Feathered Hunters of the Night by Carol A. Greenhalgh
Fountas-Pinnell Level QNonfictionSelection SummaryOwls belong to the group of birds known as raptors, or birds of prey. Unlike other raptors, owls hunt for their prey at night. They have special features that enable them to locate and quickly attack their prey. Various types of owls grow to be different sizes and have some different features.
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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Nonfi ction
Text Structure • Text organized into seven short chapters Content • Birds of prey
• Features of owls• Types of owls
Themes and Ideas • Owls can be identifi ed by their distinct features.• Owls have special features to locate and catch their prey at night.• Owls are excellent hunters.
Language and Literary Features
• Narrator addresses the reader directly: “Let’s look at . . .”
Sentence Complexity • A mix of short and complex sentences• Sentences with nouns, verbs, adjectives in series, divided by commas• Sentences with parenthetical material
Vocabulary • Content-specifi c terms, mostly defi ned in the text, such as raptor, talons, facial disc• Longer descriptive words, adverbs and adjectives, some hyphenated, such as patiently,
biological, yellowish-white, heart-shaped Words • Many multisyllable words some of them challenging: arrangement, satellite, noticeable
Illustrations • Illustrations on most pages Book and Print Features • Twelve pages of text, with easy-to-read chapter headings
• Table of contents• Features of nonfi ction: illustrations with captions, diagram, map, chart, and text box
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Target Vocabulary
arrangement – a plan or a way things are organized, p. 7
biological – natural or related to living things, p. 8
disbelief – refusal to believe something, p. 13
endeared – being loved or valued, p. 6
hastened – rushed, p. 9incident – a separate event or a
single experience, p. 13pounced – attacked or jumped on
someone or something, p. 12
presence – being in a place, p. 12
tempted – wanting something, p. 12
utter – to say something in a normal tone of voice, p. 3
Feathered Hunters of the Night by Carol A. Greenhalgh
Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of owls to visualize the selection. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What do you know about owls? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this article describes features of owls and types of owls.
Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas, and nonfi ction features. Help with unfamiliar language so they can read the text successfully. Give special attention to target vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 3: Point out that captions can give clues about the text. Suggested language: Look at the caption for the illustration on page 3. Read this sentence: It doesn’t move a muscle, and it doesn’t utter a sound. How does the sentence help you understand the meaning of the word utter?
Page 4: Read the caption for the illustration. Explain that nocturnal means of the night.
Page 6: Tell students one type of owl is the elf owl. This owl, just fi ve inches tall, has endeared itself to people. What about this owl do you think might appeal to people?
Page 7: Look at the photo on this page. How would you describe the arrangement of feathers on the owl’s face?
Page 8: Read the fi rst sentence on this page: Owls have many biological features that many other birds do not. Ask: What biological features do you see in the diagram on this page?
Page 13: Read the caption. Tell students that occasionally there is an incident in which a tiny screech owl attacks.
Now turn back to the beginning and read to fi nd out why owls are such good hunters.
ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.
Remind students to use the Infer/Predict Strategy and to use text clues to fi gure out what the author doesn’t directly state.
Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the selection.Suggested language: What do you think is most amazing about owls?
Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text
• Owls are raptors, or bird of prey.
• Owls are nocturnal, or hunt at night.
• There are different types of owls.
• Owls are amazing creatures, and some of them are quite beautiful.
• The talons on an owl look dangerous.
• Captions help explain the illustrations.
• The illustrations provide a lot of visual information.
• The text box, chart, and map provide information that is easy to read.
Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choral read a passage from the text to read aloud. Suggest
that they try reading a chapter as if they were talking to students at a science museum.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Explain to students that adverbs are words that describe a verb. For example, on page 3, the word patiently describes how an owl sits in a tree, waiting for an animal to catch and eat. Have students fi nd other adverbs in the article, such as tightly (p. 5), surprisingly (p. 6), and quickly (p. 6).
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Writing about ReadingVocabulary PracticeHave students complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 11.1.
RespondingHave students use their Reader’s Notebook to complete the vocabulary activities on page 15. Remind them to answer the Word Teaser on page 16 (Answer: presence).
Reading Nonfi ctionNonfiction Features: Text Boxes and Tables Remind students that nonfi ction has many features to help readers fi nd and understand important information. Text boxes and tables are two of these features. Explain that a text box, such as the one on page 6, is used to highlight facts and details about a specifi c feature. Ask students what the information in this text box is about (owls’ vision). Point out that the bullets next to each fact help the reader notice and quickly read the information. Ask students to write down an additional item they would add to this text box.
Tables are another source of information. The information in a table is easy to read. Writers use a table to organize several pieces of information in one place. Have students look again at the table on page 11. Ask them to read the column heads and summarize the information in the table. (Different types of owls with their sizes, the shape of their facial discs, and whether or not they have ear tufts.) Then ask students to suggest information they might include in another column of the chart (what the owls eat, where the owls live, the color of the owls’ feathers).
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts• What is this selection mainly about?
• What can readers tell about owls from reading the last paragraph on page 6?
• Which words in the fi rst paragraph on page 3 help the reader understand what utter means?
Target VocabularyFill in two more examples and non-examples for disbelief. Then create your own Four-Square Maps for three of the remaining Target Vocabulary words.
arrangementbiologicaldisbeliefendeared
hastenedincidentpounced
presencetemptedutter
Vocabulary
Definitionnot believing something or someone
SentenceThe mouse looked up with disbelief as the other mouse was grabbed by the owl.
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First Pass
English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair beginning and intermediate readers to read the text softly aloud, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Or have beginning speakers read the captions.
Vocabulary Support The term birds of prey might be unfamiliar to students. Explain that the word prey refers to animals that are caught, killed, and eaten by other animals. Birds of prey are birds that catch, kill, and eat other animals. Remind them of the other birds of prey mentioned in the text on page 4—eagles, falcons, hawks, and condors.
Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is this article about?
Speaker 2: owls
Speaker 1: What do owls use to catch their food?
Speaker 2: their feet
Speaker 1: Why are owls called nocturnal raptors?
Speaker 2: They are birds of prey that hunt at night.
Speaker 1: What is special about an owl’s head?
Speaker 2: An owl’s head can turn almost all the way around.
Speaker 1: How are owls able to hunt at night?
Speaker 2: Owls can see really well at night. They can hear sounds because of their facial disc. This helps them hear small animals out at night. Owls can move through the air without making noise and catch their preys.
Feathered Hunters of the Night Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
The sidebar on page 6 says that owls can see about 100 times better than humans at night. Think about what an owl might see on a dark night in the country. Describe what the owl might see and what it might do. Use facts from the book to support your ideas.
Target VocabularyFill in two more examples and non-examples for disbelief. Then create your own Four-Square Maps for three of the remaining Target Vocabulary words.
arrangementbiologicaldisbeliefendeared
hastenedincidentpounced
presencetemptedutter
Vocabulary
Definitionnot believing something or someone
SentenceThe mouse looked up with disbelief as the other mouse was grabbed by the owl.
