class teacher sorensen, priority standard(s): key …...of 543,000, u.s. president richard m. nixon...

Activity

Escape By Sea!

Grade

7

Show me what you know (Proof of learning)

Follow the link to Ducksters website to learn more about the Vietnam

War. At the bottom of the article is a recording of the article. Hit play,

listen and read along-take the quiz when you’re done.

https://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/vietnam_war.php

You Try

Complete the PDF skill sheet CRQ (Close Reading Questions) focusing

on the following skills: cause/effect, making inferences, key details,

sequencing events, and text features. (2 pages, 7 questions)

• PDF skill sheet-Vietnam War timeline. Read the timeline to learn

more about the conflict and the aftermath. Answer the questions.

Week April 20th To April 24th

Self-Assessment Can You Answer these two questions

• How do events from the past continue to affect people and society

today?

• How can people survive and overcome hardships?

Class

Social Studies

Teacher Sorensen,

Van Buren, Walz

Key Content/Modeling

Vietnam is a country located in the southeastern part of the continent

of Asia. Locate Vietnam on a map. What countries border Vietnam?

What is its population? What is the life expectancy for men and

women living in Vietnam? How many people in Vietnam can read and

write (literacy rate)?

• Preview the vocabulary (WTK-Words to Know PDF document). Read

the definition and example sentences for each word. Try and think of

another example sentence for each.

• Read the article, Escape by Sea. Refer to the vocabulary sheet as

necessary. As you read, think about the hardships faced by Ha-Van

Nguyen. Think about people in your life who have overcome

hardships. What hardships have you overcome? How did it change

you?

Extra Learning Opportunities

Research the following topics • How does a national draft work? Who is drafted? Why is there no draft today? • What is

oral history? How can the stories told by older generations help us work through the challenges of today?

Priority Standard(s):

RI 7.1 Cite textual evidence to support

analysis of what the text says explicitly as

well as inferences drawn from the text.

WHST 7.2

Write informative/explanatory texts,

including the narration of historical events

What am I learning?

Students will read and analyze a primary

source interview to learn about people

who fled Vietnam after the Vietnam War.

Definition-A primary source document is

an original source or evidence of an

historical event such as an artifact, first-

hand account, drawing, picture,

recording, diary, etc.

How do I know I learned? Learning Evidence in 1-3 Descriptors


Escape by Sea Lesson Outline ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What can we learn from people who have experienced historical events?

• How do events from the past continue to affect people and society today?

• How can people survive and overcome hardships? LEARNING TARGET Students will read and analyze a primary source interview to learn about people who fled Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Definition-A primary source document is an original source or evidence of an historical event such as an artifact, first-hand account, drawing, picture, recording, diary, etc. FEATURED SKILL: Analyze a Timeline SUCCESS CRITERIA

• Vietnam is a country located in the southeastern part of the continent of Asia. Locate Vietnam on a map. What countries border Vietnam? What is its population? What is the life expectancy for men and women living in Vietnam? How many people in Vietnam can read and write (literacy rate)?

• Preview the vocabulary (WTK-Words to Know PDF document). Read the definition and example sentences for each word. Try and think of another example sentence for each.

• Read the article, Escape by Sea. Refer to the vocabulary sheet as necessary. As you read, think about the hardships faced by Ha-Van Nguyen. Think about people in your life who have overcome hardships. What hardships have you overcome? How did it change you?

• Complete the PDF skill sheet CRQ (Close Reading Questions) focusing on the following skills: cause/effect, making inferences, key details, sequencing events, and text features. (2 pages, 7 questions)

• PDF skill sheet-Vietnam War timeline. Read the timeline to learn more about the conflict and the aftermath. Answer the questions.

• Follow the link to Ducksters website to learn more about the Vietnam War. At the bottom of the article is a recording of the article. Hit play, listen and read along-take the quiz when you’re done. https://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/vietnam_war.php

EXTENDED LEARNING Research the following topics

• How does a national draft work? Who is drafted? Why is there no draft today?

• What is oral history? How can the stories told by older generations help us work through the challenges of today?


JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • APRIL 20, 2020

1. blacklist (v): to put someone on a list of people who are disapproved of and kept from getting jobs or other opportunities (p. 20)example: After the renter fell behind on rent for the apartment and ended up in housing court, she was blacklisted and had a hard time finding a new home.

2. Communist (adj): related to a political system in which the government controls most parts of life, owns most land and businesses, and severely limits personal freedoms (p. 19)example: Under North Korea’s Communist government, most citizens have few rights.

3. democratic (adj): controlled by leaders who are freely elected by the people in an area (p. 19)example: In a democratic country, learning about the candidates before an election is important.

4. entrepreneur (n): someone who starts a new business (p. 20)example: The teenage entrepreneur started a bakery that sells cupcakes and also provides food to homeless people.

5. lagoon (n): a shallow pond or pool of water connected with a larger body of water (p. 20)example: Kim was nervous about swimming in the ocean waves, but she enjoyed splashing around in the nearby lagoon.

6. merchant (adj): related to people or businesses that buy and sell products (p. 21)example: Mateo joined a merchant group that connects farmers with grocery store owners who need fresh vegetables.

7. ration (v): to limit the amount of something people are allowed to have, especially when few supplies are available (p. 20)example: In the 1970s, a worldwide oil shortage led the U.S. government to ration gasoline, causing long lines at gas stations.

8. Soviet Union (n): a nation made up of Russia and 14 other republics that existed from 1922 to 1991 (p. 19)example: The Soviet Union was one of the world’s largest countries, with a population of about 287 million people in 1989.

9. Vietnam War (n): a conflict in Southeast Asia from 1954 to 1975 in which Communist North Vietnam and its allies (including China and the Soviet Union) fought democratic South Vietnam and its allies (including the U.S.) (p. 19)example: More than 3 million people died in the Vietnam War, including about 58,000 Americans.

Words to Know: Escape by Sea!

Junior Scholastic®

SKILL BUILDER Name: Date:

Building Vocabulary KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.4

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Below or on the back, list any other challenging words from the article. Examine context clues and look up the words in at least two dictionaries. Then write a definition and an example sentence for each word.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • APRIL 20, 2020

SKILL BUILDER Name Date

Junior Scholastic®

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In “Escape by Sea!,” you read about a girl who escaped from Communist Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Read this timeline to learn more about the conflict and its aftermath. Then answer the questions.

The Vietnam WarReading a Timeline KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.7

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

Questions

1. When and how did the Vietnam War begin? How was the U.S. involved at first?

2. When did U.S. combat troops start fighting in Vietnam? When did the last U.S. troops leave Vietnam?

3. What was the Tet Offensive? What impact did it have in the U.S.?

4. How long did the Vietnam War last? What happened in the years that followed?

5. How does the timeline help you understand the article “Escape by Sea!”?

1954: After years of fighting, Communist forces in Vietnam win independence from France. Vietnam is divided into a Communist north and a pro-Western, democratic south. The war is sparked when North Vietnam invades South Vietnam soon after. The U.S. sends advisers to help the south battle the Communists.

1961-1963: U.S. President John F. Kennedy increases the number of U.S. military advisers in Vietnam to 16,000.

1964: After a disputed attack on a U.S. Navy ship by North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress allows U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to use the military in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.

1965: President Johnson sends the first U.S. combat troops to Vietnam. Young Americans start leading protests against the war.

1968: In January, the north launches a month-long fight against the south called the Tet Offensive. Brutal images of the attack are broadcast on televisions in the U.S., turning more Americans against the war.

1969-1970: After U.S. troop levels reached a high of 543,000, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announces a policy of “Vietnamization” to gradually end U.S. involvement in the war. U.S. forces begin to come home, with troop levels falling to 220,000 by the end of 1970.

1973: In January, the U.S., North Vietnam, and South Vietnam sign the Paris Peace Accords, and the fighting temporarily stops. By the time the U.S. finishes withdrawing its troops in March, about 58,000 Americans have died in the war. Fighting between the north and the south quickly resumes.

1975: In April, North Vietnamese forces overrun the south to win the war. In July, the nation is reunited. In the years that follow, tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees flee the country in overcrowded boats to escape a Communist crackdown against people who had sided with the south. These refugees become known as “boat people.”


Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • APRIL 20, 2020 • PAGE 1 OF 2

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.1 Textual Evidence

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Refer to the article on pages 18-21 to respond to the questions below. Include evidence from the text that supports your responses.

Close-Reading Questions: Escape by Sea!

1. Why did Ha-Van Nguyen’s father want her to leave Vietnam?

2. How might Nguyen have felt on the boat?

3. Explain what Nguyen means when she says “people on board the boat were divided about what to do next”?


Junior Scholastic®


Textual Evidence

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Close-Reading Questions: Escape by Sea! (continued)

4. What happened to Nguyen after the people on the boat were rescued?

5. What can people learn from talking with people who experienced historical events? Include details from the interview in your response.

6. What are two other questions you would ask Nguyen? Why?

7. How does the map on page 21 support the article?


Junior Scholastic®

Informative Writing Toolkit

Informative Writing KEY STANDARD

WHST.6-8.2

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After you read “Escape by Sea!” on pages 18-21, use this kit to respond to the “Write About It!” prompt on page 21.

HARDSHIPS CAUSES

Ha-Van Nguyen says, “I knew I had to survive despite the hardship.” What hardships did she and her family endure? What caused them?

Use this organizer to gather evidence from the article.

STEP 1: Gather Text Evidence


Junior Scholastic®

Informative Writing Toolkit (continued)

Informative Writing

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STEP 2: Craft Your Thesis (Central Idea)

The thesis should tell readers what your essay is about. It should be a clear summary of your main point. The rest of your essay will support this idea. One way to start is “Ha-Van Nguyen and her family endured many hardships, such as . . .”

STEP 3: Organize Your Essay

Refer to your notes from Step 1 and think about what order makes the most sense for your details. Plan what you’ll write in your body paragraphs below.

● Section 1:

● Section 2:

● Section 3:

STEP 4: Start Writing

Use the outline on the next page to help you organize your essay as you write a first draft.



Junior Scholastic®


Informative Writing

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Introduction

● Introduce the topic. You could begin with a surprising fact about Vietnam, a thought-provoking quote, or a description of a scene.

● End your introduction with your thesis from Step 2.

Body Paragraph(s)

● Use text evidence from Step 1 to explain the hardships Ha-Van Nguyen faced and what caused them. Write 1-3 sentences that explain each point.

● Make sure to cite evidence properly. If you want to use exact words from the text, put quotation marks around them. Put most information into your own words.

● You can put your details together in one paragraph, or you can split them into a few paragraphs. It depends on how much you want to write about each point. Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that tells what it will be about.

Informative Essay Outline

1

2Transition Ideas

● First,

● To begin with,

● The article explains that

● According to the text,

● In the interview,

● In addition,

Conclusion

Write 2-3 sentences that sum up your essay. You should explain why the topic is important. Make sure to finish with a strong final sentence that feels like an ending.

3

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NO

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● For example,

● For instance,

● In particular,

● To illustrate

● Furthermore,

● However,

● Finally,


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Informative Writing

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STEP 5: Read and Revise

Use this checklist to evaluate your essay, or exchange drafts with a classmate to check each other’s work.

INTRODUCTION❑ Does the first sentence grab readers’ attention?

❑ Does the first paragraph introduce the topic?

❑ Is the last sentence a thesis that clearly states the central idea of the essay?

BODY❑ Does it include text evidence to explain the hardships Ha-Van Nguyen and her family

endured and what caused them?

❑ Is text evidence quoted or put into your own words?

❑ Does each body paragraph have a topic sentence?

❑ Do all the details support the thesis?

CONCLUSION❑ Does the last paragraph summarize the central idea but in different words?

❑ Does it feel like the essay has ended?

❑ Does the last sentence leave readers with a strong final impression?

GENERAL❑ Do transitions help one idea flow smoothly into the next?

❑ Do the sentence structures and lengths vary?

❑ Are grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?

Choose 1-3 areas to focus on as you revise.

As I revise, I will work to improve ____________________________________________________________________________________

STEP 6: Publish Your Work

Come up with a catchy or informative title. Write a final draft on a computer or use your best handwriting. Think about whether you want to share your essay with a specific person or organization.

class teacher sorensen, priority standard(s): key …...of 543,000, u.s. president richard m. nixon...

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