The Woman Who Talked to Chimps Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will discover how Jane Goodall achieved her dream of studying chimps.

 

Social Studies Focus:

Women’s History Month

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, character traits, nonfi ction text features

 

Page 4 Skill:

read a chart

 

Vocabulary:

observe, patient, respectful

 

CCSS:

SL.2.3, RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.10

 

Guided Reading Level:

L

 

Lexile level: 

530L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on dreams and goals.

 

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video "Follow Your Dreams." After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:

  • What's your dream?

Preview vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are observe, paient, and respectful.

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. Explain that Jane Goodall had a dream of living with chimps to learn about them. No one had ever done that before!
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about Jane’s dream and how she followed it.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Assessment: Reading Quiz

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

Use the online game show to gauge comprehension and reinforce the issue’s content. Students can play by themselves or in teams. For each question they answer correctly, they win a point.

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here's how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work skill sheet to deepen students’ understanding of the words observe, patient, and respectful.

Editor’s Pick: Character Traits (15 min.)

  • The What Is Jane Goodall Like? skill sheet provides scaffolding for children to identify Jane’s character traits and back them up with examples.

ELA Focus: Nonfiction Text Features (15 min.)

  • The Text Feature Hunt skill sheet is a great way to review nonfiction text features with children..

Here are past issues you can use to extend your lesson on great women in history:

  • “Blast Off, Mae!,” March 2021. This issue introduces children to Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go to space.
  • "A Math Star,” March 2019. This issue familiarizes children with Katherine Johnson, whose skills as a mathematician helped get U.S. astronauts to space for the first time.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher Lexile level: 600L
  • Lower Lexile level: 480L