Lessons & Units :: Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building 2nd Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: Sky Boys

Lesson Plan

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building | AD950L

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
Learning Goal
Identify the main events in the story and track their sequence to determine the author's message.
Necessary Materials

Provided:

  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet


Not Provided:
Sky Boys

 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 
Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read it out loud with the class: We will identify the main events of the book and keep track of the order they happen in.
 
Before reading the transition below, turn to pages 27 and 28. Show students the picture of the completed Empire State Building. (Page 27 begins with “May 1, 1931: opening day.”)
 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: Here is a picture of the Empire State Building in New York City. When it opened, it was the tallest building in the world. Let’s find out how it was built.
 
Open the book and read page 1. Page 1 ends with “icy wind.” If possible, always show students the illustrations on the pages you read throughout the lesson.
1.
Teacher says: Someone’s “pop” is that person’s father. Listen as I read this sentence from the story again: “It’s the end of winter, and your pop’s lost his job.”
2.
Teacher asks: What has the pop in this story lost?
 
Students answer: The pop in this story has lost his job.
3.
Teacher asks: Now let’s go over another word in the book: scour. To scour means to look for. What does it mean to “scour the streets for firewood”?
 
Students answer: It means to look for firewood in the streets.
 
As you read the following statement, make sure students can see the picture on page 2.
4.
Teacher says (models thinking): Here is a picture of a boy pulling a wagon through the streets. He is hunched down, or bent down, like it says in the book. Based on the picture and what we have read, I am going to conclude that the boy is looking for firewood in the streets, and that his wagon is for holding any firewood he finds.
5.
Teacher asks: Why might this boy be looking for firewood?
 
If students struggle with this question, explain that firewood was used at the time this story takes place for cooking and heating homes. Then ask students to think about why the boy’s family in particular might be in need of firewood.
 

Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):

  • The boy might be looking for firewood because he does not have any at home. (acceptable answer)
  • The boy might be looking for firewood because his dad lost his job. (acceptable answer)
  • The boy might be looking for firewood because his dad lost his job and his family does not have the money to buy firewood. (strong answer)
 
Read page 3. Page 3 ends with “Thirty-fourth and Fifth.”
6.
Teacher says: Thirty-fourth and Fifth are two streets in New York City. Thirty-fourth is short for “Thirty-fourth Street,” and “Fifth” is short for “Fifth Avenue.” “Thirty-fourth and Fifth” means the corner of Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue. That is a real place in New York City. Even though the main characters in this story are made-up, the places in it are real.
 
Read pages 4 and 5. Page 5 ends with “scrape the sky.”
7.
Teacher asks: We just read that there are six hundred men working and shoveling. What are they getting ready to do?
 
Students answer: The men are getting ready to make a building. (If students respond that the men are getting ready to make something new, ask what the men are going to make.)
8.
Teacher says (models thinking): Remember how our goal for this lesson is to identify the main events of the story? Now an event has taken place. When the boy was out looking for firewood, he noticed a new building was being made. Let’s read on and see whether this event is important enough to be one of the main events of the story.
 
Read page 6, then stop. Page 6 ends with “race begin!”
9.
Teacher asks: The boy tells his pop about the building. What does his pop say?
 
If students cannot remember Pop’s reply, reread the relevant portion of the story: “‘Think they can build it that fast, Pop?’ ‘Things are so bad, it seems foolish to even try,’ he replies.”
 
Students answer: His pop says, “‘Things are so bad, it seems foolish to even try.’”
10.
Teacher asks: Think back to what we read about Pop at the beginning of the story. Why might things seem bad to him?
 
Students answer: Things might seem bad to Pop because he lost his job.
11.
Teacher asks: The boy drags Pop along to see the building being made. That is another event in the story. How many events have we identified so far?
 
Students answer: We have identified two events.
12.
Teacher says: Now we are going to read about what Pop and the boy see when they go to the place where the building is being made.
 

Read pages 7-12, then stop. Page 12 ends with “whisk you away.” In these four pages the author uses an advanced, highly specific vocabulary to describe the construction process. You may define words for students at your discretion; the objective is to keep students from getting lost as you read. The following student-friendly definitions are provided for your convenience:

Manhattan (p. 7) - a part of New York City
furnaces (p. 8) - structures where things are heated to very high temperatures
derricks (p. 9) - machines used for lifting heavy objects
piers (p. 9) - posts or pillars used to hold things up
hoisting (p. 11) - lifting
beam (p. 11) - a long bar

13.
Teacher asks: Based on the words and pictures, who are the “sky boys”?
 

Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following):

  • The sky boys are men who put the beams of the building into place.
  • The sky boys are men high up in the air working on the building.
 
Read pages 13-16, then stop. Page 16 ends with “rivets a day.”
14.
Teacher asks: We just read about the four steps for putting rivets into the beams of the building. A rivet is a metal pin that holds separate pieces of something together. What could these rivets be holding together?
 
To help students answer this question, show them the illustration on page 16 again.
 

Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following):

  • The rivets are holding together the building. (acceptable response)
  • The rivets are holding together the beams of the building. (strong response)
 
Read pages 17-20, then stop. Page 20 ends with “for work.”
15.
Teacher asks: Who are the people standing below the sky boys?
 
Students answer: They are jobless men.
16.
Teacher asks: These men remind me of someone else in the story. Who is a man without a job we read about?
 
Students answer: Pop is a man without a job.
17.
Teacher says: I told you that the places mentioned in this story are real. The time when this story takes place is also a real time. The story takes place in the 1930s, a time when many people in the United States could not find jobs. That time is known as the Great Depression.
 
Read pages 21-24, then stop. Page 24 ends with “March 18, 1931.” Define “mast” for students on page 24. (A mast is a tall pole or post.)
18.
Teacher asks: We just read about another important event in the story. What happens on March 18, 1931?
 
Students answer (responses may vary in wording but should resemble the following): The mast on top makes the building the tallest in the world.
 
Read pages 25-28, then stop. Page 28 ends with “too: beauty.”
19.
Teacher asks: We read that opening day is on May 1, 1931. Think about that phrase, “opening day.” What will probably happen to the building on opening day?
 

Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following):

  • The building will probably be opened up to people.
  • People will be able to go inside the building.
20.
Teacher asks: Think about everything that had to be done to make the building. Is opening day going to be an important event? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the story.
 
Students answer: Opening day will be an important event. Lots of time, effort, and material have gone into making the building. Also, the building is the tallest in the world. All these things make its opening day a big deal.
 
Read pages 29-30, then stop. Page 30 ends with “pennies aside.” Show illustrations.
21.
Teacher asks: What has Pop been doing?
 
Students answer: Pop has been putting pennies aside.
22.
Teacher asks: What does that mean?
 
Students answer: It means Pop has been putting aside, or saving, money.
23.
Teacher asks: What does Pop say to his son?
 
Students answer: Pop says, “Let’s go on up.”
24.
Teacher asks: Before we turn the page, make a prediction. What will be the next big event in the story?
 
Students answer: Pop and the boy will go up in the building.
 
Read the first sentence on page 31, then stop. The sentence ends with “glowing colors.”
25.
Teacher says: The lobby of the building is the place where people enter. The author calls it a tall, grand lady clothed in rich, glowing colors. The author calls it that because the lobby is big, tall, and colorful.
 
Read the second sentence on page 31, then stop. The sentence ends with “New York City!”
26.
Teacher asks: Now the author tells us that on a wall of the lobby there is a silhouette, or a dark outline, of the Empire State Building. Why might a silhouette of the Empire State Building be there? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (responses may vary): Ideally, students will realize that the building with the silhouette is the Empire State Building. The silhouette may be there to make people appreciate the building they are inside of. Other student responses are also acceptable, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that the silhouette is there to glitter and decorate the building. Before moving on, make sure all students understand that the Empire State Building is the same building that Pop and his son have entered.
 
Read pages 32-34, then stop. Page 34 ends with “‘up here?’”
27.
Teacher asks: What does Pop say at the top of the Empire State Building?
 
Students answer (an exact quotation is not necessary, but students should be able to approximate Pop’s statement): “If we can do this, we can do anything.”
28.
Teacher asks: When Pop says “we can do anything,” is he talking about just himself and his son?
 
Students answer: No, Pop is not talking about just himself and his son.
29.
Teacher asks: Who does Pop mean when he says “we”?
 

Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):

  • Pop means everyone who worked on the Empire State Building.
  • Pop means everyone with him and his son on top of the building.
30.
Teacher asks: Imagine that when Pop says “we,” he means everyone in the whole country. Now listen to his statement again: “If we can do this, we can do anything.” If “we” refers to everyone in the whole country, what does Pop’s statement mean?
 
Students answer (answers may vary and include the following): Pop means that if Americans can build the Empire State Building, they have the power to do anything.
 
Read pages 35-37, finishing the story.
31.
Teacher asks: What is the last event in this story?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): The boy and his father walk home.
32.
Teacher asks: What did Pop think about the Empire State Building when his son first told him about it?
 
Students answer: Pop thought the Empire State Building was a foolish idea.
33.
Teacher asks: What does Pop think about the Empire State Building at the end of the story?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that Pop’s opinion has changed. He is now amazed and inspired by the Empire State Building.
34.
Teacher asks: Why has Pop changed his mind about the Empire State Building?
 

Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):

  • Pop has changed his mind about the Empire State Building because of his visit to it. (acceptable answer)
  • Pop has changed his mind about the Empire State Building because his visit to it made him realize that people in his country can do anything. (strong answer)
  • Pop has changed his mind about the Empire State Building because his visit to it gave him hope. (strong answer)
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, cut out the five diagrams provided in the materials section. Each diagram represents a different event. We recommend placing these diagrams on a board or screen that allows students to put them in the right order.
1.
Teacher says: Now we are going to review the main events in the story. I have all of the events here, but they are out of order. I need you to help me put them back in order.
 
Read the text for each step out loud to the class, then ask, “Which of these events happens [first/second/third/etc.]?” As each event is correctly identified, move it to the appropriate sequential position on the board or screen.
 

After the graphic organizer has been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two discussion questions.

 
Teacher asks: Are there any events in the story we have not mentioned that could be considered important? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 

Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):

  • There are not any other important events in the story. Some of the other events, like rivets being put into the Empire State Building, are important to the making the building but not important to the story.
  • Some of the other events in the story could be considered important. For example, putting columns into the ground under the Empire State Building is important. If the columns had not been put there, the ground might not have been able to support the weight of the building.
 
Teacher asks: The book calls the Empire State Building a symbol, or sign, of hope. Explain whether the building is or is not a symbol of hope. Support your answer with evidence from the story.
 

Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):

  • The Empire State Building is a symbol of hope. Pop thinks the building is a foolish idea at first. Later he goes to the top of it, and it makes him think that people like him can do anything.
  • The Empire State Building is a symbol of hope. The book says that times are dark and bad, but the building is tall, grand, and bright. It gives people something to be excited and happy about.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Read each question out loud to your students and have each student complete the worksheet independently. The worksheet can be found in the materials section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

good book

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