Wit & Wisdom® Grade K Module 3: America, Then and Now
Set 2: Transportation, Book 2
Literary Nonfiction
Duet Book
Fundations® Focus Concept: VC and CVC Words
95% Decodable at Fundations® Level K, Unit 3
Book Summary
Two men, Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall Crocker, set out from San Francisco, California, to be the first people to drive across the United States in a car. They faced many challenges throughout the trip, such as getting a flat tire, driving into a mud pit, and running out of gas. Along the way, they adopted a dog named Bud and met people who helped them. Eventually, they reached their destination, New York City, and achieved their goal.
Teacher Note
Consider modeling how to read Bud and U.S. Also note that in this book, U.S. stands for United States
Also, consider reading the captions in this book as students follow along to provide more information about the men who made the trip across the United States.
In addition, consider mentioning that this book contains ellipses. An ellipsis is a punctuation mark of three dots that indicates a pause. Students may need additional support to recognize that an ellipsis is different from a period.
This book provides an opportunity for more advanced students to read the adult-read parts with assistance.
World Connection
The red Winton Touring Car used by Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall Crocker on their trip across the country is on exhibit at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
words by Michelle Warner illustrations by Christopher Cyr
Fundations® Alignment | Featured in Child-Read Text
Fundations® Decodable Words through Level K, Unit 3
Bud did dip dog fog gas got in it men met mud on pip pit pop set sun zag zig zip
Fundations® Trick Words through Level K, Unit 3
a and the was
Words Not Yet Decodable in Fundations® through Level K, Unit 3 flat they
Notes:
Oral Recurring Content Words Discussion Guide
Word Routine
One of the words important to the ideas in this book is accomplish.
This word is accomplish.
Say it with me: accomplish.
The word accomplish can mean “to complete a task or job.”
The men were the first people to accomplish driving a car across the United States.
Accomplish
Say it with me: accomplish
Other Recurring Content Words: change, construct, landmark, past
Word Discussion Questions
What does it mean to accomplish something?
To accomplish something means to complete a task or job.
In this book, what did the men accomplish?
The men accomplished their goal of being the first people to drive a car across the United States.
Vocabulary Practice: Child-Read Words
Point to an example of the men accomplishing a task in this book.
Here is a picture of the men as they accomplish their wish of driving across the United States (p. 14).
Vocabulary Practice: Adult-Read Words
Using your knowledge of students’ vocabulary, select a limited number of words to introduce within the context of the book. If the word is decodable,* have students first read the word aloud.
Let’s talk about one of the words in this book.
This word is flat.
In this book, the word flat means “a tire that suddenly loses too much air.”
To support students in retelling, consider discussing the following questions:
Who is this book about?
This book is about two men who drove across the United States.
What is the setting?
The setting is throughout the United States.
What are the major events?
The men had a wish to cross the United States in a car.
The men had to stop to fix a flat tire, to tug their car out of the mud, and to get gas.
The men met a dog and kept driving through fog, mud, and sun.
They did not quit and drove “the first car to get that far.”
Notes:
Image Discussion Guide
Possible Opening Questions
What do you notice about the images? What do you wonder?
What can you learn from the images? How do the images build your knowledge?
Page Things to Notice More to Discuss
title page A dotted line goes across the map.
3 A white tube is on the front of the car.
This dotted line shows the path that Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall Crocker drove across the United States. At that time, there were few paved roads. Instead, there were dirt roads for wagons, train tracks to follow, or no roads at all. At times, the two men had to drive across open fields, over steep mountains, and even through rivers.
This white tube was their spare tire. Tires used to be this color because they were mostly made out of white, natural rubber. Later, tire companies discovered that adding black carbon to tires made them more durable so they could last longer.
8 Something is leaking out of the back of the car.
10 The dog is wearing goggles.
During the cross-country trip, a gas tank leaked and the car also ran out of gas a few times. There were no gas stations in the United States yet, so the men had to purchase gas at the general stores in towns they passed through. They strapped these extra tanks of gas onto the car for emergencies.
Since the car did not have a windshield or roof, dirt and dust flew into the men’s eyes along the way. The two men wore goggles to protect their eyes, and Jackson fitted a pair for Bud, too.
Notes:
Teachable Moments
Author’s Craft | Identifying Onomatopoeia
Authors use onomatopoeia, or words that represent sounds, to add excitement to their writing. On page 4, the word pop is used to describe the sound of a ripped tire losing air.
Ask: “What other words like pop can you find in this book?”
Encourage students to read aloud the words they find, such as chug and pip
Text Structure | Noticing Problem and Resolution
Authors sometimes include a problem and a resolution in their writing. A problem is something that goes wrong in a story and a resolution is how the problem is fixed. In this book, the author describes several problems that the men faced as they drove across the United States. For example, one problem was a flat tire. The resolution was that they stopped to fix it.
Ask: “What other examples of problems and resolutions are in this book?”
If students need extra support, consider turning to the pages that highlight the different problems and reading them aloud. Then encourage students to use the words and illustrations to explain the resolution to each problem.
Response Journal Ideas
Depending on students’ readiness, they may draw, dictate, label, or write their responses.
Use details to describe a scene from this book.
Choose a word you learned from this book. Draw a picture to show what it means. Write the word to label your drawing.
