Lesson Plan - 2024 Year in Review

Watch the Video
Watch “What You Need to Know About Hurricanes” and ask: What damage can a hurricane cause? Then play “Simone’s Moves.” Discuss why many say Simone Biles is the “greatest of all time.”

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• triumphant
• debut
• splintered
• resiliency

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about which news event from 2024 they think is most important.

1. What does the article mean when it says that the Paris Olympics marked a “triumphant comeback” for Simone Biles?
When the article says that Biles made a “triumphant comeback,” it means that she was competing again after a break. The article notes, “At the previous Summer Olympics in Japan, she pulled out of several events. Biles wanted to protect her mental and physical health.”
^{(RI.4.1 Inference)}

2. Find an example of a cause and a related effect in the 2024 Year in Review. Describe them and note the section in which you found them.
Sample response: An example of a cause and a related effect can be found in the section “Stuck in Space.” The Starliner leaking gas was a cause that led to the effect of Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams being stuck on the International Space Station.
^{(RI.4.5 Cause and Effect)}

3. What are two words you would use to describe Jared Coupland? Explain.
Sample response: One word that describes Jared Coupland is determined. He persevered with the boat rescue even though it was like “fitting pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.” Coupland is also caring. He reassured Star and the other building residents.
^{(RI.4.1 Text Evidence)}

FEATURED SKILL: Vocabulary
How well do your students remember this year’s Words to Know? Find out by having them complete the crossword puzzle on the skill builder “Words to Remember.”
^{(RI.4.4 Vocabulary)}