Before & After Reading Activities Level Q Word Count 2,221 Words 100th word mountainside page 6 Before Reading Building Academic Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Before reading a book it is important to tap into what your child or students already know about the topic This will help them develop their vocabulary increase their reading comprehension and make connections across the curriculum Look at the cover of the book What will this book be about in the book’s chapters you might learn about it from this book Why or why not 1 2 What do you already know about the topic 3 Let’s study the Table of Contents What will you learn about 4 What would you like to learn about this topic Do you think 5 Use a reading journal to write about your knowledge of this 6 Read the book 7 8 After reading the book complete the activities below In your reading journal record what you learned about the topic and your response to the book topic Record what you already know about the topic and what you hope to learn about the topic Content Area Vocabulary Read the list What do these words mean avalanche cornice crown crust debris flanks fracture powder probe runout zone snowpack stauchwall After Reading Comprehension and Extension Activity After reading the book work on the following questions with your child or students in order to check their level of reading comprehension and content mastery 1 What is the difference between hard and soft slabs of snow Summarize 2 Explain why high elevation makes for colder temperatures Infer 3 Why is it important to create a snow pit and check the snow Asking questions 4 How do you survive an avalanche Text to self connection 5 How can avalanches change ecosystems Asking questions Extension Activity Pretend you work for a ski resort Part of your job is to inform guests about avalanche safety Create a brochure poster or presentation that explains how avalanches form and how to stay safe during one Share your creation with classmates teachers or parents Afterward see what they remember by asking them questions
Table of Contents Avalanche 4 Watch the Weather 10 Steep Mountains 14 Deadly and Destructive Avalanches 22 Rescue 36 Travel Safety 42 How You Can Help When Disaster Strikes 45 Glossary 46 Index 47 Show What You Know 47 Websites to Visit 47 About the Author 48
Avalanche The snow on the mountainside is on the move No it’s not just snowflakes falling down from the clouds This is more than mere precipitation A giant slab of fallen snow has broken loose and it is coming down the mountain fast It’s an avalanche As the avalanche of snow comes rapidly down the steep mountainside it covers everything in its way It covers skiers and snowboarders It covers snowmobiles and mountain cabins Nothing can stop it Ninety percent of avalanche victims die in slides triggered by themselves or a member of their group 4
LOVELAND PASS ELEVATION 11,990 FT CONTINENTAL DIVIDE Snowboarding Disaster On a Saturday afternoon in April 2013 six snowboarders went up the mountain to Loveland Pass in Colorado But only one came home alive The six were snowboarding at nearly 11,990 feet 3,655 meters when they triggered an avalanche The slide almost 600 feet 183 meters wide and 8 feet 2 43 meters deep buried the entire party One snowboarder dug himself out of the snow and called for help Located in the Rocky Mountains of north central Colorado Loveland Pass is a high mountain pass that is both beautiful and deadly 5
