Text Type: Nonfiction/Biography
Page Count: 16
Word Count: 748 

Book Summary
Meet Louis Braille, the person who invented a system for blind people to read and write. This informational book provides readers with insight into Louis Braille's life from the year of his birth to the accident that caused his blindness and the year of his death. Illustrations support readers' understanding of this historical biography.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Ask and answer questions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of asking and answering questions while reading
• Identify elements of a biography
• Identify and use pronouns
• Fluently read numbers within text

Materials

• Book -- A Man of Vision (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Ask and answer questions, vocabulary, pronouns worksheets

   Indicates an opportunity for student to mark in the book. (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are reusable.)

Vocabulary

• Content words: awl, blind, night writing, sew, slate, stylus, symbol, touch system

Build Background

• Show students an example of the Braille alphabet. Ask them whether they have seen these symbols anywhere before (elevators, public signs, and so on). If students are unfamiliar with these symbols, explain that this is a special kind of alphabet for people who cannot see. Tell students they will be reading a book about Louis Braille, the man who invented this system of reading.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).
• Ask students to turn to the table of contents. Remind them that the table of contents provides an overview of what the book is about. Ask students what they expect to read about in the book based on what they see in the table of contents. (Accept all answers that students can justify.)

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Ask and answer questions

• Discuss how asking and answering questions while reading can help readers understand and enjoy reading the information in a book.
  Think-aloud: From what I see on the cover and title page, it appears as though this book is all about a man named Braille. I know from the Build Background discussion that Louis Braille invented a system of reading for people who are blind. I wonder whether Louis was blind. The illustration on the front cover shows a man in a uniform. If Louis was blind, I wonder whether he got hurt in a battle and whether the injury caused him to lose his sight. Before reading, several questions often come to mind about the topic. As I read, I enjoy looking for answers to my questions, which often sparks further curiosities and questions to answer while reading. It also makes the reading more enjoyable.
• Create a chart on the board similar to the one on the ask and answer questions worksheet. Introduce and explain the ask and answer questions worksheet to students. Ask students to tell what about the topic sparks their curiosity. Have them write their questions in the first section of their worksheet. Invite them to share some of their questions, and write these on the class chart.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Elements of a biography

• Ask students to explain the difference between a biography and an autobiography (biography: the story of a person's life written by someone else; autobiography: the story of a person's life written by that person). Explain that this book is a biography. A biography includes information about the person's personality, accomplishments, and influence on others.
• Write the words Personality, Accomplishments, and Influence in a three-column chart on the board. Discuss with students the meaning of each of these words (personality: the qualities that makes each person unique; accomplishments: success achieved through practice or training; influence: an effect on someone or something).
• Have students turn to page 4. Read the first section, "The Accident," aloud while students follow along silently. Model identifying elements of a biography by pointing out the facts about how Braille lost his eyesight. Invite students to identify the information that tells about Louis's personality (he was curious).
• Think-aloud: When Louis was a child, he played in his father's shoe shop. He wanted to make his own pair of shoes. It seems as though he wanted to try to do something that his father was able to do. Based on this information, Louis appears to be a curious child. This information tells about Louis's personality. I will write this information on the chart under the heading Personality. As I read, I can organize the information about Louis into the categories Personality, Accomplishments, and Influence. By categorizing the information this way, I know I will understand more about him and the events of his life.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Write the content vocabulary on the board.
• While previewing the book, reinforce the vocabulary words students will encounter in the book. For example, say: Louis picked up his father's sharp awl and bent over. What clues do the illustrations on page 4 and 5 provide you to help you understand what an awl is? (on page 4, Louis is holding a very sharp, pointed instrument; on page 5 he is holding his eye. An awl is probably that sharp, pointed instrument.)
• Review or explain that the glossary and a dictionary both contain lists of vocabulary words and their definitions. Model to students how they can use the glossary or a dictionary to find a word's meaning. Have students locate the glossary at the back of the book. Invite a volunteer read the definition for awl in the glossary. Have students compare the definition with their definition of the word. Then have students follow along on page 5 as you read the sentence in which the word awl is found to confirm the meaning of the word. Repeat the exercise with the remaining vocabulary words.
• Introduce and explain the vocabulary worksheet. Review students' answers aloud.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read to find out about Louis Braille. Encourage them to ask and answer questions while reading.

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read from page 7 to the end of page 8. Encourage those who finish early to go back and reread.
• When students have finished reading, have them circle any questions on their ask and answer questions worksheet that were answered.
• Think-aloud: Before reading, more than one question came to mind about this book. I was curious about whether Louis was blind. I also wondered whether Louis got hurt in a battle, and whether the injury caused him to lose his sight. While reading, I happened to answer these questions. I found out that Louis hurt his eye with an awl as a small child. His eye became sick, and the sickness soon spread to his other eye. This sickness caused his blindness. The information I read also sparked new curiosities about Louis. I read that Louis learned many skills at his school in Paris. I wonder what job Louis would get as an adult. I will write this question on the ask and answer questions chart.
• Ask students to write answers for the circled questions and additional questions they raised on their worksheet. Invite them to share the information they learned and the questions they generated as they read the book. Write shared responses on the class chart on the board.
• Ask students to identify elements of Louis's personality from the discussion and their reading (smart, doesn't give up). Write this information on the chart on the board. Ask students to support the information with phrases from the book (went to school, learned many skills despite his disability).
• Check for understanding: Have students read pages 9 through 11. Have them circle any questions on their worksheet that were answered in the reading. Ask students to write answers to the circled questions and any additional questions they raised on their worksheet. Invite them to share the information they learned and the questions they generated while reading.
• Have students discuss with a partner information from the chapter that reflects Louis's personality (inventive, smart). Invite them to share this information with the class. Ask students to support the information with information from the book (trying to create a touch system). Write this information in the chart on the board.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Remind them to look for and write answers to the remaining questions on their worksheet. Encourage them to add new questions they might have as they read.

    Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they have learned to read each word and figure out its meaning.

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Reinforce that asking questions before and during reading, and looking for the answers while reading, keeps readers interested in the topic. It also encourages them to keep reading to find answers to their questions and helps them understand and enjoy what they read.
• Think-aloud: I wanted to know what job Louis got as an adult. I learned that he became a teacher at the school he went to as a child. I'm not sure how long he was a teacher or whether he had another job before that. I will write the questions I'm still curious about on the chart on the board.
• Point out to students that all of their questions may not have been answered in this text. Brainstorm other sources they might use to locate additional information to answer their questions. Invite students to fill in the last column with information they still would like to know about Louis Braille.
• Ask students to share questions they added to their ask and answer questions worksheet while reading.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Discuss the system of written language Louis Braille invented and how this was an accomplishment for him.
• Discuss with students how this accomplishment influenced others. (Because of this system, many blind people were given the opportunity to read and write.)
• Enduring understanding: This story tells of one man's resourcefulness. Louis Braille wanted to read so he developed a system to make it happen. Now that you know this information, what does this tell you about what you can do when you want or need something you do not have?

Grammar and Mechanics: Pronouns

• Write the following sentences on the board: A short time later, Louis could not see. He was blind. Underline the word Louis. Review with students that a noun is a person, place, or thing. Ask students to identify whether Louis names a person, place, or thing.
• Explain or review that a pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Underline the word He in the second sentence. Explain to students that the word He takes the place of the word Louis.
• Ask a volunteer to erase the word Louis from the first sentence on the board and replace it with He. Have the group read the sentence aloud, and ask whether it makes sense.
• Discuss the reason authors use pronouns in place of nouns (to make the writing flow better, to avoid repeating the same words, to make the paragraph sound better, and so on). Write the following list of pronouns on the board (she, he, we, they, it, you, her, them, his).

    Check for understanding: Have students work with a partner to find and circle all the pronouns in the book. Allow time for discussion between pairs. Remind students that some pronouns come at the beginning of the sentence, and others are found further in the sentence (subject pronouns and object pronouns). Have them write the word the pronoun replaces above each pronoun.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the pronouns worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Word Work: Reading numbers within text

• Direct students to page 13. Point out that when reading aloud, readers will sometimes encounter different symbols, numbers, and abbreviations within the text. Good readers read these parts of the text fluently, just as they read the words.
• Ask students to locate the number within the text on page 13 (15). Write the number on the board. Review or explain that when reading the sentences aloud, the numbers are read in the same manner as the words. Explain that sometimes they will find numbers spelled out, such as fifteen. At other times, they will find numbers written with numerals instead of letters, such as 15.
• Have students turn to page 9. Point out that the number on the page is a date (1821), which is read differently from the four-digit number (read eighteen twenty-one, not one thousand eight hundred twenty-one). Explain that good readers look for context clues to know whether to read a four-digit number as a date.
• Check for understanding: Have students turn to page 15 and practice fluently reading aloud the number within the text to a partner.

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Additionally, partners can take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students share with someone at home what they learned about Louis Braille.

Biography Writing and Art Connection
Have students use the Internet to research the personality, accomplishments, and influence on others of a person who interests them. Have them write a report about this person. Allow time for students to present their papers orally.

Elements of Nonfiction Connection
Review the illustrations and photographs throughout the book. Read with students the caption under the illustration on page 9. Discuss the purpose of incorporating illustrations and photographs in a nonfiction book (to make a connection with information presented in the main body of the text). Ask students to explain why it's helpful to understand these nonfiction elements in the text as they read.