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Please circulate to:Issue 5 • Sample Edition

4 Free Article: Montreal's Underground Caves 6 Comprehension Checks

7 Language Focus | 8 Lesson Plan10 Organizer: What's In? What's Out

ReaderThe CanadianThe Canadian

Teachers serving teachers since 1990

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RRFree Sample

1 News Story + Lesson Plan + Organizer

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With a subscription, you’ll receive eight full issues. Each one combines current Canadian events and issues with geography to expand students' knowledge of Canada while enhancing their ability to read and understand informational text. Three levelled news stories are accompanied by detailed literacy-based lesson plans, organizers, and criteria for assessment, as well as comprehension checks and a language focus.

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The Canadian Reader is published eight times during the school year in English and

in French from September through May by LesPlan Educational Services Ltd.

Subscribe to The Canadian Reader at a cost of $190 per year ($23.75 per issue),

by contacting us at:

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The Canadian Reader is protected by copyright. Subscribers

receive one copy of the publication each month and may photocopy

each issue for use by all students and teachers within one school.

Current Canadian events and issues for students in grades 3 and up.

The Canadian ReaderThe Canadian Reader

Phone (toll-free): 1-888-240-2212

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The Canadian Reader is a made-in-Canada

teaching and learning resource featuring

all-Canadian content. It has three main

components; use the entire package, or pick and

choose the pages that suit your class the best.

1. Literacy Focus – Th is generic lesson plan focuses

on seven key non-fi ction reading comprehension

strategies, presented in the following order:

Issue 1: Using Text Features

Issue 2: Making Connections

Issue 3: Visualizing

Issue 4: Asking Questions

Issue 5: Making Inferences

Issue 6: Determining Importance

Issue 7: Transforming/Synthesizing

Issue 8: Reading Strategies Review and Assessment

Teachers may introduce and practice each

month's strategy using any of the articles in

the issue, or save it for another time or text.

2. Canadian news stories – Each of the three articles

is leveled and accompanied by Comprehension

Check questions, a Language Focus, and a

literacy-based lesson plan and supporting

materials. Teach the lessons as they are presented,

or pick and choose the activities and assignments

you'd like to explore with your students.

3. Did You Know? comic – Th is comic provides

basic information about a current news story

or event, or supports one of the articles with

background information. It's a great way to

engage reluctant readers and build students'

background knowledge in a fun and graphic way.

How to use this resource:

Share Th e Canadian Reader with other staff members in your

school, including itinerant, relief, and substitute teachers.

Note: All URLs referenced in The Canadian Reader are posted as links on

our student website at http://www.lesplan.

com/en/links. Bookmark this URL on your

school's computer network to give students

easy access to our recommended sites.

The Canadian Reader Issue 5 • Sample Edition

4

Down undergroundCan you imagine being the fi rst to explore

somewhere nobody has ever set foot? Meet

Daniel Caron and Luc Le Blanc. For years,

caving has been their hobby. Th ey wear

hard hats and headlamps. Th ey seek out

underground caverns and passages.

For a long time they’ve been interested in

Montreal’s Saint-Leonard Cavern. Th is

small cave was discovered in 1812. Today,

thousands of school children go there

on fi eld trips. Th ey climb down a ladder,

into the cave. Th ey gaze at the stalactites

hanging like icicles from the ceiling.

Th e cavers had a hunch that this cavern

might extend further. Th ey focussed

on a limestone wall at the back of the

cave. Th ey found a crack and pushed

through a small camera. About a metre

in, they took a photo of... empty space!

It wasn’t easy to open up a window

through the solid rock. Th ey brought

in powerful drills and hammers.

“Aft er a few hours of digging, it was

big enough to get the upper part of our

bodies through,” says Mr. Caron. Th ey

got their fi rst look at what lay beyond.

“Yes! We did it! We did it!” they yelled.

Major discoveryWhat they found on October 12 was a

cavern with numerous passageways leading

off . It was about 200 metres long and six


Montreal’s Underground Caves

Th e kids playing in a Montreal park had no idea. Neither did

families living in the neighbourhood. Th e secret? Beneath

their feet, about ten metres underground, was a vast hidden

cave. Until a few months ago, nobody knew it existed.

5

metres high. Th e walls and ceiling were

smooth, but hung with stalactites.

“Th e walls sometimes look like thick

layers of fudge and chocolate,” says

Mr. Le Blanc. “It’s just beautiful.”

Th ey brought in a ladder to climb down

into the deep cave. So far they’ve explored

200 to 500 metres of the cave network.

“It keeps going,” said

Mr. Le Blanc. “We haven’t

reached the end yet.”

Th e cave is so deep it reaches

the aquifer. Some

passageways are fi lled with

clear water fi ve metres

deep. Th e cavers brought

in an infl atable canoe

to explore further. Th ey

hope that the water level

drops and they can venture beyond.

Ice age caveExperts say this type of cave is unusual.

It was formed more than 15,000 years

ago during the ice age. At that time, the

area was covered by heavy ice sheets.

Th e weight of these massive glaciers split

open the rock beneath the surface.

Montreal later built streets above the cave.

Nobody knew what was below.

“It was so easy to open it

up. We were happy and

surprised. But it was a complete

fl uke,” says Mr. Caron.

“In the life of a spelunker,

something like this happens once.”

An

aquifer is an

underground water

source. A spelunker is

a cave explorer.

What if YOU discovered a

place no one had seen before?

How would you feel?


6

Name: Date:

Comprehension Check


Answer the questions below in complete sentences:

1. Where was the secret underground cave found?

2. When was the secret underground cave found?

3. Who found the secret underground cave?

4. Describe the secret underground cave.

5. How and when was the secret underground cave formed?


7

Name: Date:


A simile is a comparison of two unlike

things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Example: She ran like the wind.

Example: My brother is as tall as a telephone pole.

Complete the sentences below by fi nishing

the similes in each sentence:

1. Th at joke is as funny as

2. Kelly's bedroom is as messy as

3. Aft er he eats, my puppy's belly is round like

4. Th e rain danced on the roof like

5. Th e toast was as dry as

Language Focus

How do similes make writing stronger? Explain.

Find two similes in the article and write them below:

1.

2.


8 The Canadian Reader Issue 5 • Sample Edition

Before Reading: Using appropriate technology, project a copy of What’s In? What’s Out? (p. 10) on a screen

or white board. Hand out a copy of the organizer to each pair of students. Read the title of

the article and the list of words aloud to the class. Direct students to work with their partners

to predict which of the words will appear in the story, and to explain their reasoning on the

handout. Invite several partners to share their predictions and thinking in a class discussion.

During Reading: As they read the article, encourage students to see if their predicted words appear in the story

and how they are used in context.

After Reading: As a class, revisit the list of words on What’s In? What’s Out? Ask students to select at least 6 of

the words found in the article and use them to write a brief summary of the story on a separate

piece of paper. Review the criteria for an eff ective summary (below).

When students have completed their summaries, have them underline the vocabulary words they

used. Direct them to exchange and peer assess each other’s summaries. Ask peers to write the 3

criteria at the bottom of the paragraph (complete, succinct, well-sequenced) and to indicate with a

√ or a • whether or not each of the criteria were met.

Criteria for Assessment: An eff ective summary is complete (includes the most important 5Ws +

H), succinct (to the point), and presents the key points in a logical sequence.

Extension: Option 1: Th e article is rich in sensory details. Invite students to fi rst select a powerful quote

from the article that helps them visualize an important part of the story (e.g., what the Saint-

Leonard Caves look like; how Mr. Caron and Mr. Le Blanc discovered the new cavern; what the

new cavern looks like). Th en, ask them to sketch what they picture in their mind when they read

the quote. Finally, ask them to label their sketch with a 3C headline—something that is catchy,

creative, and will capture the attention of the reader. Facilitate a Gallery Walk inviting students

to notice the diff erent choices of quotes and how their classmates visualized their scenes.

Option 2: Students may be interested in learning more about how caves are formed. Direct them

to the sources listed in Internet Connections. Encourage them to summarize their fi ndings in

an illustrated fl ow chart or poem. Note: Creative Communication has an online Poetry Machine

that provides explanations, examples, and templates for many types of poems. Check them out,

at: http://poetrygames.org/poetry-machine/

Lesson PlanMontreal’s Underground Caves

9 The Canadian Reader Issue 5 • Sample Edition

Internet Connections: To fi nd out more about this news story, go to:

Spelunkers discover 15,000-year-old cavern in St-Léonard park: http://montrealgazette.com/news/

local-news/caves-dating-back-more-than-15000-years-discovered-in-saint-leonard [2:07]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-underground-passage-1.4428833

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/montreal-explorers-discover-network-of-ice-

age-caves-beneath-neighbourhood-streets/article37172553/

Learn more about Montreal’s Saint-Leonard Cavern, at:

https://www.mtlblog.com/lifestyle/the-secret-montreal-cave-you-can-visit

https://www.375mtl.com/en/2-minutes-of-history-the-saint-leonard-cavern/

http://montreal.for91days.com/montreals-real-underground-the-saint-leonard-caves/

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g155032-d254546-Reviews-Saint_Leonard_

CavernMontreal_Quebec.html#photos;geo=155032&detail=254546&aggregationId=101

To discover how caves are formed, check out:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth/caves/

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.caveform/how-caves-form/#.

WlqYPEtrzGZ

Cave Formation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcyafOm8V1Q [0:18]

How are Caves formed - Geology of Cave Landforms UPSC/IAS/SSC CGL: https://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=9TRK9NJOzR8 [1:25]

Note: All URLs are posted as links at http://www.lesplan.com/en/links

Lesson PlanMontreal’s Underground Caves

10

Name: Date:



What's In? What's Out?Word In or Out? Why?

icicles

ladder

aquifer

fl ashlight

drill

chocolate

limestone

explore

cavern

streets

stalactites

gold coins

A monthly current events resource for Canadian classrooms

Routing Slip: (please circulate)September 2011

Level 2 (Grades 8, 9 and 10)

Europe, the U.S., and Th e Economypage 14Struggle for Survival in Somalia

page 9Cell Phonesin the Spotlightpage 20

Rick Hansen and Many in Motionpage 3


Routing Slip: (please circulate)

September 2011


Europe, the U.S., and Th e Economypage 14

Struggle for Survival in Somaliapage 9

Cell Phonesin the Spotlightpage 20

Rick Hansen and Many in Motionpage 3

grad

e 3

& u

p

grade 3 & up

grad

e 5

& u

p


Routing Slip: (please circulate)

September 2011


Europe, the U.S., and

Th e Economypage 14

Struggle for Survival in

Somaliapage 9

Cell Phonesin the Spotlight

page 20

Rick Hansen and

Many in Motion

page 3

Students want to know what’s happening in their world – but the news can be difficult and time-consuming to teach.

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The Canadian Reader Nos Nouvelles

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Clearly written, leveled Canadian current events articles

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National and international news stories

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Varied assignments that build content-area knowledge and enhance critical thinking

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Product details: 32 pages, black and white. Available in English and in French, and in two reading levels, for grades 5 and up.

Currents4Kids.com Infos-Jeunes.com

Online interactive resource

Weekly news stories

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Comment page for students to respond to the stories

Links to relevant articles, resources, maps, photos and videos

Suggested activities and a Word Work assignment

One subscription allows all teachers and students access to this site from any Internet-connected device at any time. Available in English and in French, for grades 3 and up.

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