Lesson Plan - 2023 Year in Review
Learning Objective
Students will read about and reflect on some of the major news events from the past year.
Content-Area Connections
Social Studies, Current Events
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.8, RI.3.10
NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change
TEKS: Social Studies 3.14
Text Structure
Description, Sequence
1. Preparing to Read
Preview the Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify which of the news events they think were most important.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Why are countries interested in exploring the moon’s south pole?
According to the article, countries are interested in exploring the moon’s south pole because holes in the surface there are filled with frozen water. The article explains that “astronauts might use that water on future missions.”
(RI.3.1 Text Evidence)
2. Why was it a big deal when soccer star Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami CF?
It was a big deal when Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami CF because Messi had spent 20 years playing on teams in Europe and for Argentina. This was the first time he played for a U.S. team.
(RI.3.3 Cause and Effect)
3. Based on the article, how do giraffes’ spots help them?
The article explains that giraffes’ markings help them hide from predators, or animals that hunt them.
(RI.3.2 Key Details)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Reading Comprehension
Share the skill builder “What a Year!” to have students reflect on what they liked about and learned from the article.
(RI.3.1 Demonstrate Understanding)
