Nonfiction Book: Secret Subway

Title: Secret Subway: 

     The fascinating Tale of

     an Amazing Feat of 

     Engineering

Author: Martin W. Sandler

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: National 

     Geographic Society

Reading Level:

Fountas and Pinnell: Y-Z

Lexile: NC 1260 L

Accelerated Reader: 9.0

An interesting, interactive, fascinating, and engaging way to tell such an extraordinary and magnificent historical event!

Suggested Delivery: either small group read aloud or independent reading with scaffolding from teacher

2 electronic resources to support/extend text:

1. http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/new-york-secrets 

   This website has facts and information about the subway system in New York city complete with pictures to help students visualize the information they are reading in the book.

2. http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/how-new-york-citys-subway-technologies-are-being-modernized 

   This website is about how the subway system is changing with new technology. This can help students see how the subway has changed from when it was being created until now and even in the future.

Key Vocabulary: 

1. pneumatic or atmospheric railway- A railway system that uses air pressure to

            move the cars.

2. omnibus- A public vehicle designed to carry a large number of passengers.

3. hydraulic shield-

4. fortify- To strengthen the defense of a place to protect it against attack.

5. Calamity- An event causing great and often sudden damage or distress.

Before Reading Strategy: 

   Before reading, teach the students about nonfiction books and how they are set up differently than fiction books. Explain how to use the text features including the table of contents, glossary, index, and resources to help monitor comprehension and find more information after reading.

During Reading Strategy: 

   Since students are now familiar with the text structures, give them a graphic organizer that they will fill out using the text structures while they are reading. This will help them monitor their comprehension while using the various text structures that non fiction books have.

After Reading Strategy: 

   After reading discuss their likes, dislikes, puzzles, and questions about way the book was set up and also about the history of the Subway system. This will help them when they do their research for an informational brochure.

   Once the students have discussed their thoughts, they will be given an exit slip in the form of two note cards. On one note card they will have to write one thing that they learned from the text or the discussion. On the other note card they will either write a question that they still have or something that they are confused about. 

Writing activity to demonstrate inferential comprehension:

Have the students create an information brochure or powerpoint about the history of the subway system. Students will need to cite information from the text as well as other resources that they found. The final product should include:

            a) Who created the subway system?

            b) What did the early subway look like and how has it changed since

                 then?

            c) When did construction start? When was it finished?

            d) Where is the subway system? What were the problems they

                  encountered when they decided where to put it?

            e) Why was the subway system created? What was it trying to solve?

            f) How do you think the subway system will change in the next few

                  years? What about in a decade or even more?

Once the brochure or powerpoint is done, the class can have a history fair where they go around discovering the history of services and vehicles of transportation that we often take for granted today.