• Read the Key Concept and Essential Question to students.
• Have students repeat after or choral read the Essential Question a second time. Ask students to share their initial ideas about the Essential Question.
• Tell students that natural disasters can happen anywhere and at any time. How people respond to these emergencies is important for their survival.
Model
• Read with students from the top of page 3: Natural disasters are events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and forest fires. These events cause a huge crisis in a community. Fortunately, there are people who are trained to respond to these challenges.
• Ask: A forest fire is a natural disaster. What do people do to respond or help? (Firefighters respond by dropping water. They help people leave.) What might you do to help after a natural disaster? (I could donate clothes and food, help clean up, and support rebuilding efforts.)
• Give students time to discuss with their partners. Move around the classroom to check for understanding.
Essential Question
How do people respond to natural disasters?
Unit 1 • Expository Text 2
Natural disasters are events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and forest fires. These events cause a huge crisis in a community. Fortunately, there are people who are trained to respond to these challenges.
Look at the photograph. Then talk to a partner about what you might do to help after a natural disaster. In the web, write some ways people might respond during natural disasters.
drop water from helicopters to fight forest fires
search for people trapped after an earthquake
• • Have students read the Collaborate prompt: Look at the photograph. Then talk to a partner about what you might do to help after a natural disaster. In the web, write some ways people might respond during natural disasters.
• Give students time to work on their webs before asking them to share their ideas with the whole class.
use boats to rescue people whose homes are flooded
remove falling trees after a hurricane
Natural Disasters
• Play track 02. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: alter, collapse, constant, crisis, deposits, destruction, effect, and erode.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: How would you like to alter your hairstyle? (I would like to alter my hairstyle by cutting it short.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for collapse (Heavy snow might cause a tent to collapse.), constant (I need a constant supply of snacks for when I get hungry.), and crisis (An earthquake might be a crisis.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
alter v. make someone or something different
She wanted to alter her hair color from black to red. How would you like to alter your hairstyle?
collapse v. suddenly fall down or give way
Floodwaters caused the bridge to collapse
What might cause a tent to collapse ?
constant adj. unchanging; without stopping
The firefighters spray a constant stream of water over the fire.
What do you need a constant supply of?
crisis n. a time of great danger; difficulty or doubt
Rescue workers help people during an emergency or crisis, such as a flood. What other event might be a crisis ?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
deposits n. sand, mud, leaves, or other things left in an area over a period of time
The drains were blocked by deposits after the storm.
Where do you see deposits of dirt and sand build up?
destruction n. the act of destroying something; the process of being destroyed
The dogs ran through the store, causing a lot of damage and destruction
How can wind cause destruction ?
effect n. something caused by something else happening
Anyone missing practice will have a negative effect on the whole soccer team.
What is the effect of global warming?
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: Where do you see deposits of dirt and sand build up? (I see deposits of dirt and sand build up in the corners of my yard.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for destruction (Wind can cause destruction by knocking down trees.), effect (The effect of global warming is more extreme weather.), and erode (Rain could erode a mountain.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
erode v. slowly wear away through the action of wind or rain
The statues will erode over hundreds of years.
What could erode a mountain?
• Continue to introduce each vocabulary word using the Define/Example/Ask routine.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: force, hazard, natural disasters, severe, substantial, unpredictable, and warning
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What can the force of water do? (The force of water can carve out canyons.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for hazard (Too many things plugged into an outlet could be a hazard in my home.), natural disasters (We have tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, forest fires and wildfires, and even volcanic eruptions.), and severe (I hope I would be able to stay calm, but it would depend on what is happening and who I am with.)
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
force n. strength or power
The firefighter used force to break down the door. What can the force of water do?
hazard n. a danger or risk
Eating unhealthy food can be a hazard to your health. What could be a hazard in your home?
natural disasters n. events that cause great damage and destruction that were not caused by people
Everyone should learn how to deal with natural disasters
What natural disasters happen in your country?
severe adj. extreme; very serious
With the flood waters rising, we were in severe danger. Would you be able to stay calm if you were in severe danger?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
substantial adj. large in amount or size
It took the police a substantial amount of effort and time to solve the crime.
How do you spend a substantial amount of your time each day?
unpredictable adj. hard to understand; acting without an understandable reason
The behavior of dogs can be unpredictable when they are scared. What is something unpredictable in your life?
warning n. an alert or alarm
He was let off with a warning not to make the same mistake again.
How would you give a warning to your friend?
COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: How do you spend a substantial amount of your time each day? (I spend a substantial amount of my time each day reading.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for unpredictable (My teacher’s pop quizzes are something unpredictable in my life.) and warning (I would give a warning to my friend by saying, “Be careful.”).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
SHARED READ
TAKE NOTES
Understanding why you are reading helps you adjust how you read. For example, if you are reading for information, you might reread sections to make sure you understand the text. Preview the text and write your purpose for reading.
As you read, make note of:
Interesting Words
Key Details
Essential Question
How do people respond to natural disasters?
Read about how people prepare for natural disasters.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona
Before Reading
Page 8
Build
Background
• Discuss with students changes that happen to Earth. Say: Who can share something they know about volcanic eruptions or earthquakes? Maybe you’ve heard about erosion on a beach or seen a landslide in the news.
• Have them describe using “I know/learned about ___.”
• Explain that changes are happening all the time to Earth’s surface.
• Read the Essential Question: How do people respond to natural disasters?
• Explain the meaning of the Essential Question, including the vocabulary in the question. Say: Respond can mean to answer, such as responding to a question. It can also mean to take action. Nature includes everything around us that is not made by people, like the earth, the sea, and the weather. A natural disaster occurs when nature causes significant destruction and harm.
• Model an answer. Say: People respond to natural disasters by helping others stay safe and by rebuilding what has been damaged or destroyed. They may also take steps to ensure they are better prepared for the next time a natural disaster occurs.
• Have students connect the Essential Question to their background knowledge. Say: Turn to a partner and think of a type of natural disaster you have learned about, such as an earthquake. Discuss what happens during an earthquake and how people can stay safe. Then, we’ll share our ideas with the class. Call on several pairs to share their discussions.
Set Purpose for Reading
• Say: Today we will read “A World of Change” and focus on understanding how Earth’s changes occur. As we read, think about the Essential Question: How do people respond to natural disasters?
Take Notes
• Have students look at the TAKE NOTES prompt on page 8.
• Guide them to write down their questions, interesting words, and key details from the text in the left column on page 8.
Previewing the Text
• Before students begin reading the story, have them look at the images and headings on pages 8-11.
• Ask them to share what they see on each page to activate their prior knowledge, engage their curiosity, and enhance their comprehension of the story.
• Have students go back to page 8.
• Ask: What is the title of this story? (“A World of Change”) What does the title suggest about the story? (The story is likely about how the world is changing, possibly due to natural disasters.)
Listening Activity
• Play track 03 and have students follow along in their books until the end of page 11.
• After listening, invite them to share what they heard or ask questions.
• Reassure them that it’s okay if they don’t remember everything, as the story will be reviewed in detail during class.
During Reading
Interactive Question-Response Routine
• After each paragraph, ask questions to help students understand the meaning of the text.
• Explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts and words.
• Reinforce the meaning of new vocabulary.
• Ask students questions that require them to use the vocabulary.
• Reinforce weekly strategies and skills by modeling and asking questions.
• Use images and other text features to aid students’ comprehension.
• Use headings to help students predict what the sections will be about.
Earth may seem as if it is a large rock that never changes. Actually, our planet is in a constant state of change. Natural changes take place every day. These activities alter the surface of Earth. Some of these changes take place slowly over many years. Others happen in just minutes. Whether they are slow or fast, both kinds of changes have a great effect on our planet.
Slow and Steady
Some of Earth’s biggest changes can’t be seen. That is because they are happening very slowly. Weathering, erosion, and deposition are three natural processes that change the surface of the world. They do it one grain of sand at a time.
Weathering occurs when rain, snow, sun, and wind break down rocks into smaller pieces. These tiny pieces of rock turn into soil, but they are not carried away from the landform.
Erosion occurs when weathered pieces of rock are carried away by a natural force such as a river. This causes landforms on Earth to get smaller. They may even completely collapse over time. The Grand Canyon is an example of the effect of erosion. It was carved over thousands of years by the Colorado River.
After the process of erosion, dirt and rocks are then dropped in a new location. This process is called deposition. Over time, a large collection of deposits may occur in one place. Deposition by water can build up a beach. Deposition by wind can create a substantial landform, such as a sand dune.
EXPOSITORY TEXT
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraph 1
Compare and Contrast
Underline the words that tell how some natural changes are different from other natural changes.
Paragraphs 2–5 Reread
Circle the three natural processes that slowly change Earth's surface.
Draw a box around the words that explain how the Grand Canyon was formed. What happens to dirt and rocks after the process of erosion? Write it here.
They are dropped in a new location.
Author's Craft
How does the author show you the causes and effects of natural processes?
Reread
Paragraph 1 Compare and Contrast
• Read paragraph 1 together. Ask: How are changes to Earth’s surface similar? How are they different? Explain: The text tells me that Earth’s surface is constantly changing. The words some and others help me find a difference between types of changes. The changes can be fast, or they can be slow. Guide students to identify a similarity in the text, using the signal word both to help them.
• Ask: When do natural changes happen? (every day) What do fast and slow natural changes do? (Both change Earth’s surface.) Point to the word whether and explain that it tells that there are choices or possibilities. Have students read the last sentence. Ask: What are the choices? (Earth’s changes are slow or fast.)
• Explain that whether sounds the same as weather but is spelled differently. Have partners use the words whether and weather to generate their own sentences and indicate the spelling of the word for each sentence: The weather is rainy. We will go to the movie whether it rains or snows.
• Read the Compare and Contrast prompt with the students and have them complete the task. Say: Underline the words that tell how some natural changes are different from other natural changes.
Paragraphs 2–5
Reread
• Read paragraphs 2-5 together. Ask: What are the three natural processes that change Earth’s rocks? How does each process work? Explain: I know I’m looking for types of natural processes. In paragraph 2, the author lists different natural processes. Now I need to find out how each process changes rocks. I read on to see what happens to rocks in each of these processes.
• Ask: What are the three processes that change Earth’s surface slowly? (weathering, erosion, and deposition) What happens during weathering? (Rain, snow, sun, and wind break down rocks into smaller pieces.) What happens during erosion? (Rivers and natural forces carry away pieces of rock.) What happens during deposition? (Soil and rock from erosion get dropped at a new location.)
• Have partners compare and contrast erosion and deposition using signal words, such as both and in contrast. (Both erosion and deposition are processes that change Earth’s surface. During erosion, the small pieces of rock get carried away. In contrast, during deposition the small pieces of rock get dropped in a new location.)
• Read the first Reread prompt with the students and have them complete the task. Say: Circle the three natural processes that slowly change Earth’s surface. Read the second Reread prompt with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Draw a box around the words that explain how the Grand Canyon was formed. What happens to dirt and rocks after the process of erosion? Write it here. (They are dropped in a new location.)
• Tell students that they will reread this page to analyze the techniques the author used in writing this selection.
• Help reinforce students’ understanding of cause and effect.
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author show you the causes and effects of natural processes? (The author describes each of the natural processes and explains the way that each slowly changes Earth’s surface. The author gives examples of the natural processes to show the effects they have had.)
Reread
Author's Craft
SHARED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraphs 1–3
Compare and Contrast
Underline the three different ways people try to stop beach erosion. Write them here.
1 2 3
Paragraphs 4–5
Reread
Draw a box around the text that explains why volcanic eruptions and landslides are called natural disasters. Circle words that explain how magma moves.
What can happen when an eruption occurs without warning?
Although erosion is a slow process, it still creates problems for people. Some types of erosion are dangerous. They can be seen as a hazard to communities.
To help protect against beach erosion, people build structures that block ocean waves from the shore. They may also use heavy rocks to keep the land from eroding. Others grow plants along the shore. The roots of the plants help hold the soil and make it less likely to erode.
Unfortunately, people cannot protect the land when fast natural processes occur.
Fast and Powerful
Fast natural processes, like slow processes, change the surface of Earth. But fast processes are much more powerful. They are often called natural disasters because of the destruction they cause. Volcanic eruptions and landslides are just two examples.
Volcanoes form around openings in Earth’s crust. When pressure builds under Earth’s surface, hot melted rock called magma is forced upwards. It flows up through the volcano and out through the opening. Eruptions can occur without warning. They have the potential to cause a crisis in a community.
Read eruptions, happen They and heavy hill landslides Others and Be people disasters. occur unpredictable communities be constantly natural processes swift. the that
Reread
Author's Craft
How does the author use headings to give and organize information?
Read
Paragraphs 1–3
Compare and Contrast
• Read paragraphs 1-3 together. Ask: How can people try to stop the erosion on a beach? Explain: I know many beaches have a lot of sand, and ocean waves can wash away the sand. The author says that people can help stop beach erosion. Here’s one way: people can build something to keep the waves away from the sand. I’ll read on to find out if there are other things people can do. Have students read the paragraph aloud. Then, discuss ways people can try to stop beach erosion.
• Read the Compare and Contrast prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Underline the three different ways people try to stop beach erosion. Write them here. (build structures to block waves from the shore, use heavy rocks, grow plants to hold soil)
Paragraphs 4–5
Reread
• Read paragraphs 4-5 together. Ask: Why does a volcanic eruption cause a lot of destruction? Explain: The author tells me what happens inside of a volcano when it erupts, or “blows its top.” A lot of pressure, or force, pushes the hot lava. It has to end up somewhere. Have students speculate what might be destroyed by the flowing lava and debris ejected from the volcano. Tap into students’ prior knowledge by asking those who have seen an eruption in person, on TV, or in a movie, to explain what happens to the lava.
• Read the heading. Ask: How is this heading different from the previous heading? (fast is the opposite of slow, powerful means “with a lot of force”) What will the section be about? (changes that happen quickly) What natural processes are fast and powerful? (volcanic eruptions, landslides) What causes a volcanic eruption? (Pressure builds up under Earth’s surface.)
• Read the Reread prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Draw a box around the text that explains why volcanic eruptions and landslides are called natural disasters. Circle words that explain how magma moves. What can happen when an eruption occurs without warning? (It can cause a crisis.)
Author's Craft
• Read the heading “Fast and Powerful” with students. Then read the first two sentences in paragraph 4, focusing on the words fast and powerful.
• Ask: How does the heading relate to the information in paragraphs 4 and 5? (It tells readers what the paragraphs will be about, so they know what kind of information they will read.) Why is “Fast and Powerful” a good heading? Help students conclude that the author uses fast and powerful to describe volcanoes and landslides.
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author use headings to give and organize information? (The headings tell what each section is about. They organize the text in a way to compare and contrast slow and fast changes.)
Specific Vocabulary
Explain that words can come from names in Greek or Roman myths. Point to the words volcanic and volcanoes on page 10. Tell students that these words come from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.
• Ask: How is Vulcan related to what you know about volcanoes? (Melted rock from volcanoes burns like fire.)
• Use the information about Vulcan to write a definition of the word volcano (A volcano is an opening in Earth’s crust where fiery magma and ash come out.)
Reread
Like volcanic eruptions, landslides can happen without warning. They occur when rocks and dirt, loosened by heavy rains, slide down a hill or mountain. Some landslides are small. Others can be quite large and cause severe damage.
Be Prepared
In contrast to slow-moving processes, people cannot prevent the effects of fast-moving natural disasters. Instead, scientists try to predict when these events will occur so that they can warn people. Still, some disasters are unpredictable and strike without warning. It is important for communities to have an emergency plan in place so that they can be evacuated quickly.
The surface of Earth constantly changes through natural processes. These processes can be gradual or swift. They help to make Earth the amazing planet that it is!
People prepare for natural disasters by building barriers against erosion, having evacuation plans, and scientists predicting when disasters will happen to warn everyone.
Make Connections
Talk about different ways that people prepare for natural disasters. ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can you help others who have been in a natural disaster? TEXT TO SELF
We can help after a natural disaster by donating food and clothes, volunteering to clean up, listening to those affected, and raising money for recovery efforts.
EXPOSITORY TEXT
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraphs 1–3
Multiple-Meaning Words
In the second sentence in paragraph 1, the word slide is used as a verb. Underline context clues that help give the meaning. What is another meaning for slide?
something in a playground that you play on
Diagrams
Look at the diagram. How does the magma travel through the volcano? Write it here.
It goes from the magma chamber, up the pipe, and out the vent.
Summarize
Use your notes, the diagram, and the images to help you summarize "A World of Change." Compare slow and fast changes to Earth's surface.
Magma Chamber
Paragraphs 1–3
Multiple-Meaning Words Read
• Read paragraphs 1-3 together. Say: The word slide has more than one meaning. Discuss some meanings: a slipping movement, a picture in a slideshow, a device to hold a scientific specimen under a microscope, and playground equipment. Read the paragraph aloud and ask: What clues help you know which meaning of slide is being used? (loosened by heavy rains, down a hill or mountain) Challenge partners to create two sentences: one with slide meaning “move or slip,” and one with another meaning of slide. Have partners share their sentences with the class.
• Read the Multiple-Meaning Words prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks: In the second sentence in paragraph 1, the word slide is used as a verb. Underline context clues that help give the meaning. What is another meaning for slide? (something in a playground that you play on)
Diagrams
• Discuss the parts of the volcano in the diagram with students. Reread the last paragraph on page 10 with them and trace the process of a volcanic eruption, described in the text, using the diagram.
• Have partners retell what happens during a volcanic eruption using the diagram. (A volcano erupts when pressure builds under Earth’s surface. Magma flows up the pipe and comes out through the vent of the crater.)
• Read the Diagrams prompt with the students and have them complete the task: Look at the diagram. How does the magma travel through the volcano? Write it here. (It goes from the magma chamber, up the pipe, and out the vent.)
Remind students that the purpose of this text is to explain the origins and effects of natural disasters. Point out that text features present information and convey the author’s purpose.
• Ask: What does the diagram show? (a volcano erupting) How does the diagram relate to the author’s purpose? (It shows the reader how a natural disaster occurs.)
Summarize
• After their first read, ask partners to orally summarize the selection using their notes.
• Allow students to work in pairs, small groups, or independently to complete this task. (Earth undergoes constant changes, both slow and fast, that shape its surface. Slow changes include weathering, erosion, and deposition, which occur over long periods and alter landforms gradually. Fast changes, such as volcanic eruptions and landslides, happen suddenly and can cause significant damage. While people can take measures to mitigate slow changes, fast changes often require preparedness and prediction efforts. Both types of changes highlight Earth’s dynamic nature, making it an everevolving planet.)
Make Connections
• Invite students to address the Make Connections box as a small group or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss both questions with their peers.
• • Explain to students that if they are unsure of something in a text, they can reread the difficult parts to make sure they are understanding. Rereading can also help readers remember key information.
• Have students read the Quick Tip box to learn more about rereading to help their understanding.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Using page 10, model how to reread to help understand information in “A World of Change.”
• Say: I am not sure why a volcano erupts. I can reread the section “Fast and Powerful” to help me figure it out. I read that pressure builds up beneath Earth’s surface. This causes magma to move up. I can now infer that the pressure below the surface is what causes the volcano to erupt.
• Read the Readers to Writers box together with students to learn more about inferences.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY
Reread
When you read an expository text, you may come across facts and ideas that are new to you. As you read “A World of Change,” you can reread the difficult sections to make sure you understand them and to help you remember key details.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
You may not be sure why a volcano erupts. Reread the section “Fast and Powerful” on page 10 of “A World of Change.”
Quick Tip
If you read something you don’t understand, stop and write or draw what you do not understand on a sticky note. Read the text again and look for context clues. Rereading may make the meaning clear. Use these sentence starters to help you.
• I don’t know . . .
• I reread that . . .
COLLABORATE
Volcanoes form around openings in Earth's crust. When pressure builds under Earth's surface, hot melted rock called magma is forced upwards. It flows up through the volcano and out through the opening. Eruptions can occur without warning. They have the potential to cause a crisis in a community.
I read that when pressure builds under Earth’s surface, magma is forced upwards. From this I can draw the inference that pressure below the surface causes a volcano to erupt.
Your Turn What happens to rock during weathering? Reread the section “Slow and Steady” on page 9 to find out. As you read, remember to use the strategy Reread.
• Now I know that . . .
Readers to Writers
An expository text tells readers about a topic. History lessons, science books, and biographies are examples of expository texts. The author presents a central idea and supports it with facts and evidence. The information in the text helps you to make inferences, or reach conclusions based on the evidence.
•
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: What happens to rock during weathering? Reread the section “Slow and Steady” on page 9 to find out. As you read, remember to use the strategy Reread. (Rain, snow, sun, and wind break down rocks into smaller pieces, which later become soil.)
Page 10
•
Diagrams and Headings
The selection “A World of Change” is an expository text. Expository text gives facts, examples, and explanations about a topic. It may include text features—such as diagrams, headings, or charts—that organize information.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
“A World of Change” is an expository text. It gives many facts about Earth’s processes. Each section has a heading that tells me what the section is about. The diagram gives me more information on the topic.
Readers to Writers
Writers use diagrams with pictures and labels to explain more details about the topic. They use headings to organize the information in sections. How can you use these text features in your writing?
Diagrams Diagrams show the parts of something or the way a process works. They have labels for their different parts. Headings Headings tell what a section of text is mostly about.
Your Turn List three text features in “A World of Change.” Tell your partner what information you learned from each of the features.
•
Explain
• Explain the characteristics of an expository text. Expository texts give facts, examples, and explanations about a given topic.
• Point out that an expository text may include text features to help readers fully understand the information being shared. These may include diagrams, headings, or charts to organize information.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Model identifying the characteristics of an expository text in “A Word of Change.” Use page 11 to discuss text features used by the author.
• Say: Each section in this selection has a heading. This tells me what that section will be about. I also can see a diagram on the page. This gives me detailed information about the process through which a volcanic eruption occurs.
Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: List three text features in “A World of Change.” Tell your partner what information you learned from each of the features. (Headings tell me if the text will be about slow changes or fast changes. Photographs show me what different changes look like. The diagram shows me the parts of a volcano and how it erupts.)
• Read the Readers to Writers box with students and talk more about text features.
• Tell students that pictures and photographs can also be used in text features to help readers understand a process.
•
• Tell students that authors will use different text structures for their essays depending on their purpose for writing. Comparison is a kind of text structure that can be used to show how things are alike and different.
COMPREHENSION SKILL
Compare and Contrast
Authors use text structure to organize the information in a text. Comparison is one kind of text structure. Authors who use this text structure tell how things are alike and different.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Looking back at pages 9–10 of “A World of Change," I can reread to learn how slow natural processes and fast natural processes are alike and different. Words such as some, but, both, and like let me know that a comparison is being made.
Quick Tip
• Model how to identify the compare and contrast text structure in “A World of Change.”
• Say: On pages 9 and 10, I reread to learn about different natural processes. I read that there are slow and fast natural processes. I can compare how they are alike and different using a Venn diagram. To do this, I look for words such as some, but, both, and like
Happen over a long time People can protect the land. Change Earth's surface Happen suddenly People cannot protect the land.
Your Turn Reread the section “Fast and Powerful” on pages 10–11. Compare and contrast volcanoes and landslides. List the information in the graphic organizer.
When you want to compare things, look at how the things are alike. When you want to contrast things, look at how the things are different. These words are used to help you compare: alike, and, both, similar, same. These words are used to help you contrast: unlike, different, or, but.
Volcanoes form around openings in Earth’s crust. Hot melted rock called magma flows up from under Earth’s surface. It spills out of the volcano’s opening.
Both are fast changes to Earth’s surface. They can happen without warning. People cannot prevent them. They can cause destruction and lead to a crisis.
Landslides are rocks and dirt that get loose after heavy rains and slide down a hill or mountain. Some landslides are small and some are large.
•
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Reread the section “Fast and Powerful” on pages 10-11. Compare and contrast volcanoes and landslides. List the information in the graphic organizer.
• When students complete the organizer on this page, have them create another in their notebooks. Invite them to read the last section of “A World of Change” and compare how people can prepare for different types of processes.
• Have students turn to page 16.
• Say: You will be responding to the reading. When we see questions about something we read, we need to be able to provide text evidence. This is the information from the text that helps us answer a question.
• Read aloud the questions and the discussion starters for each of the questions.
• Guide students to work with a partner to answer the questions orally using the discussion starters.
• Have students find text evidence to support their answers. Have them write the page number(s) where the answers can be found.
• 1. How do people protect a beach against erosion? (People protect a beach by building structures to prevent waves from coming onto the shore. I also read that they can use heavy rocks or plants to keep the beach from eroding.)
• 2. Why is it more difficult to prepare for a fast-moving disaster? (One reason a fast-moving disaster is more difficult to prepare for is they are very powerful and happen suddenly. A second reason is they can be small or very large, causing a lot of damage.)
• 3. How do people prepare for a fastmoving disaster? (Scientists try to predict when fast-moving disasters will occur. I read that people need to have a plan in place so they can evacuate quickly.)
RESPOND TO READING
Discuss Work with a partner. Use the discussion starters to answer the questions about “A World of Change.” Write the page numbers.
Q uestions
How do people protect a beach against erosion?
Why is it more difficult to prepare for a fastmoving disaster?
People protect a beach by . . . I also read that they . . .
Page(s):
One reason a fast-moving disaster is more difficult to prepare for is . . .
A second reason . . . Page(s):
How do people prepare for a fast-moving disaster? Scientists try to . . . I read that people
• After students have attempted the activity, call on students to share their answers.
• Ask: How do we know what the answers are? (Students should be able to say something about looking back in the text to find the information.)
Discuss Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents the information. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
How does the author help the reader understand and plan for fast changes and slow changes to Earth’s surface? Try to include new vocabulary in your response.
The author compares and contrasts the fast changes and the slow changes to Earth’s surface. This helps readers understand what causes these natural processes. For the slow processes, the author explains how people build structures and grow plants along the shore to prevent beach erosion. For the fast processes, the author warns how these processes are unpredictable. The author tells readers that communities must prepare for fast changes, such as volcanic eruptions and landslides.
Quick Tip
Use these sentence starters to discuss the text and organize your ideas.
• Slow changes to Earth’s surface happen when . . .
• Fast changes to Earth’s surface happen when . . .
• For slow changes to Earth’s surface, people can . . .
• For the fast changes, people can . . .
Grammar Connections
An adverb is a word that tells us more about a verb, an adjective, or another adverb Adverbs of frequency tell how often an action or activity happens. Some examples are: usually, often, always, sometimes. Adverbs of degree tell how much or to what extent. For example: The lake is very beautiful. Very is an adverb of degree that modifies the adjective beautiful
• Have students look at page 17.
• Before reading the prompt with students, say: You will be responding to the reading by answering specific questions based on the notes you took.
• Read the Discuss prompt together: Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents the information. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
• Read the Quick Tip and Grammar Connections boxes together with students.
• Tell students to answer the questions independently and that there will be time to share with the whole class later.
• • Say: We will be looking at multiplemeaning words. These are words that may have more than one meaning. Explain that we can figure out the meaning of a multiple-meaning word by looking at other words or phrases nearby for clues.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Say: Look at the Find Text Evidence section. It gives us more information about how to find the meaning of multiple-meaning words by looking for clues in the sentence.
• Say: I see the word block. I know there are a few different meanings for this word. I use the surrounding words to help me figure out which meaning fits the word in the sentence. I notice the word protect and the phrase “ocean waves from the shore.” These help me figure out that block means “stop” in this sentence.
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Multiple-Meaning Words
Some words may have more than one meaning. To figure out the meaning of a multiplemeaning word, check the words and phrases near it for clues.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
There are a few different meanings for the word block, so it is a multiple-meaning word. The word protect and the phrase "ocean waves from the shore" help me figure out that the meaning for the word block in this sentence is "stop."
To help protect against beach erosion, people build structures that block ocean waves from the shore.
Your Turn Use context clues to figure out the meanings of the following words in “A World of Change.”
place, page 9, paragraph 1
The word take helps me know it means “happen.”
shore, page 10, paragraph 2
The words ocean waves help me know shore means “beach.”
Unit 1 • Expository Text 18
Guided Practice Your Turn
• • Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Use context clues to figure out the meanings of the following words in “A World of Change.”
• Have students determine the meaning of the words place from page 9 and shore from page 10.
•
Directions
Directions are step-by-step instructions for doing something. Read through all the steps before you begin a task. Then gather the materials you will need. Do each step in order. With your partner, read aloud and follow the directions below for a wind erosion experiment.
What You Need
• safety goggles
• 1 to 2 cups of sand
• 1 rectangular foil pan
• drinking straw
• markers and paper
Directions
1. Wear safety goggles.
2. Pour sand into the pan.
3. Spread sand to cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Use the straw to blow lightly across the top of the sand.
5. Observe and draw what happens.
Write Directions Research erosion with your partner. Find another experiment to show how erosion works. Your science book may have one. Then write your directions for the experiment. Be sure to
• include all the materials needed
• list the steps in order
• test the experiment to make sure it works
What do you predict will happen when you blow on the sand? Write your prediction here.
When I blow on the sand, it will move the sand slowly and create a small pile.
•
• Tell students that directions are a set of instructions that tell someone how to do something. They are step-bystep, which means that they tell us how to do something one step in the process at a time.
• Have students read the Directions section with their partner and complete the prompt activity at the side of the page.
Restate the directions to your partner to make sure you haven't missed a step. Add photographs and art to your directions. After you finish, you will be sharing your work with the class.
Guided Practice Write Directions
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Write Directions prompt and help them begin their initial work with their partner.
• Students will need to research other erosion experiments and create a set of directions for carrying out the experiment.
• Remind students to read the prompt carefully and make sure they include all the listed items in their directions.
• Play track 04. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: emergencies, forecasts, hesitated, pouring, receded, set off, and submerged.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What emergencies do coast guards deal with? (Coast guards deal with drowning swimmers as emergencies.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for forecasts (If the weather forecasts say it will be windy, I might close all the windows.), hesitated (I hesitated before trying a new food.), and pouring (When it’s pouring, I like to stay inside and read a book.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
emergencies n. sudden dangers that need to be taken care of immediately
Police and firefighters need to respond quickly to emergencies What emergencies do coast guards deal with?
forecasts n. predictions; ideas about what will happen
The weather forecasts all say it will rain today. What might you do if the weather forecasts say it will be windy?
hesitated v. paused; stopped for a short time
The rabbits hesitated before climbing out of the hole.
When have you hesitated before doing something?
pouring v. raining heavily
We couldn’t play outside because it was pouring What do you do when it’s pouring ?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
receded v. pulled back; moved away from something
The ocean receded as the tide went out.
Where have you seen waters that have receded ? set off phr. v. left in order to begin a journey
My family set off early in the morning to visit my grandparents. What do you need before you set off on a trip? submerged v. put under water or another liquid
My phone was submerged in water, now it doesn’t work.
When have you been submerged in water?
COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: Where have you seen waters that have receded? (I have seen waters that have receded at the beach during low tide.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for set off (Before I set off on a trip, I need to pack my clothes.) and submerged (I have been submerged in water when I went swimming in the pool.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
• Have students turn to page 22 and recall their previous discussion about the Essential Question: How do people respond to natural disasters?
• Have students look at the photograph on pages 22-23 before reading the story.
• Ask: What do you see? Students should be able to talk about the photographs they see.
• Say: This is a Paired Read text. It is called “Weathering the Storm.” We will listen to the audio first and then read together. When we read together, we will need to do some tasks.
• Play track 05 and have students follow along in their books as they listen to the text. Stop at the end of the text on page 23.
• Have students go back to page 22. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Circle the event that happened on the same weekend as the Girl Scout camporee.
severe floods
Essential Question
How do people respond to natural disasters?
Read a personal narrative about being caught in a flood.
Weathering the Storm
by Anna Whittemore
Paragraph 3
Underline where the author was staying while on the trip.
Paragraph 6
What was for sure, according to the author?
Nobody was leaving the campsite anytime soon.
The severe floods came on the same weekend that the Girl Scouts of Tennessee had scheduled a “camporee.” This is an event where troops come together at a Girl Scout camp.
There had been forecasts of thunderstorms all week. That hadn’t discouraged me, my mom (our group leader), and two of the other Girl Scouts in my troop. We were going, no matter what. On Friday afternoon, we loaded our bags and food into my mother’s tiny red car and set off on the two-hour journey.
Our cabin had running water, a full kitchen, a bathroom, and four bedrooms. We were sharing it with another troop. After setting up our beds and telling stories, we went to sleep.
That night, it started raining.
COLLABORATE
Talk with a partner about a time you experienced severe weather. How did you stay safe?
I woke up at 5:00 am to thunder and lightning. All morning it was pouring. All programs were canceled, which meant no horseback riding or tree climbing. Some of the troops had left that morning in case of flooding.
After lunch, I was walking to the bridge over the river. I looked at the field I had to cross and saw another river! Twenty-four hours earlier, the field had been dry. Our road was submerged, too. One thing was for sure: nobody was leaving our “island” any time soon.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about a time you experienced severe weather. How did you stay safe? (Once, I went hiking with a friend in the mountains. It began to snow, so we stopped in an old shed along the path and waited for it to stop. Then, we had to hike back through waist-deep snow, and we were very cold by the time we got home.)
That night, a Brownie troop moved in with us. Their original cabin had been flooded through the chimney. There were tornado warnings that night, so to avoid more hazards, all of us kids piled into the bathroom to sleep.
When morning came, we were a little sore and tired, but we were all fine. The same could not be said for the road out! The water level was even higher than before. We hesitated to call the EMS because they were busy taking care of real emergencies. We had plenty of food, water, and board games, so we were not in crisis
Some local troops left that day, taking the “emergency exit,” an extremely muddy dirt road. But the problem of getting ourselves out remained. The main road was underwater, and the bridge would likely be ripped off by raging water. My mother’s tiny car would never make it out on the muddy emergency exit road. We couldn’t go on foot. We had to accept that we would have to stay another night and miss school and work.
The next day brought great news. The water had completely receded, leaving the bridge crossable. We waited till 11:00, packed the car, and with only a slight delay—getting stuck in the muddy driveway—we made our way out.
Even though some parts of the trip were less than amazing, I had fun. I got to see flash floods, play in puddles for the first time in years, and get a tiny taste of what it was like to be in a natural disaster—without ever really being in danger. I’m grateful that no one got hurt. Next time I go camping, though, I am going to cancel at the slightest hint of rain!
Make Connections
What steps did the narrator take to protect herself during the flood? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
In what ways are floods similar to and different from earthquakes? TEXT TO TEXT
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Circle the name of the group who moved into the author’s cabin.
Paragraph 2
Underline the reason why the girls were NOT in crisis.
Paragraph 5
What was the author’s overall opinion of the trip?
Overall, the author had a positive opinion of the trip.
• Have students move to page 23. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about a time when you were on a trip that was less than amazing. (I was once on a camping trip when it rained. It didn’t flood, but everything was muddy and wet, and there were deep puddles everywhere. The worst part was that it was too wet for a fire, so there was no way to get warm.)
COLLABORATE
Talk with a partner about a time when you were on a trip that was less than amazing.
• Say: To finish analyzing the text, we are going to make connections. Look at the questions in the Make Connections box.
• Allow students to work in pairs, as small groups, or independently to answer the first question. (She stayed in a safe place during the flooding.)
• Invite students to address the second question as small groups or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss the question with their peers. (Floods are natural disasters, like earthquakes. However, floods are weather-related while earthquakes are not.)
• Have students turn to page 24.
• Before reading through the page, say: We will be looking at ways to answer questions about the text.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
• Say: Look at the Quick Tip box. It gives us more information about using sensory details to help us understand the text better.
• Read the Quick Tip box together.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Have students talk with their partners about what happens at the camp. (Students should be able to talk about the rain and flooding described in the reading.)
Cite Text Evidence
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to use text evidence from “Weathering the Storm” to add information to the graphic organizer.
PAIRED READ Reread
How does the author order the events to help you understand what happens in a flood?
Quick Tip
COLLABORATE
Talk About It Reread pages 22-23. Talk with a partner about what happens at the camp.
At 5:00 a.m. there was thunder and lightning, and it rained all morning.
When you reread, look for words that tell what the author hears, sees, or feels. Use these sensory details to picture what is happening. This will help you better understand how the author responds to the flood.
After lunch, the narrator saw a flooded field and a road that was underwater. At night there was a tornado warning.
All the kids slept in the bathroom.
Cite Text Evidence How does the author help you picture what a flood is and what it can do? Write text evidence in the chart. Write I
tells the events in sequence, showing how a flood starts, how it gets worse, and how it affects people.
Write (Show What You Learned)
• • Students should refer to the notes on the graphic organizer as they respond to the writing prompt at the bottom of the page. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: Now, using the information you put into the graphic organizer, complete the writing activity: I can understand what a flood is like because the author…
•
Author’s Purpose
An author's purpose is the reason she or he writes something. It may be to inform, entertain, or persuade you to do something. Authors often use literal language (words that mean exactly what they say) when their purpose is to inform. They may use figurative language (such as hyperbole, simile, and metaphor) when their purpose is to entertain or persuade. Authors may use first-person point of view so readers can picture the author's experiences.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
On page 22 of “Weathering the Storm,” the author gives information about the flood and how she responded to the flood. The author informs, but she also entertains by using humor in her personal narrative.
After lunch, I was walking to the bridge over the river. I looked at the field I had to cross and saw another river! Twenty-four hours earlier, the field had been dry. Our road was submerged, too. One thing was for sure: nobody was leaving our "island" anytime soon.
Your Turn Reread paragraph 6 on page 22. What is the purpose of the last sentence?
The purpose is to show the author’s view of the situation in an amusing way.
Readers to Writers
Before you write, decide why you are writing—to inform, entertain, or persuade. In a personal narrative, you can write about a serious topic and still include experiences that were amusing. Use a combination of literal and figurative language in your writing.
Explain
• Have students turn to page 25.
• Before reading through the page, say: When an author writes, they have a reason for doing so. This is their purpose. They may want to entertain or inform. The way they present their ideas can be done in many different ways.
Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings or spellings: not/ knot, piece/peace, sun/ son. When writing, if you are not sure which word to use, look up the words’ spellings in a dictionary. What homophones can you find in paragraph 6 on page 22?
• Have students read through the Author’s Purpose section. Check their understanding as they read by addressing any clarifying questions they may have.
• Read the Readers to Writers and Word Wise boxes together with students.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Show students how to identify the author’s purpose in the text.
• Say: In “Weathering the Storm,” the author gives information about the flood and how she responded to it. In this way, the author informs. She also entertains by including humor in her personal narrative.
•
Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Guide students to reread the sixth paragraph on page 22 and answer the questions on the given lines.
Word Wise
• Have students turn to page 26.
• Before reading the prompts with students, say: You will be thinking about all the information you’ve read and connecting it with ideas from a photograph.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Ask: If we look at the photograph and read the caption, what information can we get?
• Invite students to share what they think and how they would answer the question. (Students should be able to discuss the perspective of the photographer looking at a big flooded area.)
Cite Text Evidence
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to find clues in the photograph that helps them understand the effects of the hurricane. Then help them find evidence from the caption that helps them understand how technology can help people affected by natural disasters.
MAKE CONNECTIONS Integrate
Text Connections
How does the photographer of the picture below show how rescue workers respond after a natural disaster? How does it compare to the other selections you have read?
Talk About It Look at the photograph and read the caption. With a partner, talk about how the rescue workers might feel about the devastation they see from the helicopter. Talk about how you might feel.
Cite Text Evidence Circle clues in the photograph that show the effects of the hurricane. Reread the caption and underline the text that tells how technology helps people during natural disasters.
Write The photographer and the authors help me understand how people respond to a natural disaster by
showing how important the responses of rescue teams are. They help people because natural disasters, such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and floods, can be very destructive. Rescue crews and EMS workers can help find survivors and bring supplies and aid to people in crisis.
Quick Tip
Use clues in the photograph and the selections you have read to help you compare and contrast how people respond to natural disasters.
•
Write (Show What You Learned)
• Have students write a response synthesizing the knowledge they have built about how people respond to natural disasters. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: For the writing section, you will write about how the selections you have read, as well as the photograph on this page, help you understand something about responding to natural disasters. Take some time to consider everything we have read and talked about before you begin writing.
Rescue workers, like the crew of HSC 28 pictured here, use helicopters to quickly search for survivors along the coast of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. If rescuers see people on a roof, they can call other rescuers in boats to come to the rescue. From a helicopter, it's easy to see the amount of damage a natural disaster can do.
•
Integrate RESEARCH AND INQUIRY
Present Your Work
COLLABORATE
Discuss how you and your partner will present your science experiment on erosion to the class. As you and your partner present the experiment, one person can give directions orally while the other follows them. Use the Presenting Checklist as you rehearse and give and get feedback.
Discuss the sentence starters below and write your answers.
The most interesting thing I learned about erosion is I would like to plan another experiment to show
Quick Tip
Plan your presentation with your partner. Decide who will talk or demonstrate first. You can take turns reading a step while your partner demonstrates the step. Practice restating the directions to make sure they are clear. Leave time for questions. If you don’t know the answer, say, “I will find out and get back to you.”
Presenting Checklist
Read the directions slowly and clearly. Keep eye contact with the audience as you do the experiment. Emphasize following the steps so the audience will be able to do your experiment, too. Listen carefully to questions from the audience. Answer any questions and listen to suggestions politely.
During the Presentation
• Tell students to write down any questions they have while observing others’ presentations. Explain that doing so will help them remember their questions after each speaker has finished.
• Following each presentation, guide the discussion by asking students to paraphrase or summarize the key ideas from the presentation.
• Guide students to use the provided sentence starters to help focus their discussion and responses.
•
Planning the Presentation
• Have students turn to page 27.
• Tell students that they will need to prepare in order to best present their experiment directions. Say: Last time, you had the chance to research an experiment that helps us understand the process of erosion and to create a set of directions for that experiment. Now you will have the time to present the directions that you wrote. Read together the directions at the top of the page.
• Remind students that they will be audience members for other students’ presentations and that as observers and listeners, they will play an important role in the presentations.
• Next, read the Quick Tip box with students and discuss how to present with a partner.
• Discuss each item on the Presenting Checklist and give students time to practice their presentations before having them share their work either in front of the class or from their seats.
Genre Writing: Write Your Own Expository Essay
Explain that students will develop a longer piece of writing in the same genre as the Shared Read or Paired Read. Students will work through all the stages of the writing process for these pieces.
Plan
Draft
Revise
Publish / Present /
Writers choose their topic. They consider their purpose and audience and plan their work using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and filling in graphic organizers. Sometimes they do research.
Writers use their notes to get their initial ideas on the topic down on paper.
Writers use rubrics and participate in peer and teacher conferences to help them refine the structure and content of their work. Students should revise their writing several times.
Writers check their spelling and edit their pieces for correct grammar, mechanics, and usage. Remind students that using standard English conventions allows them to communicate more effectively.
Writers create a final version of the piece by printing out a clean copy or using their best handwriting. They synthesize and share their ideas.
Expert Model
• Discuss categorizing information
• Write the draft
• Revise the expository essay, checking for sequence
• Revise the expository essay based on partner feedback
• Edit the expository essay, checking for correct grammar
• Proofread the expository essay, checking for correct spelling
• Publish and present the expository essay
• Self-evaluate using a
•
Features of an Expository Essay
• Have students look at page 28.
• Explain that students will begin writing an expository essay.
• Review the features of expository texts. Ask students to recall what they know about exposition that can help them with their own writing.
Analyze an Expert Model
• First, we need to analyze an expert model. For us, we will be analyzing “A World of Change.” It is our example of an expository essay.
• Have students read the Analyze an Expert Model section with a partner to collaborate.
• Say: Work with your partner to answer the questions on this page. We will go over your ideas in a few minutes.
GENRE WRITING
Expert Model
Features of an Expository Essay
An expository essay is a form of expository text. It gives facts and information on a topic. An expository essay
• explains an idea or a theme within a given subject or topic
• includes facts and information about a topic
• organizes information in a logical order
• provides a conclusion that relates to the topic
Analyze an Expert Model Studying “A World of Change” will help you learn how to write an expository essay. Reread pages 9-11. Then answer the questions below.
What is the main idea of this expository text?
The main idea of this expository essay is how Earth’s surface can change over time and how people can prepare for those changes.
How does the author provide examples to support the main idea?
The author uses diagrams and photographs to support the main idea.
Shared Read (pages 8-11) To talk about natural processes, the author uses compound words such as landform and landslide on pages 9 and 10. Compound words are formed by combining two words to create a new word that may or may not relate to the two original words. In these instances, the compound words relate to natural features or processes that occur on land. Word Wise
•
Plan: Choose Your Topic
Brainstorm With a partner or a small group, brainstorm a list of places where you can see Earth’s changes up close.
Quick Tip
When you plan your topic, choose one that you already know something about. List everything you already know about the topic. Then, use your existing knowledge to help guide your research.
Brainstorm
• Have students look at page 29.
• Say: Before we begin to write something, we need to come up with ideas. This is brainstorming.
• Invite a reader to read the Brainstorm section. Then give students time to share their ideas with a partner.
Writing Prompt Choose one topic from your list. After researching your topic, you will write an expository essay about it. You will describe what you learned about the topic from your research. I will write about
Purpose and Audience An author’s purpose is his or her main reason for writing. Look at the three purposes for writing below. Underline your purpose for writing an expository essay.
to inform or teach to persuade or convince to entertain
Think about the audience for your expository essay. Who will read it?
My audience will be I will use language when I write my essay.
Plan In your writer’s notebook, make a Main Idea and Details Chart to plan your essay. Write your topic in the “Main Idea” box. Then, in the other boxes, list details that support the main idea.
•
• Have students make a Main Idea and Details Chart in their notebooks. This will help them to plan their essays. They should write their topic in the “Main Idea” box. Then, they can list information and details that support the main idea in the other boxes. Plan
• If time allows, ask student to share something they talked about.
• Read the Quick Tip box with students and answer clarifying questions they may have about their essay topic.
Writing Prompt
• Say: Choose one of the topics you shared with your partner to write about in an expository essay. Write your topic on the lines in the middle of the page.
Purpose and Audience
• Explain that authors often write expository essays to inform their readers about a certain topic that they find interesting.
• Give students time to consider their audience and record their ideas on the given lines.
•
• Have students look at page 30.
• Say: Part of planning our writing is making sure you have enough information. You can collect information by doing research.
• Have students read the Research section and prompt. Give them time to figure out what sources they will use and to list them on the given lines.
• Check in with students to help them identify good sources for their research.
GENRE WRITING
Plan: Take Notes
Research Before you begin to write, research information from two reliable sources. Some reliable digital and print sources are encyclopedias, museums, universities, and government sites. Skim and scan your two sources to make sure they have enough information on your topic.
List the two sources you will use in your research. For each source, note the title, author’s name, name of the website or publisher, the publication date, and the page number.
Take Notes As you reread your sources, record your notes on your Main Idea and Details Chart. To take notes, you should:
• Ask questions: What do I need to know about my topic?
• Find the answers from your two sources.
• Avoid plagiarism by making sure you paraphrase, or write the answers in your own words. Do not copy the exact words from a source, unless you use them in a quote.
•
Take Notes
• Tell students that once they know which sources they will use, they can take notes on the information they find. They should take notes in the Main Idea and Details Chart in their notebooks.
• Remind students to read the bulleted information in this section to ensure they are collecting good information.
Draft
Categorize Information The author of an expository essay groups related information into paragraphs. Each paragraph includes a topic sentence that gives the main idea of the paragraph. Details in the other sentences clearly relate to that main idea. In the example below from “A World of Change,” the main idea is that erosion is the natural process by which weathered material is carried away. The other sentences in this paragraph support this.
Erosion occurs when weathered pieces of rock are carried away by a natural force such as a river. This causes landforms on Earth to get smaller. They may even completely collapse over time. The Grand Canyon is an example of the effect of erosion. It was carved over thousands of years by the Colorado River.
Quick Tip
Giving examples is a great way to connect with the reader. In the paragraph example given here, the author provides the example of the Grand Canyon to discuss erosion. With examples such as these, difficult concepts can be easily visualized by the reader.
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Categorize Information
• Have students look at page 31.
• Say: Let’s look at the expert model again.
• Explain that authors of expository essays will group related information together into paragraphs. Each paragraph will have its own main idea and supporting details within it.
• Have students read the excerpt paragraph at the center of the page. They will use this paragraph as a model to write their own paragraph for their essay. They can write their paragraph on the given lines.
Now use the above paragraph as a model to write about the topic you chose. Remember to group only ideas related to the main idea of your paragraph.
Weathering and erosion happen when wind moves over rock repeatedly. This can cause landforms to change their shape over time. Camel Rock, in New Mexico is an example of the effect of weathering and erosion from wind. It was created over thousands of years by wind moving through the area.
Write a Draft Use your Main Idea and Details Chart to help you write your draft in your writer's notebook. Make sure each paragraph focuses on one topic and the details in that paragraph relate to the topic.
Write a Draft
• Have students review the charts they created during the Plan phase. They will use their charts as they write their drafts.
• Remind students that their essays should include paragraphs that focus on a single main idea with details that support it.
• Read the Quick Tip box together with students and discuss writing strategies for their essay.
• Give students time to work on their drafts. If they are stuck, or need help, ask them questions about their ideas that might help them get back on task.
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• Have students look at page 32.
• Say: Now that you have your first draft written down, you can start the revision process. This means you make improvements on what you have written.
• Explain that writers of expository essays will use sequence words as they describe natural processes. These sequence words help readers to understand what and how things happen.
• Have a student read the activity prompt for Put Events in Order. Give them time to respond before asking them to share their ideas.
Revision
• Say: Now, it’s time to revise your writing. Be sure to reread your draft and look for places where you include sequence words to ensure they are used correctly.
• Have students be sure to give credit for any quoted words in their essays.
GENRE WRITING
Revise
Put Events in Order In an expository essay, sequence words can be used to describe natural processes. Sequencing these events helps readers understand what happens and how it happens. Writers use sequence words and phrases to signal the order of events. Sequence words include first, next, later, then, and finally Read the paragraph below. Circle the sequence words that signal the order of events.
The Grand Canyon is an amazing natural wonder. It was carved over the course of five million years by the Colorado River. First, the water moving over the surface weathered the rock. Then, the water picked up and carried away the weathered rock in a process called erosion. Finally, the weathered rock was carried all the way to the ocean, where it was deposited.
Revision Revise your draft and check that you are using sequencing words correctly. Make sure you have paraphrased (used your own words) or given proper credit for any quoted words.
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COLLABORATE
Peer Conferences
Review a Draft Listen actively as a partner reads his or her work aloud. Take notes about what you liked and what was difficult to follow. Begin by telling what you liked about your partner’s draft. Ask questions that will help your partner think more carefully about his or her writing. Make suggestions that you think might make the writing more focused and coherent. Use these sentence starters:
I like that you linked all the facts about . . .
The sequence words helped me . . .
I’m not sure this part belongs here. Can you explain why . . .?
Partner Feedback After your partner gives you feedback on your draft, write one of the suggestions that you will use in your revision. Refer to the rubric on page 35 as you give feedback.
Based on my partner's feedback, I will After you finish giving each other feedback, reflect on the peer conference. What was helpful? What might you do differently next time?
Revision As you revise your draft, use the Revising Checklist to help you figure out what ideas you may need to add, delete, combine, or rearrange. Remember to use the rubric on page 35 to help with your revision.
Revising Checklist
Are related details grouped into paragraphs?
Are ideas presented in logical order? Are all of my ideas factual and correct?
Are sequencing words used correctly to connect ideas?
Is there a variety of sentences that help make the writing interesting?
Are content words used correctly?
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• Have students look at page 33.
• Say: Writers often need other people to help them through their revisions. We are going to help each other revise our essays.
• Partners should already be in place to complete this activity. Say: Listen carefully while your partner reads their work. Once your partner has finished, talk about what you liked about their essay. Then, you can ask questions or make suggestions using kind words.
• Have students use the sentence starters on the page, or their own, to talk about their partner’s draft.
• After both partners have given feedback, have students complete the task in the Partner Feedback section.
• Have students share the suggestion from their partner that they intend to implement in their revision.
Revision
• Say: At this point, it’s time to take the feedback you received from your peer conferences and make additional revisions.
• Review the Revising Checklist together. Allow students time to implement suggestions. Tell students that the rubric on page 35 can also help with revision. Go over each box so students know how to reach each score. Give students time to consider the feedback they received.
• After students have completed their revisions, allow them time to share how their partners’ feedback helped improve their expository essays.
• • Have students look at page 34.
• Tell students that after they have finished their drafts, they must go back to edit and proofread. Say: We are nearly done with the writing process for the expository essay. At this point, you don’t need to make really big changes. In the Edit and Proofread section, you will make sure your work is ready for publication. When you edit, you can move or add details in a better order and add words to show sequence.
• Proofreading means to correct grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling. It is often helpful to have someone else read your draft to help edit and proofread it.
• Read the information at the top of the page with students. Tell them that the Grammar Connections box and the Editing Checklist are all things to consider as they work to put the final revisions on their essays.
GENRE WRITING
Edit and Proofread
When you edit and proofread your writing, you look for and correct mistakes in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. Reading through a revised draft multiple times can help you make sure you’re catching any errors. Use the checklist below to edit your sentences.
Editing Checklist
Do all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark?
Does every sentence have a subject and predicate?
Are source titles listed correctly?
Are commas used correctly?
Do all sentences have the correct subject-verb agreement?
Are all words spelled correctly?
List two mistakes you found as you proofread your essay. 1 2 Proper nouns are always capitalized. But sometimes it might not be clear whether a noun is proper or not. If you are unsure if a noun should be capitalized, do some research. It’s better to check the proper capitalization than to turn in a final draft with errors.
• Give students time to go through their writing to edit and proofread. Ask them to list two mistakes that they found while proofreading their essay on the lines provided.
EXPOSITORY TEXT
Publish, Present, and Evaluate
Publishing When you publish your writing, you create a clean, neat final copy that is free of mistakes. Adding visuals can make your writing more interesting. Consider including illustrations, photographs, or maps to help make your essay more interesting.
Presentation When you are ready to present your work, rehearse your presentation. Use the Presenting Checklist to help you.
Evaluate After you publish your writing, use the rubric below to evaluate your writing.
What did you do successfully?
What needs more work?
• information is grouped into paragraphs according to topic with key details
• two reliable sources cited and well referenced
• events are listed in order according to time
• an engaging explanation of a science, social studies, or history topic
• consistent use of linking and sequencing words
• information is mostly grouped into paragraphs according to topic
• two reliable sources are cited but not properly referenced
• events are mostly listed in order according to time
• a clear explanation which focuses mostly on a science, social studies, or history topic
• adequate use of linking and sequencing words
• many details are not grouped in paragraphs according to topic
• a source is cited and referenced
• events are somewhat listed in order according to time
• a main idea that is somewhat unclear and a focus that lacks purpose
• inconsistent use of linking and sequencing words
Presenting Checklist
Stand or sit up straight. Look at the audience.
Speak clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear you.
Use a friendly but formal tone.
Answer questions from the audience carefully.
• most details are not grouped in paragraphs according to topic
• no sources are cited
• events are not listed in order according to time
• a main idea that is confusing and a focus that lacks purpose
• few or no linking or sequencing words
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Publishing
• Have students look at page 35.
• Once their drafts are final, students can prepare for publishing and presenting their work. Published work should be error-free with all visuals in place.
• Say: You have now finished your expository essays and are ready to publish your work.
• Read the Publishing section together with students. Allow students time to create their final copy of the essay. Remind them that they can add illustrations or other visuals once their writing is done.
Presentation
• Say: You will have the opportunity to present your essays and any illustrations or visuals to the whole class. To prepare for the presentation, practice a few times and refer to the Presenting Checklist.
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Evaluate
• Explain that rubrics show what is expected from the assignment and how it will be evaluated. Ideally, students should look at rubrics before they begin writing in order to fulfill all the requirements. When they finish, they should evaluate their work.
• Say: After you have presented, evaluate your writing using the rubric. Think about what you did successfully and what you think needs more work. Write down your ideas on the lines.
• Have students exchange essays with their partner and give the partner a score. Remind them to be respectful. When they are finished, have students reflect on the effectiveness of the collaboration and on their progress as writers. Have them note where they need improvement and set writing goals.
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Explain
• Read the Key Concept and Essential Question to students.
• Have students repeat after or choral read the Essential Question a second time. Ask students to share their initial ideas about the Essential Question.
• Tell students that our words and actions impact others. Sometimes, our actions have good, or positive, results. Other times, our actions can have the opposite effect. We should be mindful of what we do or say because it might affect others.
Model
• Read with students: Have you ever heard the saying “Actions speak louder than words”? A broken promise is one example of actions speaking louder than words. Can you name another example?
• Ask: How would you feel you if you sat next to the two girls in the photograph? (I would feel bad because it makes me feel uncomfortable.) When have your actions affected your family? (My parents were happy when I took out the trash last week.)
• Give students time to discuss with their partners. Move around the classroom to check for understanding.
Essential Question
How do your actions affect others?
Have you ever heard the saying "Actions speak louder than words"? A broken promise is one example of actions speaking louder than words. Can you name another example?
How would you feel if you sat next to the two girls in the photograph? List some of your actions and the effects they have had on the people around you. Then talk with a partner about how your actions can affect others.
helped with dishes
It made my mom happy.
complimented my friend
My friend thanked me.
• • Have students read the prompt: List some of your actions and the effects they have had on the people around you.
• Say: Let’s think about some things we do each day. Does anyone help with chores at home? (I help my mom with the dishes.)
• Ask: What is the effect of that action? (It makes my mom feel happy.) Take some time to complete the Action and Effect chart.
• Give students time to work on their webs independently before asking them to turn and talk with a partner about how their actions can affect others. (Students should be able to talk about how their actions listed on the left affected others.)
picked up trash in the park
The park looked nicer.
• Play track 07. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: accountable, act, advise, curt, desperately, humiliated, inspiration, and pay off.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What should a person be accountable for? (A person should be accountable for their behavior.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for act (I might prepare for a stage act by practicing my lines.), advise (I would advise a younger student to make good friends.), and curt (I acted in a curt way when I was upset with my friend.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
accountable adj. responsible
You’re accountable for your own actions, so don’t blame others.
What should a person be accountable for?
act n. a performance; a practiced routine
The clowns performed a great act
How might you prepare for a stage act ?
advise v. help someone by giving an opinion or suggestion
A dentist might advise you to avoid sugary food.
What would you advise a younger student to do?
curt adj. brief and often rude
The ticket seller was curt because he was eager to sell off the tickets. When have you acted in a curt way?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
desperately adv. without calm or planning; in a panicked way
The neighborhood desperately tried to put out the fire. When have you acted desperately ? humiliated adj. embarrassed
I felt humiliated when she shouted at me in public. When was the last time you felt humiliated ? inspiration n. the state of being filled with the desire to do something
We found inspiration from the hopeful faces of the people we were helping. What gives you inspiration ?
pay off phr. v. get something because of something you have done
Our hard work in the garden will pay off when we get to eat fresh vegetables. How might your hard work in school pay off in the future?
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: When have you acted desperately? (I acted desperately when I thought I lost my phone.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for humiliated (I felt humiliated when I tripped in front of everyone.), inspiration (Books give me inspiration.), and pay off (My hard work in school might pay off by getting good grades.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Continue to introduce each vocabulary word using the Define/Example/Ask routine.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: resentful, respectful, see eye to eye, selfesteem, speak up, takes charge, and uncomfortably
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: When have you felt resentful? (I felt resentful when I was blamed for something I didn’t do.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for respectful (I can be respectful to an adult by listening when they talk.), see eye to eye (I usually see eye to eye with my best friend.), and self-esteem (To have high self-esteem, it takes believing in myself.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
resentful adj. angry because of some past problem
She was resentful that her little sister always got the most attention. When have you felt resentful ? respectful adj. showing respect
The students are very respectful to their teacher. How can you be respectful to an adult?
see eye to eye idiom agree to the same point of view
The students disagreed on how to do the project, but now they see eye to eye Who do you usually see eye to eye with?
self-esteem n. a person’s feeling about themselves
People with low self-esteem often doubt their abilities. What does it take to have high self-esteem ?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
speak up phr. v. make one’s point of view known; express an opinion
If you have a good idea, speak up! What things should you speak up about? takes charge phrase takes leadership; is in control
Jenny always takes charge and doesn’t listen to anyone else. Who usually takes charge in your group of friends? uncomfortably adv. painfully; annoyingly; irritatingly
We couldn’t sleep on the bed because it was uncomfortably lumpy. When have you traveled uncomfortably ? COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What things should you speak up about? (I should speak up about unfair treatment.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for takes charge (My friend Sarah usually takes charge in our group.) and uncomfortably (I traveled uncomfortably when I had to stand on the train.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
SHARED READ
TAKE NOTES
To help you focus as you read, preview the story and the illustrations. What do you think the story will be about? Write your prediction below.
As you read, make note of:
Interesting Words
Key Details
Before Reading
Page 42
Build Background
• Have students share their experiences of solving a problem. Ask: What did you do to solve a problem? How did you help others solve a problem?
• Have them describe using “I solved the problem by ___.”
• Then, discuss with students how their actions can positively or negatively affect others.
• Read the Essential Question: How do your actions affect others?
• Explain the meaning of the Essential Question, including the vocabulary in the question. Say: Actions are what you do. To affect means to change something. Others are the people around you, like friends and family. So, the Essential Question asks how what we do can change or influence the people around us, either in a good way or a bad way.
• Model an answer. Say: Our actions can affect others in many ways. If we do something good for someone, that person will feel good. But if we do something bad, our actions can hurt others and make them feel bad. For example, if I cheat and do not play fair, it might upset my teammates. If I say something kind, I can make others feel good about themselves.
• Have students connect the Essential Question to their background knowledge. Say: Turn to a partner and think of a time when your actions affected someone in a good or bad way. Discuss or act out the situation with your partner. How did your own actions make you feel? Then, we’ll share our ideas with the class. Call on several pairs to share their discussions.
Set Purpose for Reading
• Say: Today we will read “The Talent Show” and focus on understanding how the main character solves her problem. As we read, think about the Essential Question: How do your actions affect others?
Take Notes
• Have students look at the TAKE NOTES prompt on page 42.
• Guide them to write down their questions, interesting words, and key details from the text in the left column on page 42.
Previewing the Text
• Before students begin reading the story, have them look at the images and headings on pages 42-45.
• Ask them to share what they see on each page to activate their prior knowledge, engage their curiosity, and enhance their comprehension of the story.
• Have students go back to page 42.
• Ask: What do you notice about the background? (It looks like a stage with red curtains.) Based on the title and the illustration, what event do you think is happening? (I think a talent show is happening.)
Listening Activity
• Play track 08 and have students follow along in their books until the end of page 45.
• After listening, invite them to share what they heard or ask questions.
• Reassure them that it’s okay if they don’t remember everything, as the story will be reviewed in detail during class.
During Reading
Interactive Question-Response Routine
• After each paragraph, ask questions to help students understand the meaning of the text.
• Explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts and words.
• Reinforce the meaning of new vocabulary.
• Ask students questions that require them to use the vocabulary.
• Reinforce weekly strategies and skills by modeling and asking questions.
• Use images and other text features to aid students’ comprehension.
• Use headings to help students predict what the sections will be about.
“Tina, there’s a school talent show in three weeks,” I shouted to my best friend. My older brother had been teaching me juggling, and I knew he’d help me with my act for the show.
Tina ran over to the bulletin board and read the poster. “Maura, what’s our act going to be?” Tina asked me.
“Our act?” I said, taking a tighter grip on my books.
Tina grinned, pointed to the poster and said, “It says acts can be individuals, partners, or small groups.”
My grip on my books became uncomfortably tight. “You want to do an act together?”
“It’ll be fun,” Tina said.
I hesitated for a second before continuing. “I’ve got an idea and . . .”
Tina interrupted me. “Yeah, me too; let’s talk at lunch.”
During math, I tried to think of how I would tell Tina that I wanted to do my own act. After all, we are best friends; we should be able to see eye to eye about this. The problem is Tina always takes charge, I don’t speak up, and then I end up feeling resentful about the whole situation.
I desperately wanted to win, but it was more than that. I wanted to win on my own—with an act that was all mine.
REALISTIC FICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraphs 1–8
Dialogue
Circle the dialogue that shows that Tina likes to take charge. What word would you use to describe Tina's behavior?
bossy; pushy
Paragraphs 9-10
Problem and Solution
Underline the problem that Maura faces. What inference can you make about Maura?
Maura is not good at saying what she wants.
Read Reread
Author's Craft
How does the author's word choice help you predict how Maura might solve the problem?
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraphs 1–8
Dialogue
• Read paragraphs 1-8 together. Ask: What does Maura plan to do for the school talent show? (juggle) What does Tina want to do for the talent show? (She wants to perform at the talent show with Maura.) Did Maura plan to do the talent show with Tina? (No.) How do you know? (Maura says that her brother has been helping her with her act.)
• Ask: How does the dialogue provide evidence that Tina is used to being in charge in her friendship with Maura? Explain: Dialogue is the words characters speak. In paragraph 2, Tina says, “What’s our act going to be?” She automatically assumes Maura wants to do the talent show together. She seems not to notice when Maura hesitates.
• Point to the ellipses and explain that it shows that a character does not finish the sentence or thought. Why doesn’t Maura finish her sentence? (Maura doesn’t finish her sentence because Tina interrupts Maura.) Why did Maura hesitate? (She did not know how to tell Tina about her juggling act.) Can you predict whether Maura will tell Tina about her juggling act? (I predict that Maura will not tell Tina because she grips her book and hesitates to tell Tina that she’s learning to juggle.)
• Read the Dialogue prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Circle the dialogue that shows that Tina likes to take charge. What word would you use to describe Tina’s behavior? (bossy; pushy)
Paragraphs 9-10
Problem and Solution
• Read paragraphs 9-10 together. Ask: What problem does Maura have? (She wants to be in the talent show by herself, but Maura wants to be in it together.) Why does Maura feel resentful of Tina? (Tina always takes charge, and Maura does not speak up to say what she thinks. As a result, she ends up feeling resentful.)
• Read the Problem and Solution prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Underline the problem that Maura faces. What inference can you make about Maura? (Maura is not good at saying what she wants.)
Reread
Author's Craft
• Tell students that they will reread this page to analyze the techniques the author used in writing this selection.
• Ask: How does the author introduce the problem during the rising action in the story? (First, the author uses dialogue to show that Tina doesn’t listen when Maura tries to tell her she wants to do the talent show on her own. Then the author has the main character, Maura, state the problem directly in her narration: Tina always takes charge and Maura doesn’t speak up, causing her to feel bad.)
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author’s word choice help you predict how Maura might solve the problem? (The words uncomfortably, desperately, and hesitated show that Maura feels uncomfortable about confronting Tina. But they also show that she feels strongly about performing by herself. One prediction could be that Maura may hesitate to tell Tina her feelings at first, but eventually her feelings will be so strong that she will share them.)
Explain that in realistic fiction, students can compare the characters’ words and actions to learn more about how the characters think.
• Read paragraph 3 together. Ask: Why is Maura’s grip tightening on her books? (She’s nervous because Tina wants to do an act with her.) Do you think Maura asks “Our act?” because she is curious, or because she is surprised and alarmed? (She asks because she is surprised and alarmed.)
Genre T C A
SHARED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraphs 1–4
Idioms
Circle the words in paragraph 4 that help you understand the meaning of the idiom to let off steam.
Paragraphs 5–8
Make Predictions
What does Maura's grandmother say to encourage Maura to speak up for herself? Draw a box around the text evidence. Write what you predict will happen next.
At lunch, Tina started talking as soon as we sat down. “I have it all planned out. My inspiration came from that new TV show, You’ve Got Talent. We can sing along to a song and do a dance routine, and my mother can make us costumes.”
“Yeah, that’s good,” I said. “But I had another idea.” I told her about my juggling act.
Tina considered it. “Nah, I don’t think I can learn to juggle in three weeks and I’d probably drop the balls,” she said. “We don’t want to be humiliated, right?”
At recess, I ran around the track a couple of times just to let off steam.
I think Maura will speak up for herself now.
Author's Craft
When my grandmother picked me up after school, she drove a few minutes and finally said, “Cat got your tongue?”
I explained about the talent show as she listened carefully. “So, Tina is not being respectful of your ideas, but it sounds as if you aren’t either.”
“What?” I shouted. “I told Tina her idea was good.”
Read hurt grandmother Tina, She worrying But a game
How does the author use the character of Maura's grandmother to help Maura solve her problem? Make Talk affected ESSENTIAL Tell someone your do?
“No,” said my grandmother, “I said that you weren’t respectful of your own ideas, or you would have spoken up. I understand that you’re friends, but you’re still accountable for your own actions.”
Reread
Read
Paragraphs 1–4
Idioms
• Read paragraphs 1-4 together. Ask: What happened during lunch? (Tina told Maura she wants to sing and dance.) How did Tina react when Maura told her about juggling? (Tina doesn’t want to do it.) Have partners describe why Tina doesn’t want to juggle at the talent show. (Tina doesn’t want to juggle because it will be difficult to learn to juggle and she’ll make mistakes.)
• Point out the idiom let off steam Ask: What is the meaning of this idiom? (to release energy or feelings that have built up) What context clues help you to understand the idiom? (In order to let off steam, Maura says she “ran around the track a couple of times.” Running around a track causes you to burn energy, so Maura must have been trying to burn off energy, or “let off steam.”) Why did Maura feel the need to release energy? (She was upset that she did not stand up to Tina, and she wanted to release this negative emotion.) Discuss why it’s helpful for the context clues to appear in the same sentence as the idiom.
• Read the Idioms prompt with the students and have them complete the task. Say: Circle the words in paragraph 4 that help you understand the meaning of the idiom to let off steam.
Paragraphs 5–8
Make Predictions
• Read paragraphs 5-8 together. Say: The idiom cat got your tongue means “you’re being quiet.” Why does the grandmother ask Maura, “Cat got your tongue?” (Grandmother asks because Maura is not talking and is quiet.)
• Have partners discuss why Maura’s grandmother says that Maura is “not being respectful of her ideas.” (Maura should believe in her own ideas by telling Tina how she really feels.)
• Ask: What does Grandmother mean when she tells Maura she is accountable for her own actions? (Maura needs to work to solve her problem by telling Tina the truth.)
• Read the Make Predictions prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: What does Maura’s grandmother say to encourage Maura to speak up for herself? Draw a box around the text evidence. Write what you predict will happen next. (I think Maura will speak up for herself now.)
Author's Craft
• Ask: Why is Maura having so much trouble solving her problem on her own? (Tina doesn’t listen to Maura, and Maura doesn’t speak up for herself.) Can Maura solve the problem on her own? (No.) How does Maura’s grandmother try to help? (She gives advice.) Do you think Maura’s grandmother is important in the story? (Yes.)
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author use the character of Maura’s grandmother to help Maura solve her problem? (Maura’s grandmother tells Maura that she needs to be accountable for her own actions. This advice helps Maura decide to speak up for herself and solve her problem.)
Students may have difficulty understanding how characters affect the story’s problem.
• Ask: What is the story’s problem? (Maura wants to do an act by herself, but Tina wants to do an act together.) What does Maura say about Tina’s personality? (Tina always takes charge; they always do what Tina wants.)
• Say: Tina adds to the problem by always wanting to do things her way. Maura adds to it by not speaking up for herself.
Reread
I thought about this. “So what should I do?” I asked.
“I advise you to tell the truth,” she said. “It wouldn’t hurt to let Tina know what you want. Besides,” my grandmother added, “it will be good for your self-esteem!”
When we got home, I took 12 deep breaths, called Tina, and told her that I was going to do my juggling act. She was curt on the phone, and I spent all night worrying she would be mad at me.
The next day, she described her act and her costume. But the biggest surprise came at recess, when we played a game that I chose, not Tina.
I guess standing up for myself did pay off.
Make Connections
Talk about how Maura was affected by Tina's actions.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Tell about a time when someone wouldn't listen to your ideas. What did you do? TEXT TO SELF
Maura felt upset and ignored because Tina always decided things without listening to her. This made Maura not want to share her juggling idea for the talent show.
REALISTIC FICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraphs 1-5
Problem and Solution
Circle the dialogue that helps Maura think about how to solve her problem. What does Maura's grandmother want her to do?
She wants Maura to tell Tina the truth about her talent show act.
Dialogue
Underline the text that is part of the rising action. A rising action is an event or decision that causes a change that leads to a climax.
Synthesize Information
How do Maura's actions affect Tina by the end of the story?
One time, my friends didn’t listen to my idea. I felt bad. I told them clearly about my idea later, and they liked it. I learned it’s good to speak up.
Summarize
Use your notes to write a summary of what happened in "The Talent Show." Talk about whether your prediction on page 42 was confirmed.
Read
Paragraphs 1-5
Problem and Solution
• Read paragraphs 1-5 together. Ask: What does Grandmother advise Maura to do? (She advises Maura to tell Tina the truth.) What does Maura do? (Maura calls Tina and tells her she wants to do her juggling act.) How does Maura try to solve her problem? (Maura tries to solve her problem by telling Tina she wants to do her own juggling act for the talent show.)
• Read the Problem and Solution prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks: Circle the dialogue that helps Maura think about how to solve her problem. What does Maura’s grandmother want her to do? (She wants Maura to tell Tina the truth about her talent show act.)
Dialogue
• Read the Dialogue prompt with the students and have them complete the task: Underline the text that is part of the rising action. A rising action is an event or decision that causes a change that leads to a climax.
• Explain to students that the rising action is the part of a story where things start to get exciting and lead up to the most important moment, called the climax. In realistic fiction, the rising action includes the events or decisions that lead to the climax. Sometimes dialogue includes evidence of rising action.
• Ask: Can you find the part in the story where Maura makes an important decision that changes what happens next? Look for a sentence where she takes action and think about how this leads to the climax. (When we got home, I took 12 deep breaths, called Tina, and told her that I was going to do my juggling act.)
• Say: In this sentence, “When we got home, I took 12 deep breaths, called Tina, and told her that I was going to do my juggling act,” Maura makes a big decision to call Tina and tell her about her
juggling act. This is an important change because it’s the first time Maura stands up for herself and decides to be honest about what she wants. This action causes things to move forward in the story and leads to what happens next, which is the climax of the story.
Synthesize Information
• Direct students to reflect on the story’s ending. Ask: How did Maura and Tina change? (Maura learned to stand up for herself and Tina learned to respect Maura.)
• Read the Synthesize Information prompt with the students and have them complete the task: How do Maura’s actions affect Tina by the end of the story? (Tina realized that Maura can make decisions for herself and she should respect that. She lets Maura choose the game at recess.)
Summarize
• After their first read, ask partners to orally summarize the selection using their notes.
• Allow students to work in pairs, small groups, or independently to complete this task. (In “The Talent Show,” Maura and Tina are best friends who plan to enter their school’s talent show. Tina assumes they will do an act together, but Maura wants to perform a juggling act on her own. Maura struggles to tell Tina her feelings, but with her grandmother’s advice, she finally stands up for herself. Tina is initially upset but later respects Maura’s decision. My prediction on page 42 was confirmed because I thought Maura would eventually speak up and choose to perform alone.)
Make Connections
• Invite students to address the Make Connections box as a small group or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss both questions with their peers.
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• Explain to students that while they are reading, they can use the details from the story to make predictions about what will happen later. Say: As you read “The Talent Show,” make predictions about what you think will happen later in the story.
• Have students read the Quick Tip box to learn more about how to figure out how a character feels in a story.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE Explain
• Using page 43, model how to identify evidence that supports a prediction.
• Say: I predicted that Tina is the kind of friend who is bossy. From page 43, I read that she always takes charge. This confirms my prediction that Tina is a bossy person.
Make Predictions
When you read, use story details to make predictions about what will happen. As you read “The Talent Show,” make predictions.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
You probably predicted Tina is the kind of friend who is bossy. Reread page 43 of the story to find the text evidence that confirms your prediction.
43
During math, I tried to think of how I would tell Tina that I wanted to do my own act. After all, we are best friends; we should be able to see eye to eye about this. The problem is Tina always takes charge. I don’t speak up, and then I end up feeling resentful about the whole situation.
I read that Tina always takes charge. This confirms my prediction that Tina is bossy.
Your Turn Using clues you find in the text, how do you predict Maura will solve a future problem with her friends? As you read, use the strategy Make Predictions.
Quick Tip
When you read a work of fiction, pay attention to what a character does after someone speaks to him or her. It will give you a clue to how the character is feeling.
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Guided
Practice Your Turn
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Using clues you find in the text, how do you predict Maura will solve a future problem with her friends? As you read, use the strategy Make Predictions. (I think, in the future, Maura will tell her friends how she really feels.)
Dialogue
The selection “The Talent Show” is realistic fiction. Realistic fiction is a made-up story that has characters, settings, and events that could happen in real life. It usually has dialogue. Realistic fiction has a plot that usually includes a rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
I can tell that “The Talent Show” is realistic fiction. The story mostly takes place at school. The dialogue between Maura and Tina is realistic. They act and speak like people who might go to my school.
Page 43
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Readers to Writers
Writers use dialogue to help their readers learn more about the characters in a story. Dialogue helps readers understand how the characters feel and the changes they go through. How can you use dialogue in your own writing?
Dialogue Dialogue is the exact words the characters say.
Your Turn With a partner, identify dialogue from “The Talent Show” that shows Tina likes to take charge.
Explain
• Explain the characteristics of realistic fiction. Realistic fiction is a made-up story that has characters, settings, and events that could happen in real life.
• Point out that realistic fiction usually contains dialogue, which are the exact words the characters say. Realistic fiction also includes a plot with a rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Model identifying the characteristics of realistic fiction in “The Talent Show.” Use page 43 to discuss the dialogue between Maura and Tina.
• Say: The dialogue between Maura and Tina is realistic. They act and speak like people who might go to our school.
• Read the Readers to Writers box with students and talk more about dialogue.
• Tell students that dialogue can give us clues about how characters feel and how they change over time.
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Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: With a partner, identify dialogue from “The Talent Show” that shows Tina likes to take charge. (“Maura, what’s our act going to be?” Tina asked me.)
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• Tell students that in realistic fiction, the main character in the story often has a problem that needs to be solved. The steps the character takes to find their solution to the problem make up the story’s events, or the plot of the story.
• Have students read the Quick Tip box to learn more about how to identify the elements of a plot in a story.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Model how to identify the problem in the story, as well as the events that can help readers figure out how the problem will get solved. Record the information on the graphic organizer.
• Say: I can reread the pages to find the problem and the events that happen. Knowing these can help me figure out how Maura finds a solution to her problem.
COMPREHENSION
Problem and Solution
The main character in a story often has a problem that needs to be solved. The steps the character takes to find a solution to the problem make up the story’s events, or the plot of the story.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
As I reread pages 43 and 44 of “The Talent Show,” I can see that Maura has a problem. I will list the events in the story. Then I can figure out how Maura finds a solution.
Character
Maura
Setting
Maura's school
Problem
Maura does not want to do an act with Tina.
Event
Tina tells Maura that they will do a dance act together.
Solution
COLLABORATE
Your Turn Reread “The Talent Show.” Find other story events. Use these events to identify the solution and list them in the graphic organizer on page 49.
Quick Tip
The plot has a rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The rising action is the story events that describe the character's problem. The climax is the turning point of the story or when things start to move in a different direction. The falling action is the story events where the problem starts to get solved. And the resolution is the solution to the problem. Reread and look for the events that help Maura solve her problem.
after school, in grandmother’s car
Maura does not know how to speak up for herself.
Maura’s grandmother advises Maura to tell Tina the truth.
Maura tells Tina that she wants to do her act alone.
• When students complete the organizer, have partners move on to the last page and add more boxes to the graphic organizer if time allows. This way they can identify other problems that the characters encounter and the events that lead to a solution.
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• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Reread “The Talent Show.” Find other story events. Use these events to identify the solution and list them in the graphic organizer on page 49.
• Have students turn to page 50.
• Say: You will be responding to the reading. When we see questions about something we read, we need to be able to provide text evidence. This is the information from the text that helps us answer a question.
• Read aloud the questions and the discussion starters for each of the questions.
• Guide students to work with a partner to answer the questions orally using the discussion starters.
• Have students find text evidence to support their answers. Have them write the page number(s) where the answers can be found.
• 1. At the beginning of the story, what does Tina want Maura to do? (Tina wants Maura to do an act in the talent show with her, but Maura wants to do her own juggling act.)
• 2. Why is Maura quiet in the car after school? (Maura is quiet because she is upset that she did not stand up to Tina.)
• 3. At the end of the story, what happens to Tina and Maura? (Maura stands up for herself and tells Tina she is going to do her juggling act. At first, Tina is curt, but the next day, she listens to what Maura wants to do.)
RESPOND TO READING
Discuss Work with a partner. Use the discussion starters to answer the questions about “The Talent Show.” Write the page numbers.
Q uestions
At the beginning of the story, what does Tina want Maura to do?
iscussion S tarte rs
Text E vidence
Page(s):
Tina wants Maura to . . . Maura feels uncomfortable because Tina . . .
I know this because I read . . .
Why is Maura quiet in the car after school?
Page(s):
Maura is quiet because . . . I know this because I read . . .
At the end of the story, what happens to Tina and Maura?
Page(s):
Maura tells Tina that . . . Maura is surprised because . . .
• After students have attempted the activity, call on students to share their answers.
• Ask: How do we know what the answers are? (Students should be able to say something about looking back in the text to find the information.)
SHARED READ Reread
Discuss Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents Maura's problem and solution. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
How does the author organize the story events to show the rising action, climax, falling action, and solution?
The rising action consists of the events that show the problem Maura has with Tina. Maura wants to do her own act, but Tina always takes charge and wants to do an act with Maura. Maura doesn’t know how to stand up to Tina. Maura’s grandmother advises Maura to “tell the truth.” The climax is when Maura phones Tina and tells her she wants to do her own act. Tina is curt and Maura is worried they are no longer friends. The falling action happens the next day when Tina describes what her act will be and lets Maura choose the game to play at recess. The resolution is when Maura learns how to stand up for herself.
Quick Tip
Use the following sentence starters to describe the story events.
• A story event that describes a rising action is . . .
• The story event that is the climax is when Maura . . .
• A story event that describes a falling action is when Tina . . .
• The resolution is when Maura . . .
Grammar Connections
As you write your response, be sure to put any dialogue that you pick up from the story in quotation marks. Remember that the end punctuation goes inside the end quotation mark. Maura says, “Our act?” Tina tells her, “But I had another idea.”
• Have students look at page 51.
• Before reading the prompt with students, say: You will be responding to the reading by answering a specific question based on the notes you took.
• Read the Discuss prompt together: Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents Maura’s problem and solution. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
• Have students read the Quick Tip box to be able to include specific sentence starters to help them talk about the different events in the story.
• Have students read the Grammar Connections box to learn more about how to include dialogue in their responses.
• Tell students to answer the question independently and that there will be time to share with the whole class later.
Explain
• • Say: We will be looking at idioms. These are phrases that have a meaning that is different from each of the words in the phrase. Explain that the meaning of an idiom can often be found by using context clues.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Say: Look at the Find Text Evidence section. It gives us more information about how to find the meaning of idioms by considering the context clues.
• Say: When I read the idiom see eye to eye on page 43, the words After all, we are best friends help me figure out the meaning. To see eye to eye means “to agree.”
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Idioms
Idioms are phrases that have a meaning different from the meaning of each word in the phrase. Sometimes context clues can help you figure out the meaning of an idiom.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
When I read the idiom see eye to eye on page 43 in “The Talent Show,” the words After all, we are best friends help me figure out its meaning. To see eye to eye means "to agree."
After all, we are best friends; we should be able to see eye to eye about this.
Your Turn Use context clues to help you figure out the meanings of the following idioms. Use an online resource to check your work.
cat got your tongue, page 44
The phrase “she drove a few minutes and finally said” helps me figure out “cat got your tongue” is an idiom that describes a person who is not talking. The sentence “When we got home, I took 12 deep breaths, called Tina, and told her that I was going to do my juggling act.” helps me figure out “standing up for myself” is an idiom that means defending your opinion or point of view.
standing up for myself, page 45
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Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Use context clues to help you figure out the meanings for the following idioms. Use an online resource to check your work.
• Have students determine the meaning of the idiom cat got your tongue from page 44 and standing up for myself from page 45.
Business Letter
You write a business letter when you want to contact someone in a business, organization, or government. It is formal in format, tone, and writing style. Business letters can request information, ask for help, or tell someone about a problem. A business letter includes the date, address, greeting, body, complimentary close, and signature.
Where have you seen a business letter before? Write your answer.
Student answers will vary.
Write a Business Letter With a partner, write a business letter to a state representative about a state law.
• Identify a law in your state that you want to learn more about.
Wilton Q. Furmani
1234 Canyon Drive Central City, AW 00000
May 1, 2018
Ms. Viola Smart, President Acme Corporation 100 Roadrunner Way Central City, AZ 00000
Dear Ms. Smart:
I am a customer. I recently received your catalog and saw that you stopped selling trampolines. I need a new one and wanted to order it from your company. Will you be selling trampolines again in the future? If not, I wonder if you can tell me how to reach the manufacturer.
Thank you so much for your assistance on this matter.
Sincerely,
Wilton Q. Furmani
Wilton Q. Furmani
• Ask your teacher or an adult to help you research the name and address of one of your state representatives online.
• Write a business letter to ask for more information about the law. You may also share your opinion about the law.
If you share your opinion in your business letter, you should say what you do or do not like about the law, and how you think it should be changed. After you finish, you will be sharing your work with the class.
The example above shows a business letter. Circle the greeting. Who is the writer of the letter? Write your answer below.
Wilton Q. Furmani
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• Tell students that they might write a business letter when they need to contact a business, organization, or a government official.
• Say: Business letters can be used to request information, ask for help, or to report a problem. They include details like the date, address, and a greeting. The body of the letter includes the request or question the writer has, while a complimentary close is a kind way to end the letter. The writer’s signature goes at the very end of the letter.
• Have students answer the questions about the letter on the given lines.
• Have students look at the sample letter. They should be able to look at the letter and complete the activity by writing their answers on the given lines.
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Guided
Practice Write a Business Letter
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Write a Business Letter prompt and help them begin their initial work with their partner.
• Students will need to identify and research a law in their area that they would like to learn more about.
• Remind students to read the prompt carefully and make sure they include all the listed items in their letters.
• Play track 09. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: bullying, get in the way, mediation, report, responsibility, stem from, and take a stand.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What can you do to stop bullying? (I can stop bullying by reporting it to a teacher.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for get in the way (Apart from the weather, feeling sick might get in the way of my fun plans.), mediation (Students might attempt mediation when they have a disagreement about a group project.), and report (I should report to my teacher if there is a fight in the classroom.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
bullying n. treating others with violence; being mean to others
We work together to stop bullying in our school. What can you do to stop bullying ?
get in the way phrase stop from happening
A rainy day would get in the way of our picnic.
Apart from the weather, what else might get in the way of your fun plans?
mediation n. the act of talking with two parties to try to solve a problem between them
If you have a problem with another student, we can try mediation
When might students attempt mediation ?
report v. tell your side of the story to someone who is in charge
You should report students who are behaving dangerously. What should you report to your teacher?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
responsibility n. duty; expected behavior
It is my responsibility to take care of my dog. What is your responsibility as a student? stem from phr. v. come from; be the beginning of something
Her skills stem from years of hard work. Where does your best behavior stem from ? take a stand idiom defend yourself or your beliefs
If we all take a stand, no one can stop us. When should you take a stand ? COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What is your responsibility as a student? (My responsibility as a student is to complete my homework.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for stem from (My best behavior stems from my parents’ guidance.) and take a stand (I should take a stand when I need to protect my friends.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
• Have students turn to page 56 and recall their previous discussion about the Essential Question: How do your actions affect others?
• Have students look at the photographs on pages 56-59 before reading the story.
• Ask: What do you see? Students should be able to talk about the photographs they see on each page. Say: The photographs include captions. How do the captions help you understand what you are looking at? (They tell more about the photograph and help me understand what I am looking at.)
• Say: This is a Paired Read text. It is called “Speaking Out to Stop Bullying.” We will listen to the audio first and then read together. When we read together, we will need to do some tasks.
• Play track 10 and have students follow along in their books as they listen to the text. Stop at the end of the text on page 59.
• Have students go back to page 57. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together on page 56 and help students find the answers.
PAIRED READ
TAKE NOTES
Asking questions helps you figure out your purpose for reading. It also gives you a chance to think about what you know about the topic. Before you read, write a question here.
Essential Question
How do your actions affect others?
Read to find out about how people are standing up to bullying.
As you read, make note of: Interesting Words
Key Details
unable to do anything about their problem.
Raising the Issue
One of the toughest issues facing students today is bullying. Bullying occurs when a person uses aggressive behavior to hurt others on purpose. Acts of bullying often happen over and over. The victim usually feels powerless. A bully’s power may stem from being older, bigger, or stronger. Bullies may also seem to have more resources than the person they target.
Bullying comes in many forms: name calling, teasing, spreading gossip, ignoring or excluding people. Bullying can also be physical, like hitting or shoving.
Bullying can take place anywhere, even in cyberspace. Victims may be targeted online, in e-mails, or over cell phones.
How can students stop bullying? The most important step is to ask an adult for help. The school counselor is a good resource. Victims
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraph 1
What is one of the toughest issues facing students today?
Bullying is one of the toughest issues facing students today.
Paragraph 1
Circle what a bully may seem to have more of than the person they target.
Paragraph 2
What are other forms of bullying that are nonphysical?
Name calling, teasing, spreading gossip, ignoring, or excluding people are nonphysical forms of bullying.
• Have students move to page 57. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about how to recognize bullying. How can you tell if someone is being bullied? (If someone is being bullied, they’ll appear stressed out and worried or scared. They’ll be looking for a friend to help them.)
Talk with a partner about how to recognize bullying. How can you tell if someone is being bullied?
• Have students turn to page 58 and read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about who should deal with bullies. Should there be laws against bullying? (If students can’t deal with the bully themselves, then an adult needs to step in. There must be laws against bullying. If not, bullying may lead to greater crime.)
PAIRED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Underline what a person has to do to take part in role playing.
Paragraph 1
Why would it help to stand next to a person being targeted by bullying?
Standing next to the victim shows that they are not alone.
Students should report any signs of bullying to an adult they trust.
He or she can set up a meeting with the bully, called a mediation, or do role-playing where the bully has to put him- or herself in the victim’s place. Students who witness bullying should also report it. Additionally, they can be active bystanders by placing themselves next to the person being targeted. That move shows the bully that the target is not alone, without a direct confrontation.
Paragraph 3
Draw a box around what police officers in Midland, Texas, say anyone can choose to do?
Talk with a partner about who should deal with bullies. Should there be laws against bullying?
New Hampshire passed a law to stop bullies. The law states that all school staff must be trained to know what bullying looks like. People learn to spot the signs of bullying. The law tells people who see bullying to report it. The state hopes that the law will create bully-free schools.
In Midland, Texas, the police take their message to the schools. Police officers make sure to tell students that bullying can be a crime. They want bullies to know that they are accountable for what they do. This means that bullies will be punished if they are caught. The officers tell students who have been bullied or who have seen bullying to report it right away. They make it clear that people have choices. They tell students that anyone can choose to stop being a bully.
Julia Kordon from Phoenix, Arizona has a message for students. When she was 13, she started a group called The Bullying Ends Now. Julia wants all schools to be safe and fun. She travels all over the state talking to young people. She tells them how hurtful words can lower a person’s self-esteem. Julia asks students to share their stories online. She wants people to stand up for others.
Actress Lauren Potter has a message for lawmakers. She has been speaking out about the bullying of special-needs students. Lauren was born with Down Syndrome. Because she did not look like her classmates, she was teased and called names as a child. She wants laws that will keep people safe from bullies.
It is important for people everywhere to recognize and stand up to all forms of bullying. Everyone has a right to feel safe and to be treated with respect. Likewise, each person has a responsibility to treat others with respect. Report anything that may get in the way of maintaining a safe environment.
Make Connections
How are people standing up to bullying? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
In what ways do actions make a difference? TEXT TO TEXT
EXPOSITORY TEXT
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraph 1
What message does Julia Kordon have for students?
She wants them to stand up for others and stop bullying.
• Have students move to page 59. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
Paragraph 2
Circle the name of the person who speaks out for special-needs students.
Paragraph 3
What should you do if you see something that may get in the way of maintaining a safe environment?
You should report it.
Talk with a partner about ways you can maintain a safe environment at school.
• Say: To finish analyzing the text, we are going to make connections. Look at the questions in the Make Connections box.
• Allow students to work in pairs, as small groups, or independently to answer the first question. (People are standing up by speaking up and letting trusted adults know about instances of bullying.)
• Invite students to address the second question as small groups or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss the question with their peers. (Actions can make a difference in someone’s life and create a safe environment for everyone. By bringing attention to a problem like bullying, the issue can be recognized so that more people can start standing up and speaking out against it.)
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about ways you can maintain a safe environment at school. (We can maintain a safe environment by setting and following rules for good behavior.)
Television actress Lauren Potter speaks out about bullying of special-needs students.
• Have students turn to page 60.
• Before reading through the page, say: We will be looking at ways to answer questions about the text.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
• Say: Look at the Synthesize Information box. It gives us more information about connecting our own ideas with the author’s.
• Read the Synthesize Information box together.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Have students talk with their partners about how the author feels about bullying. (Students should be able to talk about their understanding of the author’s feelings about bullying.)
Cite Text Evidence
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to use text evidence to add information to the graphic organizer.
PAIRED READ Reread
How do you know how the author feels about bullying?
Synthesize Information
COLLABORATE
Talk About It Look back pages 58 and 59. Talk about how the author feels about bullying.
Cite Text Evidence What clues help you understand the author’s feelings about bullying? Write text evidence here.
Text Evidence
How the author feels
When you reread, think about how you feel about bullying and compare your feelings to the author’s feelings. If you’re not sure how the author feels, the author’s choice of words can help you figure out how he feels.
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The author uses headings that tell how people should stop bullying.
The author feels people should stand up to bullying and speak up against it.
The author feels everyone has the right to feel safe and to be treated with respect.
The author says, “It is important for people everywhere to recognize and stand up to all forms of bullying.” giving examples of bullying and how it affects people. He thinks people should stand up to bullies so that everyone can be safe.
Write The author helps me understand how he feels about bullying by
Write (Show What You Learned)
• Students should refer to the notes on the graphic organizer as they respond to the writing prompt at the bottom of the page. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: Now, using the information you put into the graphic organizer, complete the writing activity: The author helps me understand how he feels about bullying by...
Fact and Opinion
Facts are statements that can be proven true or false. The United States of America is a country in North America. That’s a fact. You can research the statement and prove it is true. Opinions can’t be proven; they are an author’s personal beliefs or judgments. You might agree or disagree with them. Driving is the best way to see the United States. That’s an opinion.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
On page 57 of “Speaking Out to Stop Bullying," the author states an opinion in the first sentence. By telling us that bullying is one of the toughest issues facing students today, the author believes bullying is an important topic. The next sentence is a fact: “Bullying occurs when a person uses aggressive behavior to hurt others on purpose.” It can be proven true by looking up the word bullying in a dictionary.
One of the toughest issues facing students today is bullying. Bullying occurs when a person uses aggressive behavior to hurt others on purpose.
Your Turn Reread page 59.
• What is a fact the author tells you about Lauren Potter?
Lauren Potter is an actress who speaks out against bullying.
• What is the author's opinion about learning to speak up?
It is important for people to recognize and stand up to bullying.
Quick Tip
To find out if a sentence is a fact or opinion, use these questions: Can this be proven true or false? If yes, it is a fact. Is this how someone feels or thinks? If yes, this is an opinion.
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• Have students turn to page 61.
• Before reading through the page, say: We will be looking at how writers include facts and opinions to create interesting passages.
• Invite a student to read the Fact and Opinion section. Then, read the Quick Tip box together.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Show students how to identify facts and opinions in a text.
• Say: In “Speaking Out to Stop Bullying,” the author states an opinion in the first sentence. By saying that bullying is one of the toughest issues facing students, the author is telling us that they believe bullying is an important topic. The next sentence is a fact. It gives the definition of the term bullying. This information can be verified by looking up the word in a dictionary.
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Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Guide students to reread page 59 and answer the questions on the given lines.
• Have students turn to page 62.
• Before reading the prompts with students, say: You will be thinking about all the information you’ve read and connecting it with ideas from a photograph.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Ask: If we look at the photograph and read the caption, what information can we get?
• Invite students to share what they think and how they would answer the question. (Students should be able to discuss what the girls are doing.)
Cite Text Evidence
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to look at the photograph and circle how the older girl is affecting the younger girl and to read the caption again and underline the clues that help them figure out why the two girls are together. Remind students to use the Quick Tip box as a guide.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Text Connections
How do the girls in the photograph below and the authors of the selections you have read help you understand how your actions might affect others?
Talk About It Look at the photograph and read the caption. Talk with a partner about what the girls are doing.
Cite Text Evidence What clues help you see how the older girl is affecting the life of the younger girl? Circle them in the photograph. Reread the caption and underline text evidence that tells why the two girls are together.
Write The photograph and the authors help me understand how my actions could affect others by
showing the importance of listening and kindness. In “The Talent Show,” Maura feels ignored when Tina doesn’t listen, and in “Speaking Out to Stop Bullying,” we see how bullying hurts people. The photograph of one girl teaching another baseball reminds us that helping and paying attention to someone is a good way to be a friend. Both selections and the photograph teach us that everyone likes to feel heard and respected.
The two girls are both part of a program in their community that teams older students with younger ones. The younger girl is learning to play baseball.
Quick Tip
When you read, use clues in photographs to help you better understand the text. For example, look at the actions of the people. The expressions on their faces can also tell you how they feel.
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Write (Show What You Learned)
• Have students write a response synthesizing the knowledge they have built about how their actions could affect others. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: Let’s look at the photograph one more time. For the writing section, you will write about how the realistic fiction and the text you have read, as well as the photograph, help you understand something about how our actions might affect others. Take some time to consider everything we have read and talked about before you begin writing.
Integrate RESEARCH AND INQUIRY
Present Your Work
Discuss how you will present your business letter to the class and how you will send it to the state representative after you have presented it. Use the Listening Checklist as you listen to your classmates' presentations. Complete the sentences below.
An interesting fact I learned about the law is I would like to know more about
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During the Presentation
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• Have students turn to page 63.
Quick Tip
Before sharing your letter, prepare a short summary of the law you chose so your classmates will know what you wrote about.
Listening Checklist
Pay attention to how the speaker uses visuals. Listen to the speaker carefully.
Take notes on what you liked about the presentation. Wait until after the presentation to comment on it. If someone else makes the same comment first, tell why you agree with him or her.
• Tell students that they will need to prepare in order to best present their business letters. Say: Last time, you had the chance to gather information about a law in your community and create a business letter to the government representative about that law. Now you will have the time to present the letter that you wrote. Read together the directions at the top of the page.
• Remind students that they will be audience members for other students’ presentations and that as observers and listeners, they will play an important role in the presentations.
• Next, read the Quick Tip box with students and discuss how to prepare a quick summary of the letter to share with the class first.
• Tell students to write down any questions they have while observing others’ presentations. Explain that doing so will help them remember their questions after each speaker has finished.
• Following each presentation, guide the discussion by asking students to paraphrase or summarize the key ideas from the presentation.
• Guide students to use the provided sentence starters to help focus their discussion and responses.
• Discuss each item on the Listening Checklist and remind students to use these skills while listening to their classmates’ presentations. Give students time to practice their presentations before having them share their letters either in front of the class or from their seats.
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• Read the Key Concept and Essential Question to students.
• Have students repeat after or choral read the Essential Question a second time. Ask students to share their initial ideas about the Essential Question.
• Tell students that science can be used to help us understand how the world around us works. People who use science, such as engineers, are able to create things that we use every day.
Explain Model
• Read with students: Science can help us understand a lot of things—from how to throw a curve ball to what happens when you ride a roller coaster. Look at the photograph.
• Ask: Have you ever gone on a roller coaster ride? How did it feel? (Yes, I have. The roller coaster ride felt thrilling.) What makes a roller coaster go fast? How do roller coasters stop? (It goes fast when it goes down a hill. I think roller coasters have brakes like cars to make them stop.)
• Give students time to discuss with their partners. Move around the classroom to check for understanding.
Key Concept Ideas in Motion
Essential Question
How can science help you understand how things work?
Science can help us understand a lot of things—from how to throw a curve ball to what happens when you ride a roller coaster. Look at the photograph. What keeps these people from falling out? Let’s use science to find out!
How do you stay in place during the loop-the-loops? The force created by the acceleration presses you against the seat of the coaster.
In the web below, write words that you have learned about motion. Then talk with a partner about a ride that you would like to design.
(how fast something is moving)
(what pulls us down)
(a push or pull on something) Acceleration (speeding up or changing direction)
• Say: Let’s look at the photograph again. What keeps these people from falling out? We can use science to find out.
• Ask: How do you stay in place during the loop-the-loops? There is a force that is created by the acceleration. This force presses you against your seat.
• Have students write words that they have learned about the concept of motion in the web. Give them time to work on their webs independently before asking them to turn and talk with a partner about their ideas. (Students should be able to talk about the ideas and words they wrote down.)
• Play track 12. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: accelerate, advantage, apply, capabilities, derby, farther, friction, and gravity.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What things accelerate quickly? (Rockets accelerate quickly when they launch.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for advantage (I have an advantage in math because I practice a lot.), apply (When you apply weight to a scale, the numbers go up.), and capabilities (My capabilities include playing the piano.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
accelerate v. get faster
The cars begin to accelerate when the light turns green. What things accelerate quickly?
advantage n. a benefit; a better chance
Hank has an advantage in basketball because he is taller than the rest of the class. What advantage do you have over your classmates?
apply v. put onto; direct energy to
You must apply force to the door to open it.
What happens when you apply weight to a scale?
capabilities n. abilities to do things
Everyone has capabilities, but what they are good at might be different. What are your capabilities ?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
derby n. a race with many people taking part
Every year, people race horses in our town’s derby
What kind of derby would you like to race in?
farther adv. at a greater distance than something else
My paper plane flew farther than my friend's.
Who lives farther from school, you or your friend?
friction n. the force between objects that slows or stops them
There is more friction on carpet than on wood.
How does it feel when you create friction by rubbing your hands together?
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What kind of derby would you like to race in? (I would like to race in a bicycle derby.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for farther (I live farther from school than my friend.), friction (When I create friction by rubbing my hands together, it feels warm.), and gravity (I can see gravity in action when I jump and come back down.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
gravity n. the force that pulls objects together
Gravity stops us from floating in the air.
How can you see gravity in action?
• Continue to introduce each vocabulary word using the Define/Example/Ask routine.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: identity, inquiry, lean, speed, summarized, thrilling, and virtual
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What can you use to show your identity? (I can use my passport to show my identity.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for inquiry (I might make an inquiry at the library.), lean (I don’t think it looks cool to lean against a wall because it seems lazy.), and speed (In my class, David can run at the fastest speed.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
identity n. someone’s name and other information about him or her
No one ever found out the thief’s identity
What can you use to show your identity ?
inquiry n. the act of asking questions so as to get information; an investigation
You can make an inquiry by phone or by messaging.
Where might you make an inquiry ?
lean v. move your weight forward, backward, or from one side to another
When you turn your bike, lean into the turn.
Do you think it looks cool to lean against a wall? Why or why not?
speed n. measurement of how fast you’re moving
The speed of an airplane is a lot greater than the speed of a car.
Who in your class can run at the fastest speed ?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
summarized v. told again in a shorter way
The teacher summarized her instructions before we began writing. When have you summarized a story? thrilling adj. exciting; scary
This roller coaster is thrilling ! Do you enjoy thrilling rides? virtual adj. existing only on a computer
You can play in a virtual world in this video game. Do you like to play in virtual worlds? Why or why not?
COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: When have you summarized a story? (I summarized a story when I explained a movie to my friend.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for thrilling (I enjoy thrilling rides because they are fun and adventurous.) and virtual (I like to play in virtual worlds because they are creative and fun.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
SHARED READ
TAKE NOTES
Understanding new information can be difficult. It is helpful to reread new information to make sure you understand it clearly. As you reread these key sections, take notes so you can easily find this new information again.
As you read, make note of:
Interesting Words Key Details
Read
Before Reading
Page 70
Build Background
• Have students share their experiences with building or creating something. Ask: What did you build or create? How did you figure out how to make it work?
• Have them describe using “I built/created ___ by ___.”
• Then, discuss with students how scientific knowledge can help solve practical problems.
• Read the Essential Question: How can science help you understand how things work?
• Explain the meaning of the Essential Question, including the vocabulary in the question. Say: Science helps us understand many things around us. Science is the study of how things work. Understand means to know something well. So, the Essential Question asks how learning about science can help us know how different things work.
• Discuss the concept of science by asking students what they know about scientific ideas and people in science. Explain that science involves inquiry, which means asking questions and trying to find the answers.
• Model an answer. Say: Science can help us understand many things. It can explain something simple, like how crayons are made, or something complex, like how space works.
• Have students connect the Essential Question to their background knowledge. Say: Turn to a partner and discuss a time when you tried to understand how something works. For example, have you ever taken something apart to see how it works? Then, we’ll share our ideas with the class. Call on several pairs to share their discussions.
Set Purpose for Reading
• Say: Today we will read “The Big Race” and how scientific knowledge helps the characters build a fast car for the race. As we read, think about the Essential Question: How can science help you understand how things work?
Take Notes
• Have students look at the TAKE NOTES prompt on page 70.
• Guide them to write down their questions, interesting words, and key details from the text in the left column on page 70.
Previewing the Text
• Before students begin reading the story, have them look at the images and headings on pages 70-73.
• Ask them to share what they see on each page to activate their prior knowledge, engage their curiosity, and enhance their comprehension of the story.
• Have students go back to page 70.
• Ask: What are the boys doing in the illustration? (They are talking next to a race car simulator.) How do you think they feel about trying the race car simulator? (They seem eager and excited to try it.)
Listening Activity
• Play track 13 and have students follow along in their books until the end of page 73.
• After listening, invite them to share what they heard or ask questions.
• Reassure them that it’s okay if they don’t remember everything, as the story will be reviewed in detail during class.
During Reading
Interactive Question-Response Routine
• After each paragraph, ask questions to help students understand the meaning of the text.
• Explain difficult or unfamiliar concepts and words.
• Reinforce the meaning of new vocabulary.
• Ask students questions that require them to use the vocabulary.
• Reinforce weekly strategies and skills by modeling and asking questions.
• Use images and other text features to aid students’ comprehension.
• Use headings to help students predict what the sections will be about.
I’m Clara. Welcome!
Alex and Liam planned to build a car for the soap box derby. As a result of their inquiry into how to build a fast car, they had come to the science museum today for answers. Last week, Alex’s mother had called one of the museum’s scientists. When they walked into the museum, a woman in a lab coat and inline skates zoomed up and greeted them.
“Hi, I’m Clara. Are you the boys who want to know what will make a car go fast?”
“Yes, I’m Alex, and that’s Liam,” Alex responded.
“Why are you wearing inline skates, Clara?” Liam asked.
“I’m a champion skater!” Clara claimed, doing a spin. Then she whispered, “That’s not my true identity I’m a scientist. Skates make it easier to get around. Follow me!”
IT’S ABOUT SPEED
“Welcome to our On the Move exhibit,” Clara announced as they entered a large room. “So, tell me about the race.”
“There will be 20 cars in the race. We’ll be going down the steepest hill in town!” Alex said.
“Sounds thrilling! It must be exciting to go fast!” Clara answered as she pressed buttons on a machine. “This is a virtual race car, and this screen shows you the virtual race course and your speed. Speed is the distance an object moves in a certain amount of time.”
NARRATIVE NONFICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1 Cause and Effect
Underline the words that tell why Alex and Liam were doing an inquiry. Circle the words that tell what Liam and Alex did as a result of the inquiry.
Paragraphs 4–8 Reread
Circle the reason Clara was wearing inline skates.
Draw a box around the words that give a description of the race. What was Clara’s opinion of the race? Write it here.
She thought the race sounded thrilling.
Reread
Author's Craft
How does the author use active words and punctuation to create a sense of excitement in the story?
Paragraph 1
Cause and Effect
• Read paragraph 1 together. Ask: Why did Alex and Liam come to the science museum? (Alex and Liam came to the science museum to find answers on how to build a fast car for the soap box derby.) What did Alex’s mother do to help with their inquiry? (Alex’s mother called one of the museum’s scientists to help with their inquiry.) What happened when Alex and Liam walked into the museum? (They were greeted by a woman in a lab coat and inline skates, who introduced herself as Clara.)
• Read the Cause and Effect prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Underline the words that tell why Alex and Liam were doing an inquiry. Circle the words that tell what Liam and Alex did as a result of the inquiry.
Paragraphs 4–8
Reread
• Read paragraphs 4-8 together. Ask: Why did Clara wear inline skates? (She wore inline skates to get around the museum more easily.) How did Alex describe the race? (He described the race as having 20 cars going down the steepest hill in town.) What did Clara think about the race? (She thought the race sounded thrilling and exciting.)
• Read the Reread prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Circle the reason Clara was wearing inline skates. Draw a box around the words that give a description of the race. What was Clara’s opinion of the race? Write it here. (She thought the race sounded thrilling.)
• Tell students that they will reread this page to analyze the techniques the author used in writing this selection.
• Ask: What action words does the author use to show what Clara is doing? (The author uses action words like zoomed, spun, and pressed to show Clara’s quick and exciting movements.) How do punctuation marks, like exclamation marks, make the story more exciting? (Exclamation marks in Clara’s speech, like “Sounds thrilling!” and “I’m a champion skater!” make her sound really excited and energetic. When we read sentences with exclamation marks, it feels like the characters are talking loudly and with lots of emotion, which makes the story feel lively and fun.)
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author use active words and punctuation to create a sense of excitement in the story? (The author uses action words like zoomed and spun to show Clara’s fast movements, and exclamation marks to make her sound excited. These make the story feel livelier and more energetic.)
Remind students “The Big Race” is narrative nonfiction.
• Ask students to find the heading on page 71. Ask: How does this heading relate to the section of text beneath it? (In this section, Clara explains what speed is.) What is the purpose of headings? (They organize the text and give the reader an idea of what the text is about.)
Genre
SHARED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraphs 3–6
Cause and Effect
Draw a box around the words that explain what a force is. Underline the effect that would result from pushing a stool. What would be the effect of one stool receiving a bigger force than another? Write it here.
The stool with the bigger force will accelerate and go farther.
Paragraph 7
Reread
Circle the summary that Alex made. What would Alex and Liam most likely do at the top of the hill? Write it here.
At the top of the hill, Alex and Liam would most likely give their car a big push to make it go faster.
Reread
Author's Craft
How does the author use dialogue to explain key information?
FORCES AT WORK
Alex and Liam climbed into the machine. Each seat had a steering wheel and a screen in front of it.
Clara said, “Since you want to build a fast car, you need to know about forces and how they affect motion.”
“What’s a force?” asked Liam.
A force is a push or pull.
Clara continued, “A force is a push or a pull. Forces cause things to move or cause a change in motion. When I apply a big enough force on an object, like this stool, it moves. If two objects are exactly the same, the object that receives a bigger force will accelerate, or increase its speed,” Clara said, pushing two stools at the same time.
“Which stool received a bigger force?” Clara asked.
“The one on the right. It went farther,” said Liam.
“So, giving our car a big push at the top of the hill will cause it to accelerate and go faster,” Alex summarized.
There’s a sharp curve coming up!
GRAVITY
Clara on your force between tennis this ball, same force
“So, will keep
“You’ll slows objects on my stoppers Clara.
“Thanks, cool! I to win our side,
I’m going to accelerate now!
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraphs 3–6
Cause and Effect
• Read paragraphs 3-6 together. Ask: What is a force? (A force is a push or a pull.) What happens when you apply a big enough force to an object? (The object moves.) What example does Clara use to explain how forces work? (Clara uses the example of pushing two stools.) What is the effect of one stool receiving a bigger force than another? (The stool with the bigger force will go farther.) How does understanding forces help Alex and Liam with their car? (It helps them know that giving their car a big push at the top of the hill will make it go faster.)
• Read the Cause and Effect prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Draw a box around the words that explain what a force is. Underline the effect that would result from pushing a stool. What would be the effect of one stool receiving a bigger force than another? Write it here. (The stool with the bigger force will accelerate and go farther.)
Paragraph 7
Reread
• Read paragraph 7 together. Ask: What is Clara teaching Alex and Liam about forces? (She is teaching that forces are pushes or pulls that cause things to move.) What did Liam notice about the stools when Clara applied different forces? (He noticed that the stool on the right, which got a bigger force, went farther.) What did Alex summarize about giving the car a big push? (He summarized that giving the car a big push at the top of the hill will make it go faster.)
• Read the Reread prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks. Say: Circle the summary that Alex made. What would Alex and Liam most likely do at the top of the hill? Write it here. (At the top of the hill, Alex and Liam would most likely give their car a big push to make it go faster.)
• Ask: How does the dialogue between Clara and Liam help explain what a force is? (The dialogue includes Liam asking, “What’s a force?” and Clara answering by defining a force as a push or a pull that causes things to move or change motion. This makes the concept clear and understandable.) How does Clara use examples and questions to explain forces? (Clara uses the example of pushing stools to show how a bigger force makes an object move farther. She then asks Liam, “Which stool received a bigger force?” to reinforce the lesson. This helps students see how forces work in real life.)
• Read the Author’s Craft question with the students and have them answer it: How does the author use dialogue to explain key information? (The author uses dialogue to explain key information by having Clara define what a force is and how it works through a conversation with Liam. Clara’s explanations, examples, and questions help make the concept of forces clear and easy to understand.)
NARRATIVE NONFICTION
GRAVITY AND FRICTION
Clara smiled, “Right! Another force acting on your car is gravity. Gravity is a pulling force between two objects.” Clara took a tennis ball out of her pocket. “When I drop this ball, gravity pulls it towards the floor. It’s the same force that pulls your car down the hill.”
“So, a big push gives us an advantage over other cars, and gravity will keep us going. How do we stop?” Liam asked.
“You’ll need friction. Friction is a force between two surfaces that slows objects down or stops them from moving. For example, I lean back on my skates, and the friction between the rubber stoppers and the floor slows me down,” said Clara.
“Thanks, Clara! The virtual race car was cool! I knew we had the skills and capabilities to win the race, but now we have science on our side, too,” Liam grinned.
Make Connections
Talk about ways that science can help you understand how objects move. ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can science help you understand your favorite activities? TEXT TO SELF
You need friction.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 3 Context Clues
Circle the context clue in paragraph 3 that helps you figure out the meaning of friction. Write the meaning below.
Friction is a force between two surfaces that slows objects down or stops them from moving.
Speech Balloons
The speech balloon on this page gives us the answer to a question. Underline the question in the text and write it here.
Science explains how objects move through forces, such as pushes or pulls. For example, kicking a soccer ball applies a force that makes it move.
Science helps me understand my favorite activities by explaining how gravity lets me slide and friction helps me skate.
How do we stop?
Summarize
Review your notes, the headings, and the speech balloons. Then, summarize “The Big Race.”
Paragraph 3
Context Clues
• Read paragraphs 1-3 together. Ask: What is gravity? (Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards each other.) How does Clara show gravity with a tennis ball? (She drops the ball, and it falls to the floor because of gravity.) What question does Liam ask about stopping the car? (How do we stop?) What is friction? (Friction is a force that slows objects down or stops them from moving.) What example does Clara use to explain friction? (She leans back on her skates, and the rubber stoppers slow her down.) Which words help you understand the meaning of friction? (Slows objects down or stops them from moving.)
• Read the Context Clues prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks: Circle the context clue in paragraph 3 that helps you figure out the meaning of friction. Write the meaning below. (Friction is a force between two surfaces that slows objects down or stops them from moving.)
Speech Balloons
• Guide students to locate the speech balloon. Ask: Where is the speech balloon in the text? (It’s where Clara talks about friction.)
• Help students understand what the speech balloon says. Ask: What information does the speech balloon provide? (The speech balloon explains how friction helps to stop the car.)
• Guide students to find the question that leads to the information given in the speech balloon.
• Read the Speech Balloons prompts with the students and have them complete the tasks: The speech balloon on this page gives us the answer to a question. Underline the question in the text and write it here. (How do we stop?)
• After their first read, ask partners to orally summarize the selection using their notes.
• Allow students to work in pairs, small groups, or independently to complete this task. (In “The Big Race,” Alex and Liam visit a science museum to learn how to build a fast car for the soap box derby. Clara, a scientist, explains the importance of forces like gravity and friction. She demonstrates how a big push can accelerate their car and how gravity pulls it down the hill. Clara also shows how friction helps slow the car. By understanding these concepts, Alex and Liam are better prepared to build a speedy car for the race.)
Make Connections
• Invite students to address the Make Connections box as a small group or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss both questions with their peers.
Explain
• Explain to students that when they read an informational text, they can always reread certain parts or sections to make sure they understand and remember the information.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Using page 72, model how to recall meaning by rereading the “Forces at Work” section from “The Big Race.”
• Say: I need to make sure I can remember the meaning of the word accelerate. I read that it means to increase the speed of something. I will reread that part of the text to help me understand and remember this concept.
COMPREHENSION
Reread
When you read an informational text, you often come across information that is new to you. As you read “The Big Race,” reread key sections of text to make sure you understand them and remember the information they contain.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
As you read “The Big Race,” the concept of acceleration may be new to you. Reread the “Forces at Work” section on page 72 to help you remember what accelerate means.
Page 72
“What’s a force?” asked Liam.
Clara continued, “A force is a push or a pull. Forces cause things to move or cause a change in motion. When I apply a big enough force on an object, like this stool, it moves. If two objects are exactly the same, the object that receives a bigger force will accelerate, or increase its speed,” Clara said, pushing two stools at the same time.
“Which stool received a bigger force?” Clara asked. “The one on the right. It went farther,” said Liam.
“So, giving our car a big push at the top of the hill will cause it to accelerate and go faster,” Alex summarized
I read that accelerate means to increase the speed of something. Rereading will help me to understand and remember this concept.
COLLABORATE
Your Turn What does gravity do? Reread the “Gravity and Friction” section of “The Big Race” to find out. As you read, remember to use the strategy Reread.
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• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: What does gravity do? Reread the “Gravity and Friction” section of “The Big Race” to find out. As you read, remember to use the strategy Reread. (Gravity pulls things towards the ground, like pulling a car down a hill or making a dropped ball fall to the floor.)
Guided Practice Your Turn
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Headings and Speech Balloons
The selection “The Big Race” is narrative nonfiction. Narrative nonfiction
• tells a story
• includes facts and examples about a topic
• often includes text features
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Even though “The Big Race” reads like a story, I can tell that it is an informational text because it includes facts and text features.
Page 72
Headings Headings tell what a section of text is mostly about.
Speech Balloons Speech Balloons tell what the characters are saying or thinking.
Your Turn Find two examples of text features in “The Big Race.” Tell your partner what information you learned from the features.
•
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Find two examples of text features in “The Big Race.”. Tell your partner what information you learned from the features. (From the heading on page 73, I learned that this section talks about how gravity and friction affect movement. From the speech balloon on this page, I learned that friction is necessary to stop moving objects.)
• Explain the characteristics of a narrative nonfiction. Narrative nonfiction tells a story while also including facts and examples about a topic. Often, narrative nonfiction includes text features.
• Point out that things like headings as well as speech bubbles are helpful text features used throughout a narrative nonfiction piece.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE Explain
• Model using headings and speech bubbles in “The Big Race.” Use page 72 to discuss the information given in the heading and speech bubbles.
• Say: Headings can tell us what a section is mostly about. It can be a helpful way of organizing the text for the reader. Speech bubbles give information, too. They tell what the characters are saying or thinking about.
Guided Practice Your Turn
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• Tell students that authors use different text structures to organize the information in a selection.
• Cause and Effect is one kind of structure that authors use often. The author first might explain how or why something happens. Then they tell what the result of that thing is or was.
• A cause is why something happens.
• An effect is what happens.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Model how to identify the cause and effect of different events in “The Big Race” and record the information on the graphic organizer.
• Say: I can reread this section from page 72 to find actions that cause something to happen. Then I can figure out the effects of those actions.
COMPREHENSION SKILL
Cause and Effect
Text structure is the way that authors organize information in a selection. Cause and effect is one kind of text structure. The author explains how and why something happens. A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
I can reread “Forces at Work” in “The Big Race” on page 72 to find actions that cause something to happen. Then I can figure out the effects of those actions.
Clara applies force to one stool.
Clara pushes both stools.
Clara applies more force to one of the stools.
The stool moves.
Both stools move.
One stool moves farther.
COLLABORATE
Your Turn Reread each section of “The Big Race.” Find events or actions that cause something to happen and their effects. List each cause and effect in the graphic organizer.
Alex and Liam want to build a fast derby car.
They go to the science museum for advice.
Clara explains forces, demonstrating with stools that a bigger force on an object causes it to accelerate.
Alex and Liam understand that a big push would increase their car’s speed.
Clara discusses gravity pulling the car downhill.
Liam realizes friction is needed to stop the car. Guided Practice Your Turn
• • Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Reread each section of “The Big Race.” Find events or actions that cause something to happen and their effects. List each cause and effect in the graphic organizer.
• When students complete the organizer, have partners move on to the last page and add more boxes to the graphic organizer if time allows. This way they can practice identifying causes and effects throughout the story.
• Have students turn to page 78.
• Say: You will be responding to the reading. Remember, when we see questions about something we have read, we need to be able to provide text evidence. This is the information from the text that helps us answer a question.
• Read aloud the questions and the discussion starters for each of the questions.
• Guide students to work with a partner to answer the questions orally using the discussion starters.
• Have students find text evidence to support their answers. Have them write the page number(s) where the answers can be found.
• 1. Why do Liam and Alex visit the science museum? (They want to learn how to make their car go faster.)
• 2. What do they learn from Clara about forces in motion? (A force is a push or a pull. Acceleration increases the speed between two objects.)
• 3. Why are gravity and friction important to Liam and Alex? (Gravity will make their car go faster. Friction will help them to stop.)
RESPOND TO READING
Discuss Work with a partner. Use the discussion starters to answer the questions about “The Big Race.” Write the page numbers.
Q uestions
Why do Liam and Alex visit the science museum?
What do they learn from Clara about forces in motion?
Why are gravity and friction important to Liam and Alex?
Liam and Alex visit . . . I read that . . .
Page(s):
Page(s):
The boys learn that . . . I learned that . . .
Gravity and friction are . . . I learned that gravity . . .
Friction is . . .
• After students have attempted the activity, call on students to share their answers.
• Ask: How do we know what the answers are? (Students should be able to say something about looking back in the text to find the information.)
Discuss Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents information. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
How does the author use science to present the information needed to build a fast car?
In order to build a fast car, the boys will need to reach a great speed. The author begins by defining speed. Then, the author discusses forces to make the car accelerate. Again, the author provides scientific definitions for the new terms. Finally, the author discusses stopping. The forces needed for stopping are also given definitions.
SHARED READ
Use these sentence starters to discuss the forces from the story.
• In order to . . .
• As a result of . . .
• The speech bubbles say Quick Tip
• Have students look at page 79.
• Before reading the prompt with students, say: You will be responding to the reading by answering specific questions based on the notes you took.
• Read the Discuss prompt together: Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author presents information. Use your notes and graphic organizer.
As you write your response, check that you do not have any sentence fragments or run-ons. Each sentence should state a complete thought.
• Have students read the Quick Tip box to be able to include specific sentence starters to help them talk about the different ways that the author presents information.
• Have students read the Grammar Connections box to learn more about how to avoid sentences that are too long or that do not include a complete thought.
• Tell students to answer the question independently and that there will be time to share with the whole class later.
Grammar Connections
•
• Say: We will be identifying context clues. These are words, phrases, definitions, examples, or restatements that can indicate a word’s meaning. Explain that when we are uncertain of a word’s meaning, we can look at the other words around it to figure out the meaning.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Say: Look at the Find Text Evidence section. It gives us more information about how to find the meaning of the word force by considering a phrase nearby in the same sentence.
• Say: If I read a little further, I see the phrase “a push or a pull.” This phrase defines what the word force means.
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Context Clues
When you are not sure what a word means, you can look at the other words around it to figure out the meaning. These other words, called context clues, may be definitions, examples, or restatements of the word’s meaning.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
When I read the fourth paragraph on page 72 of “The Big Race,” I am not sure what the word force means. The phrase “a push or a pull” defines what the word force means.
Clara continued, “A force is a push or a pull. Forces cause things to move or cause a change in motion.”
Your Turn Use context clues to figure out the meanings of the following words in “The Big Race.”
speed, page 71
friction, page 73
surfaces, page 73
the distance an object moves in a certain amount of time the force that causes things to slow down when they touch each other the outer parts of things that touch each other
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Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Your Turn prompt and help them complete the task: Use context clues to figure out the meanings of the following words in “The Big Race.”
• Have students determine the meaning of the words speed, friction, and surfaces from pages 71 and 73.
AND INQUIRY
Plan a Science Project
When you do a science project, make a plan first. You’ll want an interesting science project that catches the attention of the judges and audience. You’ll want to do a topic that is interesting. And maybe you can help society by discovering something new.
• Consider an experiment that will provide good visuals for the judges and audience to see.
• Think about your science topic carefully to select one that is challenging, but not too far above your level.
• Do research to discover what scientists are currently working on. Keeping your science project current is a sure way to impress the judges.
Think of a sample science project topic and write it below.
I think documenting the Moon phases would make a cool science project.
Plan an Experiment With a partner or a small group, research different science topics commonly studied by students of your grade level. Consider an experiment that students your age can perform and select one that looks interesting.
• Develop a hypothesis, or a question, that you hope to answer with your experiment.
• Make a supply list so you know what you’ll need to run the experiment.
• Write the procedure so you know how to run the experiment.
• Share your experiment with your classmates by talking about what you would do.
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• Tell students that a science project is a way to learn about something by doing an experiment. This helps us to understand what we are trying to figure out.
• Say: When you do a science project, you should make a plan first. You’ll want to think of an interesting project that catches the attention of the judges and audience.
• Read through the Plan a Science Project section together with the students. Have students create the Inquiry Chart in their notebooks.
• Have students think of a sample science project and write their idea on the line given.
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Guided Practice Plan an Experiment
• Say: Now it’s your turn. Have students look at the Plan an Experiment prompt and help them begin their initial work with their partner or small group.
• Students will need to research grade-level appropriate science topics and identify potential experiments that they can do.
• Remind students to read the prompt carefully and make sure they include all the listed elements in their notebooks.
• Play track 14. Students will first listen and then repeat the sentences.
• Use the Define/Example/Ask routine to introduce each vocabulary word.
• Ask students to read the bolded vocabulary words with you: attempting, bizarre, figure out, manage, prove, structure, and trial run.
• Have students take turns reading the sample sentence for each of the words as well as the definitions.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What things are you attempting to achieve in your life? (I am attempting to achieve good grades in school.)
• Say: Look at the next three words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for bizarre (I have seen a bizarre house shaped like a shoe.), figure out (I can figure out a difficult math problem by asking my teacher for help.), and manage (I can manage keeping my room clean well.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
VOCABULARY
attempting v. trying
I have been attempting this magic trick for weeks. What things are you attempting to achieve in your life?
bizarre adj. strange; unusual
The children’s Halloween costumes look bizarre What is something bizarre that you’ve seen before?
figure out phr. v. find an answer to
We will figure out the problem if we keep working at it. How can you figure out a difficult math problem?
manage v. handle; succeed in doing
Taking care of a dog is a lot of work, but I can manage What tasks can you manage well?
VOCABULARY ROUTINE
1. Define the word in simple, child-friendly language.
2. Provide an example of the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to children’s lives.
3. Ask a question that requires children to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or they can identify a synonym or antonym.
prove v. show something to be true
You need to prove that you paid for the movie by showing your ticket. What would you like to prove to your teacher? structure n. a building; something built by people
This structure was built for horses to live in. What kind of structure do you live in? trial run n. a practice round
You can take the bike for a trial run to see if it’s right for you. What have you taken for a trial run and when?
COLLABORATE Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
• Have students think about and answer the question in blue: What would you like to prove to your teacher? (I would like to prove to my teacher that I can be responsible.)
• Say: Look at the next two words on your own and respond to the questions in blue for each one.
• Have students think about and respond to the questions in blue for structure (I live in an apartment building.) and trial run (I took a new video game for a trial run before purchasing it last month.).
• Invite one or two students to share their responses.
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Read: Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer. (Answers will vary depending on the words that students pick and the questions they individually generated. Walk around the room to check students’ work. Questions should include the use of the vocabulary word.)
• Have students turn to page 84 and recall their previous discussion about the Essential Question: How can science help you understand how things work?
• Have students look at the illustrations on pages 84-87 before reading the story.
• Ask: What do you see? Students should be able to talk about the illustrations they see on each page.
• Say: This is a Paired Read text. It is called “The Box-Zip Project.” We will listen to the audio first and then read together. When we read together, we will need to do some tasks.
• Play track 15 and have students follow along in their books as they listen to the story. Stop at the end of the story on page 87.
• Have students go back to page 84. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
PAIRED READ
TAKE NOTES
Asking questions helps you figure out your purpose for reading. It also gives you a chance to think about what you know about the topic. Before you read, write a question here.
Essential Question
How can science help you understand how things work?
Read how two futuristic robots use science to solve a problem.
As you read, make note of: Interesting Words
Key Details
The thirteenth sun of Xyport rose in the orangetinted sky as Dr. Tank and his assistant, Shine, arrived for work.
“Good morning,” Shine said, slipping into his lab coat. “Today’s the day! I feel it in my battery!”
Dr. Tank smiled and said, “Now, Shine, we don’t feel. We are robots, remember?”
Shine’s robot laughter clattered like marbles inside a can. “You got me, Dr. Tank! But, honestly, I think we’ll figure out the problem with this silly machine today.”
The silly machine, known as Box-Zip, stood in the middle of the science laboratory looking like a ticket booth.
“Let’s hope so, Shine. This project will be history if we’re not successful pronto!”
For months, the robots had been attempting to travel in the Box-Zip to Earth. A voyage to planet Xto was no problem, and it was twice the distance. They could land on Grolon in a heartbeat. When they traveled to Vinzine, they returned ten minutes before they even left!
But Earth? Every time they attempted landing on that bizarre planet they could only get so close.
“Time for the morning checklist,” Dr. Tank said.
“Ready-o,” Shine answered.
“Inertia?” inquired Dr. Tank.
“Check,” said Shine. “This baby is definitely at rest.”
“Superb. Now let’s apply force to move it,” Dr. Tank said. Together, they pushed Box-Zip, which slid easily.
“Now use force to stop it,” Dr. Tank said. Shine held out his enormous robot hand and immediately stopped the sliding Box-Zip.
“Let’s do a trial run to Klugger and back,” said Dr. Tank. Both robots stepped into Box-Zip and buckled up.
“Accelerate to warp times five blinkers,” Dr. Tank advised. As Box-Zip moved faster, the seat belts kept the robots in place.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 5
Draw a box around the name of the silly machine that the robots were working on. What does it look like?
It looks like a ticket booth.
• Have students move to page 85. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
Paragraph 7
What had the robots been attempting to do for months?
They had been attempting to land on Earth.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about a difficult thing you’ve tried repeatedly to do. How do you keep your determination? (I exercise every day. Some days I feel lazy, but I tell myself that I can relax after exercising. It’s hard to keep doing it every day, but exercising regularly feels great.)
Paragraph 13
Circle the word that tells how the robots move Box-Zip.
Talk with a partner about a difficult thing you’ve tried repeatedly to do. How do you keep your determination?
• Have students turn to page 86 and read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
PAIRED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 2
Circle the word that describes how Dr. Tank felt after returning from Klugger.
Almost instantly Box-Zip glided onto a dusty purple planet. Shine wanted a purple frozen beverage from the 7-0-12 store, but Dr. Tank explained that there was simply no time. In five blinkers, they were back in the laboratory.
“Klugger is no problem, yet we can’t manage an Earth landing!” the frustrated Dr. Tank said. “It’s ridiculous!”
“Come on,” Shine encouraged. “Giving up is not an option.”
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about ways to communicate other than using words. How would you communicate with a creature from another planet? (We play a fun game to communicate without words called charades. In this game, you act out different things to get your partner to guess what you want to say.
I’d
talk to aliens like that.)
Paragraph 8
What happened when the robots arrived on Earth?
They found themselves stuck in a tree.
Paragraph 12
What did the robots hear after realizing they were stuck?
The robots heard an Earth creature trying to communicate.
COLLABORATE
Talk with a partner about ways to communicate other than using words. How would you communicate with a creature from another planet?
Dr. Tank couldn’t help but smile at his unfailingly cheerful assistant. Now he regretted not letting Shine get a purple frozen beverage on Klugger.
“You’re absolutely right,” said Dr. Tank. “Let’s try Earth again.” Buckled safely in Box-Zip, Shine began to accelerate to warp times seven blinkers, then twelve blinkers. The world was a distorted blur of colorful motion. The robots’ chrome teeth chattered as they whizzed through the galaxies, finally landing with a thud. They peered out the window.
“Drats!” Dr. Tank shouted in frustration. “It’s happened again! We’ll never make it all the way down.”
Shine looked down. There was Earth below, yet Box-Zip remained at least fifteen feet above, stuck in the many arms of some enormous green and brown structure
“Why can’t we get to Earth?” Dr. Tank cried.
“Yoo-hoo, there!” came a voice from below.
The robots looked at each other. Something was attempting communication!
“Yoo-hoo!” the voice called again.
“Maybe ‘yoo-hoo’ means hello,” said Shine.
“Let’s try to communicate!”
Shine leaned out the window, calling, “Yoo-hoo!”
“Might I possibly make an inquiry?” the Earth creature said.
“An inquiry?” asked Shine.
“A question, might I ask a question?”
“Certainly,” answered Dr. Tank. “And then we’ll ask you a question.”
“Very well,” said the creature. “Did you mean to land in a tree?”
“Tree!” said Shine. “What a hilarious name for this funny-looking thing!”
“Your tree prevents us from landing on your planet,” said Dr. Tank. “Is there something we can do about it?”
The creature nodded his head. “I believe that gravity might offer a solution. Try rocking back and forth a bit. Once you start falling, I’m sure you’ll come all the way down.”
The robots looked at each other doubtfully. Still, they shifted from side to side until Box-Zip began to move. Then it moved down. In fact, it moved down rather quickly.
“Yes!” Dr. Tank shouted. “We’ve landed on Earth at last!”
To prove their successful landing, the robots had photographs made with the Earth creature, whose name turned out to be Mortimer. With some special sticky tape, Box-Zip was soon patched up and ready to go home. Before leaving Earth, Dr. Tank bought Shine a delicious green frozen beverage for the trip home.
Make Connections
How did science help the robots solve their problem? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What are a few ways that science can help us answer questions and solve problems?
SCIENCE FICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraph 4
Underline the question asked by the Earthling.
Paragraph 6
Circle the question asked by Dr. Tank.
Paragraph 10
Why did the robots take a picture of themselves with the Earth creature?
They wanted to prove that they had visited Earth.
• Have students move to page 87. Read each paragraph together. If it’s possible for your class, invite students to read individual paragraphs aloud.
• Read each prompt together and help students find the answers.
• Have students read the Talk prompt with you and help them complete the task: Talk with a partner about how you would prove a fantastic claim. Would a photograph be enough with modern computers? (Today, it would be easy to fake a fantastic claim. I think people would need to personally experience something to believe it today.)
Talk with a partner about how you would prove a fantastic claim. Would a photograph be enough with modern computers?
• Say: To finish analyzing the text, we are going to make connections. Look at the questions in the Make Connections box.
• Allow students to work in pairs, as small groups, or independently to answer the first question. (The robots use the science behind gravity to reach Earth.)
• Invite students to address the second question as small groups or in pairs. Students should be able to answer and discuss the question with their peers. (In both stories, scientific knowledge helps the characters solve problems.)
• Have students turn to page 88.
• Before reading through the page, say: We will be looking at ways to answer questions about the text.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
• Say: Look at the Quick Tip box. It gives us more information about rereading for clarification.
• Read the Quick Tip box together.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Have students talk with their partners about where the robots go. (Students should be able to talk about how they know where the robots go in the story.)
Cite Text Evidence
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to use text evidence to add information to the graphic organizer.
PAIRED READ Reread
How does the author order the events to help you understand the adventure of the robots?
COLLABORATE
Talk About It Reread page 86. Talk with a partner about where the robots go.
Cite Text Evidence How does the author describe the robots’ voyage? Write the order of their travels in the chart.
Quick Tip
When you reread, look for the words the author chooses to describe the travels of Box-Zip. These words mark a change in location.
The robots travel from the lab to Klugger.
The robots return to the lab.
The robots travel to Earth, but they get stuck in a tree.
With help from Mortimer, the robots finally land on Earth.
Write I can understand the robots’ journeys because the author
describes the voyage scenes so vividly.
• Students should refer to the notes on the graphic organizer as they respond to the writing prompt at the bottom of the page. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: Now, using the information you put into the graphic organizer, complete the writing activity: I can understand the robots’ journeys because the author...
Nonsense Words
Nonsense words are words that don’t have a meaning or are used in places where no true meaning is necessary. Nonsense words can be used in creative writing to make a work more interesting. We can derive a meaning for the nonsense words through context clues. In this way, the nonsense words have meaning for the story even though that meaning doesn’t carry to other written works.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
On page 85, in paragraph 16 of “The Box-Zip Project,” the author describes preparations for travel to the planet Klugger. The name of the planet itself is a nonsense word. The author's description of how the robots travel to the planet contains nonsense as well. The author uses words in new meanings which only make sense for this story.
“Accelerate to warp times five blinkers,” Dr. Tank advised.
Your Turn Reread paragraph 7 on page 85.
• What words in this paragraph are nonsense?
The nonsense words are Xto, Grolon, and Vinzine.
• Using context clues, what do these words mean?
Using context clues, these should be the names of planets.
Readers to Writers
You can use nonsense words in creative writing, too. Nonsense words are best used to replace nouns. Nouns are most easily described by context. When you make a nonsense word, combine syllables from different words. Try to make words that are fun to say out loud. Be careful when you create nonsense words. You don’t want to make a real word by mistake!
•
• Have students turn to page 89.
• Before reading through the page, say: We will be looking at how writers include nonsense words to add interesting elements to their work.
• Invite a student to read the Nonsense Words section. Then, read the Readers to Writers box together.
Model FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
• Show students how to find the meaning of nonsense words in a text.
• Say: In “The Box-Zip Project,” the author describes preparations for travel to Klugger. The name of the planet is a nonsense word. The author uses descriptions of how the robots travel that also include nonsense words. The nonsense words used in this story only truly make sense in this particular story. We can use context clues from the text to figure out the meanings of nonsense words just like regular words.
Guided Practice Your Turn
• Say: Read the Your Turn prompt with me. Guide students to reread paragraph 7 on page 85 and answer the questions on the given lines.
• Have students turn to page 90.
• Before reading the prompts with students, say: You will be thinking about all the information you’ve read and connecting it with ideas from a photograph.
• Call on students to help read the information on the page. Have a student read the opening question.
Talk About It
• Invite another student to read the Talk About It section.
• Ask: If we look at the photograph and read the caption, what information can we get?
• Invite students to share what they think and how they would answer the question. (Students should be able to discuss what the astronaut is doing; testing equipment and floating above Earth.)
MAKE CONNECTIONS Integrate
Text Connections
How do NASA’s photograph below and the authors of the selections you have read help you understand how gravity can affect your life?
Talk About It Look at the photograph and read the caption. Talk with a partner about what the astronaut is doing and how gravity affects him.
Cite Text Evidence What clues in the photograph and caption show that gravity is important to what the astronaut is doing? Circle them in the photograph. Underline text evidence in the caption. Think about what you’ve learned about gravity from the selections you have read.
Write The photographer and the authors help me understand how gravity
• Invite another student to read the Cite Text Evidence section.
• Guide students to read the caption again and underline the clues that help them figure out that gravity is important to what the astronaut is doing. Remind students to use the Quick Tip box as a guide.
Write (Show What You Learned)
• Have students write a response synthesizing the knowledge they have built about how science helps us understand how things work. When students have finished writing, have them share their responses.
• Say: Let’s look at the photograph one more time. For the writing section, you will write about how the selections you have read, as well as the photograph, help you understand something about gravity. Take some time to consider everything we have read and talked about before you begin writing. affects the motion of people and objects.
In this photograph from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), astronaut Mark C. Lee tests equipment in space on September 16, 1994. He is floating about 150 miles above Earth.
Quick Tip
Use clues in the photograph to help you see the effects of gravity that are described in the selections you have read.
Cite Text Evidence
Integrate RESEARCH AND INQUIRY
Present Your Work
Discuss how you will present your experiment to the class. Use the Presenting Checklist as you practice your presentation. Discuss the sentence starters below and write your answers. An interesting science experiment that we can perform is
The materials we will need for this experiment are
Quick Tip
Visual aids are beneficial for science presentations. If you use visual aids, make sure they are large enough for your audience to see. If they are small, consider presenting an enlarged image of the item. When presenting images with text, make sure the text is large enough for everyone to read.
•
• Have students turn to page 91.
To perform the experiment, we will
Presenting Checklist
Make eye contact with the audience as you make your presentation. Speak slowly, clearly, and with expression. Explain your experiment before listing your supplies and procedure. Prepare visual aids to engage the audience. Listen carefully for questions from the audience.
During the Presentation
• Tell students to write down any questions they have while observing others’ presentations. Explain that doing so will help them remember their questions after each speaker has finished.
• Following each presentation, guide the discussion by asking students to paraphrase or summarize the key ideas from the presentation.
• Guide students to use the provided sentence starters to help focus their discussion and responses. making a model volcano. baking soda, water, dish soap, food coloring, and white vinegar. mix the water and baking soda. Then we will slowly add that to the other mixed materials.
• Tell students that they will need to prepare in order to best present their experiments. Say: Last time, you had the chance to research a science topic and create an experiment about it. Now you will have the time to present the experiments that you did. Read together the directions at the top of the page.
• Remind students that they will be audience members for other students’ presentations and that as observers and listeners, they will play an important role in the presentations.
• Next, read the Quick Tip box with students and discuss how visual aids are helpful when presenting scientific information.
• Discuss each item on the Presenting Checklist and give students time to practice their presentations before having them share their experiments either in front of the class or from their seats.
Genre Writing: Write Your Own Narrative Nonfiction Essay
Explain that students will develop a longer piece of writing in the same genre as the Shared Read or Paired Read. Students will work through all the stages of the writing process for these pieces.
Plan
Draft
Revise
Writers choose their topic. They consider their purpose and audience and plan their work using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, and filling in graphic organizers. Sometimes they do research.
Writers use their notes to get their initial ideas on the topic down on paper.
Writers use rubrics and participate in peer and teacher conferences to help them refine the structure and content of their work. Students should revise their writing several times.
Writers check their spelling and edit their pieces for correct grammar, mechanics, and usage. Remind students that using standard English conventions allows them to communicate more effectively. Publish /
Writers create a final version of the piece by printing out a clean copy or using their best handwriting. They synthesize and share their ideas.
Expert Model
• Discuss specific details
• Write the draft
• Revise the narrative nonfiction essay, checking for sentence fluency
• Revise the narrative nonfiction essay based on partner feedback
• Edit the narrative nonfiction essay, checking for correct grammar
• Proofread the narrative nonfiction essay, checking for correct spelling
• Publish and present the narrative nonfiction essay
• Self-evaluate using
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Features of a Narrative Nonfiction Essay
• Have students look at page 92.
• Explain that students will begin writing a narrative nonfiction piece.
• Review the features of narrative nonfiction. Ask students to recall what they know about narratives and nonfiction that can help them with their own writing.
Analyze an Expert Model
• First, we need to analyze an expert model. For us, we will be analyzing “The Big Race.” It is our example of narrative nonfiction.
• Have students read the Analyze an Expert Model section with a partner to collaborate.
• Say: Work with your partner to answer the questions on this page. We will go over your ideas in a few minutes.
GENRE
Expert Model
Features of a Narrative Nonfiction Essay
A narrative nonfiction essay is written in the form of a story. It informs readers about a real subject by presenting information in an interesting way. A narrative nonfiction essay
• tells about real people and events
• may include the writer’s feelings and opinions
• presents facts and includes text features
Analyze an Expert Model Studying “The Big Race” will help you learn how to write a narrative nonfiction essay. Reread pages 71-73. Then answer the questions below. How does the author use headings and speech balloons to convey information?
The author uses headings to divide the topics of the writing. The speech balloons are fun additions in the illustrations.
Reread page 71. What inference can you make about the text structure of the narrative?
Using a dialog text structure allows the author to present the text in an active, engaging manner.
In the dialogue shared on page 71, the author uses informal language in the greeting. Choosing to have Clara greet the boys with “Hi” rather than a more formal greeting tells the reader that this dialogue exchange will be friendly. Using informal language helps give the writing a friendly tone, or voice.
COLLABORATE
Plan: Choose Your Topic
Brainstorm With a partner or a small group, brainstorm the forces that would help you move a box. For example, gravity pulls downward on the box, but you apply force by lifting the box up. List some other forces that might help you move a box.
To move a box, we need to overcome the force of gravity through a lifting force. Or, we could push the box with a pushing force. But we’d need to have friction to stop the box from moving.
Writing Prompt Think about how different forces allow you to do different things. Select a task and consider what forces would be needed to do this task. Write a narrative nonfiction essay explaining how you can use forces to do the task.
I will write about
Purpose and Audience An author’s purpose is his or her main reason for writing. Underline your purpose for writing a narrative nonfiction essay. to inform or teach to persuade or convince to entertain
Think about the audience for your essay. Who will read it?
My audience will be
other classmates my own age. informal
I will use ___________________ language when I write my essay.
Plan In your writer’s notebook, make a Cause-and-Effect Chart to plan your essay about forces.
• • Have students think about how their task is carried out.
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Quick Tip
Consider how you use forces in your daily life. Writing about personal experience will give your essay an added layer of authenticity. It’s good advice to “write what you know.”
• In their writer’s notebooks, have students create a Cause-and-Effect Chart to help them plan their essay.
• Have students look at page 93.
• Say: Before we begin to write something, we need to come up with ideas. This is brainstorming.
• Invite a reader to read the Brainstorm section. Then give students time to share their ideas with a partner.
• If time allows, ask students to share something they talked about.
Brainstorm Writing Prompt
• Say: Choose a task and consider the forces that are required to carry out that task. You will be writing a narrative nonfiction essay to explain how you use the forces to do the task. Write your task and the forces necessary on the lines in the middle of the page.
Purpose and Audience
• Explain that authors often write narrative nonfiction to share information or teach something to their readers.
• Read the Quick Tip box with students and answer clarifying questions they may have about personal narratives.
• Give students time to consider their audience and record their ideas on the given lines.
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What Happened? Why Did It Happen?
• Have students look at page 94.
• Say: Part of planning our writing is thinking about how or why things or events happen. Let’s read about how to utilize a cause-and-effect text structure to organize your writing.
• Tell students that authors think carefully about how and why different events occur. They consider the causes as well as the effects of the things that happen.
• Say: As you do your research, consider what effect gravity has on the things around you. How can you cause an object to move farther than another object? What kind of force is needed to stop the object?
• Give students time to think about two causes and effects that they could use in their narrative. Have them record their responses on the given lines.
Plan: Cause-and-Effect Text Structure
What Happened? Why Did It Happen? Things don’t just happen; people or things make them happen. The person or thing is the cause, and what happens is the effect. As you research and plan your narrative nonfiction essay about forces, answer these questions:
• What effect does gravity have on things around you?
• How can you cause an object to move farther than another?
• What force is needed to stop it?
List two causes and effects you could use in your narrative.
If I push one stool harder than another it will move farther.
If I apply a stopper, it’ll cause friction to make me stop.
Take Notes As you take notes on your topic, paraphrase information by putting it in your own words. When you have finished taking notes, use your Cause-and-Effect Chart to organize the information you will use in your essay. Include only the most important details to keep your chart entries brief.
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Take Notes
• Tell students that before they write their narratives, they will take notes on their topic.
• Say: Now, you will be working more in your writer’s notebook. Read the Take Notes section and complete the task for your narrative.
• Tell students to use their Cause-and-Effect Charts to organize the information they gather for their narrative nonfiction essays.
Quick Tip Draft
Specific Details Authors of narrative nonfiction essays use facts, examples, and statistics to give readers evidence about the topic. In the example below, the author explains how gravity acts upon the boys’ car and the tennis ball. The author provides different examples of how gravity works.
Clara smiled, “Right! Another force acting on your car is gravity. Gravity is a pulling force between two objects.” Clara took a tennis ball out of her pocket. “When I drop this ball, gravity pulls it towards the floor. It’s the same force that pulls your car down the hill.”
Use the above paragraph as a model to write about one way that forces interact. In the first sentence, identify which force you will talk about.
Gravity is a big force acting on you as you ride your bike. It’s keeping you on the sidewalk, but it’s also trying to pull you over. Also gravity, in combination with friction, is what makes it so hard to ride the bike in the first place.
If you are taking notes for your own reference, you can shorten words as much as you like, as long as you remember what they mean. For example, instead of writing “gravity” in your notes each time, you could simply write “G.”
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Specific Details
• Have students look at page 95.
• Say: Let’s look at the expert model again.
• Explain that authors use specific details such as facts, examples, and statistics to give readers evidence about a given topic.
• Have students read the shaded text box at the center of the page. Give students time to consider and write their responses. Then, invite students to share their ideas.
Write a Draft
• Have students review the Cause-andEffect Charts they created during the Plan phase. They will use their charts as they write their drafts.
Write a Draft Use your Cause-and-Effect Chart to help you write your draft in your writer’s notebook. Don’t forget that you are telling a real-life story, so think about how you can use informal language to make it more interesting.
• Remind students that their narrative nonfiction should include some informal language to make it more interesting.
• Read the Quick Tip box together with students and discuss how they can best use the notes they collected.
• Give students time to work on their drafts. If they are stuck, or need help, ask them questions about their ideas that might help them get back on task.
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Sentence Fluency
• Have students look at page 96.
• Say: Now that you have your first draft written down, you can start the revision process. This means you make improvements on what you have written.
• Explain that writers will use a variety of sentence beginnings, transition words, and sentence lengths in their work. These strategies can help make the writing more interesting.
• Have a student read the activity prompt for Sentence Fluency. Give partners time to respond before asking them to share their ideas.
• Read the Quick Tip box with students.
Revision
• Say: Now, it’s time to revise your writing. Be sure to reread your draft and look for places where you might change the length of your sentences or vary the kinds of sentences you use.
• Have students check their writing so it includes specific facts, quotes, and statistics about their chosen topic.
GENRE WRITING
Revise
Sentence Fluency The term sentence fluency means how words sound together within a sentence, and how sentences sound when read one after the other. Use different sentence beginnings, transition words, and simple and compound sentences to make your writing more interesting. Read the paragraph below and note the relevant details. Revise the paragraph so the text flows smoothly as you read it aloud.
A simple sentence, or independent clause, shows a complete thought. A compound sentence has two independent clauses that are usually connected with a coordinating conjunction.
Select coordinating conjunctions that help build the cause-and-effect structure when useful.
Grammar Connections Force can make something move. Push a chair, it moves. Push it hard, it moves more. Force makes things move.
Forces are needed to make things move. Give a chair a small push and it moves a small amount. Give a chair a big force and it moves much more.
Revision As you revise your draft, you can improve your sentences by combining and rearranging ideas to make your sentences clearer and easier to read. Make sure you also check that you have enough specific facts, quotes, and statistics related to your topic.
Peer Conferences
COLLABORATE
Review a Draft Listen carefully as a partner reads his or her work aloud. Take notes about what you liked and what was difficult to follow. Begin by telling what you liked about your partner’s draft. Ask questions that will help your partner think more carefully about his or her writing. Make suggestions that you think might make the writing more focused and coherent. Use these sentence starters:
I like the beginning of your essay because . . .
I think you could use a fact to support . . .
I wonder if you could use a transition word . . .
Partner Feedback After your partner gives you feedback on your draft, write one of the suggestions that you will use in your revision. Refer to the rubric on page 99 as you give feedback. Based on my partner's feedback, I will
add a fact to support one of the ideas I presented.
After you finish giving each other feedback, reflect on the peer conference. What was helpful? What might you do differently next time?
Revision As you revise your draft, use the Revising Checklist to help you figure out what ideas you may need to add, delete, combine, or rearrange. Remember to use the rubric on page 99 to help with your revision.
Revising Checklist
Does my writing fit my purpose and audience?
Did I use a consistent tone and voice as the narrator?
Did I use transition words to combine ideas?
Did I improve sentence structure by combining some simple sentences into compound sentences?
Did I rearrange some sentences to make them clearer?
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• Have students look at page 97.
• Say: Writers often need other people to help them through their revisions. We are going to help each other revise our narrative nonfiction essays.
• Partners should already be in place to complete this activity. Say: Listen carefully while your partner reads their work. Once your partner has finished, talk about what you liked about their essay. Then, you can ask questions or make suggestions using kind words.
• Have students use the sentence starters on the page, or their own, to talk about their partner’s draft.
Partner Feedback
• After both partners have given feedback, have students complete the task in the Partner Feedback section.
• Have students share the suggestion from their partner that they intend to implement in their revision.
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• Say: At this point, it’s time to take the feedback you received from your peer conferences and make additional revisions.
• Review the Revising Checklist together. Allow students time to implement suggestions. Tell students that the rubric on page 99 can also help with revision. Go over each box so students know how to reach each score. Give students time to consider the feedback they received.
• After students have completed their revisions, allow them time to share how their partners’ feedback helped improve their essays.
• • Have students look at page 98.
• Tell students that after they have finished their drafts, they must go back to edit and proofread. Say: We are nearly done with the writing process for the narrative nonfiction. At this point, you don’t need to make really big changes. In the Edit and Proofread section, you will make sure your work is ready for publication. When you edit, you can move or add details, facts, or statistics in a better way or into a specific section.
• Proofreading means to correct grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling. It is often helpful to have someone else read your draft to help edit and proofread it.
• Read the information at the top of the page with students. Tell them that the Grammar Connections box and the Editing Checklist are all things to consider as they work to put the final revisions on their narrative nonfiction essays.
GENRE WRITING
Edit and Proofread
When you edit and proofread your writing, you look for and correct mistakes in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. Reading through a revised draft multiple times can help you make sure you’re catching any errors. Use the checklist below to edit your sentences.
Editing Checklist
Do all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark?
Do all sentences have subjects and predicates?
Are any headings capitalized and boldface?
Are singular and plural nouns used correctly?
Are commas used correctly?
Are all words spelled correctly?
List two mistakes you found as you proofread your essay.
As you proofread your work, pay attention to your pluralization of certain nouns. For the majority of nouns in English, -s or -es is added to the end of words. However, nouns that end in -y
, -s, and -z have different forms. In addition, many words in English have irregular plural forms. Doublecheck to make sure you’ve chosen the right form.
• Give students time to go through their writing to edit and proofread. Ask them to list two mistakes that they found while proofreading their story on the lines provided.
Grammar Connections
Publish, Present, and Evaluate
Publishing When you publish your writing, you create a clean, neat final copy that is free of mistakes. Adding visuals can make your writing more interesting. Consider including illustrations, photographs, or maps to help make your essay more interesting.
Presentation When you are ready to present your work, rehearse your presentation. Use the Presenting Checklist to help you.
Evaluate After you publish your writing, use the rubric below to evaluate your writing.
What did you do successfully?
What needs more work?
• essay is informative with interesting facts and specific details of the topic
• cause and effect clearly explained for each topic discussed
• sentences are fluent with a variety of sentence beginnings, transition words, and simple and compound sentences
• few if any errors in grammar or spelling
• decent explanation of the topic is made with some specific details
• cause and effect adequately explained for each topic discussed
• sentences have some variety in sentence beginnings, transition words, and simple and compound sentences
• some errors, but not enough to affect meaning
• main idea of the topic somewhat unclear and details are lacking
• many explanations of cause and effect for each topic are unclear
• sentences have little variety in sentence beginnings, transition words, and simple and compound sentences
• frequent errors that might confuse the reader
Presenting Checklist
Stand or sit up straight. Look at the audience. Speak clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear you.
Use a friendly but formal tone.
Answer questions from the audience carefully.
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Publishing
• Have students look at page 99.
• Once their drafts are final, students can prepare for publishing and presenting their work. Published work should be error-free with any visuals in place.
• Say: You have now finished your essays and are ready to publish your work.
• Read the Publishing section together with students. Allow students time to create their final copy of the essay. Remind them that they can add illustrations or other visuals once their writing is done.
• main idea is confusing and details are poor and vague
• most explanations of cause and effect for each topic are unclear
• sentences have no variety in sentence beginnings, transition words, or simple and compound sentences
• many errors, making it difficult to follow
Presentation
• Say: You will have the opportunity to present your narrative nonfiction essay and any illustrations or visuals to the whole class. To prepare for the presentation, practice a few times and refer to the Presenting Checklist.
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Evaluate
• Review the rubric at the bottom of the page together with the class. Explain that rubrics show what is expected from the assignment and how it will be evaluated. Ideally, students should look at rubrics before they begin writing in order to fulfill all the requirements. When they finish, they should evaluate their work.
• Say: After you have presented, evaluate your writing using the rubric. Think about what you did successfully and what you think needs more work. Write down your ideas on the lines.
• Have students exchange essays with a partner and give the partner a score. Remind them to be respectful. When they are finished, have students reflect on the effectiveness of the collaboration and on their progress as writers. Have them note where they need improvement and set writing goals.
