Sample Lesson Trailblazers - mhecriticalreadingprogram.com · Sample Lesson Trailblazers “On Thin Ic e,” pages 4–11 Introduce Summary In 2005 Tom Avery led the Barclays Capital

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UNIT 1 Above & Beyond Teacher Guide 34

Sample Lesson Trailblazers“On Thin Ice,” pages 4–11

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e Summary In 2005 Tom Avery led the Barclays Capital Ultimate North Pole Expedition on a trip to the North Pole. Their goal was to determine whether Robert Peary and Matthew Henson could have possibly reached the North Pole in 37 days in 1909, as they had claimed. For the trip, Avery duplicated Peary’s equipment and route as closely as possible. Due to global warming, however, the team faced the additional challenges of more open water and a thinner ice pack. Avery and his team reached the North Pole in 36 days, 22 hours, and 11 minutes—about fi ve hours faster than Peary. Even though Avery did not prove that Peary and Henson reached the Pole, he showed that it is possible that they could have.

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BEFORE READING Build Vocabulary List the vocabulary words and their defi nitions on the board. Discuss each word’s meaning with students. Then writethe following questions on the board. Read the questions aloud and discuss the answers with students.

inconsistent: confl icting supplemented: added to, in order to make more completeinsurmountable: not able to be conquered frenetic: in a hurried and excited mannerformidable: impressive and diffi cult

1. If a student gets inconsistent test results, are the results pretty 4. If the worker supplemented his income last month, did he work much the same or very different? Why? more or less than usual? Why?2. Is a job that seems to be insurmountable easy or diffi cult? Why? 5. Where might you see frenetic shoppers? Why?3. What would be a formidable challenge—a trip to the North Pole or a trip to the park? Why?

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students name words and phrases they think of when

they hear about the North Pole. (Possible answers: cold, Christmas, Arctic Ocean, Arctic Circle, north, top of the globe)

2. Have students fi nd the North Pole and the United States on a map. Point out the distance between the two.

3. Ask students why travelers to the North Pole might use sled dogs to get there. Go to http://www.pbs.org/, enter “sled” in the search box, and click on the fi rst result.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article will tell about Tony Avery’s trip to the North Pole. We will learn about how sled dogs helped pull Avery’s supplies over snowy terrain.)

Build Background Robert Peary attempted to reach the North Pole several times before fi nally declaring success on April 6, 1909. As he returned home to celebrate his triumph, he learned that Dr. Frederick Cook, the ship’s surgeon from one of Peary’s earlier expeditions, claimed that he had reached the Pole in 1908. Peary challenged the claim, which was later discredited when Cook failed to submit adequate evidence. Even though in 1911, Congress recognized Peary as the fi rst explorer to reach the Pole, some scientists have since examined his evidence and questioned whether his claim is true. Many experts, however, believe that even if Peary didn’t reach the actual Pole, he came pretty close.

DURING READINGFind Vocabulary in Context As students read the article, have them note the new vocabulary words. Ask them to think about each word’s meaning as they read.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Tom Avery’s trip to the North Pole. Ask students: What do you think was the most diffi cult part of Avery’s trip? If you could take this trip with Avery as your guide, do you think you would go? Why or why not?

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ers DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

Explain that when readers compare and contrast, they tell how people, places, ideas, or things are the same and different. Point out that comparing and contrasting helps readers organize and categorize ideas. Then have students use a three-column chart to tell how two people, places, or things are the same and different.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students describe two of their favorite foods to partners. Encourage them to discuss ingredients, fl avor, and type of food. Then ask partners to make a Venn diagram showing how the two foods are alike and different. Ask partners to share and discuss their diagrams.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 2 as a Compare-and-Contrast Chart. Have students label one column Alike and the other Different. Have students name three ways in which Avery’s trip was like Peary’s and three ways in which it was different.

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Unit 1, Lesson 1 Trailblazers“Seeing the World by Bicycle,” pages 14–21

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e Summary After Dervla Murphy got a bicycle and an atlas for her 10th birthday, she set a goal for herself—to bike from her home in Ireland to India. In 1963 she fi nally did it. She bought a sturdy bike, loaded it with supplies, and learned to fi re a gun for protection. Leaving Ireland in the winter, Murphy battled snow and freezing temperatures. She rode through several countries, such as Yugoslavia, Iran, and Pakistan. Along the way she encountered many hardships and close calls, as well as kind, thoughtful strangers. In the end, Murphy made it to India and wrote a book about her adventures. She has been riding and chronicling her trips, including one to Cuba at the age of 77, ever since.

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exotic: excitingly unfamiliar unnerving: upsettinginvalid: sickly waning: fading awaydeferred: delayed

1. What word goes with “gradually disappearing”? (waning) 4. What word goes with “a faraway tropical island”? (exotic)2. What word goes with “some hospital patients”? (invalid) 5. What word goes with “put off a plan for a while”? (deferred)3. What word goes with “scary situation”? (unnerving)

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Ask students to discuss their bike-riding experiences.

Have them talk about equipment and safety rules. Seehttp://bicyclesafe.com/.

2. Have students fi nd these countries on a map: Ireland, France, Italy, Iran, Pakistan, India.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article will be about how Dervla Murphy traveled around the world on her bicycle. As part of her career, she visited remote and beautiful places.)

Build Background The modern bicycle can be traced back to 1817, when Baron Karl von Drais of Germany invented a two-wheeled device he called a “running machine.” It was made of wood and had a seat and wheels but no pedals—the rider would propel himself forward by pushing off the ground with his feet. Although this early version was not very practical, it demonstrated that a two-wheeled machine in motion could stay upright. The 1860s saw the emergence of a bicycle with pedals—as well as the word bicycle itself—and the technology advanced quickly from there. A steel frame replaced the wooden structure, and tires covered the wheels. By 1900 the basic design of the modern bicycle was already in place, though improvements to safety, comfort, and speed have continued to this day.

DURING READINGInfer An inference is a logical guess about information that the writer suggests but doesn’t directly say. Making inferences helps readers fi nd deeper meaning in what they read. Ask students to look for details that aren’t fully explained. Have them combine clues from the text with their personal knowledge to identify what the writer suggests.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Dervla Murphy’s bike trip to India. Ask students: What words would you use to describe Murphy? Biking from Ireland to India was Murphy’s dream. What dream do you have, and how might you go about realizing it?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONCollect passages, newspaper headlines, jokes, or cartoons that require students to make inferences in order to fully understand the text. Place students in groups and have them work together to make inferences based on the text. The dialogue among students builds background knowledge, and those who have diffi culty with this skill can learn from those who are more adept at it. Allow groups to share their inferences with the class.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSSeveral picture books for older readers can be useful for helping students understand the concept of making inferences. Have students read the books in small groups and make three inferences about what happened in each book. The Arrival, by Shaun Tan, depicts the journey of a man who leaves home for a strange, fantastical land in order to support his family.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 1 as a Characteristics Map. Ask students to write Dervla Murphy in the center bubble and the adjectives below in the surrounding bubbles. Then have students write a fact that they learned from the article that supports each adjective. Discuss responses.

AdventurousLovingBraveOrganized


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Unit 1, Lesson 2 Trailblazers“Lost and Found,” pages 22–29

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Summary Yossi Ghinsberg was looking for adventure in 1981 and found it when he went on an expedition in the Bolivian jungle. After 10 days in this part of the Amazon rain forest, Ghinsberg and his companions, who were fatigued and miserable, headed back—two on foot and Ghinsberg and Wallace by raft on the Tuichi River. The currents strengthened, and Ghinsberg was swept over waterfalls and eventually washed up alone on a riverbank. For 19 days the weak, hungry, and insect-swarmed Ghinsberg traveled through the forbidding jungle until he fi nally collapsed on the riverbank. It was at that precise location where Wallace, who had managed to get help, miraculously found and rescued Ghinsberg. The other two travelers were never heard from again.

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BEFORE READING Build Vocabulary List the vocabulary words and their defi nitions on the board. Discuss each word’s meaning with students. Then writethe sentences that contain the words on the board. Read the sentences aloud and discuss them with students.

meandered: wandered without any fi xed destination menacing: dangerousextensive: very thorough, detailed emaciated: extremely thindisenchantment: displeasure

1. The stream meandered down the mountain, through the fi elds, 4. The menacing clouds signaled that a bad storm was on its way. and into the lake. 5. The emaciated dog looked really hungry when it stumbled out of2. The doctor has extensive knowledge about tropical diseases the woods after it had been lost for weeks. and helps many patients. 3. The worker felt disenchantment with his job and decided to look for a new one.

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students share their knowledge of rain forests by

discussing the plants and animals that can be found there and the destruction that threatens them. Go to http://www.worldwildlife.org/, move the mouse over “Places” at the top, and click on “Amazon.”

2. Ask students to fi nd Bolivia, La Paz, the Bolivian rain forest, and the Tuichi River on a map of South America.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: I think this article is about someone who got lost, had an encounter with a jaguar, and was later found near Bolivia’s Tuichi River.)

Build Background The Amazon rain forest, covering over two million square miles, is the biggest rain forest in the world. About two-thirds of it is in Brazil, but it extends into eight other countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. After returning from his trip to the rain forest, Yossi Ghinsberg wrote a book about his experience, titled Back from Tuichi and later republished as Jungle. As a result of the book, the places in Ghinsberg’s story have become popular Bolivian tourist spots. The man who rescued Ghinsberg became a sought-after jungle tour guide. With help from Ghinsberg, Conservation International, and Inter-American Development Bank, 4.5 million acres of the Bolivian jungle were turned into a national park, and the community built a unique ecolodge called Chalalán.

DURING READINGVisualize Visualizing is picturing in your mind the details of the setting, events, and characters in the text. Encourage students to draw pictures or diagrams of these images as they read.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Yossi Ghinsberg’s experience. Ask students: What lesson do you think Ghinsberg learned from his ordeal? Do you think you would have survived if you were in Ghinsberg’s position? Why or why not?

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Choose a descriptive poem and read it aloud to students. Have students visualize the poem. Then reread the poem and have students act out what they see in their mind’s eye. Finally, ask students to draw a sketch or write a description of their visualizations.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students take turns describing favorite places. As each student describes a place, have others visualize it and then draw pictures of the place. Encourage students to ask questions as needed to help them clarify their visualizations.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 1 as a Concept Map. Have students write Bolivian Jungle in the center bubble. In each outer bubble, ask them to write one detail from the article that helps them visualize the jungle.


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Unit 1, Lesson 3 Trailblazers“Sailing Solo,” pages 30–37

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e Summary Hilary Lister had been an active girl, but at 17 she was diagnosed with refl ex sympathetic dystrophy, a condition that ultimately left her paralyzed from the neck down. In 2003 she was invited to a special sailing program for disabled people, and her love of sailing was born. First Lister trained to sail solo across the English Channel, which she did in 2005 with the help of a special sailboat that she could control by sipping and puffi ng on two plastic tubes. Her next goal was to sail solo around the coast of Britain. It took her three months and 40 separate day-long treks, but on August 31, 2009, she completed her journey.

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BEFORE READING Build Vocabulary List the vocabulary words and their defi nitions on the board. Discuss each word’s meaning with students. Then writethe following sentence stems on the board. Read the sentence stems aloud and ask students to complete them.

degenerative: getting steadily worse persevered: kept goingexuberant: full of joy adversity: hard timescaptivated: attracted

1. Because the patient has a degenerative disease, the disease . . . 4. We knew that the marathon runner had persevered when . . .2. The athlete was exuberant because . . . 5. If you triumph over adversity, you . . .3. The students became captivated when . . .

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students discuss sailboats and sailing. Invite them to

fi nd diagrams of sailboats online and name the parts. Then ask students who have sailed to share their experiences.

2. Discuss with students the difference between England(a country), Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales), and the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). See http://www.projectbritain.com/britain/.

3. Ask students to fi nd Dover, England; Calais, France; and the English Channel on a map. Have students trace a sailing route around Britain.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article will tell about Hilary Lister’s attempt to break a sailing record in her 20-foot puff boat “Me Too.”)

Build Background The English Channel (or La Manche in French) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Great Britain and France. It is about 350 miles long, but its width varies from 21 miles at the east end to150 miles in the west. With up to 600 vessels using the channel daily, it is the busiest sea passage in the world. Throughout history, the English Channel has protected England from invaders, including the Spanish Armada in the 1500s, Napoleon in the 1800s, and Hitler in the 1940s. In 1875 Matthew Webb completed the fi rst recorded swimming of the channel, and in 1926 Gertrude Ederle was the fi rst woman to swim across it. In 1994 the Channel Tunnel, also called Chunnel or Eurotunnel, was completed as a rail route between Paris and London. Freight and passenger trains travel through the tunnel at speeds of 100 miles per hour,completing the journey in about 35 minutes.

DURING READINGAsk Questions Questioning helps you to monitor your understanding of the text. Have students ask who, what, where, when, why, and how questions and look for the answers. Questions may include: Who is the article about? What did she do? Where did she live? When did the event take place? Why was she well known? How did she become a trailblazer?

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Hilary Lister and her sailing trips. Ask students: What makes Hilary Lister unique? How would you describe her accomplishments? In what way might she be a role model for other athletes facing physical adversity?

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Have students keep a reading log to help them become better readers. Have them answer questions like the following for articles they read: Did anything in the text remind you of an experience you have had? Did you have a positive or negative reaction to anything in the text? With what parts of the text did you agree or disagree? Which part of the text, if any, was confusing to you?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSAssign profi cient English-speaking partners to ELLs and ask the partners to help the ELLs form questions. Having ELLs actively question what they don’t understand will help them as they encounter diffi cult text in a new language.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 7 as a Summary Chart. Ask students to write the main ideas of paragraphs 4, 5, and 6 in the top three boxes. Then have them use those main ideas to summarize the paragraphs. Ask students to write the summary in the bottom box.


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Unit 1, Lesson 4 Trailblazers“James Beckwourth: Man and Myth,” pages 38–45

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e Summary Born to a white farmer father and a black slave mother in 1798, James Beckwourth went on to become a pioneer legend who moved from one adventure to the next in the American West of the early 19th century. After joining a beaver trapping expedition, Beckwourth was captured by Crow warriors. According to one version of the story, he lived among the Crow and rose to eventually become a War Chief. Growing restless, Beckwourth moved on, and over the years he joined the Missouri Volunteers of the United States Army, traded with the Cheyenne, started a trading post, panned for gold, and helped establish a pass through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When he died in 1866, the Crow honored him as a warrior.

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embellish: make more interesting acknowledged: admittedgaudy: fl ashy obstructed: blockedslur: insult

1. Storytellers embellish their stories by changing voices and 4. While the suspect acknowledged that he was in the store, he said adding unusual details. that he did not commit the crime.2. The guests wore gaudy costumes to the costume party. 5. The tall man sitting in front of me obstructed my view of the3. When a person says something unkind about another person, performance.

it is a slur.

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students fi nd maps of the American West from 1800 to

1850 and discuss changes to the United States during that time. Have them locate these places: Virginia; St. Louis, Missouri; Florida; Mississippi River; Pueblo, Colorado; California; Sierra Nevada Mountains; Reno, Nevada. Ask how people might have traveled from place to place.

2. Ask students to share their impressions of the American Westduring the early 1800s. Ask them to use these terms: mountain man, beaver trapper, trading store, prospector. Go tohttp://www.pbs.org/, enter “west” in the search box, click on the fi rst result, and click on “Events” at the top.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article will be about James Beckwourth, an explorer who had adventures from Florida to the Pacifi c Ocean. I think we will learn about his adventures and how he owned a trading post.)

Build Background The Crow, a Native American tribe of the northern Great Plains, have lived in the area around southeastern Montana for at least 300 years. Originally farmers, the Crow moved west from the Missouri River in North Dakota to Montana in the early 1700s. They traded horses and hunted the buffalo on the northern plains, warring with neighboring tribes such as the Blackfeet and the Sioux. The Crow were friendly with white settlers and soldiers, and in 1825 they signed a friendship treaty with the United States. The Crow reservation was established around 1851. Today many Crow make their income in agriculture, cattle ranching, tourism, and mineral leases.

DURING READINGIdentify Sequence Sequence is the order in which events, ideas, or things are arranged. Time order refers to the order in which events occur. Following the sequence of events helps you see how the text is organized and how events relate to each other. As students read, ask them to look for key words and phrases, such as then, just before, next, when, and after a time.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to James Beckwourth. Ask students: How do you think people who met James Beckwourth felt about him? Which adventure would you like to have experienced with Beckwourth? Why? If Beckwourth were alive today, what do you think he would be doing?

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Explain that the most common types of sequence are time order, spatial order, order of importance, and steps in a process. Spatial order refers to where things are in relation to one another. Order of importance refers to events or ideas arranged from most to least important. Steps-in-a-process refers to the order in which something is done, for example, a recipe.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students describe events from their past in time order or explain things they can do using steps in a process. Prompt them to use signal words in their descriptions. Have students create time lines of the events they are describing as a visual aid.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 6 as a Time Line. Ask students to write these dates on the graphic organizer. Then for each one, have students write an important event from Jim Beckwourth’s life. Discuss their responses.

1798 18421828 18491838 1866


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Unit 1, Lesson 5 Trailblazers“Diving the Andrea Doria,” pages 46–53

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e Summary In 1956 an Italian luxury liner sank 50 miles south of Nantucket Island. The Andrea Doria, which currently sits on the ocean fl oor 200 feet below the surface, has been enticing scuba divers ever since. When a diver reaches the ship, danger lurks everywhere—in the coldwater and dangerous water pressure, inside the dark ship that can cause disorientation, and in the electrical cables fl oating around the wreck. Despite the deaths, divers continue to take their chances to obtain the ultimate trophy in scuba diving by exploring the Andrea Doria wreckage.

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renowned: famous tangible: touchable, solidinadvertently: not intentionally labyrinth: mazeentice: attract

1. If a book is written by a renowned author, is the author 4. What tangible proof could students use to prove they are doing famous or not well known? Why? their schoolwork?2. If you did something inadvertently, did you do it on purpose 5. If you were in a labyrinth, would you know right away how to or by mistake? Why? get out? Why?3. Which would entice you—a scary movie or a science fi ction book? Why?

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Ask students to share their knowledge of the Andrea Doria.

Go to http://www.pbs.org/, enter “lost andrea” in the search box, and click on the fi rst result.

2. Invite students to speculate about why divers might want to explore sunken ships.

3. Have students brainstorm reasons that people scuba dive. (Possible answers: to explore the ocean, for fun or for recreation, to repair ships or other underwater structures, to build underwater structures, to recover valuables from sunken ships)

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article will tell about diving to fi nd the Andrea Doria, an Italian luxury liner that sank when it collided with the Stockholm.)

Build Background The most basic kind of underwater diving is skin diving, which requires only goggles, fl ippers, and a snorkel—a short breathing tube with one end held above the water. This kind of diving came into its own in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1940s the sport of scuba diving emerged, popularized by the French diver Jacques Cousteau. The word scuba comes from the acronym for “self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus.” This method uses a metal tank with compressed air, allowing the diver to stay underwater for up to an hour. Aside from being used for recreation, scuba diving has been helpful for the scientifi c study of ocean life and water pollution, as well as repair and recovery operations underwater.

DURING READINGDetermine Word Meanings from Context Think of context as the words or sentences that surround a word you don’t know. This information can help you make a good guess about what the word means. Have students look for clues such as descriptions, synonyms, or examples to help them fi gure out what diffi cult words mean.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to “Diving the Andrea Doria.” Ask students: Why do you think that despite the dangers, scuba divers continue to dive to the Andrea Doria? Do you think they are attracted more to the risk or the glory? How would you feel about making the dive?

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Have students work in pairs to read a passage from a newspaper or magazine. Ask them to identify at least three unfamiliar words, use context clues to fi gure out the meanings, and discuss how the context clues helped them. Then have students check the meanings in a dictionary.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSAsk students to use context to fi nd out what a buoyancy vest is in paragraph 6. Have them fi nd the meaning in the sentence that follows: “This shot him to the surface far too rapidly.” Students can conclude that a buoyancy vest is a special vest worn by divers to help them to rise to the water’s surface. These vests, which are also called buoyancy compensators, help make up for the body’s loss of weight when in the water.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 2 as a Classifi cation Chart. Have students label one column Reasons to Dive and the other column Dangers of Diving. Then ask students to write three details from the article under each column.


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Unit 2, Lesson 6 Trailblazers“A Tight Spot,” pages 60–67

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e Summary In November 2009 John Jones, an experienced spelunker, went on a caving trip to Nutty Putty Cave in Utah. With friends and family, Jones crawled into the cave until he was 150 feet below ground and 600 feet from the entrance—and that’s where he got stuck. His fellow spelunkers called 911, and rescuers arrived, working through the night and the next day to free him. When some progress was fi nally made, a wall gave way, and Jones slipped back into the hole. Even with continuous efforts by the rescuers, Jones died after being stuck for 28 hours. The Nutty Putty cave was then closed to the public.

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daunting: discouraging, overwhelming extricate: releaseoptimistic: hopeful unyielding: not fl exible, stubborndisorientation: confusion

1. Cleaning out the attic for the fi rst time in 40 years is a 4. We had to extricate my cat from the chimney because . . . daunting task because . . . 5. The girl’s mother was unyielding when . . .2. The basketball team was optimistic before the game because . . . 3. The tourists were in a state of disorientation when . . .

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Begin a word web for caves. Record and discuss students’

responses. (Possible answers: dark, damp, bats, stalactites) 2. Invite students to look online to name caves in the United States.

Have them fi nd interesting facts about the caves. Go to http://www.caverbob.com/ and click on “USA LIST BY STATE.”

3. Have students who have visited caves describe their experiences.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article tells about the challenges of exploring caves, such as when John Jones became stuck in a tight spot in Nutty Putty Cave and had to be rescued.)

Build Background A cave can be a single cavern, or chamber, or it can be a series of caverns connected by passageways. The longest discovered cave, Mammoth-Flint Ridge in Kentucky, has 340 miles of explored passageways. Once inside a dark, damp cave, explorers will often fi nd underground lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and mineral deposits. In some of the oldest caves, wall paintings, tools, or skeletons have been discovered, showing that people lived in them thousands of years ago. These days, however, animals and insects, such as birds, lizards, bats, salamanders, or crickets, are usually the only inhabitants of caves. While exploring caves is exciting, it can also be dangerous. Spelunkers, or cavers, use equipment such as sturdy ropes, hard hats, heavy clothing, headlamps, and fl ashlights to help them stay safe as they make their way through the many nooks and crannies inside caves.

DURING READINGCause and Effect A cause is an event or action that makes something else happen. An effect is the result or the outcome of that action. Writers use clue words such as because, so, since, if, and therefore to signal cause and effect. Have students look for cause-and-effect relationships by asking: What happened? Why?

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to John Jones’s caving experience. Ask students: After reading about John Jones, would you want to go spelunking? Why or why not? What is your opinion about the decision to leave Jones’s body in the cave and to close the cave to the public?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONKinesthetic learners may benefi t from using physical movements to understand cause-and-effect relationships. Have students perform actions that illustrate cause and effect, for example, laughing at a funny joke or opening a window to cool down the room.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students fold pieces of paper in half lengthwise and label the left side Cause and the right side Effect. Ask them to draw sketches or cut pictures from magazines that show cause-and-effect relationships. For example, they may draw or place a picture of snow falling on the left and a snow-covered street on the right.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 4 as a Cause-and-Effect Chart. Have students write Causes above the left column and Effects above the right column. Have them write each sentence below in a box under Causes. Then ask students to write an effect for each cause under Effects. Discuss their responses.

CausesJones enjoyed an adventure.Nutty Putty offered something for everyone.The crevice was too small for Jones.Jones couldn’t free himself.


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Unit 2, Lesson 7 Trailblazers“No Second Chances,” pages 68–75

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e Summary When Cheryl Stearns was 17, she took a parachuting class because she always wanted to fl y. After her fi rst skydive, Stearns was hooked and decided to become a competitive skydiver at 19. Stearns trained hard daily, and in 1977 she not only won her fi rst national skydiving championship but also set a world record for accuracy. She also joined the Golden Knights, an elite army parachuting team. During her career, Stearns set dozens of parachuting records and won more than 70 skydiving championship titles.

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hone: make more perfect malfunction: failure in equipmentdominated: controlled or reigned over prestigious: honored, highly respectedmeticulous: extremely careful

1. What word goes with “won the game easily by a lot of 4. What word goes with “practice a skill”? (hone) points”? (dominated) 5. What word goes with “broken-down car”? (malfunction)2. What word goes with “Medal of Honor or Pulitzer Prize”? (prestigious)3. What word goes with “taking great care”? (meticulous)

Activate Prior Knowledge Have students discuss skydiving. Ask if anyone has ever skydived and invite those who have to talk about the experience. Invite those who have never skydived to share whether they would like to try it and why.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article is about Cheryl Stearns, a skydiver who has completed more skydives than any other female.)

Build Background Parachutes slow down the movement of a falling person or object by providing air resistance against gravity that is pulling the jumper to the ground. The Chinese used parachutes as early as the 1100s, Leonardo da Vinci designed a parachute around 1495, and in 1797 André-Jacques Garnerin made a successful jump from 6,500 feet. Today skydivers often jump from planes at altitudes of up to 15,000 feet. Before opening their parachutes at between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, skydivers fall at speeds of around 100 miles per hour. Once opened, parachutes slow the speed to between 10 and 20 miles per hour. While parachutes once had round canopies made from silk, today most are rectangular and made from nylon.

DURING READINGPredict Predicting is thinking ahead to guess how events might become resolved. Predicting helps readers become involved in the text. Readers base predictions on details in the text and their own knowledge. Tell students that their predictions may change as details change or are added.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Cheryl Stearns’s skydiving. Ask students: Why do you think Stearns was such a successful skydiver? What do you think is her most amazing feat? What can you learn from Stearns and her success as a skydiver?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONGive students a comic strip with the fi nal frame missing. Ask them to draw or write their prediction of what happens at the end. Remind them to use clues the author has provided. When they fi nish, give students the rest of the comic and have them compare their predictions to the ending.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave partners practice predicting the outcomes of stories. Students may read a story or tell the plot of a book or fi lm. Have the storyteller stop periodically and ask, “What do you think happens next?” Ask the partner to make a prediction. Have students discuss if their predictions were correct or if they had to revise them. Then have students switch roles.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 1 as a Characterization Map. Ask students to write Cheryl Stearns in the center bubble of the graphic organizer. In the outer bubbles, have students write the adjectives below. Ask students to write a detail from the story to support each adjective.

Unusual Competitive Meticulous Impressive


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Unit 2, Lesson 8 Trailblazers“Burke and Wills: First Across the Continent,” pages 76–83

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e Summary On August 20, 1860, Robert Burke and William Wills began their journey into Australia’s Outback with 19 men, 23 horses, and 24 camels. Two months later Burke split the expedition. In December he split the group again at Cooper’s Creek, and Burke, Wills, and two others continued on. They encountered desert, mountains, and torrential rains. In February, they were close to the ocean, but they couldn’t penetrate a mangrove swamp, so they turned back. Starved and exhausted, only three of the four survived the return to Cooper’s Creek, but it was deserted. In June, Burke and Wills died of starvation. Only one man survived the ordeal.

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fl oundered: slipped, faltered frenzied: furious, wild profusely: in great abundance dispirited: gloomy, discouragedaudacious: recklessly daring, bold

1. The children fl oundered on the slippery path and eventually 4. The frenzied hosts fi nished the fi nal preparations right before the fell down. fi rst guests arrived.2. After the race, the runners were sweating profusely. 5. The dispirited team walked off the fi eld after their loss.3. The friends worked out an audacious plan to climb to the top of the highest ridge.

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students study maps of Australia and make inferences

about the country from what they see on the maps.2. Begin a concept map for Australia. Have students name

places or animals that they associate with Australia, and record their responses on the map. (Possible answers: Melbourne, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Outback, kangaroos, koalas, sharks, Aborigines)

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article will tell about the challenging expedition of Burke and Wills across the continent of Australia, whose rough interior is called the Outback.)

Build Background The majority of people in Australia live in the southeast. This is the part of the continent that has most of the major cities, fertile soil, regular rainfall, and moderate weather. Australians call the less-populated, rural interior of the continent “the Outback” or “the bush.” Although the Outback covers 75 to 80 percent of the continent, it is home to only about 10 percent of Australia’s population. This is because the climate is harsh and dry and soils are poor. Though unwelcoming to human life, this part of the country is rich with diverse fl ora and fauna. Kangaroos and other marsupials call this land home, and the 12,000 species of wildfl owers in the region attract visitors every spring.

DURING READINGDetermine Word Meanings from Context Think of context as the words or sentences that surround a word you don’t know. This information can help you make a good guess about what the word means. Have students look for clues such as descriptions, synonyms, or examples to help them fi gure out what diffi cult words mean.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to the Burke and Wills expedition. Ask students: Would you describe the expedition as a success or failure? Why? How would you characterize Burke and Wills? Do you agree that they belong among the ranks of the world’s great explorers? Why or why not?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAsk students to bring in song lyrics or poems that contain words that may be unfamiliar to other students. Have students take turns explaining to the class how they determined the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSTell students that sometimes an author uses appositives to defi ne a word or words in a sentence. Point out that when commas surround a word or a phrase, the writer might be using the word or phrase to defi ne another word. Use the word Aborigines in paragraph 1. Ask who Aborigines are. (native people of Australia)

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 2 as a Fact-and-Opinion Chart. Ask students to write Fact at the top of the left column and Opinion at the top of the right column. Then have students write the following sentences about the article in the correct column. Discuss their responses.

The hot, dry wind blew sand in their eyes. It sounded like a grand and exotic adventure.They began their journey on August 20, 1860.Burke tried something audacious.The trio trudged back to Cooper’s Creek.The men buried their journals under a tree.


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Unit 2, Lesson 9 Trailblazers“James Herman Banning: Pioneer Pilot,” pages 84–91

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e Summary James Herman Banning was an African American pioneer pilot during the early days of aviation history. Despite discrimination and Jim Crow laws, his determination led him to become the fi rst African American aviator to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1932 Banning and his mechanic set out in a two-seat biplane on a cross-country fl ight. After 21 days, but a total of only 42 hours of fl ight, Banning became the fi rst black pilot to complete a cross-country fl ight. He died during an air accident in 1933. His courage helped future African American pilots fulfi ll their dreams of fl ying.

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deterred: prevented solicited: asked forcraze: intense interest, fad visionary: creative thinkerskeptics: doubters

1. If a roadblock deterred you from taking the highway, did it 4. If you solicit advice, do you ask for advice or give advice? Why? prevent or allow you to get on the highway? Why? 5. Would a visionary scientist more likely be interested in the past or2. Is a craze a popular or an unpopular event? Why? the future? Why?3. Would skeptics doubt or believe a politician’s campaign promises? Why?

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Ask students to share their knowledge of the history of fl ying

or airplanes.2. Invite students who have been to air shows or airplane

exhibits to share their experiences.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: Banning and Allen were pilots who had to battle racial prejudice to succeed in fl ying an airplane cross-country.)

Build Background From the 1880s through the 1960s, Jim Crow laws were enacted by states to enforce segregation. (The term “Jim Crow” came from a minstrel act that made an exaggerated portrayal of racial stereotypes. It became associated with a derogatory expression for African Americans.) Many states had laws that forbade interracial mixing in business and public institutions. It was not until 1950 that the tide began to turn, when the Supreme Court ordered the University of Texas to admit a black student. In 1957 the schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, were forced to admit black students, and in 1964, Alabama had to integrate the university system. The fi nal end to Jim Crow laws came in the 1960s with the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Voting Rights Act (1965), and the Fair Housing Act (1968). These acts offi cially ended the ability of states to discriminate based on race.

DURING READINGIdentify Sequence Sequence is the order in which events, ideas, or things are arranged. Time order refers to the order in which events occur. Following the sequence of events helps you see how the text is organized and how events relate to each other. As students read, ask them to look for key words such as fi nally, then, when, as, and after.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their response to the information they read about James Herman Banning. Ask students: How did Banning show courage and determination? What can you learn about yourself from reading about his life?

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Have students place photographs or magazine pictures in sequence and explain why they chose to order the pictures in time order, in spatial order, in order of importance, or as steps in a process. They could also use objects to create spatial-order sequences, such as arranging pens, paper clips, and books on a desk, and use signal words to describe the order.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSCut apart panels of comic strips and ask students to place the frames in sequence. Have them explain to partners why they used the order they did. Encourage them to use the key words such as fi rst, next, then, last, and fi nally.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 5 as a Sequence of Events Chart. Ask students to write in the boxes the following events in the order in which they happened.

Banning and Thomas Allen fl ew across countryin a biplane.Banning fl ew as a passenger at an air show. Banning was the chief pilot for the BessieColeman Aero Club.Banning ran an auto repair shop.

043_CRP_TG_AB_TR_U2L9.indd Page 43 1/28/11 3:04 PM u-082043_CRP_TG_AB_TR_U2L9.indd Page 43 1/28/11 3:04 PM u-082 /Volumes/118/GO00777/JAMESTOWN_CRITICAL_READING_PROGRAM/NATIONAL/TE/ABOVE_AND_BEYON/Volumes/118/GO00777/JAMESTOWN_CRITICAL_READING_PROGRAM/NATIONAL/TE/ABOVE_AND_B

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Unit 2, Lesson 10 Trailblazers“Opposites Attract,” pages 92–99

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e Summary In 1936 Ruth Harkness traveled to China in hopes of becoming the fi rst person to capture a giant panda. Armed with a bottle and baby formula, Harkness set out on her 1,500-mile journey into the highlands of China and Tibet with her guide, Quentin Young. Harkness and Young were successful in capturing a three-pound, nine-week-old baby panda, which they named Su-Lin, and brought her back to the United States. In 1937 Harkness returned to China to fi nd a second baby panda, which she named Mei-Mei. As a result of her efforts, Harkness helped people become aware of the need to protect wild animals and their natural habitats.

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repulsed: disgusted novice: beginning, inexperiencedshrewd: sharp in practical matters; clever vibrant: energetic, full of liferigorous: rigid, severe

1. What word goes with “loud, happy music”? (vibrant) 4. What word goes with “really turned off by something”? (repulsed)2. What word goes with “a successful, clever detective”? (shrewd) 5. What word goes with “busy and diffi cult schedule”? (rigorous)3. What word goes with “a fi rst-time baker”? (novice)

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Ask students to describe and discuss giant pandas.2. Invite students to discuss and support their opinions about

capturing wild animals and putting them in zoos as opposed to studying animals in the wild.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: I think this article will tell about Ruth Harkness, who captured a live panda in the mountains of China with the help of her guide, Quentin Young.)

Build Background Giant pandas are found in the mountain ranges of the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces of central China, living in forests that have bamboo undergrowth. The panda has a unique black-and-white coloring, which is believed to act as camoufl age for the bear in its surroundings. At birth, the pink, hairless, and blind panda cubs weigh less than fi ve ounces and are about the size of a stick of butter. By eight weeks, they open their eyes, and although mobile after three months, the cubs keep nursing for up to a year and stay with their mothers even longer. Because of this long weaning period, a mother panda will only produce fi ve to eight cubs in her lifetime. This slow reproductive rate means the giant panda population cannot grow quickly. Illegal hunting of the panda, as well as the destruction of its habitat, has made it an endangered species. Only 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild, with approximately 300 more living in zoos and breeding centers.

DURING READINGInfer An inference is a logical guess about information that the writer suggests but doesn’t directly say. Making inferences helps readers fi nd deeper meaning in what they read. Ask students to look for details that aren’t fully explained. Have them combine clues from the text with their personal knowledge to identify what the writer suggests.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Ruth Harkness’s journey to fi nd giant pandas. Ask students: What words would you use to describe Ruth Harkness? How do you think her adventure affected the future of pandas? If you had the opportunity to join Harkness on her journey, do you think you would have? Why or why not?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONHave students use Graphic Organizer 3 to help them make inferences as they read a text. Ask them to choose a passage that interests them from a newspaper or a magazine. Tell students to write clues from the text in the fi rst column, what they already know in the second column, and their inferences in the third column.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students make inferences based on their observations. Ask them to describe the weather, for example, and make inferences based on what they see. You might also suggest that they make inferences based on things they notice in the classroom or in newspaper or magazine photos.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 7 as a Draw Conclusions Map. Ask students to write the following conclusion about Ruth Harkness in the bottom box. In the top boxes, have students write three details from the article that support the author’s conclusion.

Ruth Harkness was a shrewd and determined woman.


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Unit 3, Lesson 11 Trailblazers“The Wild Nile: Journey to the Source of the River,” pages 106–113

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e Summary In September 2005 Neil McGrigor, Garth MacIntyre, and Cam McLeay began their expedition up the Nile to prove that its source was not Lake Victoria but rather somewhere in Rwanda. At fi rst they faced the anticipated dangers of hippopotamuses, crocodiles, rocks, and rapids, but a couple of months into the trip things got really rough when McLeay fl ipped his raft and McGrigor crashed in the “fl ying infl atable boat.” During their rescue by a friend, Ugandan rebels attacked the team, and as a result, they were forced to abandon the expedition. In 2006 the three men returned to the Nile and ultimately found the muddy hole in Rwanda from where the fi rst drops of the Nile fl ow.

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mettle: courage rendezvous: meetingultimately: fi nally profusely: in great abundancedismantle: take apart

1. The dangerous expedition tested the explorers’ mettle because . . . 4. The campers chose the lake as a rendezvous point because . . .2. Our long hike ultimately ended when . . . 5. We were eating profusely after the soccer game because . . .3. The bicycle rider had to dismantle the bike because . . .

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students fi nd the Nile River on a map of Africa and

name the countries through which it passes. (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt)

2. Ask students to suggest dangers that travelers on the Nile might encounter. (Possible answers: crocodiles, snakes, hippopotamuses, mosquitoes, waterfalls, rapids)

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article is about explorers Neil McGrigor and Cam McLeay and the obstacles they faced as they journeyed to fi nd the source of the Nile River.)

Build Background The Nile, the longest river in the world, travels north more than 4,100 miles through Africa. Formed by three smaller rivers—the Blue Nile, the Atbara, and the White Nile—it meanders through areas of tropical rain forest, brush, grasslands, savanna, and desert. The Nile is home to many creatures, including the Nile crocodile, the hippopotamus, and 30 species of snakes. The river has supported the inhabitants of its banks for more than 5,000 years by providing transportation and water year-round, leading to fertile farming areas and cultivation of crops. The Nile would fl ood annually, leaving fertile silt deposits on the banks. However, the unpredictable nature of the fl ooding meant that harvests were always uncertain. At the end of the 19th century, people decided to build a series of dams and reservoirs to regulate the fl ow of the river. In 1970 the Aswan High Dam was completed, providing a constant source of electricity and irrigation.

DURING READINGFind Vocabulary in Context As students read the article, have them note the new vocabulary words. Ask them to think about each word’s meaning as they read.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to the article. Ask students: What words would you use to describe the explorers who took this journey? What do you think was the most dangerous part of the expedition? Would you characterize the men as scientists or adventurers? Why?

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Remind students that the main idea of an article is the most important idea. Explain that readers must understand the overall meaning and then use supporting details to fi nd the main idea of an article. Then have students think about and sketch this analogy: The main idea is like a strong bridge. The details are the concrete pilings that hold the bridge fi rmly in place.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSAsk partners to take turns explaining things they know about, such as the characteristics of rap music or a favorite sport, and identifying the main ideas of the explanations. Have partners also identify the details that support each main idea.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 9 as a Main Idea-and-Details Map. Ask students to write the main idea below in the box on the left. Then have students write three details that support this main idea in the boxes on the right. Discuss students’ responses.

The journey to the Nile’s source involved dangers that tested the men’s mettle.


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Unit 3, Lesson 12 Trailblazers“Being There: The Adventures of Benedict Allen,” pages 114–121

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e Summary Benedict Allen, “Britain’s most fearless man,” has explored some of the most inhospitable places in the world. In 1983, at the age of 22, he traveled 600 miles through rain forests in South America. He also traveled in the Arctic, the Namib Desert, Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, and Papua New Guinea. His purpose was not to be the fi rst to discover a new place but to enjoy the experience of getting there. In addition to exploring, Allen has written books and starred in travel shows. In 2009 he traveled for the History Channel to re-create Henry Morton Stanley’s 1871 African trip in search of missing explorer David Livingstone.

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relentless: never-ending vulnerable: open to an experienceconfronting: facing or challenging initiates: those being made part of a special groupgrueling: diffi cult

1. If an assignment feels relentless, is it a short assignment, or 4. If you make yourself vulnerable to the weather, are you inside or does it seem as if it will go on forever? Why? outside? Why?2. Is confronting your neighbor’s loose puppy more like running 5. Are initiates to a club long-time members or new members of the away from it or trying to catch it? Why? club? Why?3. Which do you think is a more grueling job—building a house or cleaning the kitchen? Why?

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students identify the following locations on a world

map: Orinoco and Amazon Rivers and Amazon Basin in South America; Arctic; Namib Desert and Tanzania in Africa; Mongolia and the Gobi Desert; Papua New Guinea. Have students speculate about how travel in each place would be similar to and different from the others.

2. Ask students how they would defi ne a modern-day explorer and survivalist and what characteristics one might need to possess.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article is about Benedict Allen and his adventures, which include an expedition from Siberia through Mongolia and a solo crossing of the Gobi Desert.)

Build Background David Livingstone (1813–1873) and Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) were explorers who traveled across Africa in the 1800s. Livingstone went to Africa in 1841 as a missionary, traveled into the interior of the continent in 1849, and was the fi rst European to cross Africa. His reports of fertile areas in central Africa helped lead to European colonization. In the 1860s Livingstone disappeared. In 1869 newspaper reporter Stanley got the assignment to fi nd Livingstone, which he did in 1871 in the town of Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika. Stanley became friends with Livingstone and decided to stay in Africa. After Livingstone’s death, Stanley led an expedition into the interior of Africa and later helped King Leopold II claim the Congo Free State for Belgium.

DURING READINGVisualize Visualizing is picturing in your mind the details of the setting, events, and characters in the text. Encourage students to draw pictures or diagrams of these images as they read.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Benedict Allen’s experiences. Ask students: What makes Allen different from other explorers and adventurers? Which, if any, of Allen’s trips would you want to go on? Why? Do you agree with Allen that it’s the struggles and hardships that make a trip worthwhile?

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Have students choose descriptive paragraphs from stories they have read. Have partners work together to practice visualizing. Partners take turns reading their paragraphs and visualizing the details.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students choose pictures from books or magazines. As each student describes a picture (without showing it), have others visualize it and then draw pictures or write about the description they heard. When students have fi nished drawing, invite them to compare their pictures to the original.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 2 as a Visualizing Chart. Have students write the following place names in the column on the left. Then ask them to write a description from the article that helped them visualize Benedict Allen’s experience in each place.

Orinoco and Amazon RiversArcticNamib DesertPapua New GuineaRe-creation of Stanley’s African trek


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Unit 3, Lesson 13 Trailblazers“The Unstoppable Cecilie Skog,” pages 122–129

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e Summary Cecilie Skog was a “cross-over explorer,” someone who was a high-altitude climber and also excelled in the world of polar exploration. Skog climbed the Seven Summits and trekked to both the North and South Pole, making her the fi rst woman to conquer the Three Poles: North Pole, South Pole, and the highest point on Earth. In August 2008, she reached the summit of K2. On the way down, her husband was swept away by an avalanche. Skog returned to polar exploration when she skied across Greenland in 2009 and then Antarctica in 2010.

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charismatic: charming enduring: lastingexcel: do better than others advisable: sensibleinhospitable: harsh

1. What word goes with “do the best in school”? (excel) 4. What word goes with “extremely cold, unpleasant weather”?2. What word goes with “fascinating and appealing”? (charismatic) (inhospitable )

3. What word goes with “good advice”? (advisable) 5. What word goes with “a long, loving marriage”? (enduring)

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Ask students to name and identify the seven continents.

(Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America) Then have them fi nd the North and South Poles.

2. Have students name the tallest mountain in the world (Mount Everest), its country (Nepal-Tibet border), and its continent (Asia). Then challenge them to fi nd the name of the second-highest mountain (K2), its country (Pakistan-China border), and its continent (Asia).

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: I think this article is about Cecilie Skog, the fi rst woman to walk from the mainland to the North Pole. I predict that we will also learn about her climb of K2 with her husband, Rolf Bae.)

Build Background The Seven Summits designate the highest mountain peak on each of Earth’s seven continents. Mount Everest in Asia and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa are two well-known summits. The others include Mount Aconcagua in South America, Mount McKinley in North America, Mount Elbrus in Europe, and the Vinson Massif in Antarctica. The seventh summit is often considered to be Mount Kosciusko in Australia, but some climbers argue that Indonesia’s Jaya Peak (also known as Mount Carstensz or Carstensz Pyramid) should rightfully hold the title, since it is much higher than Mount Kosciusko. Because this peak is not technically on a continent, the question remains a topic of debate, producing two different lists of the Seven Summits. Having climbed both the Jaya Peak and Mount Kosciusko, Cecilie Skog mastered both lists.

DURING READINGPredict Predicting is thinking ahead to guess how events might become resolved. Predicting helps readers become involved in the text. Readers base predictions on details in the text and their own knowledge. Tell students that their predictions may change as details change or are added.

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to Cecilie Skog. Ask students: Why do you think Skog chose to be a “cross-over explorer”? How would you describe her adventures? How would you describe her? What do you think you could learn from Cecilie Skog?

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Distribute headlines from newspaper or magazine articles to partners. Have students read the headlines and predict what the articles will be about. Ask them to write their predictions. Then have partners read aloud the articles that go with their headlines. Have them discuss whether their predictions were correct.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students read the book The Day Gogo Went to Vote, by Elinor Batezat Sisulu, or other short stories of their choice. Ask students to use Graphic Organizer 3 to make and record three predictions as they read. Remind them to include details from the story, what they know, and their predictions.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 7 as a Prediction Chart. Ask students to make a prediction about what Cecilie Skog might do in the future and to write it in the bottom box. Then have students write three details from the article that led them to make their predictions.


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Unit 3, Lesson 14 Trailblazers“The Villas Bôas Brothers,” pages 130–137

Intr

oduc

e Summary In 1943 the Villas Bôas brothers joined the Roncador-Xingu expedition, a government project to explore the interior of Brazil. Over the next 20 years, the project opened up roads, mapped rivers, and built landing strips. It also proved disastrous for indigenous people who had been living there. In an attempt to protect the indigenous tribes, the Villas Bôas brothers helped create Xingu National Park in 1961 to provide a safe haven for the native tribes. Cláudio and Orlando became legendary for their efforts to help and protect the natives and their land.

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infused: fi lled up, saturated detrimental: harmfulharassed: tormented, hassled upheaval: sudden, violent changeencroachment: invasion

1. The protein drink infused the hikers with energy, so they . . . 4. Some foods that are detrimental to your health are . . .2. The protesters were not harassed because . . . 5. There was a huge upheaval in the neighborhood after . . .3. To stop encroachment on their land, the ranchers . . .

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students fi nd Brazil and the Xingu River on a map of

South America.2. Ask students to discuss the pros and cons of exploration of

uncharted territories in jungles or rain forests. Ask how it affects both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: This article is about the Villas Bôas brothers, Brazilian explorers, and how they helped protect and preserve the rights of natives.)

Build Background Located in the western part of Brazil, the Xingu National Park and Indigenous Peoples Preserve was created to help protect the biodiversity of the land and the cultural traditions of the indigenous tribes living in the interior of Brazil. It is the third largest park for indigenous people in Brazil, with a population of about 5,000 representing several different ethnic groups. The development of ecotourism in the park has allowed visitors a glimpse inside this world, providing pristine Amazonian vistas and the opportunity to learn about Brazilian cultures. In some tours that are offered, visitors are invited to observe the villagers’ dances and rituals, learn about their history and legends, and participate in daily activities.

DURING READINGAsk Questions Questioning helps you to monitor your understanding of the text. Have students ask who, what, where, when, why, and how questions and look for the answers. Questions may include: Who is the article mostly about? What did they do? When did this happen? Where did they live? Why were they well known? How did they become trailblazers?

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to how the Villas Bôas brothers helped protect the indigenous people in the jungles of Brazil. Ask students: Do you think the brothers did more harm or good for the people living in the jungles? What facts in the article support your opinion? Why do you think this article was included in a book called Trailblazers?

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONHave students choose a newspaper article that interests them. Then have them pretend that they are the editor of the paper and want more information about the article. Have them write at least five questions to ask the writer to gain the additional information.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSHave students choose a magazine article and study the pictures. Ask them to come up with three questions about the pictures that might be answered in the article. Then have partners read the article, including the headline and captions, to fi nd the answers to their questions.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 2 as a Question-and-Answer Chart. Ask students to write four questions about “The Villas Bôas Brothers” in the fi rst column. Remind them to begin their questions with question words. Then have students exchange charts and use the article to answer each other’s questions.


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Unit 3, Lesson 15 Trailblazers“The Badwater Ultramarathon,” pages 138–145

Intr

oduc

e Summary Runners in the Badwater Ultramarathon must run 135 miles in 60 hours or less. The race starts in California’s Death Valley at 280 feet below sea level, passes through the Mojave Desert with temperatures as high as 135ºF, and ends halfway up California’s Mount Whitney at 8,360 feet above sea level. To be part of this grueling race, runners must qualify to even apply and then be accepted from the large number of applicants. Once accepted, runners face dehydration, heat stroke, sleep deprivation, blisters, and rattlesnakes, but those who complete the race always remember the triumph of crossing the fi nish line.

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legitimate: reasonable allure: appealcoveted: greatly desired candid: telling it like it islucrative: money-making

1. The woman had a legitimate excuse for missing the meeting 4. The clear night sky has an allure for people who like to stargaze. at work. 5. People who are candid tell you what they think rather than what2. The winner of the contest received the coveted concert tickets you want to hear. as a prize. 3. People with lucrative careers earn large salaries.

Activate Prior Knowledge1. Have students share information about marathons and

marathon runners. How many miles long are marathons? (26.2 miles) How do runners prepare for a marathon? How do they stay hydrated? What might be the difference between a marathon and an ultramarathon? What special characteristics might runners of an ultramarathon need?

2. Have students locate Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the Mojave Desert, and Mount Whitney on a map of California. Challenge them to fi nd their altitudes (feet below or above sea level).

Preview Ask students what clues the title of the article, the photographs, and the photo captions provide. What predictions about the article might students make? (Possible answer: The article is about the Badwater Ultramarathon, which Lisa Tamati won in 2009 and Zach Gingerich won in 2010.)

Build Background Death Valley has the lowest elevation point in the United States, with its Badwater Basin reaching 282 feet below sea level. It is also the hottest and driest place in the country. What causes these extremes? Death Valley is a long and narrow basin surrounded by steep mountains, and winds often blow hot, dry air into the valley. As the air descends to the bottom of the basin, increasing atmospheric pressure causes it to condense, which makes it even hotter. There have been recorded temperatures of 110ºF for 100 consecutive days, and in 1996 the heat reached 120ºF for 40 days in a row. Dry spells of full years without rain have also occurred in Death Valley. It is so dry because storms must pass over the mountains, and as clouds rise and cool, they release precipitation on the western side of the mountains. By the time the clouds reach the eastern side, they don’t contain much moisture.

DURING READINGCause and Effect A cause is an event or action that makes something else happen. An effect is the result or the outcome of that action. Writers use clue words such as because, so, since, if, caused, and therefore to signal cause and effect. Have students look for cause-and-effect relationships by asking: What happened? Why?

AFTER READINGRespond to the Article Have students write a journal or blog entry about their responses to what they learned about the Badwater Ultramarathon. Ask students: Why do you think runners decide to run in spite of the dangers? How would you feel about running in the marathon? Would the end outweigh the means? Why or why not?

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Ask students to watch a news report about something caused by an action, such as destruction caused by a storm or an injury caused by an accident. Ask students to rewrite the report using words such as because, as a result, since, consequently, therefore, and so to help show cause-and-effect relationships.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSAsk students to tell a partner a common folktale or legend that has cause-and-effect relationships in it. Have them pause to discuss the causes and effects by asking and answering questions that ask why. Model by pausing to ask about cause-and-effect relationships as you tell a story or legend.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUse Graphic Organizer 1 as a Concept Map.Ask students to write Badwater Ultramarathon in the center bubble of the graphic organizer. Then have students write a sentence in each outer bubble about one reason the marathon is so grueling.


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Trailblazers

Unit 1 Assessment ArticleDirections: Read this article. Then answer each question that follows.Circle the letter of your answer.

Steve Fossett, Record BreakerSteve Fossett’s life story is an amazing collection of record-breaking accomplishments. Before he died in a tragic plane crash at the age of 63, Fossett had set more than 116 records in aviation and sailing, about half of which remain unbroken.

2 Fossett always had a love of strenuous activities. While still a college student, he climbed the Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. In later years, he went on to climb numerous other towering mountains, swim across the English Channel, and even take part in several Iditarod races, a grueling 1,100-mile Alaskan sled-dog competition.

3 It was Fossett’s record-breaking achievements, however, that made him famous. After college and graduate school, Fossett had a successful career as a stockbroker and businessman—so successful, in fact, that he earned a fortune. His wealth provided the funds he used to challenge records in the air and on the sea, in vehicles ranging from hot-air balloons to sailboats.

4 In 2001, in a custom-built, multimillion-dollar catamaran—a kind of racing sailboat with two parallel hulls—Fossett broke the speed record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Three years later, in the same boat, he shattered the speed record for sailing around the world.

5 As impressive as Fossett’s feats on the sea were, his achievements in the air were even more remarkable. In 1995 he set a record for the longest fl ight ever made by a solo hot-air balloonist. Fossett was not satisfi ed, though. He set himself a far more challenging and dangerous goal: to become the fi rst person to fl y around the world in a hot-air balloon.

6 His fi rst three attempts failed. His fourth attempt nearly ended in disaster when a thunderstorm sent him plunging into the sea from a height of 29,000 feet. His balloon ruptured and caught fi re, and Fossett barely escaped with his life. Nevertheless, he refused to give up. He made a fi fth unsuccessful attempt in 2001, and then fi nally, in 2002, he achieved his goal. He became the fi rst solo balloonist to fl y around the globe, accomplishing the feat in 13 days.

7 Fossett also excited the world with his deeds as a pilot. In 2005 he set a record with the fi rst solo nonstop round-the-world fl ight. A year later he set another record, this time for the longest nonstop fl ight, traveling a distance of well over 26,000 miles.

8 Steve Fossett survived many risky moments in his quest for adventure and pursuit of world records. However, in 2007 his luck fi nally ran out. While fl ying over the vast and rugged Nevada desert on what should have been a brief fl ight, his small, two-seat plane disappeared. Despite a massive search, the wreckage of his crashed aircraft was not found until a year later. People all over the world mourned Fossett’s death, but to this day, they continue to celebrate the extraordinary deeds of this daring record setter.

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1. Which sentence states the main idea best?

a. Steve Fossett was successful not only as a pilot and sailor but also as a businessman.

b. Steve Fossett was an adventurous man who set records in aviation and sailing.

c. Steve Fossett was the fi rst solo balloonist to fl y around the world.

2. Before he had even graduated from college, Fossett had already

a. broken the speed record for crossing the Atlantic.

b. made the longest fl ight ever by a solo hot-air balloonist.

c. climbed the Matterhorn in Switzerland.

3. Which answer is probably true?

a. Fossett’s main goal was to become as rich as he could.

b. Activities that would frighten most people did not scare Fossett.

c. Fossett was a daring individual but was easily discouraged.

4. What is the meaning of the underlined word?

His balloon ruptured and caught fi re, and Fossett barely escaped with his life.

a. broke apart

b. fl oated upward

c. fl ipped over

5. The main purpose of paragraph 3 is to

a. explain how Fossett had the money to pursue his interests.

b. let readers know that Fossett is a famous person.

c. suggest the advantages of getting a college education.

6. Which answer correctly restates this sentence from the article?

As impressive as Fossett’s feats on the sea were, his achievements in the air were even more remarkable.

a. Fossett’s achievements as a sailor were far more impressive than those as a pilot.

b. As both a pilot and a sailor, Fossett was extraordinary.

c. What Fossett accomplished as a pilot was even more amazing than the things he did at sea.

7. Fossett’s fourth attempt to balloon around the world was nearly a disaster because

a. his balloon rose to 29,000 feet.

b. he encountered a thunderstorm.

c. the engine of his craft failed.

8. Into which of the following categories would this article best fi t?

a. accounts of pilots, sailors, and soldiers hailed as heroes

b. autobiographical stories of famous athletes

c. profi les of people who have done what no one else has

9. Which word best describes Steve Fossett as he is portrayed in this article?

a. curious

b. determined

c. cautious

10. Based on the article, readers can conclude that the author

a. is impressed by Fossett’s courage.

b. disapproves of taking unnecessary risks.

c. believes that Fossett’s records will soon be broken.

Trailblazers

Unit 1 Assessment Questions

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Trailblazers


Gertrude Ederle: Crossing the ChannelWhen she was eight years old, Gertrude Ederle nearly drowned in a pond. The experience was frightening, but it motivated young Gertrude to learn to swim.

2 With practice, Gertrude Ederle soon demonstrated that she had considerable ability as a swimmer. Indeed, within a few years, she was swimming in competitions. At the age of 15, she defeated more-experienced swimmers to win a three-mile race across New York Bay. Before long, she was setting national and world swimming records—29 of them before she was even 20 years old! She also competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics, returning home with one gold and two bronze medals.

3 However, Ederle’s greatest challenge was still to come. She was determined to swim the English Channel, an arm of the Atlantic between France and Great Britain. Hundreds of swimmers had tried, but only fi ve had ever made it across the treacherous Channel, all of them men. People scoffed at the notion that a woman—a 19-year-old girl, in fact—would even attempt such a thing.

4 In August 1925 Ederle plunged into the icy, gray Atlantic waters to begin the France-to-England swim. Crossing more than 20 miles of ocean, she would have to contend with powerful currents, jellyfi sh, and even sharks.

5 As Ederle made her way across the Channel, her trainer followed along in a boat. After nine hours, about two-thirds of the way across, Ederle began coughing. Fearing for her welfare, her trainer reached out from the boat to help her. As soon as he touched her, however, Ederle was disqualifi ed. According to the rules of long-distance swimming, no member of a swimmer’s team is permitted to touch the swimmer in the water.

6 It was a heartbreaking moment for Ederle, who was just seven miles short of reaching England. She could already imagine people’s reaction: How ridiculous to think a woman could swim the Channel!

7 Ederle was far from ready to admit defeat, and one year later, on a stormy morning in August 1926, she made her second attempt. She donned a two-piece bathing suit, a red bathing cap, and goggles and entered the 61-degree Atlantic.

8 Wind, rain, and rough water made swimming more diffi cult than ever. Many of the journalists watching Ederle from a tugboat tracking her became seasick from the choppy seas and 20-foot waves. The inclement weather pushed Ederle off course, causing her to swim some 35 miles to cross the 21-mile-wide Channel. Yet, through it all, she kept up her steady swimming rhythm.

9 When it was over, some 14 hours later, Ederle had not only crossed the Channel but had done so more than two hours faster than anyone before her! She had set a record that remained unbroken for the next 24 years.

10 “People said women couldn’t swim the Channel,” she later remarked, “but I proved they could.”


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a. Gertrude Ederle surprised many people when she became the fi rst woman to swim the English Channel.

b. Hundreds of swimmers had attempted to cross the English Channel before Gertrude Ederle, but only fi ve succeeded.

c. Nineteen-year-old Gertrude Ederle set a swimming record that no one was able to beat for 24 years.

2. The English Channel is located

a. in Great Britain.

b. just outside of Paris.

c. between France and England.


a. In 1950 someone swam the English Channel in less than 14 hours.

b. The high waves Ederle encountered in 1926 helped her swim faster than usual.

c. Ederle’s record-setting time would have been even faster had she been a man.


The inclement weather pushed Ederle off course, causing her to swim some 35 miles to cross the 21-mile-wide Channel.

a. unusual

b. stormy

c. calm

5. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this article?

a. to warn readers about the dangers of swimming in storm-tossed waters

b. to describe the challenges of swimming across the English Channel

c. to relate how someone did what people assumed she couldn’t

6. Which answer correctly restates this sentence from the article?

At the age of 15, she defeated more-experienced swimmers to win a three-mile race across New York Bay.

a. She raced for three miles against other 15-year-old swimmers.

b. When she was 15, she raced against swimmers who had more experience and beat them.

c. Swimmers who had more experience beat her in a race across New York Bay.

7. Based on the article, readers can conclude that the author most likely

a. admires Gertrude Ederle’s daring.

b. doesn’t think much of swimming as a sport.

c. believes that women are better swimmers than men.

8. Why did Ederle swim 35 miles instead of 21 when she crossed the Channel?

a. She was required to swim at least 35 miles to qualify for the record.

b. Bad weather made it impossible for her to remain on course.

c. She wanted to show that she had the strength to swim the extra miles.

9. According to the article, why was Ederle’s fi rst attempt to swim the Channel unsuccessful?

a. She was disqualifi ed because her trainer touched her in the water.

b. She was coughing too much to continue swimming.

c. The choppy seas and high waves made her seasick.

10. Based on events described in the article, you can reasonably predict that

a. boats will no longer be allowed to accompany swimmers.

b. Ederle will give up swimming after her 1926 triumph.

c. other swimmers will attempt to swim the English Channel.

Trailblazers



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Trailblazers


Erik Weihenmayer: On Top of the WorldThe grueling trek up to the summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas did not begin well for Erik Weihenmayer.

2 The fi rst leg of the journey required Erik and the other climbers in his group to cross the Khumbu Icefall, some 18,000 feet up the mountain. It is a treacherous area of constantly shifting ice and rocks with deep, dark crevasses. Because the icefall’s enormous blocks of ice are always sliding, new crevasses can open up at any time, making this part of the climb the most dangerous and unpredictable of all. In fact, more climbers have died in the Khumbu Icefall than anywhere else on Everest.

3 Crossing the icefall is an ordeal for any climber, but for 33-year-old Erik Weihenmayer, it was a unique challenge because he is blind.

4 Team leader Pasquale Scaturro had planned on seven hours for crossing the icefall. However, it took Erik 13 hours, and when he fi nally stumbled into the fi rst campsite, he was exhausted and dehydrated. As Erik collapsed in his tent, his climbing teammates wondered whether the idea of a blind person scaling the world’s highest mountain was realistic.

5 Erik wondered the same thing, but overcoming challenges was nothing new to him. He was born with retinoschisis, a rare eye disease that left him blind by age 13. However, he was an athletic child whose father encouraged him to test his limits. In high school Eric became an outstanding wrestler. At 16 he attended a camp for disabled kids, where he fi rst tried rock climbing.

6 Erik’s achievements as a rock climber eventually led him to mountaineering. Before the age of 30, he had already ascended both Mount McKinley (highest peak in North America) and Mount Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in Africa). Still, he knew that the extreme conditions on Mount Everest—from the perilous icefall to the lack of oxygen at the mountain’s highest elevations—had proved insurmountable to many experienced climbers.

7 As Erik gradually made his way up Everest’s steep and rugged slopes, his courage and ability impressed the other team members. Eric Alexander, another climber, considered Erik “the heart and soul” of the team.

8 On May 24, 2001, Erik and the others neared the summit, some 29,000 feet up. Howling winds and driving snow threatened to keep them from the peak. The exhausted climbers waited for the weather to clear. When at last it did, they were covered in two inches of snow. They struggled on, weighted down by their puffy clothing and oxygen canisters.

9 Slowly moving across the narrow, icy ridge leading to the peak, Erik was well aware that a misstep could send him plunging down the mountain. Finally, on the morning of May 25, Erik Weihenmayer reached the summit of Mount Everest, the fi rst blind person ever to do so.


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a. Erik Weihenmayer’s physical disability did not stop him from doing what he wanted.

b. Climbing Mount Everest was a great challenge for Erik Weihenmayer.

c. Erik Weihenmayer was the fi rst blind person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.

2. Mount Everest is the highest mountain

a. in the world.

b. in North America.

c. in Africa.


a. Crossing the Khumbu Icefall would not have been dangerous if Eric could see.

b. Having scaled other mountains gave Erik confi dence that he could climb Mount Everest.

c. Only the encouragement of the other climbers kept Erik going.


Still, he knew that the extreme conditions on Mount Everest—from the perilous icefall to the lack of oxygen at the mountain’s highest elevations—had proved insurmountable to many experienced climbers.

a. requiring little effort

b. impossible to overcome

c. worthy of admiration

5. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this article?

a. to describe the remarkable feat of a person with a disability

b. to explain the dangers of crossing the Khumbu Icefall

c. to show why teamwork is important in mountain climbing

6. Which answer correctly restates this sentence from paragraph 5?

Erik wondered the same thing, but overcoming challenges was nothing new to him.

a. Erik had never done anything like this before, but he was confi dent.

b. Erik was nervous about the new challenges that he faced.

c. Erik had his doubts, but he had overcome other challenges in the past.

7. The Khumbu Icefall is especially dangerous because

a. new crevasses can suddenly appear.

b. it is located high up on the mountain.

c. fi erce winds make climbing diffi cult.

8. Based on the article, readers can conclude that

a. Mount Everest is a good choice for climbers with disabilities.

b. mountain climbing is easier than most people think.

c. all climbers have diffi culty breathing at high altitudes.

9. The author mentions Mount McKinley and Mount Kilimanjaro to let readers know that

a. Erik is an experienced mountain climber.

b. Everest is not near these mountains.

c. climbers have a wide choice of mountains.

10. Which word best describes Erik Weihenmayer as he is portrayed in this article?

a. discouraged

b. daring

c. bewildered

Trailblazers



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ESL/DI Skill Multi-Word Verbs: set in; brought on; split up; washed up; carry on; made up

Trailblazers

Unit 1 Language Development Activity: Multi-Word Verbs

Activity Steps:

1. Review the article “Lost and Found” (Unit 1, Lesson 2, p. 22) with the class.

2. Distribute Unit 1 Activity Sheet: Sequence Diagram (from step 2 in Teacher Preparation) to each student.

3. Read aloud the fi rst sentence on the board: As they pushed father into the jungle, fatigue set in. Students guess what this sentence means and visualize it.

4. Students copy the sentence into box 1 in their diagrams, underlining set in.

5. Guide students to give a defi nition of set in (“started and got more intense”). Students write this defi nition at the bottom of box 1. Students draw a simple sketch of the meaning of the sentence in or near box 1.

6. Repeat steps 4–6 for box 2 with the sentence Marcus developed trench foot, a condition brought on by the damp jungle conditions (brought on [“caused by”])

7. Based on the article, brainstorm with the class to create defi nitions for the last four multi-word verbs: split up (“divided into two groups”); washed up

(“drifted to land”); He urged himself to fi nd food and carry on (“continue to make an effort”); Ghinsberg later learned that Karl had made up the story.

8. Students pair off. Tell them that the last four sentences on the board are out of sequential (time) order.

9. Using their books, partners collaborate to identify the order of the last four sentences and write them in the corresponding boxes of their activity sheets. (After a heated discussion, the group split up; Ghinsberg fi nally washed up on a narrow riverbank; He urged himself to fi nd food and to carry on; Ghinsberg later learned that Karl had made up the story.)

10. Partners collaborate to recall the defi nitions of the multi-word verbs from step 7 and write them under the corresponding sentences in the boxes. Circulate to approve students’ work.

11. You may point out that multi-word verbs can have multiple meanings just as single-word verbs do, for example: split up (“ended a relationship”); made up (“forgave each other”).

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1. Review the article “Lost and Found” (Unit 1, Lesson 2, p. 22).

2. Print one copy of Unit 1 Activity Sheet: Sequence Diagram for each student and a copy of Unit 1 Activity Sheet Answers: Sequence Diagram for yourself.

3. Write on the board or otherwise present the sentences below this box, which are out of sequential order except for the fi rst two.(“As they pushed farther…”)

4. Draw the blank diagram from the Unit 1 Activity Sheet (from step 2) on the board.

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1. Sequence diagram: whole class, partners2. Visualization/sketching of sentence

meanings: individual3. Aural comprehension: whole class4. Ordering sentences sequentially: partners5. Recalling defi nitions: partners

As they pushed farther into the jungle, fatigue set in; Marcus developed trench foot, a condition brought on by the damp jungle conditions; Ghinsberg later learned that Karl had made up the story; After a heated discussion, the group split up; He urged himself to fi nd food and to carry on; Ghinsberg fi nally washed up on a narrow riverbank

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ESL/DI Skill Vocabulary Words: deterred, craze, skeptics, solicited, visionary

Trailblazers

Unit 2 Language Development Activity: Vocabulary Review

Interview Questions:

1. Describe a time when something deterred you from doing what you wanted to do.

2. Describe a national craze that you were interested in or participated in.

3. Describe something you believe in and what skeptics say about it.

4. Have you ever solicited advice from someone? From whom, and why?

5. What public fi gure, past or present, do you consider to be a true visionary, and why?

Activity Steps:

1. Review the article “James Herman Banning: Pioneer Pilot” (Unit 2, Lesson 9, p. 84) with the class.

2. Review the defi nitions of the Lesson 9 vocabulary words with the class.

3. The class discusses how each word or phrase was used in the article. Tell students that partners will be interviewing each other using these words in a new context.

4. Students pair off.

5. Read the fi rst interview question aloud: Describe a time when something deterred you from doing what you wanted to do. Each partner writes the sentence in his or her notebook. (Note that later this step will refer to the second interview question, etc.)

6. One volunteer substitutes the underlined word or phrase by its defi nition and reads the sentence to the class: Describe a time when something prevented you from doing what you wanted to do.

7. Partners ask each other the discussion question in turn. As one partner answers the question, the other partner takes notes on the answer.

8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 with the second (third, etc.) interview question.

9. When all the questions have been covered, the fi rst partner summarizes the second partner’s answers to him or her. The second partner suggests any corrections that may be necessary. Partners then reverse the process.

10. With permission from the other partner, each partner summarizes one of the other partner’s answers to the class.

11. You may extend the activity into a game of “Who Am I?” in which each student gives you a written interview answer to read aloud. (When you play this game, skip step 10.) Shuffl e the answers that you receive. The class tries to guess which student was being interviewed in each case.

Teach

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1. Review the article “James Herman Banning: Pioneer Pilot” (Unit 2, Lesson 9, p. 84)

2. Write on the board or otherwise present the Lesson 9 vocabulary words: deterred (“prevented from acting”); craze (“intense interest, fad”); skeptics (“doubters”); solicited (“asked for”); visionary (“creative thinker”).

3. Read the interview questions below and have a copy on hand.A

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1. Reading sentences aloud: individual2. Substituting defi nitions for vocabulary words:

individual3. Oral responses to interview questions:

partners4. Note taking, summarizing: individual5. Personal responses/summary of partner’s

responses: individual6. Optional game: whole class

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ESL/DI Skill Suffi x: -less (restless, fearless)

Trailblazers

Unit 3 Language Development Activity: Suffi xes

Activity Steps:

1. Give one copy of Unit 3 Activity Sheet: Suffi x Diagram to each student.

2. Review the article “The Villas Bôas Brothers”(Unit 3, Lesson 14, p. 130) with the class.

3. Point out the sentences on the board and ask students what word part is in both underlined words (the suffi x -less). Write -less on the board in the middle box of your drawing on the board. Students do the same on their activity sheets.

4. Ask volunteers how people act when they are restless. (Possible response: They keep moving; they don’t rest.) What are fearless people like? (Possible response: They have no fear of anything.)

5. Volunteers guess or tell what the suffi x -less means. (Possible response: not having; without)

6. Write (not having; without) under -less in the middle box of your drawing. Students fi ll in their activity sheets.

7. Write rest and fear inside the left-hand boxes of your diagram. Students fi ll in their own diagrams.

8. Tell students that these words are nouns that turn into adjectives with the addition of the suffi x.

9. Students form small groups. Group members help each other complete their activity sheets (restless [without resting]; fearless [without fear]).

10. Groups discuss the theme of being restless. Why was Orlando Villas Bôas restless in the big city? (Possible responses: He was used to rural life and wanted to go back to the country; he wasn’t used to the crowded city and all its technology.) Do you ever feel restless where you live? Individuals summarize group members’ responses to the class.

11. Each group brainstorms a list of other -less words. (Possible words: hopeless, useless, careless, fl awless, shameless, blameless, lifeless) The group chooses a Note Taker to write down the list.

12. Students each pick two adjectives from the list in step 11. They each draw a fi ve-box diagram like the one in Activity Step 1, fi lling it in accordingly. Group members assist each other as needed.

13. Volunteers say one of their adjectives aloud to the class and give an example of someone or something that is described by the adjective, and why. (Possible response: A broken appliance is useless because you can’t use it for anything.)

Teach

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1. Review the article “The Villas Bôas Brothers” (Unit 3, Lesson 14, p. 130).

2. Print one Unit 3 Activity Sheet: Suffi x Diagram for each student and a copy of Unit 3 Activity Sheet Answers: Suffi x Diagram for yourself.

3. Write the following on the board: He was uncomfortable and restless in the big city; They were a fearless warrior society.

4. Draw the blank diagram from Unit 3 Activity Sheet: Suffi x Diagram (from step 2) on the board.

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1. Suffi x diagram: whole class, small group, individual

2. Analyzing word construction: whole class, small group

3. Sharing personal experiences/opinions: small group

4. Creating sentences verbally: individual5. Note Taker: individual role6. Creating original suffi x diagram: individual,

small group

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Sample Lesson Trailblazers - mhecriticalreadingprogram.com · Sample Lesson Trailblazers “On Thin Ic e,” pages 4–11 Introduce Summary In 2005 Tom Avery led the Barclays Capital

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