Grade 1 ELA Weeks 15–16: Teacher Guide and Answer Key
Daily pacing: 10 minutes explicit instruction, 10 minutes guided reading, 10 to 15 minutes independent response, 5 minutes feedback. Adjust to the learner. These are formative instructional materials, not proof of complete Alabama standards alignment.
Week 15: Informational texts and evidence
Day 71: Identify topic
Question: What is the passage mainly about? Expected answer: Bees help flowers and plants.
Independent writing: Write a topic sentence about bees.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 72: Find details
Question: Name two materials a beaver uses. Expected answer: Branches and mud.
Independent writing: List two facts and draw a labeled dam.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 73: Compare facts
Question: How are the trees alike and different? Expected answer: Both need sun/water; oak acorns, pine cones.
Independent writing: Write one same and one different sentence.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 74: Text features
Question: What does the caption teach? Expected answer: Rain gauge measures rainfall.
Independent writing: Write a heading and caption for a drawing of a cloud.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 75: Research mini-report
Question: Give two facts from the text. Expected answer: Builds nest from grass/twigs; eats worms/insects.
Independent writing: Write three factual sentences about a robin.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Week 16: Narrative structure and dialogue
Day 76: Character feelings
Question: How did Lena probably feel at the end? What supports that? Expected answer: Proud/happy; she smiled after succeeding.
Independent writing: Write a sentence about trying again.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 77: Problem and solution
Question: What was the problem? How was it solved? Expected answer: Dry soil and drooping plant; watered it.
Independent writing: Write problem and solution in two sentences.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 78: Setting
Question: When and where does the story happen? Expected answer: At dawn beside a lake.
Independent writing: Add two sensory details to describe a place.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 79: Dialogue punctuation
Question: Who asked for help? Expected answer: Jo.
Independent writing: Write two lines of dialogue using quotation marks.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Day 80: Narrative checkpoint
Question: Retell beginning, middle, end. Expected answer: Kite stuck; attempted stick; adult helped.
Independent writing: Write a four-sentence story with a problem and solution.
Score: 1 point for accurate reading response, 1 for relevant written content, 1 for sentence formation, 1 for capitalization and punctuation. Record the four subscores and reteach weaknesses. Accept equivalent accurate responses.
Assessment record and next steps
Track individual performance privately by day and skill. Use unfamiliar passages for independent transfer checks. Do not publish names, scores, or personal student information. Progression decisions require teacher judgment and more than one sample.