4 teacher’s guide big bridges - houghton mifflin harcourt · lesson 4 teacher’s guide big...

Number of Words: 508

L E S S O N 4 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Big Bridgesby Elizabeth West

Fountas-Pinnell Level MNonfictionSelection SummaryBridges have been built since ancient times. Starting with a simple log over a stream, bridges have become more complex over time as people’s needs have changed. Modern bridges are stronger, safer, longer, and last longer than bridges in the past.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Nonfi ction

Text Structure • Events in chronological order• Section heads

Content • History of bridges• Different kinds of bridges• Their effect on people’s lives

Themes and Ideas • People have used stronger and stronger materials to build bridges.• Changes in design are made as people’s needs change.• The need for each bridge is unique and so is each bridge.

Language and Literary Features

• Question-and-answer format in some places

Sentence Complexity • Mix of short and complex sentences• Compound and complex sentences with phrases: But trains are very heavy, and the

bridges weren’t strong enough to hold them.Vocabulary • Some place names that might be unfamiliar: San Francisco, Michigan, West Virginia

Words • Some multisyllabic words that might be challenging: balancing, beautiful, disappear, exciting, together

Illustrations • Photos on most pages with captions• Bar graph

Book and Print Features • Ten pages of text with mix of black-and-white and four-color photographs (and one graph) on all pages

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

balancing — keeping steady, p. 3cling — to stick to or hold on

tightly, p. 9crew — group of people doing

work, p. 5

stretch — to extend or spread out, p. 3

excitement — feeling of great happiness, p. 2

disappears — passes from sight, p. 7

foggy — in a thick mist or low clouds, p. 7

tide — the rise and fall of the sea, p. 5

Big Bridges by Elizabeth West

Build BackgroundHelp students to recall bridges they have seen or used. Build interest by asking such questions as these: Were you walking across the bridge or traveling over it by car? What was the bridge made of? What did the bridge cross over? Read the title and author’s name and talk about the cover photo. Tell students that this book is nonfi ction, so they will notice special nonfi ction features like photos, captions, and section heads.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and nonfi ction features. Help with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

: Explain that this book is about bridges of all kinds. Suggested language: Turn to page 2 and read the caption. When this bridge was built excitement fi lled the air because people could travel to a new place. A rope bridge like this swings when you use it — that causes a lot of excitement, too.

Page 3: Explain that this book starts in the distant past and ends in modern times. Point out that the ancient bridge in the picture seems to have two parts, with one part balancing on another.

Page 6: Explain that there are bridges in every state. The graph on this page lets you compare the number of bridges in four states. Which state has the most bridges? Why do you think some states have more bridges than others?

Page 7: Ask students to look at the picture on page 7. What would it be like to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge on a foggy day when parts of the bridge seem to disappear in the fog? Would you like to try it?

Pages 7–10: Have students look at the pictures of bridges on pages 7 through 10. These are some of the most famous bridges in the United States. Why do you think they’re all different?

Now turn back to the beginning and read to fi nd out why bridges were built.

2 Lesson 4: Big BridgesGrade 3© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


ReadHave students read Big Bridges silently while you listen to individual students read. Support their problem solving and fl uency as needed.

Remind students to use the Infer/Predict Strategy to fi nd clues to help them fi gure out more about the selection.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the book.Suggested language: Have you ever thought about how bridges are built? What have you learned from this book that explains that?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Bridges are not all alike because they’re built in different places.

• Bridges can be made of wood, stone, iron, steel, and even rope.

• Bridges need to be safe.

• Some bridges are beautiful as well as useful.

• Bridge designers have to be sure each bridge fi ts its place.

• Over time, bridges got more complicated in design because they needed to be stronger and last longer.

• The author’s language makes it easy to understand the subject.

• The author makes it clear that she appreciates the craft of building bridges.

• The book is full of photographs of examples of many kinds of bridges.

© 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. Suggest that

they try reading pages 7–10 as though they are conducting a tour of famous bridges.

• 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. Point out that words ending in –er are used when the author compares two things, as on page 3: These bridges lasted longer, and they were safer, too. Help students identify what bridges are being compared.



Writing about ReadingVocabulary PracticeHave students complete the vocabulary questions on BLM 4.1.

RespondingHave students complete the vocabulary activities on page 11. Remind them to answer the Word Teaser on p. 12. (Answer: fl ing)

Reading Nonfi ctionNonfiction Features: Captions and Photos Remind students that nonfi ction books like Big Bridges have many features to help readers fi nd and understand important information. Photos with captions are examples. Explain that captions can be short phrases or full sentences. Captions tell what a photo, map, or diagram is about. The photos themselves are an important source of information. Have students look at the photo on page 7. Ask students what information they can learn from this photo and its caption. (The bridge is near the ocean. Orange paint protects the steel from the salty air.) Have students choose two photos from the book and write new captions for them.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6.

Assessment Prompts• In paragraph 2 on page 3, fi nd the word that means almost the same as “staying in a

steady position.”

• On page 5, which words help the reader to know the meaning of crew?

• How does the picture on page 9 and its caption help readers to understand the meaning of the word cling?



Read directions to students.

Target VocabularyFill in two more Examples and Non-examples for stretch. Then create your own Four-Square Maps for two of the remaining Target Vocabulary words.

balancingclingcrew

stretchexcitementdisappears

foggytide

Vocabulary

Definitionmake bigger or longer

Example

• a rubber band

• elastic

• a piece of taffy

SentenceStretch your arm and you can reach the top shelf.

Non-example

• a piece of lumber

•

•

stretch

Big BridgesTarget Vocabulary

Possible responses shown.

a small car

a cracker

Name Date

3

Lesson 4B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 1

Target Vocabulary© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Grade 3, Unit 1: Good Citizens

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to softly read the text aloud. Beginning speakers may also read the captions on their own.

Cultural Support Use a map of the United States to help students locate the general area of the bridges shown on pages 7 through 10. On page 8, use the map to help students visualize the fi rst sentence: Michigan has two parts divided by water.

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What is this book about?

Speaker 2: bridges

Speaker 1: Why do bridges need to be strong?

Speaker 2: Strong bridges are safer.

Speaker 1: Who builds bridges?

Speaker 2: Crews of workers build bridges.

Speaker 1: How do the workers know what to do?

Speaker 2: First someone has to plan the bridge.

Speaker 1: How do bridges change lives?

Speaker 2: They let people go to new places.

Speaker 1: Why did railroad trains change the way bridges were made?

Speaker 2: The bridges had to be strong enough to hold the heavy trains.



Name Date

Big BridgesThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

On page 2, the author says, “When a new bridge is built, excitement fills the air.” Then she asks the question “Why?” Answer in your own words why you think people get excited when a new bridge is built.


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Target VocabularyFill in two more Examples and Non-examples for stretch. Then create your own Four-Square Maps for two of the remaining Target Vocabulary words.

balancing

cling

crew

stretch

excitement

disappears

foggy

tide

Vocabulary

Definitionmake bigger or longer

Example

• a rubber band

•

•

SentenceStretch your arm and you can reach the top shelf.

Non-example

• a piece of lumber

•

•

stretch

Big BridgesTarget Vocabulary

Name Date

Lesson 4B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 1



1414177

Student Date Lesson 4

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 2 3

Big BridgesRunning Record Form

Big Bridges • LEVEL M

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

2

3

4

When a new bridge is built, excitement fills the air. Why?

Every bridge changes lives. Bridges let people go new places.

Bridges save travel time.

Bridges can be small or big. They can be wood, stone,

iron, or steel.

People need bridges. They use them to cross rivers and

valleys.

Long ago, bridges were very simple. People would stretch

a log across a stream. Then they could cross, balancing

carefully as they went.

Next, people built stone or wood bridges. These bridges

lasted longer, and they were safer, too.

Then people started building railroads.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/94 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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