The Mongol Empire
Informational (nonfiction), 2,351 words, Level X (Grade 5)

Lesson Objectives

Reading Strategy	Ask and answer questions
Comprehension	Author's Purpose
Grammar and Mechanics	Adjectives
Word Work	Synonyms

Book Summary

During the 1200s, horsemen from Asia called the Mongols established the largest land empire ever created. These brutal conquerors expanded their empire by leveling entire cities, massacring the people who dwelled in them. The warrior largely responsible for their success was Genghis Khan who he became the Universal Ruler of all of the Mongol tribes and created a unified nation. How did Genghis Khan become such a powerful leader and what became of his empire after his death? Photographs, maps, and illustrations support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Ask and answer questions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of asking and answering questions to understand text
• Identify author’s purpose
• Recognize adjectives used in text
• Recognize and use synonyms

Vocabulary

• Content words: alliances, annual, archaeologists, bastion, dynasty, empire, fragmenting, feuding, havoc, isolated, nomadic, pillaged, plundered, proclaimed, relentless, ruthless, subdue, tribute, vassal states