California Mission Close Reading Unit

We have developed this Common Core aligned, complete Missions Unit with CLOSE Reading passages, research report, text dependent questions, , and essential questions that contains everything needed to teach a rigorous unit on missions. Original CLOSE Reading nonfiction passages were created to help teach your students about the California missions. CLOSE reading instructions and an anchor chart are included to help you incorporate this skill into your teaching. There are text dependent questions aligned with each passage, a set of vocabulary cards with definitions to accompany each nonfiction text, a research report, Common Core Essential Questions, and RAFTS. A variety of other graphic organizers and activities are included. This unit emphasizes "Depth of Knowledge" (D.O.K.) throughout.


We do encourage you to supplement with any other books, videos, and websites that you already use; they will blend nicely with our CLOSE reading passages. You can use this unit in its entirety, or “pick and choose” the components to meet the needs of your students.

This unit contains the following elements:
• CLOSE reading nonfiction passages with illustrations:
1. Passage One- An Introduction to the California Missions
2. Passage Two- Mission Settlement
3. Passage Three-Mission Life
4. Passage Four- Junipero Serra and the Missionaries
• Vocabulary cards with definitions for each CLOSE reading passage
• CLOSE Reading Instructions PowerPoint ( or handout) explaining the steps of CLOSE Reading
• Anchor Charts for student annotation and Discussion Topics for CLOSE Reading
• “Text Dependent Questions”,
• Common Core Essential questions
• California Missions Research Report - template to be used to write a complete report about missions. Within this template, a portion is dedicated to the California missions in general, and second part about one specific mission that the student researches. This report format can also be used as a performance task. This is a separate product included for FREE!
• Cognitive Content Dictionary (to be made into a “book” for student vocabulary words, definitions, and pictures
• KWL Chart
• Venn Diagram to compare and contrast similarities and differences.
• A Tree Map Graphic Organizer ( a grammar component for students to analyze the words in the passages and their parts of speech)

Please contact us at theteacherteam@gmail.com with any ideas or questions.