Lesson Plan - What's Up, World? Cuba

Watch a Video: Let’s Go to Cuba

Ask: What have you learned about Cuba? What do you still want to know?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• graceful
• classic

Set a Purpose for Reading

Invite students to notice how Cuba is similar to and different from your own community.

1. What details in the article show that ballet is popular in Cuba?
The article explains that Cuba hosts the International Ballet Festival of Havana every other year and is home to the world’s biggest ballet school.

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2. What are three facts about Cuba you can learn from the map on page 5?
Sample response: The map shows that Cuba is located south of Florida and north of Jamaica. It shows that Cuba is an island and that its capital city is Havana.

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3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to Cuba?
Visitors to Cuba might watch a ballet, enjoy baseball, eat plantains, see colorful buildings in the cities, glimpse Cuban crocodiles, or attend a Cuban Independence Day parade.

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FEATURED SKILL: Compare and Contrast

Use the skill builder “Comparing Communities” to have students compare and contrast their own communities with Cuba. 

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