Life Under the Water Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will identify different aspects of life on a U.S. Navy submarine.

 

Social Studies Focus:

Veterans Day

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, text features, text evidence, writing, main idea and details

 

Page 4 Skill:

nonfiction text features

 

Vocabulary:

veterans, submarines, Navy, mess

 

CCSS:

SL.2.3, RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.8, RI.2.10, L.2.1

 

Guided Reading Level: 

L

 

Lexile Level:

510L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on veterans and the U.S. Navy.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video "Thank You, Veterans!" After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:

  • What is a veteran?

Preview vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are veterans, submarines, Navy, and mess.

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue and discuss the cover. What might it be like to live in a boat underwater?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about what it would feel like to live on a submarine.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Assessment: Reading Quiz

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

  • The “Make a Poster” game gives children practice with nonfiction text features and lets them make a Veterans Day poster they can save and print out!

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the words veterans, submarines, Navy, and mess.

Editor’s Pick: Text Evidence (15 min.)

  • In the A Letter From Norbert Know- It-All skill sheet, our loveable “expert” writes a letter to students telling them all the “facts” about life on a submarine. But after reading the magazine, kids will know better!
  • They can write Norbert with the real facts at [email protected]. Norbert will write back!

ELA Focus: Main Idea and Details (15 min.)

  • The Main Idea and Details skill sheet asks children to put information from the issue into a graphic organizer. First, they write the main idea (life on a submarine). Then they write three details about it.

 Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on Veterans Day::

  • "Good Job, Veterans!,” November/December 2020. This issue tells about the different jobs veterans do in the armed forces.
  • “Veteran Code Talkers,” November/December 2019. This issue tells of the amazing Navajo men who used their native language as a code to help win the war.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher-Lexile level: 570L
  • Lower-Lexile level: 450L