Guiding Comprehension

Author's Purpose • Critical

Question the Author When space is limited, writers of biography often have to choose which details to include about their subject. Look back at the information the author has given us about Gertrude Ederle. Why do you think he chose this information?

The author probably includes information about Ederle's successes in swimming because he wants to show how much she achieved. For the author, this information was more important than other information.

Fact and Opinion • Literal

Reread pp. 94–95 and find one statement of fact that can be checked.

Possible response: Trudy swam from Manhattan to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in just over seven hours.

then… use the skill and strategy instruction on
p. 95.

If… students have difficulty identifying a statement of fact,

Fact and Opinion

Predict • Inferential

At the end of p. 95, we read
that Ederle wanted to attempt a crossing of the English
Channel. Do you think she
made it?

Responses will vary; students should give reasons for their answers.

SKILLS

STRATEGIES IN CONTEXT

Fact/Opinion Monitor/Fix Up

TEACH

Remind students that a statement of fact can be proved true or false, while a statement of opinion expresses someone's thoughts or feelings about something and cannot be proved true or false.
Explain to students that we don't always have to verify information in a statement of fact; sometimes, it's enough to determine whether or not the statement can be checked.
Students can ask themselves where they could check to verify information in a statement to determine if a statement can be proved or not.
Model determining if a statement on p. 94, paragraph 3, can be verified.

MODEL It says that Trudy swam the seventeen miles from lower Manhattan to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in just over seven hours. Is this a statement of fact or opinion? If I wanted to verify this information, where would I look? I could look in an encyclopedia, or maybe even online at a Web site about Gertrude Ederle. I could probably find that information there, so that statement is a statement of fact, even though I don't know if it's true or not.

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students find another sentence and determine if it is a statement of
fact or opinion. To assess, check that students have correctly determined where they could check information to see if it can be verified.

"America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle"
by David A. Adler

Student Edition
Unit 4, pp. 90–105

This Snapshot is from a biography about Gertrude Ederle. A biography gives facts about a real person's life.

President Calvin Coolidge called her "America's Best Girl" in 1926. She had a huge parade in her honor, the mayor of New York praised her, and she was known all over the world.
Gertrude Ederle was born in 1906. She grew up in New York City with five brothers and sisters. When she was seven she fell into a pond and almost drowned, so her father decided to teach her to swim. No one could have guessed how much she would love it.
When she was thirteen, Trudy took swimming lessons. Two years later she won a big race. The next year she swam a 21-mile course from Manhattan to New Jersey. She beat the men's record--and newspapers began to notice her.
In 1924, her eighteenth year, Trudy Ederle made the U.S. Olympic team and won three medals. By 1925 she had set twenty-nine U.S. and world records. Her next challenge? To be the first woman to swim the English Channel. She almost made it.
In August 1926, more determined and better prepared, she tried again. Her sister covered her with heavy grease to keep her warm in the cold Atlantic current. A tugboat followed her to make sure Trudy was safe. A second escort boat carried reporters and photographers.
Trudy started from the coast of France at around 7:00 a.m. She kept swimming through rain and wind. Twenty-foot waves and strong tides stirred the water against her every stroke. She was exhausted, but she continued. Finally, around 9:30 that night, her feet touched the land of England. People waded into the water to welcome her. Her father wrapped her in a warm robe.
Trudy Ederle broke the record of five men by almost two hours. She swam the Channel in 14 hours and 31 minutes. Newspapers around the world pictured her. She herself said, "I knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it. All the women of the world will celebrate." And they did. So did the men.



	Close
	Understanding Idioms Explain the meaning of the term lazybones on p. 94. (someone unwilling to work hard) Heroes We all need heroes. We need someone to look up to and strive to be like, someone who sets an example. Role models, as heroes are also known, do many things. They help us build self-esteem, moral character, and good values. They teach us to set and achieve goals, and they show us that our dreams can come true. Role models can be sports stars, movie stars, musicians, and writers. They can also be family members or people in the community, such as teachers, firefighters, police officers, doctors, and volunteers for organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters. What makes a good hero?

"America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle" by David A. Adler

"America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle"
by David A. Adler