LESSON 25 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Remarkable Robots
by Kaye Gager
Fountas-Pinnell Level P
Nonfiction
Selection Summary
Robots are used to do jobs that are too dangerous, too tedious, or
too difficult for human beings. They perform tasks in space, factories,
homes, and even sewers. They have also been used to explore
underwater. The development of the computer has made robots
capable of doing more tasks than ever before.
Number of Words: 994
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Nonfiction
• Third-person narrative with some direct address to the reader
• Information presented in ten short chapters
• Description of various types of robots
• Development of robots over time
• Robots have been very useful and they have great potential.
• As life becomes more complicated, tools like robots become more necessary.
• Figurative language: a robot’s computer “eyes” and computers as “brains” for robots.
• Descriptive language
• Longer complex sentence structures
• Dependent clauses
• Some technical terms, such as: mechanical arms, Silicon Valley, radio transmitter, space
probes
• Some multisyllable target vocabulary words that may be challenging: calculated,
inspector, mechanical, superior
• Photographs with captions
• Table of contents and a timeline about the development of robots
• Variety in print and background color
• Twelve pages of text with section headings
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
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Remarkable Robots
by Kaye Gager
Build Background
Help students use their knowledge of robots to visualize the selection. Build interest by
asking a question such as the following: Where have you seen a robot? Read the title and
author and talk about the cover photograph. Explain that robots have become a big part of
everyday life.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and nonfiction features. Help with
unfamiliar language so they can read the text successfully. Give special attention to target
vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that the table of contents shows how the book is organized and
what topics it covers. Suggested language: Look at the table of contents. What
can the table of contents tell you about what you will learn about robots?
Page 4: Point out that captions can give clues about information in the text.
Explain to students that robots often perform mechanical tasks that are too
dangerous for human beings. Direct students to the picture at the top of the page
and read the caption. Ask: How might robots help astronauts be safe in outer
space?
Page 8: Explain to students that in factories, robots can perform some of the
simple tasks that people used to do. For instance, robots can insert screws.
Ask: Why might factories use robots for simple tasks instead of people?
Page 11: Tell students that the first robot appeared centuries ago in Greece.
Ask: Do you think robots represent progress? Why or why not?
Page 13: Read the caption. Explain to students that many robots are mechanical
toys, like the one in the photograph. Ask: What kinds of things could you do with a
robotic toy?
Now turn back to the beginning and read to find out more about robots and how
remarkable they are.
Target Vocabulary
average – typical or normal, p. 7
insert – put one object in another,
p. 8
progress – improvement, forward
movement, p. 11
centuries – periods of one
hundred years, p. 11
inspector – a person who checks
to make sure that things are
working, p. 6
superior – better than other
things of its type, p. 14
dispute – say something is not
true or false, p. 14
mechanical – something with
movable parts, p. 4
calculated – used math to make
a decision, p. 7
Grade 4
2
waste – items that are discarded
or thrown away, p. 5
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Read
As the students read, observe them carefully. Guide them as needed, using language that
supports their problem solving ability.
Remind students to use the Question Strategy
questions before they read, as they read, and after they read.
and to ask themselves
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the text.
Suggested language: Do you think robots are good things or bad things? Why?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Robots perform some tasks
more efficiently than human
beings.
• Some people dispute the idea
that robots should be doing the
jobs that human beings can do.
• The author includes a timeline to
show the development of robots
through time.
• Robots perform tasks in outer
space, in the ocean, and in
factories.
• Robots make our lives easier
and safer.
• The photographs and captions
help give readers an idea about
what robots look like and the
type of tasks that they do.
• Robots help people by
performing chores and
entertaining them.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to read at an
appropriate rate with few slowdowns to solve words. After they solve words, remind
them to pick up the pace again.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Tell students that robot is the root word for the word robotic.
Robotic uses the suffix -ic, to change the word robot to describe things that involve
robots. Ask students to think of other words that end in –ic that describe things.
(examples: angel, angelic; athlete, athletic, acrobat, acrobatic; artist, artistic)
Grade 4
3
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Writing about Reading
Vocabulary Practice
Have students complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 25.1.
Responding
Have students use their Reader’s Notebook to complete the vocabulary activities on
page 15. Remind them to answer the Word Teaser on page 16. (Answer: waste)
Reading Nonfiction
Nonfiction Features:
Photographs and Timelines Remind students that nonfiction has many features to help
readers find and understand important information. Photographs and timelines are two
of these features. Previewing photos can give readers a sense of what the text is about.
What does the photo on page 6 tell about what the book is about? What about the photo
on page 13? Have students suggest a photograph to add to the book in order to give the
reader a sense of what the book is about.
Have students look at the timeline on page 12. Ask what information they can learn from
the timeline. Then have students think about a way that robots could be used in the future
and add that to the timeline.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts
• On page 3, what does the word unmanned mean?
• What can readers learn about robots by reading this selection?
• The main purpose of the selection is to
__________________________________________.
Grade 4
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the text softly aloud
or use the audio or online text. Or have beginning speakers read the captions.
Idioms The text includes some idioms and phrases that may be unfamiliar. Explain the
meaning of for instance (p. 6), box of chocolates (p. 7), nowadays (p. 8), ocean liner (p. 9),
and helping hand (p. 14).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is this selection
about?
Speaker 1: How do robots help human
beings?
Speaker 1: What kind of things
can robots do around the house?
Speaker 2: robots
Speaker 2: They do jobs that are difficult
or dangerous.
Speaker 2: They can vacuum
floors and mow lawns. They can
also provide entertainment as
toys.
Speaker 1: What is one type of factory
where robots work?
Speaker 2: automobile factories
Speaker 1: How are robots helpful in
factories?
Speaker 2: They do jobs that are boring
for human beings, and they never need
breaks.
Lesson 25
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Remarkable Robots
Target Vocabulary
Find the Target Vocabulary words in the Word Search below.
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inspector
waste
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average
progress
superior
centuries
dispute
insert
mechanical
Which word describes...
1. improvement of your math grades? progress
2. periods of one-hundred years? centuries
3. one thing is better than the other thing? superior
4. a person who checks things? inspector
5. a high-tech robot? mechanical
3
Target Vocabulary
Grade 4, Unit 5: Change Is All Around
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5
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Lesson 25: Remarkable Robots
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First Pass
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Name
Date
Remarkable Robots
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal
knowledge to reach new understandings.
On page 14, the author says that “some people dispute the idea of having
robots do human work.” Why do you think that some people don’t like the
idea of robots doing tasks that humans could do? Do you think that these
people are frightened of technology? What kind of negative changes might
people be worried about?
Grade 4
6
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Lesson 25
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Remarkable Robots
Target Vocabulary
Find the Target Vocabulary words in the Word Search below.
S
B
C
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C
Z
G
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D
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Vocabulary
inspector
waste
calculated
average
progress
superior
centuries
dispute
insert
mechanical
Which word describes...
1. improvement of your math grades?
2. periods of one-hundred years?
3. one thing is better than the other thing?
4. a person who checks things?
5. a high-tech robot?
Grade 4
7
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Student
Lesson 25
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.24
Remarkable Robots • LEVEL P
page
Remarkable Robots
Running Record Form
Selection Text
3
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
Robots have been used in space for almost as long as
people have been traveling in space. The Surveyor robots were
unmanned space probes sent to the moon in the 1960s before
astronauts landed on the moon. The Surveyor probes sent
back important information about the moon.
4
The space shuttles and the International Space station are
all equipped with robot tools, such as mechanical arms for
lifting objects. During one space shuttle mission, the robot
arm of the space station was used to lower an astronaut
underneath the space shuttle to make repairs.
A robot is a machine that moves and can do complicated
tasks.
5
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/105 ×
100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 4
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414230
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
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