®
GUIDED
READING
ARGUMENT
980L
Should There Be
Space Exploration?
Written by Susan Harvey’s Fifth Grade Students
KEY IDEA This persuasive text presents pros and cons of
space exploration. The authors are eleven fifth grade students.
Each in turn presents his or her argument for or against the
United States’ space program. Readers are invited to form
their own opinions after considering all the arguments.
Session 1 Text Selection: pp. 4–14
STUDENTS
KEY IDEA: TEXT SELECTION The introduction sets out the structure and purpose of the book. The
first three arguments alternate between being for and against space exploration.
Session Learning Focus/Standards
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they
are supported by key details; summarize the text.
SL.5.1d Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of
information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Comments for future instruction:
X = not demonstrated/not articulated
✓= demonstrated/articulated
PREVIEWING THE TEXT 5 minutes
After looking through this text, what did you notice?
Let’s have a look at how this text is organized. Who will share what they notice?
READING THE TEXT CLOSELY 10 minutes
Who will share what they learned in the introduction?
s we read today, we are going to focus on the main idea in each argument and important
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details the author chose to support his or her opinion. Let’s read the title and first paragraph
on page 7. Who can identify the main idea so far?
What text evidence did you find to support this idea?
One good way to identify the main idea is to summarize the text. Who would like to try this?
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 5 1
ur work as readers today is to determine the main ideas in the text and explain how they are
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supported by key details. One way we can begin to identify these ideas is to summarize the
text. Now let’s read through page 14.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT 10 minutes
s we talk together, let’s review important points that we make and use them to draw our
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own conclusions about the text. Who can summarize the first argument? Share your ideas in
your own words.
What evidence from the text backs up your summary?
What other main ideas does the author include?
What details in the text support this main idea?
et’s do a close read of the second paragraph of the introduction. The word absurd is in the
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second sentence. Who has an idea of its meaning?
What clues did you use to figure this out?
How does this word relate to the arguments we are reading?
ou did a great job explaining main ideas and key details. As you read, keep reminding
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yourself to do that. Summarize the text to help you.
2 Should There Be Space Exploration?
®
GUIDED
READING
ARGUMENT
980L
Should There Be
Space Exploration?
Written by Susan Harvey’s Fifth Grade Students
KEY IDEA This persuasive text presents pros and cons of
space exploration. The authors are eleven fifth grade students.
Each in turn presents his or her argument for or against the
United States’ space program. Readers are invited to form
their own opinions after considering all the arguments.
STUDENTS
Session 2 Text Selection: pp. 4–14
Session Learning Focus/Standards
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they
are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting
important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in
order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
SL.5.1d Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of
information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Comments for future instruction:
X = not demonstrated/not articulated
✓= demonstrated/articulated
RETURNING TO THE TEXT 5 minutes
Let’s recall our discussion from the last session.
Several of you found excellent details and evidence in the text that supported this argument.
READING THE TEXT CLOSELY 10 minutes
oday we are going to think about the author’s argument and point of view. Let’s read the title
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and first paragraph on page 10. Who would like to summarize the main idea of this argument?
Who can find the first main idea the author uses to support her claims?
What evidence does the author provide to back up her idea?
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 5 1
kay, so we all agree this is an argument against space exploration. How does it compare to
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the last argument we read?
e’ll continue to talk about similarities and differences in the authors’ points of view in our
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discussion. Think about this as you reread the text selection for this session.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT 10 minutes
uring our discussion today, be sure to listen carefully to your classmates to understand the
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reasons and evidence they use to support their ideas. Then use this information to draw your
own conclusions on each topic. Let’s begin by talking about the main idea of the argument on
page 12.
What does the author use as supporting evidence?
Who has something to add?
How does this compare to the last argument we read?
e’ve decided that arguments one and three are for space exploration. Do they make the
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same points?
How does summarizing the arguments help you clearly identify the authors’ points of view?
his book includes quite a few space-related words that may be unfamiliar to you. For
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example, the word satellite appears in the title of the argument on page 12. Who has an idea
about its definition?
How did you come up with this definition?
You are on the right track. Let’s say I want a more specific definition. Where could I look?
Let’s all turn to the glossary. Who can read the definition of satellite?
e’ve talked a lot about reasons for and against space exploration. We have also paid close
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attention to the author’s point of view expressed in each argument. How does summarizing
our classmates’ points help us understand the arguments and the authors’ viewpoints?
2 Should There Be Space Exploration?
®
GUIDED
READING
ARGUMENT
980L
Should There Be
Space Exploration?
Written by Susan Harvey’s Fifth Grade Students
KEY IDEA This persuasive text presents pros and cons of
space exploration. The authors are eleven fifth grade students.
Each in turn presents his or her argument for or against the
United States’ space program. Readers are invited to form
their own opinions after considering all the arguments.
Session 3 Text Selection: pp. 15–32
STUDENTS
KEY IDEA: TEXT SELECTION Students continue to read alternating arguments for and against space
exploration.
Session Learning Focus/Standards
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they
are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting
important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in
order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
SL.5.1d Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of
information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Comments for future instruction:
X = not demonstrated/not articulated
✓= demonstrated/articulated
RETURNING TO THE TEXT 5 minutes
What have you learned about the reading focuses so far?
READING THE TEXT CLOSELY 10 minutes
ur goal today is to build our knowledge by integrating, or combining, information we learn
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from both sides of the argument. We’ll summarize arguments and find the author’s point of
view in each one. Who can summarize the main idea of this argument?
What details does she use to support her position?
How does this compare to the other arguments you’ve read?
MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 5 1
How might you combine the ideas in these two arguments?
Integrating, or combining, information from both sides of an argument will help you develop
a deeper understanding of the topic.
DISCUSSING THE TEXT 10 minutes
s we discuss the pros and cons of space exploration today, review your classmates’ ideas
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before you share your own thoughts. Let’s begin by summarizing the main idea in the
argument on page 18. Who would like to try?
What evidence does the author give you to prove her point?
How is her viewpoint different from the other arguments we’ve read?
Who else has a comparison they’d like to share?
ou’ll finish reading the book on your own. I think you can see from our discussion that the
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more information you have from both sides, the fuller your picture of the arguments is and
the better prepared you’ll be to form your own views.
2 Should There Be Space Exploration?