Guided Reading Level I - The Big Blue Ice (with Lesson Plan)

Book Snapshot
• Title: The Big Blue Ice
• Genre: Nonfiction (informational)
• Subject: Earth Science + Reading (Informational Text)
• Primary Topic: Glaciers and what happens to ice
• Estimated Guided Reading Level (A–Z): I

What This Book Teaches Best
• Defines what a glacier is and explains that it stays frozen all year long.
• Explains how snow can squeeze together and turn into hard ice in very cold places.
• Describes how glaciers move slowly like “rivers of ice” down mountain slopes.
• Teaches glacier features and changes, including crevasses, calving, and icebergs.
• Connects glaciers to living things and Earth systems (animals resting on ice, fresh water, keeping the world cool).

Learning Goals
• Describe what a glacier is using details from the text.
• Explain how piled-up snow turns into hard ice in very cold places.
• Tell how glaciers move and where they move (down mountain slopes).
• Identify crevasses and describe what the text says they show.
• Explain what calving is and what happens when a glacier reaches the ocean.
• Describe two ways glaciers are important on Earth (cooling the world, holding fresh water).

Key Vocabulary From the Text
• glacier — a huge mountain of ice.
• frozen — turned to ice from very cold weather.
• crevasses — long cracks on the glacier’s surface.
• calving — when big ice chunks break off into the ocean.
• icebergs — floating mountains of ice in cold water.

Discussion Prompts
• Pre-reading question: What do you think a glacier is, and where might you find one?
• Comprehension questions: How does snow turn into hard ice, according to the book?
• Comprehension questions: Why do some glaciers look bright blue in the text?
• Comprehension questions: Where do seals rest to take a nap and stay safe from the water?

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.