The tiny heir to Britain’s throne had a big milestone event this week.
Prince George had his christening.
In this case, a christening is a religious Christian ceremony during which a baby is baptized with holy water.
The water used in the ceremony was from the River Jordan. The river has significance to Christians because it is where Jesus was baptized, according to the Bible.
The three-month-old son of Prince William and Kate Middleton is third in line to the British throne. In other words, he could one day be the King of England.
The ceremony took place in St. James’s Palace in England.
There were only 22 people at the christening, but they included some pretty big names.
The Queen (the baby’s great-grandmother) was there, as well as the three other people who are next in line to claim her throne.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, performed the ceremony. If and when Prince George becomes King of England, George would also become the head of the Church of England.
The chapel in which the ceremony took place is special to Prince William. It’s where his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid in her coffin and where the family paid their last respects to her.
The baby wore a special christening gown. It was a replica of the gown made for Queen Victoria’s daughter.
The gown, which was made in 1841, was worn by Prince William when he was christened in 1982. However, the original gown is now too fragile to be worn any more, so baby Prince George wore a replica.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
Traditions and rituals connect people from generation to generation. What are some of the traditions and rituals that you and your family or friends maintain? Why are they significant to you?
Reading Prompt: Comprehension Strategies
Asking yourself questions while you read is a good way to check if you understand the text? That’s because you might not know what you don’t know, and asking questions can help you discover what you don’t know.
What are three questions you could ask yourself while reading today’s article. *Aim for 1 question per 1/3.
Primary
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME, Reading: 1.3).
Junior
identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME, Reading: 1.3).
Intermediate
Identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand increasingly complex texts (OME, Reading: 1.3).
Grammar Feature: Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the specific name of a person, place, or thing (noun). Proper nouns are ALWAYS capitalized, whereas nouns are not. For example, “Toronto,” is a specific name of a place and is therefore a proper noun. For this reason, “city” is a common noun; “city” is not a specific place.
Reread today’s article and underline all of the proper nouns to do with people. Circle the proper nouns that tell about a place. Place a box around the proper nouns that tell about a thing.
