Beep Beep! Lesson Plan
Academic Standards
Reading Objective:
Children will examine how students around the world get to school and analyze the reasons why.
Social Studies Focus:
communities
ELA and Social Studies Skills:
key details, vocabulary, writing, maps
Page 4 Skill:
read a bar graph
Vocabulary:
common, extreme, floods, island
CCSS:
RI.2.1 key details; RI.2.2 identify the main topic; RI.2.4 determine meanings of words; RI.2.5 use text features; RI.2.10 read informational texts; W.2.3 write narratives; SL.2.1 collaborative conversations; SL.2.3 ask and answer questions
Guided Reading Level:
K
Lexile level:
550L
Provide students with some background on different communities.
Build background knowledge (10 min.)
Watch our video “All Around Town.” After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:
- How would you describe your neighborhood?
Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)
- Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. Are any students surprised to learn about the school bus in Japan?
- Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Think about why each group of kids goes an unusual way to school.”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.
Review vocabulary (3 min.)
Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured terms are common, extreme, floods, and island.
Assessment: Reading Quiz
Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.
Students can practice encoding CVC and CVCe words with the “Make School Bus Words” game.
You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important Social Studies and ELA skills. Here's how.
ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)
- Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the words common, extreme, floods, and island.
Editor’s Pick: Writing (15 min.)
- Students will describe and illustrate how they got to school that morning with the How I Got to School Today skill sheet.
Social Studies Focus: Map Skills (15 min.)
- The Getting to School Around the World skill sheet will have students explore the places they learned about in the issue.
Here is a past issue you can use to extend your lesson on different communities:
- "Getting to School in My Community,” September 2017. In this issue, explore the characteristics of three different communities and imagine commuting to school in each one.
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: 450L