👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Guide

Objective
Students will apply making connections using the examples and practice below.

Vocabulary
mulch, observe, compare

Teaching Notes

• Read together first, then let students answer independently. Ask students to point to the word or sentence that supports an answer.
• Teach the rule, discuss the worked example, and cover answers during practice.
• Use incorrect responses to identify which part of the rule needs another example.
• Allow approximately 25–35 minutes, including discussion and independent practice.

🧒 Student Worksheet

Concept and Helping Material

Big Idea
Connect a text to experience or another text, then return to the evidence. A connection helps understanding but does not prove a claim.

Read: The Garden Water Test

Plants need water, but a garden can lose water quickly. A school gardening club tested two beds of the same size. Both had the same kind of soil and plants. The club covered one bed with mulch, a layer of dry leaves. The other bed had bare soil. Each bed received the same amount of water. At the end of the afternoon, the soil under the mulch felt wetter. The club decided to repeat the test before changing the whole garden.

The children used a chart to remember their work. A chart puts information in rows and columns. They could look back at the chart instead of trying to remember every detail. One child said, "Our garden is the best place in school!" That was an opinion, not a test result.

Club’s test plan

The table describes the test plan, not numerical moisture measurements.

Vocabulary and Definition

• — a layer of material covering soil
• — notice carefully
• — look for similarities and differences

Words to Learn

mulch, observe, compare

Sentences to Fill In

1. The term for a layer of material covering soil is ____.
2. The term for notice carefully is ____.
3. The term for look for similarities and differences is ____.

Think & Respond Q&A

1. What everyday covering might help you understand mulch?
2. Does a personal experience prove this test’s result?
3. Make a connection to caring for a plant.
4. What should you do after making a connection?
5. Name a detail that supports one of your answers.
6. What new information would help you understand the test better?

Hands-On Experiment or Activities

Draw the two beds side by side. Label the cover, equal water, and observation time. Use arrows or notes to show how today’s reading skill helps explain the investigation.

Reflection

• Explain one thing you learned.
• Write two new examples and read them to a partner.