Text type:
Fact / Informational Text

Word Count:
1,647

Page count
22 

Text Summary
This book describes the cultures of the ancient Maya, Inca, and Anasazi, and discusses the question of whether or not the Europeans were the first people to discover the Americas. The author concludes that when discussing the contribution of the Europeans, the word "explored" rather than "discovered" might be more appropriate. 

Vocabulary
Content Words
archaeologist
civilization
discover
drought
explore
hieroglyphic
kiva
native
Native Americans
perspective
petroglyph
quinoa
ruin 

Reproducibles
Worksheets
Worksheet 1-Point of View
Worksheet 2-Suffixes  

Lesson Objectives

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as students work to understand the text, for example, students could compare and contrast aspects of the cultures discussed in the book. The targeted comprehension strategy for this lesson is: author purpose and point of view 

Word Work

Compound Words
Recognize compound words 

Suffixes
Understand how adding a suffix can change the meaning of a word 

Visual Literacy
Understand the importance of photos and captions for providing relevant information about the topic
Understand the purpose of sidebars 

Before Reading

Introduce
Introduce the book by showing students the front cover.
Ask: What do you see on the cover? What do you think the discovery in the Americas might be? 

Give students a copy of the book, and have them turn to the contents page.
Ask: Do you have any more ideas about what the discovery might be from looking at the contents page? What topics are you going to read about in this book? What does "point of view" mean?

Elicit Prior Knowledge and Build Background
Involve students in a discussion about Christopher Columbus. Ask them to share what they know about him. Ask volunteers to share what they know about the cultures of the Maya, Inca, and Anasazi. Ask them when and where they think these people lived and what their relationship to Columbus might be. 

Ask students who they think discovered America. Have them provide reasons for why they think this. If students provide different opinions, talk about the concept of point of view. 

Skim and Scan
Have students skim the book, looking at the photos and captions. Point out the maps and talk about the importance in providing maps to let the reader know where the different people discussed in the book lived. 

Look at the bold-faced words in the text, and talk about the meanings of the words. Explain to students that often they can use the context of the word to figure out its meaning. Point out the glossary at the end of the book. Select one of the bold-faced words to model for students how they can look it up in the glossary. 

During Reading

Set the purpose
Read the first chapter together. Then discuss the question: Did Columbus discover America?
Ask: What does the book say about the different peoples who came to America? Who do you think discovered America? 

Discuss the concept of point of view. Then discuss the different points of view raised in this chapter: that Columbus discovered America, that the Vikings discovered America, that Native Americans were the first people in America. 

Give students the point of view worksheet.
Say: As you read, I want you to think about the author's purpose for writing this book. I also want you to determine what the author's point of view is on who discovered America. You should also consider what your point of view on the question is, and provide some reasons for why you think as you do. When you finish reading, you will fill in the worksheet and then we will discuss your ideas.  

After Reading

Building Comprehension
Allow time for students to fill in their worksheets. Then involve them in a discussion about author purpose and help them understand that while the author provided information on the different cultures, the main purpose for writing was to persuade the reader to the point of view that the Native Americans were in America first so it is not accurate to say that Columbus discovered America.
Say: An author can write a text to entertain the reader, to inform the reader about a topic, and to persuade the reader to a particular point of view. What do you think was the main purpose of the author in writing this? What clues do we have to this? (the question mark in the title, the introduction setting up the question, the information on the native peoples to demonstrate how long they had been in the Americas before Columbus arrived, the final statements in the last chapter.) 

Discuss the point of view of the author and students' own points of view on the question.
Ask: What does the author think about who discovered America? What is your idea on this question? 

Discuss what students learned about the Maya, Inca, and Anasazi.
Ask: What did you learn about these cultures? How are these cultures alike? How are they different?  

Word Work

Compound Words
Explain that a compound word is a word made up of two smaller words. Explain that there are three types of compound words: open which consist of two words not joined together but that stand for one thing (firedrill), closed which consist of two words joined together (houseboat), hyphenated where two words are joined by a hyphen (high-rise). Point out that when you divide compound words into their parts, the two smaller words must make sense on their own. 

Write these compound words from the book on the board: something, ten-story, rainforest, sandstone, southeast, network, mountainside, four-day, outside, himself. Have volunteers circle the smaller words within the compounds. Talk about how the words that make up a compound word can help them determine the meaning of the compound word. 

Suffixes
Explain that a suffix is a letter, or group of letters, that are added to the end of a root word which changes the meaning of the root word. Write the word irrigation on the board. Circle the suffix –ion and explain that this suffix refers to the act or process of something. Write the word irrigate on the board and ensure students understand its meaning. Explain that when we add the suffix –ion to the word irrigate, we need to drop the final e. We change the word from a verb to a noun. 

Repeat with the word suspension from the text, this time having students find the root word, add the suffix –sion (a variation of –ion), and explaining the meaning of the root word and the new word. 

Give students Worksheet 2. Have them create new words by adding –ion to the root words on the worksheet. Have them use each new word in a sentence. 

Learning Through Visual Devices
Have students look at the maps on pages 4, 8, 10, and 13 and explain what they represent. Ask them why these are included in the text and how they help the reader understand the topic. 

Refer to the sidebars: pages 4, 9, 12, and 15. Ask students what information they can learn from reading these sidebars. Review the purpose of the sidebar and talk about why the information is placed outside the main text. 

Help students read the sidebar on page 16. 

Writing Link
Have students write expressing their point of view on a topic.

• Help them decide on a familiar topic, for example, whether students should be allowed to watch television on school nights, whether helmets should be mandatory when riding bikes, whether dogs should be allowed to roam freely without being on a leash, etc.
• Have them use the book as a model. They should set out their question, describe different points of view on the question, provide some information on the topic to support their point of view, and then come to a conclusion. 

Assessment

• Review students' semantic webs to assess whether they understand the author's purpose and point of view. Note whether they can state their own point of view and provide reasons to support it. Use the writing activity to further assess their ability to state point of view and provide support for it.
• Review students' completed vocabulary worksheets to assess whether they can create new words by adding suffixes. Note whether they understand how the meaning of the word changes when a suffix is added.