students
to answer in complete sentences. Model answers using complete
sentences for students.
1. Literal Who is the main character of this story? Johnny Appleseed is
the main character of this tall tale.
2. Literal How did Johnny Appleseed live most of his adult life?
Johnny Appleseed wandered across the country.
3. Literal Where did Johnny Appleseed get apple seeds for planting?
He got the apple seeds from the apples that strangers gave him to eat as he
wandered around.
4. Inferential What was the beginning of the life cycle of the trees
planted by Johnny Appleseed? The beginning of the life cycle of the
trees planted by Johnny Appleseed is the apple seed.
5. Inferential How did John Chapman get the name Johnny Appleseed?
John Chapman got the name Johnny Appleseed because he loved apple trees
and planted apple seeds everywhere.
6. Inferential Why did people decide to build their homes near the apple
trees that Johnny had planted? The people liked the way the apple trees
looked and felt like the apple trees gave them hope for a fruitful and
prosperous future.
[Model the Think Pair Share process for students, as necessary, and
scaffold students in their use of the process.]
I am going to ask you a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your partner and discuss
the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share what you
discussed with your partner.
7. Evaluative Think Pair Share: How did the apple seeds that Johnny
planted help people?

Core Content Objectives
From Seed to Plant
Students will:
Identify that plants provide oxygen and food to people
Explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
Explain that some plants produce fruit to hold seeds
Compare and contrast fruits and seeds of different plants

Core Vocabulary
blossoms, n. The flowers on a plant or tree Example: The blossoms
on the apple tree were beautiful and white. Variation(s): blossom

core, n. The center or middle part of something Example: Juan ate his
apple all the way to the core. Variation(s): cores
fruit, n. The part of the plant that contains the seed Example: Apples
are Abigails favorite fruit. Variation(s): fruits
oxygen, n. A gas found in air and water Example: We breathe in
oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Variation(s): none
produce, v. To make Example: Apple trees produce apples.
Variation(s): produces, produced, producing

Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 1
oxygen breathe fruit
seed produce vegetable
blossoms core slice
pit provide
ripe

Comprehension Questions
If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread pertinent lines
of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific images. Encourage students to
answer in complete sentences. Model answers using complete sentences
for students.
1. Literal What are two important things plants provide for humans?
Plants provide food and oxygen for humans.
2. Literal What do some plants produce to hold their seeds? Some
plants produce fruit to hold their seeds.
3. Literal What part of the strawberry plant has the seeds? The outside
of the strawberry has the seeds.
4. Literal What are three important food plants that we eat very often?
Three important food plants that we eat often are corn, wheat, and rice.
5. Inferential How do plants help people to breathe? Plants help people
breathe by producing oxygen.
[Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students, as
necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]
I am going to ask you a question. I will give you a minute to think about
the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your partner and discuss
the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share what you
discussed with your partner.
6. Evaluative Think Pair Share: How are plants important to you?
Answers may vary.

Writing
Choose from one of the below sentence frames to have students write to
complete standard W1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which
they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some
sense of closure.
Sentence Frames
Were the apple seeds that Johnny planted helpful? (Yes/No)
The apple seeds became . . .
The apple seeds are helpful to people because . . .
Sentence Frames
Are plants important to people? (Yes/No)
Plants are important because . . .
Plants provide me with . . .




Products:
Compare n Contrast app on ipad
Tools 4 Students app on ipad
Venn Diagram
Food Both People


Sort/ Collage
Food from plants/Food not from plants
Students may draw pictures or you may choose to provide several
pictures of food or food magazines for students to cut and paste.










Some questions taken from Core Knowledge Foundation Unit on Plants 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation, Rubric adapted from Elk Grove
School District












4
(Above Grade Level)
3
(At Grade Level)
2
(Approaching Grade Level)
1
(Below Grade Level)
Focus/
Information

CCSS*:
W 2
Responds skillfully with all
statements related to the
prompt

Demonstrates a strong
understanding of topic/text
Responds with all statements
related to the prompt

Demonstrates an understanding
of the topic/text
Responds with most statements
related to the prompt

Demonstrates limited
understanding of the topic/text
Responds with little or no
statements related to the
prompt
Demonstrates little or no
understanding of the
topic/text

Organizatio
n

CCSS:
W 2
Organizes ideas and information
into paragraph structure using a
clear topic sentence, facts and
definitions, and concluding
sentence
Uses linking words to connect
ideas
Organizes ideas and information
into paragraph structure using a
clear topic sentence, facts, and a
sense of closure

Organizes ideas and information
in an incomplete paragraph
structure (e.g., missing sense of
closure)

Organizes with no evidence of
paragraph structure


Support/
Evidence
CCSS:
W 2
Develops the topic skillfully with
facts and definitions
Develops the topic with facts Develops the topic with limited
facts

Uses few to no facts

Language-
Conventions
of Grammar
and Usage

CCSS:
L 1b, c,
and j
Uses common, proper,
possessive, and collective nouns
correctly
Uses verb tenses and plural
nouns correctly, including
irregular forms
Produces, expands, and
rearranges simple and
compound sentences
Uses common, proper, and
possessive nouns correctly

Uses singular and plural nouns
with correctly matching verbs

Produces correct simple and
compound sentences
Uses some common, proper, and
possessive nouns correctly

Uses some singular and plural
nouns with correctly matching
verbs
Produces mostly correct simple
and compound sentences
Uses few common, proper,
and possessive nouns
correctly
Uses few singular and plural
nouns with correctly
matching verbs
Produces mostly incorrect
simple and compound
sentences
Language
Conventions
of
Capitalizatio
n
Punctuation,
and
Spelling

CCSS:
L 2 a-e
Capitalizes correctly and
consistently with no errors: first
word in a sentence, I, proper
nouns, and titles
Uses commas, apostrophes, and
end punctuation correctly all the
time
Applies conventional spelling for
words with common spelling
patterns and irregular sight
words
Spells with learned spelling
patterns with untaught words
Capitalizes correctly and
consistently with a minor error:
first word in a sentence, I,
proper nouns, and titles
Uses commas in a series and with
a conjunction correctly; uses end
punctuation correctly
Applies conventional spelling for
words with common spelling
patterns and frequently occurring
irregular words
Spells untaught words
phonetically
Capitalizes correctly and
consistently with some errors:
first word in a sentence, I,
proper nouns, and titles
Uses commas, apostrophes, and
end punctuation correctly some
of the time
Applies conventional spelling for
most consonant and short-vowel
sounds
Spells simple words phonetically
Capitalizes incorrectly with
many errors


Uses commas, apostrophes,
and end punctuation
incorrectly or not at all
Applies little to no sound/
spelling correspondence of
consonants and short vowels
Spells few to no simple words
phonetically