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Number of Words: 956

L E S S O N 1 4 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

The Adventures of ERIKby Gloria Jasperse

Fountas-Pinnell Level OBiographySelection SummaryThis biography explores the life of Erik Weihenmayer, a blind athlete who has refused to let his visual disability limit his personal goals. By 2002, he had succeeded in climbing the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents. His story will inspire young readers to follow their dreams too.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Biography

Text Structure • Third-person factual narrative• Four sections, from three to four pages long, organize important topics.• Key events presented in chronological order

Content • Effects of severe visual disabilities• Variety of sports (mountain climbing, wrestling)• World geography

Themes and Ideas • Physical disabilities are not physical limitations.• Determination and hard work enable people to follow their dreams.• A positive attitude has a positive effect on others.

Language and Literary Features

• Clearly written third-person narrative• Dashes set off important information in sentences: In fact, Erik joined his high school

wrestling team – and became the team captain!• Exclamation and question marks create interest.

Sentence Complexity • Mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences• Variety in sentence length• Descriptive phrases and clauses

Vocabulary • Some more diffi cult content-specifi c words (scuba dives, parachutes, Braille) and geographical names (Australia; Africa)

Words • Many multisyllabic words, some challenging: pretended, comfortable, confi dent, encourages

Illustrations • Many color photographs and some captions that extend and reinforce contentBook and Print Features • Twelve pages of text; one page of photographs

• “Erik” printed in capital letters in book title for emphasis© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Expand Your Vocabulary

adventure – an action involving unknown risks or dangers, p. 3

athletes - people trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength, p. 12

continents – one of the great divisions of land, p. 10

peak – the top of a hill or mountain, p. 10

summit – highest point on a mountain, p. 10

wrestle – to struggle with and try to throw down an opponent, p. 6

The Adventures of ERIK by Gloria Jasperse

Build BackgroundHelp children use their sports knowledge to visualize the book. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: Do you think mountain climbing would be an exciting sport to try? Why or why not? Read the title and author’s name and talk about the cover photograph. Tell children that this book is a biography about the life of a real person.

Introduce the TextGuide children through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

: Explain that this book is about Erik Weihenmayer. He’s one of the greatest athletes in the world. Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Erik Weihenmayer loves all kinds of challenges. Sometimes he jumps from airplanes with a parachute and other times he dives deep into the ocean. What is he doing in this photograph? How do you think he feels?

Page 3: Point out that Erik started to lose his sight when he was very young. Erik is blind. He cannot see the world around him. But he always loved adventure and wouldn’t stop doing the exciting activities he enjoyed. What does that tell you about him?

Page 7: As a teenager, Erik learned to use a cane and to read Braille. Braille is a system of writing for the blind in which letters are represented by raised dots.

Pages 10 – 11: Draw attention to the photo of Erik climbing Mount Ama Dablam. When Eric grew up he decided to climb to the summit of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. How do you think Erik felt each time he stood at the top of the highest mountain peak on a different continent?

Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to fi nd out how Erik Weihenmayer became one of the greatest athletes in the world.

2 Lesson 14: The Adventures of ERIKGrade 2© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave children read The Adventures of ERIK silently while you listen to individual children read. Support their problem solving and fl uency as needed.

Remind children to use the Summarize Strategy and to tell the important ideas in the text in their own words as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite children to share their personal responses to the book.Suggested language: What was the most interesting event you read about in this book? If you could interview Erik for your school newspaper, what would you want to ask him?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help children understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Although Erik lost his sight as a child, he always tried new sports.

• After graduation Erik taught middle school and was a wrestling coach.

• Erik is the fi rst blind person to climb the “Seven Summits.”

• A physical disability doesn’t limit what you can achieve.

• Thinking positively leads to positive results.

• Seeking adventures and challenges helps people grow and change.

• Photographs help readers learn about the people and events in a book.

• Section titles are good section summaries.

• Well-organized paragraphs help readers to better understand information.

• The author’s attitude toward her subject is that Erik is an amazing human being.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite children to choose a passage from the text to read aloud to a partner.

Remind them to read word groups, instead of single words, to refl ect the meaning of the text.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the children’s reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind children 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. Work with children to take apart the following multisyllabic words to decode manageable units: parachutes (p. 2), serious (p. 3), especially (p. 4), encouraged (p. 6), comfortable (p. 7), behavior (p. 9).



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave children complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 14.9.

RespondingHave children 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 SkillMain Idea and Details

Target Comprehension Skill Remind children that they should think about the

main ideas and details in a book as they read. The main ideas are what a book is mostly about. Details give more information about the main ideas. Model the skill, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

In the second paragraph on page 3 the author says that in many ways Erik was like any other boy his age. That’s the main idea of this paragraph. Erik loved to explore and he loved adventure. These details tell readers that Erik was just like any other boy.

Practice the SkillHave children write three sentences about Erik’s achievements. One sentence should be a main idea and two sentences should be details that support the main idea.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave children 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 the information in the book.

Assessment Prompts• Which words on page 3 help readers understand the meaning of the word adventure?

• What is the author’s purpose for writing this book?



Read directions to children.

Think About ItRead and answer the questions.

1. When did Erik know that he had to learn a new way

of doing things?

2. How did Erik learn from his father?

3. Why is Erik a hero?

Making Connections Erik had to give up some of the things that he loved to do, but he found new activities that he liked. What is something that is difficult for a person without sight? What activity could that person do instead?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Grade 2, Unit 3: Tell Me About It

Lesson 14B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 4 . 9

The Adventures of ErikThink About It

Think About It

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

Idioms This book includes one idiom that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of the expression follow their dreams (page 14).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck children’s comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches their English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the child.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who do you see on the cover of the book?

Speaker 2: Erik

Speaker 1: What is he doing in the photograph?

Speaker 2: climbing a mountain

Speaker 1: What is special about Erik climbing mountains?

Speaker 2: He is blind.

Speaker 1: What are two sports that Erik loved as a boy?

Speaker 2: He liked to wrestle and ride his mountain bike.

Speaker 1: Why was climbing Mount Everest so important to Erik?

Speaker 2: It’s the highest mountain in the world.

Speaker 1: Why did Erik learn to play so many different sports?

Speaker 2: He likes new adventures and challenges.



Name Date

The Adventures of ERIKThinking Beyond the Text

Write a paragraph answering the following questions:

On page 7, the author says that instead of worrying about what he could not do, Erik “began to think about the things he could do – even if they were hard.” How do you think Erik’s way of looking at life helped him try new adventures? Use details from the book in your answer.



Think About ItRead and answer the questions.

1. When did Erik know that he had to learn a new way

of doing things?

2. How did Erik learn from his father?

3. Why is Erik a hero?

Making Connections Erik had to give up some of the things that he loved to do, but he found new activities that he liked. What is something that is difficult for a person without sight? What activity could that person do instead?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date Lesson 14

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 4 . 9

The Adventures of ErikThink About It



1413625

Student Date Lesson 14

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 4 . 1 3

The Adventures of ErikRunning Record Form

The Adventures of Erik • LEVEL O

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

cat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

7

8

Erik imitated his father’s way of thinking.

He stopped worrying about the things he

couldn’t do. Instead, he began to think about

the things he could do — even if they were hard.

He could hike with his friends and family, and

he could explore new places.

When Erik was sixteen, he discovered rock

climbing. He loved the sport. He loved to

think about what to do next when he climbed,

and he loved the feel of the rocks and the wind.

Erik was just doing what he loved. For him,

the adventures were just beginning. He was

curious about the world.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/100 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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