LESSON 20 TEACHER’S GUIDE John Wesley Powell · LESSON 20 TEACHER’S GUIDE John Wesley Powell...

Number of Words: 888

L E S S O N 2 0 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

John Wesley Powell by Carolyn Bond

Fountas-Pinnell Level OBiography Selection SummaryAfter losing an arm during the Civil War, explorer John Wesley Powell in 1869 led a team of 10 men on a fi rst-ever three-month river journey through the length of the Grand Canyon. The purpose of this trip and his later expeditions was to explore and gather information about the western territories.

Characteristics of the Text Genre • Biography

Text Structure • Third-person narrative in seven short chapters• Chapter headings signal key periods in J.W. Powell’s career and explorations.• The action takes place from May 24 through August 29, 1869.

Content • John Wesley Powell and exploration of the western territories• Grand Canyon, including geographic features and, especially, physical dangers such as

river rapidsThemes and Ideas • Bravery, courage, and teamwork can help people reach their goals.

• Good leaders do their best to protect their team.• People with disabilities can accomplish great things.

Language and Literary Features

• Narrative tone emphasizes boldness of the adventurers’ daring journey; gravity of Grand Canyon expedition (many people doubted that the the group would live through the trip) and its purpose—to provide information for the U.S. government.

• Western setting integral to characters and plotSentence Complexity • A few longer sentences, but most are simple and follow the subject-verb pattern. Place names

(Lodore Canyon), dates (May 24, 1867), city/state names (Green River City, Wyoming)Vocabulary • Some words, such as rapids, defi ned in text

• Target vocabulary words not defi ned in text Words • Some multisyllable words: accompany, interpreter, territory

Illustrations • Historical photographs that support the text and add interest• Captions for photographs

Book and Print Features • Twelve pages of text, easy-to-read chapter headings, and photographs or maps on most pages

• Sidebars and maps provide additional information© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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John Wesley Powell by Carolyn Bond

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge about the West and the Grand Canyon to visualize the text. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: How do you think having a disability would affect an explorer of the western territories? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Tell students this is biography, so it tells about a real person, John Wesley Powell.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Page 3: Explain that John Wesley Powell lost part of his arm after being shot during the Civil War. Still, he was able to explore and chart many parts of the western territories. Suggested language: Read the caption below the map showing some of Powell’s early explorations. Ask: Which of Powell’s three previous solo trips was the longest?

Pages 5: Tell students that Powell and his team prepared for their trip by stocking up on supplies. Ask: What supplies would you need for a trip into the Grand Canyon?

Pages 7: Have students look at the photograph and read the caption. Powell and his team ran into fast, dangerous water as their boats got into rougher territory. Ask: What other dangers do you think Powell’s team might have faced?

Page 14: Direct students to the photograph of Lake Powell, named after John Wesley Powell. Ask: Why do you think the author included this photograph at the end of the text?

Now go back to the beginning and read to fi nd out what happens to John Wesley Powell and his team when they explore the Grand Canyon.

accompany – to go somewhere with someone, p. 11

clumsy – awkward or done without skill

corps – a group that works together

duty – a person’s job or

responsibility interpreter – a person who

translates words from one language to another, p. 10

landmark – a familiar or easily seen object that identifi es a place

proposed – suggested route – a road or path between

two places, p. 6supplies – important items that

people need, p. 5territory – an area of land, p. 7

Target Vocabulary

2 Lesson 20: John Wesley Powell Grade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Visualize Strategy and to use text details to form pictures in their minds about the sights Powell and his men saw on their trip.

Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: Have you ever been on a long trip like Powell’s? Have you ever faced a diffi culty or hardship? How were John Wesley Powell and his team able to overcome their problems?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• John Wesley Powell, a one-armed leader, led nine other men on a river trip to explore the length of the Grand Canyon.

• The government funded the trip to gain information about new territories.

• It was a dangerous journey and had never before been attempted.

• Individuals with disabilities can become leaders and perform diffi cult physical tasks.

• Staying focused on goals can help people overcome setbacks and obstacles.

• John Wesley Powell wanted to help his country.

• Photographs and maps aid visualization and comprehension.

• Chapter headings provide main ideas and help lead readers through the text.

• Details within the biography capture readers’ interest and support main ideas.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read alternate

paragraphs in a readers’ theater. Remind them to use any cues provided by punctuation and to notice emphasis and foreshadowing and to vary their expression accordingly.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Point out that the target vocabulary word territory is based on the root ter or terr, which means “earth.” Remind students that keeping the root in mind can help them remember a word’s defi nition.



Writing about ReadingCritical Thinking Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 20.7.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of their book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillMain Ideas and Details

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that details support the main

ideas in the text. Details describe or explain the main idea. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

The text on page 12 says Powell and his men faced storms and fl oods. Then their food began to spoil. These details support the idea that the expedition faced many dangers.

Practice the SkillHave students share examples of another book that uses details to support main ideas in the text.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• One idea present in this biography is that

________________________________________________________________.

• In the fi rst paragraph on page 6, what does the word route mean?

• What is the main idea of the fi rst paragraph on page 10?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Name two problems that Powell and

his men faced as they traveled Lodore Canyon.

2. Think within the text Where did Powell discover the ruins of

an ancient city?

3. Think beyond the text If you had been one of Powell’s men,

would you have wanted to keep going or turn back? Explain

your answer.

4. Think about the text What details does the author use to

show that Powell was a good leader?

Making Connections Describe a time when you were in a leadership position. What was your job? How did you accomplish the many necessary tasks?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

9Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 20B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 0 . 7

Grade 4, Unit 4: Never Give Up!

Name Date

John Wesley PowellCritical Thinking

They lost supplies when one of their boats smashed on rocks. They had to empty

the boats and carry the boats and supplies to safer places.

along one of the smaller rivers that fl owed into the canyon

I would have wanted to keep going. I wouldn’t want to make such a hard trip and

not get to the end.

Powell had boats made for the journey with special waterproof areas for the

supplies. He encouraged his men to keep going. The ones who stayed with him

were safe, and the expedition was a success.

Possible responses shown.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read aloud a few paragraphs of the selection, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that Powell’s was a dangerous journey that had never before been attempted.

Vocabulary Explain that, like other canyons, the Grand Canyon is a deep valley between cliffs that was carved from the landscape by a river. The Colorado River carved out and fl ows through the Grand Canyon.

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is the biography about?

Speaker 2: John Wesley Powell

Speaker 1: What did he do in 1869?

Speaker 2: explored the full length of the Grand Canyon

Speaker 1: Who went with him on expedition?

Speaker 2: nine other men

Speaker 1: When and how did Powell lose part of his arm?

Speaker 2: It was cut off during the Civil War after he was shot in the arm.

Speaker 1: Why did Powell organize the expedition?

Speaker 2: The government asked him to gather information about the new territories.

Speaker 1: What happened in the rapids of Lodore Canyon?

Speaker 2: The fast waters smashed a boat into the rocks, destroying supplies.

Speaker 1: Why did four of Powell’s men turn back?

Speaker 2: They left because of dangerous rapids, storms, low food, and because no one knew how long it would take to complete the trip.



John Wesley PowellThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

How might serving in the Civil War and losing an arm have made John Wesley Powell determined to complete the Grand Canyon expedition? What other factors helped make Powell and the team want to succeed?

Name Date



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Name two problems that Powell and

his men faced as they traveled Lodore Canyon.

2. Think within the text Where did Powell discover the ruins of

an ancient city?

3. Think beyond the text If you had been one of Powell’s men,

would you have wanted to keep going or turn back? Explain

your answer.

4. Think about the text What details does the author use to

show that Powell was a good leader?

Making Connections Describe a time when you were in a leadership position. What was your job? How did you accomplish the many necessary tasks?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Lesson 20B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 0 . 7

Name Date

John Wesley PowellCritical Thinking



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939

Student Date Lesson 20

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 0 . 1 1

John Wesley PowellRunning Record Form

John Wesley Powell • LEVEL O

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

7

8

Sixteen days into the journey, Powell and his crew began to

travel into much rougher territory. As they tried to row through

the dangerous rapids of Lodore Canyon, one of the boats

smashed into the rocks. Luckily, no one was killed, but many

of the group’s supplies were lost.

At several points the men had to empty their boats and carry

them along the rocky shore to a safer spot. Then they had to

carry the rest of their supplies back to the boats. It was slow,

hard work, and the men became discouraged.

Powell encouraged his men to keep going.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/101 ×

100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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