BBe a Reading e a Reading SSTA RTA Rtxintervention.benchmarkeducation.com/files/Y14866-G5_BK.pdfBBe...

Table of ContentsHow to Use This Book .............................................. ii

Day 1: Pretest 1: Readiness Standards .......................3

Day 1: Realistic Fiction ................................................4

Day 2: Pretest 2: Supporting Standards ......................9

Day 2: Realistic Fiction (continued) ............................10

Day 3: Myths ...........................................................14

Day 4: Biography .....................................................20

Day 5: Poetry ..........................................................26

Day 6: Informational Texts: Social Studies ..................32

Day 7: Myths ...........................................................38

Day 8: Persuasive Letters .........................................44

Day 9: Realistic Fiction ..............................................50

Day 10: Procedural Texts ..........................................56

Day 11: Plays ..........................................................62

Day 12: Informational Texts: Science .........................68

Day 13: Biography ...................................................74

Day 14: Posttest 1: Readiness Standards .................81

Day 14: Informational Texts: Science .........................82

Day 15: Posttest 2: Supporting Standards ................85

Day 15: Informational Texts: Science (continued) .......86

Read-Aloud Passages ............................................89

Graphic Organizers with Annotations .................119

Text Evidence Questions Answer Key ................126

STAAR Prep Questions Answer Key ....................131

Activity Pages with Annotations .........................132

GRADE 5 • TEACHER’S GUIDE

STA RSTA RBe a Reading Be a Reading

Be a Reading STAAR • Grade 5 Teacher’s Guide • ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Introducing the Program

Benchmark Education’s Be a Reading STAAR was specifi cally designed to provide easy-to-use instruction that covers all of the STAAR-assessed TEKS, with special emphasis on Figure 19. Gradual-release instruction provides daily opportunities for students to “step up” to achieve on-grade reading profi ciency.

Each daily lesson is organized around a STAAR-assessed genre, with ample opportunities to read across texts.

Why Choose Be a Reading STAAR?

This is the only program that covers all STAAR-eligible Readiness and Supporting TEKS. Be a Reading STAAR incorporates explicit instruction that is developmentally appropriate for students who are working toward retaking the STAAR reading test.

“Step Up” to On-Level Reading

The program’s built-in acceleration plan helps ensure that students get the support they need as they move toward negotiating grade-level texts and profi ciency in STAAR-assessed student expectations. Reading passages are leveled to provide struggling readers with an acceleration plan, helping them “step up” to on-grade-level texts. Each day, negotiate on-grade-level texts in the whole-group session. In small-group sessions, they read the same text over two days. The fi rst version is two grade levels below, and the second version is one grade level below. The repetition of content supports them as they accelerate their reading to on-grade-level profi ciency.

Be a Reading STAAR for Grade 5

Literary Informational

Fiction (Readiness):Realistic Fiction, Myths

Expository (Readiness): Science and Social Studies Informational Texts

Literary Nonfi ction (Supporting): Biography

Persuasive (Supporting)

Poetry (Supporting) Procedural (Embedded)

Drama (Supporting) Media Literacy (Embedded)

Media Literacy (Embedded)

Grade 5 Genres

How to Use This Book

ii



Using the Program: Overview

Program components include the Teacher’s Guide, the My STAAR Reader consumable student book, and the Pre- and Post-Assessments book.

Each genre-based day includes 180 minutes of instruction. The program is written to follow a three-week (15-day) pacing guide, but it can be adapted to be taught in two or four weeks. See pages vii–xii for recommended pacing guides.

Teacher’s Guide

Instruction is centered around STAAR-assessed genres tied to Readiness and Supporting standards. A typical day of instruction includes 120* minutes of whole-group instruction and 60* minutes of small-group instruction.

Whole-Group Instruction

Whole-group reading selections and companion mini-lessons enable teachers to provide students with skill instruction as well as instruction on fi nding and using text evidence. Students are given ample opportunity to apply what they learn by working with graphic organizers, completing workbook activities, and engaging in writing prompts. Each genre-based day of instruction includes the following elements:

Element Purpose

Read-Aloud Students will:• Experience an introduction to the genre through

read-aloud selections

Introduce the Genre Students will:• Develop genre awareness• Analyze the features of the genre

Close Reading Mini-Lessons

Students will:• Develop close reading strategies• Receive gradual-release genre-based instruction aligned to

STAAR-assessed TEKS

Writing Students will:• Engage in daily writing activities based on selections and skills

from that day

Refl ect and Review Students will:• Participate in class discussions to summarize and refl ect upon

what they learned each day• Make connections across texts

* Times are meant to serve as recommendations.

iii

ivBe a Reading STAAR • Grade 5 Teacher’s Guide • ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC


Element Purpose

Bridge, Accelerate, and Extend Texts

Students will:• Apply skills from whole-group instruction to Bridge Texts

(2 levels below grade)• Step up to Accelerate Texts (1 level below grade)• Read on-level Extend Texts, when ready

Independent Workstation Pages

Students will:• Practice fi nding text evidence each day.

Before breaking into small groups, point out the questions for the day’s genre in My STAAR Reader (there will be a page citation in this guide each day). Explain to students that they will have to go back to the partner-read texts from that day to fi nd text evidence to support their answers.

• Practice answering STAAR-like test questions each day. Before breaking into small groups, point out the questions for the day’s genre in My STAAR Reader (there will be a page citation in this guide each day). Explain to students that they will work on answering the practice questions.

• Extend their practice with text evidence questions and STAAR-like questions based on the small-group texts (there will be a page citation in this guide each day when they have this opportunity).

Read-Alouds

Read aloud selections, used to introduce each day of instruction, can be found on pages 89–118 of the Teacher’s Guide.

My STAAR Reader (Student Book)

The consumable My STAAR Reader student book provides all differentiated texts, graphic organizers, practice activities, test practice questions, and writing prompts needed to complete the program. My STAAR Reader includes:

• On-level whole-group reads

• Graphic organizers that support close reading mini-lessons

• Bridge and Accelerate Texts to accompany small-group instruction

• Independent workstation activities, including text evidence and STAAR prep questions

• Writing prompts

• Reading Across Texts practice questions

• Vocabulary activities

• Skills reinforcement activities

Small-Group Instruction

Small-group instruction provides opportunities to apply the skills taught in whole-group instruction to differentiated texts, followed by practice activities.

iviv



Extend Text Titles by Genre

Students who show mastery and fl uency during small-group instruction may be assigned Extend Text titles. These books match whole-group and small-group genres, and can be read independently or with partners. Extend Text selections can also be used when following the Four-Week Program (see page xii). In this case, the accompanying Teacher’s Guides and Text Evidence Question Cards can be used on Days 14–18 of the 20-day pacing plan.

Genre Title Author

Biography Julius CaesarCleopatra

Sarah Albee

Persuasive Letters American Revolution Angelo Parra

Informational Texts (Science) A “Miracle” Material Matthew Kachur

Informational Texts (Social Studies) The Transcontinental Railroad Eric Kraft

Informational Texts (Science) Conquering Mount Everest Jackie Glassman

Grade 5 Extend Text Selections

Assessments

Formatted just like the STAAR exam, Be a Reading STAAR Pre- and Post-Assessments includes four tests, with Readiness and Supporting standards covered up to two times in each:

Use the Pretests on Days 1 and 2, and the Posttests on Days 14 and 15 as benchmark assessments to measure student progress. You can compare student performance on the Pre- and Posttests to help measure growth during the program.

Readiness Standards Supporting Standards

Pretest 1 X

Pretest 2 X

Posttest 1 X

Posttest 2 X

v



Assessment Book

Whole-Group Mini-Lessons Small-Group Instruction and Independent Workstations

Teacher’s Guide

Student Book

Explicit step-by-step instruction, centered around genre-based units

Assessments are modeled after the STAAR reading test.Pre- and Posttests, covering all STAAR-eligible TEKS

All-in-one student resource book, packed with reading passages and activities

Each unit of instruction focuses on a STAAR-assessed genre.

Three levels of reading passages per genre unit

Graphic organizers and activity pages provide hands-on practice opportunities for every day of instruction.

Components at a Glance

vi


* Amount of time is used as a guideline. Each day should equal a total of 180 minutes.


(continued)

Pacing

The following pacing charts provide suggested times for individual lessons, as well as all of the information needed to successfully implement the program. To see when specifi c standards are covered, refer to the chart on the inside back cover of this guide.

Three-Week Program

Follow the suggested 15-day pacing guide to use the program Be a Reading STAAR as it was written.

Three-Week Pacing Guide Week One

Time* DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5

Assessment 80 Pretest 1: Readiness Pretest 2: Supporting

Read-Aloud 10 “Early Birds” [TEKS: 5.6(C)]

“Coming into View” [TEKS: 5.6(B)]

“Thor’s Hammer”[TEKS: 5.3(C)]

“America’s Birdman”[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

“Dream Catchers”[TEKS: 5.4(A)]

Introduce the Genre

15Realistic Fiction Realistic Fiction Myths Biography Poetry

Partner-Read15

“The Prince and the Pauper”

“Bellerophon and Pegasus”

“Gordon Parks and His Camera”

“The Dream-Ship”

Close Reading

Comprehension and Vocabulary Mini-Lessons

(55–60 minutes)

15–30

• Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters [TEKS: 5.8(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Sensory Details

[TEKS: 5.8(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Biographical Details[TEKS: 5.7(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase Texts [TEKS: Fig 19(E)]

15–30

• Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event[TEKS: 5.3(C)]

• Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Sensory Details[TEKS: 5.8(A)]

• Use Explanations and Examples to Determine Meaning [TEKS: 5.2(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Analyze How Poets Use Sound Effects[TEKS: 5.4(A)]

15–20

• Use Context Clues to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Point of View of Media Presentations [TEKS: 5.14(C)]

15

• Find Text Evidence to Describe Incidents That Advance the Story [TEKS: 5.6(A)]

Small-Group Differentiated Reading

(60 minutes)

20“A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Bridge

“A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Accelerate

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Bridge

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Accelerate

20 Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions

20 STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions

Writing15–20

Respond to Realistic Fiction

Respond to Myths Respond to Biography Respond to Poetry

Refl ect and Review 5–10

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.3(C)]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.3(B)]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.7(A)]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: Fig 19(E)]

vii



Three-Week Pacing Guide Week Two


Assessment 80

Read-Aloud 10 “A Discovery as Good as Gold”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

“The Time of the Ten Suns”[TEKS: 5.6(A)]

“Why You Should Adopt a Dog”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

“from The Secret Garden” [TEKS: 5.6(C)]

“Swimming”[TEKS: 5.10(A)]

Introduce the Genre

15 Informational Texts: Social Studies

Myths Persuasive Letters Realistic Fiction Procedural Texts

Partner-Read 15 “Pueblo People of New Mexico”

“Hafi z, the Stonecutter” “Don’t Get a Pet!” “from A Little Princess” “How to Make a Pueblo Pot”

Close Reading


(55–60 minutes)

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Summarize the Main Ideas and Supporting Details[TEKS: 5.11(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Describe Incidents That Advance the Story or Novel [TEKS: 5.6(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Author’s Viewpoint, Reasons, and Evidence[TEKS: 5.12(A)]


• Find Text Evidence to Interpret Details from Procedural Text [TEKS: 5.13(A)]

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text [TEKS: 5.11(C)]

• Use a Dictionary to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E)]

• Use Parts of Speech to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E)]

• Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Synthesize and Make Logical Connections Between Ideas[TEKS: 5.11(E)]

15–20 • Find Text Evidence to Explain Characters Relationships and Confl icts[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Recognize Exaggerated or Misleading Statements[TEKS: 5.12(B)]


15


(60 minutes)

20 “The Start of Something New” Bridge

“The Start of Something New” Accelerate

“Early Explorers” Bridge “Early Explorers” Accelerate

“Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Bridge

20 Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions

20 STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions

Writing 15 Respond to Informational Texts: Social Studies

Respond to Myths Respond to Persuasive Letters

Respond to Realistic Fiction

Respond to Procedural Texts

Refl ect and Review

5 Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.10(A)]

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.3(B)]





viii



Three-Week Pacing Guide Week Three


Assessment 80 Posttest 1: Readiness Posttest 2: Supporting

Read-Aloud 10–20 “Staying Afl oat”[TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

“The Passenger Pigeon”[TEKS: 5.11(E)]

“John Adams”[TEKS 5.7(A)]

“Icebergs”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

“Storm Chasers”[TEKS: 5.10(A)]

Introduce the Genre

15 Plays Informational Texts: Science

Biography Informational Texts: Science

Informational Texts: Science

Partner-Read 15 “Nature Girl” “The Gray Wolf” “Rudolf Diesel” “Meet Sue”

Close Reading


(55–60 minutes)

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Summarize the Main Ideas[TEKS: 5.11(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase[TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

• Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Texts[TEKS: 5.11(B)]

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event[TEKS: 5.3(C)]

• Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Text [TEKS: 5.11(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Literary Language and Devices Used in Biographies[TEKS: 5.7(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

15–20 • Use Context Clues to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(B)]

• Use Roots, Prefi xes, and Suffi xes to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(A)]

15


(60 minutes)

20 “Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Accelerate

“How to Make a Personal Budget” Bridge

“How to Make a Personal Budget” Accelerate

“Kingdom to Species” Accelerate

20 Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions Text Evidence Questions

20 STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions STAAR Prep Questions

Writing 15 Respond to Plays Respond to Informational Texts: Science

Respond to Biography Respond to Informational Texts: Science

Refl ect and Review

5 Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.5]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.11(E)]





ix



Two-Week Pacing Guide Week One


Read-Aloud 10 “Early Birds” [TEKS: 5.6(C)]

“Thor’s Hammer”[TEKS: 5.3(C)]

“America’s Birdman”[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

“Dream Catchers”[TEKS: 5.4(A)]

“Why You Should Adopt a Dog”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

“Coming into View” [TEKS: 5.6(B)]

Introduce the Genre

15 Realistic Fiction Myths Biography Poetry Persuasive Letters

Partner-Read 15 “The Prince and the Pauper”

“Bellerophon and Pegasus”

“Gordon Parks and His Camera”

“The Dream-Ship” “Don’t Get a Pet!”

Close Reading


(55–60 minutes)

15–20 • Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters

[TEKS: 5.8(A)]


• Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Biographical Details[TEKS: 5.7(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase Texts [TEKS: Fig 19(E)]

• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Author’s Viewpoint, Reasons, and Evidence[TEKS: 5.12(A)]

15–20 • Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event[TEKS: 5.3(C)]


• Use Explanations and Examples to Determine Meaning [TEKS: 5.2(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Analyze How Poets Use Sound Effects[TEKS: 5.4(A)]


15-20 Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.3(C)]


• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Point of View of Media Presentations [TEKS: 5.14(C)]

• Find Text Evidence to Recognize Exaggerated or Misleading Statements[TEKS: 5.12(B)]

15 • Find Text Evidence to Describe Incidents That Advance the Story [TEKS: 5.6(A)]


(60 minutes)

20 “A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Bridge

“A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Accelerate

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Bridge

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Accelerate

“Early Explorers” Bridge



Writing 15 Respond to Realistic Fiction Respond to Myths Respond to Biography Respond to Poetry Respond to Persuasive Letters

Refl ect and Review

5–10 Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.3(B)]


Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: Fig 19(E)]


Two-Week Program

This 10-day pacing guide is for those who wish to teach the program in two weeks. This pacing guide omits pre- and post-assessment days and eliminates genres that are repeated in the three- and four-week programs. In place of administering the assessments, you can use STAAR data to help you to focus on the genres and TEKS that your students most need.


x



Two-Week Pacing Guide Week Two


Read-Aloud 10 “from The Secret Garden” [TEKS: 5.6(C)]

“Swimming”[TEKS: 5.10(A)]

“Staying Afl oat”[TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

“John Adams”[TEKS 5.7(A)]

“Icebergs”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]


Introduce the Genre

15 Realistic Fiction Procedural Texts Plays Biography Informational Texts: Science

Partner-Read 15 “from A Little Princess” “How to Make a Pueblo Pot”

“Nature Girl” “Rudolf Diesel” “Meet Sue”

Close Reading


(55–60 minutes)

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Sensory Details[TEKS: 5.8(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Interpret Details from Procedural Text [TEKS: 5.13(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase[TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]

• Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Texts[TEKS: 5.11(B)]

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B)]

• Find Text Evidence to Synthesize and Make Logical Connections Between Ideas[TEKS: 5.11(E)]

• Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event[TEKS: 5.3(C)]

• Find Text Evidence to Identify the Literary Language and Devices Used in Biographies[TEKS: 5.7(A)]

• Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

15-20 • Use Parts of Speech to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E)]


• Use Roots, Prefi xes, and Suffi xes to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(A)]

15


(60 minutes)

20 “Early Explorers” Accelerate

“Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Bridge

“Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Accelerate

“How to Make a Personal Budget” Accelerate

“Kingdom to Species” Accelerate



Writing 15 Respond to Realistic Fiction

Respond to Procedural Texts

Respond to Plays Respond to Biography Respond to Informational Texts: Science

Refl ect and Review

5–10 Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.8(A)]


Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: 5.5]




xi



Four-Week Pacing Guide Days 14–20

Time DAYS 14–18 Time* DAY 19 DAY 20

Whole Group

(60 minutes)60

Read aloud an extended text

• Preview/Set a Purpose• Read-Aloud Part 1: Summarize

key details through collaborative conversation

• Read-Aloud Part 2: Summarize key details through collaborative conversation

• Read-Aloud Part 3: Summarize key details through collaborative conversation

Assessment(80 minutes)

80 Posttest 1: Readiness Posttest 2: Supporting

Read-Aloud(10–20 minutes)

10–20 “Icebergs”[TEKS: 5.11(C)]


Introduce the Genre(15 minutes)

15 Informational Texts: Science


Small Group

(60 minutes)60

• Meet with one group at a time.

• Reread sections of the text together.

• Ask questions on the Text Evidence Question Card to give students practice fi nding text evidence to answer questions.

While you meet with each group, have other students partner reread Accelerate Texts from My STAAR Reader to build fl uency.

Partner-Read(15 minutes)

15 “Meet Sue”

Close Reading


(60 minutes)

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Texts[TEKS: 5.11(B)]

15–30 • Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text[TEKS: 5.11(C)]

Reinforce Strategies

(60 minutes)

60

Based on your observations of students during Small-Group Reading, select mini-lessons from the Extended Text teacher’s guide, included with each title.


(60 minutes)

20 “Kingdom to Species” Accelerate

20 Text Evidence Questions

20 STAAR Prep Questions

Writing(15 minutes)

15 Respond to Informational Texts: Science

Refl ect and Review(5 minutes)

5 Make Connections Across Texts [TEKS: Fig. 19(E)]


Four-Week Program

Follow the suggested 20-day pacing guide to extend the program to four weeks. Start by teaching Days 1–13, as shown on the three-week program pacing guide found on pages vii–ix. On Days 14–18, focus on Extend Text selections of your choosing (see the Extend Text chart on page v for titles). Follow the suggestions in the chart below to adapt the Teacher’s Guide and comprehension questions that are included with each Extend Title selection. Administer Posttests 1 and 2 on Days 19 and 20.

xii

3Be a Reading STAAR • Grade 5 Teacher’s Guide • ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Pre-Assessment Prepare to Assess

Before beginning instruction, evaluate students’ reading skills by administering Grade 5 Pretest 1: Readiness Standards, which begins on page 4 of the Grade 5 Be a Reading STAAR Assessment. Make one copy of the assessment for each student.

Assessment

Distribute Grade 5 Pretest 1 to students. Explain that this is the fi rst of two assessments you will use to discover their reading strengths as well as areas that they can work on throughout the course of this program. Tell students other assessments will be given at the end of the program for them to demonstrate the progress they have made as readers.

Allow students 60 minutes to complete the assessment. On chart paper or the board, write the time remaining in the assessment at 15-minute intervals.

Collect and Transition

Collect students’ assessments. Have volunteers distribute one copy of the Grade 5 My STAAR Reader to each student. Allow students time to examine the book and its contents. Say: Over the next 15 days, we will be reading a variety of different texts that belong to different genres. Model the pronunciation of the word genre for students (ZHAHN-ruh). Explain: Genre is a French word that means “kind” or “type.” Genres help us group the same kinds of texts into categories so that we can understand and talk about the features that they share. For example, one genre that we will be learning about in this program is myths. Myths are stories that were written a long time ago. One feature many myths share is that they describe things that we know aren’t real and never could be real, such as fl ying horses.

Have students turn to a partner. Say: Talk to your partner. Can you think of any other genres? Allow students time to brainstorm examples of different genres with their partner, then bring them back as a class to share their ideas.

10 min

60 min

Day 1

10 min

Day 1


4

Focus on the Genre p. 3

Read Aloud

Read: “Early Birds”[TEKS: 5.6(C) explain different forms of third-person points of view in stories (Reporting Category 2)]

Tell students that the fi rst type of genre they will learn about is realistic fi ction. Say: Unlike the myths we talked about, stories and novels that are of the realistic fi ction genre describe events and characters that aren’t real, but they could be real.

Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that one feature of realistic fi ction is that stories are told in either fi rst-person point of view or third-person point of view. Say: With fi rst-person point of view, a character in the story tells the story. With third-person point of view, a narrator outside the story tells it.

Turn to page 90 of this guide. Read the fi rst two paragraphs of “Early Birds.” Ask: Who thinks a narrator outside the story is telling the story? Who thinks a character in the story is telling it? Let’s keep reading and see who’s right. Read the third paragraph. Say: The fi rst two paragraphs made it seem like a narrator outside the story was telling the story. But in the third paragraph, we learn that Emilou, a character in the story, is telling it. Explain that they will learn more about point of view, including the different forms of third-person point of view, later in the course. Read the rest of the story. Model reading with feeling and expression.

Introduce and Focus on the Genre

Build Genre Background[TEKS 5.3(B) describe the phenomena explained in origin myths from various cultures (Reporting Category 2)]

Draw a concept web on chart paper or on the board. Write the words Realistic Fiction in the center.

Say: You have just listened to a realistic fi ction story and learned two things about the realistic fi ction genre. Do you remember what these two features are? (Realistic fi ction is told from fi rst-person or third-person point of view. Realistic fi ction describes events and characters that could be real.) Write “First-person or third-person point of view” and “Events and Characters that could be real” in two outer circles on the concept web. As a class, have students brainstorm other features

10 min

15 min

1DAY

Realistic FictionWhole-Group Instruction


of realistic fi ction. Add their ideas to the concept web. Reinforce the concept that all realistic fi ction stories have certain common features.

Ask students to turn to pages 2–3 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read realistic fi ction stories that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.

Choral-read the text on page 2. Then invite a student to read the web on page 3.

Point to the concept web that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas about realistic fi ction that we came up with. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the class web.

Post the concept web in your classroom during instruction on realistic fi ction. Say: As we read more realistic fi ction, we will come back to this concept web. We will look for how these features appear in each story we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “The Prince and the Pauper”

Say: Now you’re going to read an excerpt from a realistic fi ction novel titled “The Prince and the Pauper.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of realistic fi ction by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of realistic fi ction is that they have characters that could be real. Have students read the introduction to the story to themselves. Guide students to understand that although there are no princes in the United States, there are princes in other countries. And although there are no peasants these days, peasants really did exist a long time ago. Say: Since princes still exist and peasants used to exist, the characters could be real. So we can write “characters that could be real” in the side margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information.

My STAAR Reader pp. 4–5

FPO

Day 1

15 min

Realistic Fiction • Whole Group


66


Close Reading [TEKS: 5.8(A) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters

Model: I expect character types to have certain traits. For example, if a character is a superhero, I expect him or her to be brave, generous, law-abiding, and more concerned about others’ welfare than about his or her own. When I read a story, I compare my expectations to the character’s actual traits to see if they match.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to think about princes or other royalty such as kings, queens, and princesses, that you have read about or seen in movies. How did they act? How would you describe their personality traits based on what they did? Ask students turn to page 6 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the chart with examples of the prince’s royal behavior in “The Prince and the Pauper.” Have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings. Then work together to collaborate on fi lling in the bottom chart with the prince’s good traits and bad traits.

Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event [TEKS: 5.3(C) explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work of literature (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a story, I notice how the author shows the time period in which a story takes place. One way authors do this is through dialogue, or the way the characters speak.

Guide: Point out to students that the story takes place in England a long time ago when people spoke a different version of English than they do now.

Explain the Roles and Function of Charactersp. 6

Explain the Effect of an Historical Eventp. 7

30 min

20 min


7


Ask students to turn to page 7 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Look at the top box on the right. Can you fi nd the line of dialogue in the text that means the same thing? Have students write “What dost thou make of this?” in the box on the left. Instruct them to hunt for the rest of the translations in the story and to write them in the corresponding boxes.

To extend students’ comprehension practice, guide them to complete the activity on page 17 of My STAAR Reader.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.3(C) explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work of literature (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about realistic fi ction. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different examples of realistic fi ction they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of realistic fi ction in the reading on page 3 in My STAAR Reader. Remind students that all works of realistic fi ction will share at least some of these features. Ask: Do you think it would be harder to write realistic fi ction or nonrealistic fi ction?

Day 1

10 min



9

Pre-AssessmentPrepare to Assess

Before beginning instruction, evaluate students’ reading skills by administering Grade 5 Pretest 2: Supporting Standards, which begins on page 24 of the Grade 5 Be a Reading STAAR Assessment. Make one copy of the assessment for each student.

Assessment

Distribute Grade 5 Pretest 2 to students. Explain that this is the fi rst of two assessments you will use to discover their reading strengths as well as areas that they can work on throughout the course of this program. Tell students other assessments will be given at the end of the program for them to demonstrate the progress they have made as readers.



Collect student’s tests. Say: Today we will continue to read realistic fi ction. For the fi rst story, you will listen as I read aloud. Then you will read another story in small groups.

10 min

60 min

Day 2

10 min

Day 2

Be a Reading STAAR • Grade 5 Teacher’s Guide • ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC10

2DAY

Read Aloud

Read: “Coming into View”[TEKS: 5.6(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Ask: Remember the example story line about the doctor going to work at a hospital? Why was that one not an example of realistic fi ction? (It did not have a confl ict.) Tell students that you’re going to read a realistic fi ction story that does have a confl ict. Explain: Some stories have a huge confl ict for characters to resolve. Other stories have medium- and small-sized confl icts. Ask students to pay attention to what happens in the story and decide if the characters have a huge, medium, or small confl ict to resolve.

Turn to page 92 of this guide. Read “Coming into View.” Model reading with feeling and expression. Ask students to identify the confl ict and tell whether it was a huge, medium, or small confl ict. (The confl ict was the mystery of the cards with identical photographs side by side. This was a small confl ict, but still interesting.)

Realistic Fiction (continued)

10 min


11

20 min

20 min

20 min


Pay close attention to the level of ease, expressiveness, and smoothness with which students read. Use these observations to determine whether students step up to the Accelerate Text or the Extend Text selection in the following small-group session.

Workstations

If students complete the independent workstation activities before the allotted time, partners can practice fl uency, taking turns reading sentences from the whole-group selection aloud. Remind them to read with expression, paying attention to the meaning of the words as they read them.

Small-Group Reading

“A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” on page 10 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this story to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss key events that help move the story along. Mark the main events in the text as you read.

Paraphrase to Summarize

After they have fi nished reading, ask students to summarize the story by describing the main characters and events in their own words. Have students collaborate to fi gure out the overall message, or theme, of the story. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key story elements and if they use their own words.

Choral-Read for Fluency

Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1–6. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read paragraphs 7–11 with a partner, taking turns reading sentences.

Independent Workstation Activities

Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 8 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “The Prince and the Pauper,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 9 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “The Prince and the Pauper” to themselves before getting started.

Day 2


1111

Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!



1212

Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about “The Prince and the Pauper” from Day 1.

Invite students to turn to page 16 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: How did the relationship between the prince and the guard change after the boys switched clothes? Could you argue that their relationship didn’t change? Use the chart to organize your ideas, then write your answer on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst steps of describing the prince and the guard’s relationship before the boys switched clothes. Point out that in this excerpt the prince and the guard do not interact until after the boy’s have switched clothes. However, they can fi nd one clue in the story’s introduction and they can also make inferences about what their relationship was like before the excerpt begins.

Writingp. 16

20 min

Wrap Up and Review / Whole Group



13

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about realistic fi ction. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different realistic stories they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of realistic fi ction in the reading on page 3 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: Which do you like better: realistic fi ction with characters and places that could really exist, or nonrealistic fi ction with characters and places that can only exist in the author’s—and reader’s—mind?

Day 2

10 min


14


3DAY

Myths

Read Aloud

Read: “Thor’s Hammer”[TEKS: 5.3(C) explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work of literature (Reporting Category 2)]

Tell students that you’re going to read a type of story called a myth. Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that the fi rst version of this story was written a long time ago, before people really knew what caused natural events to happen. People would come up with explanations for what caused the thunder and lightning or how fi re was discovered that would make readers today say, “Yeah, right! Like that could happen!” But before science was invented, people would believe these made-up stories because they didn’t know any better. Encourage students to pay attention to parts of the story that make them have a “Yeah, right!” reaction as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 95 of this guide. Read “Thor’s Hammer.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to share what gave them their fi rst “Yeah, right” reaction. Support students’ academic oral language development by modeling the use of sentence frames such as:

When the story said __________, I thought ___________.


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.3(C) explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work of literature (Reporting Category 2)]

Draw a concept web on chart paper or on the board. Write the word Myth in the center. Say: You have just listened to one myth. Can you think of any other myths you know? Who can explain what a myth is? Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of a myth they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all myths have certain common features.

Ask students to turn to pages 18–19 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read myths that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.


10 min

15 min



15

Myths • Whole Group

Point to the myths web that you created earlier. Say: What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the class web.

Post the chart in your classroom during instruction.

Partner-Read

Read: “Bellerophron and Pegasus”

Say: Now you’re going to read a myth titled “Bellerophron and Pegasus.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a myth by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of myths is that they have fantastic creatures that can do things that real animals can’t do. Look at the horse in the picture. Can he do something that real horses can’t do? That’s right, he can fl y. So, we can write “fantastic creature” in the side margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the class web.

Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Sensory Details[TEKS: 5.8(A) evaluate the impact of sensory details, imagery, and fi gurative language in literary text (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a story, I pay close attention to the author’s descriptions. I look for powerful words and phrases that really help me see in my mind’s eye what the author is describing. For example, in the second paragraph, the author writes, “How Bellerophon longed to capture and ride that magnifi cent creature.” Why didn’t the author write “ How Bellerophon longed to capture and ride that good-looking creature” instead? Why is “magnifi cent” a better word here? Words like magnifi cent are said to “pack a punch.” They have a great impact on the way you respond as a reader. They help you see and sometimes even feel, hear, small, and taste what the author is describing.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to imagine that the author has hired you to create a new picture of Pegasus and also a picture of the chimera in the story. What powerful words and phrases does the author use to describe each of them? What does it look like? What does it do? Ask students to reread paragraph 4, and allow time for them to talk about their fi ndings together, covering the myth from beginning to end. Ask students turn to page 22 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the top section of the Evaluate Sensory Details chart. Then, have a class discussion.

15 min


Day 3

15 min


1616


Close Reading (continued)


Model: Good readers don’t just notice the different words an author uses to describe things in a story. They also evaluate the author’s word choices. In other words, they decide how good of a job the author did in helping them see, feel, hear, smell, or taste whatever is being described.

Guide: We just identifi ed words and phrases the author uses to describe Pegasus and the chimera. Now let’s evaluate the author’s word choices. Let’s see how easy or how hard it is to draw Pegasus and the chimera based on the author’s descriptions of them. Have students turn to page 22 of My STAAR Reader and complete the drawing section of the chart. Instruct students not to base their drawing of Pegasus on the one included with the story, but just on the descriptive words and phrases from the story itself. After students have completed their drawings, ask which one they found easier to draw.

Use Context Clues to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(B) use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “Bellerophon and Pegasus” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: It’s great to have resources like dictionaries and the Internet that we can use to look up unfamiliar words as we’re reading. However, if we stop and look up every unknown word, it can take us a long time to get through what we’re reading. Fortunately, authors usually give us lots of context clues to help us fi gure out the meanings of words as we read. Context clues are hints found in the same sentence or nearby sentences that tell us what a word means. Listen to this sentence from paragraph 1 of “Bellerophon and Pegasus” and see if you can spot the context clue that tells you the meaning of the word equestrian: “Bellerophon’s father was a skilled equestrian who taught his son horsemanship.” (The context clue is: “who taught his son horsemanship.”

Write the words profi cient, glimpse, slay, exile, arrogance, and provoke on the board.

Ask: Can you fi nd a clue in paragraph 1 that helps you understand what the word profi cient means? (“Bellerophon’s father was a skilled equestrian who taught his son horsemanship.”)

Evaluate Sensory Detailsp. 22

15 min

15 min


17


Have students work with a partner to identify the context clues for the other words on the board. (Paragraph 2, glimpse: “like a fast-moving cloud that soon disappeared from view.” Paragraph 3, slay: “The penalty for murder . . .” Paragraph 3, exile: “He left Corinth forever.” Paragraph 9, arrogance: “His pride became so great that he decided to ride Pegasus to the top of Mount Olympus, the dwelling place of the gods.” Paragraph 9, provoke: “Pegasus bucked when the insect bit.”

To extend students’ vocabulary practice, guide them to complete the activity on page 35 of My STAAR Reader.

Find Text Evidence to Describe Incidents That Advance the Story[TEKS: 5.6(A) describe incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows future events (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a story, I try to follow the chain of events so that I can understand how one event led to another. The fi rst event, the one that gets the action going, is called the inciting incident. The inciting incident may not be at the very beginning of the story. That’s because authors often use the beginning of the story to give background information, like when and where a story takes place and information about the characters. This part of the story is called the exposition.

Guide: Work with students to identify the inciting incident of “Bellerophon and Pegasus.” Ask: What do you learn in the fi rst two paragraphs? Is the story moving forward yet, or are you just learning background information? When does the action really begin (The action begins in paragraph 3 when Bellerophon accidentally kills a man and is exiled.) Explain: Sometimes, I get so caught up in a story while I’m reading it, that an event catches me off guard and I ask myself, “Wait! What just happened?” For example, in the story, one minute Bellerophon is a big hero who just killed the chimera and the next minute, he’s a hunched-over beggar. The best way to sort things out sometimes is to work backward after I’ve already read the story once. Starting with the end result, I ask myself what happened immediately. Then I ask what caused the second-to-last event to happen and so forth, until I arrive at the event that kicks off the chain to begin with.

Ask students to turn to page 23 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Now let’s take a look at paragraph 9 and fi gure out the chain of events that led to Bellerophon’s downfall. Have students complete the chain-of-events activity.

Describe Incidents That Advance the Story

p. 23

Day 3

15 min


20 min

20 min

20 min

My STAAR Reader pp. 12–13.

Small-Group Reading

“A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “A Game Is a Game—Or Is It?” on page 12 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this story to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss the features of realistic fi ction you fi nd in the story. Mark the features in the text as you read.


After they have fi nished reading, ask students to identify the features of realistic fi ction they found. Have students collaborate to identify features they may have missed, and summarize the story. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key story elements and if they use their own words.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1–6. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read paragraphs 7–11 with a partner, taking turns reading sentences.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 24 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Bellerophron and Pegasus,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 25 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Bellerophron and Pegasus” to themselves before getting started.

Students who have stepped up to the Extend Text can read their selection independently or with a partner. For a list of Extend Text titles, see page v of this guide.

Workstations

If students complete the Independent Workstation activities before the allotted time, encourage them to answer the Text Evidence and STAAR Practice questions for the Bridge Text, found on pages 14 and 15 of My STAAR Reader.

Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


19


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about the character Zeus from “Bellerophon and Pegasus.”

Invite students to turn to page 34 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Say: In the story “Bellerophon and Pegasus,” Zeus is the ruler of the gods, but unfortunately, he has a very bad temper. His angry behavior has serious consequences for Bellerophon. Imagine that you are now the SUPREME ruler of the gods with even more authority than Zeus. Write an e-mail to Zeus telling him that he must attend anger management classes. Give examples of Zeus’s behavior and the consequences his behavior had on Bellerophon. Also write about how Zeus’s behavior toward Bellerophon may have affected other people. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying what made Zeus angry and what effect this had on Bellerophon. Say: What made Zeus angry in “Bellerophon and Pegasus”? (Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus to the top of Mount Olympus.)

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.3(B) describe the phenomena explained in origin myths from various cultures (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about myths. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different myths they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the purpose of myths in the reading on page 18 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: People used to rely on myths to explain the world around them. Today, we rely on science to satisfy our curiosity about things on earth as well as the whole universe. Why do you think humans are so curious? Can you think of any examples in which we humans could be harmed by always trying to satisfy our curiosity, as in the story “Pandora A Greek Myth”?

5 min

15 min

Writingp. 34

Day 3



20


4DAY

Biography

Read Aloud

Read: “America’s Birdman”[TEKS: 5.6(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Before you begin the read-aloud, tell students that you’re going to read a type of story called a biography. Say: A biography is the story of someone else’s life. Just like in other kinds of stories, biographies have a main character. This person is called the subject in a biography. But unless the biography is about someone who grew up on a desert island, other people are in the biography, too. These other people play different roles as the subject tries to reach a goal. They might help the subject, or make it hard for the subject. Ask students to pay attention to the different people mentioned in the biography and the roles they play as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 98 of this guide. Read “America’s Birdman.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to identify people who helped Audubon achieve his goal of becoming a successful painter of birds as well as people who made it harder for him to reach his goal. Support students’ academic oral language development with sentence frames such as:

________ helped Audubon reach his goal by _________.


Build Genre Background [TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Say: You have just listened to one biography. Draw a time line on chart paper or on the board. Write the title “The Life of Sir Edmund Hillary“ above the time line. Ask: Does anyone know who Edmund Hillary was? (He was the fi rst person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.) Say: I’m going to write a biography about Edmund Hillary. What events should I include? Should I include when he was born? (Yes.) Draw a line at the far left of the time line and write, “July 20, 1919.” Should I put what Edmund Hillary had for breakfast on October 13, 1923? (No.) Should I put the date he climbed to the top of Mount Everest? (Yes.) Draw a line in the middle of the time line and write, “May 29, 1953.” How about the date Edmund Hillary died? (Yes.) Draw a line at the far right of the time line

10 min

15 min



21

Biography • Whole Group

and write, “January 11, 2008.” Say: There! My biography is done! Do you think this is a pretty good biography? (No.) Why not? (It only tells when he was born, when he climbed Mount Everest, and when he died.) Ask students to turn to a partner and think of other kinds of information that should go into a biography. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them in the space around the time line. Reinforce the concept that all biographies are much more than a list of events in a person’s life.

Ask students to turn to pages 36–37 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read biographies that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.


Point to the time line that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas we came up with about what a biography should include. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the space around the time line.

Post the time line in your classroom during biographies instruction. Say: As we read about biographies, we will come back to this time line. We will look for how these features appear in each biography we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “Gordon Parks and His Camera”

Say: Now you’re going to read a biography titled “Gordon Parks and His Camera.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a biography by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of biographies is that they quote the person or people who knew him or her. There are three quotations from Gordon Parks in the reading. Can you fi nd them? (There is one quotation in paragraph 3 and two quotations in paragraph 12.) Tell students to write quotation in the side margin beside each of the three quotes.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the time line chart.

15 min

Day 4



2222


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Evaluate Biographical Details[TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: Remember that a biography is a story. And just like the main character in a story, the subject of a biography often faces diffi cult struggles, or problems. And then something happens. He or she gets a big break, or is inspired in some way, so that now he or she is on the road to success. This can be thought of as the turning point of the person’s life. So when I read a biography, I read to discover the turning point – the moment that turns the person’s life around for the better.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to think of a diffi cult problem you once had. Maybe you were learning how to snowboard or play the guitar. Was there a turning point when it suddenly got easier? Talk about it with your partner. Ask students to scan the reading and look for the turning point in Gordon Parks’s life. Ask students to turn to page 42 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the Turning Point section of the Evaluate Biographical Details “Success Mountain” image and then to complete the left and right sides of the mountain. Then, have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.


Use Explanations and Examples to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(B) use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “Gordon Parks and His Camera” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: Sometimes a word is so important that an author will take the time to explain it in detail and give examples. Ask students to reread the fi rst two paragraphs of the article and identify the word in paragraph 1 that is explained in detail in paragraph 2. (segregated) Then discuss the two examples in paragraph 2 that help defi ne segregated. (sentences 1–2)

Write the last sentence from paragraph 2 on the board: “The North wasn’t strictly segregated by race, but throughout the country African Americans had few economic or educational opportunities.”

Say: Imagine that Gordon Parks wanted to make sure the reader understood what he meant by “economic opportunities.” Let’s write a

20 min

20 min

Evaluate Biographical Detailsp. 42


23


paragraph that explains what economic opportunities are and gives examples of the kinds of economic opportunities African Americans had at the time.

As a class, collaborate on writing a paragraph that defi nes and gives examples of the phrase economic opportunities.

Sample paragraph: Economic opportunities are ways to make money, in other words, jobs and careers. At the time, African Americans did not have the same economic opportunities as white Americans. They were mainly hired to do low-paying service jobs, such as cleaning homes and businesses and working in restaurants.

Find Text Evidence to Identify the Point of View of Media Presentations

[TEKS: 5.14(C) identify the point of view of media presentations (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a biography, I know that the author usually wants to share a deeper message with me than, “Here are some people, and this is what happened to them.” Maybe the deeper message is about the importance of never giving up on a dream, or about how even regular people can bring about important changes in the world, or about any big idea the author wants to share. The same is true when I look at the images that an author chooses for a reading. Authors add images to readings to “say” more than, “Here are some people, and this is what they look like.” I know I need to look for clues that will help me fi gure out what deeper message the author is trying to tell me by including that image. Explain that students can use clues not only from the image itself, but also from the text before and after it. Direct students’ attention to the photo of Gordon Parks on page 38 of My STAAR Reader.

Ask: Why do you think the author picked this photo of Gordon Parks? Let’s look for clues. What kind of expression does he have on his face? Does he look relaxed and happy or serious and focused? (He looks serious and focused.) Where is he? (He is at a civil rights demonstration.) What is he doing? (He looks like he’s taking notes.) Let’s read the paragraph above the photo for more clues. Have a volunteer read the paragraph aloud. Say: Now let’s put all these clues together and answer the question: Why did the author pick this photo of Gordon Parks? (The author picked this photo to show how focused Gordon Parks could be. In the paragraph, he was so focused on taking pictures that he ended up in the ocean. The image shows him very focused again, this time while taking notes at a civil rights movement demonstration.)

Guide: We just used clues to fi gure out why the author picked a certain picture of Gordon Parks. Now you’re going to look for clues to fi gure out why the author included the photograph and the painting at the end of the reading. Have students turn to page 43 of My STAAR Reader and complete the chart.

20 min

Identify the Point of View of Media Presentations

p. 43

Day 4


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “Pandora A Greek Myth” on page 26 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this story to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss key events that help move the story along. Mark the main events in the text, as you read.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students to identify what they learn in the exposition. Also ask them to identify the inciting incident when the action really begins. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key story elements and if they use their own words.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1–10. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again with a partner, taking turns reading sentences.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 44 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Gordon Parks and His Camera,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 45 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Gordon Parks and His Camera” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


25


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about a quotation from “Gordon Parks and His Camera.”

Invite students to turn to page 52 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: What did Gordon Parks do to prove that a camera can be a “weapon against poverty and racism”? Think of another problem facing the world today. How would you use a camera to help solve the problem? Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst steps of identifying examples of Gordon Parks using his camera as a “weapon.” Direct students’ attention to paragraph 12. Instruct students to summarize the paragraph in the fi rst column, fi rst row of the chart.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about biographies. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different biographies they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of a biography in the reading on page 37 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: People who write biographies are called biographers. Biographers sometimes spend years researching their subject before they attempt to write that person’s life story. If you were a biographer, who would you decide to write a biography about?

5 min

15 min

Writingp. 52

Day 4



26


5DAY

Poetry

Read Aloud

Read: “Dream Catchers”[TEKS: 5.4(A) analyze how poets use sound effects (e.g., alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme) to reinforce meaning in poems (Reporting Category 2)]

Tell students that you’re going to read about a device invented by early Native Americans to keep their children from having bad dreams. Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that this time you are not going to tell them what kind of text it is. Encourage students to pay attention to the sound of the text and see if they can fi gure out what it is as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 100 of this guide. Read “Dream Catchers.” Model reading with feeling and expression. Emphasize the rhythm of the poem and the words that rhyme to help students guess that it is a poem. After reading, ask students to guess the type of text it is. Ask: How did you guess? What made it sound like a poem (the rhythm, the rhyming words)?


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.4(A) analyze how poets use sound effects (e.g., alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme) to reinforce meaning in poems]

Draw a cartoon fi gure of a person on chart paper or on the board. Give the fi gure large ears and draw a heart in the fi gure’s chest. Write the words Sound Effects above the fi gure. Say: Before TVs were invented, people used to sit around at night and listen to stories on the radio. The people telling the stories would use sound effects to help the audience know what was happening, and to make the audience feel different emotions. Have students think of sound effects they might hear in a scary radio show. (footsteps, a creaking door, a loud scream) Write their ideas around the cartoon fi gure’s head. Say: After we hear the scary sound effect, our brain processes it, and we feel afraid. Draw a line from one of the sound effects, up to the cartoon fi gure’s head, and down to the heart. Say: Poets also use sound effects, but they can’t use real sounds. They can only use words to make us hear and feel different things.

10 min

15 min



27

Poetry • Whole Group

Ask: What two sound effects did the poet use in the poem “Dream Catchers” you just heard? (rhythm and rhyme) Write rhythm and rhyme on the cartoon outline. Start to draw a line from rhythm. Ask: Where should I draw the line to? Explain that the cartoon fi gure needs eyes to read the words that create rhythm and rhyme in a poem.

Ask students to turn to pages 54–55 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read poems that will help us learn about this genre. After today, we’ll have a better understanding of the genre.


Point to the cartoon fi gure that you created earlier. Say: Rhythm and rhyme are the sound effects that we came up with. What new sound effects of poetry did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information above the cartoon person.

Post the cartoon fi gure in your classroom during poetry instruction. Say: As we read about poetry, we will come back to this cartoon. We will look for examples of sound effects that appear in each poem we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “The Dream-Ship”

Say: Now you’re going to read a poem titled “The Dream-Ship.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a poem by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of poems is that they rhyme. Read the fi rst four lines of the poem aloud. Ask: What two words rhyme in these lines? (skies, fl ies) So, we can write “skies, fl ies” in the side margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the cartoon fi gure.

15 minMy STAAR Reader

pp. 56–57

Day 5


2828


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase Texts[TEKS: Fig 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a poem, I notice when the poet starts describing different kinds of the same thing. I ask myself, “How are the things or ideas like each other? How are they different from each other?” In other words, I try to put them into categories. I do this because sometimes the categories can help me summarize the key ideas of the poem.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to fi nd the part of the poem where the poet starts describe different kinds of the same thing. Ask students to reread the poem until they think they have found where the list begins. (line 15) and allow time for them to talk about their fi ndings together. What is he describing? (different kinds of dreams) How can we group the different kinds of dreams? (good dreams and bad dreams) Ask students turn to page 58 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the dream catcher chart. Then, have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.

Model: Good readers make sure they understand what they have read by thinking about the key ideas from a text and making brief statements telling what the text was mostly about. We put things in our own words to show that we really understand what we have read. For example, think back to our fi rst poem, “Dream Catchers.” The summary of that poem is that a dream catcher catches all the bad dreams so that children will only have good dreams.

Guide: We just identifi ed the good and bad dreams of “The Dream-Ship.” When we summarize this poem, we won’t list all the good and bad dreams we wrote in the dream catcher. Instead we will just sum up what we’ve learned in a general way. Now let’s summarize “The Dream-Ship,” using our own words. What was the most important idea about dreams that the poet wanted us to understand? Have students spend 3–5 minutes orally sharing their summaries with partners.

Paraphrase to Write a Summary

Based on the conversation, collaborate on a class summary. Then have students turn to page 58 of My STAAR Reader and complete the summary section of the chart.

Summarize and Paraphrase Textsp. 58

30 min


29


Find Text Evidence to Analyze How Poets Use Sound Effects[TEKS: 5.4(A) analyze how poets use sound effects (e.g., alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme) to reinforce meaning in poems (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a poem, I try to spot words and phrases that are repeated. This is another sound effect that poets use. Repetition can add to the rhythm of a poem and make the reader feel a certain way.

Guide: Work with students to analyze a phrase that is repeated in the poem. Ask: There is a three-word phrase that is repeated in the fi rst 10 lines of the poem. Can you fi nd it? (“An angel stands” is repeated in lines 5, 6, and 7.) Now listen as I read this part of the poem and think about how it makes you feel. Read lines 5–12. As you read, emphasize the rhythm. The goal is to help students feel the hustle and bustle of a crew of angels intent on their work aboard the “Dream-Ship.” Ask: What do you feel when you hear “An angel stands . . . “ over and over? (Possible answer: I feel excited, like I’m surrounded by a boatload of angels.)

Ask students to turn to page 59 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Now let’s play with the poem and add our own ideas about dreams. Instruct students to read the lines of the poem and then add fi ve lines of their own. Each line should start with “And some are . . . “ and end with a kind of dream they have had. Give an example of your own, such as “And some are dreams of fl ying.”


Analyze How Poets Use Sound Effects

p. 59

30 min

Day 5

3030Be a Reading STAAR • Grade 5 Teacher’s Guide ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“Pandora A Greek Myth” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “Pandora A Greek Myth” on page 29 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this story to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss how ancient people thought they should behave toward their gods. Mark evidence in the text, as you read.

Draw Conclusions

After they have fi nished reading, ask students to draw conclusions about how ancient people thought they should behave toward their gods. Ask them to use evidence from the myth they just read and from other myths they have read. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they only use one piece of evidence to draw their conclusions.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 11–12. Point out that the punctuation at the end of a sentence shows how that sentence should be read out loud. A period means that a sentence should be read as a statement, while a question mark means it should be read as a question. An exclamation means that a sentence should be read with excitement. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model using the different intonation for sentences that end in periods, question marks, and exclamation points. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again in groups of three.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 60 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “The Dream-Ship,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 61 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “The Dream-Ship” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


31


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about two of the lines from “The Dream-Ship.”

Invite students to turn to page 62 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In “The Dream-Ship,” the poet writes, “So ever downward fl oat the dreams / That are for all and me.” How does the writer support the idea that dreams are for everyone? Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying what the lines mean. Say: How else could you say these lines? (“So all the time, there are dreams fl oating down that are for everyone, including me.”)

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: Fig 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about poetry. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different poems they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the purpose of poetry in the reading on page 54 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: Think back to the beginning of the lesson when we talked about life before television. What would you do if all of the electronic gadgets in the world disappeared, and there were no more TVs, radios, or video games? Could you imagine you and your family sitting around at night reading poetry aloud to each other?

5 min

15 min

Writingp. 62

Day 5



6DAY

32


Informational Texts: Social Studies

Read Aloud

Read: “A Discovery as Good as Gold”[TEKS: 5.11(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classifi cation schemes) infl uences the relationships among the ideas (Reporting Category 3)]

Tell students that you’re going to read an informational text about a historical event. Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that authors who write about events in history are a lot like news reporters today who write about current events. Just as with news reporters, historical authors try to explain the “5Ws and H” of what happened. Review with students that the 5Ws and H are: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Encourage students to listen for this information as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 101 of this guide. Read “A Discovery as Good as Gold.” Model reading with feeling and expression.

After reading, ask “Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How” questions about the text. Keep the questions simple and general as students will be answering from what they remember of the text.


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.10(A) draw conclusions from the information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author’s purpose was achieved (Reporting Category 3)]

Draw a three-column scoring rubric on chart paper or the board that says: Did the author . . . ?/Yes/No

Say: You have just listened to an informational text about a historical event. Why do you think the author wrote it? What was his or her purpose? (to share information about the California Gold Rush) Imagine that you are all history teachers. The author is one of your students. Let’s create a scoring rubric for grading the author’s paper. Explain that a scoring rubric is a list of criteria that teachers use to grade an assignment. Work with students to write the fi rst two criteria for grading the author’s text, for example, “1. Use facts rather than opinions? 2. Use an appropriate organizational pattern?” Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any other criteria they can think of. Then bring

10 min

15 min



33

Informational Texts: Social Studies • Whole Group

students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the scoring rubric. Reinforce the concept that all informational texts have certain criteria that students can use to evaluate how well the author achieved his or her purpose of sharing information.

Ask students to turn to pages 64–65 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read informational texts that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.


Point to the scoring rubric that you created earlier. Say: These are the criteria that we came up with. What new criteria of informational texts did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the scoring rubric.

Post the scoring rubric in your classroom during instruction. Say: As we read about informational texts, we will come back to this scoring rubric. It will help us evaluate informational texts that we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “Pueblo People of New Mexico”

Say: Now you’re going to read an informational text titled “Pueblo People of New Mexico.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of an informational text by “grading” this reading using the scoring rubric we created. As you read, write positive comments in the side margin and underline or draw lines to the text or images that your comments refer to. For example, one criteria is “Does the author use graphics that support the text?” You can see that there is a graphic of a piece of Pueblo pottery. So, we can write “Nice use of graphics to support your text!” in the side margin and draw a line to the pottery.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the scoring rubric.

15 min


Day 6


3434


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Summarize the Main Ideas and Supporting Details[TEKS: 5.11(A) summarize the main ideas and supporting details in a text in ways that maintain meaning and logical order (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read an informational text, I look for the main idea and details of every paragraph I read. Sometimes it’s easy to fi nd the main idea because the author states it right there in the text. The author might state the main idea at the beginning of the paragraph, at the end of the paragraph, or in the middle of the paragraph.

Guide: In paragraph 2, the author states the main idea right there in the text. Turn and talk to a partner. Work together and see if you can fi nd the main idea. Remember that if the sentence you have chosen is the main idea, all the other sentences will help support it. (Answer: “Their pottery tradition is very old.”) Ask students to turn to page 68 of My STAAR Reader and complete the top section of the Summarize Main Ideas and Supporting Details graphic organizer.

Then, have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.

Model: Sometimes, the author doesn’t state the main idea in the text. Good readers are able to fi gure out the main idea of a paragraph even when it is not directly stated in the text. They do this by putting all the details together and drawing a conclusion about the main point the author is trying to make in the paragraph.

Guide: We just identifi ed the main ideas that were stated directly in the text. Now let’s look at paragraph 7 and see if we can fi gure out its main idea. Have students turn to page 68 of My STAAR Reader. Work together to collaborate on a main idea for paragraph 7.

Summarize Main Ideas and Supporting Detailsp. 68

30 min


35


Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text[TEKS: 5.11(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classifi cation schemes) infl uences the relationships among the ideas (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read an informational text, I try to identify the organizational pattern of the text as a whole. For example, if the text is explaining something that happened in the past, I expect to read about events in the order they happened. This is called chronological order. But within the text, the author might use other organizational patterns, depending on the author’s purpose. If the author wants to explain why something happened, he or she will use a cause-and-effect organization. If they author wants to compare two or more things, he or she will use a compare-and-contrast organization. Guide: Work with students to identify organizational pattern of paragraph 1. Ask: In paragraph 1, is the author comparing two or more things or is the author explaining why something happened? (The author is explaining why something happened.) What is being explained? (how the Pueblo people got their name).

Ask students to turn to page 69 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Now let’s take a look at paragraph 4, where the author is comparing two things. What is the author comparing? (ancient Pueblo pottery and modern Pueblo pottery) Instruct students to fi ll out the Venn diagram. Remind them that the space where the circles overlap is where they write what ancient and modern Pueblo pottery has in common.

After students have fi lled out the diagram, have a class discussion about their fi ndings.

Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text

p. 69

30 min

Day 6


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“The Start of Something New” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “The Start of Something New” on page 46 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss details of the text that will belong in a summary. Mark the main ideas and details in the text, as you read.


After they have fi nished reading, ask students to summarize the reading. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key details and if they use their own words.


Ask students to revisit paragraph 2. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Model fl uency as you read. Encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again in groups of three. Tell them that they will create a “tableau” to illustrate the scene in the paragraph. Explain that one student will be outside of the tableau and will read the main text of the paragraph. The other two students will make up the tableau: One will strike a pose as the impressionist artist, and the other will strike a pose as the art expert, who criticizes the impressionist’s work. Instruct students to switch roles so that all have practice reading the paragraph.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 70 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Pueblo People of New Mexico,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 71 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Pueblo People of New Mexico” to themselves before getting started.


Workstations


Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


37


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to make inferences to answer questions about “Pueblo People of New Mexico.”

Invite students to turn to page 78 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In “Pueblo People of New Mexico,” the author states that the Pueblo people did not make pottery when they lived as hunters and gatherers. Why not? Use details from paragraph 2 and paragraph 7, to make inferences and write your answer. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of making inferences. Say: Look in paragraph 2 for clues about daily life was like for the Pueblo (Anasazi) people before they made pottery. Do those clues help you guess why they weren’t making pottery yet?

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.10(A) draw conclusions from the information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author’s purpose was achieved (Reporting Category ]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about informational texts. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different informational texts they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of informational texts in the reading on page 65 in My STAAR Reader. Remind students that these features can be used as criteria to “grade” how well an author achieved his or her purpose of sharing information with the reader.

Ask: Do you think each of these features is equally important? Which feature do you think is most important?

To extend students’ practice, guide them to complete the activity on page 79 of My STAAR Reader.

5 min

15 min

Writingp. 78

Day 6



7DAY

Myths

Read Aloud

Read: “The Time of the Ten Suns”[TEKS: 5.6(A) describe incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows future events (Reporting Category 2)]

Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that authors sometimes use foreshadowing by giving clues at what is going to happen later in the story. Good readers use these clues and combine them with what they already know to make predictions about the story. Tell students that you’re going to read a myth that explains how all the bad things in the world came to be. Ask: Do you remember a myth we already read that also tried to explain all the bad things in the world? (“Pandora A Greek Myth”) Ask students to keep the ending of “Pandora A Greek Myth” in mind as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 102 of this guide. Read paragraphs 1–2 of “The Time of the Ten Suns.” At this point, have students make predictions about what will happen in the rest of the myth. Write their predictions on chart paper or on the board. Read the rest of the myth. Model reading with feeling and expression.

After reading, return to students’ predictions. For each prediction that was correct, ask students if there was a clue in the story that helped them make the prediction, or if it was their background knowledge about myths that guided their prediction. Support students’ academic oral language development by modeling the use of sentence frames such as:

When the myth said, ________, this foreshadowed that _______.

I predicted that _______ because _______.

10 min



39


Review and Focus on the Genre

Build Genre Background [TEKS: 5.3(B) describe the phenomena explained in origin myths from various cultures (Reporting Category 2)]

Say: You have just listened to a new myth. Now we’re going to use this myth and the earlier myth you read, “Pandora A Greek Myth,” to review myth features. Draw a T-chart on chart paper or on the board. Write the title “The Time of the Ten Suns“ on the left side of the T-chart and “Pandora A Greek Myth” on the right side of the T-chart.

Ask students to turn to pages 80–81 of My STAAR Reader.

Choral-read the web on page 81. Ask students to think back to Day 3, when they were introduced to the genre. Invite them to fi ll in the lines under the heads, using their genre knowledge and referring to the web.

Ask: Does “The Time of the Ten Suns” have this feature? How about “Pandora A Greek Myth”? Allow time for responses. Add the feature to the T-chart under one, both, or neither of the myth titles. Ask another student to read another of the features and repeat the process of adding it to the T-chart. After you have added all the features found in the myths to the T-chart, discuss with students other ways that the two myths are alike and different.

Partner-Read

Read: “Hafi z, the Stonecutter”

Say: Now you’re going to read a myth titled “Hafi z, the Stonecutter.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a myth by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of myths is that they take place before recorded history. We know this myth takes place long ago because the main character is a stonecutter. So we can write, “Takes place before recorded history.


15 min

15 min

Focus on the Genrep. 81


Day 7


4040


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Describe Incidents That Advance the Story or Novel[TEKS: 5.6(A) describe incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows future events]

Model: Remember that one of the features of myths is that they often have a character that goes on a quest. It could be physical journey to accomplish a task, like fi nding a magic ring, or slaying a dragon. But it could also be an emotional journey, in which a character has different experiences and changes as a result of them. When I read a myth, I notice if a character goes on a quest because the steps of the quest are often what make up the story line itself.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to think of a quest you once had. Maybe you went on a vacation with your family. Or maybe you were searching for something you lost. Talk about it with your partner.

Have students scan the reading and look for the steps in Hafi z’s quest. Ask students to turn to page 86 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the steps of his quest in the graphic organizer at the top of the page.

Guide: We just identifi ed the steps in Hafi z’s physical quest. But did he have an emotional quest as well? Have students turn to page 86 of My STAAR Reader and complete the graphic organizer. In the heart on the left, students should write how Hafi z felt before his emotional quest. In the heart on the right, students should write how he felt after it. After students have completed the graphic organizer, discuss their ideas as a class.

Use a Dictionary to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabifi cation, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “Hafi z, the Stonecutter” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: We can often get a pretty good idea of what an unfamiliar word means just by using context clues. For example, in paragraph 2 of the story, the king is “mounted on a splendid charger.” From context clues, and our own background knowledge and experience, we can infer that the king is sitting on a horse, and not on his cell-phone battery charger! But there aren’t enough context clues to let us know exactly what kind of a horse a charger is.

Ask a volunteer to look up the word charger in a print or online dictionary, and read all the defi nitions aloud.

20 min

20 min

Describe Incidents That Advance the Storyp. 86


41


Ask: Which is the correct defi nition for charger as it is used in the story? (a horse used in battle or in a parade)

Write the words procession, behests, canopy, rivulet, and torrent on the board. Ask volunteers to look up the words in a print or online dictionary and read all the defi nitions aloud. Have the class decide on the correct defi nitions of the words as they are used in the story.

Optional – The Dictionary Game: Put students into groups of four. One student will secretly choose a word from the story and look it up in a print or online dictionary. The student will say, for example, “This is a word in the story that starts with ‘w.’ Its defi nitions are . . .” The other students will search the story for the word and try to be the fi rst to call it out and identify which defi nition of the word is being used in the story.

Find Text Evidence to Explain Characters Relationships and Confl icts

[TEKS: 5.6(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a story, I try to fi gure out the main confl ict. This is the big problem that the main character has to solve. It could be an external confl ict that is outside of the character, like the confl ict between Bellerophon and the chimera. Or it could be an internal confl ict that is inside the character, like when Pandora A Greek Myth fought (and lost!) a battle with her own curiosity. Remember: There could be more than one confl ict in a story, but the main confl ict is the overall problem the character must solve.

Guide: Let’s see if we can identify the confl icts in “Hafi z, the Stonecutter.” Have students turn to page 87 of My STAAR Reader and complete the graphic organizer.

After students have completed the graphic organizer, discuss each confl icts students identifi ed. Ask: How did Hafi z try to solve the confl ict? Then guide students to understand that Hafi z’s internal confl ict was the main confl ict of the story.


20 min

Explain Confl ictsp. 87

Day 7


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“The Start of Something New” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “The Start of Something New” on page 48 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss cause-and-effect relationships in the text. Underline the causes and circle the effects in the text, as you read.

Analyze Cause and Effect

After they have fi nished reading, ask students about the cause-and-effect relationships in the text they read. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they make incorrect connections between events.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 3–5. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again with a partner, taking turns reading paragraphs.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 88 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Hafi z, the Stonecutter,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 89 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Hafi z, the Stonecutter” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


43


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about “the voice,” who plays an important role in the myth “Hafi z, the Stonecutter.”

Invite students to turn to page 90 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In “Hafi z, the Stonecutter,” the only other character that Hafi z really interacts with is “the voice.” Does the voice help Hafi z resolve the main confl ict or does the voice just create more confl icts for him?

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying the main confl ict. Ask: What was the main problem that Hafi z tried to solve every time he made a wish? (The main problem was that Hafi z was unhappy with his life and wanted it to be different.)

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.3(B) describe the phenomena explained in origin myths from various cultures (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about myths. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different myths they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. As a whole group, review the features of myths in the reading on page 81 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: The theme or moral lesson of “Hafi z, the Stonecutter” is that it’s best to be yourself. Do you agree? Do you think that people should be happy with themselves just the way they are, or do you think sometimes it’s good for people to change?

15 min

5 min

Writingp. 90

Day 7



44


8DAY

Persuasive Letters

Read Aloud

Read: “Why You Should Adopt a Dog”[TEKS: 5.11(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classifi cation schemes) infl uences the relationships among the ideas (Reporting Category 3)]

Tell students that you’re going to read a persuasive essay. Before you begin the read-aloud, explain that it is a classic fi ve-paragraph persuasive essay. It has an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Draw a train with an engine, three cargo cars, and a caboose on chart paper or the board. Label the train cars as the Introduction, Body Paragraph 1, Body Paragraph 2, Body Paragraph 3, and Conclusion. Ask a volunteer to stand at or point to the engine of the train. Tell students to listen for the different parts of the essay as you read it aloud. Students should indicate to the volunteer when it is time for him or her to move to Body Paragraph 1, Body Paragraph 2, and so on.

Turn to page 104 of this guide. Read “Why You Should Adopt a Dog.” Model reading with feeling and expression.

After reading, ask students about the text. Ask: What is the author’s position? (The reader should get a dog.) What three basic reasons does the author give? (Dogs can make you healthier. Dogs can make you safer. Dogs can make you happier.) What call to action does the author make in the conclusion? (“Why not visit an animal shelter today?”)


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.12(A) identify the author’s viewpoint or position and explain the basic relationships among ideas (e.g., parallelism, comparison, causality) in the argument (Reporting Category 3)]

Refer back to the persuasive essay train. Say: You have just listened to a persuasive essay. What happens in the introduction? (The author states a position and gives reasons.) What happens in the body paragraphs? (The author explains the three reasons.) What happens in the conclusion? (The author restates the position and makes a call for action.) Can you think of any other features of persuasive texts?

10 min

15 min



45

Persuasive Letters • Whole Group

Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the train. Reinforce the concept that all persuasive texts have certain common features.

Ask students to turn to pages 92–93 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read persuasive texts that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.


Point to the persuasive essay train that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas about myths that we came up with. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the train.

Post the train in your classroom during instruction. Say: As we read about persuasive texts, we will come back to this train. We will look for how these features appear in each persuasive text we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “Don’t Get a Pet!”

Say: Now you’re going to read a persuasive essay that takes the exact opposite view of the one you just listened to. Have students read “Don’t Get a Pet!” with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a persuasive text by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of persuasive texts is that they state a strong position. Look in the introductory paragraph? Can you fi nd a strong position? So, we can underline the sentence and write “strong position” in the side margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the persuasive essay train.

15 min


Day 8


4646


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Identify the Author’s Viewpoint, Reasons, and Evidence[TEKS: 5.12(A) identify the author’s viewpoint or position and explain the basic relationships among ideas (e.g., parallelism, comparison, causality) in the argument (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read a persuasive essay, fi rst I identify the author’s viewpoint. I ask, “What strong belief does the author hold about the topic?” Have students identify the viewpoint of “Don’t Get a Pet!”

Say: After I identify the author’s viewpoint, then I identify the reasons the author gives for having that viewpoint. But reasons by themselves are not enough. An author has to provide evidence for each reason if I’m going to be persuaded to agree with him or her.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to look at paragraph 2. We already know the author’s viewpoint is that people should not get pets. What is the main reason the author gives for this viewpoint in paragraph 2? What evidence does the author give for this reason? Ask students to reread paragraph 2, and allow time for them to talk about their fi ndings together, covering the myth from beginning to end. Ask students turn to page 96 of My STAAR Reader and complete the chart. Students should reread paragraph 3, write the author’s viewpoint for the whole essay, and then identify the author’s reason in paragraph 3. They should then identify the supporting evidence for paragraph 3’s reason. Then, have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.

Use Parts of Speech to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabifi cation, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “Don’t Get a Pet!” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: When we read, we need to keep in mind that some words can be used as two different parts of speech. For example, a word like text can be a verb, as in “I’ll text you the address,” and as a noun, as in “Didn’t you get my text?”

Write the word drain on the board. Ask: What is a drain? (A drain is a pipe from which liquids, such as water, fl ow.) Then write the following sentence from the story on the board: “Pets drain us of our free time.” Ask: A drain is a noun. Is drain being used as a noun in this sentence? (No.) What part of speech is drain? (It’s a verb.)

20 min

20 min

Identify the Author’s Viewpoint, Reasons, and Evidencep. 96


47


Have students look up drain in a print or online dictionary. Point out how the dictionary shows whether a word is being defi ned as a noun, a verb, or some other part of speech.

Then have partners create a two-column chart on paper, on a laptop, or on a tablet. Students should write Noun above the left column and Verb above the right column. Instruct students to work with their partner and a print or online dictionary to decide in which column to write these words from paragraphs 3–4 of the article: costs (noun), groom (verb), board (verb), wants (noun), needs (noun), walks (noun), runs (noun), tires (verb).

Then instruct students to choose three of the words and write one sentence for each of the words, using that word as a different part of speech than how it was used in the article, for example, for the word costs, they might write, “Feeding a horse costs more than feeding a gerbil.”

Find Text Evidence to Recognize Exaggerated or Misleading Statements

[TEKS: 5.12(B) recognize exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements in text (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read persuasive text, I always keep in mind two things: First, the author has a very strong opinion on the subject. Second, the author wants to persuade me to have the same opinion. What this means is that the author might feel so strongly and want to persuade me so badly that he or she exaggerates. When I think an author is exaggerating, I ask myself, “Is this reasonable or is this really over the top?” An author might also use misleading statements to try to win me over to their viewpoint. When I think an author is trying to mislead me, I ask myself, “Even if this is somewhat true, can I think of a counterargument to this?”

Guide: Work with students to identify an exaggeration and a misleading statement. Ask: Is there a statement in paragraph 2 that seems over the top? (Possible answer: “Pets drain us of our free time!”) Can you think of a counterargument to the author’s statement in paragraph 2 that pets take time away from children? (Possible answer: This might happen, but families could actually spend more time together if they walked the family dog together.)

Ask students to turn to page 97 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Now let’s take a look at paragraph 5 and look for places where the author exaggerates or tries to mislead us. Have students complete the chart.


20 min

Recognize Exaggerated or Misleading Statements

p. 97

Day 8


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“Early Explorers” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “Early Explorers” on page 72 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss the 5W and H questions that the text answers. Mark the answers to “Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?” in the text, as you read.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students 5W and H questions, for example: “When did the explorers reach the coast of Mexico?” “Why did they go to Mexico?” Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they give answers not found in the text.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1–3. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again in groups of three.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 98 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Don’t Get a Pet!,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 99 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Don’t Get a Pet!” to themselves before getting started.


Workstations


Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


49


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about the author’s viewpoint in “Don’t Get a Pet!”

Invite students to turn to page 106 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In “Don’t Get a Pet!” one of the reasons the author gives for why people shouldn’t get pets is that they cost too much. Write a counterargument. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying counter arguments. Ask: Look at all the ways the author says people spend money on their pets. Do you think the author might be exaggerating?

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.12(A) identify the author’s viewpoint or position and explain the basic relationships among ideas (e.g., parallelism, comparison, causality) in the argument (Reporting Category 3)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about persuasive texts. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different persuasive texts they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the purpose of persuasive texts in the reading on page 92 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: Which persuasive essay on pets did you agree with, “Why You Should Adopt a Dog” or “Don’t Get a Pet!”? Is there anything the author of the other essay could have written to make you change your mind?

15 min

5 min

Writingp. 106

Day 8



9DAY

Realistic Fiction

Read Aloud

Read: “from The Secret Garden”[TEKS: 5.6(C) explain different forms of third-person points of view in stories (Reporting Category 2)]

Before you begin the read-aloud, tell students that you’re going to read an excerpt from a novel. Say: A novel is a fi ctional book that tells a story. A story can be told from different points of view. The three main points of view are fi rst person, second person, and third person. Write on chart paper or the board: “When I opened my backpack, it dawned on me that it wasn’t mine.” Ask: Who is telling the story? (“I” am.) Explain: the pronouns I, me, my, and mine, tell you the story is told with fi rst-person point of view. Second-person point of view uses you, your, and yours. It isn’t common. Change the sentence to: “When you opened your backpack, it dawned on you it wasn’t yours.” Say: Third-person point of view is very common. It uses: he, she, it, and they. Change the sentence to: “When she opened her backpack, and it dawned on her that it wasn’t hers.” Explain: There are two types of third-person point of view: omniscient and limited. With omniscient, the narrator is a big know-it-all! The narrator knows what every character does and even what every character is thinking and feeling. With limited, the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character. Change the sentence to: When Alex and Jacob opened their backpacks, they realized they weren’t theirs. They were both confused. What point of view is used in this sentence? How do you know? (Third person omniscient. The narrator uses their, they, and theirs, and knows how both Alex and Jacob felt.) Explain: If it had been third person limited, the narrator would have only known how one of the characters felt. Ask students to pay attention to the point of view of in “The Secret Garden” as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 105 of this guide. Read the excerpt from “The Secret Garden.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to identify the point of view (third person omniscient).

10 min




51



Build Genre Background [TEKS: 5.6(C) explain different forms of third-person points of view in stories (Reporting Category 2)]

Draw a large recipe card on chart paper or on the board. Write Ingredients for a Good Story at the top of the card. Say: You have just listened to an excerpt from a story and learned about different points of view. Would you say that a story has to be told from someone’s point of view? (Yes.) Then let’s put “Told from one point of view” as an ingredient of a good story.

Ask students to turn to a partner and think of other ingredients. Have them share their ideas and agree as a class which ones should be included on the recipe card.

Have students turn to pages 108–109 of My STAAR Reader. Choral-read the web on page 109. Ask students to think back to the day they were introduced to the genre. Invite them to fi ll in the lines under the heads, using their genre knowledge and referring to the web.

Point to the recipe card that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas we came up with about what a story should include. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the recipe card.

Post the recipe card in your classroom during instruction. Say: As we read about stories, we will come back to recipe card. We will look for how these features appear in each story we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “from A Little Princess”

Say: Now you’re going to read an excerpt from a novel titled “A Little Princess.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a story by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of stories is that the story takes place in some kind of setting. Can you scan the fi rst three paragraphs and fi nd the setting? (Paragraph 3: “a big, dull, brick house”) Tell students to underline the “a big, dull, brick house” in the story and write setting in the margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the recipe card.

15 min

15 min


Day 9



5252

Close Reading


Model: Part of the fun of reading is being able to “escape” into another world. The better an author is at describing the setting of a story or novel, the easier it is for the reader to escape into that world. So when I read, I pay attention to any sensory details that describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the setting. That way, I can form a mental picture, or image, in my mind’s eye of where the story is taking place.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Imagine that you are at an outdoor swimming pool on a hot summer day. Discuss with your partner the sights, sounds, smells, tastes (if any), and textures you might experience. Give students time to think of ideas with their partner. Then bring the class together. Discuss their ideas and list them on chart paper or the board.

Ask students to scan the reading and look for the description of Miss Minchin’s house. Ask students turn to page 114 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the “bricks” in the “Evaluate Sensory Details” graphic organizer. Instruct students to hunt for phrases that describe Miss Minchin’s house and furnishings in paragraphs 3–5 and write one phrase in each brick. Have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings. Then point out that the author did not use all of the senses in her description. Ask: Which three senses did the author NOT use to describe Miss Minchin’s house and furnishings? (smell, hear, taste) As a class, collaborate on writing three more sensory details for these senses, for example, “The house smelled like moldy bread.”

Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read stories, I fi rst notice who the hero of the story is. This is usually the main character. Then I notice who the villain is. This is the person who creates the main confl ict for the hero. After I fi gure out the hero and the villain, I check to see if there is a foil character. The foil character is someone who is the complete opposite of one of the other characters. The role of the foil is to make the qualities of the opposite character even more obvious.

Guide: Who is the hero and who is the villain in “A Little Princess”? (Sara; Miss Minchin) Who is the foil, and who is the character the opposite of? (The foil is Captain Crewe. He is the opposite of Miss Minchin.) Have students turn to page 115 of My STAAR Reader and complete the chart. Then discuss the students’ fi ndings as a class.

20 min

20 min

Evaluate Sensory Detailsp. 114

Explain the Roles of Charactersp. 115



53

Use Parts of Speech to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabifi cation, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “from A Little Princess” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: Earlier, we learned that we need to look out for words that can be used as either a noun or a verb. We have to decide how a word is being used before we can determine the word’s meaning in a particular sentence. The same is true of words that can be either a verb or an adjective.

Write on the board: “Alyssa resigned her job as city treasurer.” Ask: Is resigned being used as a verb or an adjective? Using context clues, what does resigned mean? (It’s being used as a verb. It means: “quit one’s job.”) Then write the fi rst sentence from the story on the board: “Well, papa,” she said softly, “If we are here, I suppose we must be resigned.” Ask: Do you think resigned means the same thing or something different in this sentence from the story? (something different) Explain that in this sentence, resigned is being used as an adjective. Sara is describing how she and her father should be.

Tell students that most dictionaries will give the defi nition of the noun form and the verb form of a word, but not the adjective or adverb forms. When they are fi guring out the meaning of an adjective made from a verb, they will need to look up the verb itself, choose the closest defi nition, and come up with their own defi nition of the adjective. Have a volunteer look up resign in a print or online dictionary and read all the defi nitions. Ask the class to identify the defi nition they feel is closest in meaning to how it is used in the story. (to accept something as unavoidable)

Ask: So when Sara says that she and her father must be resigned, what does she mean? (She means that they must be accepting of the situation because they can’t avoid it.)

Read the following words from the story aloud and have students locate them in the story and say whether they are verbs used as verbs or verbs used as adjectives: rolled (verb), lifted (verb), furnished (adjective), seemed (verb) polished (adjective), varnished (adjective), tired (verb).

To extend students’ vocabulary practice, guide them to complete the activity on page 119 of My STAAR Reader.

20 min

Day 9


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“Early Explorers” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “Early Explorers” on page 74 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss fi guring out the meaning of words in the text that might be new to you. Mark unfamiliar words in the text as you read.

Understand New Vocabulary

After they have fi nished reading, ask students about unfamiliar words in the text they read. Ask if they were able to guess the meaning of the words by using context, or by using words in the same sentence or paragraph that meant the same or opposite of the word. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they understand these strategies for understanding new vocabulary.




Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 116 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “A Little Princess,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 117 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “A Little Princess” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


55


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about Captain Crewe from the excerpt “A Little Princess.”

Invite students to turn to page 118 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: How does Captain Crewe really feel about taking Sara to Miss Minchin’s “Select Seminary for Young Ladies”? Use clues from the paragraphs 2, 7–8, and 10 in your answer. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst steps of identifying how Captain Crewe felt about taking Sara to Miss Minchin’s seminary.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.8(A) evaluate the impact of sensory details, imagery, and fi gurative language in literary text (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about fi ction. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different works of fi ction they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of fi ction in the reading on page 109 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: What kinds of images do TV commercials use to make you want to drop everything and go eat at a fast-food restaurant? Can radio commercials have the same effect? What sensory details do they use to make you hungry?

15 min

5 min

Writingp. 118

Day 9



56


10DAY

Procedural Texts

Read Aloud

Read: “Swimming”[TEKS: 5.10(A) draw conclusions from the information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author’s purpose was achieved (Reporting Category 3)]

Tell students that you’re going to read a text titled “Swimming.” Before you begin the read-aloud, write the general purposes for writing (Entertain, Persuade, Inform) on chart paper or the board. Explain: This time, instead of telling you what type of text it is, I’m going to read it aloud and see if you can guess. A good way to guess what type of text you’re reading is to fi gure out the author’s purpose for writing it.

Turn to page 108 of this guide. Read “Swimming.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to guess the author’s purpose for writing the text from the three main purposes you listed. (inform) Say: The author’s general purpose is to inform. But is the author just giving information or is the author telling the reader how to do something? (telling the reader how to do something) Explain that procedural texts are a kind of informational text. They inform people how to do something.


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.13(A) interpret details from procedural text to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures (Reporting Category 3)]

Draw a large aerosol can on the board with a picture of a bear at the top of the can. Below the bear, write Instructions: with squiggly lines to indicate text. Draw lines outside of the can that lead to the instructions on the can. Say: You have just listened to a procedural text whose purpose is to teach you how to swim. Imagine you are going camping in bear country. You buy a can of bear spray that comes with instructions. What features do you expect good instructions to have? Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the lines leading from the bear spray instructions. Reinforce the concept that all procedural texts have certain common features.

10 min

15 min



57

Procedural Texts • Whole Group

Ask students to turn to pages 120–121 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read texts that will help us learn about procedural texts. Our goal is to really understand the genre.


Point to the features that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas about procedural texts we came up with. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the features.

Post the chart in your classroom during instruction. Say: As we read about procedural texts, we will come back to these features. We will look for how they appear in each text we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “How to Make a Pueblo Pot”

Say: Now you’re going to read a procedural text titled “How to Make a Pueblo Pot.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of a procedural text by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of procedural texts is that the title clearly identifi es the topic. So we can underline the title and write, “clearly identifi es the title” in the side margin.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class. Add new information to the instructions features you created earlier.

15 min


Day 10


5858


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Interpret Details from Procedural Text[TEKS: 5.13(A) interpret details from procedural text to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read procedural text, I sometimes get lost when there are a lot of steps to follow. When this happens, it’s really helpful to look at the specifi c steps in one section at a time, and boil them down into one general step. Then I move on to the next section and boil down those specifi c steps into one basic step, and so on. This way I can create a list of the general steps that is easy to remember. These general steps give me categories in which I can group the specifi c details, making it easier to learn and remember them.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Now I want you to reread paragraph 2. Ask students turn to page 124 of My STAAR Reader and use the graphic organizer to boil down the specifi c steps in paragraph 2 into four basic steps. Say: If you were to boil down all the specifi c details into one general step, what would it be? (1. Prepare the clay.) You might ask yourself: “If this paragraph had a subheading, what would it be?”

Interpret Details from Procedural Textp. 124

30 min


59


Find Text Evidence to Synthesize and Make Logical Connections Between Ideas[TEKS: 5.11(E) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres]

Model: Sometimes when I read a text, I remember that I already read something on the same topic. The earlier text might be from a different genre, but I know that I can synthesize, or put together, ideas from both texts to make connections between ideas about the topic they share.

Guide: Work with students to recall the previous text they read about Pueblo pottery. Ask: What kind of text did we just read? (procedural text) What kind of text is “Pueblo People of New Mexico”? (informational text) Even though they are different genres, we can still put together their ideas and come up with something new. Draw two jigsaw puzzle pieces on the board. Explain: What do you do when you do a jigsaw puzzle? (You put the pieces together to form a picture.) You do the same thing when you synthesize ideas from two texts on the same topic.

Ask students to turn to page 125 in My STAAR Reader. Ask them to read each statement and decide if it is true or false. Then have them hunt for the evidence that they had to put together from “How to Make a Pueblo Pot” on page 122 in My STAAR Reader and “Pueblo People of New Mexico” on page 66 to make their decision.


Synthesize and Make Logical Connections

p. 125

30 min

Day 10



Small-Group Reading

“Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” on page 100 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss features of persuasive text that are found in the reading. Mark the persuasive text features in the text, as you read.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students to identify the persuasive features of the text. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key features and if they use their own words. Ask students if they believe the author did a good job of persuading them to share his or her opinion on the topic.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1–3. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraphs aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read the paragraphs again in groups of three. Each student will read one of the paragraphs.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 126 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “How to Make a Pueblo Pot,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 127 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “How to Make a Pueblo Pot” to themselves before getting started.


Workstations


20 min

20 min

20 min

Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


61


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about the traditional methods described in “How to Make a Pueblo Pot.”

Invite students to turn to page 138 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In the text “How to Make a Pueblo Pot, the author states, “Pueblo potters still use traditional methods to make pottery.” What steps, tools, and materials does the author describe to support this idea? Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step by identifying an example for the fi rst category. Say: Imagine if you were going to make a clay pot. Do you think you would go out and dig up the clay or would you probably buy it at a store? (buy it at a store) So one of the traditional steps that we can write in the fi rst column is: “digging the clay.”

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.13(A) interpret details from procedural text to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures (Reporting Category 3)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about procedural texts. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different texts they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the purpose of procedural texts in the reading on page 120 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: You learned in this lesson that the Pueblo people passed on the knowledge of pottery making from generation to generation. Young people learned the craft by watching older family members. Early in human history, before books, television, and the Internet, all knowledge used to be passed on to the next generation by either showing or telling others how to do things. Can you think of anything today that is easier to learn by observing or by having someone right there to tell you how to do it than it is to learn by reading instructions?

15 min

5 min

Writingp. 138

Day 10



62


11DAY

Plays

Read Aloud

Read: “Staying Afl oat”[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 2)]

Before you begin the read-aloud, tell students that you’re going to read a type of literary text called a drama. Say: Listening to a drama is a lot different from listening to other literary texts. In stories and novels, the author uses sensory details to describe the setting, the characters, and the action. The author uses dialogue, too, which is what the characters say to each other. But in a drama, except for a few brief descriptions called stage directions, the dialogue is all you get to help you visualize everything. Ask students to try to picture the setting, the characters, and the action, as they listen to you read.

Turn to page 109 of this guide. Read “Staying Afl oat.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to identify where the drama takes place, who the characters are, and what takes place.


Build Genre Background [TEKS: 5.5 Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding (Reporting Category 2)]

Say: You have just listened to one drama and learned about one way dramas are different from other types of literary texts like stories. Draw a large Venn diagram on chart paper or on the board. Write Dramas above the left circle and Stories above the right circle. Write Both above the area where the circles overlap. Then write sensory details in the Stories circle. Say: Now turn to a partner and think of other ways that plays are different from stories. Give students time to exchange ideas, then bring the class together to share students’ fi ndings. Write their ideas in the appropriate areas of the diagram.

Ask students to turn to pages 140–141 of My STAAR Reader. Say: Today we are going to read dramas that will help us learn about this genre. Our goal is to really understand the genre.

10 min

15 min



63

Plays • Whole Group


Point to the Venn diagram that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas we came up with about how dramas are different from stories. What new features of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the diagram.

Post the diagram in your classroom during dramas instruction. Say: As we read about dramas, we will come back to this diagram. We will look for how these features appear in each drama we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “Nature Girl”

Say: Now you’re going to read a drama titled “Nature Girl.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of dramas by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of dramas is that they have stage directions. Can you fi nd them? (The stage directions are after the heading “SCENE 1.”) Tell students to write stage directions in the side margin beside the stage directions.


15 min


Day 11


6464


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters[TEKS: 5.6(B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and confl icts (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a drama about a family, I pay attention to the role each character plays. I ask myself, “Is this character a typical father, mother, grandparent, son, or daughter?” If a playwright decides a character will act differently than a typical father, mother, grandmother, daughter, and so on, that sends an important message to me. But if a playwright decides a character will be a typical family member, that also sends an important message.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Think about the character of Grandma. Is she a typical grandmother? Talk about her with your partner. Bring the class back together and have students share their ideas. Point out that Grandma tells the family, “ . . . for I am after all the Corn Mother!” Guide students to understand that Grandma’s role is to “nourish” the family. Explain that this doesn’t just mean to feed others, but to help them along in life as well. Ask: Is this a pretty typical role for a grandmother? Do you know any other grandmothers who nourish their children and grandchildren?

Have students turn to page 146 of My STAAR Reader and fi ll in the graphic organizer “Explain the Roles and Functions of Characters.” Explain that students should write in each ear of corn an example of how the character Grandma nourishes Kaya’s family. Then, have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.

Find Text Evidence to Explain the Effect of a Historical Event[TEKS: 5.3(C) explain the effect of a historical event or movement on the theme of a work of literature (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a drama that has Native American characters, I keep the history of Native Americans in this country in mind. I ask myself, “What effect does having Native American characters have on what happens in the drama?”

Explain: Unfortunately, when Europeans arrived in North America and started building colonies, many Native American communities were affected in a negative way. Discuss with students the ways Native Americans were impacted by the arrival of Europeans. (Native American communities were pushed further and further west. Many Native Americans were “absorbed” into European American culture.) Stress to students that these experiences made it very important to many Native Americans to hold on to their culture and traditions.

20 min

20 min

Explain the Roles and Functions of Charactersp. 146


65


Guide: Have students turn to page 147 of My STAAR Reader. Ask students to imagine that the Iroquois took back New York City before this drama was written. The big city is gone and small villages have taken its place. Kaya and her family are Europeans trying to adapt to the Iroquois culture. Ask a volunteer to read the “Iroquois Facts.” Then have students underline in the script the parts that need to be rewritten. Bring the class back together and write the new script together. Encourage students to use the Iroquois facts in the new script.

Use Context Clues to Determine Meaning[TEKS: 5.2(B) use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words (Reporting Category 1)]

Ask students to skim and scan “Nature Girl” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: The most common places to look for context clues are in the sentence in which a new word is located and in other sentences in the same paragraph. But sometimes context clues are found later in a reading.

Write a chart on the board with the headings: The Sentence Succotash Is In; The Paragraph Succotash Is In; The Rest of the Scene. Say: What do I learn about succotash from each of these places? (Answers in fi rst column: Succotash is a traditional Iroquois food.; The Iroquois had a special way of making succotash. Answers in middle column: Succotash is a kind of dinner food.; Older Iroquois people like Grandma still know how to make succotash. Answers in third column: Succotash is a kind of stew made from corn and beans; succotash is probably a healthy and nutritious food.)

Collaborate as a class to fi ll in the chart. Ask students to read aloud the sentences that provide clues to the meaning of succotash.

20 min

Explain the Effect of a Historical Event

p. 147

Day 11


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “Lengthen the School Year—Before It’s Too Late!” on page 102 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this persuasive text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss any exaggerations or misleading information you fi nd in the text. Mark these in the text, as you read.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students to identify any exaggerations or misleading information they found in the text. Ask if they can think of a counterargument to any of the points the author makes. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key story elements and if they use their own words.




Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 148 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Nature Girl,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 149 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Nature Girl” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


67


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about one of the ideas from “Nature Girl.”

Invite students to turn to page 150 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: In “Nature Girl,” How does Grandma try to help Kaya adapt to living in New York? What does Grandma do that shows she still needs to do some adapting herself?

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying how Grandma tries to prove her point. Say: What is the fi rst thing Grandma asks Kaya to do when they go out in the street? (She asks her to close her eyes and imagine the sounds of nature.)

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.5 Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about dramas. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different dramas they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of dramas in the reading on page 141 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: It looks like writing a drama would be a lot easier than writing a story. After all, you only need to write what the characters say. Can you think of any reasons why it might be hard to write a drama? (Possible answer: It might be harder because you couldn’t describe the characters (except at the beginning in the list of characters), or tell what the characters are thinking or feeling. You could only show what the characters were like through the dialogue and how they relate to other characters.)


15 min

5 min

Writingp. 150

Day 11



68


12DAY


Read Aloud

Read: “The Passenger Pigeon”[TEKS: 5.11(E) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar genres (Reporting Category 3)]

Tell students that you’re going to read an informational text. Before you begin the read-aloud, remind students that on Day 10, they synthesized, or put together, ideas from two different texts, “How to Make a Pueblo Pot” and “The Pueblo People of New Mexico,” to come up with new ideas that weren’t stated in either text. Tell students that it’s also possible to synthesize ideas within just one text. Ask students to listen carefully as you read and pay attention to what the text says about who or what was to blame for what happened to the passenger pigeon.

Turn to page 111 of this guide. Read “The Passenger Pigeon.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to recall the factors that led to the passenger pigeon’s extinction. (They were over-hunted. They only had one chick at a time. Farming destroyed their habitat.)

Ask: When you put all these ideas together, who was mainly to blame for passenger pigeons becoming extinct? (People were mainly responsible.) Does the author say this directly in the text? (No.) What do the ideas in the text make you think about conservation efforts early in our nation’s history? (There must not have been many (or any) conservation efforts.)


Build Genre Background[TEKS: 5.11(E) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres (Reporting Category 3)]

Remind students that on Day 6 they listened to and read two historical informational texts: “A Discovery as Good as Gold” and “The Pueblo People of New Mexico.” Explain that the focus today is on scientifi c informational texts. Ask students to recall the features of informational texts that they learned about on Day 6.

10 min

15 min



69

Informational Texts: Science • Whole Group

Ask: Do you think these features are just as important for scientifi c informational texts as they are for historical informational texts?

Ask students to turn to pages 152–153 of My STAAR Reader. Choral-read the text on page 152. Then invite a student to read the web on page 153. Ask: Why do people read informational texts? What are some informational texts you remember enjoying? What are some features that an informational text on a science subject might have? Allow time for responses.

Point to the informational texts scoring rubric web that you created on Day 6. Say: These are the criteria about informational texts that we came up with. What new criteria of the genre did you learn? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the scoring rubric.

Post the scoring rubric in your classroom during informational text instruction. Say: As we read about informational texts, we will come back to this scoring rubric. We will look for how these criteria appear in each informational text we read, both with the whole class and in small groups.

Partner-Read

Read: “The Gray Wolf”

Say: Now you’re going to read an informational text titled “The Gray Wolf.” Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of an informational text by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of informational texts is that they have supporting graphics. What graphics do you see? (a photograph and a chart) So, we can write “supporting graphic” in the side margin beside the photo and the chart.


15 min


Day 12


7070


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Summarize the Main Ideas[TEKS: 5.11(A) summarize the main ideas and supporting details in a text in ways that maintain meaning and logical order (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read an informational text, I pay attention to topic shifts. The text as a whole may be about one main topic, but usually a text can be divided into subtopics. For example, a text might have Yellowstone National Park as its main topic, but within the text, it can be divided into subtopics such as the park’s location, the park’s history, the park’s features, and the park’s wildlife. Paying attention to a text’s subtopics helps me notice and summarize its main ideas.

Guide: Ask students to reread paragraphs 1–3, and ask them to look for the fi rst topic shift. (The fi rst topic shift happens between paragraph 1, which talks about the gray wolf’s range, and paragraph 2, which begins to describe the gray wolf’s appearance.) Ask: How about between paragraphs 2 and 3? Is there a topic shift, or are they about the same topic? (They are about the same topic: the gray wolf’s appearance.) Ask students to turn to page 156 of My STAAR Reader. Point out that “Range” has already been added to the pie chart to show the fi rst subtopic. Instruct students to look for the rest of the topic shifts and put them in the pie chart moving clockwise. Tell them to look at the size of the segments in the pie chart to help them locate the subtopics. Point out that the text and chart at the end of the main text also present a topic shift to be included on the pie chart.

30 min

Summarize the Main Ideasp. 156


71


Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Text[TEKS: 5.11(B) determine the facts in text and verify them through established methods (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read informational texts, I expect most of what I read to be factual. In other words, I expect the author to tell me facts that I can verify, or check, using reliable outside sources. But I also understand that the author might have some opinions on the topic. There is nothing wrong with an author including his or her opinions in an informational text, just as long as it’s clear that they are opinions and not facts. It’s only when an author states an opinion as if it is a fact that there is a problem. When this happens, it is no longer an informational text. What kind of text do you think it turns into (a persuasive text)?

Guide: Tell students that authors of informational texts use words that show uncertainty like may, maybe, might, perhaps, probably, and seem as signal words when they are giving an opinion, or when they are giving information that might be a theory, rather than an idea that is accepted as 100 percent correct. Authors use words that show certainty like all, always, many, and only to signal that they are giving a fact.

Ask: Can you fi nd the fi rst time in the text the author uses one of these signal words? (Paragraph 2, in the sentence: “If you were to look at a photograph of a single gray wolf, you might mistake it for a large, long-legged German shepherd.”) Is this statement a fact? Does the author know that all people, 100 percent of the time, will see a photo of a gray wolf and think it’s a German shepherd? (No.)

Ask students to turn to page 157 in My STAAR Reader. Have students complete the chart. Discuss students’ fi ndings. Then work together as a class to collaborate on answers to the Bonus Questions.


Day 12

30 min

Determine the Facts in Texts

p. 157


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“How to Make a Personal Budget” Bridge Text

Ask one group to turn to the Bridge Text of “How to Make a Personal Budget” on page 128 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss how the text is organized. Look for clues that tell you how the text is organized and mark them in the text, as you read. Remember that an author can use different organizational patterns within one text.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students about the organization of the text. Ask how they were able to tell which organizational method the author used. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they identify the correct organizational pattern(s) and if they use their own words.




Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence questions on page 158 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “The Gray Wolf,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 159 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “The Gray Wolf” to themselves before getting started.


Workstations


Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


73


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about the information in the text and chart of “The Gray Wolf” reading.

Invite students to turn to page 164 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: There is information about gray wolves in the chart that is different from the information given about them in the text. What is this information? How would you fi nd out whether the text or the chart is correct? Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of identifying what the text and the chart say about the gray wolf’s range. Ask: Where in the text does it talk about the gray wolf’s range? (in the fi rst paragraph) Where does the chart talk about the gray wolf’s range? (in the second row, fi rst column) Instruct students to write the information found in both places in the planning chart in the correct cells of the chart. For the third column, help them understand that the information agrees, even though it does not say exactly the same thing.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.11(E) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres (Reporting Category 3)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what new information they have learned about informational texts. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different informational texts they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the purpose of informational texts in the reading on page 153 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: People used to rely on encyclopedias and other resource books to learn about all kinds of topics. Now they turn to sources on the Internet, like Wikipedia. Do you think sources on the Internet are as reliable as encyclopedias and books?

15 min

5 min

Writingp. 164


Day 12


74


13DAY

Biography

Read Aloud

Read: “John Adams”[TEKS 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Before you begin the read-aloud, tell students that they are going to revisit the biography genre. To begin, they will listen to an excerpt from a biography of John Adams.

Ask students to recall the biography “Gordon Parks and His Camera” that they read previously. Remind them that it was not written by Gordon Parks himself and it described the major events of Parks’s life.

Turn to page 113 of this guide. Read “John Adams.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to identify which events stand out most in their minds.


Build Genre Background [TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Say: You have just listened to part of a biography of John Adams. In it, the author wrote some of the important events of his life.

Ask students to turn to pages 166–167 of My STAAR Reader. Say: For the rest of this lesson, we are going to focus on reviewing what we know about the genre of biography.

Direct students’ attention to page 166. Invite them to read the heads aloud, and to list characteristics of biographies in the spaces below. Remind them to think back to what they have already learned about biographies, using the web on page 167 to spark their memories.

10 min

15 min



75


Partner-Read

Read: “Rudolf Diesel”

Say: Now you’re going to read a biography about Rudolf Diesel. Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to review the features of biographies by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we recalled that a feature of biographies is that they tell about the person’s family and childhood. Look at the subheadings. Can you fi nd a section that might have this information? (“Early Life and Work”) Tell students to write “family and childhood” in the side margin beside the fi rst subheading.

After reading, give students 3–5 minutes to review the selection, then ask them to share their annotations with the class.

Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Summarize and Paraphrase[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read something that I really want to remember, I often summarize it to myself. When I summarize, I paraphrase, or put it in my own words. If I can summarize a text using my own words, I know that I really understand it.

Guide: Turn and talk with two classmates. Now I want you to assign one of the three paragraphs in the fi rst section to each person in your group. Ask students to reread their assigned paragraph and then summarize it aloud to their group, being sure to use their own words. Ask students turn to page 172 of My STAAR Reader. Tell them to write the steps involved in Nikolaus Otto’s engine in the graphic organizer, one step per cog in the machine. When they are fi nished, bring them back together, and as a class collaborate on writing a paraphrase of paragraphs 8 and 9, which tell how Rudolf Diesel improved upon Otto’s engine.

15 min


Summarizing and Paraphrasing

p. 172

Day 13

20 min


7676



Find Text Evidence to Identify the Literary Language and Devices Used in Biographies[TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Model: When I read a short biography, I look at any subheadings it might have. These often show how an author has chosen to divide up the subject’s life into time periods.

Guide: Have students locate the two subheadings in the biography. (“Early Life and Work” and “A New Kind of Engine”) Explain that only one of the subheadings shows that a certain period of Diesel’s life is going to be discussed. Have students turn to page 173 of My STAAR Reader. Say: This graphic organizer lists other possible subheadings for the biography. Read each subheading and look for events that belong under that subheading. Write your fi ndings on the chart.


Identify the Literary Language and Devices Used in Biographiesp. 173

20 min


77


Use Roots, Prefi xes, and Suffi xes to Determine Meaning[5.2(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affi xes]

Ask students to skim and scan “Rudolf Diesel” and circle any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. Call on students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings, as needed.

Say: Many English words are made from Latin and Greek roots, prefi xes, and suffi xes. Knowing the meaning of these word parts can help you fi gure out the meaning of unfamiliar words that contain these parts.

Create a chart on the board. Write the boldface column headings and the text in the fi rst two columns. Have partners search for the words in the article to complete the third column. Bring the class back together and have students share their fi ndings. Work together as a class to brainstorm words for the fourth column. (Possible answers are in brackets.)

Word Part (Root, Prefi x, or Suffi x)

Meaning Word in "Rudolf Diesel"

Other Words

in- "not" [ineffi cient] [inexperienced, inactive]

im- "into' [immigrant] [immerse, import]

cogn "know" [recognize] [cognitive, cognition]

com- "together" [compressed] [community, combine]

ignis "fi re" [ignite] [ignition, igneous]

pro- "forward" [process] [procedure, procession]

-ject "throw" [inject] [reject, trajectory]

-vert "change" [converted] [divert, diversion]

Day 13

20 min


20 min

20 min

20 min


Small-Group Reading

“How to Make a Personal Budget” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “How to Make a Personal Budget” on page 132 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss the features of a procedural text you fi nd in the text. Take notes in the margins as you read.

Analyze

After they have fi nished reading, ask students about the procedural text features they found in the text. Have them work in pairs to summarize the text. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they have included all of the key details and if they used their own words.




Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Using Text Evidence questions on page 174 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Rudolf Diesel,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 175 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Rudolf Diesel” to themselves before getting started.

Workstations



Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


79


Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about Rudolf Diesel.

Invite students to turn to page 176 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud. Ask: Inventors often write lab notes to keep track of their ideas and the results of their experiments. Imagine that you are Rudolf Diesel. Write two entries in your lab notes. The fi rst entry will be right before the experiment using ammonia as a fuel. Explain the purpose of the experiment and describe your feelings. The second entry will be written after you return months later from the hospital. Explain what went wrong and your next idea (the one that will prove successful) for improving the gas-powered engine. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas, then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst step of explaining the purpose of the experiment. Say: The purpose is to test ammonia as a fuel. Then have students identify Diesel’s feelings before the experiment, what went wrong in the experiment, and what his next idea is. Finally, have students write their lab notes on the lines.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: 5.7(A) identify the literary language and devices used in biographies and autobiographies, including how authors present major events in a person’s life (Reporting Category 2)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about biographies. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different biographies they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of biographies in the reading on page 167 in My STAAR Reader.

Ask: Imagine that someone came up to you and told you that they were writing a biography and that you were the subject of it! How would you feel about someone telling the whole world all about your life?

15 min

5 min

Day 13

Writingp. 176



8080


81

Post-AssessmentPrepare to Assess

Before beginning instruction, evaluate students’ reading skills by administering Grade 5 Posttest 1: Readiness Standards, which begins on page 52 of the Grade 5 Be a Reading STAAR Assessment. Make one copy of the assessment for each student.

Assessment

Distribute Grade 5 Posttest 1 to students. Explain that this is the second of two assessments students will take to demonstrate the progress they have made as readers.



Collect students’ assessments. Have volunteers distribute one copy of the Grade 5 My STAAR Reader to each student. Allow students time to examine the book and its contents. Say: Over the past 15 days, we read a variety of different texts that belong to different genres.

Have students turn to a partner. Say: Talk to your partner. Can you think of any other genres? Allow students time to brainstorm examples of different genres with their partner, then bring them back as a class to share their ideas.

10 min

60 min

Day 14

10 min

Day 14


82


14DAY

Read Aloud

Read: “Icebergs”[TEKS: 5.11(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classifi cation schemes) infl uences the relationship among the ideas (Reporting Category 3)]

Tell students that they are going to listen to an informational text about a scientifi c subject: icebergs. Say: Authors who write informational science texts often use a cause-and-effect organizational pattern. They use this pattern because they want to explain how or why things happen in nature. Sometimes science authors explain a chain of events. This is when a cause leads to an effect, but then that effect leads to another effect and so on.

Ask students to listen for a chain of events as you read the text aloud.

Turn to page 115 of this guide. Read “Icebergs” aloud. Model reading with feeling and expression. Ask students to raise their hand when they hear a chain of events.


Build Genre Background[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 3)]

Say: You have just listened to an informational science text and learned that informational authors use cause-and-effect to organize their writing in a logical way. Draw a concept web on the board. Write “Informational Texts” in the center of the web and “Logical Organization” in an outer circle coming from the web. Explain: Logical organization is one feature that informational science texts share with other kinds of informational texts. Can you remember other features of informational texts? As a class, have students brainstorm other features of informational texts. Add their ideas to the concept web. Reinforce the concept that all informational texts have certain common features.

Direct students’ attention to page 178 of My STAAR Reader. Invite them to read the heads aloud, and to list characteristics of informational texts in the spaces below. Remind them to think back to what they have already learned, using the web on page 179 to spark their memories.


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Point to the concept web that you created earlier. Say: These are the ideas about informational texts that we were able to remember. What features of the genre did we miss? Allow time for responses. Add new information to the class web. Post the concept web in your classroom. Say: As we read more informational texts, we may fi nd even more features to add to this concept web.

Partner-Read

Read: “Meet Sue”

Say: Now you’re going to read an informational science text about dinosaurs. Have students read with a partner and make annotations.

Say: As you read, I want you to note the key features of informational texts by writing in the side margin and underlining. For example, we read that a feature of informational texts is that it has a strong beginning that hooks the reader. Have a volunteer read the fi rst sentence of the text aloud. Say: This sentence will probably make the reader curious about what the remarkable discovery was. So we can write “hooks the reader” in the side margin.


Close Reading

Find Text Evidence to Determine the Facts in Texts[TEKS: 5.11(B) determine the facts in text and verify them through established methods (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read an informational text, I expect it to do just that: inform me. This means that the text should contain a lot of facts. The author might include some personal opinions on the subject, and that’s okay, as long as he or she makes it perfectly clear that they are opinions. But my main purpose for reading an informational text is to learn the facts, so that’s what I really key in on.

Guide: Turn and talk to a partner. Brainstorm the kinds of information that people put on their personal profi les on social media websites. Allow students time to discuss, then have them share their ideas with the class.

Ask students turn to page 182 of My STAAR Reader. Explain that they are going to complete a personal profi le for Sue the dinosaur. Instruct them to use the information in the text to complete the profi le. Advise them to write the “Occupation” and “Special Achievements” parts as if they were Sue herself writing the information. Have a class discussion to share students’ fi ndings.

10 min


Determine Facts in Textp. 182

Day 14

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Find Text Evidence to Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Text [TEKS: 5.11(C) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (e.g., cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, sequential order, logical order, classifi cation schemes) infl uences the relationship among the ideas (Reporting Category 3)]

Model: When I read scientifi c informational texts, I look for the main organizational pattern of the text. The author may use more than one organizational pattern within the text, but the main one helps structure the text as a whole.

Guide: Have volunteers read the fi rst sentence of the fi rst paragraph and the fi rst sentence of the last paragraph. Guide them to understand that the author uses a chronological organizational pattern to organize the text as a whole.

Ask students to turn to page 183 in My STAAR Reader. Say: Even though an author uses a chronological organizational pattern, he or she may backtrack or jump ahead by mentioning events out of order. If an author backtracks or jumps ahead, it can be helpful to group the events into time periods. Instruct students to fi ll in the chart by fi nding events in the text and writing them in the appropriate columns.


Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 3))

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about informational texts. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different examples of informational texts. they have read and heard, including the read-aloud, partner-read, and small-group selections. Then as a whole group, review the features of informational texts in the reading on page 179 in My STAAR Reader. Remind students that all works of informational texts. will share at least some of these features.

Ask: Which do you think it is more fun to read: informational text or fi ctional text?

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Analyze the Organizational Pattern of a Textp. 183

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Post-AssessmentPrepare to Assess

Before beginning instruction, evaluate students’ reading skills by administering Grade 5 Posttest 2: Supporting Standards, which begins on page 73 of the Grade 5 Be a Reading STAAR Assessment. Make one copy of the assessment for each student.

Assessment

Distribute Grade 5 Posttest 2 to students. Explain that this is the second of two assessments students will take to demonstrate the progress they have made as readers.



Collect student’s tests. Say: Today we will continue to read informational science texts. For the fi rst text, you will listen as I read aloud. Then you will read another text in small groups.

10 min

60 min

Day 15

10 min

Day 15


15DAY

Read Aloud

Read: “Storm Chasers”[TEKS: 5.10(A) draw conclusions from the information presented by an author and evaluate how well the author’s purpose was achieved (Reporting Category 3)]

Turn to page 117 of this guide. Read “Storm Chasers.” Model reading with feeling and expression. After reading, ask students to identify the features of informational texts they noticed as you were reading.

Informational Texts: Science (continued)

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Workstations

If students have read the small-group text and completed the Independent Workstation activities before the allotted time, encourage them to answer the Text Evidence and STAAR Practice questions for the small-group text, found on pages 162 and 163 of My STAAR Reader.

Small-Group Reading

“Kingdom to Species” Accelerate Text

Ask one group to turn to the Accelerate Text of “Kingdom to Species” on page 160 of My STAAR Reader.

Say: Read this text to yourself. As you read, I will be coming around to listen in to see how you’re doing. Be prepared to discuss how the author organizes the text by classifying, or sorting, different animals into groups. Mark the main groups in the text, as you read.


After they have fi nished reading, ask students to summarize the text by describing the main groups the author used to sort animals. Pay close attention to their answers, noting if they leave out key story elements and if they use their own words.


Ask students to revisit paragraphs 1. Invite them to follow along as you read the text aloud. Be sure to model fl uency as you read. Then, encourage all students in the group to read the same paragraph aloud in unison. Continue the activity by having students read paragraph 2 with a partner, taking turns reading sentences.


Workstation 1

• Students can work individually to answer the Text Evidence Questions on page 184 of My STAAR Reader. Remind them to look back at “Meet Sue,” searching for information in the text to back up their answers.

Workstation 2

• Students can practice answering STAAR-like test questions on page 185 in My STAAR Reader. Remind them to reread “Meet Sue” to themselves before getting started.


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Form 3 Small Groups

Step Up!


Informational Text: Science • Whole Group

Writing

Explain to the class that they are going to write about “Meet Sue” from Day 14.

Invite students to turn to page 186 in My STAAR Reader and direct their attention to the writing prompt. Ask them to join you in reading the writing prompt aloud: Imagine that the Field Museum of Chicago is going to turn Sue the dinosaur into an animatronic. Write a script for Sue. The script should do two things: (1) share the story of Sue’s discovery; and (2) educate the public about T. rex dinosaurs in general. Use the planning chart to organize your ideas and then write on the lines below.

Guide students through the fi rst steps of identifying details about Sue the dinosaur.

Refl ect and Review

Make Connections Across Texts[TEKS: Fig. 19(E) summarize and paraphrase texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across texts (Reporting Category 3)]

Bring students together and invite volunteers to share what they have learned about different genres in this course. Invite them to work with a partner and talk about the different genre they have read and heard, including informational texts, realistic fi ction, myths, poetry, drama, and procedural texts. Then as a whole group, conduct a class survey to fi nd out which genre is the most popular among students.

Ask: If you were going to spend a year all alone on a desert island, which two genres would you like to bring with you?

15 min

Writingp. 186

5 min


8989Be A STAAR Reader Teacher’s Guide • Grade 3 • ©2015 Benchmark Education Company, LLC.

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Table of ContentsEarly Birds ...............................................................90

Coming Into View .....................................................92

Thor’s Hammer .........................................................95

America’s Birdman ....................................................98

Dream Catchers .....................................................100

A Discovery as Good as Gold ....................................101

The Time of the Ten Suns ........................................102

Why You Should Adopt a Dog ...................................104

from The Secret Garden ..........................................105

Swimming ..............................................................108

Staying Afloat .........................................................109

The Passenger Pigeon .............................................111

John Adams ...........................................................113

Icebergs ................................................................115

Storm Chasers .......................................................117

READ-ALOUD PASSAGES


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Realistic Fiction Read-Aloud1DAY

Early Birds

“Dad, we go to fairs all the time, but I never get to go on the rides. Can’t I ride the Ferris wheel, just this once?” Kayla asked wistfully. My sister’s rich soprano voice was full of pleading.

Dad checked his watch and said, “Well, we don’t go on stage for an hour, so why not? But be back here by 12:45 sharp, both you and Emilou: the Early Birds have to be on time!”

The Early Birds is our family band. The real star of it is my father, the fi nest pedal steel player in the Colorado River Basin, according to one newspaper. Mom plays accordion, my older brothers play drums and guitar, and Kayla and I sing. Our voices blend well because we’re sisters and because we sing together constantly. It’s mostly old-timey music, like “Oh, Susanna” and other songs you can tap your foot to while you’re eating a corn dog. In the summer we play county fairs within a few hundred miles of home.

This fair in Utah boasted a truly gigantic Ferris wheel. While Kayla was on her ride, I went to the animal tent. I was leaning on a fence trying to decide which piglet was cutest when I heard someone say the Ferris wheel was stuck. I made a beeline for the ride and found Mom and Dad there already. The mechanic had the big wheel’s machinery spread out in pieces all around him.

The announcer boomed out, “Nothing to worry about, folks. Everyone’s perfectly safe, but this repair could take up to an hour.”

My eyes scanned the big wheel as I thought of Kayla trapped several hundred feet up. I knew she was calm because Kayla is braver than I am about many things, including singing. Kayla always sings the lead part, and she takes all the solos because her voice is so beautiful.


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“There’s no way she’ll be down here in time to sing with us. If we miss our turn onstage, we lose our $500 payment,” said Mom. They looked at me. Dad asked, “Emilou, do you think you can sing Kayla’s part?”

As the backup singer, I harmonize with the lead singer, which is often harder than singing the melody. But sometimes I practice the melodies when I’m alone. I certainly know Kayla’s parts, but I feel shy about being the center of attention.

When I said I could do it, Mom beamed at me and promised to sing harmony as well as she could.

As we joined my brothers onstage, I heard “This Land Is Your Land” coming from the topmost cars on the wheel. Kayla was leading her fellow passengers in one of our most popular songs! We all looked at each other and chuckled. Kayla was doing just fi ne—and I’d get my fi rst chance to sing the lead.


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Coming into View

“This must be the place,” said Dad as he parked the car. We were at the end of a long dirt road, next to what might have been a driveway once. “Let’s head in and fi nd out if the house is still standing.”

He took some tools from the truck and started hacking away at the tangle of brambles and briars blocking our path. We were trying to fi nd a piece of property that he had inherited when Gramma Mae died last year. It was a huge surprise. Daddy didn’t even know his grandmother owned the property she left him in her will, a house way out in the backcountry that her grandparents had built. No one had lived in it for quite some time.

The driveway was as inviting as the wall of thorns that protected the castle of the princess in “Sleeping Beauty.” And my father was the prince, cutting and slashing through it to get to his prize. The rest of us followed, helping as much as we could. At last we spied a house, not very big, but not tiny, either. It was sort of crooked looking, like a little old man with his hat askew. Dad started to grin like a man who had just won the lottery. Mama looked a little worried. My brother Sam looked at me in disbelief and rolled his eyes.

It’s obvious why my father was the right person to inherit the place. He’s been a carpenter all his working life, and he loves old houses.

Well, it seems Sam and I will be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere for the entire summer! There is no electricity, no cell phone service—not even running water. We pump water with a hand pump and go to town if we need to make a phone call or check something on the Internet. Dad has ordered a generator


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so he and Mama can use power tools. Things aren’t great in the construction business right now so he has time on his hands. “Isn’t it wonderful how something that seems bad at fi rst turns out to be good?” says Mama.

Sam is thirteen and not quite as big a pain here as he is at home, where he spends all his time with his friends and his computer games. Out here, I guess even a little sister is better than nobody. He and I have been exploring while our parents scrape off old wallpaper and make plans for the renovation.

We’ve found some mysterious items while poking around in closets and bureaus. One box was fi lled with old black-and-white photographs on stiff cards. Many of the pictures showed famous places like Niagara Falls or the Taj Mahal. The crazy thing was that each card had two copies of the same picture on it, side by side.

In another box, we found a diary written by someone named Louisa. On the fi rst page, this is what she wrote:

June 1, 1901. I received this diary today for my sixteenth birthday. I

also got a very special gift from Uncle Mo. He gave me a stereopticon!

He must want us all to know how rich he is, now that he has an offi ce

job in town.

I showed Louisa’s diary to Sam. He wrote down the strange word: stereopticon. He and Dad were planning to go into town. As usual, Sam would be spending a couple of hours at the library, enjoying the air-conditioning and the computers. I decided to stay at the house because I didn’t want our dog Louie to get lonely.

I was unpacking a trunk, pulling out all kinds of old musty things, when Sam got back.


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“Mystery solved!” he declared triumphantly.

“What mystery?” I asked.

“I looked up stereopticon on the Internet,” he said, “and now I know why there are two copies of each picture on those cards. It turns out they are not exactly identical. The two photos show the same scene shot from slightly different angles. When you look at them through a stereopticon, you get a single 3-D image. Have you found anything that looks like this?”

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, with a sketch he had drawn.

“I think we’re in luck!” I said. I pointed to a gadget that looked something like Sam’s sketch lying on the table where we had been putting all of the mystery objects we found. Sam picked it up and grabbed a photo card to place in the holder. When we looked through the viewer, we saw a beautiful 3-D picture of this tumble-down house in its better days.

“Look what we found!” we both shouted at once as we ran to show our fabulous fi nd to our parents.


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Myths Read-Aloud3DAY

Thor’s Hammer

A long time ago in the northern countries of Scandinavia, when the clouds rumbled and lightning crackled across the sky, people blamed Thor, the Norse god of thunder, and his hammer, Mjöllnir. This hammer was so powerful that it could crush a mountain in a single blow. Thor was likely to fl ing his hammer at the least provocation. The hammer never missed its target and, incredibly, it fl ew back to Thor’s fi st when its work was done.

People throughout the land feared eruptions of Thor’s temper—until his hammer was stolen. Without it, Thor was almost helpless; he could neither smash mountains nor subdue his enemies. Thor angrily blamed the trickster god named Loki, who was fond of pranks.

“I didn’t take your hammer, but I know where it is,” Loki confessed. “It is in the land of the Frost Giants.”

Thrym, the Frost Giant king, had managed to steal Thor’s hammer. He sent a message that he would return the hammer on one condition: Freya the Fair, goddess of love and beauty, must agree to marry him. Freya was daughter of Odin, the king of the gods. She threw herself at her father’s feet and begged, “Please don’t send me to the land of the Frost Giants!”

“Without Thor’s hammer we will never be safe,” Loki declared.

The gods of Asgard agreed and pondered just what Thor should do to get his hammer back.

Finally Odin, king of the gods, spoke. “Thor will travel in disguise to the land of the Frost Giants and, once there, he will steal back the hammer.”

“In disguise?” asked Thor.


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“Yes, disguised as Freya, bride of Thrym,” commanded Odin.

At fi rst, Thor refused outright. But after much discussion, he realized there was no other way to retrieve his hammer. Finally, Loki offered to go along with Thor to the land of the Frost Giants disguised as Freya’s maid.

Loki dressed Thor in Freya’s velvet robes and draped Thor’s enormous wrists with gems. He veiled Thor’s angry, bearded face. The gods hid their laughter as Thor and Loki departed for the land of the Frost Giants.

Deep within the earth, the Frost Giants leaned on banquet tables heavily laden with fi sh and fowl, fruit, and sweetmeats. When Thor and Loki entered the banquet hall, Thrym rose to greet his bride. He reached for Thor’s hand, which trembled in rage.

“Do not be afraid,” urged Thrym.

Loki explained, “It is nervous anticipation that makes Freya quiver. She has long looked forward to this day.”

Thrym swept the gnawed bones from the table with a hairy arm and patted the cushion beside him. He called a servant to bring more food.

Thor sat down without saying a word. He helped himself to half an ox and seven wedding cakes and began to eat.

Thrym’s eyes grew wide. He peered lovingly at his bride-to-be. “Pray tell, why are you so hungry? A tiny damsel does not usually eat so heartily.”

Loki answered quickly, “Freya was so excited that she could not eat for eight days, but now she is ravenous.”

Next, Thrym lifted the veil that covered Thor’s face. Again he wondered, “Pray tell, why are your eyes like burning rubies?” Of course, Thor was furious by this point, and his eyes glowed like fi ery red coals.


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Again, Loki responded, “Why, she was so excited to meet you that she has not slept for eight days!”

Thrym stamped his scepter on the fl oor. He could wait no longer to wed Freya the Fair. “Bring Thor’s hammer,” he commanded.

No sooner had Thrym’s servant fetched the hammer than Thor snatched it away. Armed with the hammer, he kept the Frost Giants at bay as he and Loki backed away and escaped from the banquet hall.

“Let us never speak of this humiliation again,” said Thor to Loki as he ripped the veil from his face. He struck the hammer three times against a rock. His chariot appeared and carried them safely back to Asgard.

The hammer never again left his side. And Loki knew better than to tease Thor ever again.


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America’s Birdman

Early in the 1800s, as the United States was spreading westward, a man named John James Audubon decided to create a record of all the country’s birds. A noted bird expert named Alexander Wilson had already begun the same project. But when the two men met, Wilson saw that Audubon was a much better painter. In fact, Audubon’s lifelike paintings of birds set the standard for ornithologists today.

The Young Naturalist Audubon (1785–1851) was born in Haiti and grew up in France. A nature lover from a young age, he spent hours prowling the woods and drawing birds. Often, he used a telescope to capture details for his work. But Audubon always felt he could do better, and on each birthday he burned all the drawings he had made in the past year.

In 1803, Audubon’s father sent him to take care of family land in America near Philadelphia. The eighteen-year-old plunged into hunting, fi shing, and bird study in the New World. By tying strings to the legs of Eastern phoebes, he discovered that these birds return to the same nesting sites each year. Audubon was the fi rst to conduct a bird-banding experiment of this kind in America.

After Audubon married, he tried several ways to make money. He ran a dry goods store in Kentucky for some years. Business was good until he began spending too much time searching for birds. With the storekeeper away, sales declined and the business failed. The young couple and their sons moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Audubon tried to earn a living by drawing charcoal portraits.

Down the Mississippi Finally, Audubon abandoned business and devoted himself to studying and painting America’s birds. He traveled down the Ohio River by raft and by steamboat with an assistant and some art supplies. The two men tramped through the woods. Audubon painted by day and wrote by the evening campfi re. His assistant

Biography Read-Aloud4DAY


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painted the natural backgrounds for Audubon’s birds. They went on to the Mississippi River and many unexplored areas. While Audubon traveled the river in search of birds, his wife began teaching to support the children. He joined her in New Orleans for a while and focused on trying to sell his work.

Long outdoor treks had changed Audubon. Wealthy Americans who might have invested in his work did not like his rugged appearance or his insulting comments on rival Alexander Wilson’s work. In Europe, however, people found Audubon’s long hair and buckskin clothes fascinating. In 1826, a printer in England produced The American Woodsman , a selection of Audubon’s paintings and travel notes. The edition sold well enough to let him continue his larger work.

The Birds of America Audubon’s travels on the western frontier alternated with more trips to Europe to supervise printing. Finally, a set of prints called The Birds of America was published in 1839. One naturalist called it “the most magnifi cent monument art ever raised to ornithology.” It was three feet high by two feet wide, contained 435 paintings, and cost $1,000 per copy. Audubon sold 200 of these collector’s items. As interest in his work grew, a smaller edition was published that more people could afford.

Audubon’s two sons were now old enough to assist him. They got involved with their father’s next project, a book on American quadrupeds, such as elk and bison. They accompanied him on trips to the West. But as years of hard outdoor life took its toll, Audubon began having eye trouble. His sons had to complete his last book.

In his lifetime, Audubon lived in settled parts of the country and on the frontier. He watched as many forests were cut down and other bird habitats disappeared. He began to warn people about threats to birds. Naturally, one of the world’s great painters of birds wanted his beloved subjects to survive.


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Dream Catchers

Ojibway, Traditional

An ancient Chippewa traditionThe dream net has been madeFor many generationsWhere spirit dreams have played.

Hung above the cradle board,Or in the lodge up high,The dream net catches bad dreams,While good dreams slip on by.

Bad dreams become entangled Among the sinew thread. Good dreams slip through the center hole, While you dream upon your bed.

This is an ancient legend, Since dreams will never cease, Hang this dream net above your bed, Dream on, and be at peace.

Poetry Read-Aloud5DAY


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A Discovery as Good as Gold

In January of 1848, a sawmill worker in California named James Marshall found a glittering substance in a river. Upon closer inspection, he discovered there were fl akes of gold fl oating down the current. While he was eager to keep his discovery under wraps, it didn’t stay secret for long. In March, The Californian reported Marshall’s lucky fi nd to the public. Although people were wary of the news at fi rst, a fellow named Sam Brannan marched down the streets of San Francisco with a vial of gold dust in his hand. It was the spark that started a fi re. The gold rush had commenced.

By the summer of 1848, three out of every four men from San Francisco departed from their homes in the hopes of striking it rich. Some panhandlers sifted through dirt in rivers to fi nd fl akes of gold much like Marshall and Brannan. Others risked life and limb hacking through deep mountain mines for gold ore, which was larger and much more valuable. People poured in from all over the country and headed west to mine for gold as well. Before the gold rush, there were only around 800 American citizens living in California. By the end of 1849, the population had ballooned to close to 100,000. The need for equipment, as well as food and lodging for the prospectors, helped the California economy boom in a short amount of time.

Of course, no enterprise is without risk. The gold rush turned out to be a gamble. Many people bet everything they owned and failed in their bid to fi nd gold. There was something to be said for persistence, however. In 1852, the most profi table year of the gold rush, $81 million in gold was unearthed in the state.

Informational Texts Read-Aloud6DAY


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The Time of the Ten Suns

A Chinese tale

In ancient times, the world had ten suns instead of just one. The ten (all sons of Di Jun, god of the East) did not shine all at once. Rather, each day one of them would ride across the sky in a beautiful chariot. His brothers remained behind, perching all day in a gigantic mulberry tree.

How different the world was back then—besides having ten suns, that is. All living creatures, animal and human alike, lived peacefully side by side. People did not hunt animals or steal eggs from birds’ nests. Animals left farmers’ crops alone. They did not snatch children off their parents’ doorsteps. Food and water abounded, supplying everyone with everything they needed.

All this harmony ended one morning because the ten suns were feeling bored with their mulberry tree. They decided it would be a lark to ride together for once. All the brothers piled into the chariot and sped off. As one would expect, ten suns shining at the same time caused disaster on Earth. Temperatures rose to such ferocious levels that people’s clothing caught fi re if they stepped outside. The parched land became harder than rock, and all the plants died. Starving animals began attacking people in their desperation. Water monsters from dried-up rivers roamed the land in search of food. All the while, the ten suns enjoyed themselves, whooping and hollering high up in the sky.

Desperate to help his people, Emperor Yao went to plead with Di Jun. The god had been trying to dissuade his sons from their game, but they would not heed him. He now agreed that stronger actions were needed.

Di Jun summoned Yi, a lesser god, whose skills with bow and arrow Di Jun knew well. Di Jun gave Yi a magic bow and a quiver of arrows. Di Jun’s idea was for Yi to shoot arrows near the chariot to frighten his sons into coming home. Unfortunately, Yi aimed

Myths Read-Aloud7DAY


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directly at the suns and, one by one, shot them out of the sky. Di Jun realized what was happening and stopped Yi while one sun still remained.

Though Yi had saved the earth, Di Jun was livid with the archer for shooting down nine of his sons. He stripped Yi of his status as a god. Yi was sent to Earth to live and die as an ordinary human.

People were relieved once again to have just one sun crossing the sky each day. But the reckless actions of Di Jun’s sons had changed everything. The world has never again seen the same harmony that existed before the Time of the Ten Suns.


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Persuasive Letters Read-Aloud8DAY

Why You Should Adopt a Dog

There are thousands of dogs in the United States that need good homes. When you adopt a dog, you are doing a great service for a fellow animal that just needs some loving care. As much research has shown, animals do have feelings. Adopting a dog could end its loneliness, worry, or fear. Some of the most important reasons you should consider adopting a dog, however, are not benefi ts for the dog. They are benefi ts for you personally. They include better health, safety, and happiness.

All dogs need exercise, and some need to run several times a day. If you get out to walk your dog regularly, you will get more exercise, too. This will help you develop your muscles and make your heart stronger. It can also help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Also, having a pet such as a dog has been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

You will be safer if you adopt a dog. If someone comes near your home, your dog will bark to alert you right away. Your dog’s barking may also scare off an intruder who should not be near your home. When you walk down a street with your dog, some people will be less likely to disturb you in any way because they do not want to risk being attacked, bitten, or bothered by your dog. Your dog will be a warning sign that says, “Stay away!”

You will be happier if you adopt a dog. Dogs give most owners a feeling of being loved no matter what. They never criticize their owners. Instead, they just want to be petted and loved. Some cuddle up with their owners, while others make their owners happy just by wagging their tail or jumping around in a happy way. Many dog owners are certain that dogs can sense their owners’ moods and give them comfort when they are feeling bad. Also, when you go out and walk a dog, you might meet other dog owners and make friends with them.

For all these reasons and more, adopting a dog is a great idea. Why not visit an animal shelter today? You will make some lovable four-legged creature, as well as yourself, very happy.


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from The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mary thought Mrs. Medlock the most disagreeable person she had ever seen, with her common, highly colored face and her common fi ne bonnet.

When they set out on their journey to Yorkshire, she walked through the station to the railway carriage with her head up and trying to keep as far away from her as she could, because she did not want to seem to belong to her. It would have made her angry to think people imagined she was her little girl.

But Mrs. Medlock was not in the least disturbed by her and her thoughts. She was the kind of woman who would “stand no nonsense from young ones.” At least, that is what she would have said if she had been asked. She had not wanted to go to London just when her sister Maria’s daughter was going to be married, but she had a comfortable, well paid place as housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor and the only way in which she could keep it was to do at once what Mr. Archibald Craven told her to do. She never dared even to ask a question.

“Captain Lennox and his wife died of the cholera,” Mr. Craven had said in his short, cold way. “Captain Lennox was my wife’s brother and I am their daughter’s guardian. The child is to be brought here. You must go to London and bring her yourself.”

So she packed her small trunk and made the journey.

Mary sat in her corner of the railway carriage and looked plain and fretful. She had nothing to read or to look at, and she had folded her thin little black-gloved hands in her lap.



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“A more marred-looking young one I never saw in my life,” Mrs. Medlock thought. (Marred is a Yorkshire word and means spoiled and pettish.) She had never seen a child who sat so still without doing anything; and at last she got tired of watching her and began to talk in a brisk, hard voice.

“I suppose I may as well tell you something about where you are going to,” she said. “Do you know anything about your uncle?”

“No,” said Mary.

“Never heard your father and mother talk about him?”

“No,” said Mary frowning. She frowned because she remembered that her father and mother had never talked to her about anything in particular. Certainly they had never told her things.

“Humph,” muttered Mrs. Medlock, staring at her queer, unresponsive little face. She did not say any more for a few moments and then she began again.

“I suppose you might as well be told something—to prepare you. You are going to a queer place.”

Mary said nothing at all, and Mrs. Medlock looked rather discomfi ted by her apparent indifference, but, after taking a breath, she went on.


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“Not but that it’s a grand big place in a gloomy way, and Mr. Craven’s proud of it in his way—and that’s gloomy enough, too. The house is six hundred years old and it’s on the edge of the moor, and there’s near a hundred rooms in it, though most of them’s shut up and locked. And there’s pictures and fi ne old furniture and things that’s been there for ages, and there’s a big park round it and gardens and trees with branches trailing to the ground—some of them.” She paused and took another breath. “But there’s nothing else,” she ended suddenly.

Mary had begun to listen in spite of herself. It all sounded so unlike India, and anything new rather attracted her. But she did not intend to look as if she were interested. That was one of her unhappy, disagreeable ways. So she sat still.


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Swimming

from the CDC’s Swimming Activity Card http://www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards/swimming.html

Swimming is more than a great way to cool off when it’s hot; it’s also a fun activity that helps you work out your whole body. If you don’t know how to swim, or if you want to brush up your skills, you’ll want to take some lessons at your local pool. There, you’ll master the basics to help keep your head above water.

There are some basic moves that beginners learn when they fi rst hit the water. Beginners learn to fl oat and they learn to tread water. Both of the skills help beginners feel more comfortable in the water.

Floating Our bodies have a natural tendency to fl oat—so go with it! Relax and let the water support your body. Lie back with your arms stretched out to the side. Turn your palms up and keep the backs of your hands in the water. Arch your back, stretch out your legs (some gentle kicking will help you fl oat more easily), and take short breaths to stay relaxed. Floating is a great way to relax, or to rest while you call for help if you don’t have enough energy to swim to shore or to the side of a pool.

Treading Water Another way to keep afl oat is to tread water. Get into the water and pretend you are gently riding a bicycle, with your back straight and your arms straight out in front of you. While you’re moving your legs, sweep your arms together with your palms facing down and in. Then, sweep them back out with your palms facing down and away from each other.

Now that you know how to keep your head above the water, try swimming with your head below water!

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Staying Afl oat

Cast of Characters

Sadie: age 8

Noah: age 11, Sadie’s brother

Mom: their mother, named Rachel

Pops: the children’s grandfather

Scene One

Setting

A small boat by a dock, with Pops in the boat and the others on the dock.

Pops: (swinging Sadie into the boat) Welcome aboard the Greta Mae, Peanut!

Sadie: My name is not Peanut!

Pops: It’s Doris, isn’t it—no, Valentine—no, it’s got to be Azalea, right?

Sadie: Grampa, how many girls my age do you know?

Pops: (smiling apologetically) I’ll stop being silly right now, Sadie. (to Noah) Just hand the bags to me, young man, and then you can hop in yourself and put on your life jacket. I promise not to make any jokes about arks.

Noah and his mother get into the boat and stow their bags, and everyone

sits down and puts on life jackets. Pops starts up the motor and the boat

pulls away from the dock.

Mom: It’s hard to believe we haven’t been to the island for three whole years.

Pops: Greta’s been talking about nothing but your visit for weeks now. Remember, kids, keep your hands and arms in the boat. We’re going to go a little faster once we get out of the marina.

Noah: Did you really make this boat all by yourself, Grampa?

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Pops: I certainly did: sanded every last plank and pounded every nail—she’s a beauty, isn’t she?

Sadie: Mom, I’m getting kind of wet.

Pops: That’s only the salt spray of the ocean, young lady, the briny deep.

Mom: No, Pops, it’s our feet that are getting wet. Have you recaulked this boat recently?

Pops: (looking down) By Jove, I think the Greta Mae might have sprung a leak. (A small commotion breaks out among the passengers.) Now, now, it’s nothing to get upset about; I’m sure it’s a very minor leak, since I got here with dry feet. I’ll throttle down—and then you steer, Rachel—and Noah, move the bags up onto the seats while I look for the leak.

(He retrieves a bailing scoop, scoops out water with it once, and hands

it to Sadie.) If you’ve ever wanted to play sailor, now is the time! This is

what sailors do: they pitch in and do whatever needs doing to keep the

tub afl oat.

Mom steers the boat while Noah moves the bags and Sadie bails.

Sadie: (worried) Mom, my arm is getting tired but there’s still water in the bottom.

Mom: You’re doing a wonderful job, Sadie, but let Noah take over for a while. When we get to the island, this will all seem like a great adventure. Just think how happy Gran will be to see you two.

Noah: Hey, Grampa, what should we do about the ferry coming up behind us?

Pops: If we point the bow away from the wake, the Greta Mae will just ride that wake like a surfboard. (Mom changes course, and soon a light fog drifts over the little boat.) Hmm, now what’s this little bit of fog moving in . . .


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The Passenger Pigeon

The year was 1813. John Audubon waited in the woods by Kentucky’s Green River with a large group of men. They were expecting a fl ock of passenger pigeons that usually arrived this time of year. Audubon heard a noise like high wind in the rigging of a sailing ship. As the birds passed overhead, he reported feeling a current of air that surprised him. The birds arrived by the thousands. As Audubon observed, the birds “alighted everywhere, one above another, until solid masses were formed on the branches all around. . . . It was past midnight before I noticed any decrease in the number of those arriving.” Their noise was so loud that Audubon couldn’t hear the hunters’ guns going off all around him, bringing down birds by the hundreds.

Passenger pigeons were bluish birds that lived in fl ocks of hundreds of millions. The settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts, knew them well. In 1643, these birds so damaged the Pilgrims’ crops at Plymouth that it seemed the colonists might starve. When crops actually failed a few years later, the colonists ate the birds to survive.

Whether the birds were seen as a blessing or a curse, America’s newcomers thought the passenger pigeon would always be around.

Still, by the 1670s, people noticed fewer birds in the East. In 1770, one man wrote, “This spring I saw them fl y one morning, as I thought in great abundance. But everybody was amazed how few there were, and wondered at the reason.” At six for a penny in Boston, even poor families could afford to buy them for supper. But these birds were being overhunted.

Soon, passenger pigeons could be seen only in the Midwest where there was more forestland. The last huge fl ock was seen in Wisconsin in 1871. The pigeons fi lled an area about 75 miles long by 10 or 15 miles wide. Estimates reached as high as 136 million birds. Earlier in the century, the great birder Alexander Wilson had reported a fl ock 20 times that size.



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Many bird species raise four or fi ve new birds a year. One reason the pigeon population did not recover is that each pair raised only one chick a year. Another reason was the loss of the birds’ habitat. The enormous fl ocks needed many square miles of forest to raise the young. As farmers pushed on westward, forests disappeared.

Passenger pigeons in the wild became extinct by the turn of the century. In March 1914, Martha, the last living passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. Biologists still talk about how a species so numerous—more than the number of people on Earth at the time—could disappear completely.


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John Adams

John was born on October 30, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts. His home was a simple farmhouse shared with his parents and two younger brothers.

John’s father was a farmer, shoemaker, and church leader. John admired him greatly and planned to be a farmer, too. But John’s father wanted him to go to college.

Young John, however, had little interest in school. He loved to read the books that fi lled the little house, but he did not like the irritable teacher in the town’s one-room schoolhouse. He often skipped school to swim, fi sh, and fl y kites. So John’s father sent him to a private tutor. John regained his love of learning and was ready to go to Harvard College when he turned fi fteen.

After graduating in 1755, John took a job teaching school. He studied law on the side. In 1758, he opened his own law offi ce. His work required him to travel widely, on horseback, to visit different courts.

In 1761, John watched a Boston lawyer argue against a law that allowed British offi cials to freely enter homes, offi ces, and warehouses to search for smuggled goods. In his speech, the lawyer declared that colonists were entitled to the rights of “life, liberty, and property.” John was very impressed. He later recalled, “Then and there the child Independence was born.”

In October 1764, John married Abigail Smith. Abigail, like John, had a keen mind. The two enjoyed discussing politics. There were certainly many issues to discuss, such as the Sugar Act passed by the British Parliament earlier that year.

The Sugar Act was a tax on sugar intended to pay for the British

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army’s protection of the colonies. But many people were angry because the colonies did not have representatives in Parliament. “No taxation without representation,” they demanded. John agreed.

In 1765, Great Britain enraged colonists again by passing the Stamp Act. This law put a tax on all newspapers, contracts, and other material printed in the colonies. Many colonists refused to use the stamps. British tax collectors were attacked. Riots broke out in the streets.

John frowned on the riots, but he was against the Stamp Act. He called it “that enormous engine, fabricated by the British Parliament, for battering down all the Rights and Liberties of America.” He shared his ideas about democracy, rights, and government by writing newspaper articles and essays.

The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766. But in 1767, taxes were placed on tea, glass, and other goods imported into the colonies. Many colonists responded by boycotting British imports.

John considered himself a patriot and approved of the boycott, but not of attacks on British offi cials. He defended the nine British soldiers charged with shooting fi ve colonial protesters on March 5, 1770—an event known as the Boston Massacre.

John knew that defending the soldiers would make him unpopular. But he felt it was important to show Great Britain that colonists respected fair laws. He knew the protesters had threatened the soldiers and thrown rocks and ice at them. The soldiers, he felt, deserved a fair trial.

Though many people were dismayed by John’s action, they still respected him greatly. They elected him to the Massachusetts state government in June 1770.


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Icebergs

About 100 years ago, people around the world suddenly realized the dangers icebergs present to ships. Around midnight on April 14, 1912, the huge, new luxury ship Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. The ship sank in just a few hours. About 1,500 of the 2,200 people on board died.

As a result, the United States and 15 other countries quickly formed the International Ice Patrol, or IIP. The group’s goal was to identify dangerous icebergs and guide ships around them. Today, the group is run by the U.S. Coast Guard. IIP is proud of its record. No ship following the group’s instructions has ever run into an iceberg.

Icebergs are chunks of ice that form on land and then fl oat in an ocean or lake. They can be as small as an ice cube or larger than some countries. Scientists use the term iceberg to refer only to chunks that are more than 5 meters (16 feet) across. However, some smaller ice chunks can be especially dangerous to ships. Bergy bits (less than 5 meters across) and growlers (less than 2 meters) can be very hard for ships’ crews to see and avoid. But as dangerous as they may be, icebergs also hold many secrets about Earth’s climate and oceans.

How Icebergs Are Formed There are two great ice sheets in the world. Icebergs are created when these meet the water. The Greenland Ice Sheet, responsible for the Titanic iceberg, covers the island of Greenland. Its area is about three times the size of Texas. Still, the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the South Pole is much bigger. If it were broken up and placed over North America, it would cover all of the United States and Mexico.

The ice sheets formed over thousands of years. Snow from the winters did not melt completely in the summer. Upper layers of snow pressed down on the lower layers to form thick sheets of ice. Because the sheets are created by snow falling from the sky, they are made of fresh water rather than salt water as in the oceans.

The ice sheets are always moving, constantly sliding downhill. When they get near the ocean, they move faster. When they meet



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the ocean waters, they break into chunks. These icebergs fl oat along with ocean currents. Eventually they are carried into warmer water and melt entirely.

The Shape of Icebergs You may have heard or read the expression, “That’s just the tip of the iceberg.” This saying means that there is much more to a problem or situation than what can be seen on the surface. When scientists began to study icebergs, they found that the part that could be seen above the surface of the water, the tip, was only a small part of the whole iceberg.

Upper layers of the ice sheet are more snow than ice. The lighter layers of snow remain above water. The lower layers of ice are heavier and sink below the surface. Less than 20 percent of most icebergs can be seen above water. The rest reaches deep into the ocean. Sometimes the ice underwater can reach far out to the side of the top part. This underwater part is completely invisible to people on the surface without special scientifi c equipment.

Studying Icebergs Teams of scientists around the world study icebergs carefully. Most scientists believe that our climate is getting warmer. Icebergs break up in the same way that the ice sheets do, so some scientists study icebergs to understand how the ice sheets will be affected by warmer temperatures. Other scientists study how the cold fresh water added to the ocean from melting icebergs affects ocean currents. Changes in an ocean current can have effects on weather and travel thousands of miles away. Biologists also study the fi sh and other creatures around icebergs to see how the icebergs infl uence marine life. The water around icebergs can be especially rich in plant and animal food.

Changes in ice sheets and icebergs due to a warming climate could have a huge effect on people living near oceans. For example, if the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, ocean levels could rise about 200 feet. Most coastal cities around the world would be under water. Scientists are keeping a careful watch on icebergs as a way to predict changes in the future.


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Storm Chasers

For twenty-fi ve years, journalist Warren Faidley has chased storms. He has seen earthquakes, fl oods, fi restorms, blizzards, and tornadoes. He has appeared on television during many of these events. Faidley is a member of an unusual breed known as storm chasers. Whether professional or amateur, storm chasers hurry toward weather events while everyone else hurries away. Some chase the excitement and thrill, and others seek profi t by taking pictures or gathering information. Some want to contribute to weather science.

Dangers of Storm Chasing Storm chasing is dangerous. Storm chasers must take risks to get close enough to a storm to make the trip worthwhile. Some weather experts say that the competition for getting the scariest video or photograph has caused many journalists to put themselves in unsafe situations.

Journalist Mark Bettes experienced one of the worst tornadoes in this century. During a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma, in 2013, his car was lifted and dropped more than 300 feet away. During this same storm, an 8,000-pound vehicle had its hood ripped away. That vehicle had been specially designed to withstand tornadoes! After the storm Bettes said, “This is a wake-up call about the safety of people chasing weather.” He believes that journalists should “back off” and use more caution during severe weather events.

Benefi ts of Storm Chasing Risky or not, storm chasing has contributed to the science of meteorology. Scientists can use computer models to predict and measure storms, but a witness at the scene is invaluable. Storm chasers confi rm what is happening on the ground. They can also see things that a computer cannot, such as wind movement and destructive force.

The State University of New York at Oswego used storm chasing as a learning tool. During tornado season in 2013, twelve students traveled to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to study the



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tornadoes. Students were very positive about the experience. They said that seeing people evacuate their homes convinced them of the importance of meteorology. Being inside the storms also deepened their understanding of the violent nature of extreme storms.

The Latest Technology Some storm chasers prefer to observe from above rather than on the ground. Airplanes have long been used to chase hurricanes. However, until just recently, aircraft could not chase tornadoes.

In 2013, scientists designed a jet that could scan the skies for tornadoes. This aircraft, the Gulfstream V, searches for signs of bad weather that could be hiding beyond the clouds. The atmosphere between two and six miles above sea level greatly affects the weather. The Gulfstream V fl ies 40,000 feet in the air to investigate what happens at these heights. During the 2013 tornadoes in Oklahoma, the jet fl ew above and gathered important data. Scientists hope that this new information will help meteorologists know where the tornadoes will hit up to a day in advance. During the 2013 storm, residents had only about ten minutes to take cover.

Even if some observers use safer aircraft for gathering information, extreme storms will always lure storm chasers on the ground. For them, there is no substitute for being at the scene. Perhaps one day a tornado- and hurricane-proof vehicle will be invented for these journalists and scientists, but for now they continue to chase and take the risks.


p. 6, Graphic Organizer p. 7, Graphic Organizer

119119

Graphic Organizers with Annotations




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p. 125, Graphic Organizerp. 124, Graphic Organizer




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p. 8, Workstation 1 p. 14, Workstation 1


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STAAR Prep Questions Answer Key

Page Item Answer

91 C2 G3 B

151 C2 H3 A

251 A2 J3 D

331 A2 H3 C

451 C2 J3 A

511 C2 F3 B

611 C2 F3 D

711 D2 G3 B

771 D2 F3 D

891 C2 J3 A

Page Item Answer

991 D2 F3 D

1051 B2 J3 C

1171 C2 G3 B

1271 D2 H3 B

1371 A2 G3 C

1491 D2 G3 C

1591 A2 J3 C

1631 B2 H3 C

1751 C2 G3 A

1851 D2 J3 C

STAAR Prep Questions Answer Key


Activity Pages with Annotations

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p. 17, Activity Page p. 35, Activity Page




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