State and Model the Objective
The children will keep a blue jay away from a gray bird’s nest and will read and write words that end with  -ay, such as away, stay, play, spray, may, and day.

Literacy Activities
Tell a blue jay to stay away

• Show the children a picture of a blue jay and explain to the children that blue jays sometimes steal eggs from other birds’ nests.
• Read the Go Away, Blue Jay! target text (found below) with the children.
• Have the children act out the text using photographs and the pictures found below.
• Let the children make a “Go away!” sign and hold up the sign while they chase the blue jay away.

Gather eggs with -ay words

• Place the egg word-cards (found below) around the room.
• Have the children build a nest with pretend hay (straw or string).
• Let the children gather the word cards and have them read the words.
• Let the children put the cards in the nest made of hay.

More Practice 
Read target words in texts 

• Engage the children in reading the Go Away, Blue Jay! target text with you.
• Have the children make a list of the words that end with -ay.
• Read the text again, fading support.

Write about the activity using target words

• Let the children write words from dictation (e.g., away, stay, clay, day, lay, clay, gray, spray, may, pay, say, way, sway). 
• Have the children write about chasing a blue jay away from the gray bird’s nest of hay and letting the gray bird stay.