Black and white photo of the Titanic floating on the water

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Words & Pictures,

One Ship, Five Facts

Here are five facts to know before reading an article about a ship called the Titanic.

From the December 2021 / January 2022 Issue

Lexiles: 450L

Guided Reading Levels: K

DRA Level: 20-24

Featured Skill: Compare Two Texts, Key Details,

Topic: Social Studies,

1) The Titanic was built more than 100 years ago.

1) The Titanic was a ship.

Jim McMahon/Mapman R

It was taking people from England to New York City. It left on April 10, 1912. The trip was supposed to take about seven days.

It was built more than 100 years ago. It was taking people from England to New York City. The trip was supposed to take seven days.

2) It was the most famous ship in the world.

2) It was a famous ship.

No one had ever seen a ship like it. It was huge. It was fancy. It was one of the first ships to have a swimming pool. It had a dining room, a gym, and a giant staircase. When it left England, crowds of people came to say goodbye.

It was huge. It was fancy. It was one of the first ships to have a swimming pool. It had a dining room and a gym.

3) It hit an iceberg.

3) It hit a giant piece of ice.

On the fifth day of the trip, the ship hit an iceberg. An iceberg is a giant piece of ice in the water. The ship sank. More than 1,500 people died. Only 706 people survived.

The piece of ice is called an iceberg. The ship sank. Many people died. Only 706 people survived.

4) The Titanic became a shipwreck.

4) The Titanic sank.

Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

The Titanic underwater

That is a ship that has sunk. It sank very far down.

It sank very far down. It became a shipwreck.

5) For many years, it was too far down for people to reach.

5) It was too far down for people to reach.

The Titanic sat alone on the bottom of the sea. Explorers around the world dreamed of finding it.

Click here to read about the search for the Titanic.

The Titanic sat on the bottom of the sea. It was there many years. Explorers wanted to find it.

Click here to read about the search for the Titanic.

Activities (4)

Activities (4)

Download All Quizzes and Activities

About the Article

Social Studies Focus

Exploration; Geography: World map

Vocabulary

iceberg

BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

This article gives kids background knowledge that will help them better understand this issue’s Big Read nonfiction article, “The Search for the Titanic,” on page 6.

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (2 minutes)

This article’s featured word is iceberg.

2. READ THE ARTICLE (10 MINUTES)

This article works well with whole-class instruction. Call on different students to read each numbered section aloud. The numbers make the text easy to navigate.

As you read, stop to analyze the photos. What do students notice about the Titanic in numbers 1 and 2? (It’s really big and really fancy, etc.)

Point out the object in the photo by number 3. (an iceberg) Share that an iceberg just like this one is what caused the Titanic to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

3. AFTER READING (3 MINUTES)

ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)

Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.

We offer both multiple-choice and written-answer formats for the quiz.

ELA Focus: Key Details (20 minutes)

It’s time to help Nosey fill out her Fact File! Print out Nosey’s Fact File from the Resources section of our website. Kids can find facts from the article.

Each fact box is scaffolded to help kids know what to write.

Kids can share their facts with a partner or with the whole class, or they can email their Fact Files to Nosey at [email protected]!

Enrich the Learning: Paired Text (20 minutes)

After reading this short article, students will have background knowledge for the Big Read article, “The Search for the Titanic,” on page 6.

Two Different Texts Use this printable to help your students compare and contrast this article with the Big Read.

Text-to-Speech