Lesson Plan

Subject & Topic: Reading 5-3-2 Talk with an Astronaut

Page: 234

James R. Wallbaum
Date: 3/18/14
Time Required: 40 mins

Standards:
CCSS Informational Text 8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence
to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence
support which points.
CCSS Informational Text 1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining
what a text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS Language 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Learning Objectives:

The students will demonstrate an ability to identify evidence that an

author has a specific purpose for writing the text.
The students will demonstrate the ability to use Greek and Latin roots to
help them figure out the meanings of words they do not understand, as
evidenced by their completion of the worksheets.

Assessment:
Greek/Latin Word Parts Worksheets (p.342, 269)
Higher Level Thinking Questions with selected reading
Adaptations and Accommodations:
Students may work in pairs for scaffolding purposes
Resources:
Reading Street Textbook, Projector, Teachers Manual, Worksheets
Academic Language:
Roots, Suffixes, Prefixes
Statement of Objective or Purpose:
Today our objective is to learn how to use Greek and Latin roots to analyze
words we do not know. In addition, we will begin reading Talk With an
Astronaut, and answer higher level thinking questions.

Sequence of Activities:

Anticipatory Set: Have students do a think-pair-share centered around

these questions
o Where do astronauts travel?
o How long do their trips take?
o What are some of the different responsibilities of astronauts in space?
o How do you think a person prepares to become an astronaut?
Tell students that they can use their knowledge of Greek and Latin roots to
figure out the meaning of words they do not understand. Show students
how to make a chart for the definitions of the roots, suffixes, and whole
words. Say out loud, I will look at the word gravity. The root grav comes
from the Latin word gravitas, which means heavy. The Latin suffix ity
means state of. I think that gravity means the state of being heavy.
When I look up the word in the dictionary, I find that the meaning is
similar to my definition. Model a few more words.
Do some guided practice using some of this weeks spelling words:
Geology, Geography, and Biology, Hydrophobia.
Hand out spelling worksheets that emphasize Greek word parts. Have
students complete the worksheets in scaffolded pairs.
Have students turn to page 234 in their reading book. Explain that Talk
With an Astronaut is an expository text, and therefore tells about real
people and events.
Begin reading selection on page 236. Ask the following question about
the authors purpose:
o Do you think it was a good idea for the author to write the results of
the interview in a question and answer format? Explain.
Have students answer this question about how to monitor and clarify:
o Think about a time when you read another interview. How did the
strategies you used while reading that interview help you monitor and
clarify your understanding of this interview?
Continue on to page 238. Read the selection aloud, modeling fluency. Ask
the following question about how to monitor and clarify:
o In the second answer on page 238, Ochoa says that she had to use
cameras and monitors to help her use the robot arm on a mission. If
you do not understand why she needed to use the cameras and
monitors, what can you do to clarify your comprehension?
Ask the following question concerning the authors purpose:
o Do you think the interviewers question about NASA training was a
good question to ask? Why or why not?
Read page 241. Ask the word analysis question:
o What is gravity? How can you use the question and answer on page
241 to help you figure out what zero gravity is?
This will conclude todays reading. Tomorrow we will read the rest of the
interview with astronaut Ellen Ochoa.

Questions to ask:

See highlighted questions, above.

Conclusion and Summary:

Learning Greek and Latin roots can improve your ability to analyze words
you may not know. In addition, using the comprehension skill of authors
purpose, and the comprehension strategy of monitor and clarify we can
better understand the selection we are reading.
Self Evaluation and Reflection:
The lesson started slowly, but picked up as the period went on. My pacing
needs to improve at the beginning of the day, in order to focus the students
on the task at hand. I only had a couple of students give very thoughtful
responses to some of the higher level thinking questions. I may need to give
students more time to think and process these questions. The students were
excited to learn the Greek and Latin roots. I wish I would have had more time
for this activity.