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A Lesson on My Summer Save As Favorite

A Lesson on My Summer Grade: Grade 7
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Jessica Criss
Lesson Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Keywords/Tags: reading, writing, language arts
Lesson Description: The goal of this lesson is for students to practice absorbing information from a passage.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b: Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

My Summer

My maternal grandmother resides in Phoenix, Arizona. It has been roughly ten years since she relocated there. In fact, I was only 2 years old when she moved from Chicago. It was necessary 
for her to move to a warmer climate, because the winters in Chicago were far too cold for her to handle. She made an appointment with her doctor, who told my grandmother that she could not remain in such a cold climate. My grandmother was extremely disappointed to leave Chicago, especially because her friends and family lived there. However, soon enough she was able to make several new friends in Phoenix. So she was content. 

My mother frequently visits her in wintertime, but unfortunately, I’m unable to go then since I have to be in school. This past summer, though, I went for a lengthy visit. I stayed for the summer. I had never been away from home more than a few days before. 

I traveled by plane to Phoenix, alone, even though I had never flown on an airplane before. My mother cried at the airport, but I was all smiles. What a trip. I smiled all the way. Once we landed, the pilot informed us that it was 110 degrees outside. I thought there was absolutely no way I had heard him clearly. It had never been nearly that hot in Chicago.  

I deplaned and immediately spotted my grandmother. We were both so thrilled that I had finally arrived. She gave me a big, long embrace before we went to retrieve my suitcase from the baggage claim. It took approximately 10 minutes to receive it, and I was getting increasingly worried that the airline had somehow lost my luggage. However, it eventually appeared at the top of the baggage carousel. 

Afterwards, we stepped outside, and I was simply astonished. It felt exactly like walking into a heater. It was hotter than I had ever felt: 110 degrees.  

We walked to the bus stop, and thankfully, the bus came instantly. I boarded the bus and was so relieved that it had come so quickly. Also, the bus was nice and cool since it was airconditioned. It took us nearly 30 minutes to arrive on my grandmother’s block. I didn’t mind the long ride, because it was very interesting to view the city outside the window. I noticed that residents had brown grass, most likely because it had all dried out from the heat. They didn’t have trees, but they did have really large cactus plants.  

When we stepped off the bus, we had to walk an additional three blocks before making it to my grandmother’s apartment. Once again, I felt extremely hot. I turned to my grandmother and asked her, “How can you possibly live in such a hot place?” 

“Oh, you get accustomed to it,” she told me. We adapt. We change the way we organize our day. You’ll see that most people are not out during the sunniest parts of the day. It turned out she was right about that. Although it took a few weeks, I finally adapted to the heat. However, we stayed indoors when it was hottest, and only ventured out in the cooler mornings. In the evenings, it actually felt a little chilly. 

When the summer came to an end, it was time for me to return back home. Yes, my second plane trip. I was sorry to leave my grandmother, and I promised I would return sooner than next summer. My cousin met me at the airport, and she retrieved my suitcase. We both climbed aboard the bus, where she inquired about my trip. I exclaimed, “It is always wonderful to spend time with grandma, but next time I think I’ll go back in winter.” When we got home, I wrote a letter to my grandmother. 

 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.

Vocabulary Questions

Word/Phrase: resides | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q1 The author of the story says "My maternal grandmother resides in Pheonix, Arizona." What does the word reside in this sentence?
A. vacations
B. lives *
C. visits
D. has never been to

Which of these sentences uses the word "reside" correctly?
A. My brother resides his bike to school.
B. My family resides in an apartment complex. *
C. We resided in New Mexico for two days.
D. The build resided the building's walls.

Word/Phrase: interesting | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2 The author said "I didn't mind the long bus ride, because it was very interesting to view the city outside of the window." What does the word interesting mean in this sentence?
A. drowsy
B. boring
C. enraged
D. captivating *

Which of the following sentences uses the word "interesting" correctly?
A. The lesson was very interesting, I could not stop yawning.
B. The book was very interesting to me, I finished it in one day. *
C. My father was not interesting in hearing excuses for my poor attitude.
D. The students were interresting between school and soccer practice.

Word/Phrase: inquired | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q3 The author states, "We both climbed aboard the bus, where inquired about my trip." What does the word "inquired" mean in this sentence?
A. talked
B. lectured
C. ignored
D. asked *

Which of the following sentences uses the word "inquired" correctly?
A. My teacher inquired about my assignment. *
B. My dad inquired a new truck.
C. My friend has inquired me for three days now, I upset her.
D. The soccer team inquires you to run three miles a day.

Word/Phrase: accustomed | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4 When the author asked her grandmother, "How can you possibly live in such a hot place?” Her grandmother answered "Oh, you get accustomed to it." What does the word "accustomed" mean in this sentence?
A. upset
B. unfamilar
C. used *
D. aggervated

Which of the sentences uses the word "accustomed" correctly?
A. He was accustomed at the movie theater often.
B. I am accustomed to my new coach, I still do not like his coaching style.
C. The school had accustumed the policy to reach more students.
D. At first she could not walk with the braces, but now she is accustomed to it. *

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4a,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.

  Topic Title Replies

Message I'm unable to go then since I have to be in school.
The author states "my mother frequently visits her in wintertime, but unfortunately, I’m unable to go then since I have to be in school." Has there ever been a time when you got left out of a family or school activity? How did you feel? What caused you to be left out?
Sent on: Feb 23, 2014 by: Jessica Criss
0

Message Adapting
The author's grandmother tells her "We adapt. We change the way we organize our day. You’ll see that most people are not out during the sunniest parts of the day." Tell about a time you had to adapt to a situation or change your schedule.
Sent on: Feb 23, 2014 by: Jessica Criss
0

Message I had never been away from home more than a few days.
Have you ever been away from family and friends for more than a few days? What did you feel and how did you deal with it? If you have never been away for more than a few days, what do you think your biggest worry would be?
Sent on: Feb 24, 2014 by: Jessica Criss
0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: You are to write and post here 500 words essay on the changes and adaptations you could make to make living in the extreme heat more bearable. Make sure to provide specific examples.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b,
 
     

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