Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.1, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will read and summarize a news article.

Key Skills

summarizing, text features, vocabulary, key detail, author’s craft, text evidence, critical thinking, argument writing 

Complexity Factors

Purpose:  The article describes creative ways people in three cities around the world have found to cope with extreme heat.

 

Structure: The text has an introduction followed by three sections with headings. The author sometimes addresses the reader directly.

 

Language: The language is straightforward and accessible.

 

Knowledge Demands: Some knowledge of climate change is helpful but not necessary.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: Q 

DRA Level: 40

Lesson Plan: Beating the Heat

Essential Questions:

  • What is climate change? Why is it a problem?
  • How do the actions of humans affect nature?

Literature Connections:

  • Novel: The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone
  • Novel: Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee

1. Preparing to Read 

Build Background Knowledge  (10 minutes)

As a class, watch our video “Let’s Talk About Climate Change.” After watching the video, briefly discuss the causes and effects of climate change. Ask students who they think is responsible for solving the problem.


Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Have students open their magazines to page 4. Guide them to preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). What are some things people can do to stay cool when it’s very hot outside? Answers will vary. Students might mention finding shade, going swimming, going somewhere with air-conditioning, and running through sprinklers. 
  • Look at the article’s three section headings. Based on these three headings, what cities will the article discuss? Based on the section headings, the article will discuss Phoenix, Arizona; Medellín, Colombia; and Tokyo, Japan. 

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (sweltering, extreme, dehydration, permanent, vegetation,  garments) 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 article “Beating the Heat” explains how people in three cities around the world are staying cool as temperatures rise. 
  • Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
  • Point out the activity at the end of the article and tell students they’ll complete it after reading. 

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

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

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • Based on the article’s opening section, in what way was 2024 a record-setting year? (key detail) The year 2024 was the hottest year since scientists started keeping a record of the global temperature in 1850.
  • Who is Keili Lopez Pastor? Why do you think the author chose to include her in the article? (author’s craft) Keili Lopez Pastor is a teen who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She helped make one of the works of art that were placed in the city’s parks to create shade. The author probably included her in the article because she’s an example of how extreme heat affects real people and how people can be part of the solution.
  • Based on the article, what evidence is there to show that the project in Medellín, Colombia, is a success? (text evidence) The article says that the city’s average temperature has dropped by 3 degrees since the project began. 

Critical-Thinking Question (5 minutes)

  • What do you think would be the most difficult part of living in a place where extreme heat is becoming normal? Answers will vary. Students might mention physical discomfort, health risks, or the inability to enjoy outdoor activities like playing sports. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

Go-Further Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Design a Shady Piece of Art

The article says that leaders in Phoenix, Arizona, hope to place more permanent shade-giving pieces of art in the city’s parks. Imagine that you’ve been asked to design one of them.

On a sheet of paper or in a computer document, write a description of the piece of art you will create in a park. Your description should answer these questions:

  • What will the piece of art look like (shape, color)?  
  • How big will it be?
  • What will it be made of?
  • How many people at a time will be able to enjoy its shade? How do you know?

Below your description, add an image (such as a drawing) of the piece of art you’re designing.

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