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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Locomotive

The cover for Locomotive Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources
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Use Locomotive by Brian Floca to strengthen your students' comprehension skills, build their vocabulary, and help them understand how words work.

Invite students to learn all about the first trains to cross America. Brian Floca's award-winning picture book puts readers front and center on America's Transcontinental Railroad. Students will make predictions about the journey, use details to visualize powerful locomotives, and learn to ask questions while reading. Each picture in this book tells the story of one family's journey from Omaha to Sacramento, and if you look closely, you'll discover hundreds of hidden details about life on the first locomotives. All aboard!
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Locomotive in the drop down below.

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Asking Questions with Locomotive

In this asking questions mini lesson, students tap into their curiosity about trains and United States geography by asking questions to deepen their comprehension of this informational text.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.3.1,RI.3.4,RI.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1c,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7E,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.13A,3.9D(iii),3.9D(ii),3.9D(i),3.7G,3.7F,3.1A,3.7D,3.7C,3.7B,3.6I,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Locomotive

Brian Floca uses a variety of literary elements to bring this informational story to live. Pair this mini lesson with the text to focus on the reasons why the author wrote this book about locomotives and why he told the story in such a unique way.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.3.2,RI.3.4,RI.3.7,RI.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7G,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.10F,3.10D,3.10C,3.10B,3.10A,3.9D(iii),3.9D(ii),3.9D(i),3.8C,3.1A,3.7F,3.7E,3.7D,3.7C,3.7B,3.7A,3.6I,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
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Making Predictions with Locomotive

Locomotive puts takes students "front and center" as they journey on the first locomotive to cross America. Pair the text with this making predictions mini lesson to teach students how to make predictions as they travel from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.3.1,RI.3.2,RI.3.3,RI.3.5,RI.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7C,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.9D(iii),3.9D(ii),3.9D(i),3.7G,3.7F,3.7E,3.7D,3.1A,3.7B,3.7A,3.6I,3.6C,3.6B,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
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Retelling & Summarizing with Locomotive

Hone your students' retelling and summarizing skills with this unconventional picture book about locomotives and America's transcontinental railroad. This mini lesson will support students as they navigate the text and illustrations in order to identify the most relevant information in the text.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.3.2,RL.3.4,RI.3.7,RI.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7E,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.9D(iii),3.9D(ii),3.9D(i),3.8D,3.7G,3.7F,3.1A,3.7D,3.7C,3.7B,3.6I,3.6G,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
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Visualizing with Locomotive

Locomotive is an ideal anchor text for a mini lesson focused on visualizing. Use the guiding questions and student practice page to support readers as they identify specific details in the text and build mental images to better comprehend this informational text.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
RI.3.1,RI.3.5,RI.3.7,RI.3.10,RF.3.3,RF.3.4,SL.3.1d,SL.3.2,SL.3.3,W.3.8,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7C,3.13H,3.13E,3.13C,3.10C,3.9D(iii),3.9D(ii),3.9D(i),3.7F,3.7E,3.1A,3.7B,3.7A,3.6I,3.6E,3.6D,3.6A,3.1E,3.1D,3.1C
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Onomatopoeias with Locomotive

This word work lesson plan and set of teaching resources use Locomotive by Brian Floca as a springboard for instruction focused on onomatopoeias.

By anchoring word study to the text, students will benefit from seeing how onomatopoeias are used inside of the text before engaging in both guided and independent practice with words.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
RF.3.3,RF.3.4
TEKS Alignment
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Vocabulary Connections with Locomotive

This set of vocabulary development resources for Locomotive highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions and pictures, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.3.4a,L.3.5b,L.3.6
TEKS Alignment
3.7E,3.7F,3.3A,3.3B
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Comprehension Assessment with Locomotive

Use this Common Core aligned comprehension assessment to evaluate students' comprehension of Locomotive.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Locomotive

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Locomotive. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Writing with Locomotive

The BookPagez extension activities are a great way to push student engagement beyond the pages of the text. Try using this activity with early finishers, with students who show a deeper connection with the text, or as a center activity.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Asking Questions with Locomotive (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
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Identifying the Author's Purpose with Locomotive (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
Print

Making Predictions with Locomotive (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
Print

Retelling & Summarizing with Locomotive (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
Print

Visualizing with Locomotive (Spanish)

  • Student Practice Page and Answer Key
  • Reader's Notebook Prompt
  • Graphic Organizer
Print

Writing with Locomotive (Spanish)

Worksheet
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About the Book

The cover for the book Locomotive
Title: Locomotive
Author: Brian Floca
Genre: Informational, Nonfiction
Themes: History, Award Winners
ISBN: 9781416994152
Publisher's Summary:
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean. Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country!
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