Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images
Wow! Your monster truck looks cool. It has flames on it. It has four TALL tires. They are taller than you.
Shutterstock.com (All Images)
Which Do You Want to Drive? Monster Truck or Race Car?
Monster trucks are big. Race cars are fast. They are both fun to drive! You are a kid. But you can dream. Which one would you like to drive?
By Erin Kelly
From the December 2023/January 2024 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will identify similarities and differences between race cars and monster trucks.
Lexiles: 380L
Featured Skill:
Comparing Texts,
Vocabulary: flames, wheelie, engine, sleek, racetrack
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
Monster Trucks Rule!
Do you want to drive a monster truck?
Cool Looks
Fun Moves
In your monster truck, you drive over cars. The tall tires crush the cars!
Now you do a wheelie. The front wheels lift off the ground.
A Great Feeling
Marcelo Chello/ZUMAPRESS.com/Newscom
You spin your monster truck. The fans all cheer.
The engine is loud. But you don’t care. You are driving a monster truck. There is nothing better.
Race Cars Rule!
Do you want to drive a race car?
Cool Looks
Joe Portlock - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Race cars zoom around a racetrack.
Your car has a sleek shape. This lets it go super fast! It has four fat tires. They grip the racetrack.
Fun Moves
You race around the track. Your car goes 200 miles an hour!
Now you want to pass another car. Just push a button. You zoom past it. See ya!
A Great Feeling
Shutterstock.com
You race faster now. The fans all cheer.
The car is hot inside. But you don’t care. You are driving a race car. There is nothing better.
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Activities
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Skills Activities
Answer Key
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More About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Compare and contrast
Science Focus
Engineering and technology
Vocabulary
flames, wheelie, engine, sleek, racetrack
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
Whole Group; Small Group
Pairings and Text Connections
- From the Storyworks archive: "Picture This: Go, LEGO Car!,” September 2023; “Picture This: From First Car to Flying Car,” December 2022/January 2023
- Suggested books: Fly Guy Presents: Monster Trucks by Tedd Arnold; I’m Fast by Kate McMullan and Jim McMullan
Before-Reading Resources
- Video: Skill Power-Compare and Contrast (5 minutes) This fun how-to video explains how and why we compare and contrast.
- Vocabulary Slideshow (5 minutes) flames, wheelie, engine, sleek, racetrack
Suggested Reading Focus
Compare information from text and images (20 minutes)
- Tell children they will be comparing monster trucks and race cars. They will look in the text and at the photographs to find ways the vehicles are the same and different.
- Starting with the first category (Cool Looks), discuss how each vehicle is the same and different.
- Compare the monster truck and race car photos. What information can you learn by looking at the photos?
- Compare the monster truck and race car photos. What information can you learn by looking at the photos?
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: Compare/contrast (15 minutes)
Extension Activity
Skills: Making words (10 minutes)
- Write the phrase “monster truck” on chart paper. Tell students to mix up the letters in the words to make new words. They can use some or all of the letters (e.g., ten, rest, run, rot) to make their words How many can they make?
- Then repeat with “race car.”
Text-to-Speech