National Geographic Learning - Ladders, Social Studies
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/146217
Welcome to Yellowstone! You hold in your hands a small yet power-packed book with four different pieces that are tied together by a common topic. Take a look at the front cover to discover just what the topic might be. Notice the title, Yellowstone. Look at the photo of the land. Where do you think this place is? What do you notice about the land? Also notice the title of each piece in a band at the bottom of the cover. In this book, you will find: • a social studies article titled "Welcome to Yellowstone National Park." A social studies article uses facts, details, data, and examples to describe information about a specific social studies topic. This article tells about Yellowstone National Park and how it became a national park. Stephanie Harvey Program Consultant • a geography tour called "A Tour of Volcanic Yellowstone." This informational text takes you on a geological tour of the Yellowstone National Park and describes the volcanic areas of the park. • a folk tale titled "Yellowstone: Too Strange to Believe." This particular folk tale is about two of Yellowstone's early explorers and is told as a graphic story. Graphic stories are written like comic books with amazing colorful illustrations. • and lastly, an opinion piece titled "Return of the Wolf." This piece describes three different views on returning wolves to Yellowstone. Although each of these pieces is linked together by the topic of Yellowstone National Park, they are different genres. You might want to start with the one that most grabs your attention. Read it first if you like, but don't forget to read the others. Reading each one will give you more information and help you unlock the themes and big ideas. Reading is thinking! Readers who get the most out of their reading are always thinking about the text. As you read this book, be a thinking-intensive reader—a reader who never stops thinking by asking questions, making connections, and reacting to information. Pay attention to the words, but also look at the pictures and the features. This book is packed with eye-catching visuals that will give you tons of information, if you only pay attention to them. And lastly, keep a pen or pencil and sticky notes right next to you as you read. Jot down your questions, connections, and reactions and stick them right on the page where you had those thoughts. These notes give you a place to hold your thinking so you won't forget what you have read and can come back later to reflect on the ideas and issues in the text. Nothing is more important than your thinking when you read and view, so keep reading, keep looking, keep thinking, and have some fun! Anne Goudvis Program Consultant On the cover: Two buffalo walking through the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.