Anchor Comprehension Strategies - Amazon S3 · Skills & Strategies Math to Build On Level R/40...

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B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y Themes • Architecture Reflects Culture • Spatial Relationships • Geometry of Design Geography Skills & Strategies Math to Build On Level R/40 Anchor Comprehension Strategies • Make inferences Comprehension • Think about it • Use text features to locate information Word Study/Vocabulary • Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning Geography Big Idea • Physical and human geographic features define places and regions of the world. TEACHER’S GUIDE

Transcript of Anchor Comprehension Strategies - Amazon S3 · Skills & Strategies Math to Build On Level R/40...

Page 1: Anchor Comprehension Strategies - Amazon S3 · Skills & Strategies Math to Build On Level R/40 Anchor Comprehension Strategies • Make inferences Comprehension • Think about it

B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Themes• Architecture Reflects Culture• Spatial Relationships• Geometry of Design

Geography

Skills & Strategies

Math to Build OnLevel R/40

Anchor Comprehension Strategies

• Make inferences

Comprehension • Thinkaboutit

• Usetextfeaturestolocateinformation

Word Study/Vocabulary • Useknowledgeofwordstructuresto

determinewordmeaning

Geography Big Idea • Physicalandhumangeographicfeatures

defineplacesandregionsoftheworld.

TeACher’S Guide

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Model metacognitive strategy: think about it

Model comprehension strategy: make inferences

Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words

Apply metacognitive strategy: think about it

Guide comprehension strategy: make inferences

Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words

Apply metacognitive strategy: think about it

Apply comprehension strategy: make inferences

Use text features to locate information: captions

Compare and contrast information

D a y

1

2

3

4

5

A c t i v i t i e s

A dd i t i o n a l R e l a t e d R e s o u r c e s

Notable Trade Books for Read-Aloud• Haslam, Andrew. Building

(Make it Work! Science). Two-Can Publishing, 2000.

• Isaacson, Philip. Round Buildings, Square Buildings, and Buildings That Wiggle Like Fish. Knopf, 2001.

• Putnam, James. Eyewitness: Pyramid. DK Publishing, 2000.

Web Site for Content Information• PBS—Building Big Series

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/ buildingbig/

Students can explore the fundamentals of building through bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels.

S a m p l e L e s s o n P l a n n i n g G u i d e

Copyright © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-4108-1115-82

Lesson at a GlanceBefore Reading (page 3)• Build Background Knowledge• Introduce the Book• Administer Preassessment

During Reading (pages 4–10)Introduction and Chapters 1–2 (pages 4–6)• Model Metacognitive Strategy:

Think About It• Set a Purpose for Reading• Discuss the Reading• Model Comprehension Strategy:

Make Inferences• Use Knowledge of Word Structures

to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words

Chapters 3–4 (pages 7–8)• Apply Metacognitive Strategy:

Think About It• Set a Purpose for Reading• Discuss the Reading• Guide Comprehension Strategy:

Make Inferences• Use Knowledge of Word Structures

to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words

Chapters 5–6 and Conclusion (pages 9–10)• Apply Metacognitive Strategy:

Think About It• Set a Purpose for Reading• Discuss the Reading• Apply Comprehension Strategy:

Make Inferences• Use Text Features to Locate

Information: Captions

After Reading (page 11)• Administer Posttest• Synthesize Information:

Compare and Contrast

Writing Workshop (pages 12–13)• Model the Writing Process:

Make Inferences

Making Inferences (page 14)

Word Structures: Base Words (page 15)

Inferences (page 16)

Build background knowledge: visualize and draw buildings

Introduce/preview the book: back cover, table of contents, chapters

Navigators Lesson Guides provide flexible options to meet a variety of instructional needs. Here is one way to structure this lesson.

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Before ReadingBuild Background Knowledge• Say: Close your eyes and picture the neatest building you’ve ever

seen. The building may be one you have really seen or a picture of one from a book. Now open your eyes and draw what you saw. Share drawings with group members. Ask students why they chose that building.

• Ask: What kind of building do you live in? What materials is it made from? Encourage students to talk about where they live and what they know about the construction of their homes.

• Ask: Do you like to picture things in your mind? Do you like to figure out problems? Explain that people who design buildings have good visualization skills. They are also very good at math.

• Draw a T-chart as shown. Write the heading on the left side of the chart first. Have students give some examples of different kinds of buildings. Next write the heading on the right side of the chart. Have students talk about what these buildings have in common. (Possible answers: They were all designed by someone. They were built for people to use. They were made of similar materials, and built to last.)

• Have students look at both sides of the T-chart. Encourage students to share their thoughts. Ask: What other kinds of buildings are there? (Possible answers: hospitals, stadiums, theaters)

Introduce the Book • Give students a copy of the book. Read the back cover blurb.

Ask: What do you think this book is about? What do you think math has to do with buildings?

• Have students turn to the table of contents. Ask: How is this book organized? What is each chapter about?

• Select two chapters to view as a group. Have students look at the pictures and diagrams. Have them discuss the buildings’ shapes and guess what they are used for.

• Explain that the buildings and other structures in this book were built and still stand because their builders had special skills.

Administer Preassessment• Have students take Ongoing Assessment #23 on page 82 in the

Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).

• Score assessments and use the results to determine instruction.

• Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder. For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.

What different kinds of buildings

are there?

Some buildings are places where

people live.Some are places

where people learn, like schools and

museums.Some are office

buildings, like skyscrapers.

Some are places where people

gather, like churches.

What do these buildings all have

in common?

They are all designed by

someone.They are all built

for people to use.They are made of similar materials.They are built to

last.

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Assess students’ ability to locate chapters using the table of contents.

2. Document informal observations in a folder or notebook.

3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for handy reference.

4. For students who need more help, tell them that the name of each chapter in the table of contents is next to the page number where the chapter begins.

5. Point out that each chapter is about one kind of building or structure.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 3

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During Reading: Introduction and Chapters 1–2

Model Metacognitive Strategy: Think About It

• Use a real-life example of thinking about what you read. Say: Careful readers think about what they read. They ask themselves questions. This helps them stay interested and understand more of what they read. Some readers think about the big ideas or the details. Others wonder about why things happen the way they do. As I read a book, I stop at the end of every page and ask myself, “What did I just read?” I write my thoughts on self-stick notes or in my journal. If I can’t remember what I read, I know I need to reread the page more carefully. Yesterday, we previewed the book Math to Build On. Today we are going to think about what we read in chapters 1 and 2.

• Read pages 4–5 aloud while students follow along. Stop at the end of each page. At the end of page 4, ask: What did I just read? Well, this page tells me that pyramids are found all over the world, and it describes exactly what a pyramid is. I’ll write that on a self-stick note and place it on page 4. At the end of page 5, ask: What did I just read? This page tells me about pyra-mids in Central and South America and the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. I’ll write that on a self-stick note and place it on page 5.

• Say: These two pages give me a lot to think about. I used to think that the Egyptians were the only people who built pyramids, but many people have built them. Even some modern skyscrapers are built in the shape of a pyramid! I wonder why all these people around the world built this kind of building? Why did they choose a triangle shape with four sides? I will write these thoughts on self-stick notes and put them on page 5. These thoughts sum up pages 4–5.

• Say: I’m really glad I stopped to think about what I was reading. Now I have lots of ideas and questions about this kind of building.

4 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Good readers think about what they are reading. Thinking

about what is read helps readers stay engaged with the text

and enhances understanding. To use this strategy, readers

stop every so often and think about the text. They may ask

themselves, “What did I just read?” If they can’t remember big

ideas, details, cause-and-effect relationships, etc., they know

they need to reread the text.

Content InformationStudents might be interested in learning why certain kinds of buildings and structures were built in early times.

• During ancient times, rulers and religious leaders had the most power in the society. That is why the most important early buildings were tombs, temples, and palaces.

• Some people traveled long distances over land to trade with other people. They built many roads and bridges.

• Other people, like the Chinese, were worried about being invaded. They built walls to keep the invaders out.

• All of these people understood mathematics, especially geometry.

Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity

1. Have small groups come up with ideas about how to build a simple house.

2. Have them decide how big the house should be, what it should be made of, and how many people it might take to build it.

3. Ask them to think about problems the builders might face.

4. Have students discuss how they came up with their ideas.

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Set a Purpose for Reading • Ask students to read pages 2–7. Have students stop occasionally

and think about what they are reading. Have them write their thoughts and ideas in their journals or on self-stick notes they put on the page they are having thoughts about. If they have difficulty, model these pages for them. Then have them work on pages 8–11.

Discuss the Reading • Ask each student to share their thoughts about pages 2–11.

Have them discuss their thoughts with other students.

• Ask: What did you learn about the building of the pyramids in Egypt? the Great Wall of China? What did the chapter make you think about? Were you surprised to learn how important math was to the builders of these huge structures?

Model Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences• Discuss the phrase “reading between the lines.” Explain that this

means that something is suggested, or hinted at, that is not stated directly. Say: When I read a book, I try to read between the lines to see if the author is hinting at something. I look for clues that the author is giving me. These help me make a good guess about what I’m reading.

• Pass out the graphic organizer Make Inferences (blackline master, page 14 of this guide).

• Explain that as students read, they will complete the first five rows together. The remaining two rows will be completed independently.

• Have students look at the book and follow along while you show them how to make inferences. Write the clues and inferences on the graphic organizer. (You may want to make a chart-size copy of the graphic organizer or use a transparency.) Read aloud the second paragraph on page 5. Say: This paragraph tells me that a pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was chosen to keep the building from being damaged or falling down during earthquakes. Notice that the clues are already written on your graphic organizer. It won’t be that way every time we use the graphic organizer, but they will help us learn how to make inferences. Now, I wonder what inferences can I make from these clues? Well, I can infer that the pyramid is a steady shape that will stay standing during an earthquake. I will write the inferences in the Inferences column.

Informal Assessment Tips1. As they read, have students

think about what they are reading and write their thoughts on self-stick notes or in their journal.

2. In a folder or notebook, jot down what you see each student doing.

3. Watch carefully for students who struggle after reading pages 2–7. If necessary, continue to model the first couple of pages for the students. If they are not struggling, have them work on pages 8–11 on their own.

4. Remind students that they should be thinking about the big ideas, details, and explanations in the pages that they read.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 5

Page Number Clues Inferences

A pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was chosen to help the buildings withstand earthquakes.

Make Inferences

A building with this shape will stay standing during an earthquake.

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6

16–17

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24

12

20

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Chapters 1–2 (continued)

6 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

• Read the first paragraph on page 6. Ask: What details should I pull out from this passage? Well, first I learn that the Great Pyramid in Giza is the largest stone structure in the world. Then I learn that it was a tomb for a pharaoh. Notice these clues are also on the chart. Wow. If such a huge tomb was built for the pharaoh, he must have been a really powerful person. I will write this inference in the Inferences column. Remember that my inference is not stated in the passage.

• Say: I have made some inferences from the clues in this chapter. I’ll keep reading “between the lines” to see if I can make more inferences. We’ll continue the graphic organizer the next time we meet.

Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words• Explain that a base word is the foundation of a longer word,

and that various word parts are added to base words to change their meaning. Tell students that looking for base words and learning the meaning of word parts will help them understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.

• Say: The base word of fleets is fleet. Adding the word part -s to the end of the word makes it plural.

• Explain that sometimes more than one word part can be added to the end of a base word. Say: Adding -er to the base word build makes a new word. The new word, builder, means some-one who builds. Explain that the ending -s, when added to a noun, makes it plural. Builders are people who build.

• Point out the word invaders on page 8. Say: What is the base word of invaders, and what is its basic meaning? (Answer: The base word is invade. It means “to enter without permission.” Adding -rs makes the word mean “people who invade.”)

• Tell students that some word parts, when added to a base word, show when something happened. Say: The ending -ed shows that something happened in the past, and the ending -s shows that something occurs in the present. The ending -ing shows that something is happening right now in the present.

• Tell students that they will practice this strategy again later in their reading.

Page Number Clues Inferences

A pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was cho-sen to help the buildings withstand earthquakes.

The Great Pyramid is the world’s largest stone structure. It was a tomb for a pharaoh.

Make Inferences

A building with this shape will stay standing during an earthquake.

The pharaoh must have been a really important person to have such a huge tomb built for him.

5

6

16–17

15

24

12

20

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Chapters 3–4

Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Think About It • Have students look at their journals or self-stick notes to review

the thoughts they had while reading the first two chapters. Ask: Did you stop as you were reading to ask yourself questions? What were they? What information did you find most challenging to think about? Were you more interested in the big ideas or the details?

• Ask students who solved the problems on pages 7 and 11 to discuss what they learned about how buildings and other structures are built. Encourage them to explain how they worked the problems.

• Say: Today we are going to think about how buildings with domes are designed and built. Read pages 12 and 13 aloud while students follow along. At the end of page 13, stop and ask the following questions:

What did I just read?

What do you think about what I just read?

It took more than one hundred years to build the Florence Cathedral. Does that surprise you? Why or why not?

Do you understand why it was difficult to make a dome for the cathedral?

Do you understand why it was better to design two thin, light domes instead of one thick, heavy dome? Explain your answer.

What else did you think about as I read these pages?

• Tell students that thinking about what they read will help them stay interested and understand more.

• Have students practice this strategy as they read pages 14–19. Remind them to stop often and ask themselves what they have just read. Have them write their thoughts in their journals or on self-stick notes that they put on the page.

Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students finish reading chapters 3 and 4. They should record

their thoughts in their journals or on self-stick notes that they put on the page.

Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share the thoughts they had while they were

reading. Ask them to describe what ideas or details they found most interesting or difficult as they read the chapters. Have them compare their thoughts with those of other students.

• Ask: What do you think most modern domes are made of? Can you think of some modern domes? (Possible answers: metal and fiberglass; the Astrodome, geodesic domes)

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 7

Content Information• Early domes were fairly small. Some were made out of mud brick. Others were made from bent branches that were plastered with mud. Still others were made with rings of stone, in the form of a cone.

• Islamic architects were the first to figure out how to place a round dome over a square base.

• The onion dome is a Muslim style, used in the Taj Majal and in St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.

• Other famous domes are found in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, and in many state and federal capitol buildings in the United States.

Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity

1. Have small groups of students experiment with building a dome. Provide them with pieces of cardboard cut into square and rectangular shapes.

2. Encourage students to plan the dome before they build it. Ask them to consider how they can build a dome without supports so that it doesn’t collapse. Have them come up with three different plans and discuss the benefits/drawbacks of each one.

3. Have them attempt to build the dome and work to solve any problems they encounter.

4. Have students discuss their findings.

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Chapters 3–4 (continued)

Informal Assessment Tips1. Watch students as they

complete the inferences chart.

2. In your folder, jot down what you see the students doing as they complete the activity with you.

3. Ask yourself: Are students having problems with this strategy? If so, what are the problems? Are students mastering this strategy? If so, how do I know?

4. For struggling students, review the strategy for making inferences. Remind them to look for clues and try to “read between the lines.”

Guide Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences • Review how to make inferences using the graphic organizer.

• Say: Notice that the graphic organizer does not have any clues for the next three sections. That’s because we are going to try to pull them out of the text just like you watched me do.

• Have students make an inference about the first paragraph on page 12. Ask: What can you infer from this paragraph about the number of people who worked on the cathedral? (Thousands of people worked on building the cathedral.) Let’s write that in the Inferences column for page 12. What clues in the paragraph help you make the inference? (entire forests cut down; fleets of ships brought marble; 100 years to build) Let’s write these in the Clues column for page 12.

• Follow the same procedure for pages 15–17.

Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words• Remind students about the word structures lesson from

chapters 1–2.

• Have students find the word symmetrical on page 17. Ask them what they could do to find out the word’s meaning if the word wasn’t in the glossary.

• Ask: What does the word symmetrical mean? (equally bal-anced) How did you know the meaning? (The base word, symmetry, means balance. It also means that the different parts of something are in equal proportion.)

• Have students complete the blackline master Word Structures: Base Words on page 15 of this guide.

8 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Page Number Clues Inferences

A pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was chosen to help the buildings withstand earthquakes.

The Great Pyramid is the world’s largest stone structure. It was a tomb for a pharaoh.

Entire forests were cut down. Fleets of ships brought marble. It took 100 years to build.

Brunelleschi designed workers’ area to protect them from fall-ing.

Shah wanted to build beautiful tomb for wife. Building is perfectly symmetrical.

Make Inferences

A building with this shape will stay standing during an earthquake.

The pharaoh must have been a really important person to have such a huge tomb built for him.

Thousands of people must have worked on this cathedral.

Brunelleschi was concerned about his workers.

Shah believed that perfect symmetry was beautiful.

Word Base Word Word Part Meaning

1. suggested suggest -ed in the past 2. building build -ing right now 3. pieces piece -s plural 4. machines machine -s plural 5. admired admire -d in the past 6. workers work -ers people who work 7. created create -d in the past 8. glows glow -s in the present

9. An architect works to solve many unusual problems.

10. She might design a tower that sways in the wind.

11. An architect designing a tunnel needs to make sure that enough air circulates.

12. Another challenge is to improve structures designed by other architects.

5

6

16–17

15

24

12

20

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© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 9

Chapters 5–6 and Conclusion

Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Think About It • Have students look at their journals or self-stick notes in the

book to review their thoughts during the last lesson. Ask students if thinking about what they read made the reading more interest-ing and challenging. Discuss their responses.

• Say: Today we are going to think more about what we read.

• Read pages 24–25 aloud while students follow along.

• Encourage students to make connections between the informa-tion in this chapter and the ones they have already read. For example, after reading the last paragraph on page 24, say: What did I just read on this page? Hmmm. . . I see that the tallest skyscrapers are made with an inner core, which is like a building within a building. Does this remind you of something else you have read in this book? What is it? (Possible answer: Brunelleschi’s dome was actually two domes, one inside the other.) Say: I think it is really interesting that architects today still use many of the same designs as earlier architects like Brunelleschi.

• Remind students that thinking about what they read will help them make connections and discover more interesting things to think about.

Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students read the rest of the book silently. Remind them to

stop reading at the end of each page to think about what they have just read. Ask them to write their thoughts on self-stick notes or in their journals. Remind them to use what they have learned about word structures to figure out the meaning of difficult words.

Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share the thoughts they have written down.

Have them compare their thoughts with those of other students.

• Ask: What did you learn about the building of the White House and the Sears Tower? What did you find most surpris-ing or interesting about these chapters?

Content Information• It took years to settle on what

is now Washington, D.C., as the nation’s capital.

• Philadelphia, Trenton, Princeton, Annapolis, and New York were all temporary capital cities.

• Washington was built on a marshy swamp on the banks of the Potomac River.

• As cities grew, the only way to expand was up. Skyscrapers provided more living and office space on a small amount of ground.

• As technology improved, skyscrapers could be built higher.

Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity

1. Provide paper and sketching materials such as pencils, pens, and colored chalk.

2. Have students work in pairs or small groups to plan and sketch a design for a new school, government building, house, or skyscraper.

3. Have students explain why they chose that particular design and how they made choices about the form and function of the buildings they planned.

4. Display their sketches in the room.

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Chapters 5–6 (continued)

Apply Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences• Review the graphic organizer with students and explain that you

want them to make inferences about what they read in chapters 5–6 and the Conclusion independently. Tell them that the clues have already been pulled out so they can practice more on mak-ing inferences.

• Ask if they have any questions about making inferences before they begin.

• Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty completing the graphic organizer.

• Discuss student responses together.

• For more practice, have students complete the blackline master Inferences on page 16 of this guide.

Use Text Features to Locate Information: Captions • Have students turn to the Conclusion on pages 28–29. Point out

the captions on the pages. Explain that captions help a reader understand what is being shown. They can be used to identify photographs, drawings, and maps. Sometimes the captions give additional information. The photographs on these pages show the reader some amazing buildings around the world. Point out that the captions not only identify the subject of the photograph, but also include additional, interesting information.

Page Number Clues Inferences

A pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was chosen to help the buildings withstand earth-quakes.

The Great Pyramid is the world’s largest stone structure. It was a tomb for a pharaoh.

Entire forests were cut down. Fleets of ships brought marble. 100 years to build.

Brunelleschi designed workers’ area to protect them from falling.

Shah wanted to build beautiful tomb for wife. Building is perfectly sym-metrical.

The president was worried that the U.S. seemed weak. A house with “size, form, and elegance would make the country seem strong.”

The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago.

Make Inferences

A building with this shape will stay standing during an earthquake.

The pharaoh must have been a really important person to have such a huge tomb built for him.

Thousands of people must have worked on this cathedral.

Brunelleschi was concerned about his workers.

Shah believed that perfect symmetry was beautiful. The White House was an important symbol of the power of the U.S. It created an impression that the country was strong.

Chicago was probably a prosperous city.

10 © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Clues

The Chrysler Building’s height was kept a secret. The Empire State Building was built very quickly.

It was designed, built, and ready for use in just twenty months.

Inference

There was a competition to build the tallest building.

Workers worked hard to complete the building.

5

6

16–17

15

24

12

20

1. Watch students as they work to make inferences. Ask yourself: How have the students progressed with making inferences? What problems are they still having? What questions pop into my mind about what I see them doing?

2. Watch students as they complete the graphic organizer independently. Ask yourself: Who is still struggling with this strategy? What are they doing or not doing that makes me think they are struggling? How can I help them?

3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook.

Informal Assessment Tips

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After ReadingAdminister Posttest• Have students take Ongoing Assessment #24 on page 84 in the

Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).

Synthesize Information: Compare and Contrast • Have pairs of students choose one of the chapters in the book.

Have them carefully reread the text and study the pictures. Ask them to look for ways that the buildings in the chapter are alike and ways that they are different.

• Explain that comparing and contrasting details as they read can give them different perspectives on a topic.

• Have students create a Venn diagram with details about how the buildings are alike and different. Model creating a Venn diagram like the one below.

• Point out that students can compare and contrast ideas and details in almost everything that they read. They can also write using the skill of comparison/contrast.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 11

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Score assessments and determine if more instruction is needed for this strategy.

2. Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder.

3. Look closely at students’ responses. Ask yourself: Why might this student have answered the question in this manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.

4. Use posttests to document growth over time, for parent/teacher conferences, or for your own records.

Made of glassBuilt recently

Made of stoneBuilt about 1,700 years ago

Pyramid design

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Pyramid of the Sun

In common

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Model the Writing Process: Make Inferences• Remind students that throughout the book Math to Build On,

they have learned how to make inferences about what they have read after thinking about the clues in the text.

• On chart paper or the board, create a graphic organizer like the one below showing how an inference can be made from infor-mation about the famous architect R. Buckminster Fuller.

• Use the writing model to show how the information from the visual map can be used to write a paragraph with clues that help the reader make inferences. Remind students to think about how their readers will need to “read between the lines.”

• Have students brainstorm another topic to write about, related to math and buildings. Some possibilities are the world’s tallest building (Petronas Towers), a famous architect such as I.M. Pei or Frank Lloyd Wright, or ancient buildings. Students could also investigate the building of roads, tunnels, and dams.

• While students are writing, talk about how they can incorporate clues that will help their readers make inferences. Remind them not to make a direct statement that will leave the reader unable to make an inference.

Informal Assessment Tips

1. Observe students as they participate in the group writing project. Identify those who might need additional assistance during the various stages of the writing process. Jot down notes in your journal.

2. During conferences, keep notes on each student’s writing behaviors. Ask yourself: What evidence do I have to support the conclusion that this student is writing well or poor-ly? What can I do about it?

3. For struggling students, practice writing sentences containing clues. Have them make an inference based on these clues; then move to short paragraphs.

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Writing Workshop

Teaching Tips: Process Writing Steps

1. Have students independently write a first draft with clues that will help readers make inferences.

2. After students complete their paragraphs, have them revise and edit with the help of a classroom buddy.

3. Conference with each student following the first revision and editing.

4. Have students make any additional changes and create a final copy of their paragraphs.

5. Finally, invite students to share their paragraphs with a group of other students.

R. Buckminster Fuller

He designed buildings with circular shapes.

He designed the geodesic dome, a sphere made with

triangles.

He disliked square and rectangular shapes in

buildings.

Clues Inference

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R. Buckminster FullerR. Buckminster Fuller was one of the most

creative architects of the twentieth century. As a boy, he loved math, which he thought of as a game. He had ideas that his teachers thought were strange. For instance, he didn’t think a cube could really exist!

Fuller designed buildings in shapes that no one had ever thought of before. They were every shape except square. One of these buildings was called the Dymaxion House. This was made in the shape of a circle, out of aluminum. It was designed so that a family could take it apart. It could fit in a shipping tube and taken wherever the family moved. Another was called the geodesic dome. This was a building shaped like a sphere, or a ball. The surface was made of many triangles in different shapes. It was extremely strong.

The Dymaxion House never became popular. But more than 50,000 geodesic domes have been built since the late 1940s.

Writing Model

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Name ________________________________________ Date __________________

5

6

12

15

16–17

20

24

Page Number Clues Inferences

Make Inferences

A pyramid-shaped building was built in San Francisco. This shape was chosen to help the buildings withstand earthquakes.

The Great Pyramid is the world’s largest stone structure. It was a tomb for a pharaoh.

The president was worried that the U.S. seemed weak. A house with “size, form, and elegance would make the country seem strong.”

The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago.

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Name ________________________________________ Date __________________

Word Structures: Base WordsDirections: For each word, write the base word, the word part, and the word part’s meaning in the spaces provided. Then complete the exercise at the bottom of the page.

Word Base Word Word Part Meaning

1. suggested

2. building

3. pieces

4. machines

5. admired

6. workers

7. created

8. glows

Directions: Underline the base words in the following sentences.

9. An architect works to solve many unusual problems.

10. She might design a tower that sways in the wind.

11. An architect designing a tunnel needs to make sure that enough air circulates.

12. Another challenge is to improve structures designed by other architects.

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Name ________________________________________ Date __________________

InferencesDirections: Make an inference or inferences based on the clues in the passage below. Complete the graphic organizer at the bottom of the page.

The Empire State Building

Some people know about the Empire State Building from movies like King Kong or Sleepless in Seattle. Other people think of it simply as a beautiful building, a symbol of New York.

What most people don’t know is that the building was built very quickly. It was designed, built, and ready for use in just twenty months. That’s less than two years! At one point, about 3,500 workers were making this miracle happen.

The Chrysler Building was going up at the same time. But the builder was keeping its height a secret. In the end, the Empire State Building was 200 feet taller.

The Empire State Building was finished in 1931. With 102 stories, it was the tallest building in the world.

Clues Inferences

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