Guided Reading Level M - Shanghai (with Lesson Plan)

What This Book Teaches Best
• Explains where Shanghai is located and why its place near the Yangtze River Delta and the East China Sea matters.
• Describes how the Huangpu River functions as a major waterway and supports large ships year-round because the water never freezes.
• Compares two parts of the city along the river—Pudong’s modern skyline and Puxi’s historic area, including the Bund.
• Connects landforms to city development by explaining Shanghai’s flat, alluvial plain and limited land.
• Highlights how waterways and islands shape life and trade, including Suzhou Creek, Chongming Island habitats, and a deep-water port for global shipping.

Learning Goals
• Identify Shanghai’s location on the eastern coast of China using details from the text.
• Explain why the Huangpu River is important for ships, based on the book’s description.
• Describe how Pudong and Puxi are different, using evidence from the text.
• Describe Shanghai’s landform (an alluvial plain) and tell what that means for mountains or hills in the main city area.
• Explain how islands and waterways support wildlife, neighborhoods, and trade in and around Shanghai.
• Describe Shanghai’s climate and seasons as stated in the book.

Key Vocabulary From the Text
• vital — very important.
• waterway — a river or channel ships can travel on.
• district — a part of a city.
• alluvial — made from soil rivers leave behind over time.
• tributary — a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river.

Discussion Prompts
• Pre-reading question: What places in a city might be built near water, and why?
• Comprehension questions: Where does the text say Shanghai is located?
• Comprehension questions: What does the text say makes the Huangpu River important for large ships?
• Comprehension questions: What details does the book give about Shanghai’s climate and seasons?

Printing Tips

1. Best Printing Method (Recommended)
   “Booklet” Printing (Best if Available)
   If your printer or PDF viewer supports Booklet Printing, use this.
   Settings to use:
   • Print mode: Booklet
   • Paper size: Letter or A4 (either works)
   • Orientation: Landscape
   • Print on both sides: Yes
   • Flip on: Short edge
   • Scaling: Fit to printable area
   • Booklet subset:
   o First test: Front sides only
   o Then: Back sides only
   This will automatically:
   • Pair pages correctly
   • Put the cover on the outside
   • Align everything for folding
   After printing, fold in half and staple along the spine.

2. If “Booklet” Printing Is NOT Available
   You can still print this correctly with manual duplex printing.
   Step-by-step:

3. Open the PDF.

4. Choose Print.

5. Set:
   o Orientation: Landscape
   o Pages per sheet: 1
   o Print on both sides: Yes
   o Flip on: Short edge

6. Print all pages.
   Because each PDF page already contains two facing book pages, the result will still fold cleanly into a book.