C.I. A.

Collect . Interpret . Apply

Unit of Study

th
Grade
Volume 5.5

Science Fiction
The City of Ember

Sarah Collinge
with Bethany Robinson

Seattle, Washington
Portland, Oregon
Denver, Colorado
Vancouver, B.C.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Copyright 2012 by Read Side by Side

ISBN: 978-1-59849-137-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012948738
Printed in the United States of America
Design: Soundview Design Studio
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, in part,
in any form, without the permission of the author.
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Table of Contents
Welcome to the C. I. A. Unit of Study, The City of Ember..................................................................5
Get to Know the C. I. A. Approach ...................................................................................................7
Visualize the Year...............................................................................................................................9
Set Up for Success ...........................................................................................................................10
Prepare a Teachers Guide ..........................................................................................................10
Designate a Daily Read-Aloud Block .........................................................................................11
Prepare a Meeting Area..............................................................................................................12
Get Ready for Turn and Talk .....................................................................................................13
Prepare Readers Notebooks .......................................................................................................15
Get Ready for Vocabulary Instruction .......................................................................................15
Locate Multiple Copies of the Text ............................................................................................17
Input Daily Lessons Into Your Plan Book ..................................................................................17
Prepare for Assessment ..............................................................................................................18
Alignment to the Common Core State Standards ............................................................................19
The City of Ember Unit of StudyDistribution of Standards .....................................................20
The City of Ember Text Complexity ............................................................................................25
The City of Ember Scope and Sequence ............................................................................................26
The City of Ember Stems List............................................................................................................34
Suggestions for Supporting Guided Practice ....................................................................................37
C. I. A. Lesson Plans: The City of Ember ..........................................................................................39
Collect Critical Information ............................................................................................................41
Day 1 Blurb ...........................................................................................................................42
Day 1 Mark Each Quadrant of the Text .................................................................................46
Day 2 Genre...........................................................................................................................48
Day 3 Important EventsThe Instructions............................................................................52
Day 4 Setting .........................................................................................................................56
Day 5 Problem .......................................................................................................................61
Day 6 Character List ..............................................................................................................65
Day 7 Setting .........................................................................................................................70
Day 8 Infer Character Traits ...................................................................................................75
Day 9 Infer Character Traits ...................................................................................................82
Day 10 Character List ............................................................................................................87
Day 10 Analogy .....................................................................................................................92
Day 11 Problem .....................................................................................................................96
Day 12 Infer Answers to Questions ......................................................................................101
Day 13 Retell Summary Writing ..........................................................................................104
The City of Ember Unit of Study

Interpret the Text (1) .....................................................................................................................109

Day 14 Setting .....................................................................................................................110
Day 15 Contrast Writing......................................................................................................114
Day 16 Empathy ..................................................................................................................118
Day 17 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................121
Day 18 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................124
Day 19 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................127
Day 20 Infer Character Traits ...............................................................................................129
Day 21 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................134
Day 22 Empathy ..................................................................................................................136
Day 23 Lines of Thinking.....................................................................................................139
Day 24 Outside Texts: TopicThe 1950s and the Threat of Nuclear War ............................143
Day 25 Outside Text: TopicAlbert Einstein ......................................................................151
Day 26 Evidence Collection Box ..........................................................................................155
Interpret the Text (2) .....................................................................................................................159
Day 27 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................160
Day 28 Right vs. Wrong .......................................................................................................163
Day 29 Problem/Solution/Opinion Writing .........................................................................166
Day 30 Right vs. Wrong .......................................................................................................169
Day 31 Collect Evidence ......................................................................................................172
Day 32 Turning Point ..........................................................................................................177
Day 33 Turning Point Writing..............................................................................................181
Apply to Your Life .........................................................................................................................185
Day 34 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................186
Day 35 Make Predictions .....................................................................................................189
Day 36 Read-In....................................................................................................................191
Day 37 Read-In....................................................................................................................193
Day 38 Synthesis Summary Writing .....................................................................................195
Day 39 Outside Text: TopicIs Jeanne DuPraus story believable? .......................................198
Day 40 Outside Texts: TopicIs Jeanne DuPraus story believable?......................................217
Days 4146 Formal Writing: Opinion Writing ....................................................................223
References .....................................................................................................................................228
Supplementary Materials for Social Studies and Science Connections ...........................................229
Vocabulary Handbook ..................................................................................................................233
The City of Ember Highlighting Directions and Labels for the Instructors Book ............................259

The City of Ember Unit of Study

Welcome to the C. I. A. Unit of Study for the book

The City of Ember
This unit of study was put together for the purpose of teaching students how to read longer, more
complex text. Unfortunately, in classrooms where only basal readers are used, many students
do not learn how to make the transition from picture books, to series books, to more complex
chapter books. As a result, students struggle during independent reading. This unit of study will
teach students the fundamental processes of reading text, specifically longer, more complex chapter books. It follows an approach described in its companion text, Raising the Standards through
Chapter Books: The C. I. A. Approach. I hope you enjoy guiding your students through the authentic work of expert readers!
The City of Ember is the first in the Books of Ember series written by Jeanne DuPrau. The City of
Ember tells about a future world built to protect the people from disaster. You and your students will
be challenged as you infer what may have threatened human life on earth and consider the believability of this threat. At the conclusion of the unit, students will write an evaluative essay defending
the believability of Jeanne DuPraus story.
The City of Ember is a challenging text for fifth-graders because of its genre, science fiction.
When reading science fiction, readers have to infer what may have happened to the world between
the present time and the future time described in the book. Students have to evaluate the believability of the story, which requires background knowledge. Throughout the unit, students will read
about the nuclear arms race, the Cold War, and Albert Einstein. In addition, Ive included a section at the end of this unit in which I make suggestions for optional related projects and lessons that
might be conducted during your content area literacy block during the weeks when you are teaching
this unit. If time allows, I highly recommend participating in some or all of these activities or using
your own resources to further students understanding of the topics and themes in The City of Ember.
The book The City of Ember connects well to the other units in the C. I. A. series for fifth grade.
Students will make connections to Earthquake Terror as Lina and Doon show determination to survive. The theme of fate and destiny in the book will remind students of their time reading Holes. As
Lina and Doon are assigned jobs at the beginning of the book, students will think about childrens
right to be children, a theme throughout the book Kids at Work.
Throughout this unit, it will be important to keep charts easy to read, colorful, and displayed on
the classroom wall, as they will be used often for referencing and for monitoring comprehension. I
suggest having a United States history timeline displayed somewhere in your classroom. Mark historical events already covered in your school-wide social studies curriculum on the timeline, along
with the events of the nuclear arms race and the Cold War. This timeline will offer students a visual
representation of the relationship between events throughout history. I have used the U.S. History
Timeline Topper Bulletin Board Set found at Mark Twain Media Publishing Company (#CD 1921).
I know you will find it hard to put the book The City of Ember down. At the conclusion of this
unit, students will be eager to read the rest of the books in the series for their summer reading.
Before starting this unit of study with your students, you will want to read and label a copy of
the book The City of Ember, to be used as a teacher guide. You will also want to acquire a class set of
books for students to use during read-aloud. Take time to get to know the scope and sequence, and
input lessons into your plan book ahead of time. Plan for social studies and science connections in
your content area literacy block.
At the back of this unit you will find a vocabulary handbook. Please print a copy of this handbook for each student. It will be used almost daily and is an essential component of this unit of study.
The City of Ember Unit of Study

If this is your first time teaching a C. I. A. unit, you will want to first familiarize yourself with the
C. I. A. approach. You will then need to lay the groundwork for optimizing your success with this
unit in your classroom by:
t
Designating a read-aloud block in your daily schedule
t
Setting up a meeting area
t
Planning for turn and talk
t
Preparing readers notebooks
t
Preparing for assessment

The City of Ember Unit of Study

The City of Ember Text Complexity

QUALITATIVE MEASURES

QUANTITATIVE MEASURES

Levels of Meaning
Multiple themes throughout the book increase
the challenge for readers of this text. Themes
include but are not limited to curiosity vs.
apathy, survival, bravery, responsibility, and
pacifism. These themes are conveyed through
the development of the problem throughout
the book.

The Lexile level for The City of Ember is

680, based on word frequency and sentence
length. This is in the upper range of the
complexity band for 2nd3rd grade according
to the Common Core State Standards.

Structure
While this story is told in sequential order,
there is a time gap of approximately 241
years. To understand the text, students must
use clues in the story to infer what happened
during those 241 years. This is what makes the
structure of this text complex. In addition, the
genre science fiction is a more complex genre
than realistic fiction because it requires students
to use background knowledge to evaluate the
believability of the story.

READER TASK CONSIDERATIONS

These should be determined locally with
reference to motivation, knowledge, and
experiences as well as to the purpose and
complexity of the tasks assigned and the
questions posed.

Language Conventionality and Clarity

Much of the complex vocabulary needed for
understanding is inferred throughout the story.
These inferred words are advanced vocabulary
words for fifth-grade students.
Knowledge Demands
While reading, students will need to rely on
their understanding of the threat of nuclear
war, the arms race, the Cold War, and Albert
Einstein. In addition, students will need to
rely on their understanding of analogy.

The City of Ember Unit of Study

25

DAY 4, SETTINGCHAPTER 1, PP. 411

Mini-Lesson
Vocabulary Routine: threatened (L 4, 5)
The base word threat means imminent danger. The suffix en means made of and the suffix ed
makes this word past tense.

Instructional Read-Aloud
In this chapterit is Assignment Day, the annual event when all children who are 12 years old will
leave school and receive their work assignments. The mayor visits Doon and Linas classroom to help
students randomly draw their job assignments from a velvet bag. Lina is hoping to be a messenger and
Doon is hoping to be an electricians assistant so that he can learn how to repair the citys generator.
In this lessonyou will be modeling how good readers visualize the setting of the story and compare the futuristic setting of Ember to the present-day world. Students will create a comparison
chart in their readers notebooks.

Learning Targets:
Read closely to monitor comprehension (RL 1)
t
Infer setting clues
t
Visualize
Show understanding of story elements (RL 3)
t
Setting
Use what you know about genre to help you understand the story better (RL 5)
Gather and categorize information through note taking (W 8)
Convey ideas precisely using appropriate vocabulary (L 3, 6)
Engage in collaborative discussion (SL 1, 2, 4, 6)

Connect:
We have been learning
that good readers identify the important events while reading.

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

Teach:
Today I am going to teach you
that good readers pay attention to the setting of the story. Today we will be visualizing the
setting and comparing the futuristic setting of Ember to the present-day world.
Watch me as I model how I think about clues in the story that help me visualize the setting.
Notice how I consider how the future world of Ember is different from the present-day world.
Today we will be using this stem for turn and talk:
When the book said _____, I thought this was an important detail because _____. This helps
me understand that, unlike in the present-day world, in the future world of Ember _____.
Open up your readers notebooks to a clean page and title it Comparison Chart. Below this
title, draw a T-chart. Label the left side of the T-chart Ember, and label the right side of the
T-chart Present-day World. As we create the chart together on the easel, you will each copy
down the information on your own chart in your readers notebook.
Begin reading chapter 1 of The City of Ember, starting on page 4.

Model:
Stop after: someday the lights of the city might go out and never come back on. (p. 5)
When the book said that the sky is always dark and when the lights were off the people might
as well have been wearing blindfolds, I thought this was an important detail because it helps
me visualize how dark the city of Ember is, especially when the lights are off. This helps me
understand that, unlike in the present-day world, in the future world of Ember there is no sun.
(Model adding this information to the comparison chart.)

Model:
Stop after: They were waiting. (p. 5)
We just learned that the story begins in the year 241, which signifies that 241 years have passed
since the city of Ember was inhabited. Please open up to your timeline. Lets add this important
information to our timeline.
(Model adding important information to the timeline.)

The City of Ember Unit of Study

57

Guided Practice:
Stop after: She made this picture as bright and real as she could. (p. 6)
What did you learn about what life in Ember is like, and how is it different from your own life?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the book said _____, I thought this was an important detail because _____. This helps
me understand that, unlike in the present-day world, in the future world of Ember _____.
(Model adding this information to the comparison chart.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: Next, said the mayor. (p. 9)
What did you learn about what life in Ember is like, and how is it different from your own life?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the book said _____, I thought this was an important detail because _____. This helps me
understand that, unlike the present-day world, in the future world of Ember _____.
(Model adding this information to the comparison chart.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: So as Vindie sat downeven before the mayor could say Nextshe stood
up and stepped forward. (p. 11)
What did you learn about what life in Ember is like, and how is it different from your own life?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the book said _____, I thought this was an important detail because _____. This helps
me understand that, unlike in the present-day world, in the future world of Ember _____.
(Model adding this information to the comparison chart.)

Link:
Today and every day when you read
I want you to use clues in the story to visualize the setting and compare the setting of the story
to that of your own life.

58

The City of Ember Unit of Study

The following charts are samples showing what your co-created charts might look like:

The City of Ember Unit of Study

59

60

The City of Ember Unit of Study

DAY 15, CONTRAST WRITING

Mini-Lesson
Vocabulary Routine: progress vs. regress (L 4, 5)
The word progress comes from the Greek root gredi, which means to step. The prefix pro
means to advance forward.
The word regress also comes from the Greek root gredi, which means to step. The prefix re
means again or back.
In this lessonstudents will be considering how the future city of Ember and the present-day world
are alike. Then, students will draw a conclusion, determining whether the future city of Ember and
the present-day world are mostly alike, or mostly different. Finally, students will write a contrast
paragraph in which they defend their thinking that the future city of Ember is mostly different from
the present-day world.

Learning Targets:
Analyze story elements (RL 3)
t
Setting
Compare and contrast (RL 9)
Write an expository piece (W 2)
t
Contrast writing
Write clearly and coherently according to task (W 4)
Recall information and draw evidence from the text (W 8, 9)
Write within a short time period (W 10)
Apply and use key vocabulary (L 6)
Convey ideas precisely using appropriate vocabulary (L 3, 6)
Engage in collaborative discussion (SL 1, 2, 4, 6)

Connect:
We have been learning
that good readers visualize the setting when reading science fiction and compare it to their own.

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

Teach:
Today I am going to teach you
that good readers draw a conclusion. They state whether the settings that are being compared
are more alike or more different. Then, they prove their thinking in writing. This helps readers
think more deeply about a text and synthesize thinking.

Guided Practice:
Before we begin our writing, please open up to your copies of our comparison chart. We have
gathered a lot of evidence proving that the city of Ember is different from the present-day world.
Discuss: Are these two settings alike in any way?
(Model adding this thinking to the comparison chart.)
Discuss: Are these two settings more alike or more different?
Today you will be writing a contrast paragraph. You will be proving that the future city of
Ember and the present-day world are more different than alike.
Introduce the Contrast Writing Frame.
Begin by modeling how to write the introduction sentence. For example, Both the future city
of Ember and the present-day world ______, but overall, these settings are very different.

Scaffold:
(Depending on your students levels of readiness, you will need to decide whether the assignment
will be done as :
t
Shared writingwritten as a group on chart paper or a document camera while students
copy this writing into their readers notebooks.
t
Guided writingstarted as a group on chart paper or a document camera and then released
to be completed collaboratively or independently.
t
Collaborative writingeach student works collaboratively with a partner, but is responsible
for his or her own writing.
t
Independent writingcompleted by the student with limited or no guidance.)

Share-out:
(Have students share their writing with their partners or the class. Partners or classmates should
respond to student writing using the stem:
I agree with you because ____________, OR
I disagree with you because ___________.)

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115

The following chart is a sample showing what your co-created chart might look like:

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

Contrast Frame
Introduction Sentence

If the two things are more different than alike, begin by saying:
__________ and ___________ both _______________, but
overall they are very different.

Body

Explain the ways these two things are different.

Use transition words such as:
First, second, third,
One way, another way, also,
First, also, in addition,

Conclusion

Restate your thinking.

Start with one of the following phrases:
In conclusion,
All in all,
As you can see,
It is true,
To sum up,

Contrast Writing (Student Sample):

Both the future city of Ember and the present-day world rely on electricity for light, but for the most
part life in Ember is very different from life in the present-day world.
One of the biggest differences between the future world of Ember and the present-day world is
the lack of sunlight. In Ember, the only light comes from lamps. In Ember there is no sun, moon,
or stars. In the present-day world, sunlight is important to our daily lives. The sun is used to determine the time of day and year, and to grow plants for food and medicine. The people of Ember are
trapped by darkness.
Another major difference between the future world of Ember and the present-day world is that
the citizens of Ember do not enjoy the simple luxuries we enjoy in the present day. For example, in
Ember all of their possessions are old and mended. They re-use items even after they have stopped
working. Linas family uses their broken refrigerator as a pantry. Granny sells yarn pulled from old
clothes in her yarn shop. Trash sifters sort through the trash looking for useful things. In the present-day world, we are quick to throw things away when they get old or break.
Finally, the people of Ember graduate from school and start work at age 12, unlike in the present-day world where most people go to school till at least age 18. In Ember, people are assigned jobs
rather than choosing what they want to do. Clearly, the people of Ember dont have the same freedoms we have in the present-day world.
As you can see, the future world of Ember is a place of regress, not progress. I wouldnt want to
live in the future world of Ember!

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117

DAY 24, OUTSIDE TEXT

Instructional Read-Aloud
Topic: The 1950s and the Threat of Nuclear War
Articles:
American Museum of Natural History. (2002). The Manhattan Project. Retrieved on August 6,
2012, from http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/peace-and-war/the-manhattan-project
American Museum of Natural History. (2002). Nuclear Arms Race. Retrieved on August 6, 2012,
from http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/peace-and-war/nuclear-arms-race
In the article titled The Manhattan Projectstudents will read about the early development of
nuclear energy in Germany and the United States. They will learn that Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in 1939, warning him of the threat of nuclear war. In 1941, in response
to Einsteins letter, the U.S. government launched the Manhattan Projectthe development of the
atomic bomb. Even though Einstein did not work on the Manhattan Project in any capacity, he
felt responsible for the events that occurred thereafter. In 1945, the U.S. military dropped atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
In the article titled Nuclear Arms Racestudents will read about the Cold War that began in
1945 and continued through the early 1990s. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union both were known to have nuclear weapons. Both countries continued to build bigger and
more powerful bombs, such as the hydrogen bomb. The two superpowers were moving closer and
closer to nuclear war. Albert Einstein feared this war would lead to the destruction of civilization.
He dedicated the remainder of his life to the elimination of nuclear weapons.
In this lessonstudents will first consider what inspired Jeanne DuPrau to write The City of Ember. On her website, students will read that the arms race of the 1950s influenced DuPraus idea for
Ember. They will read the two articles to gather background knowledge about this time period. You
will model how readers use outside sources to help them draw conclusions regarding the authors
inspiration. Students will conclude the lesson by inferring that Ember was likely built to protect the
people from nuclear attack.
To prepare for this lesson, make a copy of each article for students or make the website available to
them for viewing.

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143

Learning Targets:
Read closely to understand diverse media (RI 1, 2, 3, 7)
Analyze multiple texts (RI 9)
Consider the authors point of view (RI 6)
Gather and categorize information through note taking (W 8)
Convey ideas precisely using appropriate vocabulary (L 3, 6)
Engage in collaborative discussion (SL 1, 2, 4, 6)

Connect:
We have been learning
that good readers think about the themes that are emerging in the book as they reach the end
of the second quadrant of the book. Yesterday we came up with the following themes that we
think are emerging in the book The City of Ember:
1. Curiosity leads to wisdom just as apathy leads to foolishness.
2. One cannot prosper outside of ones natural environment.
3. It is our responsibility to protect the environment we live in from disaster.
However, we did not reach a decision about which theme in the book will be our line of
thinking. More information is needed to help us narrow our thinking to one line of thinking.

Teach:
Today I am going to teach you
that good readers gather information from outside sources in order to infer answers to questions.
One of the big questions we still have about this story is, Why did the Builders create the city of
Ember? What were they trying to protect the people from?
Today we are going to look at Jeanne DuPraus website to see if we can get some answers.
Today we are going to use this stem for turn and talk:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Physically show students Jeanne DuPraus website or print the answer to the question Where did
you get the idea for The City of Ember found at http://www.jeanneduprau.com/answers.shtml.)
Begin reading Jeanne DuPraus response to the question Where did you get the idea
for The City of Ember?

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

Model:
Jeanne DuPrau makes it clear to us that the inspiration for Ember came from her experience
growing up in the 1950s, when people were worried about nuclear war. She describes that time
as one when people were building bomb shelters in their yards.
To understand this time period and the inspiration for the book The City of Ember, we are going
to read two articles found on the American Museum of Natural History website.
As we read these articles, we are going to be identifying some of the defining events and beliefs of
this time period.
Today we will be using this stem for turn and talk:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
Please open up your readers notebooks to a clean page and title it The 1950s and the Threat of
Nuclear War. You will be recording some of the important events and beliefs of the 1950s here
in your readers notebooks.
Begin reading the article titled The Manhattan Project.

Model:
Stop after: Two other findings in 1940 and 1941 demonstrated conclusively that the
bomb was feasible and made building the bomb a top priority for the United States
(paragraph 2)
When the article said that German scientists were working on an experiment to make a bomb
and that Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt telling him about the Germans
activities, I thought this was important because after that, the United States also wanted
to build an atomic bomb. This makes me think that a popular belief in the 1950s was that
military power is important.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

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145

Guided Practice:
Stop after: The hundreds of scientists on the project were forbidden from consulting
with Einstein, because the left-leaning political activist was deemed a potential security
risk. (paragraph 4)
What were the important events in this section of the text?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: An estimated 200,000 people had died in the two cities. (paragraph 6)
What were the important events in this section of the text?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: In an interview with Newsweek magazine, he said that had I known that
the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done
nothing. (paragraph 8)
What were the important events in this section of the text?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)
Begin reading the article titled Nuclear Arms Race.

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

Model:
Stop after: The Soviet Union followed with its version in 1953. (paragraph 1)
When the article said that the United States and the Soviet Union began a race to build bigger
and bigger bombs, I thought this was important because this is what led the United States and
the Soviet Union to create the most powerful weaponthe hydrogen bomb. This makes me
think that the Cold War must have been a scary time for the people of the world. I think that is
why Jeanne DuPrau remembers it so well.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: Einstein feared this battle would end with the destruction of civilization.
(paragraph 3)
What were the important events in this section of the text?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: the Cold War lasted for more than four decades. (paragraph 4)
What were the important events in this section of the text?
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the article said _____, I thought this was important because _____. This makes me think
_____.
(Model adding these important events to the list.)

Stretch It:
Discuss: Do you think the city of Ember was built to protect the people from nuclear war? If so,
what might be the authors message or theme?
(Nudge students to notice that the article supports the third theme on the brainstorm list.)

The City of Ember Unit of Study

147

Link:
Today and every day when you read
I want you to consider the authors inspiration for the book and how that might contribute to
the theme.

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

The following lists are examples of what your co-created lists might look like:

The City of Ember Unit of Study

149

Themes
1. Curiosity leads to wisdom just as apathy leads to foolishness.
2. One cannot prosper outside of ones natural environment.
3. It is our responsibility to protect the environment we live in from disaster.

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The City of Ember Unit of Study

DAY 32, TURNING POINTCHAPTER 14, PP. 178192

Instructional Read-Aloud
In this chapterDoon finds the E in the Pipeworks and takes Lina down to see it. They discover
a ladder on the ledge next to the river, and they both descend down to another ledge. There they
find a door and a key. When they open the door they discover a large storage area holding matches,
candles, and boats. Neither one of them knows what matches or candles are. They soon discover
that they are tools for making a moveable light. The chapter ends as they realize that the river is the
way out of Ember.
In this lessonyou will be modeling how, as they approach the last part of quadrant 3, readers look
for the turning point in the bookthe place where the author reveals his or her message. Students
will recognize at the end of chapter 14 that Lina and Doons curiosity has led them to discover the
way out of Ember. They now have the power to save Ember.

Learning Targets:
Read closely to monitor comprehension (RL 1)
t
Determine importance
t
Predict
Determine central ideas or themes (RL 2)
Analyze story elements (RL 3)
t
Plotturning point
Use what you know about structure and genre to help you understand the story better (RL 5)
t
Turning point
Describe how the turning point reveals the authors message (RL 2, 6)
Gather and categorize information through note taking (W 8)
Draw evidence from the text (W 9)
Convey ideas precisely using appropriate vocabulary (L 3, 6)
Engage in collaborative discussion (SL 1, 2, 4, 6)

Connect:
We have been learning
that good readers collect evidence to support a line of thinking.

The City of Ember Unit of Study

177

Teach:
Today I am going to teach you
that good readers, as they approach the end of the third quadrant of the book, look for the
turning point in the story. At the turning point, the plot changes dramatically. The turning
point is the most important event in the whole book because it will change the way the story is
going to go. It will also reveal the authors message.
Our line of thinking in this book is Curiosity leads to wisdom just as apathy leads to foolishness.
Watch me as I model how I continue to look for evidence that supports our line of thinking.
Notice how I look for clues that the story is going to change dramatically.
Today we will be using this stem for turn and talk:
When the book said _____, I was thinking this was an important event because _____. This
makes me think _____.
Begin reading chapter 14 of The City of Ember, starting on page 178.

Model:
Stop after: He must be thinking the same way as Looper: everything was hopeless
anyhow, so hed live it up while he could. (p. 179)
When the book said that Lina wondered if the mayor would enjoy sitting in his lit room while
the rest of the city drowned in darkness, I was thinking this was an important event because it
shows how foolish the mayor is. He is nave if he thinks that possessions will save him. The only
thing that will save him is discovery of the way out of Ember. This makes me think that Lina
and Doon are Embers only hope.
(Model adding this evidence to the evidence collection box.)

Guided Practice:
Stop after: And now, and now she said, we can go back in the room and see whats
there. (p. 190)
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the book said _____, I was thinking this was an important event because _____. This
makes me think _____.
(Model adding new evidence, if any, to the evidence collection box.)

178

The City of Ember Unit of Study

Guided Practice:
Stop after: To leave Ember, they must go on the river. (p. 192)
Turn and talk to your partners using this stem:
When the book said _____, I was thinking this was an important event because _____. This
makes me think _____.

Model:
We know that the turning point is the point at which the plot makes a dramatic change. We also
know that the turning point will reveal the authors message.
What is the turning point in our book?
(Model adding Lina and Doon learn that the river is the way out of Ember to the evidence
collection box. Model circling this event and marking it as the turning point.)

Stretch It:
Discuss: How does the turning point reveal the authors message?

Link:
Today and every day when you read
I want you to watch for the turning point near the end of the third quadrant of the book and
consider how the turning point reveals the authors message.

The City of Ember Unit of Study

179

The following chart is a sample showing what your co-created chart might look like:

180

The City of Ember Unit of Study

Vocabulary: Contrasts
Context:
When the city of Ember was built and not yet inhabited, the chief builder and the assistant
buildersat down to speak of the future. (p. 1)
Target Words:

inhabited vs. uninhabited

What it is

What it is

_____________________________

______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

Ill remember this word by:

The City of Ember Unit of Study

Ill remember this word by:

239