Imagine you are in a NASCAR race. Your car is shaped like a regular car. But it is way faster.
You climb into the window. The doors do not open!
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images (Getting In); Logan Riely/Getty Images (Nascar Race); Peter J Fox/Getty Images (Getting In); Clive Rose/Getty Images (Formula 1 Race); Shutterstock.com (Twisting Track)
NASCAR or Formula 1
Two kinds of car racing rule the world! They are NASCAR and Formula 1. Which kind would you rather do?
By Meg Richardson
From the December 2024/January 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will practice comparing and contrasting by describing how NASCAR and Formula 1 are alike and different.
NASCAR Rules!
Fast Cars
The Race
You start your engine and drive in line with the other cars. A green flag waves. That means GO! You zoom around and around the oval track.
The Finish Line
There is only one lap left. You zoom to the finish line. You won the NASCAR race!
Formula 1 Rules!
Fast Cars
Now imagine you are in a Formula 1 race. Your car is sleek and low. That helps it go super fast.
You climb into your car through the top. The race is starting soon!
The Race
You wait in your starting spot. You see five red lights. When they turn off, that means GO!
You zoom around and around the twisting track.
The Finish Line
It is the last lap.
You see a checkered flag. You cross the finish line. You won the Formula 1 race!
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More About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Compare and contrast
Science Focus
Engineering and technology
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
Pairings and Text Connections
- From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Alike and Different: Which Would You Want to Drive? Monster Truck or Race Car?” (December 2023/January 2024); “Alike and Different: From First Car to Flying Car” (December 2022/January 2023)
- Suggested books: Buster's Trip to Victory Lane by Dale Earnhardt Jr.; How Do Formula One Race Cars Work? by Buffy Silverman
Before-Reading Resources
- Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) engine, oval, lap, sleek, twisting, checkered
- Video: Skill Power: Compare and Contrast (5 minutes) A fun how-to video on how and why we compare and contrast
Suggested Reading Focus
Compare and contrast (20 minutes)
- Tell students that they will be reading about two types of car racing: NASCAR and Formula 1. As they read, they should think about how they are alike and different.
- Preview the parallel structure of the texts. What do children notice about these two pages? (They are set up similarly. Each section has a heading. All the headings are the same.)
- Read “NASCAR Rules!,” stopping at the end of each section to check for comprehension. Do the same for “Formula 1 Rules!"
- Next, read the texts under the same headings back-to-back so students can focus on comparing and contrasting. Then discuss what they learned about NASCAR and Formula 1 in the section.
- Compare the photos. What do children learn from the photos?
- Finally, have students turn and talk to a partner about how NASCAR and Formula 1 are alike and different. Have volunteers share their responses.
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: Compare/contrast; opinion writing; key details (15 minutes each)
Text-to-Speech