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B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y Theme: The American Revolution The American Revolution • Battles of the American Revolution: Saratoga • People of the American Revolution The American Revolution Level S/44 Social Studies Skills & Strategies Anchor Comprehension Strategies • Identify cause and effect Comprehension • Visualize • Draw conclusions • Use text features to locate information Word Study/Vocabulary • Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning Social Studies Big Idea • The course and consequences of the American Revolution were borne by the people of America, and by leaders of Great Britain, France, and other nations. TEACHER’S GUIDE
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Page 1: Level S/44 The American Revolution · • The American Revolution • Battles of the American Revolution: Saratoga • People of the American Revolution ... , and by leaders of Great

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

Theme: The American Revolution• The American Revolution• Battles of the American Revolution: Saratoga• People of the American Revolution

The American RevolutionLevel S/44

Social Studies

Skills & Strategies

Anchor Comprehension Strategies

• Identify cause and effect

Comprehension • Visualize

• Drawconclusions

• Usetextfeaturestolocateinformation

Word Study/Vocabulary • Useknowledgeofwordstructuresto

determinewordmeaning

Social Studies Big Idea • Thecourseandconsequencesofthe

AmericanRevolutionwerebornebythepeopleofAmerica,andbyleadersofGreatBritain,France,andothernations.

TeACheR’S Guide

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Page 11: Synthesize Information • Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment

• Draw Conclusions

D ay

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3

4

5

A c t i v i t i e s

Using Navigators Chapter Books

Explicit Strategy InstructionUse the complete guide to model, guide, and support stu-dents as they apply comprehen-sion and word-study strategies. Use portions of the guide to scaffold reading instruction for students who do not need mod-eled instruction.

Small-Group DiscussionsIntroduce 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.

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

Core Lesson Planning Guide

Copyright © 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: 978-1-4108-5252-62

Pages 4–6: Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1• Monitor Reading Strategy: Visualize

• Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and Effect

• Use Text Features to Locate Information: Sidebars

Page 3: Prepare to Read• Build Content Background

• Introduce the Book

Pages 7–8: Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3• Monitor Reading Strategy: Visualize

• Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and Effect

• Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words and Suffixes

Pages 9–10: Apply Strategies: Chapter 4–Conclusion• Monitor Reading Strategy: Visualize

• Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and Effect

• Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words and Suffixes

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

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Build Content Background • Ask: What do you know about the American Revolution?

Have students make a list of names, words, and phrases that come to mind when they think about the American Revolution.

• Have students review their lists of words related to the American Revolution. If necessary, give them some possible words, such as colonies, Great Britain, and Declaration of Independence.

• Say: Now choose one of these terms and write about it. Elaborate on what you know about this aspect of the American Revolution.

• Allow students 1–2 minutes to write their thoughts. After they have finished writing, have them share their thoughts in pairs or small groups.

• Tell students that this book will provide them with additional information about some of the words they listed. Encourage them to look for words from their lists as they read the text.

Introduce the Book• Give students a copy of the book.

• Have them turn to the table of contents and read the chapter titles.

Ask: What is the title of Chapter 1? (Before the War (1765–1773))

• Ask: What is the subject of each chapter in the book? (a period of the war)

• Have students turn to page 4 and skim the first chapter of the book. Tell them that when they skim a chapter, they look at the chapter title, pictures, maps, sidebars, and boldfaced words to get an idea of what the chapter will be about.

• To introduce Key Words and Text/Graphic Features found in this book, use the book’s inside front cover.

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Assess students’ ability to skim a chapter.

2. Document informal observations in a folder or notebook.

3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for handy reference.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 3

Meeting Individual Needs

For students who struggle with skimming, model by pointing out the headings, boldfaced words, pictures, and features that enable you to tell what the chapter is about.

Have students point to the locations of Great Britain and the United States on a world map or globe. Ask them what lies between the two countries. (Atlantic Ocean) Discuss how this sep-aration both helped and hurt the two countries.

Display a map of the original thirteen colonies. Name some of the colonies. Give a brief review of colonial history. Encourage students to say key words, such as colony, in their native languages.

Display portraits of famous colonial Americans, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Briefly explain why each was important.

Prepare to Readnglish anguage earnersE L L

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Patriots

Paul Revere

George Washington

Valley Forge

Boston Tea Party

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Before ReadingMoNIToR ReADING STRATeGy: VISUAlIze

• Use a real-life example of visualizing while you read.

Say: When I read about a historical event, such as the first settlers coming to America, I try to picture in my mind what the time and place were like. When the text tells me that North America was a huge wilderness, I remember the time I went hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, and how there was nothing but trees for miles and miles. I think North America must have looked like that when the first settlers came. I try to imagine what the people—the Native Americans and the colonists—looked like. Visualizing while I read helps me understand what a certain historical period was like.

• Say: Yesterday we previewed the book The American Revolution. Today we are going to visualize what we read about in the Introduction and Chapter 1.

• Read pages 2–3 while students follow along.

• Say: When we read about a long-ago time, we have to use what we read and what we already know to help us visualize. The text tells us that in the 1700s there were only thirteen colonies. I can tell by the map that the colonies were different from the states we have today. I know there were far fewer people and that they lived much differently than we live today. Using the map, the pic-ture, the text, and what I have read before, I can visualize America during colonial times.

During Reading SeT A PURPoSe FoR ReADING

• Ask students to read pages 4–9 silently. Have them visualize colonists in Boston during the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Encourage students to draw what they have visualized.

4 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

ABOUT THE STRATEGY Visualize

What? Readers visualize when they create pictures in their minds to help them “see” and understand characters, settings, objects, and actions in their reading. These pictures are like movies or photographs made by a camera.

Why? Visualizing keeps readers engaged with the text and helps them understand and remember what they read. When readers do not visualize, it is usually because they have lost con-nection with the text.

When? Good readers visualize dur-ing reading to monitor and clarify their understanding.

How? Good readers visualize by using these kinds of information:

Vivid verbs that describe actionsAdjectives that describe sizes, shapes,

colors, and other detailsGraphic aids (charts, maps, time lines,

diagrams) that tell sizes, shapes, lengths, distances, times, and other facts

Similes and metaphors that compare one thing to another

Sensory language that evokes how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels

Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1

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After Reading DISCUSS THe ReADING

• Ask students to describe what they visualized as they read pages 4–9.

• Have volunteers display and discuss the drawings they made as part of Set a Purpose for Reading.

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

CoMPReHeNSIoN STRATeGy: IDeNTIFy CAUSe AND eFFeCT

• Explain what a cause-and-effect relationship is.

Say: One way authors explain information is to tell why certain events happen. When authors write about historical events, they often discuss the causes and effects of the events. As I read this chapter, I paid attention to what happened, and I looked for explanations telling why events happened. Identifying each event as the effect and the reason for it as the cause helped me under-stand the information in this chapter.

• Pass out the graphic organizer “Identify Cause and Effect” (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 six rows together. They will complete the last two rows in pairs or independently.

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Watch students as they draw what they have visualized in their journals.

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

3. Students should be drawing what they visualize as they read. Document students who are and are not using this monitor reading strategy.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 5

Meeting Individual Needs

For students who struggle with this activity, model the strategy again and point out descriptive passages that can help them visualize, such as the description of colonists throwing snow-balls at British soldiers.

Rapid readers can draw a comic-strip-style sketch of an event described in the chapter.

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Introduction–Chapter 1 (continued)

6 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and effect (cont.)• Have students follow along in their books while you show

them how to find cause-and-effect relationships in Chapter 1. Use the information on the graphic organizer on this page to conduct a think-aloud.

• Say: Authors sometimes provide clue words such as because or as a result to help readers find cause-and-effect relationships. Other times, readers must figure out causes and effects on their own. On page 5, the author describes an effect: colonists refused to pay stamp taxes and burned stamps and buildings. Why did they do that? The cause is described on page 4: The British government passed the Stamp Act.

• Write the cause and effect in the first row of the graphic orga-nizer.

• Read aloud the description of the Boston Tea Party on page 8.

Say: This page describes a protest by the colonists called the Boston Tea Party. The protest was an effect; it was caused by something. I want to know what caused this protest. When I reread the page, I see that the colonists were protesting the Tea Act passed by the British government.

• Write this cause and effect in the second row of the graphic organizer. Tell students they will look for causes and effects as they continue reading the book.

Use Text Features to locate Information: Sidebars• Explain to students that authors use sidebars to give additional

information that does not appear in the main text. Sidebars are used in many different kinds of publications.

• Have students turn to page 6 and locate the sidebar. Point out that the sidebar is a box with the title “Crispus Attucks.”

• Ask students to explain what additional information the author gives in this sidebar.

Ask: What is the sidebar about? How is this information connected to the information in the main text on page 6? (The sidebar tells about a former slave who was killed in the Boston Massacre. It adds information to the sentences that tell how many colonists were killed in the Boston Massacre.)

• Remind students to read the sidebars throughout the text for additional information related to the topic of each chapter.

Reader Response

Suppose you were an American colo-nist and you read a newspaper article about the Boston Massacre. How would you feel? Why? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.

Colonists refused to pay stamp taxes; they burned stamps and buildings

4–5 The British government passed the Stamp Act.

Page Cause effect

8 The British government passed the Tea Act

Colonists held the Boston Tea Party

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Before ReadingMonitor Reading Strategy: Visualize• Remind students that when they visualize, they make pictures

in their minds about what they are reading. Discuss how visu-alizing helped them “see” what the author describes in the Introduction and Chapter 1. Remind them that visualizing will help them better understand and remember what they read.

• Say: Use all five of your senses when you visualize. Imagine how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels. Today we will use our senses to visualize what we are reading.

• Say: When you read about an event from history, picture it in your mind. Imagine you are participating in or watching the event. Ask yourself, “What does this event look, sound, smell, and feel like?” Visualizing an event will make you feel like you’re there and make what you read more interesting.

• Have students turn to page 11. Read the third paragraph aloud. Tell them to imagine they are Minutemen in the battle at Lexington. Ask them these questions:

How do the British soldiers look as you face them? What feelings do you have as you face the British army? What sounds do you hear? What odors do you smell?

During Reading Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students finish reading Chapters 2 and 3. Ask them to

draw what they visualize and make notes about what they might hear, smell, taste, or feel during the events described.

After Reading Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share what they visualized as they read. Have

them display their drawings or read aloud their notes.

• Ask: Which event was easiest for you to visualize as you read? Which event was hardest to picture? Why do you think that is? Which senses besides sight did you use?

Have students discuss their responses.

• Ask them to turn to page 17 and read the checkpoint. Explain that finding and reading more information about a topic is a good way to understand it.

• For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapters 2–3 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 7

Watch ELL students closely as they complete the assignment. If they are not visualizing, it may be that they do not understand the strategy. Model it again, using the text in Chapter 3. Make sure they are using details given in the text as they visu-alize.

Meeting Individual Needs

For students who struggle with this strategy, model it again. Then have stu-dents close their books. Read page 19 aloud. Include the caption. Ask stu-dents to draw a picture of what they see in their minds when you read the description of the winter at Valley Forge. Discuss how details such as cuts in their feet, trails of blood, and the winter weather help readers see and feel the event.

Rapid readers can review their visu-alizations and add more details. Challenge them to draw or describe less vivid events such as the Second Continental Congress. Let volunteers share their findings with the group.

Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3

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Chapters 2–3 (continued)

Reader Response

In “Common Sense,” Thomas Paine said America should fight for independence, “not for herself alone, but for the world.” What do you think he meant? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group mem-ber.

Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and effect• Review the first two rows of the “Identify Cause and Effect”

graphic organizer. Remind students that to identify causes and effects, they can look for clue words such as because and as a result, as well as other clues in the text that point out cause-and-effect relationships.

• Have students find a cause-and-effect relationship on page 10. Ask: Why did the colonists call the Continental Congress? (The king shut down Boston Harbor and took control from the local governments.) Where do you write this information? (in the Cause box) What event goes in the Effect box? (Colonists held the First Continental Congress.)

• Work with students to identify the causes of the following events: the king sends more troops and asks the Indians for help (page 12); others believe the Americans can win (page 17); the British go south (page 23). Use the information on the graphic organizer on this page.

Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words and Suffixes • List the following suffixes and their meanings on the board:

-ment: action, process -ant: one that performs an action -ion (-tion): act or process

• Explain that when a suffix is added to the end of a base word, it changes the meaning of the base word.

Say: Knowing the meaning of a suffix can help you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word that has that suffix.

• Have students reread the last paragraph on page 10.

Ask: What is the base word of government? (govern)

What is the part of speech of govern? (verb)

How does the suffix -ment change the word govern? (It changes its part of speech to a noun; it changes its meaning to “the process of governing.”)

• Repeat this procedure to determine the meanings of the words inhabitants on page 12 and attention on page 22.

8 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The colonists called the First Continental Congress.

10 The king shut down Boston Harbor and took control away from local governments.

Page Cause effect

More than 1,000 of the king’s soldiers were killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The king sent more troops and asked for help from the Indians.

23 The British wanted to control the rich farmland and sea-coast in the south.

The British began to move the war south.

12

17 The Patriots won the Battle of Saratoga.

Other countries in Europe began to believe that America could win the war.

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Apply Strategies: Chapter 4–Conclusion

Before ReadingMonitor Reading Strategy: Visualize • Remind students that when they visualize, they make pictures

in their minds about what they are reading. They have used their imaginations and their senses to visualize the events of the American Revolution.

• Say: Today we will use what we already know to help us visualize as we read.

• Read the first two paragraphs on page 24 aloud while students follow along. Ask them to look at the picture of Benedict Arnold on page 24. Ask students these questions:

What do you know about what spies do and how they work?How do you think messages were sent during the American Revolution?How do people react when they find out someone has betrayed their trust?

• Say: Using what you already know can help you visualize what you read more clearly. It helps you make a more vivid picture in your mind.

• Encourage students to use what they know to help them visual-ize as they finish reading the book.

During ReadingSet a Purpose for Reading • Have students read the rest of the book silently. Encourage

them to look for places and things in the text that they can visualize, using their imaginations, senses, and prior knowledge. Ask them to draw a picture or write notes in their journals, focusing on one of their mental images.

After ReadingDiscuss the Reading • Have students share their drawings or notes.

• Ask: What did you think was most interesting to visualize? Why? How did using what you know help you visualize as you read?

• For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapter 4 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.

Teaching Tips

After discussing the reading, have stu-dents remove self-stick notes from their books and place them in their journals on a page titled “Visualize.” Use this page to review visualizing throughout the year.

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Comprehension Strategy: Identify Cause and effect• Review the graphic organizer that students have been completing.

Explain that they will fill in the last two rows in pairs or indepen-dently. They are to locate cause-and-effect relationships on pages 27 and 28 and write the causes and effects on the graphic organizer.

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

• For more practice with identifying cause and effect, have stu-dents complete the blackline master “Identify Cause and Effect” on page 15.

Use

Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine

Word Meaning: Base Words and Suffixes• Write the following suffix and its definition on the board:

-ure: act or process

• Have students read the sentences containing the word sculpture on page 29.

Ask: Using what you know about the meanings of base words and suffixes, how would you define the word?

• Make sure students identify the base word’s part of speech and the word + suffix’s part of speech. (base word: sculpt—verb; sculpture—noun)

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

Chapter 4–Conclusion (continued)

10 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Watch students as they identify causes and effects. 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 fold-er or notebook. For students who struggle with identifying cause and effect, review the strategy using the Comprehension Strategy Poster: Identify Cause and Effect.

Underlined Word Base Word Suffix Definition

confusion

combatants

encampment

exposure

desertion

confuse

combat

camp

expose

desert

-ion

-ant

-ment

-ure

-ion

the state of being mixed up

one who is engaged in battle

the act of occupying a camp

the state of being unprotected from severe weather

an act of leaving without permission

Reader Response

What traits did the American troops and their leaders have that enabled them to win the war? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member.

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Cause: Lafayette didn’t like life among the French nobles and wanted to become a great military leader.

Cause: Lafayette agreed to work for free.

Cause: There were not enough men and supplies.

Cause: Lafayette helped America during the Revolution.

Effect: Lafayette sailed to America.

Effect: Lafayette became an officer in the American army.

Effect: The plan for Lafayette to lead an invasion of Canada was canceled.

Effect: Lafayette remained a hero in America.

British ships were unable to rescue Cornwallis.

27 The French fleet was stronger and attacked with cannon fire.

Page Cause effect

28 The Patriots surrounded the British army at Yorktown and constantly attacked it.

Cornwallis gave up.

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Administer ongoing Comprehension Assessment• Have students take Ongoing Assessment #15 on pages 60–61

in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5).

Draw Conclusions• Have students study the time line on page 30. They can work in

pairs or independently to answer these questions:

What important meeting did the colonists hold a few months before the battles of Lexington and Concord? When was it held? (First Continental Congress, 1774)What two important writings played a part in the beginning of the American Revolution? (“Common Sense” and the Declaration of Independence)What were two important battles won by Patriot forces? (the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Yorktown)What role did France play in the American fight for independence? (They supported the Patriot cause and helped the Patriots win at Yorktown.)

• Have students write their answers. When they have finished, have volunteers read their answers as the others check their work. Discuss how students used the time line to answer the questions.

• Ask: What different groups of people contributed to the fight for American independence? What conclusion can we draw about the effort it took to win the Revolution? The book doesn’t answer these questions directly, but we can answer them by combining what we read with what we see on the time line. (Possible answer: Colonial lawmakers, writers, soldiers, and generals as well as French leaders and soldiers contributed to the fight for independence. We can conclude that it took many different kinds of skills and courageous acts to win the fight.)

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 11

Informal Assessment Tips

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

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

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

4. If needed, reteach this strategy and administer the second ongoing assessment #16 on pages 62–63 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5).

5. Use ongoing assessments to docu-ment growth over time, for parent/teacher conferences, or for your own records.

Scaffold the activity by asking one question at a time and working with students to find the answer. Help them find the answer on the time line and then in the text. Continue in the same way with the other questions, encouraging students to provide as much of the information as possible.

Synthesize Information

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

• How do you think the events of the American Revolution have affected your life? (text-to-self)

• How do you think the events of the American Revolution affected the rest of the world? (text-to-world)

• Compare this book about American history to other books about history you have read. (text-to-text/compare)

• Which person or group of people did you especially admire as you read this book? Explain why you felt that way. (personal response)

• What other events in history did you think about while you were reading this book? (make connections)

• Which part of this book did you think was most interesting? Which did you think was least interesting? (evaluate)

• What did you learn from this book about the causes of the American Revolution? (synthesize information)

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

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

Reading/Writing Connections

Teaching Tips

Transfer the 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.

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

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

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

Scoring Rubric

4

3

2

1

Why is it important for Americans to learn about the American Revolution? Use information from the book to support your answer.

Look at the picture on page 19. Describe the weather and the living conditions of the soldiers. How did these conditions make the soldiers’ job difficult? Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts with a group member. Use details from the picture to support your answer.

12 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

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© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _________________________________________________________________ Date ___________

Directions: Use this sheet to talk about the book.

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

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

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

Adapted from Literature Circles, Harvey Daniels (Stenhouse Publishing Co., 1994).

Rules for a Good Discussion:1. Be prepared.

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

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

4. Use inside voices.

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

6. Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.

Adapted from Guiding Readers and Writers, Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell (Heinemann Publishing Co., 2001).

Ways to Make ConnectionsText-to-Self: This reminds me of a time when I . . .

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

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

Small-Group Discussion Guide

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© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _________________________________________ Date ___________________

Page Cause effect

Identify Cause and effect

4–5

8

10

12

17

23

27

28

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© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _________________________________________ Date ___________________

Cause and effectDirections: Identify causes and effects in the passage. Complete the graphic organizer with four sets of causes and effects.

A French Hero in America

In 1777, Marquis de Lafayette was a 20-year-old Frenchman. He had

studied at a military academy. He was very wealthy. However, he did not

like life among the French nobles, and he wanted to become a great

military leader. So when the American Revolution began, Lafayette sailed

to America. The American army could not afford to hire Lafayette. He

became a major general, serving under George Washington, because he

offered to work for free. Lafayette served at Valley Forge during the

harsh winter of 1777–1778. Then he was put in charge of a plan to

invade Canada. However, there were not enough men and supplies. As a

result, this plan was canceled. In 1781, Lafayette aided Washington in

the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Lafayette returned to France

and became active in French politics. But he remained a hero in America

because of the help he gave during the American Revolution.

Cause:

Cause:

Cause:

Cause:

effect:

effect:

effect:

effect:

Page 16: Level S/44 The American Revolution · • The American Revolution • Battles of the American Revolution: Saratoga • People of the American Revolution ... , and by leaders of Great

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Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning:

Base Words and SuffixesDirections: Read the passage. Then complete the exercise below.

Directions: In the first column of the chart, write each boldfaced word from the passage. In the second column, write the word’s base word. In the third column, write the word’s suffix. In the fourth column, write the word’s definition. Use a dictionary if needed.

Weather and War

The American army had some advantages in fighting the British.

American soldiers were on familiar land. They were used to the

American wilderness and the changeable weather. But the American

weather caused some problems for the Patriots. For example, in October

1777, Washington’s troops attacked British forces north of Philadelphia.

A thick fog caused confusion among the combatants. Many Patriots

fired shots at one another. During the winter encampment at Valley

Forge, the American government could not afford enough food and

warm clothing. Soldiers without warm clothing suffered from exposure.

The harsh conditions led to desertion by many soldiers.

Underlined Word Base Word Suffix Definition


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