Lesson Plan - Dad Is On Duty

Watch a Video: Meet a Military Family
Ask: How have Ava and Adonis Garcia been affected by having a dad in the military?

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

• deployed
• endure

Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the “As You Read” question and have students identify sacrifices military families make. 

1. How does the author start the article? Why do you think she starts this way?
She starts by describing a time that Adonis and Ava were at a baseball game and their dad surprised them by showing up after months on active duty. She begins this way to show how military families miss each other during time apart.
^{R.5 Craft and Structure}

2. Why will Adonis and Ava not be FaceTiming with their dad for a while?
Adonis and Ava don’t need to FaceTime with their dad right now because Juan is home in California.
^{R.1 Text Evidence}

3. Based on the sidebar “Life at Sea,” how is the USS Theodore Roosevelt like a floating city?
This aircraft carrier is like a floating city because it is enormous and home to about 5,500 sailors. Inside the vessel are a gym, supermarket, and a post office.
^{R.7 Text Features}

FEATURED SKILL: Main Idea
Use the skill builder “What’s the Main Idea?” to have students identify the main idea and several key details in the article. 
^{R.2 Main Idea and Key Details}