Level N/30 Symbols of Our Country - Amazon S3€¦ · • Symbols of Our Country ... reading instruction for students ... • Give students a copy of the book. Tell them to read the

B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Theme: Government and Citizenship

• Symbols of Our Country• Citizens Who Made a Difference• Our Government

Social Studies

Skills & Strategies

Symbols of Our CountryLevel N/30

Anchor Comprehension Strategies

• Make Predictions• Evaluate Author's Purpose

Comprehension • Askquestions

• Summarizeinformation

• Usegraphicfeaturestointerpretinformation

Vocabulary/Word Study Strategy • Usesynonymstodetermineword

meaning

Social Studies Big Idea • Nationalsymbolsstandforthehistory,

ideals,andsenseofcommunityofAmericaanditscitizens.

TeACher’S Guide

Page 11: Synthesize Information • Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment

• Summarize Information

D a y

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A c t i v i t i e s

Using Navigators Chapter Books

Explicit Strategy InstructionUse the complete guide to model, guide, and support students as they apply comprehension and word-study strategies. Use portions of the guide to scaffold reading instruction for students who do not need modeled instruction.

Small-Group DiscussionIntroduce the book and model strategies. Ask the group to set a purpose for reading based on the Introduction. Students read the book, or parts of the book, independently. Then have them use the Small-Group Discussion Guide on page 13 as they discuss the book together.

Independent ReadingInstruct students to select titles at their independent reading levels. After reading, ask students to respond to the text in reader response journals or notebooks.

Core Lesson Planning Guide

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-4108-5240-32

Pages 4–6: Model Strategies: Introduction—Chapter 1• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Ask Questions

• Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate Author’s Purpose

• Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning: Synonyms using , or

Page 3: Prepare to Read• Build Content Background

• Introduce the Book

Pages 7–8: Guide Strategies: Chapter 2• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Ask Questions


• Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning: Synonyms using , or

Pages 9–10: Apply Strategies: Chapter 3—Conclusion• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Ask Questions


• Text and Graphic Features Focus: Photographs

This five-day lesson plan shows one way to use the chapter book for explicit strategy instruction.

Build Content Background• Ask students what people, places, and things come to mind

when they think about the United States. Prompt them with an idea of your own. Say: When I think about the United States, I think about the Fourth of July because that’s when we celebrate our country’s birthday.

• Encourage students to share their ideas. Write their ideas on chart paper as students mention them. Discuss how each one is connected with the United States.

• Before students begin reading, preview some key words that are not found in the glossary of Symbols of Our Country. Make sure that students can use each word in a sentence. If they have difficulty, use a dictionary to define the word.

• Tell students that some of the difficult words in the book are defined in the glossary at the back of the book.

Introduce the Book • Give students a copy of the book. Tell them to read the title

and skim the table of contents. Ask: What do you think this book will be about?

• Ask students to choose one of the chapters in the table of contents. Tell them to skim the pages of the chapter, looking at the photographs, illustrations, and other visual aids.

• Ask students to choose one picture and ask questions about that picture.

• Explain that Symbols of Our Country is about people, places, and things that represent, or stand for, the United States and the American people.

• To introduce content vocabulary and text and graphic features found in this book, use the inside front cover.

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Assess students’ ability to skim for interesting pictures

2. Document informal observations in a folder or notebook.

3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for use during reading sessions.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Symbols of Our Country 3

Meeting Individual NeedsFor students who struggle with skimming for interesting pictures, model by going through the first chapter, pointing out the pictures, and commenting on what they tell you about the topic of the book or what you find interesting about them.

Reinforce the concept of a symbol. Show pictures of a turkey, a heart, and a jack-o’-lantern. Ask students which holiday they associate with each picture. Explain that the turkey, heart, and jack-o’-lantern are symbols: they stand for, or represent, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. Encourage students to offer symbols for holidays in their native countries.

Display a map of the United States. Ask students to locate Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; New York Harbor; and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Ask students if they have visited any of those places, and encourage them to tell about their experiences.

This five-day lesson plan shows one way to use the chapter book for explicit strategy instruction.

Prepare to Readnglish anguage earnersE L L

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Fourth of Julyflagbald eagleStatue of LibertyWhite Housepresidentdollar bill

capital

colonies

independence

nation

official

president

represent

statue

Before ReadingMonitor-Reading Strategy: Ask Questions

• Say: Good readers ask questions all the time. Asking questions helps readers understand and remember what they read. They keep their minds focused on and think about the text. They ask questions about unknown words and about who, what, why, and how.

• Use a real-life example of asking questions while you read. Say: When I come across a word I don’t know, I stop and ask myself what the word means. Sometimes unknown words are boldfaced, shown in dark print. Sometimes the author defines the word right in the text, but other times I have to figure out the meaning of the word on my own. I have to look for clues that can help me.

• Say: Yesterday we previewed the book Symbols of Our Country. Today we are going to ask questions about unknown words as we read the Introduction and Chapter 1.

• Read pages 2–3 aloud while students follow along. Say: I see that the word symbols on page 2 is boldfaced. The author doesn’t define it in the text, but she does give clues about its meaning. And because it is a boldfaced word, I can also look it up in the glossary. However, the word national on page 2 doesn’t appear in the glossary. The author says our country was a new nation, so nation and country must mean the same thing. I see the word nation in national, so perhaps national means “about a country.” On page 3, I see the words monuments and memorials. I’m not sure what they mean, and they aren’t in the glossary. I’ll write those words with a question mark on a self-stick note and put it on page 3. I may have to use the dictionary to find their meanings.

During Reading Set a Purpose for Reading

• Ask students to read pages 4–11 silently. Instruct them to ask questions about the unknown words they find and then write their questions on self-stick notes or in their journals. Remind students to look for clues the author might give to help them figure out the meaning of each word.

4 Symbols of Our Country © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

ABOUT THE STRATEGY Ask Questions

What? Good readers ask questions about unknown words, why something happens, how it happened, and what might happen next. Some questions have answers stated in the text, some answers are implied in the text, and some answers need further research. Still other questions have no answers.

Why? Asking questions keeps readers involved with the text and helps them understand and remember what they read.

When? Good readers ask questions before reading to help set a purpose. They ask questions during reading to monitor and clarify their understanding. They ask questions after reading to help them analyze and synthesize what they have read.

How? Good readers pause and wonder about the text. They keep track of their questions in a journal or on self-stick notes. They try to answer questions during and after reading.

Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1

After Reading Discuss the Reading

• Remind students that some unknown words have definitions right in the text. Others can be defined using clues in the context. And some may have no definitions or clues. Refer to the words monuments and memorials. Say: I was confused about these words, and they weren’t defined in the text. I’m going to look up one of them in the dictionary to see what it means. Look up monument in the dictionary and read aloud the definition.

• Ask students to explain how they figured out the meanings of unknown words. Did they find definitions stated in the book? Did they use clues or descriptions to figure out meanings? Did they use the glossary?

• Instruct students to use dictionaries to check the meanings of words that are not defined in the text. Let each student check one word. If students have difficulty, provide additional modeling.

• For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for the Introduction and Chapter 1 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate Author’s Purpose

• Say: When authors write, they have a reason, or purpose, for writing. When I read, I look for clues to the author’s purpose. If the author tries to convince me to agree with something, he or she is writing to persuade. If the author gives information, he or she is writing to inform. If the author tells a story, he or she is writing to entertain. Recognizing the author’s purpose for writing helps me better understand what I’m reading.

• Pass out the graphic organizer “Evaluate Author’s Purpose” (blackline master, page 14). You may want to make a chart-size copy of the graphic organizer or use a transparency.

• Explain that as students read, they will complete the first four rows together. They will complete the last two rows in pairs or independently.


1. Watch students as they write questions on self-stick notes or in their journals.

2. In a folder or notebook, jot down what you see each student doing.

3. Students should be asking questions about unknown words as they read. Document students who are and are not using this monitor-reading


Meeting Individual Needs

For students who struggle with this activity, model the strategy again and remind them that asking questions about unknown words as they read will help them better understand the text.

Rapid readers can use context clues, the glossary, or a dictionary to find the meanings of words they don’t know. Instruct them to write the words and definitions in their journals.

original

Introduction–Chapter 1 (continued)


Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate Author’s Purpose (continued)

• Instruct students to return to Chapter 1 and follow along as you model how to evaluate the author’s purpose. Write the information on the graphic organizer as you find it. Read page 4 aloud and say: On this page, the author gives us information or facts about the Liberty Bell. She tells us when the bell first rang and why it rang. She says that the bell rang every Fourth of July. In 1846 a crack appeared. The bell isn’t rung anymore. It is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’ll write those facts in the Evidence column. The author isn’t telling a story; she isn’t trying to persuade us to agree with her. She is writing to inform. I’ll write that in the Author’s Purpose column.

• Read page 9 aloud and say: The author tells us many facts about the bald eagle. I’ll write those facts in the Evidence column. If an author gives information, what is the author’s purpose for writing? She is writing to inform. I’ll write that in the Author’s Purpose column.

• Say: We’ll continue to evaluate the author’s purpose and point of view as we read the rest of the book.

Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning: Synonyms Using , or

• Explain to students that synonyms are words with the same or almost the same meaning. If you know the meaning of one synonym, you can use it to figure out the meaning of the other synonym. Tell students to turn to page 7 and find the word justice. Say: You may not know the meaning of this word, but the author defines it in the text. She uses , or to compare two words with similar meanings. Justice means fairness. I know that because the author put , or and the word fairness after the word justice. Because I know what fairness means, I know what justice means.

• Tell students to turn to page 11 and find the word constellation. Point out that the author has included a synonym for the word. Ask: What does the word constellation mean? (group) How did you identify the synonym for constellation? (by looking at the word that follows , or)

• Explain that students will look for additional synonyms to help them figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words as they continue to read Symbols of Our Country.

Reader Response

Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird of the United States. What do you think of his idea? Why? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.

to inform

to inform

Author gives information about Liberty Bell: first rang on July 8, 1776, to announce Declaration of Independence; rang every Fourth of July after that; cracked in 1846; doesn’t ring anymore; located in Philadelphia, PA

Author gives information about bald eagle: symbol of strength, courage, and freedom; became official national bird in 1782

Page Author’s Evidence Purpose

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Before ReadingMonitor-Reading Strategy: Ask questions

• Instruct students to look at their journals to review questions they wrote yesterday. Ask them if the Introduction and Chapter 1 answered any of their questions about unknown words, and discuss their responses. Remind them that asking questions is what good readers do to understand and remember what they have read.

• Say: Today we are going to ask the questions who, what, why, and how. Read page 12 aloud while students follow along. Ask the following questions as you read: What is a symbol? I know I read about that in Chapter 1, but I can’t remember what it means. I should go back and find that word. Why did France give the statue to the United States? Did Americans do something for the French? If so, what?

• Point out that the first question is answered in the book, but the other questions are not. Ask: How can I answer my questions? (Possible answers: read reference books, do online research, ask an expert)

• Instruct students to write who, what, why, or how questions on self-stick notes or in their journals as they read page 13.

During Reading Set a Purpose for Reading • Tell students to finish reading Chapter 2. As they read, they

should ask who, what, why, or how questions. For example, they might ask why Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota while the other monuments and memorials are in Washington, D.C.

After Reading Discuss the Reading • Invite students to share their questions and talk about why they

asked the questions they did. Help them identify questions ans-wered in the text and questions not answered in the text. Spend a few minutes on questions that are not answered in the text.

• Ask: What have you learned about statues, monuments, and memorials?

• Ask students to read the checkpoint on page 14 and think about and answer the prompt in their journals. Discuss their responses.

• For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapter 2 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.


Carefully watch ELL students as they complete the assignment. If they are not writing questions, it may be because they do not understand the text. If they are writing questions, make sure the questions apply to the text.

Meeting Individual Needs

For students who struggle with this strategy, model again. Then instruct them to read one page at a time and ask one question about each page. Ask them whether the question is answered in the text. If not, ask them what they can do to answer the question.

Rapid readers can review their questions and sort them into two groups—those that are answered in the text and those that are not. Ask students to write the answers to the questions in the first group and to choose one of the questions in the second group to research.

Guide Strategies: Chapter 2

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Chapter 2 (continued)

Reader Response

Which one of the statues, monuments, and memorials described in Chapter 2 would you most like to visit? Why? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.


• Review the “Evaluate Author’s Purpose” graphic organizer, and remind students that by looking for clues, or evidence, they can evaluate an author’s purpose.

• Tell students to reread page 16 to find the author’s purpose and evidence for that purpose. Write both on the graphic organizer.

• Follow the same procedure for page 18. Provide support for students who are struggling with this strategy.

• Use the completed graphic organizer on this page for suggested answers. Although their wording may vary, make sure that students have included the facts shown.

Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning: Synonyms Using , or

• Remind students that synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. Tell students to turn to page 12 and find the word liberty. Ask: What is the synonym for this word? (freedom) How do you know that freedom is a synonym for liberty? (because the word follows , or) What does the word freedom mean? (the condition of being free)

• Continue with the word tablet on page 12 and the word continents on page 13.

• For additional practice, instruct students to complete the blackline master on page 16.


to inform

to inform

Author gives information about Washington Monument: tallest monument in Washington, D.C.; 555 ft. 5 1/8 in. high

Author gives information about Vietnam Veterans Memorial: honors those who died fighting in the Vietnam War and who are still missing; their names are on the wall; built with money donated by citizens; contest chose the designer


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givenworkedbase

money

presentedlaboredpedestal

funds

givenworked hardbase on which a column or statue standsmoney

More Familiar Synonym

Less Familiar Synonym

Meaning of Less Familiar Synonym


Apply Strategies: Chapter 3–Conclusion

Before ReadingMonitor-Reading Strategy: Ask Questions

• Remind students that they have practiced asking questions about unknown words and about who, what, why, or how. Ask them to review the questions they wrote on self-stick notes or in their journals. Continue to ask who, what, why, and how questions.

• Read page 20 aloud while students follow along. Say: A question I want to ask is “Why didn’t George Washington live in the White House?” This question is not answered on this page. What can I do? Invite students to respond with possible ways to answer the question.

During ReadingSet a Purpose for Reading

• Instruct students to read the rest of the book silently. Encourage them to ask who, what, why, or how questions as they read. Instruct them to write their questions on self-stick notes or in their journals.

• Ask students to look for information about the U.S. Capitol.

After ReadingDiscuss the Reading

• Invite students to share questions they have asked as they read.

• Ask: How can you find answers to your questions? Which questions were answered in the book? Which questions need research? Spend a few minutes on questions not answered in the book.

• Ask: What information did you find about the U.S. Capitol? Where is it located? Who works in that building?

• For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapter 3 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.

Teaching Tips

After discussing the reading, tell students to remove the self-stick notes from their books and place the notes in their journals on a page titled “Ask Questions.” Use this page to review asking questions throughout the year.


• Review the graphic organizer that students have been completing. Explain that they will evaluate the author’s purpose in Chapter 3 in pairs or independently. Students should reread pages 20 and 21 and write both the evidence and the author’s purpose for those pages.

• Ask if students have any questions before they begin. Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty. Discuss students’ responses together.

• For more practice with evaluating author’s purpose, instruct students to complete the blackline master “Evaluate Author’s Purpose” on page 15.

Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information:

Photographs

• Tell students to turn to pages 20–21 and look at the photographs. Explain that photographs show readers exactly what people, places, or objects look like. Remind students of the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Explain that this means that the writer would have to use many, many words to describe everything we can see in these two photographs.

• Ask: What does the photograph of the White House show you that the text does not tell you? (Possible answer: The text does not describe the White House at all. The photograph provides all the information about what the White House looks like.) How does the photograph of the U.S. Capitol building help you understand the information in the text? (Possible answer: The photograph shows the dome and the statue mentioned in the text.)

Chapter 3–Conclusion (continued)



1. Watch students as they evaluate the author’s purpose. Ask yourself: How have students progressed with this strategy? What problems are they still having?

2. Watch students as they complete the graphic organizer. Ask yourself: Who is still struggling with this strategy? How can I help them?

3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook. For students who struggle with evaluating author’s purpose review the strategy.

Statue of Liberty

Bald Eagles

to entertain

to persuade

Author tells a story: two fictional characters, Ava and her father, take a ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty; contains dialogueAuthor tries to convince reader to help bald eagles: tells how people threaten bald eagles; suggests actions people can take; ends with persuasive appeal—“The future of bald eagles depends on us.”

Reader Response

Review the White House and U.S. Capitol facts and pictures on pages 20–21. How are the two buildings alike? How are they different? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.

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Author’s Evidence Purpose

to inform

to inform

Author gives information about White House; a symbol of our country

Author gives information about U.S. Capitol: Congress makes our laws; dome with statue of woman on top; represents freedom


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Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment• Administer Ongoing Assessment #15 on pages 60–61 in the

Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 3).

Summarize Information• Tell students that they are going to summarize the book Symbols

of Our Country. Remind them that when we summarize, we write only the main ideas of a story or book. Explain that students will first identify the main idea(s) of each chapter, and then they will use that information to write a summary of the whole book.

• Pair students, and instruct partners to work together to find the main idea(s) of each of the three chapters in the book. Ask them to write the main idea(s) in their journals.

• Tell partners to use their notes to create an oral summary of the book. They can practice giving their summary to each other before one partner gives it to the group. Encourage speakers to talk clearly and slowly.

• After all summaries have been given, discuss with students how the summaries were alike and different. Point out the strong points of the summaries.



1. Score assessments and determine if more instruction is needed for this strategy.

2. Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder.

3. Look closely at students’ responses. Ask yourself: Why might this student have answered the question in this way? For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.

4. If needed, reteach this strategy and administer Ongoing Assessment #16 on pages 62–63 of the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 3).

5. Use Ongoing Assessments to document growth over time, for parent/teacher conferences, or for your own records.

Pair ELL students with more proficient English speakers. Partners can work together to write the main idea(s) of the chapters. Then put two pairs together to make a small group. Suggest that the group members compare, revise, and agree on the main ideas before working together to write a summary of the whole book. Make sure that all students are participating in the activity.

Synthesize Information

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Chapter 1Symbols of our nation when it was new are the Liberty Bell, the flag, the bald eagle, and the Great Seal.

Chapter 2The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial make people think of what the United States stands for.

Chapter 3The White House and the U.S. Capitol are important buildings in our capital, Washington, D.C.

Write a Personal ResponseInvite students to respond to the book in a way that is meaningful to them. The prompts below provide a variety of alternatives.

• Think about the symbols in this book. What kind of symbol would you choose to represent you? (text-to-self)

• Do the symbols of one country affect the citizens of other countries? If so, how? (text-to-world)

• What parts of this book confused you? What did you do about that? (self-monitor)

• How is this book on symbols of the United States like other books on the United States that you have read? How is it different? (text-to-text/compare and contrast)

• Does the author give enough information about each symbol? Do you think any symbols needed more information? If so, which one(s) and why? (evaluate)

• What did you feel as you read this book? Why did you feel that way? (personal response)

• What is the main idea of this book? (synthesize information) Write to a Text PromptUse the prompt below as a timed-writing activity. Students have a maximum of one hour to draft, revise, and edit a response. Use the rubric provided in the sidebar to score students’ writing.

Write to a Picture PromptUse the following picture prompt to develop students’ visual writing abilities.

Reading/Writing Connections

Teaching Tips

Transfer Personal Response Prompts to large chart paper and hang it in the room. Students can refer to the list throughout the year.

The prompt is well developed. There is strong evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions.

The prompt is developed. There is adequate evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions. The prompt is somewhat developed. There is minimal evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions.

The prompt is weakly developed. There is little evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions.

Scoring Rubric

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3

2

1

Why are symbols important to the citizens of a nation? Use information from the book to support your answer.

Look at the pictures of the bald eagle on pages 2–3, 4–5, 9, and 22. How do the pictures help you understand why early leaders chose the eagle as the national bird of the United States? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member. Use details from the picture to support your answer.


© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Directions: Use this sheet to talk about the book.

Word Study:Write words you did not know. Discuss the meanings with your group. Use the text to clarify the meanings.

Questions:Write two to three questions you had while reading this book. Discuss the questions and answers.

Make Connections:Write three connections you made with the text. Discuss them with your group.

Adapted from Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing Co., 1994.

Rules for a Good Discussion:

1. Be prepared.

2. Pay attention to the person who is talking and do not interrupt him or her.

3. Think about what others are saying so you can respond.

4. Use inside voices.

5. Let everyone in the group have a turn to speak.

6. Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.

Adapted from Fountas, I. C., and

Pinnell, G. S. Guiding Readers and

Writers. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann

Publishing Co., 2001.

Ways to Make Connections

Text-to-Self: This reminds me of a time when I . . .

Text-to-World: What’s going on in this book is like what’s happening right now in . . .

Text-to-Text: This book reminds me of another book I read called. . . . It was about . . .

Small-Group Discussion Guide


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Evaluate Author’s Purpose

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4

9

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Author’s Evidence


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Evaluate Author’s PurposeDirections: Find the author’s main purpose and the evidence for that purpose in each passage. Complete the graphic organizer using information from the passages.

Statue of Liberty

As the ferry left the Battery Park dock, Ava ran to the front.

Her father followed her. Out in the harbor the Statue of Liberty

looked small. But as the ferry moved closer, the statue became

larger and larger. Ava had to lean back to look up at the statue’s

head. As they waited to get off at Liberty Island, Ava bounced up

and down. Her father put his hands on her shoulders. He said,

“Just a few more minutes, Ava.”

Bald Eagles

Bald eagles are not endangered now, but they are still threatened

by people. We cut down their forest habitats. We kill or poison

their food supply with chemicals. Bald eagles need our help. Write

or e-mail your representative and senator. Support places that care

for injured eagles and other animals. Call organizations that work

to save animals and their habitats. The future of bald eagles

depends on us.

Page

Statue of Liberty

Bald Eagles

Author’s Evidence

Skills Bank

16 ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Symbols of Our Country

Build ComprehensionMakE PrEdiCtions

Explain • Create an overhead transparency of the graphic organizer “Symbols of Our Country” or draw it on the board. Say: We make predictions before we read a book and while we read. Then we check our predictions. Making predictions helps us pay close attention to our reading.

Model • Say: Let’s think about a prediction someone might make before reading Symbols of Our Country. The title tells us the book is about things that represent our country. The picture on the title page shows a statue of Abraham Lincoln. I know the statue is in Washington, D. C. The book could be about monuments that stand for our country in Washington, D. C. Write this in the first Prediction box on the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by beginning to read the book. Take a picture walk through the first few pages. Say: We can’t mark Yes because the prediction is not correct. The book includes things besides buildings and things that are not in Washington, D. C. Write this statement in the first No box on the graphic organizer.

Guide • Say: Now let’s think about another prediction. What might someone predict about the photograph of the Liberty Bell on page 5? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, readers might think the text will explain what the Liberty Bell symbolizes. Write the page number and prediction in the second row of the graphic organizer. Then say: We check the prediction by reading the book. Read page 4 aloud. Say: We can mark Yes because the prediction is correct. Draw a check mark in the Yes column.

Apply • Ask students to work with a partner to think of other predictions readers might make based on the photographs, graphics, chapter titles, and subheads. After each partnership shares, record some of the predictions and results on the graphic organizer. Finally, read the completed graphic organizer aloud and invite students to echo-read.

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

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symbols of our CountryMake Predictions

Prediction Yes No

Before reading the book someone might predict . . .

on page _____, someone might predict . . .







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Use Synonyms to Determine Word MeaningDirections: The following passage has four pairs of synonyms. For each pair, write the synonym that you are more familiar with in the first column of the graphic organizer. Write the synonym that you are less familiar with in the second column. Then write the meaning of the less unfamiliar synonym in the third column.

Better Late Than Never

The Statue of Liberty was a gift presented, or given, by

the French people to the American people. However, the French

and the Americans labored, or worked, together on the statue.

Americans built the 154-foot pedestal, or base. The French

designed and built the 152-foot statue. Both the Americans and

the French had problems raising the funds, or money, needed to

complete the Statue of Liberty. It was finally finished in 1886,

ten years late.

More Familiar Less Familiar Meaning of Synonym Synonym Less Familiar Synonym

Notes


Notes


Documents

Level N/30 Symbols of Our Country - Amazon S3€¦ · • Symbols of Our Country ... reading instruction for students ... • Give students a copy of the book. Tell them to read the