Drowned City
Written & illustrated by Don Brown & published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2015
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Grade Level: 6 Independent Read
Lexile Score: GN920L Accelerated Reader: 5.6
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Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans tells the story of the devastating hurricane that hit Louisiana in 2005 through a graphic novel format. With floodwaters set to surge through the streets, hundreds of thousands of citizens evacuate the city. Still, thousands stay, becoming stranded on roofs and in attics and convention centers. In just ninety-three pages, Brown tells the stories of heroism and devastation that bloomed from the storm.
Key words/phrases: disaster, devastation, heroism, loss, & recovery.
Suggestions for the Classroom
click the image to be linked to the website
This page from NatGeoKids provides ten student friendly facts about hurricanes that can help students build schema on the topic prior to reading the text.
This video shows New Orleans' "Superdome," where thousands of citizens sought shelter during and after Hurricane Katrina. The footage was recorded soon after everyone had been evacuated.
This article from the International Business Times features a myriad of images depicting the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
click the image to be linked to the website
SUGGESTED COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and
elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
KEY VOCABULARY
Careen: to move quickly and uncontrollably
Debris: scattered pieces of trash and broken items
Devastation: severe destruction and damage
Hoist: to lift something with ropes and pulleys
Levee: a natural or man-made wall meant to prevent water from overflowing
Storm surge: a big flood due to rising sea waters
COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
Before Reading: Review some images of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Based on the images and background knowledge students have of hurricanes, have students pair up and create a list of predicted struggles victims of Hurricane Katrina might have faced. After reading the book, the students' can revise and edit their lists using the new information they learned from the text.
During Reading: This book is divided into dated sections depicting the events of the hurricane. After reading each section, have students pause and write a summary of the events that occurred on each date. This can help students complete the after reading timeline described below.
After Reading: This nonfiction book takes place over a series of days, with multiple different events happening each day. After reading, instruct students to create a timeline of the most important events that occurred throughout the days of the hurricane.
WRITING ACTIVITY FOR INFERENTIAL COMPREHENSION:
While Drowned City covers many facts about human struggles that arose from Hurricane Katrina, it tells the story of many instead of one. After reading, instruct students to write from the point of view of a Hurricane Katrina survivor. What kind of struggles did their character face? What actions did their character take to survive?