Level U/50
Explorers of the Americas Social Studies
TEACHER’S GUIDE Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension Strategies • Identify Main Idea and Supporting Details • Analyze Text Structure and Organization Comprehension • Reread • Identify cause and effect • Use graphic features to interpret information
Vocabulary/Word Study Strategy • Synonyms to determine word meaning
Social Studies Big Idea • Cooperation and conflict existed between the early explorers of the Americas and the Native Americans.
Theme: Early Explorers • The Voyages of Christopher Columbus • Native Americans at the Time of the Explorers • Explorers of the Americas B
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Core Lesson Planning Guide This five-day lesson plan shows one way to use the chapter book for explicit strategy instruction.
Activities
Day 1
Page 3: Prepare to Read • Build Content Background • Introduce the Book
Pages 4–6: Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1 2
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• Monitor Reading Strategy: Reread • Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization • Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning
Pages 7–8: Guide Strategies: Chapter 2 • Monitor Reading Strategy: Reread • Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization • Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Primary Source Documents
Pages 9–10: Apply Strategies: Chapter 3–Conclusion • Monitor Reading Strategy: Reread • Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization • Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning
Page 11: Synthesize Information • Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment • Evaluate Cause and Effect Relationships
Using Navigators Chapter Books Explicit Strategy Instruction Use the complete guide to model, guide, and support students as they apply comprehension and word-study strategies. Use portions of the guide to scaffold reading instruction for students who do not need modeled instruction.
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Small-Group Discussions
Independent Reading
Introduce the book and model strategies. Have the group set a purpose for reading based on the introduction. Students read the book, or parts of the book, independently. Then have them use the Small-Group Discussion Guide as they discuss the book together.
Have students select titles at their independent reading levels. After reading, have students respond to the text in reader response journals or notebooks.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-5251-9
Prepare to Read E nglish L anguage Learners Build Content Background • Remind students that Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, traveled to North America for Spain in 1492. Explain that during the 1500s, other European explorers traveled to North and South America. Draw a three-column chart. Leave the headings blank. Ask: What European explorers, besides Columbus, came to the Americas in the 1500s? (Possible answers: Cortés, Pizarro, DeSoto, Hudson, Cartier) • Write Cortés, Pizarro, and DeSoto in the first column, Hudson in the second column, and Cartier in the third column. • Have students look at the explorers in the first column. Ask: What is the same about these three explorers? What makes them different from the explorers in the other columns? (Possible answers:They sailed for Spain.They came from Spain.) What can we write as the heading for the first column? (Possible answers: Spain, Explorers from Spain) Continue with the explorers in the other two columns having students decide on headings for the columns. • Ask: What generalization, or general statement, can you make about the exploration of the Americas in the 1600s? (European countries sent explorers to the Americas.) Spain
England
France
Cortés Pizarro DeSoto
Hudson
Cartier
Introduce the Book • Give students a copy of the book. • Have them read the title and skim the table of contents. Ask: What do all three chapter titles have in common? (They mention explorers of a particular nationality or nationalities.) • Have students choose a chapter. Ask them to look at the pictures in the chapter, choose a picture they think is interesting, and explain to the group why they think that. • To introduce Key Words and Text/Graphic Features found in this book, use the book’s inside front cover.
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On a map of Europe, have students point out Spain, the Netherlands, France, and England. Invite students to say the names of the countries in their native languages. Then explain that we call people from Spain Spanish, people from the Netherlands Dutch, and so on. Discuss the word explore. Ask students to define it in their own words and to say the word that has the same meaning in their native languages. Then write the words explorer and exploration on the board. Help students understand how they are related to the verb explore.
Informal Assessment Tips 1. Assess students’ ability to skim for interesting pictures and to explain their choices. 2. Document informal observations in a folder or notebook. 3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for handy reference.
Meeting Individual Needs For students who struggle with skimming for interesting pictures, model the process, using the first chapter. Comment on each picture, tell which one you choose, and explain why you chose that one over the others.
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Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1 ABOUT THE STRATEGY REREAD
What? Good readers constantly ask themselves, “Do I understand what I just read?” If the answer to this question is no, they know the easiest monitor reading strategy to use is reread. Readers do not need to reread every sentence. Sometimes skimming the text for a particular word or paragraph can rebuild comprehension. Why?
Good readers reread to quickly repair faulty comprehension. Once they have reread, they may use other monitor reading strategies to deepen comprehension.
When?
Good readers reread during and after reading.
How? Readers stop every page or two and ask themselves, “What did I just read?” If they can’t answer this question, they can return to the last part of the text where they did understand and skim the text to repair comprehension. They may mark confusing parts of the text or unknown words with self-stick notes so that they can reflect on these parts at a later time.
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Explorers of the Americas
Before Reading MONITOR READING STRATEGY: REREAD
• Use a real-life example of rereading. Say: Recently I was reading a book about the explorations of Lewis and Clark. It explained the reasons why Lewis and Clark were sent on their expedition. In the middle of the chapter, I realized that I was not sure what I had just read. So I skimmed the text from the beginning to the first point that I didn’t understand. That’s where I began to reread. This time I understood the information I was reading. • Read page 2 aloud while students follow along. Try to anticipate ideas and words that might confuse students. After reading, say: As I think back on what I just read, I realize that I cannot recall all the details about why European countries wanted to find a sea route to Asia. I will go back and reread that information in the second paragraph. Read aloud the second paragraph on page 2 again. Then summarize the main facts: Europeans wanted Asian spices, and kings and queens wanted Asian silk, but land routes to Asia were slow and dangerous.
During Reading SET A PURPOSE FOR READING
• Ask students to read pages 3–15 silently to see what they can learn about the Spanish explorers in the New World. Ask them to pay close attention to the illustrations, captions, sidebars, maps, and time line. Have students use self-stick notes to note places where they reread. On each self-stick note, they should jot down the reason for rereading. Did they have problems understanding facts, forget facts, or need clarification of a detail?
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After Reading DISCUSS THE READING
• Say: I had to reread a few times in Chapter 1. For example, I realized I was unsure why Pizarro went looking for the Inca Empire. I went back and read page 11. I wrote my reasons for rereading on my self-stick notes. • Ask: What problems did you have with Chapter 1 that made you go back and reread? Have students share their experiences. • Ask students to share the ideas and facts they wrote on notes while reading. • For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for the Introduction and Chapter 1 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book. COMPREHENSION STRATEGY: ANALYZE TEXT STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION
• Explain that authors organize their writing in different ways, and that in Chapter 1 the author uses many descriptions. Have students point out some of the descriptions they read, such as features of the Aztec Empire (page 8), of Tenochtitlán (page 10), and of the Inca Empire (page 12). • Distribute the graphic organizer “Analyzing Text Structure and Organization” (blackline master, page 14). You may want to make a chart-size copy of the graphic organizer or use a transparency. • Explain that, as students read, they will complete the first five rows together. They will complete the last two rows in pairs or independently.
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Informal Assessment Tips 1. Watch students as they reread and write notes on self-stick notes or in their journals. 2. In a folder or notebook, jot down what you see each student doing. 3. Students should be rereading and writing notes as they read. Document students who are and are not using this monitor reading strategy.
Meeting Individual Needs For students who struggle with this activity, model the strategy again and remind them that rereading unclear parts of text as they read will help them better understand the material. Rapid readers can write summaries of parts of the text that they found they had to go back and reread.
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Introduction–Chapter 1 (continued) Page
Text Structure
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Description Aztecs were skilled warriors; Aztecs were talented builders; they knew about math and astronomy. Description the city was built on an island in the middle of a huge lake; it had temples, palaces, and pyramids; it was home to more than 200,000 people. Description The Inca Empire stretched for 2,500 miles down the Andes; a network of bridges and paved roads connected the empire. Most Inca were farmers; they planted crops on terraces cut into mountainsides.
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Clue Words or Phrases
Reader Response Suppose Montezuma had been able to communicate with leaders of other South American empires about the Spaniards who had come to his empire. What do you think he would have said? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.
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Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization (cont.) • Have students return to Chapter 1 and follow along as you model how to analyze text structure and organization. Ask them to focus on the descriptions the author includes. Say: Let’s reread the second paragraph on page 8. Here, the author uses the text structure of description to tell about the Aztecs’ skills and knowledge. The text says that the Aztecs were skilled warriors and talented builders, and they knew about math and astronomy. Write these ideas on the graphic organizer. • Use information from the graphic organizer on this page to continue the think-aloud. Record descriptions on page 10 that tell about the city of Tenochtitlán and on page 12 that tell about the Inca Empire. • Say: The author uses descriptions to give readers clear pictures of things. We will learn about another text structure in the next chapter. Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning • Tell students that words that mean the same or almost the same are called synonyms. If you understand the meaning of one of the synonyms, you can determine the meaning of the less familiar synonym. Have students turn to page 3 and locate the word continents. Say: This boldfaced term is in the glossary, but it is also defined right in the text. Authors use ,or to compare words with similar meanings. Continents are land areas. I know that because the author told me by using ,or. Because I know the term land areas, I know the meaning of continents. • Point out the word ports on page 3. Tell students that the author has included a synonym for the word. Ask: What does this word mean? (harbors) How did you identify the synonym? (by the words that follow ,or) • Continue with the words sacrificed on page 8, allies on page 9, and ambushed on page 13.
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Guide Strategies: Chapter 2 Before Reading Monitor Reading Strategy: Reread • Remind students that they saw you write a self-stick note about rereading. Point out to them that rereading can help them remember information and pay attention to important information. • Say: After I read pages 16 and 17, I recalled details about why other countries wanted to send explorers to the New World. I recalled that they wanted to find wealth as Spain had. However, I couldn’t remember what the chapter said about why John Cabot chose to search for a different sea route. • Have students turn to pages 16–17. Read aloud while they follow along. • Say: I’ll go back and reread until I come to the part I don’t remember very well. I find it on page 17. It says that Cabot knew that Earth was curved and thought he could find a shorter route by sailing north. I will write these facts on self-stick notes. • Explain that, as students continue reading, they should jot down times they need to reread and briefly explain the reasons. Remind them to write on self-stick notes and to put the notes on the pages to which they correspond. • Tell students that rereading can help them remember important information.
During Reading Set a Purpose for Reading • Ask students to read Chapter 2 to find out what Cabot found on his trips and where Henry Hudson went on his journeys.
After Reading Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share times when they needed to reread. Did they understand the text better after they reread? What confusions do students still have about the text? • Have students turn to page 19 and locate the checkpoint. Remind them that rereading is a good way to make sure they understand the information. Have students talk about the prompt with a partner. • For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapter 2 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
E nglish L anguage Learners Carefully watch ELL students as they complete the assignment. If they are not rereading and making notes about their reasons, it may be because they do not understand the reasons for rereading. Model additional situations in which rereading is a good strategy.
Meeting Individual Needs For students who struggle with this strategy, model it again. Then have students choose at least two parts of the chapter to reread. Ask them to meet with a partner and discuss the reasons for rereading and the facts they found when they did. Rapid readers can make a graphic organizer to display the information presented in Chapter 2.
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Chapter 2 (continued) Page
Text Structure
Clue Words or Phrases
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Cause and Effect
Cause: Wind and ocean currents made sailing east faster. Effect: Cabot’s return trip was faster than his trip out.
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Cause and Effect
Cause: The seas were rough, covered with fog, and filled with ice. Effect: Hudson’s crew threatened to mutiny.
Reader Response Suppose you had been Henry Hudson on his second journey searching for a northwest passage. What would you have said to your crew to encourage them to continue sailing? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.
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Explorers of the Americas
Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization • Review the “Analyze Text Structure and Organization” graphic organizer and the descriptions the author used in Chapter 1. Tell students that now they will look for a different kind of structure that authors use in their writing—cause-and-effect relationships. Explain that a cause is the reason something happens; an effect is the result, or what happens. • Read the second paragraph on page 18 aloud. • Say: The text says Cabot’s return trip to England was faster than his trip to North America. What was the cause of this? (The wind and ocean currents helped them go faster.) Write the cause and effect on the graphic organizer. • Tell students to look for another cause-and-effect relationship on page 21. Point out that Hudson’s crew threatened to mutiny on their voyage through the waters north of Russia. Have students explain what caused this, and then add this information to the graphic organizer. Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Primary Source Documents • Have students turn to the Primary Source features on pages 17 and 21. Read the text aloud. Explain that primary, or original, sources such as letters and official documents provide a firsthand account of an event or of the times. They tell us exactly how people communicated with one another at the time. • Ask: How would you summarize King Henry VII’s decree to John Cabot? (Cabot was to sail almost anywhere to find new lands.) How much freedom did King Henry VII give Cabot? (He gave him much leeway to accomplish his goal.) How does the letter on page 21 add to your knowledge of the lives of 16th-century explorers? (Possible answer: It brings to life how uncomfortable and filled with hardships their voyages were.)
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Apply Strategies: Chapter 3–Conclusion Before Reading Monitor Reading Strategy: Reread • Remind students that they should have been writing self-stick notes when they needed to reread. • Say: Looking back at your self-stick notes and the pages to which they are attached will help you recall some important facts and some times when you were confused. The result will probably be that you will recall the facts in the book better than if you had not taken notes. • Encourage students to continue thinking and writing about their reading on self-stick notes as they complete the book on their own.
Teaching Tips After discussing the reading, have students remove the self-stick notes from their books and place them in their journals on a page titled “Rereading.” Use this page to review rereading throughout the year.
During Reading Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students read the rest of the book silently to learn about what Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain found on their journeys to the New World. Remind students to make notes of times they were confused and to explain how rereading helped their confusion. Also remind them to use context clues such as synonyms to determine the meanings of new words.
After Reading Discuss the Reading • Have students share times when they were confused and reread the text. Did rereading help them better understand? What questions do they still have? Answer any questions. • Ask: What did you find about where Cartier and Champlain went and what they found there? What did you learn about their contributions to learning about North America? • For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapter 3 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.
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Chapter 3–Conclusion (continued) Page
Text Structure
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Description an endless river that led to wealthy kingdoms; he hoped he would find gold and silver and that it might be the Northwest Passage Cause and Cause: Champlain helped the Algonquin Effect and Huron Indians fight against the Iroquois. Effect: The Iroquois were enemies of French colonists for years to come.
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Clue Words or Phrases
Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Text Structure and Organization • Review the graphic organizer that students have been completing. Explain that they should look for a description on page 25 and a cause-and-effect relationship on page 28 and finish the graphic organizer in pairs or independently. • Ask students if they have any questions before they begin. Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty. Discuss students’ responses together. • For more practice with analyzing text structure and organization, have students complete the blackline master “Analyze Text Structure and Organization” on page 15. Geography of Nova Scotia: made up of a peninsula, which is connected to the Canadian mainland by a thin strip of land, and an island Land of Nova Scotia: forests, valleys used for farming, and rivers that provide water for farmland
Informal Assessment Tips 1. Watch students as they analyze text structure and organization. Ask yourself: How have students progressed with this strategy? What problems are they still having? 2. Watch students as they complete the graphic organizer. Ask yourself: Who is still struggling with this strategy? How can I help them? 3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook. For students who struggle with analyzing text structure and organization, review the strategy.
Wildlife of Nova Scotia: cod, lobster, white-tailed deer, moose, elk, minks, otters
Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning • Have students find the word mutiny on page 21. Ask: What is the synonym for this word? (rebel) How do you know this is the synonym? (It follows ,or.) What is the meaning of the word rebel? (Possible answer: to revolt against) What is the meaning of the word mutiny? (Possible answer: to revolt against) • For additional practice, have students complete the blackline master on page 18. More Familiar Synonym
Reader Response How did Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain differ in their methods as they explored the New World? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.
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Explorers of the Americas
Less Familiar Synonym
Meaning of Less Familiar Synonym
reindeer
caribou
large animal like a deer with large antlers
huts
wigwams
small houses shaped like domes
tools
utensils
objects used to perform tasks
sleds
toboggans
flat panels on runners used for transportation
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Synthesize Information Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment • Have students take Ongoing Assessment #5 on pages 40–41 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5).
Evaluate Cause and Effect Relationships • Point out to students that the book Explorers of the Americas describes many causes and effects. For example, it describes the effects of Cortés discovering the Aztec Empire. • Ask students to skim Chapters 1, 2, and 3, looking for information about the effects of each group of explorers on the New World. Have students write the effects in a chart like the one below. • When the charts are complete, have students discuss the information they recorded. Then encourage them to draw conclusions about the effects of the European explorers on the New World. • Give students the opportunity to share their conclusions. Say: The book doesn’t directly compare the effects of explorers from different European nations on the New World. But, by looking at the effects of these explorations, we can draw some conclusions. For example, we can conclude that the native communities of South America died out almost entirely because of the Spanish exploration while some of the native communities of North America continued to thrive after the French exploration. Cause Spanish explorers visited the New World. English and Dutch explorers visited the New World. French explorers visited the New World.
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Effect
Informal Assessment Tips 1. Score assessments and determine if more instruction is needed for this strategy. 2. Keep group assessments in a smallgroup reading folder. 3. Look closely at students’ responses. Ask yourself: Why might this student have answered the question in this manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students. 4. If needed, reteach this strategy and administer the second Ongoing Assessment #6 on pages 42–43 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5). 5. Use ongoing assessments to document growth over time, for parent/teacher conferences, or for your own records.
E nglish L anguage Learners Make sure students understand the meanings of cause and effect by discussing a few simple examples. For example, the effect of spilling milk might be caused by rushing too much at the breakfast table. Help students begin the chart by modeling how to find some effects of the Spanish exploration of the New World. For example, point out the details about these effects on page 14. Invite students to reread the details aloud. Then have them suggest how they would summarize the information for the chart.
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Reading/Writing Connections Write a Personal Response
Teaching Tips Transfer personal response prompts to a piece of large chart paper and hang it in the room. Students can refer to the list throughout the year.
Scoring Rubric 4
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2
1
The prompt is well-developed. There is strong evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions. The prompt is developed. There is adequate evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions. The prompt is somewhat developed. There is minimal evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions. The prompt is weakly developed. There is little evidence of focus, organization, voice, and correct conventions.
Invite students to respond to the book in a way that is meaningful to them. The prompts below provide a variety of alternatives. • Would you have liked to be an explorer of the New World? Why or why not? (text-to-self) • What can the world learn from the way the European explorers treated the American peoples? (text-to-world) • Which explorers did you admire most as you read this book? Which did you admire least? Why? (personal response) • What parts of this book were difficult for you? (self-monitor) • Describe what you felt as you read this book. Explain why you felt that way. (personal response) • How were the explorers in this book alike and different? (synthesize information/compare) • Would you recommend this book to other students who wanted to learn about European explorers? Why or why not? (evaluate) • What activities or events today are like those described in this book? (make connections) • Compare this book to other books about history you have read. (text-to-text/compare)
Write to a Text Prompt Use the prompt below as a timed writing activity. Students have a maximum of one hour to draft, revise, and edit a response. Use the rubric provided in the sidebar to score students’ writing.
Describe the achievements of the early European explorers. Do you think their achievements made their actions in North America and South America acceptable? Use information from the book to support your answer.
Write to a Picture Prompt
Use the following picture prompt to develop students’ visual writing abilities.
Look at the picture on page 10. Contrast the Spanish fighters with the Aztec fighters. What advantages and disadvantages did each side have? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member. Use details from the picture to support your answer.
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Explorers of the Americas
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Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________
Small-Group Discussion Guide Directions: Use this worksheet to talk about the book.
Rules for a Good Discussion: 1. Be prepared.
Word Study: Write words you did not know. Discuss the meanings with your group. Use the text to clarify the meanings.
2. Pay attention to the person who is talking and do not interrupt him or her. 3. Think about what others are saying so you can respond. 4. Use inside voices. 5. Let everyone in the group have a turn to speak.
Questions: Write two to three questions you had while reading this book. Discuss the questions and answers.
6. Be respectful of everyone’s ideas. Adapted from Guiding Readers and Writers, Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell (Heinemann Publishing Co., 2001).
Ways to Make Connections Make Connections: Write three connections you made with the text. Discuss them with your group.
Adapted from Literature Circles, Harvey Daniels (Stenhouse Publishing Co., 1994). © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Text-to-Self: This reminds me of a time when I . . . Text-to-World: What’s going on in this book is like what’s happening right now in . . . Text-to-Text: This book reminds me of another book I read called . . . . It was about . . .
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________
Analyze Text Structure and Organization Page
Text Structure
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Description
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Description
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Description
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Cause and Effect
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Cause and Effect
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Description
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Cause and Effect
Clue Words or Phrases
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Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________
Analyze Text Structure and Organization Directions: Read the passage. Identify descriptions in the text. Write a description for each phrase below the passage.
A Land of Riches Some of the first Europeans to explore North America ended up in what is now Nova Scotia, a part of Canada. The explorers did not find gold and silver. However, they did find a land with many natural resources. Nova Scotia includes a peninsula—a jutting piece of land— and an island called Cape Breton. The peninsula is connected to the mainland of Canada by a narrow strip of land. The seacoast of Nova Scotia is full of fish and seafood such as cod and lobster. The first people to live there, the Micmac Indians, fished in these rich waters. Inland, forests cover much of the land. Firs, spruces, pines, maples, and birches grow in these woods. White-tailed deer roam the forests along with moose and elk. The minks and otters that the first fur traders hunted also live here. In valleys, apple trees grow. Rivers provide water for farms in these lower lands. Despite the lack of gold, Nova Scotia is a rich land. geography of Nova Scotia
land of Nova Scotia
wildlife of Nova Scotia
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Skills Bank Build Comprehension IDENTIFY MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORTING DETAILS • Explain Create an overhead transparency of the “Explorers of the Americas” graphic organizer or draw it on the board. Say: Nonfiction books have main ideas and supporting details. The main idea is the most important thing we learn in the book. Details tell about this main idea. Sometimes the author tells the main idea, but usually readers have to use details to figure it out. • Model Say: We know from the title that the topic of the book is explorers of the Americas. But that does not tell us the main idea of the book. We will use details in the chapters to figure out this main idea. Ask students to read Chapter 1. Say: We read about the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés, who conquered the Aztecs and took their land and riches. We read about the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Incas and took their land and riches. Write these details in the first Details box on the graphic organizer. Say: These details tell what Chapter 1 is about. • Guide Say: Let’s find details in Chapters 2 and 3. Ask students to read Chapter 2. Ask: Whom do we read about in this chapter? What do we find out about these explorers? (Allow time for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, we read about the explorers John Cabot and Henry Hudson. They tried to find a sea route to Asia. They claimed land in North America for England and Holland. Ask students to read Chapter 3. Ask: Whom do we read about in this chapter? What do we find out about these explorers? (Again allow time for students to respond.) Yes, we read about the explorers Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain. Cartier tried to find a sea route to Asia. He claimed land in North America for France. Champlain established French colonies in North America. As students answer the questions about each chapter, write the details in the appropriate Details boxes on the graphic organizer. • Apply Review the details from the three chapters, and then ask pairs of students to figure out the book’s main idea. Remind them that the main idea is the most important thing they learn in the book. After each pair has shared, agree on how to word the main idea and add it to the graphic organizer. Finally, ask volunteers to read the completed graphic organizer aloud.
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Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________
Explorers of the Americas Identify Main Idea and Supporting Details Main Idea:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
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Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________
Use Synonyms to Determine the Word Meaning Directions: The following passage has four pairs of synonyms. For each pair, write the synonym that you are more familiar with in the first column of the graphic organizer. Write the synonym that is less familiar in the second column. Then write the meaning of the less familiar synonym in the third column.
People of the Far North When French explorers reached the lands that are now Canada, many Indian tribes lived there. Their way of life enabled them to live in the region despite the cold, snowy winters. The summers were too short for farming, so the people gathered nuts and berries. They hunted caribou, or reindeer, as well as moose and elk. Many of the people lived in wigwams, or dome-shaped huts. They made their utensils, or tools, out of wood. In snowy weather, they traveled on toboggans, or sleds.
More Familiar Synonym
Less Familiar Synonym
Meaning of Less Familiar Synonym
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Notes
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Notes
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