Sentences do run a bit lengthier in this text, however, the use of common words occurs more than complex/unfamiliar words throughout those sentences.

Many of the words throughout the text will be taught during our Unit.

But as the target text for 8th grader, I believe higher level reading and sentence length will be beneficial for the critical thinking skills.

Structure: Paragraphs that include headings pointing out the main theme of the paragraph.

Language: Includes common words and phrases, but has more complex vocabulary sprinkled throughout. Sentences are lengthier, but the use of more common words does not make it as difficult.

Background Knowledge: As this is the target text, students will provided plenty of background knowledge through vocabulary, activities, and readings in order to prepare them for this text. This will include why, how, and who climate change impacts as well as vocabulary including:

Climate change

Greenhouse Gases

Heat Trapping Gases

Ozone

Fossil Fuels

Their background knowledge will be well prepared throughout the unit in order to help them grasp and understand the complexity of the article.

This article will be a close reading, but intended to be memorized or graded on. It will be followed by class discussions in order to test their understanding of the article and continue our discussion of more complex ideas behind climate change.

Due to lexile level, sentence and language complexity, necessary background knowledge, and purpose, this is a target text intended for 8th grade.

Structure: Include paragraphs with headings and links to related topics between some of the paragraphs as additional resources. There is also a visual provided in the human health portion.

Language: Includes more common words, but lengthier sentences.

Background Knowledge: Students will be provided the necessary vocabulary and the main information on climate for this article such as:

Climate Change

Greenhouse Gases

Fossil Fuels

Ozone

How does it impact us?

What are the main causes?

Who is affected?

Students will need stronger cognitive capabilities for this article as it does have a lot of information. However, its sentence structure and vocabulary are not incredibly complex.

The intended reading will be a class reading, with an intended outcome of understanding how climate change directly affects them. They will have group discussions on this topic and a discussion assignment to complete with their groups.

Due to the Lexile level, sentence length, article length, necessary background knowledge, and its purpose, I would identify this as an appropriate informational text for 8th grade.

Structure: It is structured into sections with questions posed as headings. But it does provide some visual stimulation, side stories, and an activity. This portion of the text gives young adolescents a chance to think about the issue by asking lots of questions.

Language: The text includes easy to moderate language complexity with longer sentence structure. It does still include common words and phrases, which does not make it an incredibly complex text.

Background Knowledge: Students will be provided with necessary vocabulary such as:

Climate Change

Greenhouse Gases

Fossil Fuels

The students will have no trouble being able to critically analyze this text. As the book provides questions, students will be able to take time to think about the answer to that question. It allows them to critically think about the topic at hand and provide their feedback and analysis.

This will mainly be a skim reading so students can get an idea of climate changes human impact. Since it is more surface level descriptions, close reading will not be necessary.

The intended outcome is simply for them grow more background knowledge on the topic to prepare them for their next two readings while also activating the background knowledge they already have.

I still think the overall video is fairly simple enough any grader between 6th-8th would be able to comprehend so long as they have the background knowledge to do so.

Structure: It begins with an opener and continues on to include subsections on the topic including oceans, weather, food, and health.

Language: the text includes easy to complex language with a longer sentence structure that is organized well. It includes common words and phrases, but also vocabulary that will require background knowledge.

Background Knowledge: Students will be provided with the necessary vocabulary in order to better understand the video such as:

Climate change

Greenhouse gases

Fossil Fuels

They will be provided with plenty of background knowledge in order to better understand the video as well

The intended outcome of this video is to introduce them to the topic more in depth. At this point they will only have had the vocabulary to help them, so this video will serve as a transition into the more in depth parts of climate change.