Pre-reading (10 min.):

Activating prior knowledge: Review the concept board, ask children if any of the words
 on the board need clarification. Discuss. I will read my clipping about a lady who
            takes care of over 100 cats, and was the founder of a special shelter for cats.  I will
            explain to them that most of the cats were used to being in the house, and cat’s
            owner couldn’t take care of them anymore, so they could never survive in the
            alley, the way some cats do, or in the wild.  These cats were used to their home
            life, and the lady knew that so she created a home for the abandoned cats. Discuss
            how this lady behaves in a responsible way, and lead into the book theme of
            what happens to Fish  when he leaves his natural habitat, the water.

Setting Reading Goals and Expectations: Explain that the next book we will read
 is called Fish Is Fish.  Ask children to share any ideas they may have about
  the illustration on the cover, which, again, is beautifully drawn and colored by
       the author, Leo Lionni. Some responses may include that it looks like the fish is
 dreaming of flying, or thinking of birds.  Ask children to listen carefully, because
 after the story is read aloud, we will break into groups to play Animal Telephone,
 and make a descriptive cluster map.

Asking Questions:(SQ3R)
 At this time, pass out tagboard strips for children to write any new questions
 they may have.  Share answers to questions asked on Day 1, and note any
 questions that were added to the chart, or were left unanswered. Encourage
 children to ask any kinds of questions that they may have concerning Fish Is
 Fish now and throughout the week, as well as any questions that they may have
 about Swimmy.  Model questioning by writing a few Level 1 questions that
 could immediately be derived from browsing the selection. Remind children
 that “browsing” is a good strategy for understanding the story. Use the “think
 aloud” strategy to motivate children to ask their own questions, such as, “I wonder
 who that tadpole in the picture is?”, or, “Why is there a tadpole in the beginning
 of the story and a frog at the end of the story?”

Vocabulary building (10 mins.)
 The vocabulary for this selection will focus on nouns and verbs, and the
 lesson will be “categorizing”.  Here is an additional vocabulary list, which could be used with, or in place of the vocabulary list presented in the Vocabulary section:

1.  minnow
2.  grazing
3.  tadpole
4.  bank
5.  groaned
6.  gasping
7.  stunned
8.  shifted
9.  motion
10.  instant

Read the list, repeat the words with the children. Go over the meanings. Review
the words with the children and let them respond to them in their own words.
Encourage the children to use the strategy of “visualizing” again so that they
can picture the words, since they will be asked to draw them on vocabulary
word squares again.

Reading the selection: (15-20 min. total)
 Gather the children on the rug or floor. Introduce the selection in the usual
manner; and ask children to see if they can predict who will be the responsible  character in this story.

DTAR (directed thinking-about-reading)
 Stop briefly when the tadpole grows legs and announces that he is a frog.
Ask children if they know why tadpole suddenly grew legs if he actually looked just like Fish on the previous page.  Some answers should include, “He is not really a fish” or “He found out he’s really a frog.”  Then read the page where they argue, and the tadpole says, “Frogs are frogs, and fish is fish, and that’s that!”
Keep reading, and when the frog becomes full grown and leaves the water, ask children why the frog left the water. Ask the children if they can imagine how
Fish must have felt at this time, and if they can predict what will happen next with their friendship.

DLTA (directed listening-thinking activity)
 Finish the story. Use the flannelboard again to sequence the frog telling
Fish about what he saw on land. Either cut simple felt shapes of  birds, cows, and
people out, or paste felt scraps to pictures of those animals. Have children take turns placing the animals on the board while describing the events. Discuss how
Fish must have visualized these things, since he is a fish.