Finding the Titanic
BUILD BACKGROUND
Theme 1, Grade 4
Copyright © 2009 Sacramento County Office of Education
Some images used under license from Shutterstock, Inc.
California State Standards
Reading
•  Structural Features of Informational Materials 2.1
–  Identify structural patterns found in informational text (e.g., compare
and contrast, cause and effect, sequential or chronological order,
proposition and support) to strengthen comprehension.
•  Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate
Text 2.3
–  Make and confirm predictions about text by using prior knowledge
and ideas presented in the text itself, including illustrations, titles,
topic sentences, important words, and foreshadowing clues.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
California State Standards
Listening and Speaking
•  Comprehension 1.1
–  Ask thoughtful questions and respond to relevant questions
with appropriate elaboration in oral settings.
•  Using the speaking strategies of grade four 2.3
–  Deliver oral summaries of articles and books that contain the
main ideas of the event or article and the most significant details.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
California State Standards
Math, Number Sense 3.2
•  Students solve problems involving addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division of whole numbers and
understand the relationships among the operations
–  Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to use, standard
algorithms for multiplying a multi-digit number by a two-digit
number and for dividing a multi-digit number by a one-digit number;
use relationships between them to simplify computations and to
check results.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Connecting to the Theme
“Finding the Titanic”
•  This theme is about both
physical and personal journeys.
•  In “Finding the Titanic”, you
will learn about two journeys:
a tragic one made by the
travelers on an ill-fated ship, and
a journey of discovery made by
undersea explorers.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Connecting to the Theme
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Volunteer to read “Return to
the Titanic.”
•  Go over the parts of the ship
shown in the illustration and
discuss how knowing these
details will enhance students’
understanding of the story.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Connecting to the Theme
“Finding the Titanic”
Explain the meanings of the
boldfaced Key Vocabulary
words, and properly use each
word in an original sentence
relating to journeys.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Key Vocabulary
•  funnels
•  plaques
•  shipwrecks
•  survivors
•  unsinkable
•  voyage
•  wreckage
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
funnels
•  This ship’s funnels are
right in the middle of
the ship.
•  Funnels are smokestacks.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
plaques
•  This is one of the
plaques my mom
has in her garden.
•  Plaques are flat
markers that are
engraved with words.
•  The Spanish cognate
of plaques is placas.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
shipwrecks
•  Shipwrecks, like the
Dimitrius, are sometimes
found on beaches in
unfrequented areas.
•  Shipwrecks are
wrecked ships.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
survivors
•  The firemen were able
to get all the survivors
away from the
blaze safely.
•  Survivors are people
who have stayed alive.
•  The Spanish cognate
of survivors is
sobrevivientes.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
unsinkable
•  Large ships like this
cargo ship are usually
thought of as unsinkable.
•  Unsinkable is impossible
to sink.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
voyage
•  Pilgrims made a voyage
to the Americas on
the Mayflower.
•  A voyage is a long
journey to a distant place.
•  The Spanish cognate
of voyage is viaje.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
wreckage
•  There was a great deal
of wreckage after the old
building was destroyed.
•  A wreckage is the
remains of something
that has been destroyed.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Turn to page 82 and
read the selection’s title
and author.
•  Read the Strategy Focus.
•  Preview the photographs
and illustrations while
considering the Monitor/Clarify strategy.
•  How might this strategy help you better
understand this story?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Text Organization
“Finding the Titanic”
•  You will concentrate on text
organization as you read the
nonfiction selection, “Finding
the Titanic.”
•  To develop and practice
the skill, you will complete
a chart from your Practice
Book that shows how the
author organized information.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Focus Questions
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Turn to Responding on
page 102.
•  Read the questions.
•  Keep these questions
in mind as you read
“Finding the Titanic.”
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Purpose Setting
“Finding the Titanic”
•  As you read, monitor
your understanding of
the two perspectives
in which the selection
is told.
•  If necessary, you should
reread portions of the
selection and the dates
to clarify the perspective.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  The author writes,
“Nothing appeared
on our video screen
but mud.”
•  How do you think he
feels about this?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  How does the author let you
know that he has changed
the time of reference?
•  What impression is the author
trying to give when he writes
of “gold-plated light fixtures,
a Grand Staircase”, and
fancy cabins?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Cross-Curricular Connection
“Finding the Titanic”
•  The Titanic measured 883
feet long and 93 feet wide.
•  Nine decks wrapped around
the ship.
•  Draw a picture to help
determine how long one
circumnavigation of a single
deck might be.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Cross-Curricular Connection
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Remember,
1 mile is 5,280 feet.
•  Figure out the following:
If you walked around all
nine decks, would you
really walk “for miles”?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Flashbacks
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Flashback is a section of a
written work that interrupts
the sequence of events to
tell about an event from an
earlier time.
•  The events on pages 83-84
take place in 1985, but the
events that begin on page
85 take place much earlier.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Flashbacks
“Finding the Titanic”
The author uses
flashback here to
present background
information about
the Titanic in a dramatic
and interesting way.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Flashbacks
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Explain how you
can tell that Chapter
Two takes place at
an earlier time than
Chapter One.
•  Keep track of flashbacks by completing
the graphic organizer
on the next slide.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Flashbacks
“Finding the Titanic”
Download this graphic organizer at www.curriculumcompanion.org
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why does the author
include the detail about
“many different languages”?
•  How can you tell that the
sailing of the Titanic was
a grand event?
•  How does the author
foreshadow on page 87
the disaster that awaits
the Titanic?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Nonfiction requires certain
active reading techniques
that fiction might not.
•  Among them is the strategy
Monitor/Clarify, which helps
readers make sure they are
understanding the material
before they get too bogged
down and confused.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Readers might monitor
their understanding of
page 88 by asking themselves:
“What is happening?
Why is it happening?”
•  They could then clarify
anything they don’t understand
by rereading or reading ahead.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Read page 88 silently,
and ask yourselves as
you read whether there
is anything you don’t
understand.
•  Discuss any confusion you
have about facts or details,
and then move backward
or forward in the text to
clear up the confusion.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why does the author include
the fact that the Beckers forgot
their life belts?
•  Read the paragraph that begins
“Everyone wanted to know
more…”. Why does the author
list three questions in a row
instead of including dialogue
with direct quotations?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
How does including
the numbers of the
lifeboats make this
scene seem more real?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Text Organization
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Authors of nonfiction organize
their materials in different ways.
•  They may use features such as
headings and subheadings,
illustrations and captions, and
charts and time lines to present
their information in a way that
makes sense and helps the
reader learn.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Text Organization
“Finding the Titanic”
Readers may use text
organization to recognize
main ideas, understand the
relationships among ideas,
and understand the author’s
message.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Text Organization
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Identify some examples of text
organization used by the author.
•  Explain why the author
included subheadings under
his chapter numbers.
•  While many nonfiction,
historical texts are organized
in time order, the author chose
to organize his with a series
of flashbacks.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  How does the author show
in the first paragraph that Ruth
knows lives will be lost?
•  How do the crew member’s
words add a note of hope
to this tragic scene?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
The author does not tell
you how Ruth feels as
she sees people leaping
into the sea. How do you
imagine she feels?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Comprehension/Critical Thinking
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why did the author
use Ruth Becker as a
character in his narrative?
•  Did the author, Robert
Ballard, have a good
reason for wanting to
find the Titanic?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Finding the Titanic
SEGMENT 2
Copyright © 2009 Sacramento County Office of Education
Some images used under license from Shutterstock, Inc.
Purpose Setting
“Finding the Titanic”
Summarize the story so
far and continue to monitor
and clarify your reading
during Segment 2.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why might this ending
be called “bitter-sweet”?
•  Why does the author
begin this chapter with
“Almost seventy-five years
had passed”?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Reread the last paragraph
on page 95.
•  What would you expect
page 96 to tell about?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Author’s Viewpoint
“Finding the Titanic”
•  An author’s viewpoint
reflects the author’s ideas
about what is important
or valuable.
•  Finding the author’s
viewpoint can help
you identify his or
her message.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Author’s Viewpoint
“Finding the Titanic”
Locate places on page 95
where the author expresses
or suggests his feelings
about these topics:
–  finding shipwreck
–  the people who died
aboard the Titanic
–  the value of his expedition
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Author’s Viewpoint
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Volunteer to read aloud the
clues that led you to locate
the author’s viewpoint in
each case.
•  Finish the selection, and
look for other examples
that indicate what the author
wants readers to get out
of reading his work.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Model the strategy by asking
yourselves if there’s anything
you don’t understand on
page 96.
•  You may move forward or
backward to clarify what’s
happening – reading ahead or
rereading what came before.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why does the author,
Robert Ballard, mention
that his “heart beat faster”?
•  When did the author last
mention this Grand Staircase?
How has it changed?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Cross-Curricular Connection
“Finding the Titanic”
•  A submarine is a
craft that can operate
underwater.
•  The first submarine
was a leather-covered
rowboat built by a
Dutch inventor
in 1620.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Cross-Curricular Connection
“Finding the Titanic”
•  In modern times, water is let
into tanks in the hull to make
the craft heavy so it will sink.
•  To make it float to the
surface, air is pumped into
the tanks to empty the water
and make it light again.
•  The small craft Robert
Ballard and his team used is
often called a submersible.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Narrative Nonfiction
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Nonfiction is writing that
presents information or tells
about real people, places,
things, and events.
•  Narrative is writing
that tells a story.
•  Use these definitions to
define narrative nonfiction.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Narrative Nonfiction
“Finding the Titanic”
•  A writer telling about the
Titanic and its rediscovery
can choose from a variety
of ways to present
the information.
•  The writer might present
it as expository nonfiction
– a straight explanation of
what happened, usually
in time order.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Narrative Nonfiction
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Since the author of “Finding the Titanic” was
intimately involved with the story, he chose to
tell it in a more personal way.
•  He uses first-person narrative for the chapters
that refer to his own experiences, and uses
third-person flashbacks for the chapters that
deal with the actual day the Titanic sank.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Narrative Nonfiction
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Work in pairs to find
examples on page 96 that
make the writing seem more
like a story than exposition.
•  Would you rather read
expository nonfiction or
narrative nonfiction
about the Titanic and
its rediscovery? Why?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why does the author include
the detail that the chandelier
is still bright and shiny?
•  Why do you think the author
includes this list of simple
objects?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Think about what you know
about he author’s viewpoint.
•  Why would he want the
Titanic left in peace?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details
“Finding the Titanic”
•  The topic of a selection is the main thing the
selection is about.
–  The title of a selection often expresses its topic.
•  The main ideas in a selection are the most
important points the author wants to make about
a topic.
–  Many times there is one main idea per paragraph or
group of related paragraphs.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details
“Finding the Titanic”
•  The supporting details
are facts, examples, and
information that further
explain or support each
main idea.
•  Complete the graphic
organizer on the next slide
with material from the
selection.
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details
“Finding the Titanic”
Download this graphic organizer at www.curriculumcompanion.org
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
Why is it important to
the author that people who
see JJ’s pictures think
about the people who
sailed on the Titanic?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Supporting Comprehension
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Why does the author bother
telling about Ruth’s life after
the disaster?
•  What opinion does the
author express at the end
of the selection?
–  Does this surprise you?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.
Comprehension/Critical Thinking
“Finding the Titanic”
•  Do you agree with the
author that the Titanic
should be left in peace
at the bottom of the
Atlantic? Why?
•  If the author had not used
“Finding the Titanic” as
the title of his story, what
title might he have used?
Copyright
Copyright
© 2007
© 2009
Sacramento
Sacramento
County
County
Office
Office
of Education
of Education
Some
Some
images
images
used
used
under
under
license
license
from
from
Shutterstock,
Shutterstock,
Inc.Inc.