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Literature & Comprehension
supplied•“Robert’s Rockets,”
K12 World: The Science of Inventing, pp. 28–37
•K12 Language Arts Activity Book, pp. LC 249–251
also needed•glue stick•scissors, round-end safety
materials
explore “robert’s rockets”
Big ideas ▶ Comprehension entails an understanding of the
organizational patterns
of text. ▶ Repeated rereading leads to increased f luency.
Lesson overview
offline 45 minutes
Get ready Lesson Introduction
Sequence and Chronological Order in Nonfiction Articles
Words to Know
Guided reading Book Walk
“Robert’s Rockets”
reading for meaning Sequence in “Robert’s Rockets”
Main Idea in “Robert’s Rockets”
making Connections Sequence Events in “Robert’s Rockets”
Beyond the Lesson OPTIONAL: Homemade RocketKeywordsmain idea –
the most important idea in a paragraph or textsequence – ordertext
structure – the organizational pattern of a text, such as cause and
effect, compare and contrast, and chronological order
LC 720 Language arts GreenCopyright © 2012, K12 Inc. All rights
reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
including illustrations, without the express prior written consent
of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
offline 45 minutesWork together with students to complete Get
Ready, Guided Reading, Reading for Meaning, Making Connections, and
Beyond the Lesson activities.
Get Ready
Objectives• Identify organizational
structures of text.
• Identify sequence of events in informational text.
• Build vocabulary through listening, reading, and
discussion.
• Use new vocabulary in written and spoken sentences.
• Increase concept and content vocabulary.
Lesson IntroductionPrepare students for reading and discussing
“Robert’s Rockets.”
1. Tell students that they are going to reread “Robert’s
Rockets.”
2. Explain that before they read the article, you will get ready
by discussing how authors of nonfiction can organize articles in
the order in which events happened.
Sequence and Chronological Order in Nonfiction ArticlesExplore
how authors can organize information in nonfiction texts.
1. Remind students that authors can organize information in an
article in different ways. A nonfiction text can be written in
sequence, to compare and contrast, or to show problem and solution
or cause and effect. For example, we can say that the article “Ben
Franklin, American Inventor” is organized by problem and solution,
because the article talks about the ideas and inventions that Ben
Franklin came up with to solve problems.
2. Explain that a biography, which is a nonfiction text that
tells facts about a person’s life, is often written in sequence.
This means that it tells about events in the person’s life in the
order that the events happened. A signal, or clue, that a biography
is organized in sequence is when the author includes dates or
mentions years in the text.
3. Tell students that when an article tells the years of
important events, we can say that it’s written in sequence. We can
also say that it’s written in chronological order, or time
order.Say: I’m going to read a paragraph about a famous person.
Thomas Edison was born in 1847. In 1868, Thomas got a patent for
his first invention—an electric vote-recording machine. In 1879, he
invented the modern light bulb, which changed the world. He
invented the first movie camera in 1904. Altogether, Thomas got
patents for more than 1,000 inventions. He died in 1931.
▶ What does this paragraph tell us? facts about Thomas Edison;
facts about the things Thomas Edison invented
▶ How is the text of the Thomas Edison biography organized? in
sequence; in chronological order; in time order
▶ In what year was Thomas Edison born? 1847 ▶ Did Edison invent
the light bulb before or after he invented the first movie
camera? before
Literature & Comprehension LC 721Copyright © 2012, K12 Inc.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole
or in part, including illustrations, without the express prior
written consent of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
Words to KnowBefore reading “Robert’s Rockets,” go over Words to
Know with students.
1. Read aloud each word and have students repeat it.
2. Ask students if they know what each word means.
▶ If students know a word’s meaning, have them define it and use
it in a sentence.
▶ If students don’t know a word’s meaning, read them the
definition and discuss the word with them.
engine – a machine that uses energy from electricity or a fuel
such as gasoline to do workfuel – something that is burned to
supply heat or power; examples include gasoline, coal, and
oilgunpowder – a black powder used in firing guns and making
fireworks; it explodes when fire touches itinvent – to think of and
make or develop a machine, tool, or process that did not exist
beforeinvention – a machine, tool, or process that did not exist
beforelaunch – to set in motion; to send offNASA – a U.S.
government organization that studies space travel; NASA stands for
National Aeronautics and Space Administrationoxygen – a gas that is
part of the air; a chemical element
Guided Reading
Objectives• Activate prior knowledge
by previewing text and/or discussing topic.
• Read and listen to a variety of texts for information and
pleasure independently or as part of a group.
• Read aloud grade-level text with appropriate expression,
accuracy, and rate.
Book WalkPrepare students for reading by taking them on a Book
Walk of “Robert’s Rockets.” Scan the article together to revisit
the text.
1. Turn to the selection in K12 World: The Science of
Inventing.
2. Have students read aloud the title of the article.
3. Have students look at the pictures of the article.
4. Ask the following question to help students think about what
they already know about the article. Answers to questions may
vary.
▶ Why do you think Robert wanted to make a rocket that could go
into space?
▶ What were some of the things Robert did to make his dream of
space travel come true?
LC 722 Language arts GreenCopyright © 2012, K12 Inc. All rights
reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
including illustrations, without the express prior written consent
of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
“Robert’s Rockets”It’s time for students to reread the
article.
1. Tell students that “Robert’s Rockets” should now be familiar
to them because they have read it before.
2. Explain that they will reread the article aloud to you, and
you are there if they need help.
3. If students have trouble reading on their own, offer one of
the following levels of support to meet their needs.
▶ Read aloud the article to them. ▶ Read aloud the article as
they chime in with you. ▶ Take turns with students and alternate
reading aloud each paragraph
or page.
4. Remind students to track with their finger as they read.
5. Tell students that as they read, they should look for dates
that signal the order of the events in the article.
Reading for Meaning
Objectives• Identify organizational
structures of text.
• Identify sequence of events in informational text.
• Identify chronological order.• Identify the main idea.
Sequence in “Robert’s Rockets”Check students’ understanding of
sequence and chronological order.
▶ When an article has dates or years in it, how is the
information probably organized? Possible answers: in sequence, or
chronological order; in time order
▶ When Robert was 17 years old, he climbed a cherry tree and got
an idea about rockets. Did this happen before or after he studied
math and science in college? before How do you know? The article is
written in sequence, or chronological order, and climbing the
cherry tree comes first.
▶ Did Robert launch a rocket with a new kind of fuel before or
after he set off a rocket in a basement? after How do you know?
Robert set off the rocket in the basement in 1907, and he launched
the rocket that used the new kind of fuel in 1926. So launching the
rocket with the new fuel happened after.
▶ Did NASA name a new space f light center for Robert before or
after he died? after How do you know? Robert died in 1945, and the
new space flight center was named for him in 1959.
▶ What happened in 1969? Astronauts flew to the moon.
Literature & Comprehension LC 723Copyright © 2012, K12 Inc.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole
or in part, including illustrations, without the express prior
written consent of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
Main Idea in “Robert’s Rockets”Check students’ understanding of
main idea in nonfiction articles.
1. Remind students that a nonfiction article can have a main
idea, which is the most important idea, or message, in the text.
The author of an article usually doesn’t directly state the main
idea. Readers have to think about the title, topic, and facts of an
article to figure out the main idea.
2. Ask students the following questions.
▶ How do you think Robert felt when his rockets didn’t work the
way he hoped? Answers will vary.
▶ Why do you think Robert didn’t give up? Guide students to
understand that Robert believed in his dream, so he did everything
he could to make it come true.
▶ Do you think it was easy for Robert to improve his rockets?
Guide students to recognize that Robert worked hard and spent a lot
of time working to improve his rockets.
▶ What is the main idea of “Robert’s Rockets”? Possible answers:
If you work hard, your dreams can come true; if you believe in
yourself, you can make great things happen.
Making Connections
Objectives• Read text to perform a
specific task.
• Identify sequence of events in informational text.
• Identify chronological order.• Demonstrate understanding
through graphic organizers.
Sequence Events in “Robert’s Rockets”Check students’
understanding of the sequence of events in “Robert’s Rockets.” Turn
to pages LC 249–251 in K12 Language Arts Activity Book and gather
the glue stick and scissors.
1. Remind students that a biography can be organized in
sequence. One way that readers can check whether they understand
what they read is by telling the sequence of events.
2. Remind students that if an article includes the dates or
years when important events happened, we can say that the events
are in chronological order.
3. Explain that students will use facts with pictures to show
the sequence, or chronological order, of events in “Robert’s
Rockets.” They will also practice reading and following simple
directions.
LC 724 Language arts GreenCopyright © 2012, K12 Inc. All rights
reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
including illustrations, without the express prior written consent
of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
4. Have students complete the Activity Book pages, helping them
with the instructions as needed.
5. Have students retell the sequence of events using the
pictures as a guide.
Refer back to “Robert’s Rockets” if students have trouble
recalling the order of events in the article.
© K
12 In
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making Connections
explore “robert’s rockets”sequence events in “robert’s
rockets”
Cut out the fact boxes. On page LC 251, glue the facts in the
order that they happened.
1926Robert makes a new rocket that uses liquid fuel.
1899Robert has an idea in a cherry tree.
todayRobert is called the “father of rocket science.”
1907Robert sets off a rocket in a basement.
1958The United States starts a space program.
LC 249LANGUAGE ARTS GREEN
Literatu
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1899
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LC 251LANGUAGE ARTS GREEN
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Beyond the Lesson
Objectives• Make connections with text:
text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world.
OPTIONAL: Homemade RocketThis activity is OPTIONAL. It is
intended for students who have extra time and would enjoy making a
small rocket of their own. Feel free to skip this activity. Note:
Students should complete this activity only with adult
supervision.
1. Tell students that they can get an idea of how Robert
Goddard’s rockets powered with liquid fuel worked by making their
own rocket.
2. Go to the NASA website
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/pop-rocket/.
Literature & Comprehension LC 725Copyright © 2012, K12 Inc.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole
or in part, including illustrations, without the express prior
written consent of K12 Inc.
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Literature & Comprehension
3. Help students gather materials and follow the directions for
making a bubble-powered rocket.
4. Find a clear open space and then follow the website
directions for launching the bubble-powered rocket. Be sure that
all participants wear appropriate eye protection.
5. Ask the following questions.
▶ Robert H. Goddard’s first liquid fuel rocket went up 41 feet.
Do you think your rocket went lower or higher than Robert’s rocket?
Answers will vary. You may want to give students a general idea of
how much 41 feet is by taking 41 steps of approximately one foot
each and marking your starting and ending points.
▶ What caused your rocket to go up? The gas bubbles rushed down,
which pushed the rocket up. Do you think this is similar to how the
liquid fuel in Robert’s rockets worked? Yes
▶ How did you feel when your rocket took off? Answers will vary.
▶ How do you think Robert felt the first time he launched a liquid
fuel
rocket? Answers will vary.
LC 726 Language arts GreenCopyright © 2012, K12 Inc. All rights
reserved. This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
including illustrations, without the express prior written consent
of K12 Inc.