The Universe
This book’s text, photographs, Did You Know?
features, and diagrams take students to our
solar system and beyond. Chapters cover the
sun, moon, nine planets of our solar system,
stars, meteors, comets, and galaxies.
Glossary Words
asteroid crater orbit
atmosphere galaxy pole
comet meteor rotate
constellation meteorite solar eclipse
corona meteoroid solar system
Other Key Vocabulary
gorge streak
halo
Objectives
Reading Strategy—Study Skills: Using text
features
Language Skill: Using antonyms
Phonics/Word Study: Recognizing suffixes -en,
-ous, -ion
For more word study practice, see Steck-Vaughn
Phonics Level C, Unit 6, pages 169–171.
Pair-It Books Proficiency The Universe 9994108182
■ READING STRATEGY
Study Skills: Using Text Features
Explain that some information
To help students preview the book, have students write The books contain special boxes with
Universe at the top of a sheet of paper. Under it they should additional information. Have
make a three-column chart with the headings What I Know, students turn to page 7. Have a
What I Want to Learn, and What I Learned. Discuss with students volunteer read aloud the Did You
what they know and want to learn. Then give students a few Know? box. Then have students
minutes to write on their chart what they know and want look for more Did You Know?
to learn. boxes in the book. Call on students
to share the information they
learned from these special boxes.
■ LANGUAGE SKILL
Invite students to set a purpose for their reading. You might help
by asking what they wonder about when they look at the night Using Antonyms
sky or when they hear news about space voyages. Use questions Explain that antonyms are words
such as the following to guide the reading: that have opposite meanings and
• What causes the two types of eclipses? (chapter 2) that writers sometimes use
• Which two planets have rings? antonyms to point out a difference.
(chapter 7) Read aloud this sentence and then
• Which planet has the most moons identify the antonyms: The moon is
that we know about? (chapter 7) very hot in some places and very cold
• What are the differences between meteoroids, meteors, and in others. Afterward work with
meteorites? (chapter 10) students to make up sentences with
these antonyms: closest/farthest,
always/never, huge/tiny, rough/smooth,
sunrise/sunset.
Give students a few minutes to review the book and decide
which facts they find most interesting. Have them add these facts
to the third column of the chart they began in Before Reading.
Then have them complete the third column.
Recognizing Suffixes
Writing Activities
-en, -ous, -ion
Planet Descriptions
Materials: drawing paper, markers, encyclopedias, Explain that a suffix is a word part
information books about the solar system added to the end of a base word to
change its meaning. Write monstrous,
Have each student write and illustrate a paragraph
poisonous, molten, darken, rotation, and
comparing a chosen planet to Earth. Paragraphs might include
eruption on the board and underline
information about the surfaces of the two planets, comparative
the suffixes. Explain that -ous means
size, number of moons, and distances from the sun.
“full of,” -en means “to become,” and
Space Traveler -ion means “the act of” or “the result
Materials: encyclopedias, information books, outer space of an action.” Then write Io has 9
background music (optional) volcanoes that spew molten, poisonous
Have small groups write a science fiction adventure sulfur about 60 miles straight up and The
about a trip into space. Encourage students to include as many ice eruptions can spray across Triton for
facts as possible. Remind students that the story should have a 100 miles. Challenge students to define
beginning, middle, and end. To spark students’ creativity, you molten, poisonous, and eruptions.
may want to play outer space background music.
Pair-It Books Proficiency The Universe 9994108182
The Universe The Universe
Pair-It Books Proficiency Pair-It Books Proficiency
F/P: Q F/P: Q
DRA: 40 DRA: 40
9994108182 9994108182
The Universe The Universe
Pair-It Books Proficiency Pair-It Books Proficiency
F/P: Q F/P: Q
DRA: 40 DRA: 40
9994108182 9994108182