Read About Countries and People
Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).
What you will learn
- 1Read a nonfiction article about a country and its people
- 2Use headings and bold words to locate information in the text
- 3Answer questions using facts from the article
Mini Lesson
Nonfiction articles about countries and people teach us about real places in our world — their geography, language, food, traditions, and daily life. Reading them builds our global understanding and our nonfiction reading skills at the same time.
What a country article usually covers
- Location — where is the country? What continent is it on?
- Language and people — what language do people speak? How many people live there?
- Food and traditions — what do people eat? What celebrations do they have?
- Landmarks — famous places or buildings the country is known for.
Reading strategy: scan with headings first
- Before reading every word, scan the headings to know what topics are covered.
- Then read the section that answers your question — you do not always need to read every section in order.
- This is called reading for a purpose.
Connecting to prior knowledge
- Before you read, think: "What do I already know about this country?"
- After you read, think: "What did I learn that surprised me?"
Words to know
Archipelago
A group of many islands that together form a country or region
e.g. Japan is an archipelago made of four main islands and thousands of smaller ones.
Capital
The most important city in a country — usually where the government is located
e.g. Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
Currency
The kind of money used in a country
e.g. Japan's currency is called the yen.
Landmark
A famous place, building, or natural feature that a country is known for
e.g. Mount Fuji is a famous landmark in Japan.
Scan
To quickly read over the headings or key words to find where the information you need is located
e.g. Scan all the headings before you start reading every word.
Ask yourself: "Which heading tells me where to find the fact I need? What is one new thing I learned about this country?"
Unlock the full HSEA system for 7 days.
Add your first kid profile and your 7 days start: every lesson in every grade, saved progress for each child. Nothing to set up, no card required, nothing to cancel.
- ✓ All 1,880 lessons, Grades 1–6, every subject
- ✓ Profiles + saved progress for every kid
- ✓ Printable lessons with answer key