Exploring Mars: Spirit and Opportunity

Lesson 27
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ELA

Alternate Unit 4

5th Grade

Lesson 27 of 33

Objective


Compare and contrast how text structure and point of view influence the mood of a text.

Readings and Materials


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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What word would you use to describe Spirit’s future after reading the section from The Mighty Mars Rovers? Why? 

What word would you use to describe Spirit’s future after reading the press release? Why? 

Compare and contrast the words you brainstormed. How did the structure and point of view of the text influence your word choice?

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Key Questions

  • Summarize what happened with Spirit and why she needed to be freed. 

  • Elizabeth Rusch describes what happened with Spirit through Steve’s perspective. What mood does this create? (The Mighty Mars Rovers)

  • Close read the following section of text from page 69: “So the team put Spirit through her paces. They tried to …  Drive forward spinning the wheels at different speeds. No good. Drive forward steering the wheels back and forth. No progress. Drive forward with the wheels turning sharply. Nothing.” How does Elizabeth Rusch use sentence structure to build suspense? (The Mighty Mars Rovers)

  • What additional information did you learn about Spirit? What additional information did you learn about how the scientists and engineers responded? (press release) 

  • How does the point of view from which each article is written influence the type of information each author includes? (Both texts)

Exit Ticket

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Vocabulary


unprecedented

adj.

not done before (press release)

stationary

adj.

staying in one place or position; not moving (press release)

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.5.5 — Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
  • RI.5.9 — Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Supporting Standards

L.5.4
L.5.4.b
L.5.5
L.5.6
RF.5.3
RF.5.4
RI.5.1
RI.5.6
RI.5.10
SL.5.1
W.5.10
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Lesson 26

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Lesson 28

Lesson Map

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