TROUBLE WITH THE BRITISH
MODEL
1. PREVIEWING TEXT
TEACHER PREPARATION:
Use the title of the text to preview the text. Develop questions about the title that will help
students connect the title with the text. Use visuals in the text or create a visual to help students
connect the title to the text. On subsequent days, develop prompts that will help students recap
the section of text covered the previous day. To help scaffold, number each sentence of the text
so that students can refer to it when answering questions.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS:

First section of text: Introduce the first section of text through questioning and
explanation.

Subsequent sections of text: Use questions and or pre-existing visuals to help students
recap the section of text addressed in the previous lesson.

Explain that boldfaced words in the text are defined to the right and that students may
be asked to define any underlined words.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Your teacher will ask you questions about the title to help you connect the title to the text.
The title of the chapter is Trouble with the British.
1. What does the word trouble mean?
2. What kind of trouble might there be with the British?
Vocabulary
trouble – serious
problem or
difficulty
2. ACQUIRING AND USING VOCABULARY
TEACHER PREPARATION: Select a limited number of vocabulary words for pre-teaching and
additional words that will be glossed. Complete the glossary below by: 1) providing the word
and its translation, 2) defining it in English, and 3) presenting it in context from the text.
Prepare materials for pre-teaching abstract words through extended instruction.
Throughout the lesson provide explanations of additional vocabulary that may need more
elaboration than is provided in the glossary; use Enlish-as-a-second langauge techniques as
appropriate to make word meanings clear; have students apply word-learning strategies, as
appropriate.
The words that are highlighted in the glossary are among the 4,000 most frequently used words
in English.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS (Part A):

Pre-teach vocabulary selected for extended instruction. Read the script for each card.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS (Part A):

Your teacher will pre-teach one key word. Follow along and share out with a partner.
already
ya
The first baseman tried to catch the ball and tag the
runner, but the runner was already on base.
Sentence Frame: I already did ____ when my _____ asked me.
Picture: Look at the picture. The player (in the red hat) is trying to catch the ball so he can tag
the runner (in the blue shirt) but the runner is already on base. The runner was on base before
the other player caught the ball.
Explanation: Let’s talk about the word already. Already means something that happened before
now. Already in Spanish is ya.
Partner talk: Tell your partner about a time a family member asked you to do something, but
you already did it. For example, my brother asked me to please wash his car, but I had already
washed it.
Use the sentence stem: My ______asked me to… (Call on one or two students to share their
responses.)
Story connection: The story says that at that time Great Britain was already at war with France.
That means that they were at war before the time in the story. When we read the story, put your
thumbs up when you hear the word already.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS (Part B)
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
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
Review student instructions.

Familiarize students with their glossary and tell them they will be using it during close
reading. Briefly review glossed words that might be challenging.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS (Part B):
The glossary below will help you during close reading of the text. As you encounter a word in
the text, rewrite it in the space provided. In your free time, write your own phrase that includes
the target word. If your home language shares cognates with English, note whether the word is
a cognate.
VOCABULARY CHART
Word
Translation
hard choice
elección
difícil
Rewrite the
English
Example from
Word
Definition
Text
A difficult
In 1812,
decision
James
Your Phrase
Is it a cognate?
Madison had
a hard choice
to make.
angry
enojado
Mad; to feel
Many
strongly that
Americans
someone has
were angry
done
with the
something
British.
bad, wrong,
or unfair
declare war
declarar la
guerra
to state a plan
Some of them
to make war
were saying
against; war
the United
is a time of
States should
great fighting
declare war
between
on Great
countries or
Britain.
groups of
people
disagree
translation
decide
translation
keep the peace
translation
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
–3
already
translation
to be involved
translation
to side with
translation
to lead
translation
brave
translation
to beat
translation
battle
translation
still
translation
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
3. READING FOR KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS
TEACHER PREPARATION:
Select the section of text for close reading. Develop a guiding question(s) for that section of text.
Scaffold the reading as necessary by 1) developing supplementary questions to help students
respond to the guiding question(s), 2) providing sentence starters and frames for students who
need them to respond, and 3) compiling a word bank for students who need it to complete the
sentence frames.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS:

Read the text aloud to students, modeling proper pace and intonation.

Review student instructions for first close reading with the class.

Remind students that the guiding question(s) is designed to help them identify the key
ideas and details in the text and the supplementary questions are designed to help them
answer the guiding question.

Tell students to use their glossary to find the meanings of words they might not know.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Your teacher will ask you a guiding question that you will think about as your teacher reads the
text aloud to you. As your teacher reads the text aloud, listen and follow-along in your text.
After the text has been read aloud, you will be answering questions about the key ideas and
details in the text. Work with a partner to answer the supplementary questions. If needed, use
the word bank and sentence frames to complete your answers to the questions. Your teacher
will review the answers with the class. Then, you will discuss the guiding question(s) with your
teacher and the class. Finally, you will complete a written response to the guiding question(s).
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
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GUIDING QUESTION: What did Madison have to decide?
In 1812 James Madison had a hard choice to make. Many
Americans were angry with the British. Some of them were saying
the United States should declare war on Great Britain. But others
disagreed. They said the United States should not go to war.
Madison was president of the United States. He had to decide
what to do. Should he ask the U.S. Congress to declare war? Or
should he try to keep the peace?
WORD BANK
keep the peace
British
idea
difficult
United States
president
angry
not
war
different
decision
declare war
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. Use your glossary to find the meaning of the phrase “hard choice.”
The phrase hard choice means a ______________ _________________.
2. How did many Americans feel about the British?
Many Americans were ____________ with the _____________.
3. What did these Americans want to do?
They wanted the __________________________ to __________________________ on the British.
4. The text says “Other Americans disagreed.” What does the word disagree mean? Use other words in
the text to try to figure out the meaning of ‘disagree.’ HINT: The sentences to help you both have the
word war in them.
The word disagree means to have a _______________ ________________ or opinion than
someone else.
5. What did the other Americans who disagreed say the United States should not do?
They said the United States should ____________ go to ___________.
6. Who was Madison?
He was ____________________ of the United States.
7. The phrase not go to war means the same as ____________________________________________.
RESPONSE TO GUIDING QUESTION(S): What did Madison have to decide?
____________________________________________________________________________
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
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TROUBLE WITH THE BRITISH
PRACTICE
1. ACQUIRING AND USING VOCABULARY
TEACHER PREPARATION: Select a limited number of vocabulary words for pre-teaching and
additional words that will be glossed. Complete the glossary below by: 1) providing the word
and its translation, 2) defining it in English, and 3) presenting it in context from the text.
Prepare materials for pre-teaching abstract words through extended instruction.
Throughout the lesson provide explanations of additional vocabulary that may need more
elaboration than is provided in the glossary; use Enlish-as-a-second langauge techniques as
appropriate to make word meanings clear; have students apply word-learning strategies, as
appropriate.
The words that are highlighted in the glossary are among the 4,000 most frequently used words
in English.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS:

Review student instructions.

Pre-teach vocabulary selected for extended instruction. This vocabulary will be key to
understanding the text and abstract.

Familiarize students with their glossary and tell them they will be using it during close
reading. Briefly review glossed words that might be challenging.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Your teacher may pre-teach several words prior to the close reading. The glossary below will
help you during close reading of the text. As you encounter a word in the text, rewrite it in the
space provided. In your free time, write your own phrase that includes the target word. If your
home language shares cognates with English, note whether the word is a cognate.
Word
Translation
already
translation
to be involved
translation
to side with
translation
to lead
translation
brave
translation
to beat
Rewrite the
English
Example from
Word
Definition
Text
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
definition
example
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Your Phrase
Is it a cognate?
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
–6
translation
battle
translation
still
translation
definition
example
definition
example
2. READING FOR KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS
TEACHER PREPARATION:
Select the section of text for close reading. Develop a guiding question(s) for that section of text.
Scaffold the reading as necessary by 1) developing supplementary questions to help students
respond to the guiding question(s), 2) providing sentence starters and frames for students who
need them to respond, and 3) compiling a word bank for students who need it to complete the
sentence frames.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHERS:

Read the text aloud to students, modeling proper pace and intonation.

Review student instructions for first close reading with the class.

Remind students that the guiding question(s) is designed to help them identify the key
ideas and details in the text and the supplementary questions are designed to help them
answer the guiding question.

Tell students to use their glossary to find the meanings of words they might not know.
GUIDING QUESTION:
Note: For this section of the text, we do not feel there is a good guiding question. Instead we have
included several questions that will help students understand the text.
WORD BANK
years
French
British
Napoleon
beaten
battles
France
Great Britian
brave
fighting
sided
support
sided
fight
At the time, Great Britain was already at war with France. The
two countries had been fighting for years. Most of the countries
in Europe were involved in the war. Some sided with the British.
Others sided with the French.
The French were led by a man named Napoleon. He was a brave
leader. He had beaten the British in a number of battles. Still the
British kept fighting.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
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SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS:
1. What two countries in Europe were at war?
_____________________ and ___________________ were at war.
2. How long had they been at war?
They had been ___________________ for many ______________.
3. To side with means to ____________ a group during a ____________ or disagreement.
4. Who did people side with in the war?
Some people ______________ with the _________________ and other people
______________________ with the ______________________.
5. Who led the French?
______________________ led the French.
6. What are two things we know about him?
He was a _________________ leader, and he had ________________ the British in many
___________________.
RESPONSE TO GUIDING QUESTION(S):
No guiding question for this section of text.
© 2013 American Institutes for Research
2-17-14 (V5)
Preparation Guide TEMPLATE
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