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Lesson Plan - Drones to the Rescue
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Learning Objective
Students will identify ways drone technology is helping humans in emergency situations.
Text Structure
Description, Problem and Solution
Content-Area Connections
Technology
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.4, RI.4.5, RI.4.7, RI.4.8, RI.4.10, L.4.4, SL.4.1
NGSS: Engineering Design
NCSS: Science, Technology, and Society
TEKS: Science 4.20
1. Preparing to Read
Watch a Video: Drone Zone
After watching, ask: What are some of the ways today’s drones are being used?
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify different ways drones are helping to save lives.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Based on the article, what do all drones have in common? While drones come in many sizes, the article explains that all drones are aircraft with no crew or passengers onboard.
(RI.4.5 COMPARISON)
2. Why does Olivier Defawe of VillageReach call drones a “game changer”? Defawe calls drones a “game changer” because they have completely changed the way health centers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can get lifesaving supplies. It can take up to 12 hours to deliver medicine or other supplies by car or bike. Drones can deliver supplies in just 20 minutes.
(RI.4.1 TEXT EVIDENCE)
3. What is the purpose of the sidebar, “Meet SnotBot”? The purpose of the sidebar is to inform readers about a drone that collects whale mucus in order to give scientists information about the whale’s health.
(RI.4.7 TEXT FEATURES)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Reading Closely
Use the Skill Builder “Read Closely” to have students complete tasks as they read the article three times for different purposes.
(RI.4.1 CLOSE READING)
Multilingual Learners
Learners may be familiar with the English phrase “taking turns” as it is used in sports or games. Explain that in this article, the phrase “took a terrifying turn” means “changed suddenly in a way that was scary.”
Striving Readers
Use the text-to-speech tool at scholastic.com/sn4 to have students listen to the article. Adjust the speed using the menu at the bottom of the page.
Enrichment Idea
Have students imagine a drone they might create to help humans. Have them draw the drone and write a paragraph explaining its purpose.