LESSON 5 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Hank Aaron
by Joanna Korba
Fountas-Pinnell Level O
Biography
Selection Summary
As a teenager, Henry “Hank” Aaron played in the Negro Leagues. He
became a star player for the major-league Milwaukee Braves, and
an outspoken opponent of racism in baseball. Aaron moved with the
Braves to Atlanta, where he hit home run 715 in 1974, beating Babe
Ruth’s record and becoming baseball’s new home-run king.
Number of Words: 877
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Biography
• Six sections of one to three pages, with section headings
• Events in chronological order, with some background explanations
• Main achievements of baseball star Hank Aaron
• Negro leagues, minor leagues, major leagues
• Baseball players work hard to improve their skills.
• Baseball players can be heroes on and off the field.
• Conversational tone
• Figurative language: didn’t want to sit at home and polish his baseball awards
• Variety in sentence length and complexity
• Exclamations used for emphasis
• Content-related baseball terms, some of which might not be familiar to English language
learners: home run, major leagues, baseball bat, stands, minor-league team, baseball park
• Place names that may be difficult to decode
• Target vocabulary highlighted in text
• Multisyllable words that may be challenging for English language learners: professional,
neighborhood, newspapers, education
• Drawings and photographs support the text.
• Thirteen pages with illustrations and photos on every page
• Captions and labels that provide additional information and clarify text
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Hank Aaron
by Joanna Korba
Build Background
Help students talk about the game of baseball by asking questions such as the following:
What do you know about baseball? Why do fans love to see home runs? Read the title
and author, and talk about the cover of baseball cards. Remind students that a true story
about a person’s life is called a biography.
Front-Load Vocabulary Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English
learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: skinny, soda bottle,
area, improve, fans, record, career, leagues, professional.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping
with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their
attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Tell students that this book is a biography—the story of a real person’s
life—of a famous baseball player named Hank Aaron. Read the heading, “Early
Years,” and remind students that headings give readers a clue to what the text
section will be about. Read the caption under the illustration.
Suggested language: The illustration and caption tell us that as a boy, Hank Aaron
practiced hitting bottle caps with a stick. What does this show you about him?
Page 3: Read the photo caption: Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball
player to play in the major leagues. Cultural Support: Explain that baseball teams
in this country are organized in leagues. Before 1947, African-American players
could not play in the major leagues. They played on teams in separate Negro
Leagues. What are some baseball leagues you know?
Page 4: Draw attention to the illustration and read the caption. Then read aloud the
first two sentences. When Hank slammed a big home run, it went all the way into
the stands, where people were sitting. How hard must he have hit that ball?
Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to find out why Hank Aaron is
called one of the greatest home-run hitters ever.
Target Vocabulary
fans – people who enjoy
watching a certain p. 7
pronounce – say in a particular
way, p. 2
stands – n. seats from which
people watch a game, p. 4
leagues – groups of teams that
play against one another, p. 3
score – v. to make or earn points
in a game, p. 13
style – a person’s special way of
doing something, p. 14
polish – to make something
bright by rubbing, p. 14
slammed – hit very hard, p. 4
Grade 3
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Read
Have students read Hank Aaron silently while you listen to individual students read.
Support their problem solving and fluency as needed.
Remind students to use the Visualize Strategy
minds based on text details.
to form pictures in their
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the book.
Suggested language: Do you think that Hank Aaron’s life could inspire people who were
not very interested in baseball? Why or why not?
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
• Hank Aaron played on Negro
League, minor-league, and
major-league teams.
• Racism meant that African
Americans had fewer
opportunities than white
Americans.
• The author did research to find
facts and also included opinions.
• He spoke out against unfair
treatment. His fans supported
him when he faced racism.
• He broke the home-run record of
Babe Ruth.
• Hank Aaron encouraged children
to become leaders.
• Even a talented baseball player
must work hard to improve
skills and demonstrate that he
is special enough for the major
leagues.
• The author’s attitude is that Hank
Aaron’s achievements can inspire
readers.
• The author picked the most
important events from Hank
Aaron’s career.
• It is extremely difficult to break a
home-run record.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them to
use their voices to express a feeling suggested by the text, such as excitement or suspense.
• 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. Remind students that the endings –er and –est are added to
words to compare things. To compare two things, –er is used; to compare more than
two things, –est is used. Have students find the words shorter and greatest on page
2. Guide them to understand that shorter compares the names Hank and Henry, and
greatest compares Hank Aaron with all other home-run hitters. Have students write
another word with each of these suffixes and use the word to talk about baseball (for
example, stronger hitter, fastest runner).
Grade 3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 5.10.
Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of the book. Use the instruction below as
needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Cause and Effect
Tell students that when they think about causes and
effects, they think about what happens and why it happens. Model the skill, using a “Think
Aloud” like the one below:
Think Aloud
Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run in April 1974. This home run was
the cause, or reason, that something else happened. The effect is the
result. He broke Babe Ruth’s home-run record. There were other effects
too. Hank Aaron set a new record. The fans cheered, and his teammates
shouted with joy.
Practice the Skill
Have students write a sentence telling another cause and effect in the life of
Hank Aaron. Remind them that the cause is a reason why something happens
and the effect is what happens.
Writing Prompt: Thinking About the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think about the text, they pay special attention to the words, genre, literary and print
features, and how the book is organized.
Assessment Prompts
• On page 13, find the word that means almost the same as “the best done yet.”
• Tell one word that best describes Hank Aaron.
• Complete this sentence in your own words: The author probably wrote this biography
to ____________________
Grade 3
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English Language Development
Reading Support In Introduce the Text (p.2) include as much practice as needed to
help students become familiar with the language structures of the book. Or have students
use the audio or online recordings.
Cultural Support For students coming from a culture in which baseball is not played,
provide a simple overview of the game, using terms from the book.
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: Who is Hank Aaron?
Speaker 1: Why did Hank Aaron start
out in the Negro Leagues?
Speaker 1: Hank Aaron won many
awards for his skill at baseball.
What does that tell you about
him?
Speaker 2: a famous baseball player
Speaker 1: What was Hank Aaron
good at?
Speaker 2: hitting home runs
Speaker 2: Black players had their own
league back then.
Speaker 1: What record did Hank Aaron
break?
Speaker 2: He hit more home runs than
Babe Ruth.
Speaker 2: He was one of the best
players. He could hit when he
came to bat. He was also very
good at throwing and catching
the ball.
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Lesson 5
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 5.10
Date
Critical Thinking
Hank Aaron
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown:
1. Think within the text How did Hank Aaron get to play
in the Negro Leagues?
A man from the Negro Leagues saw Hank hit a home run during a
neighborhood game.
2. Think within the text Why couldn’t Hank play in the
major leagues before 1947?
Before 1947, only white players could play in the major leagues.
3. Think beyond the text Hank Aaron did many things
that made him feel proud. What is something you have
done that makes you feel proud?
Responses will vary.
4. Think about the text Why do you think Hank Aaron
became one of the greatest players in baseball history?
Responses will vary.
Making Connections Hank Aaron wanted to help children get a
good education. How would you like to help other people?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Read directions to students.
Critical Thinking
12
Grade 3, Unit 1: Good Citizens
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Grade 3
5
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Name
Date
Hank Aaron
Thinking About the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
The author says that Hank Aaron “made the fans very happy” and “worked
harder than any other player.” Are these statements facts? Why do you think
the author included them in the book? Use details from the book to support
your answer.
Grade 3
6
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Lesson 5
Name
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 5.10
Critical Thinking
Hank Aaron
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text How did Hank Aaron get to play
in the Negro Leagues?
2. Think within the text Why couldn’t Hank play in the
major leagues before 1947?
3. Think beyond the text Hank Aaron did many things
that made him feel proud. What is something you have
done that makes you feel proud?
4. Think about the text Why do you think Hank Aaron
became one of the greatest players in baseball history?
Making Connections Hank Aaron wanted to help children get a
good education. How would you like to help other people?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 3
7
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Student
Lesson 5
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 5.14
Hank Aaron • LEVEL O
page
2
Hank Aaron
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
The boy’s name was Henry Aaron. His friends called him Hank.
The name Hank was shorter to pronounce, or say. When Hank
grew up, he became one of the greatest home-run hitters ever.
3
Hank loved to play baseball. He dreamed of being a great
baseball player on professional teams. When Hank was a boy,
black baseball players could only play in the Negro Leagues.
But in 1947, a black player named Jackie Robinson started to
play in the major leagues. After that, black players could play
in the major leagues.
At age 17, Hank could swing a baseball bat fast and hard.
4
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/103 ×
100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 3
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414162
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
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