Lesson Plan - Jungle of Secrets

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• civilization
• descendants

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think of ways technology has helped people explore.

1. How does lidar help scientists search for lost cities? 
Lidar helps scientists search for lost cities by shooting pulses of light at the ground. It allows scientists to “see” beneath the trees and create detailed maps of an area.
^{(RI.4.2 Main Idea and Key Details)}

2. Why do you think Luke Auld-Thomas says “there is so much left to find”?
You can guess that Luke Auld-Thomas says “there is so much left to find” because he believes that there are more Maya ruins that could be discovered using lidar.
^{(RI.4.1 Make Inferences)}

3. Based on the article and the sidebar, “Schooled by the Maya,” describe two ways the Maya were ahead of their time.
Sample response: One way the Maya were ahead of their time was by creating a 365-day calendar based on Earth’s orbit around the sun. They did this by tracking the movement of the moon, sun, and planets long before telescopes were invented. Another way the Maya were ahead of their time was by creating one of the first advanced writing systems in the Americas..
^{(RI.4.7 Text Features)}

FEATURED SKILL: Taking Notes
Have students use the skill builder “Take Note!” to take notes as they read. Have students compare the information they noted with a partner’s.
^{(W.4.8 Taking Notes)}