Build Background

• Involve students in a discussion about Mexico. Have them tell what they know about its history, culture, and struggle for independence.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students a copy of the book and have them preview the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers and offer ideas as to what kind of book this is and what it might be about.
• Direct students to the table of contents. After reviewing the table of contents, ask students if they have a better idea of what the book is about.

Introduce the Strategy: Summarization

• Model using the table of contents to summarize what the book is about.
• Think-aloud: To summarize what I've read in the table of contents, I need to think about what's important and what isn't. It seems to me that all of the chapter titles must be important or they wouldn't be included here. When I'm summarizing something, I need to put it into my own words. Otherwise, I'm just copying what the author wrote. I can summarize what I’ve read in the table of contents by saying that I've learned that this book is going to tell about the history of Mexico, when Spain ruled it, and how the people revolted to gain their independence.
• Have students preview the rest of the book, looking at the glossary, index, photos, captions, maps, and sidebar text. Remind them of the purpose of the glossary and index.
• As students read they should use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• As students preview the book remind them of the strategies they can use to work out words they don't know. For example, they can use what they know about letter and sound correspondence to figure out a word. They can look for base words, prefixes and suffixes, and they can use the context of a sentence to work out a word’s meaning.
• Model how to apply word-attack strategies. For example, have students look at the word revolution on page 12. Model how students can use the strategy of using the context of the sentence to figure out the meaning of the word. Explain that the sentence preceding the one with revolution says that Mexicans no longer wanted to be ruled by Spain. Then, tell students to read the first part of the sentence with the unfamiliar word. Explain that it doesn’t tell much, but if students keep reading past the word revolution they’ll see it’s followed by the word or, which is used to signal that a definition or explanation context clue follows. By reading the second part of the sentence students find the definition of the word. Have students look at the glossary to check their definitions.
• Have students find the first sentence in the second paragraph on page 6. Point out that the pronunciation for the word Olmec is written in parentheses next to it. Tell students that they will find unfamiliar vocabulary written this way throughout the book.
• For additional teaching tips on word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read the book to determine the sequence of events that led to Mexico’s independence.

Student Reading

• Guide the Reading: Have students read to the end of page 12. Tell them to underline or write on a separate sheet of paper the important events that occurred. Tell students to go back and reread if they finish before everyone else.
• When they have finished reading, ask students what words and phrases they underlined or wrote down for the chapter titled “The First People in Mexico.” Write these on the board.
• Model summarizing the important events in sequential order.
• Think-aloud: The chapter title told me that I was going to read about the early history of Mexico. I can summarize the major events in the early part of Mexico’s history as follows: Two of the three groups of people known to live in early Mexico--the Olmec and the Mayans--disappeared. Then came the Aztecs, who were the ones who gave Spanish explorers gold and silver. The Spanish explorers became greedy for riches and took control of Mexico in 1519. There were other interesting details in the chapter, but by thinking about the events in the chapter and thinking about the title of the book “Mexico’s Fight for Independence” and the title of the chapter “The First People in Mexico” I can determine what the most important events are and put them in order.
• Reinforce that a summary tells the most important information. Unimportant information is not used. Discuss how students can decide what information is important and what is not.
• Give students the sequence worksheet. Tell them to write the first three important events just discussed in their own words.
• Tell students to read the remainder of the book, looking for the major events that occur in each chapter and filling in the sequence worksheet as they read.
•     Tell the students to make a small question mark in their books beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. These can be addressed in the discussion that follows.

Reflect on the Reading Strategies

• Ask students what words they marked in their books. Use this opportunity to model how they could read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.
• Review any of the Spanish words students had difficulty pronouncing as they read.
• Reinforce how looking for the important information and events in each chapter helps keep them actively engaged in reading. Point out that mentally summarizing each chapter as they read helps them understand and remember what they have read.

Teach the Comprehension Skill: Sequence

• Discussion: Review the first three important events in the journey to Mexico’s independence as discussed in the During Reading portion of the lesson. Then discuss the remaining events students have written on their sequence worksheet. Write their answers on the board.
• Introduce and model: Review or explain that many writers present the events in a book in the order in which they happen to help the reader understand what they read. Tell students that thinking about the sequence of events, especially in an informational book like this one, will help them remember what happened, why it happened, and when it happened.
• Check for understanding: Ask students to look over the list of important events you have written on the board from their worksheets. Going through the list, ask students to explain why they thought those events were the most important. Ask students to tell you if any of the events on the board are less important than the others. Take out any events that are less important. Ask students to help you number the events in the remaining list in order of importance.
• Independent practice: Ask students to find a partner. Ask them to discuss why they think growing maize helped the Olmec grow into a strong civilization. Ask them to discuss what they think happened to the Olmec. Tell students you want them to write down on a separate piece of paper a sequence of events that would have lead to the disappearance of the Olmec. Tell them to be ready to explain their sequence of events to the group.

Grammar and Mechanics: Singular and plural possessive nouns

• Explain that in order for books to make sense to readers, writers choose their words carefully. Tell students that in order to show who or what owns something, writers add -'s to the end of a regular noun.
• Have students find the third sentence in the first paragraph on page 9. Ask them to tell who or what the capital city belongs to (Mexico's). Point out that an -'s has been added because the capital city belongs to only one thing. Explain that even though a country consists of many people, it is only one place.
• Tell students that when writers want to show that ownership belongs to more than one person or thing, they add either an -'s if the word does not end in -s and only an apostrophe if it does. Write the word men on the board. Tell students that -'s is added to this word because it does not end in –-s. Have students find the second sentence in the second paragraph on page 11. Point out that conquerors' ends in an apostrophe because the plural noun ends in -s.
• Write the following words on the board: Spaniard, Aztec, Mayan, immigrant, Creole, government.
  Model singular and plural possessive nouns using the first word as follows:

Singular possessive noun - The Spaniard's voyage was safe.
Plural possessive noun - The Spaniards’ voyage was safe.

   Tell students to use each word on the board first as a singular possessive noun and then as a plural possessive noun. Have them write the words and sentences on the inside back cover of the book. Tell students they may refer to the book to get ideas for the sentences. Have students share their sentences with the group.

Word Work: Content Vocabulary

• Tell students that many of the words they read in the book are used to tell about Mexico’s journey to independence. Provide opportunities for students to talk about difficult words such as republic and compromise. Have pairs of students practice using the words in sentences as they discuss Mexico’s independence.
• Click here for a vocabulary acrostic worksheet.

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their books independently or with a partner. Partners can take turns reading parts of the book.

Home Connection

• Give students their books to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends.

Writing Connection

• Provide additional resources for students to research one of the Spanish explorers or Mexican leaders they read about. Have them prepare a report that tells about the person’s life. Have students share their reports with the group.

Social Studies Connection

• Provide print and Internet resources for students to compare and contrast the United States’ fight for independence with that of Mexico’s. As a group, discuss the similarities and differences that students discover.

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• use the reading strategy of summarization to understand and remember informational text
• identify important events and use a graphic organizer to show the sequence in which they occurred
• form singular possessive and plural possessive nouns from given content vocabulary words and use each word in a sentence
• understand and use content vocabulary to complete an acrostic puzzle and discover the meaning of a Spanish word