Guiding Comprehension

Generalize

• Inferential

What is one generalization you can make about the English Channel?

It is a cold, treacherous body of water that can change very quickly.

then… use the skill and strategy instruction on
p. 101.

If… students have difficulty making a generalization,

Generalize

Vocabulary • Context Clues

Find the word eerie on p. 100, paragraph 5. What context clues tell you what it means?

It means "scary and gloomy." It says that Trudy was alone and scared. The weather was rainy and windy. It would be scary and gloomy to be alone.

Supporting Details • Literal

The focus in the second half of the selection is on the channel crossing. What is one supporting detail that shows how difficult it was for Trudy?

Possible response: Trudy would swim forward and be pulled back twice as far as she had swum.

SKILLS
STRATEGIES IN CONTEXT

Generalize

TEACH

Remind students that we can look at what the facts and details have in common and make a general statement about them.
Model making a generalization about the facts and details on pp. 100–101.

MODEL First, what are some of the facts and details on
pp. 100–101? The water was cold. The weather changed quickly, and the water became dangerous. The waves were high. The tide was stronger. It started to rain. What do these facts and details tell me about the English Channel? I think I can say that the weather there is dangerous and unpredictable.

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students look back at
p. 96 and again at pp. 100–101 and make a generalization about trainers. To assess, check that students' generalizations can be supported by the facts and details in the selection.
To assess, use Practice Book 3.2, p. 36.

Practice Book 3.2 p. 36

with | without Answers

"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
	Geography The English Channel is a narrow stretch of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the southern coast of England and the northern coast of France. It is neither wide—only 112 miles wide at its widest point—nor deep—only 150–400 feet deep—and its ocean floor is relatively flat and even. It is known for intense tidal movements and its sudden changes in weather and sea conditions. The coast of the channel is lined with steep cliffs and small, rocky beaches. The channel is often windy and cold.

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

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