LESSON 13 TEACHER’S GUIDE A Visit to Antarctica · • Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or

Number of Words: 1,162

L E S S O N 1 3 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

A Visit to Antarcticaby Barbara Weldon

Fountas-Pinnell Level RNarrative NonfictionSelection SummaryAntarctica is the continent that surrounds the South Pole. It is the coldest place on Earth. The fi rst person to travel there was Roald Amundsen, an explorer from Norway. Today, Antarctica is a destination for many different people.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30613-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09

If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.

Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.

Characteristics of the Text Genre • Narrative nonfi ction

Text Structure • Third-person narrative organized into eight chapters• Each chapter describes an aspect of the history and exploration of Antarctica

Content • Factual information about the Antarctic • Description of Antarctic exploration• Modes of transportation used by Antarctic adventurers

Themes and Ideas • Antarctica is a wonderful place to visit.• Antarctica should be cared for to be enjoyed by generations to come.• Public service has tremendous value.

Language and Literary Features

• Factual information • Descriptive language, important for understanding setting and characters

Sentence Complexity • A mix of short and complex sentences• Multiple items in a series

Vocabulary • Scientifi c terms, some of which might not be familiar to English language learners, such as continent, scientist, and equator. Cultural references such as research stations (p. 6).

Words • Many multisyllable words some of them challenging: explorer, faraway, hemisphereIllustrations • Color photographs

• Captions for photosBook and Print Features • Eleven pages of text with easy-to-read chapter headings

• Chapter headings and photographs on most pages• Table of contents, maps, labels

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

4_306131_ELL_LRTG_L13_AVisitToAntarctica.indd 1 11/4/09 9:35:39 AM

Target Vocabulary

alert – to be wide awake and paying attention, p. 6

concluded – made a decision or formed an opinion, p. 13

display – shown publicly, p. 9

fractured – broken into pieces, p. 13

graceful – moves smoothly, p. 9huddle – crowd together, p. 9standards – rules used for

judging or measuring, p. 13

stranded – unable to leave a place, p. 8

vision – an idea of what something could be like in the future, p. 7

weariness – to be very tired, p. 6

A Visit to Antarctica by Barbara Weldon

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of exploration to visualize the selection. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What do you think it would be like to travel to the Antarctic? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Note the various graphic features in the selection. Tell students that this selection is narrative nonfi ction, so the events and people are real.

Frontload VocabularySome everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: research, icebergs, and helicopter.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:

Page 4: Read the caption. Explain that this selection is about people who travel to Antarctica, both historically and in the present. Suggested language: Look at page 4. This page explains where Antarctica is located and that it is the coldest place on Earth.

Page 5: Tell students that early explorers were drawn to the Antarctic because it was one of the last places on Earth that had yet to be discovered.

Page 6: Explain that the conditions in Antarctica in the summer can cause weariness in some people who travel there. Cultural Support: Explain what a research station is.

Pages 9–10: Have students look at the photographs and read the captions. Ask: Can you guess how Emperor penguins stay warm in the harsh conditions of Antarctica?

Now turn back to the beginning of the selection to read about early and present-day explorations to Antarctica.

2 Lesson 13: A Visit to Antarctica Grade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

4_306131_ELL_LRTG_L13_AVisitToAntarctica.indd 24_306131_ELL_LRTG_L13_AVisitToAntarctica.indd 2 7/28/09 4:01:13 PM7/28/09 4:01:13 PM

ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their problem solving and fl uency as needed.

Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy , and to think about the important parts of the text as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the selection. Suggested language: What factual information did you learn about the Antarctic? If you were to travel to Antarctica, which method of transportation would you chose? Why?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole before Robert Scott.

• People today are very interested in traveling to and learning about Antarctica.

• Protecting unique places around the world takes the dedication of many.

• People must work together to protect Earth’s treasures.

• Travel to faraway places of the world can be diffi cult.

• The photographs show the beauty of Antarctica.

• The author includes lots of descriptions to help the reader visualize the text.

• The explanations of modes of transportations help readers understand the diffi culty of traveling to the area.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to demonstrate phrased

fl uent reading. Remind students to use punctuation and chunk, or put words together, in meaningful groups to show them when to pause during reading.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that many words have Greek or Latin roots. The root word ant- in Antarctica comes from the Greek word anti, which means “opposite.” Antarctica is on the opposite end of the world from the region known as the Arctic.


4_306131_ELL_LRTG_L13_AVisitToAntarctica.indd 3 12/17/09 2:48:16 PM

Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 13.10.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillConclusions and Generalizations

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can use text

details to help them draw conclusions about Antarctica. They can then use these details to fi ll in a graphic organizer. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

On page 8, the text states that people should use a travel company if they want to visit Antarctica. The text also states that many people visit Antarctica. This is a key detail that explains that people see Antarctica as an interesting place to visit. Include this detail in a chart that will help draw a conclusion about why people travel to Antarctica.

Practice the SkillHave students share an example of another selection in which the text explained what you might see if you traveled to a faraway place.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• Complete the following sentence in your own words: One idea present in the selection

is that

________________________________________________________________.

• The fi rst paragraph on page 8 is mostly about

________________________________________________________________.

• Which sentences from pages 13 and 14 show that people are concerned for Antarctica’s future?


4_306131_ELL_LRTG_L13_AVisitToAntarctica.indd 4 11/4/09 9:36:45 AM

Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What do scientists do at research

stations in Antarctica?

2. Think within the text What effect does the Antarctic summer

have on tourism?

3. Think beyond the text Would you want to visit Antarctica?

Why or why not?

4. Think about the text The author includes details about how

tourists can visit Antarctica. Do they make you want to visit

Antarctica? Explain your answer.

Making Connections There are lots of penguins and sea animals in Antarctica. These animals live well in cold weather. What are some other animals that can live in the cold, but do not live in Antarctica?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

A Visit to AntarcticaCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Grade 4, Unit 3: Natural Encounters12

Lesson 13B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 3 . 1 0

Name Date

They study weather and the wildlife, and do other scientifi c research there.

It is warmer during the summer, so the ice melts a bit and cruise ships and boats

can pass more safely.

I would like to visit Antarctica because the author describes it as very beautiful

and interesting. I also like the idea of going somewhere that not many other

people have been!

The author gives helpful details about what to see and how to get to Antarctica,

so now a trip seems both possible and interesting. Before, I thought visiting

Antarctica was something only scientists and explorers could do.

Possible responses shown.

12_4_246253RTXEAN_L13_FR.indd 12 3/23/09 12:37:10 AM

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair English-speaking and English language learners so that they can check their understanding with each other.

Cognates The text includes many cognates. Point out the English words and their Spanish equivalents: alert (alerta), map (mapa), vision (visión), and visit (visita).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What is the selection about?

Speaker 2: Antarctica

Speaker 1: How do people travel there?

Speaker 2: by ship or plane

Speaker 1: What do people see there?

Speaker 2: wildlife and icebergs

Speaker 1: Why do most people travel to Antarctica in the summer months?

Speaker 2: In the summer, the ice begins to break up.

Speaker 1: Why is a tour operator or travel agent the best person to plan a trip to Antarctica?

Speaker 2: He or she will arrange a complete schedule and you won’t get stranded.

Speaker 1: How did environmentalists help save Antarctica?

Speaker 2: They organized a plan and let the public know what was happening. They demanded that all scientists meet certain environmental standards.



Name Date

A Visit to AntarcticaThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

On page 11, the author points out that tour companies hire naturalists and wildlife experts as guides. What do naturalists and experts do? How do you think these people help the tourists receive a better understanding of the area? Explain your answer, giving examples from the text.



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What do scientists do at research

stations in Antarctica?

2. Think within the text What effect does the Antarctic summer

have on tourism?

3. Think beyond the text Would you want to visit Antarctica?

Why or why not?

4. Think about the text The author includes details about how

tourists can visit Antarctica. Do they make you want to visit

Antarctica? Explain your answer.

Making Connections There are lots of penguins and sea animals in Antarctica. These animals live well in cold weather. What are some other animals that can live in the cold, but do not live in Antarctica?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

A Visit to AntarcticaCritical Thinking


Name Date



1413

982

Student Date

A Visit to Antarctica

Running Record Form


A Visit to Antarctica • LEVEL R

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

13 In the 1970s and 1980s, people who wanted to protect nature

began to worry about Antarctica. They were upset because

people dumped waste in the areas around the research

stations. In Antarctica, the cold, dry air does not let some

kinds of trash rust or rot away. That means it stays there

forever.

People who cared about nature concluded that this waste

fractured, or broke up, the area’s beauty. They knew they had

to fix Antarctica before others could hurt it even more. These

people made a plan. First, they told people about their worries.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/95 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



Documents

LESSON 13 TEACHER’S GUIDE A Visit to Antarctica · • Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or