TEACHER INSTRUCTION PAGE (delete this slide)

Close Reading Annotations Workbook

Student Activity: read a passage and complete a Close Reading
Annotation.

How to share with students: These pages are sized for printing or can
be assigned digitally using an LMS (like Google Classroom), where
students can work on their own slide decks via “Make a Copy for Each
Student.” Each slide is set up with text boxes for students to type in.

Please Note: Because Diffit resources can vary in length, be sure to

check the formatting on each slide.

Suggested Lesson Flow:

1. Student complete a Notice/Wonder Image Analysis
2. Preview Vocabulary with students prior to reading.
3. Have students read the passage and complete the close reading
activity.
4. Have students go through the Multiple Choice Questions. Students
will answer each question and explain their thinking.
5. Have students complete the Short Answer Questions.
6. Have students complete the Open Ended Questions and discuss
with partners or groups their responses.

Feel free to edit, remix, and use this resource however works best for
you and your students! Find editing tips here!

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TEACHER INSTRUCTION PAGE (delete this slide)

Image Analysis: Notice & Wonder
Instructions: Look at the image and write down 2-3 things you notice (key details, main ideas,
themes) and then write down 2-3 things you wonder (questions you have because of the image,
things you are curious about when you look at the image.)

What
do you
notice?

What
do you
wonder?

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 Read & Annotate
Instructions: Read the passage below. As you read, mark the text using the provided symbols then write down
something you noticed about the passage. Read again and write down what you wonder from the passage.
Read a third time, and make a connection to something else you’ve learned.

Mark the Text

The Vikings were seafaring people from Scandinavia, which is present-day Denmark,
Norway, and Sweden. They lived during a time called the Viking Age, which lasted from
the late 8th to the late 11th centuries. The Vikings were known for raiding, pirating,
✰ Important
trading, and settling in different parts of Europe. They even traveled as far as the Key Detail
Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, Greenland, and Vinland (which is
present-day Newfoundland in Canada). The Vikings were expert sailors and navigators,
⃞ Unfamiliar Word
using their longships to explore and establish settlements in places like the British Isles, X Don’t Understand
Iceland, Greenland, Normandy, and the Baltic coast. They also traveled along trade
routes in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, where they were known as Varangians. The ❔ Question
Vikings were the first Europeans to reach North America, briefly settling in ❕ Interesting
Newfoundland. They had a big impact on the history and culture of Scandinavia, the
British Isles, France, Estonia, and Kievan Rus'. Connection
The Vikings lived in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which are all peninsulas in
northwestern Europe. The geography of their homeland consisted of mountains, fjords
(which are narrow sea passages between high cliffs), and fertile coasts. The winters
were cold and long, with lots of snow. But because they were surrounded by coastline,
First Read:
the Vikings had a good supply of fish, seafood, turtle eggs, and waterfowl to eat. They I notice…
also had access to natural waterways like rivers, lakes, and streams that were full of fish.
However, farming was tough because of the mountains and sandy soil along the
coastline. As the population grew, some Vikings began to explore other places to find
better farmland, like Russia, Britain, France, and Germany.
The environment and geography of Scandinavia influenced the trade and economy of the
Vikings. The Vikings traded goods like timber, amber, and furs, which were widely
available in the Baltic region. They obtained these goods from locals and transported
them to markets farther south, where they were not available locally. In return, the
Vikings would obtain silver coins, silk, glass, and other manufactured items that they Second Read:
couldn't produce themselves. The Vikings were skilled shipbuilders and used their ships I wonder…
for military and economic purposes. They built longships that were light and had a
shallow draft, which made them perfect for sailing in shallow waters. The Vikings were
able to travel long distances and engage in trade because of their ships and navigational
skills.
In conclusion, the Vikings were seafaring people from Scandinavia who lived during the
Viking Age. They were known for raiding, trading, and settling in different parts of
Europe. The geography of their homeland, which consisted of mountains, fjords, and
fertile coasts, influenced their way of life and their ability to trade. The Vikings were
expert sailors and navigators, using their longships to explore and establish settlements
in various places. They had a big impact on the history and culture of Scandinavia and Third Read:
other regions. The Vikings were also known for their trade routes and the goods they
traded, which were influenced by the environment and availability of resources.
This reminds me…

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Key Vocabulary
Instructions: For each term, use the word in a sentence that shows you understand it’s
definition. Then create an image to represent the term. Be ready to explain the image.

Vocabulary Term Use It In A Sentence: An Image to Represent It:

seafaring
adjective
engaged in or accustomed
to traveling by sea

Vocabulary Term Use It In A Sentence: An Image to Represent It:

navigators
noun
people skilled in planning
and directing the course of
a ship

Vocabulary Term Use It In A Sentence: An Image to Represent It:

geography
noun
the study of the physical
features of the earth and
its atmosphere

Vocabulary Term Use It In A Sentence: An Image to Represent It:

farmland
noun
land used for farming and
growing crops

Vocabulary Term Use It In A Sentence: An Image to Represent It:

trade
noun
the buying and selling of
goods and services

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Answer and Explain
Instructions: For each question, answer the question and then explain why you picked the
answer you did using specific evidence from the text.

Question:
1. Which of the following regions did the Vikings NOT travel to?

Pick the Answer Explain: Why did you pick that

answer?
A) North Africa

B) Greenland

C) Russia

D) China

Question: 2. What type of environment did the Vikings live in?

Pick the Answer Explain: Why did you pick that

answer?
A) Desert

B) Tropical rainforest

C) Mountainous with fjords

D) Grasslands

Question: 3. What were some of the goods that the Vikings traded?

Pick the Answer Explain: Why did you pick that

answer?
A) Gold, diamonds, and rubies

B) Timber, amber, and furs

C) Oil, gas, and coal

D) Wheat, corn, and rice

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Short Answer Questions
1. Where did the Vikings live and what were they known for?
Question

2. What were some of the places the Vikings traveled to and

Question
settled in?

3. How did the geography of Scandinavia affect the Vikings' way of life and
Question trade?

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Reflect and Discuss
Instructions: Respond to the following question using the reading and your own knowledge
and experiences. Be as thorough as possible.

1. How does the geography of your own region or country influence your way of
life?

Write Your Response Here. Be sure to use what you learned in the reading and your own
knowledge and experiences to answer the question thoroughly.

Instructions: When instructed, you will share your responses with your group. Take notes
on their responses in the boxes below. Be sure to write their names at the top of each box.

Student #1: ______________________ Student #2: ______________________

Student #3: ______________________ Student #4: ______________________

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Reflect and Discuss
Instructions: Respond to the following question using the reading and your own knowledge
and experiences. Be as thorough as possible.

2. What impact do explorers and travelers have on the history and culture of different regions?
Provide examples.

Write Your Response Here. Be sure to use what you learned in the reading and your own
knowledge and experiences to answer the question thoroughly.

Instructions: When instructed, you will share your responses with your group. Take notes
on their responses in the boxes below. Be sure to write their names at the top of each box.

Student #1: ______________________ Student #2: ______________________

Student #3: ______________________ Student #4: ______________________

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Reflect and Discuss
Instructions: Respond to the following question using the reading and your own knowledge
and experiences. Be as thorough as possible.

3. Think about a time when you had to adapt to a new environment or situation. How did you
navigate through it and what did you learn from the experience?

Write Your Response Here. Be sure to use what you learned in the reading and your own
knowledge and experiences to answer the question thoroughly.

Instructions: When instructed, you will share your responses with your group. Take notes
on their responses in the boxes below. Be sure to write their names at the top of each box.

Student #1: ______________________ Student #2: ______________________

Student #3: ______________________ Student #4: ______________________

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