The TV Kid by Katrina Van Horn Fountas-Pinnell Level R Biography Selection Summary Philo Farnsworth Was Just a Regular Kid

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LESSON 10 TEACHER’S GUIDE The TV Kid by Katrina Van Horn Fountas-Pinnell Level R Biography Selection Summary Philo Farnsworth was just a regular kid. He lived on a farm in Utah and did okay in school—not great. But when he was 14, Farnsworth got an idea that would change the world. By the time Philo Farnsworth was 21, he had invented television. Number of Words: 1199

Characteristics of the Text Genre • Biography Text Structure • Organized by sections • Begins with an introduction, then told in chronological order Content • Facts about Philo Farnsworth – childhood, inﬂ uential events, experiments • Invention of the television Themes and Ideas • Lifelong ambitions can be achieved with hard work. • Creative thought can result in innovation and invention. Language and • Terms deﬁ ned within the text Literary Features Sentence Complexity • Many long, complex sentences: As the oldest child in the family, Philo not only did farm and household chores, but he also helped take care of the younger kids. Vocabulary • Technical vocabulary relating to electricity and television: electrons, particles, receiver Words • Many multi-syllable words: occasional, electronic, technology Illustrations • Several archival photographs including one of an original sketch Book and Print Features • Thirteen pages of text with photos and illustrations on each page • Captions and labels throughout • Timeline of important dates © 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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3_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 1 11/2/09 9:24:34 PM The TV Kid by Katrina Van Horn Build Background Help students use their knowledge of modern technology to think about the text. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: How would modern life be different if there were no televisions? Read the title and author and talk about the photograph of an early television on the cover. Tell students that this is a biography, so it will contain facts about a real person.

Introduce the Text Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions: Page 3: Explain that this book is about a man named Philo Farnsworth who invented the television. He got the idea for a television picture tube when he was a 14 year old farm boy! Suggested language: Turn to page 3 of this book. Look at the section title: A Hard Childhood. Philo was born in 1906, out west on the new American frontier. Why might life on the frontier have been hard for a child? Page 5: Draw students’ attention to the fi rst sentence: Reading about science changed Philo’s life. Explain that Philo became much better at school after he became interested in inventions. How do you think his curiosity about science helped Philo in school? Page 8: Point to the drawing on this page. Philo drew this picture for his teacher when he was 16. It shows his idea for a machine that could turn electricity into pictures. His idea was to control the speed and direction of electrons.They are the particles, or tiny pieces, that make up electricity. Page 10: Point out the section heading on this page. Philo conducted experiments in his lab and, on September 7, 1927, he transmitted the fi rst electronic television picture ever. How do you think Philo felt when he saw a television picture on the air for the fi rst time? Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to fi nd out what happens to Philo Farnsworth and his famous invention.

Expand Your Vocabulary

chemistry – a science that deals frontier – a region that forms the particles – one of the very small with substances, p. 6 edge of the settled part of a parts of matter, p. 8 electrons – particles that have a country, p. 3 transmitted – to send a signal negative charge of electricity, hardships – things that cause by radio waves or over a wire, p. 8 pain or loss, p. 3 p. 10

Grade 3 2 Lesson 10: The TV Kid © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

33_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 2 77/28/09/28/09 4:07:304:07:30 PMPM Read Have students read The TV Kid silently while you listen to individual students read. Support their problem solving and ﬂ uency as needed.

Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy , and to tell important parts of the text in their own words.

Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal Response Invite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: How do you think Philo felt when he ﬁ rst succeeded in transmitting a picture electronically? How would you feel if you tried to do something for a long time and ﬁ nally succeeded?

Ways of Thinking As you discuss the text, help students understand these points: Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text • Philo Farnsworth became • Sometimes you have to try • The author uses an introduction interested in electronic something many times before to get readers interested in the inventions when he was a succeeding. book. teenager • Inventions can change people’s • The illustrations, photographs, • Philo could not ﬁ nish college lives. and timeline support and extend because he had to help support the text. his family when his father died, • The events are described in so he set up a lab on his own. chronological order. • Even though Philo thought of the • The author’s purpose is to idea for electronic television ﬁ rst, inform readers about this other people created working creative inventor. models of televisions before he did.

Choices for Further Support • Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind them to pay attention to punctuation, and to pause at commas in longer sentences. • Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas. • Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Have students change words to make a range of plurals, including: genius/geniuses (page 3), gadget/gadgets (page 6), laboratory/laboratories (page 10), person/people (page 11).

Grade 3 3 Lesson 10: The TV Kid © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

3_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 3 11/2/09 9:24:56 PM Writing about Reading

Critical Reading Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 10.9.

Responding Have students complete the activities at the back of the book. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension Skill Main Ideas and Details Remind students that the important ideas in a book are always supported with details. Explain that students can tell important ideas and details about a topic in their own words. Model the skill, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud I know the main idea on page 4: as he got older, Philo Farnsworth became very interested in inventions. What are the details that support that idea? Philo was amazed he could talk to someone through a telephone. He asked his father a lot of questions about how the telephone was invented.

Practice the Skill Have students write one sentence explaining the main idea of the book. Then have students write one sentence telling a detail that supports this idea.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use what they know and their own experience to think about what happens in the book.

Assessment Prompts • On page 8, which words in paragraph 1 help the reader know the meaning of electrons? • Complete this sentence: The author’s purpose in writing this book is to

______. • Tell one word that best describes Philo Farnsworth.

Grade 3 4 Lesson 10: The TV Kid © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

3_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 4 11/2/09 9:25:08 PM English Language Development

Reading Support In Introduce the Text (p.2) include as much practice as needed to help students become familiar with the language structures of the book.

Vocabulary Explain any vocabulary words that might be confusing, such as frontier (page 3), occasional (page 5), gadget (page 6), and device (page 8).

Oral Language Development Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English proﬁ ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student. Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced Speaker 1: What is on the cover? Speaker 1: Why is the book called The Speaker 1: How did Philo’s TV Kid? life change when he became Speaker 2: an old photograph interested in inventions? Speaker 2: Philo Farnsworth was a kid Speaker 1: Who is in this picture? when he invented the television. Speaker 2: He did much better Speaker 2: Philo Farnsworth in school and was inspired to Speaker 1: How did he get the idea for a become an inventor. television? Speaker 2: He read many science magazines.

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Lesson 10 Name Date BLACKLINE MASTER 10.9

The TV Kid Critical Thinking Critical Thinking

Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown. 1. Think within the text What caused Philo to become interested in science?

Philo began reading science magazines he found in his family’s attic in Idaho.

2. Think within the text How was Philo able to prove that he was the inventor of television?

He used a drawing of an “image dissector” that he had made in high school.

3. Think beyond the text Do you think Philo has not received enough credit for being the “father of television”?

Responses will vary.

4. Think about the text Why do you think the author uses the phrase “according to legend” to introduce the story of how Philo got the idea for electronic TV?

The author probably wants to let the reader know that the story may or may not

actually be true.

Making Connections Students and teachers in a Utah school helped get a statue of Philo Farnsworth made. Think of someone you know or have read about whom you would like to honor in this way. Who is the person you would like to honor? Why? Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook. Read directions to students. Critical Thinking 11 Grade 3, Unit 2: Express Yourself © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

33_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 5 77/28/09/28/09 4:07:314:07:31 PMPM Name Date The TV Kid

Thinking Beyond the Text Write two paragraphs answering the following question:

Philo T. Farnsworth became known as the “father of television.” Why was he called that? Do you think he deserved that honor? Why or why not? Use details from the book to support your answer.

33_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd_305974_AL_LRTG_L10_TVKid.indd 6 77/28/09/28/09 4:07:334:07:33 PMPM Lesson 10 Name Date BLACKLINE MASTER 10.9

The TV Kid Critical Thinking Critical Thinking

Read and answer the questions. 1. Think within the text What caused Philo to become interested in science?

2. Think within the text How was Philo able to prove that he was the inventor of television?

3. Think beyond the text Do you think Philo has not received enough credit for being the “father of television”?

4. Think about the text Why do you think the author uses the phrase “according to legend” to introduce the story of how Philo got the idea for electronic TV?

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