Kindergarden Read - Aloud

Presidents and American Symbols: Supplemental Guide 5A | Thomas Jefferson 85

Discussing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes

Comprehension Questions

If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread pertinent lines

of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific images. If students give one-

word answers and/or fail to use read-aloud or domain vocabulary in their

responses, acknowledge correct responses by expanding the students’

responses using richer and more complex language. Encourage students

to answer in complete sentences. Model answers using complete

sentences for students.

1. Literal Who is today’s read-aloud about?
   
   
   • Today’s read-aloud is about Thomas Jefferson.
     What was Jefferson’s talent? What was he good at?
   
   
   • Jefferson had a talent for writing.
   
   
   
   


2. Literal What was the name of the important document that Thomas
   Jefferson wrote?
   
   
   • The important document that Thomas Jefferson wrote was the
     Declaration of Independence.
   
   
   
   


3. Inferential Why did Thomas Jefferson need to write the Declaration of
   Independence?
   
   
   • He needed to write the Declaration of Independence to convince people
     that they should create a new nation that is free from the British rule.
   
   
   
   


4. Evaluative A famous part of the Declaration of Independence says,
   “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
   equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
   Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
   Happiness.” What do you think that means?
   
   
   • Answers may vary, but may include that people should be able to live a
     safe life and that they should be free to think and decide what to do in
     order to be happy.
      Show image 5A-10: The first three presidents
   
   
   
   


5. Literal Who was the first president of the United States?

• George Washington was the first president of the United States.
  Who was the second president of the United States?


• John Adams was the second president of the United States.
  Who was the third president of the United States?


• Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States.