The Ballooning of a Parade MiniLesson

​The Ballooning of a Parade- Achieve 3000

Learning Target: I can read and understand a grade level text. I can determine which information is relevant to the topic and determine the main idea.

By Brendan Mccann

Question: Which passage from the Article best supports the idea that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a very popular event?

1. Analyze the question: what makes an event popular?
2. Skim and scan answer choices for evidence that supports the popularity of the parade.

​Skill: Select Relevant Text Evidence

Multiple Choice

Which passage from the Article best supports the idea that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a very popular event?

• Since 1927, the balloons were grounded only once, in 1971. The wind was too powerful that day. And the parade itself was canceled only three times, from 1942 to 1944. That's because of rubber and helium shortages during World War II. Macy's helped the war effort by giving 650 pounds (about 295 kilograms) of balloon rubber to the government.

• One year, a tug-of-war broke out after a balloon landed. People yanked it until they tore it apart. Another year, a loose balloon got tangled up in the propeller of a small plane. The balloon almost took it down. That ended that tradition! (Now, the balloons are deflated and crated. Then they're stored for the next year.)

• About 3.5 million people show up annually to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There's a 2.5 mile (about 4 kilometer) route. And another 50 million people watch it on TV. It's one of the most-viewed broadcasts year after year. The parade is more than just a big balloon blow up and blowout. It's an American institution.

• The 1924 parade featured floats with Mother Goose characters. There were Macy's employees dressed as clowns and cowboys. There were even four marching bands! There were bears and elephants from nearby Central Park Zoo. But there were no giant balloons. Those made their debut in 1927 as a replacement for the zoo animals. The roars and growls scared kids.

Strategy:
1. Determine topic.
2. Examine text features:
title/graphics.
3. What about the topic is the article telling us?

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​Determine Main/Central Idea

Multiple Choice

Based on the Article, which best replaces the question mark in the diagram above?

• Some animals from the Central Park Zoo took part in the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

• The popular Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has only been canceled three times.

• Some early balloons were made to slowly leak helium so that they would drop back to earth.

• 
  The parade is a popular tradition with many things to see, but the balloons are the main event.