Cross-Curricular Centers
Scott Foresman Reading Street Centers Survival Kit
Use the Sailing Home materials from the Reading Street Centers
Survival Kit to organize this week's centers.
MATERIALS
CD player, headphones,
AudioText CD, student
book
LISTEN TO LITERATURE Listen to Sailing Home and "Sharing a Dream" as you follow or read along in your book. Think about the author's purpose as you listen to Sailing Home.
If there is anything you don't understand, you can listen again to any section.
MATERIALS
Collection of books for
self-selected reading,
reading logs, student
book
Select a book you have already read. Record the title of the book in your reading log. You may want to read with a partner.
Choose from the following:
- Leveled Readers
- ELL Readers
- Stories Written by
Classmates
- Books from the library
- Sailing Home
TEN IMPORTANT SENTENCES Read the Ten Important Sentences for Sailing Home. Then locate the sentences in the student book.
BOOK CLUB Write a few sentences reviewing Sailing Home. Tell what you did or didn't like about the story and why. Get together with a group and discuss one another's reviews.
MATERIALS
Student book, writing
materials
List exercises you can or cannot do while living at sea.
- Make a T-chart. On the left, list exercises and healthful activities that the Madsen children can do while living on the John Ena. Look back at the story for ideas. Add your own ideas.
- On the right, list healthful activities that couldn't be done on the John Ena and tell why.
- Discuss with a partner whether the children in the story had a healthy way of life. Do you think it is a fun way to live? Use your T-chart to support your opinions.
EARLY FINISHERS Write a paragraph describing how your activities are like or different from the Madsen children's activities.
MATERIALS
Student book, writing
materials, audiotape
recorder
Interview a character from Sailing Home.
- Choose one of the characters from the story you would like to interview.
- Write at least five interview questions about the character's life aboard the John Ena. Write questions that would make the person answering say more than yes or no.
- Include Words to Know and other words from the story in your questions.
EARLY FINISHERS Ask a partner questions as if he or she is the character from the story. Record your interview. Drama
MATERIALS
World map or globe,
note cards, reference
sources
Create a fact card about an ocean.
- Look at a world map or globe and choose an ocean to research.
- Draw a map of the ocean on a note card. Include the name of the ocean and any countries near it.
- Use your classroom resources to find facts about the ocean. Write your facts under your map.
EARLY FINISHERS Make a copy of your map without labels. Quiz a partner to see if she or he can identify the ocean and landmasses.
MATERIALS
Encyclopedia CD-ROM,
Internet access, writing
materials
Find homes around the world.
- Search an online encyclopedia or CDROM to learn about different types of homes. Use keywords such as houseboat, tepee (tipi), yurt, apartment, space station, or log cabin.
- List details about one type of home. Find out what it is made of, its shape or size, if it can move, where it is found, and whether it is used all year or part-time.
- Write a paragraph explaining what you learned. Tell whether you'd like to live in this type of home and give reasons why or why not.
EARLY FINISHERS Draw a diagram of the home you researched. Add labels identifying important parts.
