Mini-Lesson

Objective: Students will extract information to create a schedule for the pope's visit.

1. Tell students that Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Washington D.C., and New York City this week. Explain that the pope is the spiritual leader of the world's Catholics. Have students make predictions about the people and places the pope will visit during his six-day trip.

2. Print and pass out copies of the timeforkids.com news story, A Visitor from the Vatican. Explain that reading to find out specific information helps people focus and remember facts and details from a story. Have students imagine that it is their job to create a schedule for the pope's visit. As they read, have them underline information about the stops the pope will make in Washington D.C., and New York. Then, challenge students to design a schedule that presents the information in an organized way.

3. Have students trade schedules with a partner. Challenge students to use their own or their partner's schedule to quickly retrieve information about the pope's trip. Ask: What will the pope do on Thursday morning? When will he visit the White House? Which will the pope visit first: Yankee Stadium or the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception?