JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC Cover Story lexile score: 1065L (lower-Lexile version: 865L)
Growing Up
in the World’s Most
­Dangerous Place
STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN
➜Objective Students will read an article closely,
determining word meanings, integrating visual information, and analyzing the author’s choices.
➜Key Standards RH6-8.1, RH6-8.4, RI6-8.5,
RH6-8.7, WHST6-8.10
➜Materials Copies for each student of
“Growing Up in the World’s Most Dangerous Place”
(or the lower-Lexile version of the article at
www.scholastic.com/js in the Teaching Resources
section); “Syria: Past to Present” and “Anatomy of
a News Story,” skills sheets that can be found at
www.scholastic.com/js in the Printables section.
➜Assessment Students will contribute to a
text-based ­discussion and write a reflection to demonstrate mastery of the lesson’s objective.
➜Time frame Approximately two class periods
➜Background The civil war in Syria began
in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring, with a series of
peaceful protests against the harsh regime of President
Bashar al-Assad and the
ruling Alawite elite. Assad
tried to crush the rebellion,
causing the violence on both
To make sure students use
text-based evidence during
sides to escalate. More than
the discussion, have them
160,000 people have been
number the paragraphs
killed and millions have fled
of the article ahead of time
the country. The conflict is
so they can cite the
extending to neighboring
paragraph number for
countries, including Iraq.
the evidence they found.
The Alawites have ties to
Shia Islam; most Syrians
are Sunni Muslims. ISIS, a radical Sunni group, has
been seizing land in Iraq and Syria. World leaders are
concerned about the impact ISIS could have on the
entire region.
Teaching Tip
✱
➜BEFORE READING
1
Full-class background-knowledge activity
(5-10 minutes)
Begin by telling students that they’re going to read a
news story about the civil war in Syria. Gauge students’
background knowledge by asking: How many of you have
heard of Syria? Can you locate Syria on a map? Is Syria a
peaceful country right now? After determining what your
students already know, provide them with the background
information to fill the gaps in their knowledge and to
summarize what’s going on.
Next, flip through the article as a class, asking students
to identify text features (e.g., map, circle graphs, photos,
captions). Ask them what they can tell about the subject
from these elements (in terms of what they will learn and
what they think about Syria’s war).
➜DURING READING
2
Full-class reading
(5-10 minutes)
Read the first two paragraphs to the class (as ­students
­follow along). Ask students to identify details that
describe Amna (for example, “loved shopping with
friends, surfing the Web, and decorating her spacious
bedroom inside her middle-class home”). What do those
details say about Amna? Read the next six paragraphs,
pausing every sentence or two to ask students to point
out details that paint a picture of Amna. Ask: How is her
life different now? Return to the first two paragraphs to
compare how her life used to be. Ask about Amna’s statement: “Air strikes do not ­discriminate between civilians
and militants.” What does that mean, and how does it
make you feel about her s­ ituation?
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3
Individual close-reading exercise
(15-20 minutes)
Tell students to read the rest of the article independently,
underlining details that paint a picture or tug at their emotions, jotting down notes about what those details show.
Students should circle any words they don’t know (difficult
words or expressions may include oust, ratcheted up, and
militants). Encourage students to use context clues to figure out their meanings. Have them study each photo and
write notes about what each one adds to the story.
➜AFTER READING
4
Text-based discussion to
assess comprehension
(10-15 minutes)
✱ Bonus Content
Online video! Watch
Talk about the article as a
the video as a class
class. Begin with a few basic
and have students
questions to measure underdiscuss how it provides
standing: Where did Amna
information that isn’t in
and her family move? What
the article.
are conditions like there?
What does “the lost generation” mean? What started the
war? How did it escalate? Why does the U.S. care what
happens there? Have students cite the places in the text
from which they’re getting their answers.
5
MapSearch and timeline (20-25 minutes)
Have students complete the MapSearch (pp. 12-13) and
the timeline, “Syria: Past to Present” (online-only skills
sheet). Discuss their answers as a class. (Note: If any of
your students are unfamiliar with determining latitude and
longitude, refer to our GeoSkills activity on pp. 18-19.)
the region; the article begins with Amna’s personal story
to capture readers’ interest, gives facts about the war, then
wraps up with Amna’s personal story.)
7
Writing assignment
(15-20 minutes)
8
Extension: “Anatomy of a News Story”
online-only skills sheet
Have students write a one-page reflection on how the
author’s approach to the story (language and text features) affects their understanding of the topic. This can be
done in class or for homework.
For homework, have students complete the online-only
skills sheet to further develop their understanding of text
structures. Note that this skills sheet can be used with any
article in JS.
Differentiating
Lower Level Have the
discussions in small
groups instead of as a full
class. That way, students
who have trouble reading
can spend more time on
comprehension questions.
You can also provide
definitions for key words.
Higher Level Have
students respond to higherorder-thinking questions
that require them to apply
knowledge. For example:
If you were making a
documentary about Amna’s
life, what choices would you
have to make?
6
Full-class discussion to help students analyze and
synthesize what they’ve read (15 minutes)
Ask students how the map, charts, and timeline complement the article. Questions might include: How did the
map help you understand the article? How is the article
structured? (The map shows how the conflict is affecting
www.scholastic.com/js
®
skills sheet
Name: Date:
Identifying text features
key
Standard
Uses: copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants teacher-subscribers to Junior Scholastic permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2014 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
Anatomy of a News Story
RI6-8.5
News stories convey information in a clear, precise way. Review the
elements of a news story below. Then look closely at any feature story in
JS to answer the questions that follow.
Headline: This is the main title of the story.
Nut graph: This paragraph sums up what
A good headline attracts readers’ attention and
suggests what the story is about.
the story is about. It usually follows the lead.
Deck: This appears below the headline. It is
usually a one- or two-sentence summary of
what the story is about.
Subheads: These are mini-headlines that
separate different sections of the story.
Subheads break the story into shorter, morereadable segments.
Lead (pronounced leed): This is the first
sentence or paragraph of the story. A good
lead should pique readers’ interest so that they
want to read more. It should connect quickly
to the story’s main idea.
Graphic elements: Photographs, charts,
and maps are visual elements that help
illustrate the news story and provide extra
information.
Caption: This is a phrase or a short
explanation of what is shown in a photograph,
chart, or map.
Sidebar: This is a short article that relates
to, but is separate from, the main story. It
may help put the main story in context—
by providing historical background, for
example—or present additional information
about the topic of the main story.
Questions
1.Find an example of a headline.
After you’ve read the story,
write a new headline for it.
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2.Find an example of a subhead.
What does the subhead tell
you about the section that
follows it?
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3.Describe a graphic element
that appears with the story.
How does it help illustrate
the story?
5.Does the lead of this story
pique your interest? Why or
why not? After you’ve read the
story, write a new lead.
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4.Find an example of a caption.
What does it tell you about
the graphic element it
accompanies?
____________________________
____________________________
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