2nd Grade ELA | Belonging and Friendship: Pinky and Rex

Unit Summary

In this unit, students grapple with common 2nd-grade topics through reading the easily relatable series Pinky and Rex. Through connecting with Pinky and Rex, students will learn that it is okay to be different and to be proud of who they are, no matter what others may think. Students will also learn about what it truly means to be a good friend and how friends can support and stick up for one another in a variety of ways. They will also see that it is okay for boys and girls to be friends, even best friends. This unit builds onto multiple units from 1st Grade ELA in which students learned what it means to be a good friend and a good person. It is our hope that this unit deepens the understandings developed in previous grades by giving students characters to connect with. These connections are especially important for students who are struggling with some of the same issues and are not sure how to process or talk about them.

This unit is a transition from units that were predominately read aloud to a unit that is almost entirely shared or independent reading. Pinky and Rex are perfect texts for second graders, not only because of the important themes they teach, but because of how James Howe develops character and plot throughout this unit. Students will be challenged to notice the descriptive details James Howe includes to show how characters feel in response to different problems and challenges. They will also be challenged to notice how a character’s dialogue shows what they are truly feeling and how the different “said” words James Howe includes deepens that understanding.

Students will also begin to analyze why certain words in a text are written in italics and what that shows about how a character is feeling. This deep dive into character will allow students to truly understand the characters and the lessons that they are learning. By reading four books in the series, students will also have the chance to see how characters develop over the course of multiple texts. When discussing the text with partners, in small groups, or as a whole group, students will continue to work on engaging with the thinking of others. Students will continue to focus on building on others’ talk in conversations, with an emphasis on asking for clarification and further explanation if needed.

Students will continue to build their writing fluency by writing daily in response to the Target Task question using a combination of simple and complex sentences. Students will learn how to use different conjunctions when crafting answers, pushing them to think critically and deeply about the content. Additionally, students continue to develop their opinion and narrative writing skills. Students use what they know about Pinky and Rex to write the first chapter of an imaginary Pinky and Rex series, focusing on using details and precise words to describe a character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings. When writing opinion pieces, students learn how to craft strong paragraphs that include topic sentences, opinions, and a conclusion.

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Texts and Materials

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Core Materials

Book: Pinky and Rex by James Howe (Simon Spotlight, 1996) — 490L
Book: Pinky and Rex and the Bully by James Howe (Simon Spotlight, 1996) — 570L
Book: Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee by James Howe (Simon Spotlight, 1999) — 580L
Book: Pinky and Rex and the School Play by James Howe (Simon Spotlight, 2016) — 530L
Assessment Text: “Pinky and Rex and the New Baby” by James Howe and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Simon Spotlight) — 620LL

Supporting Materials

Rubric: Grade 2 Writing Rubrics (Narrative, Opinion & Informational)
Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading

Text Selection Rationale

Purchase Books

Assessment

These assessments accompany this unit and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

What does it mean to be best friends?
Why is it important to stand up for yourself and what you believe?

Reading Focus Areas

To understand what happens and why it happens in a story, readers notice the relationships between characters.
Descriptive language, dialogue tags and italicized words deepen a reader’s understanding of how a character is feeling.
A deep understanding of characters helps the reader determine the central message.

Writing Focus Areas

Narrative Writing

Use details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings.
Use precise adverbs to show details about a character's thinking or feeling.

Opinion Writing

Brainstorm using a Single Paragraph Outline.
Differentiate topic sentences from supporting sentences.
Use linking words to connect opinion and reasons.
Write a strong concluding statement.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.
Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about topics and texts under discussion.

Vocabulary

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

Text-based

"stormed away" annoying apologize beamed chattered declared dreading forgive glared grump groaned helplessly insisted mocking mumbled muttered screeching scowled self-conscious sighed smirking snickered sulk urged

Root/Affix

-ly self-

Academic

opinion

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 3, view our 2nd Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting all Students teacher tool.

Content Knowledge and Connections

Fishtank ELA units related to the content in this unit.

Pinky and Rex is a chapter book series. Books in a series often build on each other. We learn more about the characters and their feelings, motivations, traits, and relationships in each book. They might change or develop as you read more books in a series.
Having a best friend helps you face life’s challenges. Best friends support and help each other, no matter the situation. Sometimes best friends are similar, but they are often different from each other and that is okay. Best friends can get into arguments, but they always apologize and forgive each other.
It is important to stand up for yourself and what you believe because everyone is different. Being different is okay! When you stand up for yourself, you feel powerful and confident. And more importantly, you feel happy because you get to be yourself.

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

1st Grade ELA - Being a Good Friend

Future Fishtank ELA Connections

Lesson Map

P&R — Chapter 1

Describe Pinky and Rex’s relationship and Pinky and Amanda’s relationship by using details from the text to describe characters and character relationships.

RF.2.4 RL.2.3 RL.2.5

P&R — Chapter 2

Describe Pinky and Rex’s relationship by using details from the text to describe characters and character relationships.

L.2.5.b RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R — Chapter 3

Explain how Amanda’s dialogue shows how she feels about being at the museum by using dialogue and details to show how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

L.2.5.b L.2.6 RF.2.4 RL.2.3 RL.2.6

P&R — Chapter 4

Describe the lesson that Amanda, Pinky, and Rex learned by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges and what lesson they learn from the major events.

RF.2.4 RL.2.2 RL.2.3

Discussion & Writing

P&R

Describe Pinky, Rex, and Amanda and how each character responds to major events and challenges by stating a claim and then providing supporting evidence from the entire text.

RL.2.3 RL.2.5 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.6 W.2.1

P&R and the Bully — Chapters 1-2

Explain why Pinky is embarrassed by what happens with Mrs. Morgan by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the Bully — Chapters 3-4

Explain in what ways Kevin is a bully and how his actions influence everyone around him, especially Pinky, by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

L.2.5.b RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the Bully — Chapter 5

Explain what advice Mrs. Morgan gave Pinky and why by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the Bully — Chapters 6-7

Explain how Pinky changed and what lesson he learned by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges and what lesson they learn from the major events.

RF.2.4 RL.2.2 RL.2.3

Discussion & Writing

P&R and the Bully

Describe Pinky, Rex, and Amanda and how each character responds to major events and challenges by stating a claim and then providing supporting evidence from the entire text.

L.2.1.e RL.2.3 RL.2.5 RL.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.6 W.2.1

P&R and the Spelling Bee — Chapters 1-2

Explain how Pinky and Rex feel about the spelling bee and how their feelings change by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the Spelling Bee — Chapters 3-4

Describe how Pinky’s feelings change over the course of the chapters and what causes the change by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the Spelling Bee — Chapters 5-6

Explain how Pinky and Rex changed and what lesson they learned by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges and what lesson they learn from the major events.

RF.2.4 RL.2.2 RL.2.3

Discussion & Writing

P&R and the Spelling Bee

Describe Pinky, Rex, and Amanda and how each character responds to major events and challenges by stating a claim and then providing supporting evidence from the entire text.

RL.2.3 RL.2.5 RL.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.6 W.2.1

P&R and the School Play — Chapters 1-2

Explain why Pinky is mad at Rex and if it is fair that he is mad at her by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RL.2.3

P&R and the School Play — Chapters 3-4

RF.2.4 RL.2.2 RL.2.3

P&R and the School Play — Chapters 5-6

Describe what happens during the play and what lesson Pinky and Rex learn by using details to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges and what lesson they learn from the major events.

RF.2.4 RL.2.2 RL.2.3

Discussion & Writing – 3 days

P&R and the School Play

Describe Pinky, Rex, and Amanda and how each character responds to major events and challenges by stating a claim and then providing supporting evidence from the entire text.

RL.2.3 RL.2.5 RL.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.6 W.2.1

Discussion

All unit texts

Debate two essential questions by participating in a class discussion by stating a claim and providing evidence from the unit.

SL.2.1 SL.2.2 SL.2.6

Opinion Writing – 5 days

All unit texts

Argue whether or not kids and robots can be best friends using details about Pinky and Rex’s relationship from the entire Pinky and Rex series.

L.2.2 L.2.2.a W.2.1 W.2.5

Assessment

Narrative – 4 days

All unit texts
K-2 Narrative Brainstorm
Grade 2 Writing Rubrics (Narrative, Opinion & Informational)

Write a narrative about Pinky and Rex using what you know about their personality traits and relationship.

L.2.1 L.2.2 SL.2.1 SL.2.2 W.2.3 W.2.5 W.2.8

Projects

Create a yearbook page for one of the main characters from the Pinky and Rex series to demonstrate your understanding of character traits and relationships between characters.

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

The content standards covered in this unit

L.2.1

L.2.1.e

L.2.2

L.2.2.a

L.2.4

L.2.5

L.2.5.b

L.2.6

RF.2.3

RF.2.4

RL.2.1

RL.2.2

RL.2.3

RL.2.5

RL.2.6

RL.2.9

RL.2.10

SL.2.1

SL.2.2

SL.2.6

W.2.1

W.2.3

W.2.5

W.2.8

Supporting Standards

Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit

L.2.1.d

L.2.2.c

L.2.4.a

RL.2.7

W.2.6

W.2.7

Unit 2

Exploring Habitats

Unit 4

Stories of Immigration

Belonging and Friendship: Pinky and Rex

Unit Summary

Texts and Materials

Core Materials

Supporting Materials

Assessment

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Essential Questions

Reading Focus Areas

Writing Focus Areas

Narrative Writing

Opinion Writing

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Vocabulary

Text-based

Root/Affix

Academic

Supporting All Students

Content Knowledge and Connections

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

Future Fishtank ELA Connections

Lesson Map

Projects

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Supporting Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards for Literature

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

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