Lesson Plan - The Ultimate Road Trip

Watch the Video
Play the video “Welcome to California” to build background knowledge before reading.

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

• perseverance
• stamina

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about whether they’d want to ride a bike across their home state.

1. Based on the article, why did Dennis Bueker create the Ride Across California in 1991?
According to the article, Dennis Bueker created the Ride Across California in 1991 “as a way to help kids develop a can-do attitude and build self-confidence before they start middle school.”
^{R.2 Main Idea and Key Details}

2. What is the meaning of the word stamina? What are two details in the article that help show that the students’ trek required stamina?
Stamina means “the energy or strength needed to do something for a long time.” The students’ trek required stamina because it took them “through the desert, down bumpy dirt roads, and over mountains” and because they biked for 30 to 60 miles most days.
^{R.4 Vocabulary}

3. Based on the sidebar, “Let’s Visit California,” why do you think California is known as the Golden State?
You can guess that California is known as the Golden State because of the Gold Rush that began at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
^{R.1 Inference}

Featured Skill: Using Text Features
Distribute the skill builder “Focus on Text Features” and have students work in pairs to answer questions about the article’s nonfiction text features. Have pairs come up with additional text-feature questions to pose to the class.
^{R.7 Text Features}