teacher handbook grade 5 - scholastic corporation
TRANSCRIPT
Developed by North Carolina Teachers
for North Carolina Classrooms
Teacher HandbookGrade 5
We wish to thank the following teachers of Sardis Elementary Schoolin Monroe, North Carolina for their contribution to this program.A team of expert teachers, led by Teri Marsh, Literacy Specialist,first reviewed hundreds of books and selected those that best sup-
ported North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study Objectives for Science.They created lesson plans that focused on science content and guided read-ing skills and then tried them out in their classrooms.
KINDERGARTEN
Kelly Hughes Kristin Hilkert
GRADE ONE
Dee Cochran Andi Matysek
GRADE TWO
Jerilyn Hilse Jodi Osborn
GRADE THREE
Kim Parker Caron Wickline
GRADE FOUR
Amy Sutton Michele Martin
GRADE FIVE
Debbie Lipscomb Jodi Hindes
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CONTENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The North Carolina Science and Reading Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5The Importance of Nonfiction Text in the Classroom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6How the Books Were Selected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Using the Science Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Read-Aloud and Guided Reading Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9North Carolina Standard Course of Study: Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10North Carolina Standard Course of Study: Language Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12The Teaching Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of theinterdependence of plants and animals.
Air Pollution by Rhonda Lucas Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Objectives: 1.06, 1.07/Guided Reading
Denali National Park by David Petersen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Objective: 1.01, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06/Guided Reading
Grasslands by Darlene R. Stille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Objectives: 1.01, 1.03, 1.05, 1.06/Guided Reading
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Objectives: 1.02, 1.03, 1.06, 2.06/Read Aloud
Land Predators of North America by Erin Pembrey Swan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Objectives: 1.02, 1.05/Guided Reading
One Day in the Prairie by Jean Craighead George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Objectives: 1.02, 1.05, 1.06, 2.01/Read Aloud
Rain Forests by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Objectives: 1.02, 1.03, 1.06, 2.06/Read Aloud
Recycling by Rhonda Lucas Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Objectives: 1.06, 1.07/Guided Reading
Saguaro National Park by David Petersen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Objectives: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05/Guided Reading
Sea Otter Rescue by Roland Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Objectives: 1.05, 1.06/Guided Reading
Water Pollution by Rhonda Lucas Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Objectives: 1.06, 1.07, 3.01/Guided Reading
What Makes an Ocean Wave? by Melvin and Gilda Berger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Objectives: 1.02, 1.05, 3.01, 3.06/Guided Reading
Where Have All the Pandas Gone? by Melvin and Gilda Berger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Objectives: 1.05, 1.06/Guided Reading
CONTENTSc o n t i n u e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GOAL 2: The learner will make observations and conduct investigations to build an
understanding of landforms.Are Mountains Growing Taller? by Melvin and Gilda Berger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Objective: 2.01/Guided ReadingEarthquakes by Paul P. Sipiera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Objective: 2.01/Guided Reading Extraordinary Volcanoes by Jackie Gaff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Objective: 2.01/Read AloudFloods by Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Objectives: 2.01, 2.02, 2.05/Read AloudGrand Canyon National Park by David Petersen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Objectives: 2.01, 2.03, 2.06/Read AloudWhy Do Volcanoes Blow Their Tops? by Melvin and Gilda Berger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Objective: 2.01/Guided Reading
GOAL 3: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technology tobuild an understanding of weather and climate.
Can It Rain Cats and Dogs? by Melvin and Gilda Berger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Objectives: 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04/Guided Reading
Hurricanes by Patricia Lauber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Objectives: 3.02, 3.04, 3.05, 3.06/Guided Reading
Hurricanes by Sandra Markle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Objectives: 3.02, 3.06/Guided Reading
Thunderstorms by Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Objectives: 3.02, 3.03, 3.04/Guided Reading
The Water Cycle by Trudi Strain Trueit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Objectives: 3.01, 3.04, 3.06/Guided Reading
Weather and Climate by Fiona Watt and Francis Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Objectives: 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04/Guided Reading
Goal 4: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technologies tobuild an understanding of forces and motion in technological designs.Forces and Movement by Peter Riley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Objectives: 4.01, 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.07/Guided ReadingScience Experiments with Simple Machines by Sally Nankivell-Aston and Dorothy Jackson . 68
Objectives: 4.01, 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.06, 4.07/Guided Reading
Blackline Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
The North Carolina Science and Reading Kits for kindergarten throughgrade five is a unique program designed to teach standards-basedscience content and build reading skills.The program was createdby a team of experienced North Carolina elementary schoolteachers who saw an opportunity to use nonfiction and fictiontrade books as a means of supplementing their science curriculum.
The teachers selected Scholastic trade books that supported the goals andobjectives of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Science. Oncethe books were reviewed and approved, teaching planswere developed that not only addressed the science con-tent of each book but also targeted essential reading skillsusing a guided reading approach.The reading skills in eachlesson support the goals and objectives of the StandardCourse of Study for Language Arts.The teachers then tookthe instruction one step further by providing cross-curricular activities that applied the content to writing,vocabulary development,math, social studies, and technology.The result is an exciting new, multipurpose program that:
NORTH CAROLINA SCIENCEand READING KITS
■ Maximizes instructional time Providingtime for content-area instruction is a chal-lenge, especially in elementary classroomswhere the teaching of reading skills is ofprimary importance. With the NorthCarolina Science and Reading Kits teach-ers can meet science standards within thereading block while teaching reading skillsthat meet the language arts standards.
■ Ensures that science instruction meetsthe needs of all students The readabilityof most science textbooks is on or abovegrade level, which makes them inaccessi-ble to students reading below grade level.The books in the North Carolina Scienceand Reading Kits represent a range oflevels so that all students have access totext that they can read with instructionalsupport from the teacher.
■ Enriches existing science programs andkits The engaging, leveled books andinstructional plans of the North CarolinaScience and Reading Kits add an extradimension to classroom science instruc-tion and can be easily adapted to sciencetextbook programs or skills kits.
■ Expands classroom libraries with high-quality nonfiction books Researchincreasingly supports the need for moreaccess to nonfiction books in elementaryschool classrooms. Each North CarolinaScience and Reading Kit includes 132nonfiction leveled books that will capturestudents’ attention and are appropriate forindependent reading as well as for scienceinstruction.
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The Importance of NonfictionText in the Classroom
There are many compelling reasonsto include nonfiction books in class-room libraries and instructional pro-
grams and to introduce them at earliergrades.As students move through thegrades,“reading to learn” becomes amajor focus inschool (Chall,1983). Students areexpected to learnby reading text-books, referencematerials, andother informa-tional sources suchas the Internet.As they progressthrough high school and college, they willencounter increasingly more difficulttexts. Introducing them to nonfiction asearly as possible can only help them suc-ceed later on in both their academic andadult lives.
Although students’ first encounters withreading are often fiction in the form of storiesand chapter books, most of the reading theywill do as adults involves nonfiction.Think ofwhat you read everyday: newspapers, lessonplans, textbooks, forms, reports, instructions,lists, signs, even recipes—these are all nonfic-tion.According to one study 96% of the infor-mation on the Internet is nonfiction (Kamil &Lane, 1998).
Children, like adults, have different prefer-ences in what they choose to read. Some like
fiction, while others prefer nonfiction, andsome have no preference. For those childrenwho prefer nonfiction, including more infor-mational books in classroom libraries mayimprove attitudes toward reading (Caswell &Duke, 1998). One reason that many childrenmay prefer nonfiction text is that it answerstheir questions about the world. Children aremore motivated when they are reading forthe purpose of answering questions that areof interest to them. And when children arereading something that interests them theirreading is likely to improve (Schiefele, Krapp,& Winteler, 1992).
How the Books Were Selected
For the North Carolina Science andReading Kits the teachers reviewedhundreds of nonfiction, and some
fiction, trade books before selecting thetitles for each grade. Each title and collec-tion was carefully evaluated based on thefollowing criteria:■ All books must be age-appropriate and
engaging for the intended learner.
■ The content of the book must meet at leastone, and ideally more than one, of theobjectives of the North Carolina StandardCourse of Study for Science.
■ The book must support at least one of theobjectives of the North Carolina StandardCourse of Study for Language Arts.
■ The grade-level collection must includebooks at a variety of reading levels.
Kindergarten and grade one each have 42titles, and grades two, three, four, and fiveeach have 27 titles. Each grade-level collec-tion contains a combination of single titlesfor reading aloud and multiple copies forguided reading for a total of 132 books.
TEACHING WITH TRADE BOOKS
7
Using the Science Kits
The program is designed to be flexi-ble so that it can meet the require-ments of a variety of instructional
plans and classroom configurations.As mentioned earlier, in elementary class-
rooms teaching reading skills is of primaryimportance and finding time for content- areainstruction is a challenge.The North CarolinaScience and Reading Kits help to solve thisdilemma by teaching the science content ofthe books through a guided reading approach.
The Books
The books in the collection wereselected for either reading aloud orguided reading.The read-aloud books
are meant to be read by the teacher tothe whole group. Books were selected forthis category for several reasons:■ they are particularly engaging or interest-
ing and are well suited for introducing anew science topic that the whole classwill study;
■ the content and vocabulary are unfamiliarand need explanation;
■ the reading level is more difficult and thetext is more accessible when read aloudand discussed as a group.
The majority ofbooks, especially inthe upper grades,are appropriate forguided reading insmall groups. Thechart on page 9 liststhe read-aloud andguided reading titlesfor grade five.
The Teaching PlansThere is a teachingplan for each book inthe collection.Theteaching plans areorganized accordingto the science goaleach book supports.The books are listedin alphabetical orderunder each goal, andthe objectives cov-ered are also noted.
The lessons can be taught in any order.Books can be used to supplement or extendscience instruction from textbooks or skillkits. Books on the same topic may be intro-duced together so students can learn about atopic in depth or compare and contrast infor-mation from different sources.
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Teaching the Lesson
The teaching plans follow the samegeneral format for both read-aloudand guided reading instruction.The
lesson begins with an introduction to thebook and the topic. Depending on thetopic and whether it is being exploredfor the first time or whether students arefamiliar with it, this can include:■ a discussion of the main topic of the book
with the teacher eliciting students’ priorknowledge or relevant experiences;
■ introduction of new or unfamiliar vocabu-lary that is essential to understanding thetopic;
■ drawing attention to special text featuressuch as photographs, diagrams, graphs, time-lines, sidebars, glossaries and indexes thathelp make the text accessible to readers;
■ encouraging students to predict whatthey will learn from the book; and
■ instructions for important questions orideas to pay attention to while reading oractivities to complete.Once the book has been introduced stu-
dents are ready to listen or read the book ontheir own. For guided reading lessons, stu-dents should read the whole text or a partic-ular section assigned by the teacher. Readingmay be oral or silent depending on the read-ing skill and level of the group. As studentsread the teacher can observe, offering sup-port when necessary. This is also a good timeto focus on new vocabulary and decodingskills such as consonant blends, inflectionalendings, or compound words.
After students finish reading, discuss themain idea of the text, following up on ques-
tions or predictions students made about thebook earlier. Group activities such as fillingout a K-W-L chart should be completed at thistime. Follow-up activities to be completed byindividuals, partners, or the whole group rein-force the science topic or focus on specificreading skills. Students should be encouragedto revisit the text as they complete theseactivities.
Extending the LessonThese activities apply the science contentof the books to math, social studies, writing,vocabulary development and technology.
Additional science activities are alsoincluded here. Written by North Carolina teach-ers, these activities are grade appropriate andsupport the content-area curricula for math,social studies, and writing. Many of the tech-nology activities list specific Web sites. You maywant to preview these before allowing stu-dents to access them to ensure that the contentis appropriate and that the site is operational.
Blackline MastersBlackline masters for many of the lessonsare included at the end of the teacher’shandbook.
Some of these are specific to a particularbook or lesson, but many, such as idea webs,Venn diagrams, or data recording sheets forexperiments, are generic and can be used formultiple lessons.
Classroom LibrariesA list of additional nonfiction books on
grade-level science topics is included forteachers who want to expand their classroomlibraries. The books are leveled for inde-pendent reading.
TEACHING WITH TRADE BOOKS
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READ-ALOUD and GUIDED READING Books—Grade FiveTitle Author Readabilty Levels
READ-ALOUD BOOKSExtraordinary Volcanoes 34-38 Q 920LFloods 24-28 M NAGrand Canyon National Park 34-38 O NAThe Great Kapok Tree 40 R 670LOne Day in the Prairie 34-38 P 800LRain Forests 24-28 M 730
GUIDED READING BOOKSAir Pollution 30 N 890LAre Mountains Growing Taller? 34-38 P 670LCan It Rain Cats and Dogs? 30 N 710LDenali National Park 34-38 P 910LEarthquakes 24-28 M NAForces and Movement 34-38 P 850LGrasslands 30 N NAHurricanes 34-38 P 930LHurricanes 40 Q 900LLand Predators of North America 40 R NARecycling 30 N 960LSaguaro National Park 34-38 O NAScience Experiments with Simple Machines 40 R 770LSea Otter Rescue 44 W 1160LThunderstorms 24-28 M 680LThe Water Cycle 44 S 1130LWater Pollution 30 N 940LWeather and Climate 44 S 1100LWhat Makes an Ocean Wave? 34-38 NR 870LWhere Have all the Pandas Gone? 34-38 P 810LWhy Do Volcanoes Blow Their Tops? 34-38 P 750L
DRA™ GRL Lexile®
Leveling information is currently not available for all titles. Please check www.scholastic.com for updates.
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1.01 Describe and compare several commonecosystems (communities of organisms andtheir interaction with the environment).
1.02 Identify and analyze the functions oforganisms within the population of theecosystem: producers; consumers;decomposers.
1.03 Explain why an ecosystem can supporta variety of organisms.
1.04 Discuss and determine the role of light,temperature, and soil composition in anecosystem’s capacity to support life.
1.05 Determine the interaction of organismswithin an ecosystem.
1.06 Explain and evaluate some ways thathumans affect ecosystems by habitatreduction due to development, pollutants, orincreased nutrients.
1.07 Determine how materials are recycledin nature.
SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build anunderstanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.
Science CurriculumSTRANDS: Nature of Science, Science as Inquiry, Science and Technology, Science inPersonal and Social Perspectives.
2.01 Identify and analyze forces that causechange in landforms over time includingwater and ice; wind; gravity.
2.02 Investigate and discuss the role of thewater cycle and how movement of waterover and through the landscape helps shapeland forms.
2.03 Discuss and consider the wearingaway and movement of rock and soil inerosion and its importance in formingcanyons; valleys; meanders; tributaries.
2.04 Describe the deposition of erodedmaterial and its importance in establishinglandforms including deltas; flood plains.
2.05 Discuss how the flow of water and theslope of the land affect erosion.
2.06 Identify and use models, maps, andaerial photographs as ways of representinglandforms.
2.07 Discuss and analyze how humansinfluence erosion and deposition in localcommunities, including school grounds, as aresult of clearing land; planting vegetation;building dams.
SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 2: The learner will make observations and conductinvestigations to build an understanding of landforms.
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4.01 Determine the motion of an object byfollowing and measuring its position overtime.
4.02 Evaluate how pushing or pulling forcescan change the position and motion of anobject.
4.03 Explain how energy is needed to makemachines move: moving air; gravity.
4.04 Determine that an unbalanced force
is needed to move an object or change itsdirection.
4.05 Determine factors that affect motionincluding force; friction; inertia; momentum.
4.06 Build and use a model to solve amechanical design problem: devise a test forthe model; evaluate the results of test.
4.07 Determine how people use simplemachines to solve problems.
SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will conduct investigations and useappropriate technologies to build an understanding of forces and motion in technologicaldesigns.
3.01 Investigate the water cycle includingthe processes of evaporation; condensation;precipitation; run-off.
3.02 Discuss and determine how thefollowing are affected by predictable patternsof weather: temperature; precipitation; cloudcover; air pressure; wind direction and speed.
3.03 Describe and analyze the formation ofvarious types of clouds and discuss theirrelation to weather systems.
3.04 Explain how global atmosphericmovement patterns affect local weather.
3.05 Compile and use weather data toestablish a climate record and reveal anytrends.
3.06 Discuss and determine the influenceof geography on weather and climate:mountains; sea breezes; water bodies.
SCIENCE COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will conduct investigations and useappropriate technology to build an understanding of weather and climate.
English Language Arts CurriculumSTRANDS: Oral Language,Written Language, and Other Media/Technology
1.01 Expand and refine vocabulary throughknowledge of prefixes, suffixes, roots,derivatives, context clues, and etymologies(word origins) to assist comprehension.
1.02 Select key vocabulary critical to thetext and apply appropriate meanings asnecessary for comprehension.
1.03 Increase reading and writing vocabularythrough wide reading; word study; wordreference materials; content area study;debate; discussions; writing process
elements; writing as a tool; seminars;examining the author’s craft.
1.04 Use word reference materials (e.g.,glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, on-linereference tools) to identify and comprehendunknown words.
1.05 Read independently daily from self-selected materials (consistent with thestudent’s independent reading level) toincrease fluency; build backgroundknowledge; expand and refine vocabulary.
LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies andskills to read and write.
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
3.01 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry,and drama using interpretive, critical, andevaluative processes by analyzing wordchoice and content; examining alternativeperspectives; evaluating the differencesamong genres; examining relationshipsamong characters; examining reasons for acharacter’s actions, taking into account thesituation and basic motivation of thecharacter; creating and presenting a productthat effectively demonstrates a personal
response to a selection or experience;making and evaluating inferences andconclusions about characters, events, andthemes.
3.02 Make connections within and betweentexts by recognizing similarities anddifferences based on a common lesson,theme, or message.
3.03 Justify evaluation of characters andevents from different selections by citingsupporting evidence in the text(s).
LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will make connections throughthe use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
2.01 Use metacognitive strategiesindependently and flexibly to monitorcomprehension and extend vocabulary (e.g.,skim, scan, reread the text, consult othersources, ask for help, summarize, paraphrase,question).
2.02 Interact with the text before, during,and after reading, listening, and viewing bymaking predictions; formulating questions;seeking additional information; supportinganswers from textual information, previousexperience, and/or other sources; drawingon personal, literary, and culturalunderstandings; making connections withprevious experiences, information, and ideas.
2.03 Read a variety of texts, such as fiction(tall tales, myths); poetry (narrative, lyric, andcinquains); drama (plays and skits);nonfiction (books of true experience,newspaper and magazine articles, schedules).
2.04 Identify elements of fiction andnonfiction and support by referencing thetext to determine the plot development;author’s choice of words; effectiveness of
figurative language (e.g., personification,flashback); tone.
2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, andgeneralizations and provide evidence byreferencing the text(s).
2.06 Analyze choice of reading materialscongruent with purposes (e.g., reading forinformation, reading to extend content area learning, reading for pleasure,entertainment).
2.07 Evaluate the usefulness and quality ofinformation and ideas based on purpose,experiences, text(s), and graphics.
2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships thatare causal; hierarchical; temporal; problem-solution.
2.09 Listen actively and critically by askingquestions; delving deeper into the topic;making inferences and drawing conclusions;elaborating on the information and ideaspresented; evaluating information and ideas;making judgments.
2.10 Identify strategies used by a speaker orwriter to inform, entertain, or influence anaudience.
LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 2: The learner will apply strategies and skillsto comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
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5.01 Consistently use correct capitalization(e.g., names of magazines, newspapers,organizations) and punctuation (e.g., colonto introduce a list, commas in apposition,commas used in compound sentences).
5.02 Demonstrate understanding in speakingand writing by using troublesome verbs;nominative, objective, and possessivepronouns.
5.03 Elaborate information and ideas inspeaking and writing by using prepositionalphrases; transitions; coordinating and/orsubordinating conjunctions.
5.04 Determine the impact or word choiceon written and spoken language.
5.05 Spell most commonly used wordsaccurately using a multi-strategy approach tothe learning of new spellings.
5.06 Proofread for accuracy of spelling usingappropriate strategies to confirm spellingand to correct errors.
5.07 Edit final product for grammar, languageconventions, and format.
5.08 Create readable documents throughlegible handwriting (cursive) and wordprocessing.
LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 5: The learner will apply grammar andlanguage conventions to communicate effectively.
4.01 Read aloud grade-appropriate text withfluency, comprehension, expression, andpersonal style demonstrating an awarenessof volume, pace, audience, and purpose.
4.02 Use oral and written language toformulate hypotheses; evaluate informationand ideas; present and support arguments;influence the thinking of others.
4.03 Make oral and written presentations toinform or persuade selecting vocabulary forimpact.
4.04 Select a self-evaluated composition forpublication and justify rationale forselection.
4.05 Use a variety of preliminary strategiesto plan and organize the writing andspeaking task considering purpose, audience,and timeline.
4.06 Compose a draft that elaborates onmajor ideas and adheres to the topic by
using an appropriate organizational patternthat accomplishes the purpose of the writingtask and effectively communicates itscontent.
4.07 Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction,poetry, and drama using self-selected topicand format (e.g., poetry, research reports,news articles, letters to the editor, businessletters).
4.08 Focus revision on target elements byimproving word choice; rearranging text forclarity; developing a lead, characters, ormood; creating simple and/or complexsentences for clarity or impact.
4.09 Produce work that follows theconventions of particular genres (e.g., essay,feature story, business letter).
4.10 Use technology as a tool to enhanceand/or publish a product.
LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will apply strategies and skillsto create oral, written, and visual texts.
3.04 Make informed judgments abouttelevision, radio, video/film, productions,other electronic mediums and/or printformats.
3.05 Integrate main idea and supportingdetails from multiple sources to expandunderstanding of texts.
3.06 Conduct research (with assistance)from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-printtexts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases,computer networks).
3.07 Make informed judgments about bias;propaganda; stereotyping; media techniques.
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THE TEACHING PLAN
38
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers.1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including theprocesses of evaporation and precipitation. 3.06 Discuss and determine the influence of geography on weather andclimate: sea breezes, water bodies.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing bysupporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources. 4.09 Produce work thatfollows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Compare and contrast
What Makes anOcean Wave?By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–NR; Lexile® Measure–870LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, diagram, labeleddrawings, indexVocabulary: crest, tsunami, gulf, bay, submersible,tides, ocean currents, oceanographer, plankton, diatom,krill, gills, wetland, algae, tidal pool, coral reef
SummaryHow high was the highest wave on record?Do fish sleep? What causes high tides? Whyis the ocean blue? In this lively, fact-filledquestion-and-answer book, readers will findanswers to these and other questions aboutoceans and ocean life. Some of the answersare truly amazing. Read and find out aboutthe 50-foot long oarfish, or learn that itwould take a heavy rock more than an hourto reach the ocean bottom at its deepest!
FYIThere is a great deal of numerical data inthis book, much of it expressed using themetric system. You may need to discuss and
expand upon the Key to Abbreviations on thetable of contents page. You may also need toreview the meaning of percent, and discussthe magnitude of such key percents as 10%,25%, 50%, 75%, etc.
MaterialsBlackline master: The Oceans and Us, p. 74
Introduce the BookHave students flip through the book to seethat this is another in the Question andAnswer series. Guide them to read any onequestion and its answer and look at therelated illustration. Then have students lookat the table of contents to see that thequestions and answers are organized into
GUIDED READINGBooks are designated foreither reading aloud or
guided reading.
The genre, reading levels, pagecount and vocabulary words are
listed at the beginning of the lessonfor easy reference. Special features
such as photographs, charts, ordiagrams are also noted.
Each lesson begins with abrief description of thebook so teachers can
familiarize themselves withthe content and features.
Whether it is a read-aloud or guidedreading lesson, the introduction
offers strategies for activating priorknowledge, previewing the content,introducing skills, and highlighting
book features.
This special section alerts teachersto materials or preparations
necessary for teaching the lessonand may also offer background
information to support the content.
Each book aligns with one or moreof the science and language artsobjectives from North Carolina’s
Standard Course of Study. Criticalthinking skills relating to cognition,interpretation, critical stance andconnections are also identified for
each lesson.
15
39
three sections. They also will notice a Key toAbbreviations on the page.Ask: Why do youthink the authors have provided this feature?Then have a volunteer read aloud theIntroduction on page 3. Focus on the lastparagraph, and hand out copies of theblackline master, The Oceans and Us, on page 74. Have students discuss ways in whichwe depend on the ocean and ways in whichthe future of the oceans is in our hands.
Read the BookLook over the blackline master withstudents. Explain that the heads of eachcolumn are the titles of the book’s threesections. Guide students to begin reading thebook but to stop when they finish the firstsection. Instruct them to use the chart torecord key ways that people and oceansdepend on one another. In addition ask themto write down what they see as the mostinteresting fact they came across in theirreading. They can mark that fact with anasterisk (*). Have them continue to read andrecord in that manner throughout the book.
Revisit the BookHave students form groups. Direct studentsto share and discuss the notes and facts theyrecorded on their charts. In addition havethem discuss their views on the question-and-answer format, ask: Was this an effectiveway of getting across information? Have themidentify topics about which they would liketo learn more.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a review of this book.Discuss that in a book review the writerdoes not only criticize or praise a book; heor she must also provide a full description ofa book’s style, format, and content. Guidestudents to include examples that supporttheir descriptions, comments, and views.Point out that a book review can includerecommendations as well as suggestions for improvements.� VOCABULARYThis book introduces several new terms.Some are compound words. Guide students torecognize that a compound word is a wordmade up of two smaller words, and that itsmeaning may often be derived from thewords that comprise it.You may wish to usethis opportunity to teach about the threedifferent kinds of compound words: open(shore bird), closed (wetland) andhyphenated (warm-blooded).1+2MATHThis book is filled with numerical data aboutoceans and ocean life. Challenge students touse the data to create a cross-number puzzlein which each answer is a number, and eachclue is either a fact or a fact with a missingnumber. For instance: On average the depth ofthe ocean’s sunlight zone is ____ feet. (600)Or: About what percent of all ocean plants andanimals live in the sunlight zone? (90)
The last section of theteaching plan focuses oncross-curricular activities
in writing, vocabularydevelopment, science,
social studies, math, andtechnology.These
activities enable studentsto apply what they havelearned to other contentareas and to strengthen
their skills.
This section offers questionsand strategies to support
comprehension and vocabularydevelopment and points out
book features that help makethe text accessible.
Additional teaching strategiesreinforce what students have
learned.Whole class, small group,and individual activities givestudents the opportunity to
practice newly acquired skills andexpand content-area knowledge.
16
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.06 Explain and evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems by pollutants. 1.07 Determine howmaterials are recycled in nature.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions and seeking additional information. 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provideevidence by referencing the text.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Cause and effect
Air PollutionBy Rhonda Lucas Donald
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–30; GRL–N; Lexile® Measure–890LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, glossary, indexVocabulary: soot, smog, fossil fuels, carbonmonoxide, acid rain, ozone, pollutant, radiation,greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases, recycle
SummaryThis short yet informative book sheds lighton the key environmental problem of airpollution.Within well-organized, easy-to-follow sections, the author examines thesources and effects of air pollution andsuggests what people can do to minimize itsdangers. Dramatic, telling color photographssupport the data.The book also providestwo experiments designed to help studentscomprehend the meaning of polluted air andthe greenhouse effect.
FYIThe following are necessary to completetwo experiments described in the book.
MaterialsBlackline master: Idea Web, p. 70Petroleum jellyJar or container lidsOutdoor thermometerLarge jar
GUIDED READING
17
Introduce the BookBrainstorm what pollution is and where itcomes from. Then take a picture walkthrough the book, inviting students topredict from the photos what the text maybe about. Guide students to notice the tableof contents, the glossary, and the index—features common to most nonfiction books.Finally have students prepare for reading bymaking a two-column chart. Have them labelthe columns Topic and Details.
Read the BookAsk students to stop reading after the firstchapter, and have them briefly identify thechapter topic in the lefthand column of theircharts.Then have them list pertinentsupporting details in the righthand column.Have students continue this note-takingprocess for subsequent chapters.You maywish to have students focus on a particulargrammar or usage issue as they read. Forexample, you could have them list and discussthe author’s use of plurals and possessives.
Revisit the BookAsk students to name each type of pollutantmentioned in the book. Have them tell whateffects it causes. Provide time for groups ofstudents to complete the two experimentsin the book and discuss their results.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an essay in which theydescribe the ways they can help to keep ourair clean.� VOCABULARYDistribute copies of the blackline master,Idea Web on page 70. Ask pairs of studentsto choose one of the vocabulary words andwrite it in the central oval.Together they cancomplete the web by writing supportingdetails in the outer bubbles.1+2MATHHave students do research online or in analmanac to find information about the airquality in five American cities. Have them use the data they gathered to make a bargraph. Guide them to give their graphs atitle, to choose a reasonable scale for thevertical axis, and to label all parts fully.Have students write a descriptive paragraphthat summarizes the information their graphs show.
18
Denali National Park
By David Petersen
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–910LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs and maps, glossary, indexVocabulary: preserve,Arctic Circle, glacier, zone,taiga, timberline, moist tundra, alpine tundra
SummaryDenali National Park and Preserve is one ofthe most beautiful places on the planet.When visiting is not an option, the next bestthing is reading the True Book on Denali tolearn all about the park and its inhabitants.While reading, you can marvel at the colorfulphotographs of its enormous snow-coveredpeaks, its glorious forests and meadows, andits majestic wildlife.
FYIMaterialsSticky notes, cut into stripsPolitical map of Alaska (a road atlas)
GUIDED READING
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.01 Describe and compare several common ecosystems. 1.03 Explain why an ecosystem can support avariety of organisms. 1.04 Discuss and determine the role of light, temperature, and soil composition in anecosystem’s capacity to support life. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 1.06 Explainand evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems like habitat reduction due to development.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal. 3.06 Conduct research from a variety of sourcesfor assigned or self-selected projects. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Context cluesCritical Stance: Cause and effect, compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
19
Introduce the BookHave students examine the cover photo ofthe park.Ask them to name or describewhat they see in the photo.Then ask themto predict what kinds of animals might livethere and what attributes they might sharein order to survive in that rugged region.Next take a picture walk through the book.Guide students to identify the title page, thetable of contents, the glossary, and the index.
Discuss with students the differencebetween a fact and an opinion.Talk aboutwords that signal one or the other. Invitestudents to provide a few facts and a fewopinions for practice.
Read the BookAs students read, guide them to look forfacts the author provides and for statementsthat are opinions. Direct them to identifypassages that contain opinions by attaching asticky note to them.
Revisit the BookAsk students to compare and contrast theDenali National Park landscape and climatewith those of a desert region, grasslandregion, or rainforest. Students can refer toother books in the series for supportingideas: Saguaro National Park, Grand CanyonNational Park, Grasslands, Rain Forests, and OneDay in the Prairie.
Next have students form groups. Have themshare and discuss the author’s opinions thatthey identified. Have groups discuss ways todistinguish these opinions from facts.Youmay wish to challenge students to choose
facts from the book and demonstrate howto change them into opinions.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGNational parks such as Denali are wild placesthat are not safe to navigate without followingpark rules and using common sense. Havestudents use information they have learnedfrom reading this book, and their own priorknowledge and experience, to prepare aVisitor’s Safety Guide—an organized list ofsafety tips for national park visitors.1+2MATHDenali National Park is enormous. It has sixmillion acres.Tell students that 640 acresequals one square mile.Ask: How would youconvert 6 million acres to square miles? (Divideby 640) Then have students do research todiscover the size of other national parks inthe United States.Tell them to record whatthey found in a table. Direct them then to usethe information in their table to create a bargraph or pictograph that compares nationalpark sizes. Students can use the national parkwebsite to find the data they need.
�SOCIAL STUDIESStudents have read that the Iditarod is a longsled race from Anchorage,Alaska to Nome,Alaska. Show these cities on the map.Thenhave students do research to learn about theinteresting origin and history of this annualevent. Have them make a map of the routeand have them find out who Balto was andwho Susan Butcher is.
20
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.01 Describe and compare several common ecosystems. 1.03 Explain why an ecosystem can support avariety of organisms. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 1.06 Explain and evaluatesome ways that humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by seekingadditional information. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal. 3.06 Conduct research from a varietyof sources for assigned or self-selected projects.Cognition: Text featuresCritical Stance: Compare and contrast
GrasslandsBy Darlene R. Stille
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–30; GRL–NFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, map, glossary, indexVocabulary: grassland, prairie, steppe, Dust Bowl,savanna
SummaryWhat do wheat, corn, rice, barley, rye, andoats have in common? Right—they are alltypes of grass! Yes, like other animals, wehumans eat grass. Learn facts like this one in this informative book filled with colorfulphotos of prairies, steppes, savannas, and the animals that live there. Also read aboutthe steps people are taking to save thegrasslands and their inhabitants.
FYIGather readily available videos and DVDsshowing African game preserves, nationalparks and grasslands in the United States,and grasslands in other places. Show these to students to supplement the photos in the book.
MaterialsBlackline master: Grasslands, p. 71
GUIDED READING
21
Introduce the BookHave students examine the cover and take apicture walk through the book. Guide themto identify the title page, the table ofcontents, the glossary, and the index. Pointout the pages on which the author providesadditional sources of information, both forprint and online. Then copy and distributethe blackline master, Grasslands on page 71.
Read the BookHave students use the blackline master totake notes. Guide them to list the vegetation,animals, and weather words where theybelong in this graphic organizer. You maywish to point out, for example, that cheetahwould go in the box for Animal under thehead Savanna.
Revisit the BookThis book makes clear contrasts betweenthree distinct types of grasslands. Use thesedistinctions as an opportunity to discuss andpractice the concept of analogies. Use asimple analogy to get students underway, suchas: Cars are to roads as trains are to ____ .(tracks) Then challenge students to bothcreate and solve analogies like: Rabbits are toprairies as zebras are to ____. (savannas)
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an essay in which theycompare and contrast the vegetation,inhabitants, and climates of the threedifferent types of grasslands described in thebook. Students can refer to their blacklinemaster notes as they write. Guide them touse transitions to highlight the similaritiesand differences between regions. As needed,brainstorm a list of transitional words andphrases (compared to, on the other hand,similar to, in contrast, etc.).� VOCABULARYChallenge students to create a simplecrossword puzzle using the terms introducedin the book. Invite them to include the namesof the grasses and animals in their puzzles.
TECHNOLOGYTo learn more about grasslands, students canrefer to the books and websites listed in theTo Find Out More section of the book onpages 44 and 45.
cSCIENCEHave students choose one of the animalsthat inhabits a kind of grassland discussed inthe book. Encourage them to pick an animalthey have either never heard of or knowlittle about. Direct students to do researchto find out how that animal adapts to life inits grassland habitat. Have students sharetheir findings with classmates.
22
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers,consumers, decomposers. 1.03 Explain why an ecosystem can support a variety of organisms. 1.06 Explain andevaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development. 2.06 Identify and usemodels, maps, and aerial photographs as ways of representing landforms.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions and seeking additional information. 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provideevidence by referencing the text. 2.09 Listen actively and critically by asking questions.Critical Stance: Cause and effect
The Great Kapok Tree
By Lynne Cherry
Book FeaturesGenre: Environmental fictionLevels: DRA™–40; GRL–R; Lexile® Measure–670LFormat: 40 pages, informational text, maps, drawingsVocabulary: tropical rain forest, temperate rainforest, canopy, understory, kapok tree, pollinate,underbrush, oxygen
SummaryThis colorful and beautifully illustrated bookhelps to grab children’s attention whileaddressing the importance of tropicalrainforests and the dangers facing them. Alogger who falls asleep under a kapok treehears in his dream what the rainforestanimals say about the value of their precioushabitat. Their pleas present a thoughtfulargument for protecting and preservingthese valuable resources. The author alsoprovides an easy-to-read map showing thelocations of the world’s tropical rainforests,as well as pictures of several of the animalsthat inhabit those forests.
FYIGather assorted photographs andillustrations of rain forests and the creaturesthat live in them to supplement the author’sartwork.
MaterialsBlackline master: Rainforest Layer Chart,
p. 72
READ ALOUD
23
Introduce the BookRead the full title of the book. Then showstudents the book’s cover, as well as the mapof rain forests around the world. Elicit priorknowledge by asking: What do you alreadyknow about rain forests? In what ways arerainforests important? In what ways are they introuble? Before you begin to read, flipthrough the pages to give students a quicklook. Ask them to predict what the bookwill be about.
Read the BookWrite this question on the board: Why arerain forests so important to animals and peoplealike? As you read aloud, pause after everyspread so students can respond to thatquestion based on what they have just heard.
Revisit the BookAsk students to write five questionsindicating what else they would like to learnabout rain forests. Invite them to pursue twoor more of their questions by doingindependent research.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a persuasive essay givingtheir views on the importance of rain forestsand whether it is critical that they bepreserved. Invite students to supplement what
they know and have learned from this bookwith information they gather from Internetsources or science textbooks. Ask them tosuggest ways that students can participate inthe effort to save the rain forests.� VOCABULARY List the new vocabulary words on the board.Ask students to write each of them in asentence or two that shows their meaning.Invite students to refer to a dictionary orscience textbook to add to theirunderstanding of the terms.
TECHNOLOGYStudents may wish to learn more aboutrainforests. Here are some useful websites:
www.kidskonnect.com/Rainforest/RainforestHome.html
www.eagle.ca/~matink/themes/Biomes/rainfrst.html
www.mongabay.com/1001.htm
cSCIENCEDistribute copies of the blackline master,Rain Forest Layer Chart on page 72. Havestudents use it for listing all the animals thatappear in the story. Have them record eachanimal in the layer in which it primarily lives.
24
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers,consumers, decomposers. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem.Language Arts: 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provide evidence by referencingthe text. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Cause and effectCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Land Predators ofNorth America
By Erin Pembrey Swan
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–40; GRL–RFormat: 48 pages, informational text, photographs,diagrams, charts, labeled drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: predator, order, carnassial teeth,retractile claws, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genera,species, carnivore, habitat, alpha male, camouflage
SummaryIf you’ve ever seen a nature video showing alarge black bear snagging a salmon from astream with its teeth, then you’ve seen a landpredator doing what a land predator does.Read this book to learn more about theways of these mammals, and see someterrific photos in the process!
FYIMaterialsSticky notes cut into 1/2-inch wide stripsGrid paper and rulers
Introduce the BookSeeing the colorful photos of the animals willlikely make students want to read on, sohave them flip through the book before theyread it. Then direct them to the contentspage. Elicit from them that the information inthe book is arranged by habitats. Guidestudents to notice that the author providesgeneral information about predators beforeshe focuses on those in the differenthabitats. In addition, direct students to findand skim the pages on which the authorprovides additional sources of informationboth in print and online.
GUIDED READING
25
Read the BookDirect students to read the book a sectionat a time. As they read, have them look forways that predators adapt to theirenvironments and hunt for food. Providestudents with sticky notes cut into 1/2-inchwide strips for this purpose. Direct studentsto place a note with an A on it whereverthey spot a predator’s adaptation to itsenvironment. Have them place a note with aC on it each time they discover how ananimal seeks or captures its prey.
As students read, guide them to notice howthe author uses m-dashes, commas, andcolons, when giving explanations and listingactivities and animals.
Revisit the BookHave students form groups. Direct thegroups to discuss ways in which thepredators in different habitats are alike andways in which they are different in how theyget their food.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students choose a predator that ismentioned in the book. Pose questions suchas: If ____ (name of predator) became extinct,how would that affect the other animals in theregion? How would the food chain be affected?How would that impact the animals they preyon, as well as the animals who prey on them?Would it affect the environment? Encouragestudents to do additional research both onthe Internet and in books, and have themwrite two or three paragraphs in responseto the questions asked.
� VOCABULARY Invite students to do research and learnmore about the other kingdoms mentionedon pages 8 and 9: plant, fungus, moneran, andprotist. Ask them to make a chart in whichthey provide examples of and informationabout these creatures.
cSCIENCEHave students make a chart in which theylink each predator with its favorite foodsand/or means of getting those foods.
Ask students to make a two-column chart inwhich they compare and contrast theattributes of the different land predatorsdescribed in the book.
Invite students to select one of thesepredators and do research to learn evenmore about it.1+2MATHHave students use the data provided in thebook to make a bar graph or pictograph thatshows the differences in size among thepredators. Have them write summaries ofthe data their graph’s show. If studentscreate pictographs, guide them to choose areasonable symbol to use and remind themto include a key. If they make bar graphs,guide them to choose a sensible scale and increments.
26
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers,consumers, decomposers. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 1.06 Explain and evaluatesome ways that humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development. 2.01 Identify and analyze forcesthat cause change in landforms over time including water and ice, wind, and gravity.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by drawingon personal, literary, and cultural understandings. 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations andprovide evidence by referencing the text. 2.09 Listen actively and critically by asking questions, delving deeper intothe topic, elaborating on the information and ideas presented, and making inferences and drawing conclusions. 4.09Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Making comparisonsCritical Stance: Making inferencesConnections: Text to world
One Day in the Prairie
By Jean Craighead George
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–800LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, drawings andlabeled drawings, indexVocabulary: prairie, bottomland, wildlife refuge,burrow, biotic community, pampas, llanos, steppes,velds, glaciers, drought, deluge, breeding season, winddevil, migrate, stampede
SummaryJoin a photographer and his son as theyattempt to capture life at the Prairie WildlifeRefuge. Listen to the author’s vividdescriptions of exciting encounters betweentwo male elk, two buffalo bulls, a wasp and atarantula, and a bird of prey and the animalsit seeks. Also witness a powerful tornado asexperienced through the eyes and ears ofthe inhabitants of the grasslands.
FYIGather assorted photographs of prairies andtheir inhabitants to supplement the author’sdrawings.The National Geographic Societyand other organizations have videos aboutlife on the prairie that can be ordered.
MaterialsMaps of United States and OklahomaPoster board or card stock
READ ALOUD
27
Introduce the BookHave students share what they know aboutprairies and life on the grasslands. Askstudents who have visited prairies todescribe the sights, sounds, and smells. Pointout prairies in the United States on a mapand particularly where the Prairie WildlifeRefuge is in southwestern Oklahoma. Nextshow the cover of the book. Ask studentsto identify everything they see. Then informstudents that this book is an example ofnature writing. Tell them that the author’sgoal is to provide information about theprairie ecosystem.
Read the BookAs you read, stop frequently to reviewconcepts and vocabulary terms and show thepictures. Have students paraphrase some ofthe passages you read to assesscomprehension. Invite them to ask questionsabout or comment on the material.
Revisit the BookAsk students to describe ways the authormade descriptions of prairie life dramaticand exciting. Ask them to tell their views onthis kind of “storytelling” approach toscience writing.Then have students compareand contrast the American prairie habitatwith that of other grasslands, deserts, orrainforests. (See Saguaro National Park,Grasslands,The Great Kapok Tree, and RainForests, all of which are books in this series.)
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students use their prior knowledge, aswell as what they learned from this book, towrite about a moment they mightexperience or an event they might witnesson the American prairie. Encourage them toinclude vivid, precise descriptions andsensory details. Invite students to givedramatic readings of their passages.
TECHNOLOGYThere are several online sites students canvisit to learn more about efforts to save ourprairies and their inhabitants. Invite studentsto write to one of these organizations,contributing their own ideas and opinions onthe importance of protecting the prairiebiotic community and asking what they cando to help.
�SOCIAL STUDIESDiscuss with students how the prairies wereonce filled with huge buffalo herds. Inviteinterested students to do research and learnmore about how and why the numbers ofthese creatures have dwindled over time.Youcan also invite them to learn more aboutwho cowboys were, and ask them how theyinfluenced life on our prairies.
28
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers,consumers, decomposers. 1.03 Explain why an ecosystem can support a variety of organisms. 1.06 Explain andevaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development and pollutants. 2.06Identify and use models, maps, and aerial photographs as ways of representing landforms.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening and viewing by seekingadditional information.Cognition: Taking notesCritical Stance: Compare and contrast
Rain ForestsBy Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–24-28; GRL–M; Lexile® Measure–730LFormat: 124 pages, photographs, maps, diagrams,labeled drawings, captions, glossary, indexVocabulary: equator, strata, canopy, emergents,interdependence, epiphytes, fungi, predators, prey,camouflage, nocturnal, atmosphere, carbon dioxide,endangered species, extinct
SummaryThis well-organized, informative researchguide uses seven chapters to describe rainforests.The chapters discuss the layers thatsupport the lives of animals and plants, theresources rain forests provide, the problemsrain forests face, and the measures beingtaken to preserve them. In addition theauthors offer useful suggestions for learningmore about rain forests and for how to domore to protect them.
FYIGather assorted photographs of rain forestsand their inhabitants to supplement theauthors’ drawings and photos.
MaterialsBlackline master: Rain Forest Layer Chart,
p. 72Index cardsGrid paperCentimeter and/or inch ruler
READ ALOUD
29
Introduce the BookShow the cover of the book. Guide studentsto notice that this book is a research guide.Discuss what a research guide is. Point outthat one reason that authors write is toprovide information in a way that is easy touse. Duplicate and distribute the blacklinemaster, Rain Forest Layer Chart on page 72.Ask students to describe what they thinkdifferentiates one layer from another. Tellstudents to keep this question in mind asthey listen.
Read the BookAs you read, stop frequently to reviewconcepts and terms the book introduces.Discuss the great differences in size amongthe plants and animals of the rain forest. Inaddition provide time for students to recordon their charts the names of plants andanimals in the layer in which they mostly live.If you have additional photos or pictures,show them as you read.
Revisit the BookHave students compare their charts withthose of classmates to see that they haveplaced the plants and animals in the layers inwhich they belong.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a letter to the editor ofa local newspaper giving their views on whythey think it is or is not important to saverain forests from further development.Encourage them to include specific detailsfrom the book to support their arguments.
� VOCABULARYThere is a lot of new vocabulary in thisbook. Have students record each unknownterm on an index card and write itsdefinition on the back. Pairs or small groupscan use these as flash cards with which toreview and reinforce the terms’ meanings.1+2MATHAnimals of the rainforest vary dramatically in size, from tiny stick insects to giantcrocodiles.To help students appreciate therange of these differences, have them makesimple scale drawings on graph paper of someof these creatures. Help students to come upwith a reasonable scale (i.e., 1 unit = 1 ft, or 1 cm = 2 ft) to use for their drawings.
cSCIENCE• Invite students to do research on the
Internet or in science books to learn moreabout the many products made fromrainforest resources. Then have themsurvey the “gifts” from the rain forest thatthey have in their homes. Have studentscompare findings.
• Invite students to do research to compareand contrast the plants, animals, andenvironments of temperate rain forests inthe Pacific Northwest with those oftropical rain forests.
30
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.06 Explain and evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems by pollutants. 1.07 Determine howmaterials are recycled in nature.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions. 4.09 Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
RecyclingBy Rhonda Lucas Donald
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–30; GRL–N; Lexile® Measure–960LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, graph, glossary, indexVocabulary: landfill, groundwater, degrade, incinerator,“zapped” trash, compost, organic, fertilizer, toxic
SummaryHow much garbage do we create? What arethe three R’s of recycling? Find the answersto these and other questions about trashand recycling in this book. Hopefully somestudents will be encouraged to follow theauthor’s advice and will take a moreproactive approach toward the amount oftrash they make and the way they dispose of it.
FYIThe United States Environmental ProtectionAgency at www.epa.gov/ is a valuable sourceof information.The site includes worthwhileactivities for kids.
Introduce the BookHave students look at the cover of the book.Elicit their ideas about what they think theywill find inside. Then ask them to read thetable of contents and add to theirpredictions. Next, reminding them that theyhave read other books in the True Book series(if they have), ask students to identify whatfeatures they expect to find in the book.Review the glossary, the index, and the Meetthe Author page.
GUIDED READING
31
Read the BookAs students read, have them think about andcompare and contrast the different methodsof recycling. Have them jot down ideas thatsurprised, confused, or amused them. Havestudents record any questions that arise asthey read.
Revisit the BookAsk students to form groups. Have thegroups discuss ways the author has helpedreaders appreciate the issue of trash and thesimilarities and differences in how peoplerecycle their garbage. Direct students todiscuss the ideas they raised and questionsthey formulated as they read. As a class,discuss ways for students to find additionalinformation about trash and recycling as wellas answers to their questions.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an expository essay inwhich they summarize the key ideas in eachof the book’s sections, including the To FindOut More section.� VOCABULARY Ask students to analyze new words, andidentify those that are compound words,those from which verbs can be made, thosethat are adjectives or adverbs, those that can be either nouns or verbs, and so on.Students can present their results in a wordweb, a chart, or an organized list.
TECHNOLOGYAsk: Where can you recycle in yourneighborhood? What kinds of things are you legally supposed to recycle in yourneighborhood? Have students do onlineresearch to answer these questions.1+2MATHHave student pairs look back at the circlegraph (pie chart) on page 7. Challenge themto estimate what fraction (or percent, ifstudents can use them) each category oftrash is of all our trash. Have them compareand defend their answers. (One way to findthe exact answers is to use a protractor tomeasure the central angle of each sector, andto compute that fraction/percent of 360, thenumber of degrees in a circle.)
cSCIENCEAlabama has 15 and New Jersey has 115, butNorth Dakota doesn’t have any hazardouswaste sites. Have students do research tofind out what hazardous waste is, how itdiffers from the waste that they and theirfamilies create, and how and where it istreated in the United States.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.01 Describe and compare several common ecosystems. 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions oforganisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers, consumers, decomposers. 1.03 Explain why an ecosystemcan support a variety of organisms. 1.04 Discuss and determine the role of light, temperature, and soil composition inan ecosystem’s capacity to support life. 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading by making predictions, formulatingquestions and seeking additional information. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal. 3.06 Conductresearch from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects.Critical Stance: Cause and effect, compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Saguaro NationalPark
By David Petersen
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–OFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs and maps, glossary, indexVocabulary: desert, Sonoran Desert, saguaro cactus,desert wash
SummaryIf you can’t visit the starkly beautiful SonoranDesert of southern Arizona, you can do thenext best thing: read this book and marvel atthe colorful scenes of cacti and mountains itpresents. It’s a great way to “visit” the regionand meet all its many inhabitants.
FYIFor a rich and clever look at the life of asaguaro cactus, read Cactus Hotel by BrendaGuiberson from the Grade 3 series.
Materials3-inch by 3-inch sticky notesPolitical map of Arizona, such as a road atlasSpanish/English dictionary
Introduce the BookHave students examine the cover. Ask themto name or describe the plants they see inthe photo. Then ask them to predict whatkinds of animals might live in that ruggedregion and what attributes all might need inorder to survive. Next take a picture walk
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through the book. Guide students to identifythe title page, the table of contents, theglossary, and the index. Ask them to find thepages on which the author providesadditional sources of information, both printand online.
Read the BookAs students read, have them look foradaptations plants and animals make in orderto flourish in the hot, dry, harsh desertlandscape. Provide students with sticky notescut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Direct them toplace a note with an A on it wherever theyspot a plant or creature’s adaptation to theenvironment. Have students place a notewith a C on it each time they find a causefor adaptation.
Revisit the BookAsk students to compare and contrast theSonoran Desert habitat with that of agrassland region such as a plain, steppe,or prairie.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students refer to their cause andadaptation notes to write a cause-and-effectparagraph. The passage can describe arelationship between an animal or plant andits environment, or any other relationshipamong creatures gleaned from their reading.� VOCABULARYWords like saguaro and cholla areSpanish/Mexican in origin. Have studentsexamine a map of Arizona to find 10 other
examples of towns, roads, geographic regionsand waterways whose names also come fromlanguages other than English. Challenge themto use a Spanish/English dictionary and othersources to locate the original meanings ofthe terms.
cSCIENCEThe saguaro and the cholla are only two ofmany cacti that thrive in the SonoranDesert. What are some others? Havestudents find out by visiting the Web site forthe Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix,Arizona at: www.dbg.org/center_dl/desert_house_toc.html. Invite students to create ashort picture book with captioned drawingsof the cacti.
�SOCIAL STUDIESStudents are now familiar with theadaptations that plants and animals havemade to the harsh life in the desert. Howeverpeople live there too, and have done so formany, many years. Direct students to doresearch and learn more about early humaninhabitants of the American Southwestdeserts. Guide them to look for how peopleadapted to the desert environment.
TECHNOLOGYYou can visit to the Arizona Office ofTourism at www.arizonaguide.com/, or theNational Park Service at www.nps.gov/sagu/for more information about SaguaroNational Park and nearby sites of interest.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 1.06 Explain and evaluate some waysthat humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development and pollutants.Language Arts: 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal and problem-solution. 4.09 Producework that follows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextCritical Stance: Compare and contrast, cause and effectConnections: Text to world
Sea Otter RescueBy Roland Smith
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–44; GRL–W; Lexile® Measure–1160LFormat: 64 pages, informational text, captionedphotographs, glossary, indexVocabulary: Exxon Valdez, supertanker, refinery, oilboom, sea otter, Mustelidae, marine mammal, thermo-regulation, hypothermia, metabolic rate, fish tote
SummaryIt was the largest oil spill in the history ofthe United States, a supertanker crashed andpoured gallons of oil into the pristine watersof Prince William Sound. This environmentalcatastrophe jeopardized the lives of all thebirds, fish, sea mammals, and other animalsinhabiting those waters and shores. Thisbook tells the story of the spill’s aftermath,focusing on what has been done and is beingdone to save the population of sea ottersthat call Prince William Sound home.
FYIMaterialsMap of North America and one of AlaskaBlackline master: Venn diagram, p. 73Vegetable oilSmall bowlYarn
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Introduce the BookPreview the book by flipping through it withstudents. Guide them to notice that, asexpected, there is a table of contents, aglossary, and an index. Direct students to theAuthor’s Note on pages 6 and 7. Ask themto explain why they think some bookscontain these sections.
Then preview the concept of text coding usingstrips of sticky notes. Guide students to usean asterisk (*) for important data, a capital Lfor something learned, and a question mark (?)for parts that are confusing.
Read the BookHave students read the first chapter andmake a timeline of the events leading up toand including the spill and its clean-up. Afterthey finish the second chapter distribute theblackline master,Venn diagram, on page 73.Ask them to compare the characteristics ofsea otters with other sea mammals. Studentscan complete their diagrams by doingadditional research on sea mammals such aswhales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals. ForChapters 3, 4, and 5, students can use stickynotes to practice coding the text. Guidethem to limit the use of * coding to threeor fewer key ideas per page.
Revisit the BookHave students get into small groups. Askthem to discuss the ideas from Chapter 1 byfocusing on cause and effect relationships.Have them look back together at Chapter 2by sharing and talking about their Venndiagrams. Finally they should talk about what
information they coded in Chapters 3, 4,and 5.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write business letters toexecutives at large oil companies asking whatthey have done and are doing to preventtragedies like that in the Prince William Sound.
TECHNOLOGYThe Exxon Valdez oil spill happened more than15 years ago. Students may wish to learnmore about the plight of sea otters since thattime, or they may be interested in learningabout other environmental disasters and theanimals they affected. Encourage them to usethe Internet to pursue either idea.
cSCIENCETo help students better understand how theoil stuck to the otters, do the followingdemonstration: Pour vegetable oil into asmall bowl of cold water. Then make apompom out of yarn (by wrapping the yarnseveral times around a small object and thentying it together) and place it in the bowl.Move the pompom around as if it were anotter swimming. After a few “laps,” takeyour otter out. Have students describe whatit looks like.1+2MATHThe oil slick from the crash of the ExxonValdez covered an area of 32 square milesinitially. To help students gain a clearer ideaof the size of that spill, have them use a mapof your state to identify a region with thatsame area.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.06 Explain and evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems by pollutants. 1.07 Determine howmaterials are recycled in nature. 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including the processes of evaporation,condensation, precipitation, and run-off.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions. 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provide evidence by referencing the text.Cognition: Main idea, supporting detailsInterpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Cause and effectConnections: Text to world
Water PollutionBy Rhonda Lucas Donald
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–30; GRL–N; Lexile® Measure–940LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs and map, diagram, glossary, indexVocabulary: evaporate, atmosphere, water cycle,water vapor, groundwater, pollutant, acid rain, bacteria,virus, wetlands, erosion, phosphates, compost
SummaryThis short yet informative book sheds lighton the key environmental problem of waterpollution.Within well-organized, easy-to-follow sections, the author examines thesources and effects of water pollution, andsuggests what people can do to help cleanup and conserve water. The book alsoprovides an experiment students can do tounderstand how a wetland works.
FYIStudents can do the wetland demonstrationas an extension activity. Gather the materialsthey will need in advance (first five in the listthat follows).
MaterialsShallow panSpongeSpoon of dirtCup of waterEmpty cupBlackline master: Idea Web, p. 70Map of east coast of the United States
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Introduce the BookBrainstorm what students already knowabout water pollution—what it is and whatcauses it. Have students flip through thebook. Ask them to infer from the photoswhat the text may address. Also guidestudents to notice the table of contents, theglossary, and the index. Then have studentsprepare for reading by making a two-columnchart. Have them label the columns Topicand Details.
Read the BookAsk students to stop reading after the firstchapter. Guide them to briefly identify thechapter topic in the left column, and to listpertinent supporting details in the rightcolumn. Have students continue this note-taking process for subsequent chapters.
You may wish to have students focus on aparticular grammar or usage issue as theyread. For example, you might discuss theconcept of suffixes and direct students to beon the lookout for words with suffixes (suchas -ed, -ant, -ing, -er, and -able) as they read.Guide them to note how the suffixes changethe meanings of words.
Revisit the BookInvite pairs to compare their Topic andDetails charts. Encourage them to discussdifferences in their choices of chapter topicsand supporting details.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a persuasive essay onthe importance of keeping our water supplyclean. Remind them to include a thesisstatement in the opening paragraph, tosupport their views with facts and details,and to conclude as memorably as they can.Remind students to take notes and organizethem prior to writing.� VOCABULARYDistribute copies of the blackline master,Idea Web on page 70. Ask pairs of studentsto choose one of the vocabulary words andwrite it in the central oval. Together theycan complete the web by writing supportingdetails in the outer ovals. Guide students toadd to what they learned about the term bydoing research in a dictionary or othersource. Have them repeat the process forfour more new terms.
cSCIENCE• Have pairs of students do the wetland
experiment on page 31. Have them sharetheir results with classmates.
• Invite students to identify ways that theirfamilies reduce (or can reduce) the amountof water they waste.
• Invite students to make a posterhighlighting ways to conserve water.
�SOCIAL STUDIESHow large a disaster was the Exxon Valdez oilspill? The damaged area was 1300 miles inlength. To gain a better appreciation of howlarge that is, students can study a map of theUnited States to see how far Boston,Massachusetts is from Tampa, Florida.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.02 Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem: producers.1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including theprocesses of evaporation and precipitation. 3.06 Discuss and determine the influence of geography on weather andclimate: sea breezes, water bodies.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing bysupporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources. 4.09 Produce work thatfollows the conventions of particular genres.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Compare and contrast
What Makes anOcean Wave?By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–NR; Lexile® Measure–870LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, diagram, labeleddrawings, indexVocabulary: crest, tsunami, gulf, bay, submersible,tides, ocean currents, oceanographer, plankton, diatom,krill, gills, wetland, algae, tidal pool, coral reef
SummaryHow high was the highest wave on record? Dofish sleep? What causes high tides? Why is theocean blue? In this lively, fact-filled question-and-answer book, readers will find answersto these and other questions about oceansand ocean life. Some of the answers are trulyamazing. Read and find out about the 50-footlong oarfish, or learn that it would take aheavy rock more than an hour to reach theocean bottom at its deepest!
FYIThere is a great deal of numerical data inthis book, much of it expressed using themetric system. You may need to discuss and
expand upon the Key to Abbreviations on thetable of contents page. You may also need toreview the meaning of percent, and discussthe magnitude of such key percents as 10%,25%, 50%, 75%, etc.
MaterialsBlackline master: The Oceans and Us, p. 74
Introduce the BookHave students flip through the book to seethat this is another in the Question andAnswer series. Guide them to read any onequestion and its answer and look at therelated illustration. Then have students lookat the table of contents to see that thequestions and answers are organized into
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three sections. They also will notice a Key toAbbreviations on the page.Ask: Why do youthink the authors have provided this feature?Then have a volunteer read aloud theIntroduction on page 3. Focus on the lastparagraph, and hand out copies of theblackline master, The Oceans and Us, on page 74. Have students discuss ways in whichwe depend on the ocean and ways in whichthe future of the oceans is in our hands.
Read the BookLook over the blackline master withstudents. Explain that the heads of eachcolumn are the titles of the book’s threesections. Guide students to begin reading thebook but to stop when they finish the firstsection. Instruct them to use the chart torecord key ways that people and oceansdepend on one another. In addition ask themto write down what they see as the mostinteresting fact they came across in theirreading. They can mark that fact with anasterisk (*). Have them continue to read andrecord in that manner throughout the book.
Revisit the BookHave students form groups. Direct studentsto share and discuss the notes and facts theyrecorded on their charts. In addition havethem discuss their views on the question-and-answer format, ask: Was this an effectiveway of getting across information? Have themidentify topics about which they would liketo learn more.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a review of this book.Discuss that in a book review the writerdoes not only criticize or praise a book; heor she must also provide a full description ofa book’s style, format, and content. Guidestudents to include examples that supporttheir descriptions, comments, and views.Point out that a book review can includerecommendations as well as suggestions for improvements.� VOCABULARYThis book introduces several new terms.Some are compound words. Guide students torecognize that a compound word is a wordmade up of two smaller words, and that itsmeaning may often be derived from thewords that comprise it.You may wish to usethis opportunity to teach about the threedifferent kinds of compound words: open(shore bird), closed (wetland) andhyphenated (warm-blooded).1+2MATHThis book is filled with numerical data aboutoceans and ocean life. Challenge students touse the data to create a cross-number puzzlein which each answer is a number, and eachclue is either a fact or a fact with a missingnumber. For instance: On average the depth ofthe ocean’s sunlight zone is ____ feet. (600)Or: About what percent of all ocean plants andanimals live in the sunlight zone? (90)
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 1.05 Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. 1.06 Explain and evaluate some waysthat humans affect ecosystems by habitat reduction due to development.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Where Have All thePandas Gone?By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–810LFormat: 48 pages, question-and-answer format,labeled drawings, indexVocabulary: endangered vs. threatened animals,extinction, poacher, habitat, Everglades
SummaryIn this question-and-answer book, readerswill find answers to more than seventyquestions about pandas and otherendangered species. It explains whywhooping cranes are endangered, what hashappened to all the brown pelicans, and whatpeople are doing to save sea otters.Vividillustrations of the creatures and theirhabitats accompany the text.
FYIGather assorted books about endangered orextinct animals to supplement students’reading. An almanac will provide acomprehensive list of endangered andthreatened animals.
Introduce the BookPoint out the table of contents and index,and discuss the function of each in anonfiction book. Have students notice howthe book is divided into three sections,according to where animals live. Invitestudents to predict which animals they willfind discussed in the book’s pages. Thenfocus students’ attention on the Introductionpages to set a purpose for reading.
Ask volunteers to read each question and theanswer provided. Invite students to discussand perhaps add to these answers using theirown prior knowledge. Ask them to predictwhat more this book might explain aboutpandas and other endangered animals. Thenguide students to flip through the book and
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notice that the same set of three questions isposed for each endangered animal, with someslight variations.
Read the BookHave students read the whole book, pausingafter reading about the predicament andstatus of each animal. After they read aboutan animal, students should pair up andsummarize the information provided. Invitethem to record any additional questions orcomments that come to mind as they read.
Revisit the BookHave students share what they have learnedfrom their reading and discussions. Forexample, they can talk about the mostcommon causes for the endangerment of aspecies and predictions for their futuresurvival. Invite students to raise any questionsthey formulated while discussing their readingwith partners. Talk about where to findanswers to students’ questions, and assignresearch to interested students, having themreport back on their findings.
You may also wish to have studentscomment on the question-and-answerformat of the book. Have them compare itwith books written in the more familiarinformation-providing style of textbooks,magazines, and articles they read.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a summary of whatpeople can do, both specifically and generally,to help animals survive.
� VOCABULARYHave students choose one endangeredanimal either from the book or fromanother source, and ask them to summarizethe plight of that creature in a paragraph ortwo. Paragraphs should incorporate severalof the new terms introduced in the book;instruct students to highlight the newvocabulary they use.
cSCIENCE• Like the all-too-familiar flightless dodo,
many species of animals are worse thanendangered; they are extinct. Challengestudents to do research and come up witha “top ten” list of extinct animals. Leave thecriteria for inclusion on the list to studentsthemselves. Direct students to be preparedto justify why each animal deserves to beon their list.
• Some species are neither extinct norendangered. In fact they have been alive forcenturies.Think about the crocodiles orthe coelacanth, for example, which go backto the time of the dinosaurs. Challengestudents to do research on which insectsand animals have been around the longest.Students can post their discoveries, withpictures, on a class Very Old Animals bulletinboard display.
TECHNOLOGYStudents can contact the Fish and WildlifeService of the U. S. Dept. of the Interior atwww.fws.gov/ for more information onendangered and threatened species.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions, formulating questions, supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or othersources. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal.Cognition Main IdeaCritical Stance Compare and contrast, cause and effectConnections: Text to world
Are MountainsGrowing Taller?
By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–670LFormat: 48 pages, question-and-answer format, maps,diagrams, labeled drawings, indexVocabulary: continental drift, crust, plates, mantle,magma, rift, volcano, lava, fault, seaquakes, erosion,topsoil, delta, desert, drought, glacier, ice age
SummaryIs the ocean floor changing? What makesmountains grow? When do landslides occur?What will Earth look like in 10,000 years? Inthis lively, fact-filled question-and-answerbook, readers will find answers to more thanseventy questions like these. The questions,and fully explained answers, are aboutmountains and our ever-changing planet.Vivid illustrations and large, clear diagramshelp to clarify many of the ways that forceswear down and build up landforms.
FYIMaterialsPoster paperHardboiled egg, unpeeledKnife
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Introduce the BookPoint out the table of contents (including theKey to Abbreviations) and the index, and discusstheir purpose in a nonfiction book. Thendivide students into four groups. Focusstudents’ attention on the Introduction page.Have a volunteer read the page aloud asstudents follow along in their seats. Point tothe four bulleted questions, assigning one toeach group. Have students discuss thequestions within their groups and predict theanswers. Ask them to explain what theycould do to find the answers within this book.(Use the table of contents and the index.)
Create a K-W-L (What We Know;What WeWant to Know;What We Learned) chart on apiece of poster paper. Complete the K andW columns with students before reading the book.
Read the BookHave students read the whole book. As theyread, students should identify and try tomake sure they understand the many keygeological terms that appear. As needed,they can look these up in the glossary to geta better understanding of their meanings.
Revisit the BookFill in the L column with the class aboutwhat they have learned and discuss thecompleted chart. Then have the groupsrevisit the question assigned to them,comparing what they knew then with whatthey know now. Have groups present theiranswers to the class.
Extend the LessonaWRITING• Ask students to write an essay in which
they compare informational books writtenin the question-and-answer format withnonfiction books written in other formats.
• Have students imagine that they are thereto witness an event such as an earthquakeor seaquake, a volcanic eruption, a drought,a landslide, or a mudflow. Have them writea paragraph that vividly and accuratelydescribes the experience. Guide studentsto use precise language and to draw upontheir five senses in their descriptions.
� VOCABULARYGuide students to recognize that some ofthe key terms in this book can be groupedtogether. The different kinds of mountainranges (fold, fault-block), the different kinds ofvolcanoes (cinder cone, shield, composite), thehuge landforms of the past (Pangea, Laurasia,Gondwanaland), and the different kinds ofrocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) aresome examples. Have students choose agroup of related terms. Ask them to write apassage in which they make clear thesimilarities and differences among theirselected group of terms.
cSCIENCETo provide a model of the Earth’s layers,take an unpeeled hardboiled egg and cut it in half. Point out to students that theeggshell represents the crust; the egg white,the mantle; and the egg yolk, the core ofour planet.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by drawing onpersonal, literary, and cultural understandings and seeking additional information.Critical Stance: Cause and effectConnections: Text to world
EarthquakesBy Paul P. Sipiera
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–24-28; GRL–MFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs and drawings, diagrams, maps, graphs,glossary, indexVocabulary: crust, mantle, core, basalt, sedimentaryrock, magma, convection, plates, fault, focus, epicenter,Richter scale, magnitude, aftershocks, tsunami
SummaryWe have all seen photos and video footageof the devastation earthquakes can cause.But what, exactly, are earthquakes? Why,when, and where do they occur? What canwe do to keep ourselves safe and to protectour homes and buildings from damage? Thiswell-organized book provides readers withanswers to those and other questions aboutthe causes and effects of earthquakes. Inaddition it offers a list of online resourcesand books to refer to in order to get more information.
FYIMaterialsFive 3 by 3 inch sticky notes per student Globe or world map
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Introduce the BookBegin by informing students that thedestructive tsunamis that caused so muchdeath and destruction in the Indian Oceanregion in late 2004 resulted from a hugeunderground earthquake.Then have students share their prior knowledge about earthquakes.
Next guide them to look first at the cover of the book and then at the table ofcontents. Have them read the chapter titlesto get a fuller sense about the range ofinformation the book provides. Then directstudents to the To Find Out More section,and finally to the glossary and index pages.Ask them to describe what they noticeabout the index page. (alphabetical; boldfacenumbers indicate word’s appearance inphoto or drawing captions)
Read the BookDiscuss the idea that nonfictioninformational books like this one will presentseveral important ideas. Hand out five 3-by-3inch sticky notes to students. Direct them toread the book all the way through.Then havethem skim through the book again to identifyfive key ideas about earthquakes. Askstudents to summarize each idea in asentence or two on a sticky note, and thenplace that note on the page in which theidea appears.
Revisit the BookHave students share their summaries withthe class. Ask them to discuss the value ofselecting and comparing the important ideasin a book.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a letter to a geologist atthe United States Geological Survey (USGS)asking for clarification or more informationabout earthquakes or topics related to them.For instance, students might want to knowmore about the meanings of the consecutivenumbers on the Richter scale. They can reachthe scientists there at http://www.walrus.wr.usgs.gov.� VOCABULARYAsk students to write an expositoryparagraph or two using at least five newvocabulary words from the book. Guide themto introduce the terms in sentences thatmake their meaning clear. Emphasize that allthe sentences in a paragraph should be aboutthe same idea or topic and organized so thatthe ideas are easy to follow.
�SOCIAL STUDIESHave pairs of students use an almanac orother source to see a list of the world’smost notable earthquakes. Direct them touse the list and a globe or map of the worldto see what they can learn about where themost significant quakes have occurred. Askstudents to write a paragraph or twosummarizing their findings. Have pairscompare results.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by formulatingquestions.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
ExtraordinaryVolcanoes
By Jackie Gaff
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–Q; Lexile® Measure–920LFormat: 32 pages, informational text, photographs,diagrams, maps, labeled drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: crust, mantle, magma, lava, outer core,inner core, vent, plates, Ring of Fire, pumice, dormant,fault, shock waves, tsunami,Volcanic Explosivity Index(VEI), Richter scale
SummaryWhat’s the Ring of Fire? What are shockwaves and tsunamis? Have there been anygrade 8 eruptions according to the VEI? Yourstudents will find answers to these questionsand others in this exciting book filled withfascinating photos, fabulous facts and funnycartoon figures. They will laugh at its comic-book style while learning at the same time.
FYIWhy Do Volcanoes Blow Their Tops?, AreMountains Growing Taller?, and Earthquakes arethree other books in this program thataddress volcanoes. Have students refer tothem for additional information.
READ ALOUD
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Introduce the BookAsk students to share what they alreadyknow about volcanoes. Invite them to askany questions they may have and would hopea book like this one would answer. Recordthese questions on the board.Then previewthe text, pictures, and illustrations withstudents. Point out the table of contents,glossary, and index. Show students theTrue/False quiz on pages 30 and 31. Workwith them to compare the features of thisbook with those of other books focusing on volcanoes.
Read the BookStop frequently while reading to discussinformation presented and to give students acloser look at the photos and cartoons. Askstudents to tell what they find fascinating orsurprising, and keep checking to see if thepages answer any of the questions studentsraised.You may wish to conclude by havingstudents take the True/False quiz to test howmuch they remember about the book and volcanoes.
Revisit the BookDue to the abundance of data the bookprovides, it may be helpful and effective forstudents to use thinking maps. For example, aflow chart is helpful in showing the sequenceof events during a volcanic eruption.
As a follow-up to the reading, students canform groups and create a top-ten list of themost important things to know aboutvolcanoes. Invite groups to present their liststo the class and compare.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an essay in which theycomment on the effectiveness of the lively,humorous tone and format of thisinformational book as compared to otherbooks about volcanoes.� VOCABULARYChallenge students to correctly use five newterms from the book in an expositoryparagraph about volcanoes.
�SOCIAL STUDIES• Students have learned (on page 29) about
the origin of the word volcano. Invite themdo research to find the origins of otherrelated geological or meteorological terms.
• Invite students to do research on some of the world’s most famous and/or mostdestructive volcanic eruptions. Have themwrite a brief report on one of these events.Encourage them to illustrate their reports.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity. 2.02 Investigate and discuss the role of the water cycle and how movement of water over andthrough the landscape helps shape land forms. 2.05 Discuss how the flow of water and the slope of the land affecterosion.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by drawingon personal, literary, and cultural understandings and seeking additional information. 2.05 Evaluate inferences,conclusions, and generalizations and provide evidence by referencing the text. 2.09 Listen actively and critically byasking questions.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
FloodsBy Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–24-28; GRL–MFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: earthquake, tsunami, typhoon, canyon,current, riverbed, silt, levee
SummaryAre floods always disastrous? The six, well-organized chapters in this book reveal theanswer to this and other questions aboutthe importance of water to life on earth.Vivid color photos accompany informationabout the causes of, facts about, anddevastating consequences of floods. Theauthors explain the water cycle, and offerinformation about how people can protectthemselves and their lands from the worsteffects of flooding.
FYIGather the following materials, which includeseveral for a science-lab extension activity.
MaterialsBlackline master: Experiment Recording
Sheet, p. 75Aluminum cookie sheetsNewspapersSand, dirt, potting soilWater and pitcherDirt with grass cover
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Introduce the BookA devastating tsunami leveled communities incountries around the Indian Ocean inDecember, 2004. Ask students to share whatthey can recall about that catastrophe.Engage prior knowledge by discussingpersonal experiences, as well as possiblecauses of flooding and preventive measures.Display the book’s cover. Ask students toexplain the photograph: Who are the men inthe boat? What are they doing? Then havestudents predict what might be included in abook about floods.
Read the BookRead the book aloud a section at a time,sharing the photographs as you go.Periodically stop to ask whether the contentmakes sense and to discuss students’reactions to the data and the photos. Rereadconfusing portions as needed; point out thatsometimes simply reading on may clear upany confusion. Pause to help students betterunderstand the new terms associated withthe water cycle and with flooding. List theseterms on the board or on chart paper.
Revisit the BookRevisit the section about ancient Egypt.Then discuss this question: Why do you thinkthat the authors included a section on howancient communities dealt with annual flooding?
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students do research to learn moreabout one of history’s most devastating floods.Guide them to find out about the Indian
Ocean tsunami of 2004, the huge tsunamisfollowing the Krakatoa eruption in Indonesiain 1883, the Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania in1889, or any other catastrophe caused byflooding. Have them write an expository essaydescribing the event.
�SOCIAL STUDIESDiscuss with students that some societies,like those in ancient Egypt, depend upon andcontrol flooding to grow their crops. Thenguide them to use the Internet or othersources to learn more about the agriculturalmethods applied and kinds of crops typicallyproduced in regions where flooding is apredictable part of life. Students can examinefarming communities in Southeast Asia (e.g.,Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam). Have themreport on their findings.
cSCIENCEHave students investigate the action of wateron different kinds of soils to learn moreabout erosion. Have them gather three kindsof soil: potting soil, soil with grass growingon it, and sand. Spread out newspaper toprotect the work area. Next have studentsplace samples of each kind of soil onaluminum cookie sheets, and prop thecookie sheets up at an angle to represent ahillside. Have students observe what happenswhen they slowly pour water onto eachsample. Distribute copies of the blacklinemaster, Experiment Recording Sheet, on page75. Tell students to take notes of whathappens during their experiments. Whatconclusions can they can draw about howerosion works on barren land and on landwith vegetation?
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity. 2.03 Discuss and consider the wearing away and movement of rock and soil in erosion and itsimportance in forming canyons and valleys. 2.06 Identify and use models, maps, and aerial photographs as ways ofrepresenting landforms.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by seekingadditional information.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Make inferencesCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Grand CanyonNational Park
By David Petersen
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–OFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, maps, glossary, indexVocabulary: fossil, period, delta, silt, plateau, erosion,habitat, evaporation, herbivore, carnivore, nomadic,elevation
SummaryFilled with breathtaking photos of thecanyon, Grand Canyon National Park can’t helpbut make readers want to jump on a plane toArizona to visit this national treasure. Thisbook explains how and when the canyon wasformed, how large it actually is, who andwhat live there (both now and in the past),and why this land was set aside andprotected as a national park for all to enjoy.
FYIGather additional photos, slides, or avideo/DVD of the Grand Canyon forstudents to enjoy.
MaterialsLarge map of United StatesStrips of paper, for use with a pocket chartPocket chartMarkersU.S. Road atlas
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Introduce the BookShow the book’s cover. Ask students whohave visited the Grand Canyon to describethe experience and to compare it with theirvisits to other canyons or park lands. Thenuse a map of the United States to show thelocation of the canyon. Guide students to seewhere it is compared to where they live.Next have students write questions about theGrand Canyon that they would like to haveanswered, using the strips of paper. Post thequestions in a pocket chart or on the board.
Read the BookSlowly read the book aloud, section bysection, sharing the pictures as you go. Stopfrequently to discuss the content and toallow students to verbalize any newquestions that arise during the reading. Invitestudents who have been to the GrandCanyon to supplement the discussion withrelevant personal accounts of the experience.Students can, for example, describe eventssuch as sunsets or sunrises over the canyon,places such as the Tusayan ruins or otherlocal Anasazi sites, or animals such as theKaibab squirrel or other canyon critters.
Revisit the BookDiscuss with students what they found mostamazing, most interesting, or most confusingabout the Grand Canyon. Discuss thequestions students wrote earlier and try toanswer them as a class. Invite interestedstudents to work in small groups to answerin more detail some of the questions, andthen have them share their findings with thewhole class.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGThe mailing address of Grand CanyonNational Park is:
P.O. Box 129Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Have students write a business letter to thataddress requesting additional informationabout visiting the park or about a feature ofparticular interest to them in the park orthe region. For instance they can ask fordescriptions of different park hiking trailswith their difficulty levels. Invite students toshare the responses they get.� VOCABULARYAmong the animals that inhabit the GrandCanyon are both plant-eaters and meat-eaters.Ask students to make a T-chart, labeling onecolumn Herbivores and the other Carnivores.Direct them to provide descriptive supportingdetails about each type of animal.
TECHNOLOGYStudents can learn more about the GrandCanyon from visiting the National ParkService’s official website:http://www.nps.gov/grca/1+2MATHHave partners use a road atlas to plan adriving trip from your community to theSouth Rim (or North Rim) of the GrandCanyon. Guide them to prepare an itinerarythat includes the specific route, estimateddriving times, places to stop to eat and sleepalong the way, and interesting places to visitalong the route. Challenge students toestimate the costs of food, gas and tolls, fees,and overnight stays.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 2.01 Identify and analyze forces that cause change in landforms over time including water and ice,wind, and gravity.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.05 Evaluate inferences, conclusions, and generalizations and provide evidence by referencing the text.Cognition: Make comparisonsInterpretation: Drawing conclusionsCritical Stance: Cause and effectConnections: Text to world
Why Do VolcanoesBlow Their Tops?
By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–750LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, maps, labeleddrawings, indexVocabulary: earthquake, magma, plates, tephra,volcanic ash, Strombolian,Vulcanian, and Peleeaneruptions, shield, cone, and composite volcanoes, activevs. dormant, crater, hot spots
SummaryWhat makes a volcano erupt? Where and whendid a volcano bury two cities? Which is thelargest active volcano on Earth? Which is themost dangerous volcano today? In this lively,fact-filled book, readers will find answers tothese and other questions about volcanoes.
FYIGather assorted books about volcanoes andearthquakes to supplement students’ reading.
Materials3-by-3 inch sticky notes, five per studentBlackline master: Experiment Recording
Sheet, p. 75Large plastic soda bottle with a neckLarge panBaking sodaDishwashing liquidFood coloringVinegar
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Introduce the BookPoint out the table of contents (including theKey to Abbreviations) and index, and discussthe function of each in a nonfiction book.Have students notice in the table of contentsthat the book is divided into four sections.Invite students to tell what they alreadyknow about the topics. Then give students afew minutes to flip through the book tonotice its question-and-answer format.
Read the BookDiscuss the idea that nonfictioninformational books like this one will presentseveral key ideas. Distribute five sticky notesto each student, and direct them to read thebook all the way through.Then have studentsskim through the book again, this time with aparticular goal: to identify five key ideasabout volcanoes. Direct them to use theirsticky notes to “flag” the pages where theirchosen key ideas appear. Have studentssummarize each idea in a sentence or twoon the sticky note.
Revisit the BookInvite students to form groups and sharetheir key ideas. Have each group come to aconsensus on a top-ten list of mostimportant things to know about volcanoes.Have groups share their lists with the class.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students pick a volcanic eruption they’veread about in this book. Ask them to imaginethemselves as a scientist observing the event.Have them write a descriptive passage abouttheir observations and experiences. Invitestudents to do more research for details theycan use in their essays.
TECHNOLOGYHave students write a letter to a geologist atthe United States Geological Survey (USGS)asking for clarification or more informationabout volcanoes. For instance, students mightwant to know more about rift volcanoes.They can reach the scientists there at:http://www.walrus.wr.usgs.gov
cSCIENCEHave students work with partners to makethe volcano model described on page 20 andillustrated on page 21. Guide pairs to followthe instructions carefully. Circulate as theywork to offer assistance as needed. Distributecopies of the blackline master, ExperimentRecording Sheet on page 75 for students to complete.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, andrun-off. 3.02 Discuss and determine how the following are affected by predictable patterns of weather: temperature,wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, and air pressure. 3.03 Describe and analyze the formation ofvarious types of clouds and discuss their relation to weather systems. 3.04 Explain how global atmosphericmovement patterns affect local weather.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions, formulating questions, supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or othersources.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextInterpretation: Make inferencesCritical Stance: Cause and effect
Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?
By Melvin and Gilda Berger
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–30; GRL–N; Lexile® Measure–710LFormat: 48 pages, question-and-answer format, maps,diagrams, labeled drawings, indexVocabulary: atmosphere, troposphere, barometer,anemometer, meteorologist, water vapor, evaporation,condensation, precipitation, drought, sleet, blizzard, dew,tornado
SummaryIn this lively fact-filled question-and-answerbook, readers will find answers to more thaneighty questions about weather. Examplesinclude: Does air have weight? How big arehailstones? and What is El Niño? Vividillustrations and large, clear diagrams help to clarify many of the answers.
FYIGather assorted books about weather andclimate to supplement students’ reading andhelp them do the science extension activity.
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Introduce the BookPoint out the table of contents (including theKey to Abbreviations) and index, and discusstheir purpose in a nonfiction book. Thendivide students into five groups. Focusstudents’ attention on the Introduction pageto set a purpose for reading. Point to thefive bulleted questions, assigning one to eachgroup. Have students predict the answers tothese questions.Ask them to explain whatthey could do to find the answers. (Use thetable of contents and the index)
Read the BookBefore having students read the book, havethem search for the answer to their assignedquestion. They should paraphrase theiranswer and be prepared to share it with therest of the class. Then have students readthe whole book. As they read, studentsshould list additional questions that come tomind about weather and climate.
Revisit the BookHave students share their paraphrasedanswers to the original five questions afterreading the book. Then have them ask theadditional questions they listed while reading.Discuss where and how to find answers tothose new questions; assign interestedstudents to find the answers and report backon their findings. Lastly ask students tocomment on the question-answer format ofthe book, comparing it to the more familiarstyle of textbooks, magazines, andinformational articles.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an anecdote about a timewhen the weather played a key role in anevent in their lives. Encourage them to includespecific scientific details in the retelling.� VOCABULARYChallenge students to create a crosswordpuzzle, word jumble, word search, or otherword game with the weather terms from thebook. Invite students to exchange and playeach other’s games or puzzles.
TECHNOLOGYStudents can learn more about weather andclimate from http://www.weather.com.Youmay wish to have them record and thencompare the website’s 10-day weatherforecast with what actually does occurduring that time period.
cSCIENCEInvite groups or pairs of students to set upand use a weather station. Guide them to findideas from books in this series like Weatherand Climate, or have them use other sources.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.02 Discuss and determine how the following are affected by predictable patterns of weather:temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, air pressure. 3.04 Explain how global atmosphericmovement patterns affect local weather. 3.05 Compile and use weather data to establish a climate record and revealany trends. 3.06 Discuss and determine the influence of geography on weather and climate: mountains, sea breezes,water bodies.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by seekingadditional information. 2.08 Explain and evaluate relationships that are causal.Cognition: Main purposeConnections: Text to world
HurricanesBy Patricia Lauber
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–930LFormat: 64 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, diagrams, and maps, indexVocabulary: hurricane, tornado, tide, breakwater,cyclone, atmosphere, air pressure, eye of storm,barometer, anemometer, hygrometer, weather satellite
SummaryHold onto your seats! Hurricanes, Earth’smightiest storms, are powerful, ferocious,and, terrifying.They are also fascinating.Thisbook is filled with eye-popping photos ofhurricanes pushing huge waves, topplingtrees and trains, and smashing cars andbuildings.With the aid of maps and diagrams,the author provides a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute look at these storms, includinghow they are tracked and how we can (orcannot) prepare for them.
FYIMaterialsBlackline master: Outlining Main Ideas, p. 76
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Introduce the BookHave students open the book, guiding themto notice that (including the cover) they seethree large photos of devastating stormseven before they get to the table ofcontents! Have them notice the many mapsand diagrams as they flip through the pages,eliciting the idea that these teaching toolsindicate that the book will be much morethan a series of vivid photos of destruction.Then introduce the concept of magnetwords by asking students to describe theeffect of a magnet on metal. Link this analogyto the activity that follows: Magnet is to metalas magnet words are to important information.
Read the BookDirect students to read pages 7 and 8, andlook for what they see as the main idea ofthese two pages, as well as a key magnetword or two that link the details in supportof the main idea. Allow some time for thisprocess. Then discuss students’ choices ofwords, ideas, and supporting details. Nextdistribute copies of the blackline master,Outlining Main Ideas on page 76.Talk abouthow to use the form to take notes. Thenhave students complete the form, chapter bychapter as they read. Guide them to addwrite-on lines to continue the form on theback if necessary.
Revisit the BookHave students form small groups and thenshare and discuss their completed masters.Encourage them to adjust their magnetwords, and main ideas and supporting details,as needed, during this process. Students canadd to, omit from, or edit their forms.
Extend the LessonaWRITING• As if the topic of hurricanes isn’t lively
enough, literary devices (similes, metaphors,onomatopoeia, personification) make thewriting of this book even livelier and moreeffective. Guide students to be on thelookout for examples of these figurativewriting techniques.Then challenge them torewrite parts of their summaries (see scienceactivity below) using figurative language.Stress that clichés such as raining cats anddogs should be avoided like the plague.
• Have students write an essay comparingand contrasting this book with the otherhurricane book in this program (or anyother book they have read abouthurricanes). Guide them to compare theamount and quality of information, thenumber and quality of photos, maps, anddiagrams, and the caliber of the writing,among other things.
cSCIENCEHave students use their completed blacklinemasters to write two-sentence summariesfor each of the book’s five chapters. Directthem to underline the magnet words theyuse in their summaries.1+2MATHHave students search the Internet to gather information about Hurricane Hugo(September, 1989) and one other devastatingrecent storm. Direct them to use statisticsabout each storm to compare their dailysizes, wind speeds, eye-diameters, speeds ofmovement, regions and costs of destruction.Challenge students to present some or all oftheir comparisons using graphs or charts.Ask them to write a passage thatsummarizes the comparison.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.02 Discuss and determine how the following are affected by predictable patterns of weather:temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, air pressure. 3.06 Discuss and determine theinfluence of geography on weather and climate: mountains, sea breezes, water bodies.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions, formulating questions, supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or othersources.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Cause and effect
HurricanesBy Sandra Markle
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–40; GRL–Q; Lexile® Measure–900LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, photographs,diagrams, charts, labeled drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: hurricane, evaporation, water vapor,condensation, eye wall, Coriolis effect, typhoon, stormsurge, hail, tornado, cyclone
SummaryHave you ever wondered where hurricanescome from? Have you wondered how faststorm winds can blow or how much damagea hurricane can cause? Do you know thedifference between Category 1 and Category5 hurricanes? This book answers all of thosequestions and more. In addition, it presentssome easy and fun-to-do hands-on activitiesto try.
FYIMaterialsLarge balloonEmpty 2-liter bottleDeep bowlHot tap waterPaper plate and pencil (for each pair of
students)Blackline master: Idea Web, p. 70Butcher paperColored chalk
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Introduce the BookBegin by asking students to predict whatkinds of questions a book about hurricanesis likely to ask.Then, starting with thedramatic cover photo and the unique tableof contents, lead students through a quickoverview of the book. Call to their attentionthe question/answer format and the manyhelpful charts, pictures, and photographs, aswell as recurring special features,Try ItYourself and Did You Know?
Read the BookBefore students read the entire book, havethem select three to five questions from thetable of contents that most pique theircuriosity. Guide them to read and find theanswers to those questions. Distributecopies of the blackline master, Idea Web, onpage 70. Direct students to use it as aquestion web, writing the question in thecentral oval.To organize answers to thequestion, students can write the pagenumber(s) where they found the informationalong the lines that radiate from the centraloval, and jot down answers in the outerovals. Once students have done this, they canreturn to reading the whole book.
Revisit the BookRemind students of the 1-to-5 hurricanerating system. Ask: Why do you think thatscientists have created a scale to rate thestrength of a hurricane? Ask them to tell othernatural events that are rated by theirstrength or severity. (Examples includeearthquakes and tropical storms.)
Extend the LessonaWRITING• Have students use their imaginations and
what they have learned from this book towrite a fictional narrative aboutexperiencing the power of a hurricane.
• Have students write a persuasive paragraphgiving their views on the Can You Believe?and Did You Know? question-and-answerformat of the book.
� VOCABULARYAsk students to review the terms related tohurricanes in the glossary (page 47). Askthem to compare the format and features ofthis glossary with those of other glossariesthey have used. For example: Do all glossariesprovide a pronunciation guide? What do thenumbers mean at the end of each entry?
cSCIENCEHave partners do the three Try It Yourselfactivities. Invite pairs to compare andcontrast their results.
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North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.02 Discuss and determine how the following are affected by predictable patterns of weather:temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, air pressure. 3.03 Describe and analyze theformation of various types of clouds and discuss their relation to weather systems. 3.04 Explain how globalatmospheric movement patterns affect local weather.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing bysupporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources. 4.09 Produce work thatfollows the conventions of particular genres.Interpretation: Make inferencesCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
ThunderstormsBy Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–24-28; GRL–M; Lexile® Measure–680LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, maps, and diagrams glossary, indexVocabulary: thunderstorm, lightning, thunder,weather, atmosphere, hurricane, tornado, updraft, hail,positive/negative electricity, meteorologist,TornadoAlley, flash flood
SummaryDo you know the difference between an air-mass thunderstorm and a severethunderstorm? Is your state located withinTornado Alley? Students can get the answersto these questions and others as they readthis informative first-look at that uniquenatural creation, the thunderstorm.Thebook’s “electrifying” photographs willenhance their reading experience.
FYIOther books in this reading kit focus onweather.You may wish to refer to Weatherand Climate on page 64. It presents several
weather-related experiments students can doas extension activities.
MaterialsSticky notesScissorsIndex cards
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Introduce the BookAsk students to form groups. Have eachgroup make a list of what its membersalready know about thunderstorms. Inaddition, have each group list questionsstudents would hope a book like this wouldanswer.A T-chart may prove useful for thisstep.Then guide students to flip through thebook and check out its table of contents,glossary, index, and other features.
Read the BookHave students cut strips from sticky notes toplace on pages as a way of coding the text.They can mark the strips with an asterisk (*)for key ideas they found, a question mark (?)for confusing concepts, and a capital L topoint out something they learned. Guidethem to jot down questions they have ortopics they would like to know more about.
Revisit the BookHave students reform their groups. Havethem first compare their initial thoughtsabout thunderstorms with what they learnedthrough reading.Then ask them to tellwhether or not the book answered theirquestions.Then direct students to discusstheir coding strips as well as the questionsthey formulated. Once groups have finished,invite them to share their findings with theclass. Invite interested students to doresearch and look into any questions thatremain unanswered.
Extend the LessonaWRITING• Have students choose a chapter from this
book and make an outline using theinformation it presents. Invite partners toread, compare, and help edit each other’soutline.
• Invite students to write an anecdote abouta time they were caught in a thunderstorm,hurricane, or tornado.
� VOCABULARYAsk students to write a unified, coherentpassage that correctly uses at least five newterms from the book.
TECHNOLOGYA good source for learning more aboutthunderstorms and other natural weatherphenomenon is the National WeatherService Web site at: www.nws.noaa.gov/1+2MATH Have students use the concept that it takesfive seconds for thunder to travel one mile toformulate five word problems involvingthunder/lightning times, distances, and speeds.For example: About how far are you from alightning flash if you heard the thunder crash 20seconds after you saw lightning? (4 mi)
62
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, andrun-off. 3.04 Explain how global atmospheric movement patterns affect local weather. 3.06 Discuss and determinethe influence of geography on weather and climate: mountains, sea breezes, water bodies.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing bysupporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources. 4.02 Use oral and writtenlanguage to formulate hypotheses and present and support arguments.Cognition: Main ideaCritical Stance: Cause and effectConnections: Text to world
The Water CycleBy Trudi Strain Trueit
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–44; GRL–S; Lexile® Measure–1130L Format: 64 pages, informational text, captionedphotographs and maps, labeled diagrams, glossary, noteon sources, indexVocabulary: freezing point, evaporate, humidity,condense, precipitation, drought, jetstream,groundwater, bedrock, water table, reservoir, waterrecycling, contaminated, hydrologist
SummaryWater molecules like to travel.They travelfrom the ground to the atmosphere and thenback again.This book takes us on that never-ending journey with photographs, diagrams,and special features.
FYIMaterialsIndex cards, 5 per studentCloud in a bottle experiment:Large glass jarBoiling waterMatchesPlastic bag filled with iceFlashlight
Introduce the BookHave students flip through the book tonotice its table of contents, lengthy glossary,ample list of sources for additionalinformation, note on sources (common tomany nonfiction books), and index. Guidestudents to notice that the author is atelevision weatherperson.
Next guide students to notice that each ofthe book’s six chapters is preceded by a full-page photo. Ask students to predict therelationship between the photo and thechapter. Have students notice the shortinformational features that appear in greenon a number of the pages. Have themrecognize too, that all key terms appear in
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bold type. Then, before students begin toread, provide them with a list of statementsabout the water cycle, like these:
1. Nearly all of the water on Earth is the samewater that has been here since our oceansformed.
2. Less than one percent of the Earth’s watersupply must provide all of the world’s freshwater.
3. The words one hundred percent relativehumidity mean that it is raining.
4. Tropical rain forests make their own rain.
5. Oceans soak up the heat of the Sun andhelp to regulate temperatures on Earth.
6. Cold, inland regions get more rain than thosenear the coast.
7. Water is more valuable and more rare thandiamonds.
Have students state whether they agree or dis-agree with each statement. Guide them to beprepared to support their choices with facts.
Read the BookHave students read the book using the abovestatements to guide them. Suggest that theytake notes as they read to help them recallimportant facts and ideas.
Revisit the BookAsk students to skim the book again to findfactual support for their original responsesto the seven statements. If students cannotfind supporting data or ideas for astatement, direct them to rewrite thestatement in their own words to reflect
what the book does say about the topic.Have students meet in small groups to shareand discuss their findings.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write an editorial to the localnewspaper in support of the importance ofconserving water. Guide them to state theirposition clearly and to support their viewswith facts. Have them include a list of waysthat ordinary citizens can save water.� VOCABULARYAsk students to select five words in boldtype from the book. Have them write theword on one side of an index card, within asentence. Have them write its definition,from the glossary, on the other side. Pairs of students can quiz one another on themeanings and spellings of the terms.
cSCIENCEYou can do a simple experiment todemonstrate the water cycle and theconcept of condensation. Gather thematerials listed and invite a volunteer to beyour assistant. First, pour the boiling waterinto the glass jar. Next, drop a lit matchdown into the jar, and have your assistantquickly place the bag of ice over the opening.Then ask students to explain what they see.(A cloud forms within the jar.) Have yourassistant shine a flashlight beam at the sideof the jar to illuminate the particles uponwhich the cloud forms.
64
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, andrun-off. 3.02 Discuss and determine how the following are affected by predictable patterns of weather: temperature,wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, air pressure. 3.03 Describe and analyze the formation of varioustypes of clouds and discuss their relation to weather systems. 3.04 Explain how global atmospheric movementpatterns affect local weather.Language Arts: 2.01 Use metacognitive strategies independently and flexibly to monitor comprehension andextend vocabulary. 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions, formulating questions, and supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or othersources. 2.07 Evaluate the usefulness and quality of information and ideas based on purpose, experiences, text(s),and graphics.Cognition: Vocabulary in contextCritical Stance: Compare and contrast, cause and effectConnections: Text to world
Weather and Climate
By Fiona Watt and Francis Wilson
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–44; GRL–S; Lexile® Measure–1100LFormat: 48 pages, informational text, diagrams,labeled drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: solar radiation, air pressure, Corioliseffect, humidity, hail, fog, dew, frost, fronts,thunderstorms, hurricanes, droughts, monsoons,precipitation, wind chill, ozone layer
SummaryThis lively, busy book, part of the UsborneScience & Experiments series, is chock full ofinformation about weather and climate.Clearly drawn, colorful illustrations andhelpful diagrams guide readers through themany kernels of information provided. Inaddition, the book provides severalweather/climate-related experiments to do.Each has simple step-by-step guidelines.
FYIThis is a busy book with lots for students toview and do. Plan for students to focus on oneor two topics and perform the accompanyingexperiments with partners. Be prepared to helppartners gather an assortment of materials.
MaterialsIndex cardsWireStringTape
GUIDED READING
65
Markers and/or crayonsBlackline master: Experiment Recording
Sheet, p. 75
Introduce the BookProvide time for students to look throughthe book. Point out that despite the livelystyle, this book has the features readerswould expect to find in nonfiction books.Guide students to peruse the table ofcontents and read the About this Book pagethat follows. Guide them to see that each 2-page section has data, diagrams, illustrations,and that nearly all have experiments oractivities to do. Have students notice howthe glossary differs from other glossariesthey have seen.
Read the BookHave students work with partners. Directthem to look through the book together andchoose one or two sections withexperiments to focus on. Have pairs readand discuss the content of their sectionsbefore gathering the needed materials to dothe experiments. Copy and distribute theblackline master, Experiment RecordingSheet, on page 75, two per pair. Havestudents complete these forms as they workthrough their experiments.
Revisit the BookAsk students to summarize the data theycollected in a verbal presentation.As part oftheir presentation, have them describe anddiscuss the experiments they did.Ask themto share anything unexpected that theylearned and any questions that were raised
during their research. Invite classmates toask questions and make comparisons withthe topics and experiments they did.
Extend the Lesson� VOCABULARYProvide a set of index cards to pairs ofstudents. Have students draw a large cloudon each card.Within each cloud studentsshould write a new term from the section ofthe book they studied. On the back of eachcard, students should write the definition ofthe word. Invite pairs to contribute theircards to a class new-vocabulary mobile.
TECHNOLOGYStudents can learn more about weather andclimate from http://www.weather.com orother websites.You may wish to have themcompare a website’s 10-day prediction oflocal weather conditions with the historicalhigh- and low temperature and precipitationdata for that time of year.
cSCIENCEHave students work with the same ordifferent partners to read about anothertopic and do the experiments. Encouragestudents to do research, and try to answerany questions that come up as they readabout their topics.
66
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 4.01 Determine the motion of an object by following and measuring its position over time. 4.02Evaluate how pushing or pulling forces can change the position and motion of an object. 4.03 Explain how energyis needed to make machines move: moving air, gravity. 4.04 Determine that an unbalanced force is needed to movean object or change its direction. 4.05 Determine factors that affect motion including force, friction, inertia, andmomentum. 4.07 Determine how people use simple machines to solve problems.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by makingpredictions.Cognition: SummarizingInterpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Forces and Movement
By Peter Riley
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–34-38; GRL–P; Lexile® Measure–850LFormat: 32 pages, informational text, labeledphotographs, drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: force, exert, energy, gravity, matter, mass,force meter, balanced forces, center of gravity, reactionforce, friction, resistance, upthrust, coil springs, thrust,drag, lift
SummaryThis book is exactly what the title suggests: astraightforward introduction to some keyscience subjects and principles. From pushingand pulling to gravity and weight, and fromfloating and sinking to elastic bands androckets, it uses real-life applications to presentbig scientific ideas in a lively, enjoyable, andeasy-to-follow way.
FYIGather assorted materials and tools for thethirteen Investigate! activities.
MaterialsBlackline Master: Experiment Recording
Sheet, p. 75Blackline Master: Bar Graph Template, p. 77
Introduce the BookHave students read the full title of the bookand look at the cover photo.Ask: How do youthink this book will give information about forcesand movement in a straightforward way? andWhat precisely is the person in the photo doing,and what is he doing in order to do it as fastand as safely as he can? Talk about all the
GUIDED READING
67
forces at work in the photo. (You may wishto inform students that F = MA means “force= mass ✕ acceleration.”) Then ask students totell what they expect to find when they openthe book and look through it. (other kinds ofmovements and forces at work, colorfulphotos, table of contents, glossary, index)
Read the BookHave students flip through the book. Guidethem to notice features such as the title foreach two-page spread, the Investigate!activities that appear in each spread, and thephotograph captions.Then begin the readingby having students read the first two pagesand then stop. Discuss questions studentsmay have and elicit examples from their ownlives to strengthen connections to eachtopic. If you have the time, have volunteersdo the Investigate! activities while otherswatch.At the very least, ask students topredict the outcomes of the activities.Continue through the book in this manner.
Revisit the BookAsk students to discuss what they havelearned by reading the book and by doing orobserving the activities. Invite them to explainwhat they found most interesting, or mostpuzzling.Ask them to tell what topics in thebook they would like to learn more about.Discuss ways to gather that information.
Extend the LessonaWRITING Have students write an essay thatsummarizes and reviews the content of thebook. Guide them to use as many of the new
vocabulary terms in their essays as it makessense to use. Remind them to include andopening paragraph that contains a thesisstatement as well as a closing paragraph. Inwriting a review of this book, studentsshould explain why they would or would notrecommend it.
cSCIENCE • Invite pairs or small groups of students to
try three or four of the Investigate!activities. Have them summarize theirfindings, guiding them to use the key newterms from the spread in their summaries.Ask them to use the blackline master,Experiment Recording Sheet, on page 75,when they do the activities.
• Students may wish to do further researchon cars, boats, submarines, motorcycles,planes, and rockets to learn interestingfacts about invention dates, sizes, speeds,endurance records, and so on. Have themstart and contribute over time to a bulletinboard display of interesting facts aboutthese and other forms of transportation.
1+2MATH Have students gather data about the fastestand slowest, and/or heaviest and lightestanimals of different classes. Suggest that theyresearch online or use an almanac or otherprint source. Guide students to make anorganized list of their findings.Then ask themto use their data to create a double bargraph. Have them write a summary of whattheir graphs show. Distrubute copies of theblackline master, Bar Graph Template, on page 77, for students to use. Provide helpchoosing intervals and labels, as needed.Invite students to work with a partner.
68
North Carolina Standard Course of Study ObjectivesScience: 4.01 Determine the motion of an object by following and measuring its position over time. 4.02Evaluate how pushing or pulling forces can change the position and motion of an object. 4.03 Explain how energyis needed to make machines move: moving air, gravity. 4.04 Determine that an unbalanced force is needed to movean object or change its direction. 4.07 Determine how people use simple machines to solve problems.Language Arts: 2.02 Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by drawingon personal, literary, and cultural understandings.Interpretation: Make predictionsCritical Stance: Compare and contrastConnections: Text to world
Science Experimentswith Simple Machines
By Sally Nankivell-Aston and Dorothy Jackson
Book FeaturesGenre: NonfictionLevels: DRA™–40; GRL–R; Lexile® Measure–770LFormat: 32 pages, informational text, photographs,diagrams, labeled drawings, glossary, indexVocabulary: machines, lever, axle, pulley, slope, effort,load, fulcrum, pivot, belt, gear, spring balance
SummaryWhat is a machine and what does it do?Students find out by working through theexperiments in this well-organized activitybook. Step-by-step instructions, pointers, andhelpful photographs guide readers throughthe scientific process of experimentation,which includes following directions carefully,making observations, and drawing conclusions.
FYIEach of the experiments in the bookrequires a set of materials and measurementtools. Look ahead to gather and/or helpgroups gather the assorted materials neededfor the experiments they will do.
MaterialsBlackline master: Simple Machines Chart,
p. 78
GUIDED READING
69
Introduce the BookDiscuss the simple meaning of machine withstudents.Write the four broad categories ofmachines on the chalkboard: levers, wheels,pulleys, and slopes. Discuss the similarities anddifferences among them; have students lookaround to identify examples of each in theclassroom.Then have them flip through thebook to see that it consists of a series ofexperiments. Guide students to notice thetable of contents, the glossary, and the index.Guide them to notice examples of the fourbroad categories of machines as they scanthe book.
Read the BookDivide the class into four groups—one foreach kind of machine.Assign groups to gatherthe materials they need to perform twoexperiments that use their kind of machine.Then have them work as teams to performthe experiments. Circulate as students work,offering guidance and suggestions as youwatch them proceed. If rich learningopportunities occur while groups work, inviteother students to come over and watch.Encourage students to read about otherexperiments in the book as time allows.
Revisit the BookAsk groups to demonstrate theirexperiments to classmates. Have themidentify the materials they used, share theirexperiences with their machine, and tellwhat they learned in doing the experiment.Have students tell about what did and didnot surprise them as they worked throughtheir experiment and used the machine.
Extend the LessonaWRITINGHave students write a step-by-step processof using a simple machine to do a task athome or at play. Emphasize the importanceof writing clearly and succinctly, and havethem make sure to write all steps in thecorrect order.� VOCABULARYWhich of the simple machines introduced inthe book do we have in our homes? To findout, students can fill in the blackline master,Simple Machines, on page 78, which organizesmachines into broad categories: levers, wheels,pulleys, and slopes (including screws).
cSCIENCEHave students do some of the book’sexperiments with one of the other threekinds of machines. Guide groups to shareexperiences as they work. For example, ifstudents run into difficulty or get a resultother that what they expected, invite themto confer with students who have alreadydone that same experiment.
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Idea Web
Idea Web70
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
GrasslandsGrasslands
Prairies Steppes Savannas
Vegetation:
Animals:
Weather/Precipitation:
Vegetation:
Animals:
Weather/Precipitation:
Vegetation:
Animals:
Weather/Precipitation:
Grasslands 71
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Rain Forest Layer Chart
Rain Forest Layer Chart72
Forest floor
Understory
Canopy
Emergents
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
_________________________
Venn Diagram 73
_________________________ _________________________
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
The Oceans and Us
Ocean Waters Life in the Ocean Along the Coast
The Ocean and Us74
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Experiment Recording SheetPurpose of Experiment:To _______________________________________________________
Materials: _____________________________________________________________________
What I did:____________________________________________________________________
What I observed:_______________________________________________________________
Conclusions: __________________________________________________________________
Related Questions to explore: ____________________________________________________
Experiment Recording Sheet 75
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Book Title ____________________________________________________________________
Chapter Title __________________________________
Magnet Words _________________________________________________________________
Main Ideas ____________________________________________________________________
Supporting Details ______________________________________________________________
Chapter Title __________________________________
Magnet Words _________________________________________________________________
Main Ideas ____________________________________________________________________
Supporting Details ______________________________________________________________
Chapter Title __________________________________
Magnet Words _________________________________________________________________
Main Ideas ____________________________________________________________________
Supporting Details ______________________________________________________________
Chapter Title __________________________________
Magnet Words _________________________________________________________________
Main Ideas ____________________________________________________________________
Supporting Details ______________________________________________________________
Outlining Main Ideas76
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Title: _________________________________________________
Graph 77
Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________
Simple Machines ChartType of Machine Examples in Your Home
Lever
Wheel
Pulley
Slope
Simple Machines Chart78
79
Bibliography
Caswell, L.J., & Duke, N.K. (1998). Non-narrative as a catalyst for literacy development.Language Arts, 75, 108–117.
Chall, J.S. (1983). Stages of reading development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kamil, M.L., & Lane, D.M. (1998). Researching the relation between technology and literacy:An agenda for the 21st century. In D.R. Reinking, L.D. Labbo, M. McKenna, & R. Kieffer (Eds.),Literacy for the 21st century:Technological transformations in a post-typographic world(pp. 235–251). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Schiefele, U., Krapp,A., & Winteler,A. (1992). Interest as a predictor of academic achievement:A meta-analysis of research. In K.A. Renninger, S. Hidi, & A. Krapp (Eds.), The role of interestin learning and development (pp. 183–211). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Book Cover CreditsGoal 1
AIR POLLUTION (TRUE BOOK) by Rhonda Lucas Donald. Copyright © 2001 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a division ofScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover:Wolfgang Kaehler/Corbis-Bettmann.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE (TRUE BOOK) by David Petersen. Copyright © 1996 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’sPress, a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
GRASSLANDS (TRUE BOOK) by Darlene R. Stille. Copyright © 1999 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a division ofScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Richard Thom/Visuals Unlimited.
THE GREAT KAPOK TREE:A TALE OF THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST by Lynne Cherry. Copyright © 1990 by Lynne Cherry. Published byScholastic Inc. by arrangement with Harcourt, Inc.All rights reserved.
LAND PREDATORS OF NORTH AMERICA (ANIMALS IN ORDER) by Erin Pembrey Swan. Copyright © 1999 by Franklin Watts. Published byFranklin Watts, a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Lynne M. Stone.
RAIN FORESTS (MAGIC TREE HOUSE RESEARCH GUIDE) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdoca. Illustrationscopyright © 2001 by Sal Murdoca. Published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with Random House, Inc.All rights reserved.
ONE DAY IN THE PRAIRIE by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Bob Marshall. Cover art copyright © 1996 by Richard Cowdrey.Published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers.All rights reserved.
RECYCLING (TRUE BOOK) by Rhonda Lucas Donald. Copyright © 2001 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a division ofScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Ray Pfortner/Peter Arnold Inc.
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK (TRUE BOOK) by David Petersen. Copyright © 1999 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press,a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Charles Gurche/Wildlife Collection.
SEA OTTER RESCUE:THE AFTERMATH OF AN OIL SPILL by Roland Smith. Photographs copyright © 1990 by Roland Smith. Published byScholastic Inc. by arrangement with Cobblehill Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.All rights reserved.
WATER POLLUTION (TRUE BOOK) by Rhonda Lucas Donald. Copyright © 2001 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a divisionof Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Segei Karpukhin/AP/Worldwide Photos.
WHAT MAKES AN OCEAN WAVE? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT OCEANS AND OCEAN LIFE (SCHOLASTIC Q & A) by Melvin and GildaBerger, illustrated by John Rice. Illustrations copyright © 2000 by John Rice. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE PANDAS GONE? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT ENDANGERED SPECIES (SCHOLASTIC Q & A) by Melvin andGilda Berger, illustrated by John Rice. Illustrations copyright © 2001 by Jim Effler. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
Goal 2
ARE MOUNTAINS GROWING TALLER? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE CHANGING EARTH (SCHOLASTIC Q & A) by Melvin andGilda Berger, illustrated by Robin Carter. Illustrations copyright © 2002 by Robin Carter. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
EARTHQUAKES (TRUE BOOK) by Paul P. Sipiera. Copyright © 1998 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a division ofScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover:AP/Worldwide Photos.
EXTRAORDINARY VOLCANOES by Jackie Gaff, illustrated by Andrew Peters. Copyright © 2001 by act-two. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: James A. Sugar/Corbis.
FLOODS (TRUE BOOK) by Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera. Copyright © 1998 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press, a division ofScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Sam Abel/National Geographic Image Collection.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK (TRUE BOOK) by David Petersen. Copyright © 2001 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press,a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Bob Thomason/Stone.
WHY DO VOLCANOES BLOW THEIR TOPS? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (SCHOLASTIC Q & A) byMelvin and Gilda Berger, illustrated by Barbara Higgins Bond. Illustrations copyright © 1999 by Barbara Higgins Bond. Published byScholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
80
Goal 3
CAN IT RAIN CATS AND DOGS? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT WEATHER (SCHOLASTIC Q & A) by Melvin and Gilda Berger, illustratedby Robert Sullivan. Illustrations copyright © 1999 by Robert Sullivan. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved.
CAN YOU BELIEVE? HURRICANES by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Jo-Ellen C. Bosson. Copyright © 2002 by Sandra Markle. Published byScholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: NOAA/NESDIS.
HURRICANES: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST STORMS by Patricia Lauber. Copyright © 1996 by Patricia Lauber. Published by Scholastic Inc.All rightsreserved. Cover: Gary Williams/Gamma-Liaison.
THUNDERSTORMS (TRUE BOOK) by Paul P. and Diane M. Sipiera. Copyright © 1998 by Children’s Press. Published by Children’s Press,a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: James Scherlis.
USBORNE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS:WEATHER & CLIMATE by Fiona Watt and Francis Wilson. Copyright © 1992 by Usborne Publishing Ltd.Published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with Usborne Publishing Ltd.All rights reserved.
THE WATER CYCLE by Trudi Strain Trueit. Copyright © 2002 by Franklin Watts. Published by Franklin Watts, a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Ernst Haas/Stock Boston.
Goal 4
FORCES AND MOVEMENT (STRAIGHTFORWARD SCIENCE) by Peter Riley. Copyright © 1998 by Franklin Watts. Published by Franklin Watts,a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Robert Harding/I Tomlinson Eye Ubiquitous.
SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS WITH SIMPLE MACHINES by Sally Nankivell-Aston and Dorothy Jackson. Copyright © 2000 by Franklin Watts.Published by Franklin Watts, a division of Scholastic Inc.All rights reserved. Cover: Steve Shott/AKG Photos.