Unit Plan 2,
Workshop 2 – When Disaster Strikes
Course/Grade: Reading Gr. 6-9
Unit/Theme: When Disaster Strikes
Texts:
 READ 180 rBook (1 per student)
 READ 180 instructional software
 READ 180 paperbacks and audiobooks
Length of Unit: 14 class periods
Essential Questions: What Happens When Natural Disasters Strike?
Guiding Questions:
 What is a natural disaster? When have you seen the dark side of nature?
 What are some examples of natural disasters?
 What impact can natural disasters have on people?
 How can natural disasters damage property?
 How does lightning pose a threat to us?
 During a lightning storm, do you think it’s safe to be inside or outside? Why?
 Why would someone want to become a firefighter?
 Why would a hurricane be compared to a monster?
 How hurricanes born and what happens when they hit?
 What would you say to families who did not want to evacuate before a hurricane?
 If a major storm was coming, who would you want to be there to help you? Why?
Standards Addressed:
 Respond to questions, stating and supporting opinions with reasons and explanations
 Respond to reading through discussion
 Respond to reading through writing
 Learn and practice vocabulary
 State a point of view and report it
Reading Standards
 Practice finding sequence of events in an article
 Practice using signal words to identify sequence of events
 Apply strategies to find sequence of events
 Read and interpret a diagram.
Critical Thinking Standards
 State a point of view and support it
Vocabulary Standards
 Apply knowledge of prefixes to determine meaning of words
 Identify and add suffixes to change verbs into nouns
Writing Standards



Identify topic sentence, detail and summary of a narrative paragraph
Use Graphic Organizers to plan and write a first draft of a narrative paragraph
Identify and correct capitals
Student Objectives
 Activate prior knowledge and build background about natural disaster
 Identify steps used to find a sequence of events
 Find sequence of events in article
 Organize sequence of events in a Graphic Organizer
 Practice using signal words to help sequence events
 Read and interpret information from a diagram
 Practice word-study strategies: prefixes: suffixes
 Identify topic sentence, transition words, and summary in a narrative paragraph
 Plan and write a narrative paragraph
 Use a rubric to assess and then revise writing
 Use capitals correctly
 Read to find out about the career of a paramedic
Product/Performances/Assessment:
Assessment – rubric on book project, test on book read during Modeled and Independent
Reading rotation, READ 180 Student Reading Report, SRI Growth Report, and Reading Counts!
Reading Progress Report, Student Diagnostic Report, and other READ 180 assessment reports
Resources Needed:
 Transparency 1 for Vocab
 Transparency 4 – Graphic Organizer
 Transparency 5 – for scoring guide/rubric
Didactic
Coaching
Seminar
Must-Know Facts & Information
Skills For mastery
Ideas and
Values for
Understanding
DAY ONE
1) WHOLE GR (p 31)
 Play Anchor Video – When
Disaster Strikes
 Talk about 2 effects of natural
disasters
 Using a web, brainstorm:
examples of natural disasters,
their impact on people; how they
damage property
2) SMALL GROUP Instruction:
 Restate big idea of Anchor Video –
natural disasters can cause
devastating destruction.
 Answer questions:
a) What is a natural disaster?
b) Where did Hurricane Andrew cause
the most devastation?
c) What kind of storm hit Canada?
d) How did the ice storm affect
Canadians?

In pairs, discuss the 3 sentence
starters.
 Select 2 photos from readings and
describe what’s going on in the
photo, using info learned from the
video
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY TWO
1) WHOLE GROUP (p 32)
ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
 View caption on p 34: How does
lightning pose a threat to us?
 Read aloud intro on p 36: What
dangers do firefighters face when
fighting a fire this big?
 Read aloud title, introductory text,
and caption on pp 40-41: What do
you expect to learn about this
reading?
SHARED READING
 Read aloud intro, p 32.
 Reread it, inviting students to read
it aloud, chorally
 Look at photo on p 32: When
have you seen the dark side of
nature?
COMPLETE SENTENCE STARTER:
One frightening natural event that I
experienced was ___.
 Students read aloud Target Words
on p 33 and rate their knowledge
2) SMALL GROUPS
VOCAB STEPS 1-5
a) Say word and ask student to repeat it. Give
the part of speech
b) Explain meaning
c) Provide examples
d) Ask questions that relate each word to
students’ lives
e) Review with sentence starters
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY THREE
1) WHOLE GROUP (p 34)
 Replay anchor video: A teen was
struck by lightning and is still
2) SMALL GROUP (p 35):
STRATEGIC READING
Sequence of events







alive. How did he recover?
Generate how, what, and why
questions that you expect the text
to cover
Teacher models fluent reading in
Struck by Lightning: What is this
article mainly about?
Complete The Big Idea box.
Share responses
Target Word: Focus
What types of activities are hard
to focus on at Classical Magnet
School when it is noisy?
When might a Classical athlete
might need to focus especially
hard?
SENTENCE STARTER: If I saw
lightning strike someone, I would
___.

Use transparency 4 to model the use
of a Graphic Organizer
 Think about the order in which events
take place
 Identify sequence signal words (last
month, after an hour)
 Identify sequence of events
 Identify subsequent events (then,
finally, now, currently)
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY FOUR
1) WHOLE GROUP, p. 36
Activate prior knowledge/set purpose
 Play “A Mountain on Fire”
 Review key terms and concepts
SHARED READING
 Use oral cloze to model fluent
reading of pp 36-37.
 What is the big idea?
VOCAB TARGET WORD – Increase
 What might cause your family’s
grocery bill to increase?
 How could you increase your
chances of making it onto
Classical’s honor roll?
TO CONSIDER
 Do you think a tough job might
ever be more interesting than an
easy one?
SENTENCE STARTERS:
2) SMALL GROUP
Guided Practice, p. 36
 Students identify the first event in
paragraphs 1-3
 In paragraphs 2-4, look for signal
words and phrases
 In paragraphs 5-9, use signal words
to find events
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING


One reason someone might want
to become a firefighter is ___.
I (would\wouldn’t) want to
become a firefighter because ___.
5) WRAP UP
DAY FIVE
1) WHOLE GROUP
Activate prior knowledge and set
purpose:
 Review sequence of events
“Storm King Mountain Fire”
SHARED READING
 Use oral cloze – p 38.
 Answer active reading question:
Where did firefighters hide from
the fire?
TARGET WORD: Degree
SENTENCE STARTER:
 If I were sitting inside a hot,
smoky fire shelter, I might be
thinking about ___.
2) SMALL GROUP
Sequence of events (p 39)
Use Transparency for Graphic Organizer
 In paragraphs 1-3, identify sequence
of events
 In paragraphs 4-6, identify sequence
of events
 Complete Graphic Organizer in pairs.
 Give 4 important events in sequence.
a) Does the sequence make sense?
b) Did I leave anything out?
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY SIX
2) SMALL GROUP:
1) WHOLE GROUP (p 40): Replay
GUIDED PRACTICE/APPLY
“Hurricanes: The Monster Storms.”
 Do paragraphs 1-4, then paragraphs
 How do people’s lives change
5-7
after they experience natural
 Partners find sequence of events
disasters?
SENTENCE
STARTERS:
SHARED READING
 I found the first thing that happened
 Oral cloze (p 40)
by looking for ___.
 Identify big idea
 Some of the signal words or phrases
TARGET WORD: Abandon
that help me find the sequence are
SENTENCE STARTER:
___.
 One thing I would say to someone
who refused to evacuate is ___.
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY SEVEN
1) WHOLE GROUP (p 42)
2) SMALL GROUP
PRE-READING:
 Read subheadings.
 Let’s read to find out how
hurricanes are born and what
happens when they hit.
 Use oral cloze on pp 42-43. When
I finish, be prepared to tell how
fast a hurricane can spin.
 Fill in Active Reading Box.
 Circle the answers in text.
TARGET WORD: Cycle
 Read diagram – p 43
 Answer questions below it.
SENTENCE STARTER:
 If a major storm were coming, I
would want ___ to be there to
help me because ___.
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY EIGHT
1) WHOLE GROUP – WORD STUDY
Review Target Words
 Prefix “Re” means again
 “Re” is a prefix only when added
to the beginning of a word to
make a new word (redo, remake,
replay)
 When adding the suffix “ion” to a
verb, the word becomes a noun
 When adding “ion,” the suffix
changes the verb “instruct” to the
noun “instruction.”
 When you add “ion” to a verb that
ends in “e,” you drop the “e”
before adding the suffix.
 Demonstrate + ion =
demonstration (education,
complication)
5) WRAP UP
2) SMALL GROUP: Review Target Words
 Complete pp 44-45
 Go back to p 33 to rate the target
words again
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
DAY NINE
1) (p 46)
NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
Connect Reading to Writing:
 Read aloud explanation on top of
p 46.
 Analyze a model
a) Sentence that tells about the
event
b) Details about the event
c) Details in time order
d) Identify linking words
e) Identify conclusion
 Put star next to sentences that sum
up the event and describe the
writer’s feelings about it
2) SMALL GROUP – GENERATE IDEAS
(p 47):
 Identify the form – non-fiction
 Identify audience and purpose – to
inform teacher and classmates
 Use web to brainstorm
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP-UP
DAY TEN “Plan”
1) WHOLE GROUP
 Choose an event for which you
can think of many details
 List 2-3 Target Words that you’ll
use
SENTENCE STARTER:
 A word that relates to the
“coldest, hottest, wettest, wildest”
weather is ___.
 Organize
a) Beginning of paragraph
should introduce the event
b) Details tell about the event –
in time order
c) Tie together details in a
conclusion that sums up the
event and tells your feelings
about it
5) WRAP UP
DAY ELEVEN
1) WHOLE GROUP:
Grammar: Sentence fragments (p 50)
 Read top of p 50
 Example on board – Struck Our
2) SMALL GROUP
 Write a first draft of narrative
paragraph using the provided
Sentence Starters is optional
 Cross out Sentence Starters and use
own sentences, if desired
 Use the writing rubric as basis for
revision.
 First, self assess and then assess each
other’s work
 Request teacher assessment, as time
permits (see p 51 of SAM Keywords)
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
2) SMALL GROUP
Writing Mechanics: Capitals
 Complete p 51
 Check your draft for correct

Town Today. Now make this
fragment into a complete
sentence.
Complete p 50
capitalization
 Students complete a final draft
 Add photos or illustrations of severe
weather or its destruction
 To assess, use narrative writing rubric
or the 6+1 traits writing rubric (SAM
keywords: Narrative Rubric 6+1)
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP-UP
DAY TWELVE
1) WHOLE GROUP
Careers: EMT Paramedic
 When Justin Norris was struck by
lightning, he needed emergency
healthcare to save his life.
Paramedics…
 Usually arrive in an ambulance
 Provide on scene life support
 As we read page 52, be prepared
to discuss challenges faced by
paramedics (exhaustion,
prioritization, danger)
 Study the photo – what kind of
care is Rodrigo giving to the
patient inside the van?
 How is a paramedic like an
emergency room nurse? Compare
and contrast? (Similarities – both
give on site medical assistance
and obtain vital signs and give IV
fluids. Differences – training,
ability to maintain an airway)
 What might happen if a
paramedic wasn’t calm under
pressure? (unsettling to patient,
poor decision making, ineffective)
SENTENCE STARTERS
 An EMT paramedic makes ___?
 I’d be best at ___ because ___.
 I (would\would not) want to be an
EMT paramedic because ___.

2) SMALL GROUP
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY THIRTEEN
1) WHOLE GROUP Review (pp 54-55)
 What do you do to find the
sequence of events in a text?
 What is a prefix?
 What is a suffix?
 What are test taking strategies for
fill in the blank tests?
 Complete the 5 comprehension
questions on p 54 and 5 vocab
questions on p 57
2) SMALL GROUP
 Read aloud the short answer prompt.
 Refer back to pp 34-43 to find details
and examples.
 Repeat the key words of the question
in your answer.
 Follow these steps:
a) Plan your response
b) Write
c) Check for spelling, punctuation
and grammar
d) Score your WRAP UP from pp
54-55:
 Comprehension – 5 questions worth
10 points each (total: 50 points)
 Vocabulary – 5 questions worth 5
points each (total: 25 points)
 Short answer – 1 question worth 25
points
3) INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
4) MODELED AND INDEPENDENT
READING
5) WRAP UP
DAY FOURTEEN
Review test-taking strategies in
preparation of taking rSkills Test 1 to
assess progress on these skills for
Workshop 1 and 2:
 Comprehension.
 Vocabulary/word study, and
 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
Administer rSkills Test 1 to assess progress
on these skills for Workshop 1 and 2:
 Comprehension.
 Vocabulary/word study, and
 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
(Students will take either the below grade-level
test (Level a) or the grade level test (Level B),
based on student needs)