Lesson video

Hi everyone.

My name is Ms. Boyle and I am really excited to be teaching you your reading lesson today.

For this lesson, you need to be listening and looking carefully, you need your thinking brain, and there will also be some tasks where you need somebody to talk to.

I'm really excited, so let's begin.

The learning outcome for today's lesson is I can explain the layout of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark." Here are the key words for today's lesson.

Let's practise saying them.

My turn, your turn.

Layout, purpose, audience, bioluminescence, biofluorescence.

Well done.

Some of those words, especially the last two, might have felt tricky to say.

You did a great job.

Let's look at their definitions.

The layout of a text refers to the way the information is organised on the page.

The purpose of a text refers to the reason it was written and the desired impact.

The audience are the people that the author designs the book for.

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism caused by a chemical reaction within it.

And biofluorescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as a result of absorbing ultraviolet light.

Now, you probably won't have heard of these last two pieces of vocabulary, but don't worry if they seem confusing because we will find out lots more about their meaning in the lesson.

There are three parts to today's lesson.

In the first part, we will look at an introduction to the genre and text.

Then we will be reading some of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark." And finally, we will look at understanding the layout of a nonfiction book.

So let's begin with an introduction to the genre and text.

Here is the front cover of our nonfiction book, "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark." Take a look.

What kind of creatures can you see, and where are they? Let's find out a little bit more about what a nonfiction text is like.

Nonfiction is a genre of text that presents real events, information, or knowledge.

"Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" tells us all about living things on our planet that glow in the dark.

The layout of a non-fiction text is designed according to its purpose and target audience.

This means that the author arranges the images and information in a way that will help the reader understand what is most important.

Let's check your understanding.

What is the definition of a nonfiction text? A, it provides us with true information in the style of a narrative.

B, it tells a made up story about the world around us.

Or C, it provides true and accurate information about the world around us.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is C.

Well done, a non-fiction text provides true and accurate information about the world around us, allowing the reader to acquire new and interesting knowledge.

It's time for an introduction to what our text is all about.

Light is a really big part of human life.

Take a look at this illustration of our Earth.

We can see and we know that light is a really big part of our existence.

It helps us to see, communicate, and it warns us of dangers.

How do humans produce light? We use the Earth's resources to get natural forms of light, for example, from the sun.

And we use technology and equipment, for example, electricity, to create light where we need it.

Unlike humans, there are creatures and plants in our world that make their own light.

Animals use their light just like we do to survive.

These animals are known as bioluminescent or biofluorescent creatures.

These creatures glow in the dark.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? Some creatures produce their own light and glow in the dark.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is true.

Well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, these animals are known as bioluminescent or biofluorescent creatures.

Or B, these animals are known as bioluminescent creatures.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is A.

Well done.

These animals are known as bioluminescent or biofluorescent creatures.

It's now time for a task.

Are you feeling curious about creatures that glow in the dark? I hope you are.

What questions would you like to find out the answers to? Come up with three questions with your partner.

Here are some words that your questions might begin with.

Why, how, what, can, where, are there? Here is an example of a question you might ask.

What is the brightest glowing creature in the ocean? Pause the video and discuss with your partner now.

Let's take a look at some possible questions that you might want to discover the answer to.

Why do some creatures glow in the dark? How do scientists study creatures that glow? What different colours can animals produce when they glow? Can animals control when they produce light? Where do animals that glow usually live? Are there any animals that glow in our local area? I'm sure you came up with lots of interesting other questions too.

Let's see if we can discover any of the answers to our questions in the book.

It's now time to read our book, "Curious Creatures Glowing In The Dark." First, let's remind ourselves of the purpose of a nonfiction book.

The purpose of a nonfiction text is to inform, explain, or provide factual information about a particular topic or subject.

The purpose of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" is to share interesting facts about some fascinating creatures.

It is written to appeal to children.

We are now going to read pages six to 11 of our book, "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark." "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark." If you were to zoom up into space and look down at the Earth at night, you might think that humans glow in the dark.

Well, in a way, we do.

Our towns, cities, and motorways glitter with electric light.

Light that helps us to see, light that grabs attention, and light that warns of danger.

But humans use clunky equipment and the Earth's resources to do what some extraordinary animals have evolved to do all by themselves.

In nooks and crannies and under the sea, there are creatures that make their own light and use it just like us, curious creatures that really do glow in the dark.

The sun has set and two children in Wales are up late.

They run barefoot along the shoreline, leaving trails of brilliant light in the wet sand.

All around them, waves glow electric blue.

Sea sparkle.

It looks like something from outer space, but this light is actually made by billions of tiny organisms called noctiluca scintillans, or sea sparkle, floating just below the surface of the water.

These tiny life forms are a bit like animals and a bit like plants.

They drift with the currents of the ocean.

When sea sparkle is disturbed, perhaps by waves, a hungry predator, or the paddle of a kayak, it gives off a vivid light.

It is bioluminescent.

Noctiluca scintillans is the scientific name for sea sparkle.

It means sparkling night light.

Navies are interested in studying sea sparkle.

Their boats leave rippling trails of light when they pass through it, not helpful on a stealth mission.

Just like you, sea sparkle might seem very different from humans, but it is communicating just like you do.

It uses light as a way of yelling "Help," or "Go away," when it is under threat.

What is bioluminescence? The word bioluminescent comes from "bio," meaning life, and "lumen," meaning light.

Bioluminescent animals make sparkles, flickers, and flashes of light with chemical reactions inside their bodies, a bit like cracking a glow stick.

Chemicals called lucifera and luciferase mix together with oxygen to produce the glow and it reveals itself in many different ways.

Some creatures have glowing light organs called photophores.

The small body of the firefly squid is covered in tiny glowing photophores.

It uses its bioluminescence to signal to others and to make itself look bigger than it really is, while others ooze bioluminescent slime.

A New Zealand earthworm called octochaetus multiporus dribbles bioluminescent orange goo when it is disturbed.

An earthworm from the American South, diplocardia longa, spews glowing blue gunk to startle its predators.

Some creatures borrow their bioluminescence from glow in the dark bacteria, which they carry around.

Flashlight fish have a glowing torch of bioluminescent bacteria under each eye, which they switch on and off by blinking.

They use their torch for finding food and distracting predators with a game of blink and run.

Let's check your understanding of what we've learned so far.

True or false, only living animals can be bioluminescent.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is false.

Well done.

Let's justify your answer.

A, other living organisms like plants and bacteria can be bioluminescent.

B, any living thing, including humans, can be bioluminescent.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is A.

Well done.

There are lots of living organisms, animals, plants, and bacteria, that can be bioluminescent.

Which statement is correct? A, bioluminescent creatures glow because of the sun.

B, bioluminescent creatures glow because of magic.

Or C, bioluminescent creatures glow because of a chemical reaction inside of their bodies.

Pause the video and select your answer now.

The answer is C.

Well done.

Bioluminescent creatures glow because of a chemical reaction that takes place inside their bodies.

We are now going to read another section from our book, pages 24 to 27.

The sky over South Africa is growing dark and these young explorers are searching for a very curious creature.

They are using an ultraviolet torch to spot its telltale secret glow.

The ultraviolet light from this torch is invisible to humans.

The sun gives off ultraviolet rays too as well as the light that we can see.

The scorpion.

Scorpions may look earthy coloured, but that's just what these cunning creatures want you to think.

Under the invisible beam of an ultraviolet torch, they glow a brilliant blue green.

Their glow doesn't come from bioluminescence though.

Scorpions have evolved a different way to dazzle, a way that uses energy from the sun.

They are biofluorescent.

Moonlight is actually sunlight bouncing off the moon.

It contains ultraviolet light too.

Scorpions are nocturnal, meaning they're active at night.

They hate light and even avoid a full moon, probably so predators won't spot them.

Just like you.

There are lots of theories about why scorpions glow under ultraviolet light.

One idea is that bio fluorescence helps to protect them from sunlight.

Just as you wear sunscreen and seek out shade on a hot day, the glow might warn these night hunters to find cover because it's just too bright out there.

What is biofluorescence? Unlike bioluminescent creatures, biofluorescent animals only glow when they absorb invisible ultraviolet light from the sun or the moon or a special torch.

Molecules inside the animal transform the ultraviolet light into brilliant shades of blue, green, yellow, or red.

You might have glow in the dark stars on your bedroom wall that work in a similar way, although they glow a little longer after the lights have been turned out.

A scorpion is a good example of this in action.

Its outer shell, called an exoskeleton, absorbs the invisible light, then gives off a visible glow.

Here's how it works.

Ultraviolet light reaches the surface of the scorpion's exoskeleton.

Molecules in the exoskeleton absorb the ultraviolet light.

The molecules reemit the light in a different colour, millionths of a second later.

This is the glow.

When the ultraviolet light is gone, the scorpion stops glowing.

Most land animals have no need to make light.

They exist in a sunlit world, but glowing is still a useful trick, especially for nocturnal animals and creatures that live in the dim light of the forest.

These animals don't need a special torch to see the biofluorescent glow.

Their senses aren't the same as ours.

They see colours of light that human eyes can't detect, and the world looks very different.

Let's check your understanding of what we've read.

True or false? Biofluorescent creatures use the sun or moon to glow.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is true.

Well done.

It's time to justify your answer.

A, they absorb invisible ultraviolet light and transform it into colours that glow in the dark.

Or B, they reflect light from the sun or moon to glow.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is A.

Well done.

They absorb ultraviolet light and transform this into their glow.

We are going to read one more section of our book, pages 34 to 37.

A glowing future.

Creatures that glow in the dark are inspiring humans to find extraordinary new ways to save energy, protect the planet, and track diseases.

Bioluminescence can help us to look after our oceans.

In Florida, glow in the dark bacteria are being used to test for pollution.

A bright glow means healthy water, but dim light means pollution by pesticides, heavy metals, and plastics.

Medicine borrows from nature too.

Bioluminescence and biofluorescence can help scientists track how diseases move around the body.

This helps us understand how to make people better.

A team in the United States created glowing watercress using the same chemicals that give bioluminescent animals their light.

Now, scientists in Russia, the UK, and Austria have made glowing plants using genes from bioluminescent mushrooms. The idea is that one day we might save energy with living desk lamps that don't need plugging in.

Scientists in Denmark are trying to invent glow in the dark trees, which they dream might one day help to light our cities.

We share our planet with these extraordinary animals that glow in the dark.

It's easy to see our differences, but we also have lots in common.

They are driven to communicate, to survive, and to thrive, just like you.

These creatures have been making light on Earth for millions of years.

Now, it is up to us to keep their light glowing.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? Humans are being inspired by the science behind creatures that glow in the dark.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is true.

Well done.

It's time to justify your answer.

A, they want to find a way to make themselves glow in the dark naturally.

Or B, they want to find new ways to protect the planet and understand human diseases.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is B.

Scientists want to use the science behind creatures that glow in the dark so that they can find new ways to protect the planet and understand and treat human diseases.

It's time for a task.

Let's reflect on what we have read and understood so far.

Answer these questions with your partner.

Likes.

What caught your attention in the book? Dislikes.

Was there anything that put you off reading this text? And puzzles.

Was there anything you found strange or surprising to learn about? Pause the video and discuss with your partner now.

Let's take a look at some possibilities for what you might have said.

For what caught your attention, maybe you said, "I can't believe an octopus can light up to scare away predators." That is a fascinating fact.

Or maybe you said, "I love the illustrations and the colours within the book." For, was there anything that put you off reading this text? Maybe you said, "I found the layout of the information difficult to get used to." Maybe you said, "I found some of the vocabulary difficult to understand." And in answer to, was there anything you found strange or surprising? Maybe you said something like, "I was so surprised to find out that scientists are trying to use the science behind bioluminescence to invent glow in the dark trees." That is a fascinating fact.

I'm sure you had lots of other wonderful answers to these questions.

It's time for the final part of our lesson, understanding the layout of a nonfiction book.

The purpose and audience of a text impacts its design and layout.

"Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" has been designed to appeal to children.

The layout is intended to help children to learn interesting facts and information.

Let's check your understanding.

What is the purpose of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark?" A, to share facts and information with children.

B, to tell a fictional story to entertain children.

Or C, to share facts with adults.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is A.

Well done.

The purpose of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" is to share facts and information with children.

Let's take a look at how "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" is laid out.

Here is one of the pages from our book.

We can see that the text is split into paragraphs.

This is because chunking information into paragraphs makes it easier for the reader to absorb the information.

We can also see that the author has used subheadings, for example, "Bioluminescence Under the Sea." Subheadings organise information into topics and let the reader know what that section is about.

Here is another page from our book.

You will notice that it is full of lots of colourful illustrations.

This makes the book visually appealing for the reader, and it also supports the reader's understanding of what the text is about.

You will also notice there are captions, for example, "The Twilight Zone." These support the reader's understanding of the illustrations by labelling key parts, and you will also spot that there are fact boxes.

These grab the reader's attention to highlight and share interesting facts.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? The layout of "Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" is just like a narrative fiction book.

Pause the video and answer now.

That is false.

Well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, the layout is really different and interesting to look at.

Or B, the layout presents information in paragraphs, highlights interesting facts, and has supportive illustrations.

Pause the video and answer now.

The answer is B, well done.

The layout presents information in paragraphs, highlights interesting facts, and has supportive illustrations.

It's now time for your final task.

Read pages 12 and 13.

Label the text with the correct features using the vocabulary given below.

Pause the video and do the task now.

Let's take a look at the answers.

We can see that the text has been split into chunks, which we call paragraphs.

"Bioluminescence Under the Sea" is an example of a subheading.

The images that you can see on the pages are illustrations.

Twilight Zone is an example of a caption and the box at the bottom which says, "Just Like You" is an example of a fact box.

We've now come to the end of our lesson, so let's take a look at a summary.

"Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark" is a nonfiction book which provides factual information.

Creatures and other living organisms can glow in the dark using bioluminescence or biofluorescence.

The book is designed to engage children as its audience.

The layout of a text is determined by its purpose and audience, and the book chunks information into sections and uses fact boxes and illustrations.

Well done for all of your hard work today.