LESSON 19 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Mysteries of the Phoenicians
by Bette Frisk
Fountas-Pinnell Level Z
Informational Text
Selection Summary
Sailors, traders, resource experts, artisans: These were the
Phoenicians, whose Mediterranean crossroads location made their
ports the envy of nearby civilizations. Emerging around 1220 B.C.E.,
Phoenicia’s city-states flourished until raids by Persians, Greeks, and
others devastated the countryside, leaving scarce artifacts for today’s
scientists to ponder the mysteries of this once-great culture.
Number of Words: 2,047
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Informational text
• Third-person narrative in short sections with headings and subheadings
• Bulleted questions help readers focus on what they will learn from the text.
• Phoenicians
• Rise and fall of an ancient civilization
• Ancient trade and record-keeping
• Geographic location and resources affect the development of a civilization.
• Many conflicts and wars are waged for economic reasons.
• To be successful, use your available resources wisely.
• Sensory and metaphoric language: rich reddish-purple; As Egypt grew, Canaan bowed to
its terms of trade.
• Analogy: store location to location of Phoenicia
• Frequent appositional phrases set off with commas
• Many complex sentences
• Dashes and exclamations
• Many names of ancient peoples and places: Carthage, Malta
• Many challenging multisyllable words: unprecedented, dominated, inevitably, demolished,
artifacts
• Photographs with captions, map, chart
• Seventeen pages of text
• Sidebars, timeline
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Mysteries of the Phoenicians
by Bette Frisk
Build Background
Help students use their archaeology knowledge to visualize the selection. Build interest by
asking a question such as the following: What object would you bury so people hundreds
of years from now would know about you and your community? Read the title and author
and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this selection is an informational text
about Phoenicia, an important civilization that died more than a thousand years ago.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar
language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some
suggestions:
Page 3: Explain that little is known about this culture of traders and craftspeople,
because few writings by Phoenicians themselves still exist. Suggested language:
Look at the map on page 3. Why might Phoenicia’s location have encouraged
trading and craft making?
Page 4: Explain that Phoenicians wrote on papyrus, or paper made from local
plants. Ask: How does this suggest that the Phoenicians were a resourceful
people?
Page 6–7: Look at the statue and read the caption. Explain that the statue was
made by an ancient artisan. Ask: What does an artisan do?
Pages 8–9: Discuss the timeline on these pages with students. Phoenicia’s citystates were independent and very successful. Notice how other groups attacked
Phoenicia during the period from 800 to 64 B.C.E. Ask: Why might these groups
have wanted the Phoenicians’ territory?
Pages 12–13: Draw attention to the photo and caption on page 13. Explain that
Romans destroyed the city of Carthage, including its famous library. Ask: Why do
you think the author refers to Carthage as Phoenicia’s Jewel? What would make a
city valuable to a culture?
Now go back to the beginning and read to learn more about the mighty and
mysterious Phoenicians.
Expand Your Vocabulary
artisans – skilled manual workers
or craftspeople, p. 7
mercenaries – soldiers hired for
service in a foreign army, p. 11
ironically – in a manner contrary
to what is expected, p. 18
papyrus – a writing material
made from a tall, aquatic plant
found in the Mediterranean,
p. 4
Grade 6
2
terrain – the surface features or
topography of an area of land,
p. 8
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Read
Have students read silently while you listen to individual students aloud. Support their
understanding of the text as needed.
Remind students to use the Monitor/Clarify Strategy
to figure out parts of the story that aren’t making sense.
and to find ways
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the selection.
Suggested language: What did you learn from the text about the rise and fall of cultures?
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
• The Phoenicians were successful
sailors, traders, and artisans who
used their resources wisely.
• Wise use of available resources
contributes to success.
• The author’s tone indicates her
admiration for the Phoenicians.
• Sometimes others envy your
prosperity and success.
• The captions add useful
information.
• A written language is a trait of a
developed culture.
• The author includes many details
about Phoenician culture to
support the idea that the culture
was highly developed and
successful.
• Phoenicia’s ancient, independent
city-states flourished.
• The easy-to-use Phoenician
alphabet was modified for use by
other groups of people.
© 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 read phrases, rather than individual words, for a more natural tone that
expresses the author’s meaning.
• 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 many English words come from Latin
roots. For example, the word artisan (page 7) is formed from the Latin word ars, or art.
Other forms of this Latin word, such as artis (meaning “of the art” or “art’s”) and artire
(meaning “to instruct in the arts”) are even closer to the English word in structure.
Grade 6
3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 19.9.
Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s
Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the
comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Cause and Effect
Remind students that they can use cause and effect to
connect events in a text. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think
Aloud” like the one below:
Think Aloud
The text reveals that the Phoenicians’ wise use of local resources
together with their location at the crossroads of the region caused the
civilization to grow and prosper. Page 11 states that the frequent raids by
enemies caused the Phoenicians to create colonies to the west. List these
details as causes and effects in the Graphic Organizer.
Practice the Skill
Have students share an example of another selection or text in which one or more factors
cause the success of a character or group.
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
• What does the word biased mean in the sentence Much of what we know of the
Phoenicians comes from biased accounts written by their enemies?
• How would you describe the narrator’s tone in the second paragraph of the selection?
• What caused the Phoenician language to die out?
Grade 6
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Make sure
the text matches the students’ reading level. Language and content should be accessible
with regular teaching support.
Idioms The text includes many idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of
expressions such as back on their feet and dusted themselves off (page 11).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is the topic of the
text?
Speaker 1: Why was the Phoenician
alphabet popular?
Speaker 2: the Phoenicians
Speaker 2: The alphabet was easier
than other writing systems. It could be
easily adapted to other languages.
Speaker 1: How did Phoenicians
benefit from the Mediterranean
Sea?
Speaker 1: When did the Phoenician
civilization exist?
Speaker 2: from 1200 B.C.E. to 64
B.C.E.
Speaker 1: What kind of Phoenician
soldiers entered the conflict against
Greece?
Speaker 2: Many of the foods
in the Phoenicians’ diet came
from the sea. The Phoenicians
also traveled the sea to trade
their goods and used their navy
to protect colonies such as
Carthage.
Speaker 1: Why do few Phoenician
writings exist today?
Speaker 2: Many writings were
destroyed by fire or damaged by
humidity.
Speaker 2: mercenaries
Lesson 19
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 19.9
Date
Critical Thinking
Mysteries of the
Phoenicians
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown.
1. Think within the text Why did the Egyptian papyrus records survive
while the Phoenician records did not?
The dry Egyptian climate helped preserve the papyrus. The Phoenician
climate was humid and probably caused the records to decay.
2. Think within the text What made Carthage wealthy?
Silver from North Africa and southern Spain made Carthage
wealthy.
3. Think beyond the text What effect did the Phoenician alphabet have
on the preservation of Greek culture?
The Phoenician alphabet was adopted by the Greeks and enabled
them to preserve their classical ideals and ideas of democracy.
4. Think about the text What do you think was the most important
reason the Phoenicians were successful and accomplished?
The Phoenicians made good use of resources, were in a good
location, and were successful in trading.
Making Connections Most of the Phoenician records were destroyed. Write
a short record of what you think a day in the life of a Phoenician may have
been like. Use details from the selection to illustrate your record.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
11
Critical Thinking
Grade 6, Unit 4: Treasures of the Ancient World
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Grade 6
5
Lesson 19: Mysteries of the Phoenicians
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First Pass
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Name
Date
Mysteries of the Phoenicians
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two or three
paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal
knowledge to reach new understandings.
On page 9, the narrator says: “Although Phoenicians shared a culture, they
did not think of themselves as belonging to a nation.” What does this
statement mean? How do you think their fate might have changed if
Phoenicians had thought of themselves as a nation? Use details from the
text to support your response.
Grade 6
6
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Lesson 19
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 19.9
Date
Critical Thinking
Mysteries of the
Phoenicians
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text Why did the Egyptian papyrus records survive
while the Phoenician records did not?
2. Think within the text What made Carthage wealthy?
3. Think beyond the text What effect did the Phoenician alphabet have
on the preservation of Greek culture?
4. Think about the text What do you think was the most important
reason the Phoenicians were successful and accomplished?
Making Connections Most of the Phoenician records were destroyed. Write
a short record of what you think a day in the life of a Phoenician may have
been like. Use details from the selection to illustrate your record.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 6
7
Lesson 19: Mysteries of the Phoenicians
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Student
Lesson 19
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 19.13
Mysteries of the Phoenicians
Mysteries of the
Phoenicians
Running Record Form
LEVEL Z
page
2
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
The Phoenicians settled and colonized seaports and cities all
over the Mediterranean region. Goods made and traded by
Phoenicians have been found as far away as the British Isles.
Their unprecedented skills as sailors and merchants set the
Phoenicians apart from the traders that came before them.
Their reign over Mediterranean trade lasted for nearly one
thousand years.
3
Over time, the Phoenicians seemed to have faded from history.
Compared to other long-lived civilizations, we know little about
their culture or day-to-day life. We assume the culture was
advanced because they possessed writing. We don’t know
whether their leaders claimed to have divine powers.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/106 × 100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 6
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat

Error
1414257
Behavior
1
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