nonfiction article of the week · teacher’s guide a couple of options for teaching article of the...

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Nonfiction Article of the Week7-6: North Korea Explained: History

Table of Contents

Terms of Use 2

Table of Contents 3

List of Activities, Difficulty Levels, Common Core Alignment, & TEKS 4

Digital Components/Google Classroom Guide 5

Teaching Guide, Rationale, Lesson Plans, Links, and Procedures: EVERYTHING 6-9

Article: North Korea Explained: History 10-11

*Modified Article: North Korea Explained: History 12-13

Activity 1: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Multiple Choice w/Key 14-15

Activity 2: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Open-Ended Questions w/Key 16-17

Activity 3: Text Evidence Activity w/Annotation Guide for Article 18-20

Activity 4: Text Evidence Activity & Answer Bank w/Key 21-23

Activity 5: Skill Focus – Technical and Connotative Meanings 24-29

Activity 6: Integrate Sources – Video Clip & Questions w/Key 30-31

Activity 7: Skills Test Regular w/Key 32-35

Activity 8: Skills Test *Modified w/Key 36-39

List of Activities & Standards Difficulty Level: *Easy **Moderate ***Challenge

Activity 1: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Multiple Choice*

Activity 2: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Open-Ended Questions*

Activity 3: Text Evidence Activity w/Annotation Guide for Article**

Activity 4: Text Evidence Activity w/Answer Bank**

Activity 5: Skill Focus – Technical and Connotative Meanings***

Activity 6: Integrate Sources – Video Clip & Questions***

Activity 7: Skills Test Regular w/Key**

Activity 8: Skills Test *Modified w/Key**

ELAR.5(F)

ELAR.5(F)

ELAR.5(F)

ELAR.5(F)

ELAR.9, 2(A)(B)(E)

ELAR.9(B), 12(F)

ELAR.9, 2(A)(B)(E)

ELAR.9, 2(A)(B)(E)

List of Activities & Standards Difficulty Level: *Easy **Moderate ***Challenge

Activity 1: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Multiple Choice*

Activity 2: Basic Comprehension Quiz/Check – Open-Ended Questions*

Activity 3: Text Evidence Activity w/Annotation Guide for Article**

Activity 4: Text Evidence Activity w/Answer Bank**

Activity 5: Skill Focus – Technical and Connotative Meanings***

Activity 6: Integrate Sources – Video Clip & Questions***

Activity 7: Skills Test Regular w/Key**

Activity 8: Skills Test *Modified w/Key**

RI.7.1

RI.7.1

RI.7.1

RI.7.1

RI.7.4

RI.7.9

RI.7.1, RI.7.4

RI.7.1, RI.7.4



Teacher’s Guide

Activities, Difficulty Levels, and Common Core Alignment

Activities, Difficulty Levels, and TEKS Alignment



Teacher’s Guide

Instructions for Google Classroom Digital ComponentsAll student activities are available in digital format compatible with GoogleClassroom. They are available in two formats: Google Slides and Google Forms.

Google SlidesFirst, I have made all student pages (excluding assessments) in Google Slides format.Students can simply add text boxes to any area they wish to type on. To access theGoogle Slides for this article, copy and paste the link below into your browser. *Notethat you’ll need to make a copy of the folder or slide before you can use it.*

omitted in preview

Google FormsI have made the assessments available in Google Forms. Here, they are self-grading, and I have set them all up with answer keys so they are ready to go for you. You’ll need to find these two files in your download folder to use Google Forms. The first file contains the links to the Forms, and the second file is explicit instructions for use. Look inside the Google Forms folder.



Teacher’s Guide

A Couple of Options for Teaching Article of the Week UnitsHere are my favorite suggestions for organizing these units with your schedule.*Please note that thumbnails show article 6.1 and activities.

Option A: Quickie UnitSimply complete all lesson activities in order OR pickand choose the activities you want to complete in order.

Time Needed: 2-3 fifty-minute class periodsPros: Super flexible; perfect filler around your other units; makes it easy to assign easier components for homework; ideal no prep sub plans if you have to be out for 2-3 days in a row.Cons: Fitting them all in around everything else you’ve got to do.

Option B: Daily ModelUse as a class starter or specific routine in yourclassroom everyday at the same time.

Time Needed: 15-20 minutes/day, 5 days/weekPros: IDEAL for block scheduling when you need to always change it up; Great way to fit nonfiction articles in with what you’re already doing.Cons: There are 25 total articles for each grade level, so some weeks you’ll need to skip the articles (I’d skip when doing projects, novels, during short weeks, and plan to finish up right before testing); May be difficult to commit to something rigid like this if you’re a type B teacher like myself ;)

Here’s how the daily model works:

Monday: Read article & complete basic comprehension activityTuesday: Text evidence activityWednesday: Skills focus activity (based on one key skill for each article)Thursday: Integrate information (other sources)Friday: Assessment

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday



Teacher’s Guide

WalkthroughI have discussed here how I use each activity and included hints and links to help you, too. Feel free to take or leave what you like. Even if you don’t plan to do every activity, I still recommend reading through this section to get the most out of these activities. Looking for a schedule to follow? Check the previous page for two suggested scheduling options.

These lessons and activities were designed to meet the needs of seventh graders during the first half the school year. The stories, activities, questions, and assessments will become increasingly rigorous and challenging as we progress through the year.

Activities 1-2• *There are no higher order thinking questions

included here – only basic, literal comprehension.• These activities are designed to be completed on

an either/or basis, meaning your students should only complete one of them, not both.

• Use Activity 1 for a quick cold-read assessment or after you’ve read the article together. I use these to hold students accountable for reading carefully. I recommend having students complete activity 1 without the article as long as they’ve just read the article (so not the next day), unless you’re providing a testing accommodation.

• Use Activity 2 for an open-ended option for the same exact questions. Students may have a harder time answering this one without the article, so choose this one if you want students to use the article but still prove that they’ve understood the content.

Article

Article Modified Article

Note: Answer key included but not shown.

Activity 1

Activity 2



Teacher’s Guide

Activities 3-4• Again, these activities are either/or, so choose

one or the other but not both.• Activity 3 requires students to annotate text

evidence in the article and includes an article annotation key.

• Activity 4 requires students to choose text evidence from a bank at the bottom. This format prepares students to choose from and distinguish between pieces of text evidence on a state assessment. I recommend mixing it up and going back and forth between these among units until your students are proficient at both methods.

Activity 5• This activity is focused around the main skill

for this article: RI.7.4 – Technical and Connotative Meanings, specifically.

• Please note that connotation may vary. For example, a more worldly student may consider colonize a negative word.

• Complete answer keys included, as always.

Activity 6• This activity requires students to integrate

information from another source or media. • Here, students view a video clip about the same topic.

Students will analyze specific words from the video clip and determine their meaning from information in the video clip.

• View the video clip: https://youtu.be/jNmEdrc-Mok• Backup: https://goo.gl/VtxyTX

Activity 3

Activity 4

Activity 5

Activity 6



Teacher’s Guide

Activities 7-8• What’s the best way to make sure your students

are prepared for the state assessment? Assess them regularly with that format. I always let my students practice for the first few before I start counting them for a grade, and I always use the basic comprehension assessment (activity 1 or 2) as an easy grade so it levels the playing field.

• Activity 7 is the regular assessment.• Activity 8 is the modified assessment. The

modified assessment offer students only two answer choices instead of four. Note that only the multiple choice portion of the modified test is different from the original. Simply put, only page one is different. Complete keys included as always (not shown).

• In a hurry? I always include only multiple choice questions on the first page in case you’re in a hurry and need to skip the open-ended portion of the test. I don’t recommend skipping regularly but every now and then, I need a grading break. (On this test, the multiple choice questions are 1-10 and extended response 11-13.

Activity 7

Activity 8


control the entire Korean peninsula. In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea with the goal of unifying Korea into one nation. North Korea quickly overtook most of South Korea, save for a very small section of land in the South. But when the United States sent military troops, their victories were reversed.

Complicating matters was the tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. These countries had both fought together as part of the Allied forces during World War II. However, in the following decade, they became at odds. The Soviet Union wanted to encourage and support other countries to become communist. The United States was averse to communism and wanted to stop communism from spreading to other countries. For this reason, the Soviet Union and the United States took sides in the Korean War. The Soviet Union provided advice to the North. China, another communist country, provided troops to the North. The United States provided troops to the South. This is called a proxy war. A proxy war is when two or more countries fight through a war happening in a different country instead of directly fighting each other.

The Korean War never officially ended. In 1953, leaders signed an armistice agreement. This is a cease fire agreement that calls for an end to violent fighting. The line dividing North and South Korea was returned to where it had been located at the beginning of the war; neither side lost or gained any territory. This line remains in place today.

After the Korean War, Kim Il-Sung, the leader of North Korea, began to act more like a dictator. He worked to stop his political opposition fromtaking power and converted North Korea’s economy to a fully communist model. He defined himself as Supreme Leader and established his family line as the true leaders of North Korea. His son inherited power after his death, and today his grandson, Kim Jong-un, is the Supreme Leader of North Korea.

Under rule from the Kim family, North Koreans have suffered. The country adopted the policy of Songun, or military first. This means that the strengthening of North Korea’s military takes priority over all other state and economic issues. During the mid 1990s, the people of North Korea suffered a severe famine that led to approximately one million deaths. International organizations have also reported that North Korea commits many human rights abuses.

Today, Kim Jong-un is a symbol of oppression, notorious for ordering the assassination of North Koreans, even family members, who oppose him. North Korea continues to focus on military and defense. North Korea builds and tests nuclear weapons and missiles that can carry nuclear weapons. This causes great concern to countries that do not get along with North Korea, such as the United States and South Korea. Over the past few decades, there have been multiple moments where the United States was close to coming to agreements with North Korea.

The Kim Dynasty

Grand Monument in Pyongyang of former Supreme Leaders

North Korea shows off their military with a parade, July 2013



Informational Text

For items 1-4, you’ll be citing textual evidence to support what the text says explicitly.

1. Find the sentence that defines democracy. Highlight it in blue.

2. Find the sentence that explains what a communist economic system is and highlight it in

green.

3. Find the sentence that reveals China’s involvement in the Korean War and highlight it in

purple.

4. Find the sentence that best explains why the Korean peninsula was first divided in half.

Highlight it in gray.

Finding Text EvidenceFind each piece of text evidence in the article and highlight OR underline it with the color specified.

Skill: Text Evidence

For items 5-8, you’ll be citing one piece or multiple pieces of textual evidence to support

inferences drawn from the text.

5. Find three pieces of evidence in the article that support the idea that North Korea’s

government was strongly influenced by the Soviet Union. Highlight them in orange.

6. Find two pieces of text evidence from the article that reveal how Kim Jong-un became

Supreme Leader and highlight them in yellow.

7. Find three pieces of text evidence that support the idea that the North Korean

government is oppressive under the leadership of the Kim dynasty. Highlight them in

pink.

8. Find a detail from the article that supports this statement:

The U.S. has reason to fear North Korea. Highlight it in red.

Activity 3



Informational TextSkill: Text Evidence

Activity 3

(RED)

(ORAN

GE)

(PINK)



Informational Text

A. Sort Words Use the article to sort these vocabulary words into the categories indicated below.

Activity 5

Skill: Connotative & Technical Meaning

government-specific words(content vocabulary)

the rest(general vocabulary)

dominate aftermath colonize democracy

capitalist dictatorship communist averse

proxy war armistice inherit famine

B. Define and Use WordsDefine each word in the space provided below. When there is more than one definition for a word, choose the definition that indicates how the word is used in the article. Then, below the definition, write an original sentence for the word that shows your understanding of the word in context of the article. The first one is done for you.

1. Define dominate:

2. Define aftermath:

3. Define colonize:

4. Define democracy:



Informational Text

C. Analyze WordsUse the article to sort these vocabulary words into categories based on connotation. Then, answer the questions that follow.

Activity 5

Skill: Connotative & Technical Meaning

positive

dominate aftermath colonize democracy

capitalist dictatorship communist averse

proxy war armistice inherit famine

democracycapitalist

neutral negativecolonizeaversearmisticeinherit

dominateaftermathdictatorshipcommunistfamineproxy war

13. Read this sentence from the article:Between the threat of a nuclear showdown with the U.S. and the peculiar personality of its leader, Kim Jong-un, there is no shortage of topics to discuss. In this sentence, what is the connotation of threat? __________________________________Think of a word that you could change threat to with a neutral connotation. Rewrite the sentence on the lines provided.

14. Read this sentence from the article:During the mid 1990s, the people of North Korea suffered a severe famine that led to approximately one million deaths. How does the use of the word suffered here impact the tone of this sentence? Suggest a word to use in its place to lighten the tone.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Between the possibility of a nuclear showdown with the U.S. and the peculiar

personality of its leader, Kim Jong-un, there is no shortage of topics to discuss.

negative

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Since the word suffer has a very negative connotation, the use of the word in

this sentence affects the tone in a negative way. Use of another word like

experienced would have a less negative affect on and lighten the tone of the

sentence.

nonfiction article of the week · teacher’s guide a couple of options for teaching article of the...

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