Reading Level
Z

Word Count:
1689

Pages:
22

Text Summary
The idea of exploration has fascinated humankind for centuries, and in Vikings students will learn why. This is an informational text about the Vikings that also looks at two famous Vikings, Eric The Red and his son Leif Ericson. The book discusses the life and times of these men and their exploration of many new lands.

Vocabulary
Content Words
Vikings
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
victories
bravery
warriors
Iceland
Greenland
democracy
New Foundland
North America

Reproducibles
Worksheets
Worksheet 1-summarizing information from the text
Worksheet 2-antonyms, synonyms

Lesson Objectives

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as students work to understand the text. The targeted comprehension strategy for this lesson is: Restate facts and details in the text to clarify and organize ideas.

Word Work

Antonyms
Identify and list antonyms

Synonyms
Identify and list synonyms

Visual Literacy
Read and interpret a map

Before Reading

Introduce
Before handing out the book, introduce it by showing the front cover.

Ask: What do you see on the cover? What do you think the book will be about?

Turn the book over to the back cover. Ask: What other information does this give us about the book?

Elicit Prior Knowledge and Build Background
Make a mind map with students around the word Vikings. Have them suggest what they already know about Vikings. Write their suggestions around the title.

Skim and Scan
Have students turn to the contents page.

Explain that a contents page shows where they might find information on a particular subject within the book.

Ask: In what chapter might you find information on Eric The Red?

Ask: What page does that chapter start on?  

Now, have students turn to page 20. Explain that the featured timeline is a chronicle of important events in the history of the Vikings. Point out that this timeline is set up a little like a dictionary. Ask: In what year was Viking Dublin refounded? In what year did the crusades first occur?

Point out that the earliest year on the timeline was over 1,200 years ago. To put this in terms students can relate to, for a ten-year-old, this would be 120 lifetimes.

During Reading

Set the Purpose
Introduce the comprehension worksheet.

Explain to students what the worksheet requires them to do.

Say: You will need to read the text Vikings and then fill in the spaces on this worksheet. It may be easier to read a chapter and fill in the area relating to that chapter as you go.  

Hand out the books and have students read quietly at their own pace. They should fill in their worksheets as they read. This will help them to focus on the information presented in the text, giving them goals in their reading and increasing comprehension.  

After Reading

Building Comprehension
Refer to these questions for each section of the worksheet. Ask students to share their summaries of each section.

Ask students to restate facts and details in their own words.

Ask: Where did Vikings come from?

Ask: Name four things you found interesting about Vikings?

Ask: Where did the Vikings explore?

Ask: Name three interesting things about Eric the Red?

Ask: Name three interesting things about Leif Ericson?

Ask: Are there any other things you would like to share?

Word Work

Antonyms
Explain to students that antonyms are words that have the opposite meaning.

Use the following example: North / South.

Ask: Can you find any other words in the book that are antonyms?

Synonyms
Explain to students that synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning.

Use the following example form the story: strong, page 4 / tough, page 17.

Ask: Can you think of any other words that are synonyms to these words?

Write students' suggestions on a chart.

Ask: Can you find any other words in the story that are synonyms of each other?

Write students' suggestions on a chart.

Introduce the second worksheet. Explain to students that it is related to the work just covered on antonyms and synonyms.

Learning through Visual Devices
Read and Interpret a Map
Explain to students that there are features of maps that make them easier to read and get information from.

They might include the following:

Title: Tells what the map is about.

Legend or key: Shows what particular markings on the map stand for.

Using these features, ask students to suggest information they can see in the map.

Writing Link
Have students write a poem to describe a Viking person.

They may choose to use some of the synonyms and antonyms talked about earlier.

Assessment

• Review students' completed comprehension worksheet in order to assess whether they understood the reading.
• Have students write sentences or paragraphs using selected words from the vocabulary list, or word work examples from the lesson, in order to demonstrate their understanding of word meaning.
• Assess students' understanding of antonyms and synonyms.