At our lab, we focused on fluency in a poem. Now, we will take a look at a non-fiction piece. Read the passage “Crossing the Seas,” which focuses on the invention of the ship and its purposes. Then, consider the following:

• Think about if you were to read this passage out loud to your friends. Choose a few lines to look at more closely. Which lines would you say in an “excited” tone/; a “disappointed” tone? Explain why. Then, examine the punctuation in the piece. In what places would you pause?; speed up?; read carefully? Explain why. How might all of these help the listener to understand better?
• Research more about the history of ships. Write a short informative article highlighting what you have learned. Be sure to pay attention to the types of tone you utilize as you describe the information you learned as well as the punctuation you utilize, so that the reader of your piece can understand and portray your message properly.
• Write a short play about characters on a ship. Think about each character’s personality and motivation. Be sure to utilize powerful words that display their feelings toward the journey they are taking. Use punctuation carefully as well.
• Write about a time you were on a ship or a boat. What happened? How did you feel?

Have any thoughts about any of the prompts above? Want to tell us what you learned? Have any comments to share about the reading lab? Drop it below!