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Standards Correlations
R.1, R.2, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.2, W.3, SL.1, L.4, L.6
Learning Objective
Students will read an article about a young refugee and identify text evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Key Skills
text evidence, text features, vocabulary, central idea and details, author’s craft, inference, drawing conclusions, critical thinking, informational writing, narrative writing
Complexity Factors
Purpose: The text describes Yusra’s journey from Syria to Germany and her participation in the 2016 Olympics.
Structure: The text includes narrative and informational passages.
Language: The text includes some figurative language.
Knowledge Demands: Knowing how competitions at the Olympics work will be helpful. Semifinals are mentioned.
Levels
Lexile: 500L-600L
Guided Reading Level: U
DRA Level: 50
Lesson Plan: Swimming for Her Life
Essential Questions
Literature Connection
1. Preparing to Read
Preview Text Features (15 minutes)
Guide students to locate the story. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:
Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)
Make a Plan for Reading
Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:
2. Reading and Unpacking the Text
Guide students to read the article. Once they understand it well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.
Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
3. Skill Building and Writing
Learn-Anywhere Activity
An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom
The Path to Your Dreams
As Yusra’s story makes clear, it takes a lot of work to make your dreams come true. What is your dream? Do you want to become a famous artist or a pro athlete? To run a successful business? To open a shelter for rescued animals? Whatever your dream may be, you need a plan for it. Use the prompts below to outline the steps you need to take to get from where you are today to where you want to be one day.
ELL Springboard
Unpack figurative language to make the story more accessible.
This article uses the words died, dead, and alive figuratively. Discuss the figurative meanings of these words. Explain to students that alive can mean “still going” (e.g., keeping a tradition alive) and dead can mean “used up” or “no longer working” (e.g., dead battery).
Read the article aloud to the class. When you encounter the figures of speech listed below, pause to discuss their meanings:
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