Heroes Across Time
Unit 5
Week 1
Day 1
Introducing the Theme
Theme Reader p. 257
The title of this unit is
Heroes Across time.
People admire heroes
for things they have
done or ways they
have acted. What are
some things a hero
might do?
• Describe what makes a hero. How is he or she
special?
• Heroes can be everyday people. Talk about
someone you know who you consider to be a
hero.
• Theme Question: What qualities does a hero
have?
• Week 1 Focus Question: Why do we tell
stories about heroes from the past?
Theme Reader pp. 258-259
This Unit’s Inquiry Project
• On Day 5 this week, we’ll begin a new Inquiry Project.
• You will choose a new Inquiry Question to investigate.
• Remember to post theme-related questions, answers,
concepts,and images to the Question Board. These things
might include:
– Photos of heroes in your family or community
– Newspaper or Magazine articles about heroic acts
– Original drawings of people you consider to be your hero
• You can post to the Question Board anytime during the
unit.
• You can also use the Theme Wall in the L21 website to
post your ideas and suggestions.
Activate Prior Knowledge
Let’s create a list of people that you know and admire
People We Admire
Martin Luther King Jr.
Grandmother
What are the achievements of these different people?
How has his or her actions required courage?
• What do you think the word courage means?
• Why did the people on our list need courage to achieve
what they did?
Heroes require courage. Use the pictures for the Theme
Reader pp. 260-261 to discuss how each person
pictured required courage to act.
• If you were climbing a mountain, why would you need
courage?
• What other qualities might the heroes in these pictures
have?
Theme Vocabulary
Knowing these word will help you answer
Theme and Focus Questions.
• tough
• terrible
• challenge
Tough
(p. 269)
• Meaning: Strong
• Example: Heroes must be tough to make it
through difficult times
When might a person need to be tough?
Terrible
(p. 271)
• Meaning: very bad
• Example: The terrible storm caused the ship to
sink.
• What might a terrible day be like?
Challenge
• Meaning: a difficult job or test
• Example: It was a challenge to see the road in
the dark.
• What is a challenge that you have overcome?
Read and Comprehend
• Today you’ll be reading Chapter 1 of Heroes.
• This is a nonfiction selection about different
types of heroes.
• Let’s review the characteristics of nonfiction.
• History is full of heroes, and each hero has
unique qualities, but many qualities apply to
all types of heroes.
• The United States has a rich tradition of
heroes.
• Let’s brainstorm a list of national heros.
Hero
George Washington
Accomplishment
Being the 1st U.S. President
Why do you think it’s heroic
to work to protect the
environment or be the
President of the USA?
What qualities might
someone who is fighting for
equal rights for all people
possess?
Whom do you think of when
you hear the word hero?
Let’s preview the
selection. Turn to
p. 262.
I see that the 1st chapter is called “Heroes of a Nation.”
I wonder what nation the title is talking about.
Preview and Predict
Theme Reader pp 264
Page 264 is about Abraham
Lincoln, so it might be the
United States. I also see that
there are pictures of
athletes, explorers, and
others. I think the author
will tell how these different
people helped shape our
country.
I also see that there are pictures of athletes, explorers, and others. I think the author will tell
how these different people helped shape our country.
Your Purpose
• Setting a purpose before reading helps
readers focus their attention.
• You will read to find answers to the Theme
Question: What qualities does a hero have.
• You may have other purposes for reading. Ask
yourself:
Why am I beginning to read Heroes today?
Maybe you’re interested to learn how athletes
have made a difference.
Let’s Read Together
• Turn to pp. 262 and 263.
As I begin reading Chapter 1, I notice that the
author gives several examples of heroes from
the past. These heroes seem like everyday
people to me. I also see a photograph of an
athlete and a picture of some exporers. Why
did the author choose to write about them?
What makes them heroes? What do they have
in common?
Turn to pp 264-265
• The passage moves from talking about
courage to giving information about Abraham
Lincoln. Why do you think the author does
that?
• What words would you use to describe
Abraham Lincoln?
PP 266-267
• The author uses a map when she writes about
Susie King Taylor. How does the map help you
understand Taylor’s accomplishments?
pp. 268-269
• The author suggests Chief Joseph is a hero
because he decided to Surrender. Why do you
think the author considers this action heroic?
• What does the map show about Chief Joseph’s
tough journey?
Pp 270-271
• What do the photo and caption of Roberto
Clemente on p. 270 tell you about the kind of
person he was?
Respond
• Were the predictions you made about what you were
going to learn accurate?
• How did the pictues, captions,a nd maps help you
understand the text better?
• What was your own purpose for reading? Did the
reading answer the questions you had?
• With a partner, discuss what you learned about heroes
from reading Chapter 1.
• Discuss What American heroes of the past have in
common.
Spelling and Phonics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
stood
smooth
wood
true
shook
crew
spoon
flew
balloon
value
tooth
Review Words
12. Horse
13. Wheel
Frequently
Misspelled words
14. pretty
15. would
• The letters oo can make both long and
short vowel sounds.
• The word wood has the short oo sound.
• Lets look through the spelling words to
find other words with the short oo
sound.
• Other words may spell the same vowel
sound differently such as the word
would.
• The word spoon has the long vowel sound.
Let’s find other words in the list with this
sound.
• The same vowel sound can also be spelled
differently, such as in the words true and flew.
Vowel Sounds in Spelling Words
Short oo
stood
Long oo
smooth
Practice and Apply
Sort the Spelling Words
Fluency
Earhart Crosses Atlantic
• Turn to Practice Companion p. 6
• Throughout the week you will practice reading
the newspaper article to become fluent
readers.
• What do you already know about Amelia
Earhart and her accomplishments?
• Have you ever taken a trip somewhere all by
yourself? How did you feel?
• What qualities do you think Amelia Earhart
probably had that helped her accomplish her
solo flight across the Atlantic?
Become familiar with these words:
•
•
•
•
•
Stunned
Solo
Gusts
Swirling
Mechanical
Listen as I read the selection aloud.
• Pay attention to my phrasing, pacing, and
expression.
• Why do you think feeling the rush of the
airplane blow by made Earhart want to
become a pilot?
• Let’s complete an echo reading of the article
and then a choral reading.
Day 1 Wrap-up
• What additional things did you learn while
reading about national heroes?
• Use theme and other vocabulary as you
discuss.
• Let’s make sure that students from all the
groups have a chance to share.
• Share your thoughts on how what you’ve read
connects to your personal experiences.
Daily Writing
• Choose one hero from your reading today and
write about the qualities that make that
person a hero.
• When you’re using the Lead 21 Website this
week, you can add to the Story Starter and the
Theme Wall.