Because of Winn-Dixie
Below-Level Reader
Florida
Everglades
Unit 1 Week 1
SEQUENCE SUMMARIZE
LESSON VOCABULARY grand, memorial,
peculiar, positive, prideful, recall, select
SUMMARY This nonfiction book describes the special
characteristics of many species native to the Everglades,
including the black bear, alligator, mockingbird, egret,
and mangrove and cypress trees.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Locate the Everglades National
Park on a map. Ask if any students have been to the
Everglades, and have them describe the types of plants
and animals they saw there. If no one has been to
the Everglades, ask students to guess what types of
species might live in the park.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Have students read the
title and skim the book looking at pictures, captions,
and headings. Have students tell what types of plants
and animals they will read about in the selection.
Have students draw pictures of the Everglades.
Have them label plants, animals or other items in their
home languages and English.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Divide students into seven
groups. Assign one vocabulary word to each group. Have
each group read aloud the glossary entry for its word
and write a sentence for the word. Then have groups
share their words and sentences with the class.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
SEQUENCE Remind students that keeping track of
the
sequence, or order, of events in a book may help
them understand the facts that are presented. Write a
list of clue words on the board, such as
first, then, after,
now, to help students as they read.
SUMMARIZE Tell students that
summarizing, or
remembering the important information in a book, can
help them keep track of the main facts of a selection.
Have students stop reading at the end of each section
of the book. Tell them to think of a summary sentence
for each section using the section heading as a guide.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 9 How does an alligator chase prey on land?
(It runs on its toes with its
tail off the ground and sprints
up to thirty miles an hour.)
PAGE 10 How did the mockingbird get its name?
(It can mock the sounds of
other birds.)
PAGE 11 What happened after many egrets were killed
for their feathers?
(They became a protected species.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
- Possible response: A bear might get hit by a car
when it crosses the
highway to find food and water.
- Possible response: The mangrove tree grows in salt
water, and its roots
keep mud from being washed
away; the cypress tree grows along the
rivers and
has "knees" that might help give it oxygen.
- Possible response: Suffix: –ful; Base word: pride Other words: actually,
dangerous, beautiful, luckily
- Responses will vary but should be supported by
details from the book.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Have students choose their favorite plant
or animal described in
the selection. Then ask them to
write a paragraph detailing what they
learned
about it.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
SCIENCE Provide students with a list
of other plants
and animals that live
in
Everglades National Park. Divide
students
into small groups. Assign
one plant and one
animal to
each
group. Have groups research their
plants
and animals
and write short
summaries of the facts they discover. Ask each
group to read its summaries
to the class.
