Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor The Day the Towers Fell€¦ · communicate feelings that...

While you are meeting with small groups, other students can:• read independently from your classroom library• reflect on their learning in reading response

journals• engage in literacy workstations

B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Evaluate author’s

purpose; Interpret figurative language• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s

Glossary• Word study: Easily confused words• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with dramatic expression

Writing Objectives• Writer’s tools: Mood• Write a historical fiction story using

writing-process steps

Related Resources• Comprehension Question Card• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• Tomb Robbers! A Story of Ancient Egypt,

The Strong and the Weak: Hammurabi’s Code (Level W/60)

Teacher’s Guide: hisTorical FicTion

Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor

The Day the Towers Fell

Unit-at-a-Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read

Day 2 Read “Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor”*

Day 3 Read “The Day the Towers Fell”*

Day 4 Reread “The Day the Towers Fell”*

Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*

Days 6–15 Write a historical fiction story using the process writing steps on page 10.

Level X/60

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anchor chart. We will look for how these features appear in each story we read.

• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: On December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001, enemies attacked the United States, causing much destruction and loss of lives. Let’s read about the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the World Trade Center in New York City.

• Have a student read aloud the background information while others follow along.

• Say: With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II. Upon hearing of the missions of the first three planes on 9-11-01, the passengers of the fourth plane fought back. What can you infer, or tell, from these two decisions? Allow responses. Prompt students to recognize that both the military personnel and civilians of America wanted to do everything they could to protect their country.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: Mood• Read aloud “Mood” on page 4. • Say: Sometimes authors need to establish a particular

mood in their writing. This technique helps them communicate feelings that harmonize with the content. The stories in this book have descriptions that create specific moods. Let’s practice identifying mood so we can recognize it in the stories we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Mood). Read aloud sentence 1.• Model Identifying Mood: The first paragraph

describes a quiet, lovely lake scene. Phrases such as “clear as a mirror,” “morning sun,” “woods along the lake’s edge,” “bright purple martins,” “spicy smell of pine needles,” “silence,” and “waves lapping against the poles of the rickety fishing pier” establish a mood that is peaceful, calm, and serene.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups to identify the descriptions that create mood in the remaining paragraphs and write their own paragraph creating a specific mood.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings. Point out that authors generally don’t name the moods they are trying to create. Instead, they allow readers to respond to the sensory details and interpret the mood for themselves.

• Ask each group to read one of the paragraphs students completed. Use the examples to build students’ understanding of how and why writers use mood. Remind students that establishing a specific mood helps readers connect with the scene both physically and emotionally.

• Collect groups’ paragraphs. Transfer student-written paragraphs to chart paper, title the page “Mood,” and post it as an anchor chart in your classroom.

two historical fiction stories about america under attack

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Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who

can explain what the word genre means? (Allow responses.) The word genre means “a kind of something.” Would you rather listen to jazz or classical music? Jazz and classical are different genres, or kinds, of music. Each genre has its own characteristics that we can use to identify it. In the same way, we can identify literary genres by their characteristics. As readers, we pay attention to the genre of what we are reading. If we know the genre and its characteristics, we can anticipate what will happen or what we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? List genres as students respond. Post the list on the classroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the chalkboard. Write Historical Fiction in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Historical fiction is one example of a literary genre. Think of any historical fiction stories you know. How would you define what historical fiction is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down features of a historical fiction story. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record traits on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all historical fiction stories have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute the book to each student. Read the title

aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we are going to read historical fiction stories that will help us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study historical fiction from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3 while others follow along. Invite a different student to read the web on page 3.

• Point to your Historical Fiction web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about historical fiction with what we just read. What new features of this genre did you learn? Allow responses. Add new information to the class web.

• Post this chart in your classroom during your historical fiction unit. Say: As we read historical fiction stories this week, we will come back to this

Day 1

©2011 benchmark education company, llc. all rights reserved. teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. no other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.isbn: 978-1-4509-3039-0

Before ReadingIntroduce “Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor”• Reread the historical fiction anchor chart or the web

on page 3 to review the features of historical fiction. • Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on the

title and illustrations, what do you predict this story might be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (flaunt, flout, nonplussed, passed, flammable, inflammable). Say: As you read, pay attention to these words. If you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in the surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll come back to these words after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the story, focusing on the genre

elements on the anchor chart. They should also look for examples of descriptions that create mood and think about how the author’s use of mood helps them understand how the characters feel and evokes emotions in themselves as readers.

Read “Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the story silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and to monitor their use of fix-up strategies.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice features of the genre or examples of descriptions that create mood.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Author’s Purpose• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze

the Characters, Setting, and Plot” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on page 16. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to evaluate the author’s purpose in a historical fiction story.

• Explain: An author always has a purpose for writing—sometimes more than one purpose.

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper. Why is it important for you to know about literary

genres as a reader? As a writer? What did you learn today about the characteristics of

the historical fiction genre? How can readers recognize the mood of a text? Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas

and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning.

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use some

of the reflect and review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in addition to turn and talk activities.

• Have students create genre study folders. Keep blackline masters, notes, small-group writing, and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart paper. Hang charts in the room for reference.

3two historical fiction stories about america under attack

©2011 benchmark education company, llc

Day 2

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTWO HISTORICAL FICTION STORIES ABOUT AMERICA UNDER ATTACK

BLM 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

MoodDirections: Read each paragraph. Underline descriptive details that help

create mood. Write the mood of the paragraph on the line.

1. The surface of the water was clear as a mirror, reflecting the morning sun and the woods along the lake’s edge. The air was filled with bright purple martins and the spicy smell of pine needles. The only sounds to break the silence were waves lapping against the poles of the rickety fishing pier. _____________________________________________________________

2. The cat tensed her body and hissed a warning at the veterinary assistant. She stared through narrowed eyes as the vet walked closer. The cat trembled like as a leaf as an unearthly yowl emerged from her throat. _____________________________________________________________

3. Pops put a kindly hand on Zach’s drooping shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. He would have given anything to take away the hurt. “Don’t worry, buddy,” he said huskily. “Blue’s a smart dog. If there’s any way to get back home, Blue will do it.” _____________________________________________________________

Directions: Write a paragraph that creates a specific mood or feeling.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Possible answers: peaceful, calm, serene

Possible answers: defensive, anxious, fearful

Possible answers: sympathetic, comforting, concerned

Answers will vary. Paragraphs should use concrete sensory details to create specific emotions.

In historical fiction, authors imaginatively retell incidents from the past. The stories are based on real events and facts and take place in an authentic setting, suggesting the authors’ purpose is to inform. Some characters, dialogue, and events are made up, however, suggesting the authors’ purpose is to entertain. When you read a historical fiction story, notice the blend of techniques the author uses.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Author’s Purpose) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

• Model: When I evaluate author’s purpose in a historical fiction story, I ask myself which parts the author made up and which are based on facts. Are the plot events recorded in history? Did the characters really exist? For example, in “Mere Moments,” Doreen and Jimmy are fictional, but Rita Hayworth was a popular real-life actress of the time. Facts included in a historical fiction story are meant to inform, but the imaginative elements of characters, plot, and dialogue are meant to entertain.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to note details and elements in the story and decide whether they are factual or made up. Guide students as they check details to be sure they represent historically accurate facts. Later, lead students in a discussion about author’s purpose. Encourage them to decide the author’s primary purpose based on the types and amounts of information included.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folders.

©2011 benchmark education company, llctwo historical fiction stories about america under attack

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• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right in the book. You can find the answer in one place in the text.

• Model. Read the first Find It! question. Say: When I read the question, I look for important words that tell me what to look for in the book. What words in this question do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Jimmy, stow, box, and engagement ring. On page 10, I read, “Aboard ship, Jimmy glumly stowed the box containing Doreen’s engagement ring in his locker.” This sentence answers the question.

• Use the Flip Chart to develop other Find It! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Easily Confused Words• Explain/Model. Read aloud “Easily Confused Words”

on page 4. Say: Some word pairs confuse us because they look, sound, and mean much the same thing. For example, many people make errors when they use sit and set. Until you are sure of these words, check a dictionary to confirm that you are using the correct word.

• Practice. Ask students to brainstorm pairs of easily confused words they already know. List the words on the board and have students look them up in a dictionary. Add the meaning after each word as students identify it. (For example: accept, to agree to and except, with the exclusion of; formally, following strict rules and formerly, previously)

• Say: Find boldfaced words in this story. What can you do if you don’t know what they mean? (Allow responses.) Besides looking in the glossary or a dictionary, look for clues in the text to help you figure out the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Context clues include examples, descriptions, direct definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.

Day 2 (cont.)

“Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor”

Facts Imaginative Elements

Rita Hayworth’s picture; few women; actual ships; early morning attack 12/7/41; Utah sunk; thousands killed; overflowing hospital with overworked staff

characters Jimmy and Doreen; engagement ring lost with ship; Jimmy’s escape, swim to shore, wound, and hospitalization; Doreen’s acceptance

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able to support their answers with facts and evidence directly from the text.

• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent comprehension questions.

Page Word DefinitionClue words that helped you determine word meaning

9 flaunt display very impressive, ace

10 flout treat with scorn staying out late

11 nonplussed puzzled What was going on?

11 passed happened minutes, since

13 flammable can catch fire start to burn

13 inflammable can catch fire One spark . . . flames



• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 17 using BLM 3 (Focus on Easily Confused Words). Explain that they should read the sentences around each boldfaced word to find clues that suggest its meaning.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask students to share their findings. Then ask pairs of students to write a cloze sentence for each target word that includes context clues to the word’s meaning, leaving a blank where the word belongs. Have partners read their sentences to another pair, who fill in the blanks with the correct words.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of Historical Fiction” web on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in “Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor.” Ask groups to share and support their findings.

Fluency: Read with Dramatic Expression• You may wish to have students reread the story with

a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with dramatic expression to reflect the feelings and reactions of the characters. Ask students to read aloud the first two paragraphs on page 9 using changes in pitch, tone, and stress to contrast the beauty and romance of the evening with Jimmy’s rising anxiety.

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Day the Towers Fell” • Ask students to turn to page 18. Say: Today we are

going to read “The Day the Towers Fell.” This story is written in a different format from the other historical fiction story we read. Notice how in the margins there are notes to you, the reader. The first time we read the text, we will read to understand the story, focusing on the setting, characters, and plot. Tomorrow, we will read this story like a writer and think about the notes in the margin as a model for how we can write our own historical fiction story.

• Say: Let’s look at the title, photographs, and illustrations of this story. What do you predict it might be about? Have students share predictions.

• Ask students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (consecutive, lay, laid, besides, lain, past, beside, concurrent). Ask: What do you notice about these words? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? Allow responses. Encourage students to notice that each word is very similar to at least one other target word in the story, allowing these words to be easily confused.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these words. Look for context clues in the text. After we read, we will talk about how you used the context clues provided by the author to figure out the meaning of each word.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the story, focusing on details that

develop the characters, setting, and plot—both fact and fiction. Encourage students to notice the author’s use of sensory descriptive details to establish mood.

Read “The Day the Towers Fell”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the story silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and their use of fix-up strategies.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Author’s Purpose• Say: When we evaluated the author’s purpose for

writing “Mere Moments,” we determined that she wanted to both inform and entertain readers. Today’s story combines factual content and fictional elements as well. What facts are included in “The Day the Towers Fell”? What parts are made up? How can you tell? Allow responses. As students share their analyses, synthesize their responses into a whole-group chart like the one here.

Day 3

Note Regarding This Teacher’s GuideEach book provides an opportunity for students to focus on an additional comprehension strategy that is typically assessed on state standards. The strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section) with text-specific follow-up questions found on the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also introduce an advanced language arts concept or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because students at this level should be able to consider more than one comprehension strategy per text.


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Focus on Vocabulary: Easily Confused Words• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3, which they started on Day 2. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Pair easily confused words (passed/past, consecutive/concurrent, etc.) on the board and have students write sentences using each word in context. Invite students to read their sentences aloud saying “blank” where each target word belongs. Classmates will then identify the correct word to complete the sentence and explain how they know which word to use.

• Discuss Evaluating Author’s Purpose Across Texts. Lead discussion using the following questions. What content do these two stories have in common? How does their content differ? Which main character shares more emotions and thoughts about what is happening? Why do you think this is so?

How does the plot of each story combine real events with imagined reactions?

Where has the author used descriptive details to create mood? What do these descriptions add to your experience as a reader?

Day 3 (cont.)

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Look Closer! questions. The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find the different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question.

• Model. Read the first Look Closer! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Look Closer! question. This question asks me to identify sequence of events. I know because it contains the clue words first and then. Now I need to look for other important information to find in the book. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for what Aaron does after he goes into the living room. On page 21, I find the sentence about Aaron’s trudge into the living room. Then I read that Aaron found the remote, flopped onto the sofa, and turned on the television. I have found the answer in the book. I looked in more than one sentence to find the answer.

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer! questions.


19 consecutive following miss school . . .

19 lay placed for rest in bed . . . pathetic

19 laid placed on nightstand

20 besides together with needed a walker

21 lain reclined in bed; rolled

21 past beyond changing channels from . . .

25 beside next to sat . . . with Mrs. Malik

26 concurrent at same time a third airplane

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions and report their ideas to the whole group. Is the author’s purpose in “The Day the Towers Fell” to entertain, to inform, or both? Explain.

Think of a time when you were worried about a friend or family member. How did you feel? What did you find comforting?

Fluency: Read with Dramatic Expression• You may wish to have students reread the story

with a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on using dramatic expression to communicate characters’ feelings and the importance of events. Ask students to discuss the dialogue on pages 19 and 20. What tone would Mom use? How would Aaron express his impatience and amusement? Invite students to think about how they would act out the scene on a stage. Have pairs of students read the dialogue using tone and inflection to communicate feelings and reactions.

“The Day the Towers Fell”


subway; World Trade Center’s towers; September 11, 2001; clear, sunny day; towers burning and collapsing; debris cloud; 4 planes hijacked and crashed; all aboard killed; people helping each other

Mom, Aaron, and Mrs. Malik; Aaron’s watching TV coverage of the events, becoming hysterical; phone calls going unanswered; Mom’s office on 31st floor of North Tower; dialogue; details of Mom’s trip home

©2011 benchmark education company, llc two historical fiction stories about america under attack

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Before ReadingSet a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 18. Say: Until now, we

have been thinking about historical fiction stories from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of these stories has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread “The Day the Towers Fell” and think like writers. We’re going to pay attention to the annotations in the margins. These annotations will help us understand what the author did and why she did it.

Reread “The Day the Towers Fell”• Place students in pairs or groups based on their

reading levels. Ask students to read the historical fiction story silently or whisper-read.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and annotations.

After ReadingAnalyze the Mentor Text• Explain to students that the text they have just read is

a mentor text. A mentor text is a text that teaches. This text is designed to help them understand what writers do to write a historical fiction story and why they do it.

• Read and discuss each mentor annotation with students. Encourage them to comment on the writer’s style; character, setting, and plot development; and use of literary techniques such as mood.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with

small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Prove It! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You have to look for clues and evidence to prove the answer.

• Model. Read the first Prove It! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This question asks me to analyze character. I know because it says, “the way Aaron treats Mrs. Malik.” Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to find details on page 25 that describe Aaron’s actions. In the first paragraph, I read that Aaron held Mrs. Malik’s hand. In the last paragraph, I read that he went back to sit with Mrs. Malik because he knew she still needed him. This evidence suggests that Aaron is kind and thoughtful toward Mrs. Malik.

• Guide Practice. Use the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions and support students’ text-dependent comprehension strategies.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: In the next

few days, you will have the opportunity to write your own historical fiction story. First, let’s think about how the author wrote “The Day the Towers Fell.” When she developed this story, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own historical fiction story.

• Read step 1. Say: The first thing you’ll do is decide on a time and place in history as the setting for your story. Let’s turn back to pages 9 and 19 and recall the settings of the stories we read. (Write the settings on chart paper.) What time and place in history would you like to explore? For example, I might write a story set during the difficult winter at Valley Forge during the American Revolution. What other settings could you use? Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 2. Say: In the stories we read, characters find their everyday concerns swept aside by devastating attacks. They test their inner resources, and they emerge with greater compassion and stronger relationships. Who could our characters be? Let’s make a list of characters who could help us show what it was like to live through a traumatic time and place in history. Remember, characters in historical fiction are based on real people or on the experiences of typical people of the time. Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 3. Say: Before you’re ready to write, you need a plot. “The Day the Towers Fell” tells about a family affected by the destruction of the twin towers, illustrating the terror, pain, and shock felt throughout the city and nation on that day. The mother, who has narrowly missed dying in the towers, slowly makes her way home to her panicked son. What plot, or actions, can you use to introduce, develop, and resolve the conflict that your characters must face? Choose one of the settings and some of the characters the class has brainstormed, and work as a group to construct a possible plot.

Build Comprehension: Interpret Figurative Language• Explain: Authors often use figurative language to

make story scenes vivid and help readers picture characters, settings, or events. Figurative language describes one thing by comparing it to something else. The two objects may be very different, but in one meaningful way, they are similar. One type of figurative language is metaphor. When the author

Day 4

Analyze & SynthesizePractice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take It Apart! questions. To figure out the answer to a Take It Apart! question, you must think like the author.

• Model. Read the first Take It Apart! question. Say: This question asks me to think about the author’s purpose for including an illustration in the story. Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to look on page 20 to see what the picture shows. The illustration shows part of New York City, including the twin towers. The author is showing the view from Aaron’s window, which will soon become the scene of the terrorist attack. Thinking about the illustration and story plot helps me determine the author’s purpose.

• Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart! questions.

Summarize & Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the two

historical fiction stories in this book. Invite a different student to summarize each story. Encourage other students to add their ideas and details.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the book. Say: Good readers think about how literary works are related. We know, for example, that both of these historical fiction stories share certain features. They both take place in authentic historical settings. They both have realistic characters who could have lived in the time and place portrayed. What else do they have in common? (Allow responses.) Today we will think about the story elements in both stories. We will think about how these story elements are alike and different and what we can learn from them.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).

• Class Discussion or Literature Circles. Facilitate a whole-class discussion or keep students in their small groups for a literature circle discussion. If you choose to conduct literature circles, share the rules for good discussion. Each group should discuss and be prepared to share its ideas about the following prompts. How do the stories differ in their points of view? Which point of view made you feel more involved in the story?

says the towers were “solid glass and steel anchors that pinned the skyline down,” she uses metaphor to compare the skyscrapers to anchors. The twin buildings do not look like anchors. Their size and feeling of strength, however, make them seem to hold the city in place.

• Model: Another type of figurative language is a figure of speech. Aaron says the scene on television “leaped off the screen and punched me in the gut.” Nothing literally jumped out and hit Aaron, but the sight of his mother’s workplace in ruins felt similar to a sudden blow to the stomach. Figurative language vividly expresses this impact.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to find examples of figurative language on page 22 (“boiling upward”) and page 26 (“tidal wave”). Ask each group to identify what is compared in each example and explain why they think the author made this comparison. Invite students to explain the effect of the figurative language and how it helps them understand the mood and look of the scene on the television screen.

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions.

Do you think it is easier to read historical fiction with understanding or to write historical fiction well? Why? Which glossary word you studied this week do you think you will use most often? Why? Which of the historical fiction characters do you think is most like the typical person who experienced the event? Why? As a writer, how can you create mood and use the correct words to express your meaning?

Fluency: Read with Dramatic Expression• You may wish to have students reread the story with

a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with dramatic expression as they communicate the feelings of the characters and the impact of the events unfolding around them. Ask students to discuss the dialogue and narrative on pages 24 and 25. How could they use changes in the tone and inflection of their voice to show Aaron’s anxiety and relief, Mrs. Malik’s warmth and sadness, or Mom’s shock and shakiness? Invite students to take turns reading the dialogues and narrative on these pages, using dramatic expression to reflect emotions and create mood.


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Day 4 (cont.) Day 5

• Select and read a sentence to the first student on Team A. The player supplies the target word to complete the sentence. Alternate turns between teams. When all sentences have been completed, the team with most correct answers wins.

Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance• Discuss with students the scenes in the historical

fiction stories that were most dramatic or exciting. • Say: In both stories, the horror and terror grew

as the results of the attacks became clear. When you read the stories aloud, you can demonstrate your understanding of the characters’ emotions and responses in these scenes through your expression. The way you portray fear, anxiety, relief, and other feelings helps listeners understand the characters and what they’re going through.

• Invite individual students to read one of the scenes with expression that helps listeners experience the tension of the scene.

• Encourage students to make their readings dramatic.• Invite listeners to respond to each interpretation.

Review Writer’s Tools: Mood• Ask students to look for other examples of

mood in titles from your school or classroom library. Each student should select one title at his or her independent reading level. Ask students to find examples of descriptions that create a specific mood.

• Invite students to share their examples with the class. Encourage students to discuss how the sensory details in the descriptions work to establish the mood. Point out that not all students will have found examples in the books they chose. Mood is not a tool all writers use all of the time.

How were the plots of the stories similar in their conflicts? Were problems resolved in similar ways? Explain why or why not. Which character best fits your idea of how a person would and should react in a serious emergency? Why do you think so?

• Tell students that at the end of their discussion, you will ask them to share their important text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections.

• While each small group of students discusses the book, confer with individual or small groups of students. You may wish to revisit elements of the genre, take running records, or model fluent reading skills.



Day 5 (cont.)

Rules for Good Discussion• Pay attention to the person who is talking and do

not interrupt him or her.• Think about what others are saying so you can

respond and add to their ideas.• Allow and encourage everyone in the group

to speak.• Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.

Reinforce SkillsIf time permits, choose from the following activities to reinforce vocabulary and fluency.

Reinforce Vocabulary: Beat the Confusion• Have students write cloze sentences for two or

more of the glossary words, leaving blanks where the words belong. Cut, the sentences apart. Gather the sentence strips and mix them in a box.

• Divide the class into two teams.

Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor

The Day the Towers Fell

Point of View third person first person

Setting December 7, 1941, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

September 11, 2001, in New York City

Main Characters Jimmy (seaman second class) and Doreen (nurse)

Aaron, Mom, Mrs. Malik

Situation/ Conflict

Jimmy puts off proposing. Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.

Terrorists attack U.S.; Aaron doesn’t know if his mom is alive or dead.

Write a Historical Fiction Story• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide

students through the steps of process writing. Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students work independently, circulate around the room and monitor student progress. Confer with individual students to discuss their ideas and help them move forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their historical fiction stories, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Historical Fiction Checklist). Review the characteristics and conventions of writing that will be assessed. Students will use this checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six traits of writing as they pertain to historical fiction.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Historical Fiction Planning

Guide) to brainstorm the time and place in history, characters, and plot for their story.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of Historical Fiction” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on their ideas. Did students begin their historical fiction story with an actual historical figure or event in mind? Did students support the historical aspect through their setting and plot?

Days 8–9: Draft • Have students use their completed Historical Fiction

Planning Guides to begin drafting. • Say: Remember that when writers draft their

ideas, they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling. What’s important is to focus on developing your setting, characters, and plot. You will have an opportunity to make corrections and improvements later.

• Confer with students as they complete their drafts. Use the Historical Fiction Checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the historical fiction genre that they may have overlooked. Did students introduce the time and place at the beginning of the story? Did they establish a conflict and then show a resolution? Does the story have a strong voice?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise • Based on your observations of students’ writing, select

appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre Models to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Historical Fiction Checklist as they edit and revise their stories independently.

• Confer with students, focusing on sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions.

• You may want students to continue their editing and revision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations • Ask students to rewrite or type their final drafts.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts to depict

people or events in their stories.• Confer about publishing plans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: One of the great joys of writing is sharing

your work with others. Authors may publish their books or make their work available on the Internet. They hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of these sharing ideas: Make a class display of students’ completed stories. Hold a class reading in which students can read their stories to one another and/or to parents. Create a binder of all the stories for your classroom or school library.


©2011 benchmark education company, llc10

Days 6–15

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 5

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No 1. My story has a strong lead. 2. My story is told in first or third person. 3. My story has a real historical setting with time

and place. 4. The characters could have lived in this setting. 5. My story events could have happened in my setting. 6. At least one character deals with a conflict. 7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the story. 8. I have 3 to 5 events in my story. 9. My story has a solution to the problem. 10. My story has a believable ending. 11. I used figurative language in my story.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Historical Fiction ChecklistTitle ________________________________________________________________________ ______

TWO HISTORICAL FICTION STORIES ABOUT AMERICA UNDER ATTACK

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 6

Historical Fiction Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own historical fiction story.

1. Decide on a time and place in history.

3. Brainstorm plot.

Characters Traits, Goals, Changes

Character 1:_______________

Character 2:_______________

Character 3:_______________

Character 4:_______________

Problem

Events

Solution

2. Brainstorm characters.

TWO HISTORICAL FICTION STORIES ABOUT AMERICA UNDER ATTACK


blm 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

MoodDirections: Read each paragraph. Underline descriptive details that help

create mood. Write the mood of the paragraph on the line.

1. The surface of the water was clear as a mirror, reflecting the morning sun and the woods along the lake’s edge. The air was filled with bright purple martins and the spicy smell of pine needles. The only sounds to break the silence were waves lapping against the poles of the rickety fishing pier. _____________________________________________________________

2. The cat tensed her body and hissed a warning at the veterinary assistant. She stared through narrowed eyes as the vet walked closer. The cat trembled like as a leaf as an unearthly yowl emerged from her throat. _____________________________________________________________

3. Pops put a kindly hand on Zach’s drooping shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. He would have given anything to take away the hurt. “Don’t worry, buddy,” he said huskily. “Blue’s a smart dog. If there’s any way to get back home, Blue will do it.” _____________________________________________________________

Directions: Write a paragraph that creates a specific mood or feeling.

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________



Evaluate Author’s Purpose

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart below to evaluate the author’s purpose for writing.

blm 2


“Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor”

“The Day the Towers Fell”

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Focus on Easily Confused Words

Directions: Reread each historical fiction story. Use clue words in the text to figure out the meanings of the words below.


blm 3


9 flaunt

10 flout

11 nonplussed

11 passed

13 flammable

13 inflammable

19 consecutive

19 lay

19 laid

20 besides

21 lain

21 past

25 beside

26 concurrent

Make Connections Across Texts

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Fill in the chart. Use it to compare and contrast the two historical fiction stories.


©2011 benchmark education company, llcblm 4

Mere Moments: A Story of Pearl Harbor The Day the Towers Fell

Point of View

Setting

Main Characters

Situation/ Conflict

Solution


Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No

1. My story has a strong lead. 2. My story is told in first or third person. 3. My story has a real historical setting with time

and place. 4. The characters could have lived in this setting. 5. My story events could have happened in my setting. 6. At least one character deals with a conflict. 7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the story. 8. I have 3 to 5 events in my story. 9. My story has a solution to the problem. 10. My story has a believable ending. 11. I used figurative language in my story.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No

I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Historical Fiction Checklist

Title ________________________________________________________________________ ______



Historical Fiction Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own historical fiction story.

1. Decide on a time and place in history.

3. Brainstorm plot.

Characters Traits, Goals, Changes

Character 1:_______________

Character 2:_______________

Character 3:_______________

Character 4:_______________

Problem

Events

Solution

2. Brainstorm characters.


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