Penguin Chick
Below-Level Reader
Antarctica: The Frozen Continent
Unit 2 Week 1
MAIN IDEA GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
LESSON VOCABULARY cuddles, flippers, frozen, hatch, pecks, preen, snuggles
SUMMARY Though Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth, it is home to penguins, seals, and other animals. Antarctica is also a fascinating place for scientists who study weather. They measure its temperature changes to understand effects of air pollution on global climates.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Invite students to discuss what they know about Antarctica from movies, TV, books, or magazines. Ask: What might you see if you traveled to Antarctica?
Ask students to sketch small Antarctic images as they skim the book. Then have them write in details beneath each picture as they read.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Have students find clues about the topic of the book by looking at the title, pictures, captions, and diagrams. Point out that certain images, such as snow and penguins, appear often in the pictures.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Discuss the vocabulary words and reinforce meaning by asking: What are some animals that have flippers? Repeat this type of questioning with the rest of the words.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
MAIN IDEA The
main idea is the most important idea about a topic.
Supporting details are pieces of information that tell more about the main idea. Model how to ask questions to find the main idea. Point out details supporting it. Ask students to look for the main idea as they read.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Graphic organizers are pictorial devices that help students view and construct relationships among concepts. Guide students through the completion of a main idea graphic organizer. Then invite them to fill one out during an independent reading period.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 5 What types of animals live in Antarctica? (penguins, fish, seals, and whales)
PAGE 9 How is Antarctica helping scientists learn about climate change? (Its
changes in temperature tell about the effects of global warming.)
PAGE 12 What might happen to Antarctica if there is a great deal of climate change?
(Ice might melt. Animal habitats might disappear.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
- Possible response: Scientists study the climate in Antarctica as a way to
protect animals living there.
- Possible response: acoustic sounders—send out beeps whose echoes tell scientists about wind; satellites—send information to weather stations in Antarctica; weather balloons—radio information about air to weather stations in Antarctica
- The words that follow—"or clean and smooth their feathers"—show what preen means.
- Possible response: The Earth receives heat from the Sun. Most of this heat is released into space, but some of it is trapped inside Earth's atmosphere.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Ask students to pretend they are writing home to a friend from an Antarctic station. Have them write one or two paragraphs that describe their visit.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
SCIENCE Scientists in Antarctica use special equipment to gather information. Invite students to learn about how scientists in other environments use special tools and technology to gather information.
L.R. TOC
PrintResources
