Image of the Loch Ness monster swimming in a lake
Culture Club/Bridgeman via Getty Images
Background Builder,

What Is the Loch Ness Monster?

There are many stories about the Loch Ness monster. No one knows if they are true. What do the stories say?

From the October/November 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will locate and discuss facts about the Loch Ness Monster.

Lexiles: 340L
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Vocabulary: loch, massive, spotted
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two ideas or pieces of information in a text RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meanings of words RI.1.5 Know and use various text features to locate information RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas L.1.4.A Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (4) Geography. The student understands the purpose of geographic tools, including maps and globes. The student is expected to: (B) locate and explore the community, Texas, and the United States on maps and globes. (5) Geography. The student understands the physical and human characteristics of place to better understand their community and the world around them. The student is expected to: (A) identify and describe the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, Earth’s resources, and weather.

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1. It lives in a big lake.

Culture Club/Bridgeman via Getty Images 

Loch Ness is in Scotland.

The lake is called Loch Ness. Loch is a Scottish word for lake.

2. It has a nickname.

Culture Club/Bridgeman via Getty Images (Left Loch Ness); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)

People call it Nessie. Can you think of why?

3. It looks like a big dinosaur.

Shutterstock.com

The stories say it is massive. They say it has a long neck that sticks out of the water.

4. Many people say they have seen it.

Gregor Hofbauer/Getty Images (Camera); Keystone/Getty Images (Right Loch Ness)

A lot of people say that they have spotted it in the lake. Some people even have pictures. Could they be real?

Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Skill Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Nonfiction text features

Vocabulary

loch, massive, spotted

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

Whole Group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: “Big Read Aloud: The Mystery of the Lake Monster”
  • From the Storyworks archive: “Background Builder: What Is Bigfoot?,” October/November 2022
  • Suggested books: What Do We Know About the Loch Ness Monster? by Steve Korté

Before-Reading Resources

 
  • Vocabulary Slideshow (5 minutes) loch, massive, spotted

Suggested Reading Focus

Information from text and images/labels (20 minutes)
  •  Before opening the magazine, ask students to generate words to describe how people feel about monsters. Are monsters scary? Are they exciting? Are they mysterious?
  • Then tell students that they are going to learn about a monster that is a famous figure in Scottish folklore. Explain that folklore is a collection of stories and beliefs in different communities around the world. The stories usually began a long time ago and are shared over and over.
  • Walk your students through the nonfiction text features of the page. Take a close look at the pictures and ask students to share what they notice.
  • Read the mini article. Pause to check for comprehension with each of the bolded vocabulary words.
  • Have students share with the group or in partnerships the facts they learned about the Loch Ness Monster. How would they feel if they met it?

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Key details (20 minutes)

Extension Craftivity

Skills: Key details/prediction (15 minutes)

  • Have students focus on the photographs of the Loch Ness Monster presented in section four of the article. Using these pictures as inspiration, have students draw their predictions for what the Loch Ness Monster looks like, including size, color, and notable physical features. Students can even use classroom craft materials for their creations!

Text-to-Speech