Lesson Plan: The Wave Catcher/The Record Breaker

Essential Questions

• What makes someone a legend?
• How does an activity become popular?
• How does geography shape culture? 

Literature Connection

• Nonfiction: The Science of Waves and Surfboards by Lisa Steele MacDonald
• Biography: Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crowe

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles in their magazines or at Action Digital. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the articles’ titles and subtitles. What did Duke Kahanamoku do? How do you think Carissa Moore is “pushing the limits of [surfing]”? (Make a prediction to answer the second question.) Duke Kahanamoku helped bring surfing to the world. Carissa Moore might be pushing the limits of surfing by riding the highest waves or the most waves. We can infer this because the article about her is titled “The Record Breaker.”
• Look at the map, titled “A Surfer’s Paradise,” and read its caption. What makes Hawaii a perfect place for surfing? Hawaii is thousands of miles away from other land, so the waves that hit its shores tend to be tall and powerful.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary boxes.  Read the words (territory, ambassador, pop culture, beloved, effortlessly) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the articles give information about the history of surfing and about two athletes who have made the sport popular.
• Tell students that after they read, they’ll synthesize information from the two articles to better understand how surfing became popular in the U.S.

Read the articles. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Digital. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

• In “The Wave Catcher,” which details show that surfing has long been a big part of Hawaiian culture? (key details) Surfing has played an important role in Hawaiian culture for 1,000 years. Hawaiians told stories of gods and goddesses that took to the sea on their boards. All kinds of people loved surfing: young and old, rich and poor. Even after America slowly took control of the islands and banned surfing, the sport did not die out. It came to national attention thanks to Duke Kahanamoku.
• What effect did Kahanamoku’s Olympic swimming success have on surfing as a sport? (cause and effect) After Kahanamoku won a medal for swimming in the 1912 Summer Olympic Games, he was invited to tour the U.S. to show off his swimming skills. It was on this tour that he decided he would bring surfing to the world. As he toured the country, he inspired kids and teens to take up surfing. As a result, surfing gained prominence across the U.S.
• The author writes that “by the end of the 1960s, even a kid in Kansas probably dreamed about surfing.” What does she mean? (Hint: Look at where Kansas is on a map.) (interpreting text) The author is emphasizing how widespread the surfing craze had become in the 1960s. She is saying that even a kid who lived nowhere near an ocean would have been interested in surfing. This shows how popular surfing had become all across the U.S. 
• According to “The Record Breaker,” who inspired Carissa Moore to take up surfing? Who has she inspired in turn? (synthesizing) Carissa Moore was inspired by Duke Kahanamoku to become one of the best surfers in the world today. She was also inspired by the role surfing plays in her culture. She says, “I wanted to make Hawaii proud.” In turn, Moore has inspired many young girls to start surfing.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• What makes a person a legend? What makes Kahanamoku legendary? (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Students might say that people who are considered legends create some sort of lasting change. They usually become well-known for a unique characteristic, skill, or contribution. Kahanamoku is legendary because he had incredible athletic skills—both in swimming and surfing. By displaying these skills, he helped create the sport of surfing as we know it today and also kept an important part of Hawaii’s culture alive.
• In what ways, if any, do you think differently about Hawaii after reading “The Wave Catcher”? In what ways, if any, do you think differently about the United States? (making a personal connection) Answers will vary. Students might say that what usually comes to mind when they think of Hawaii is a beautiful vacation destination and that the article offers a deeper look into the islands’ people, culture, and history. Students may not have known that Hawaii was once not part of the U.S. They may not be aware that when the U.S. took control of the Hawaiian islands, the Hawaiian language was banned from schools, and hula dancing was forbidden. Students may make connections to other instances throughout history of Indigenous peoples being forced to abandon their own culture and assimilate into the culture of those in power. 

• Have students work in pairs to complete our Synthesizing Skill Builder.  (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
• Writing Prompt: Imagine that you are a reporter for a magazine, and you have the chance to interview both Kahanamoku and Moore. What would you like to know about their lives and careers that you didn’t learn from the articles? Write down three questions that you’d like to ask each athlete.