Book excerpt: At the dawn of the twentieth century, San Francisco was the economic and cultural center of the West Coast. But in 1906, everything changed. A devastating earthquake hit the city, tumbling buildings and igniting infernos. Thousands of people lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands lost their homes. How would San Francisco recover? This nonfiction title builds critical literacy skills while students are immersed in reading historical content. Featuring TIME content, this purposefully leveled text was developed by Timothy Rasinski, a leading expert in reading research. The intriguing sidebars feature fun facts that challenge students to think more deeply about the topics and develop higher-order thinking. Informational text features include a table of contents, captions, bold font, an extensive glossary, and a detailed index to deepen understanding and build academic vocabulary. The Try It! culminating activity requires students to connect back to the text, and the Reader's Guide provides opportunities for additional language-development activities. Aligned with McREL, WIDA/TESOL, and state standards, this title readies students for college and career. This 6-Pack includes six copies of this Level V title and a lesson plan that specifically supports Guided Reading instruction.