ComprehensionGenreFantasy is a story with
invented characters, settings,
or other elements that could
not exist in real life.
Analyze Story StructureTheme As you read, fill in your
Theme Map.
Read to Find OutWhat happens when a
country cricket winds up
in a big city?
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692
MAIN SELECTION• The Cricket in Times Square
• Skill: Theme
PAIRED SELECTION• “The Chance of a Lifetime”
• Text Feature: Advertisement
SMALL GROUP OPTIONS
• Differentiated Instruction, pp. 717M–717V
ComprehensionGENRE: FANTASY
Have a student read the definition
of Fantasy on Student Book page
692. Students should look for animal
characters that can speak.
STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Remind students that authors of fiction
organize stories in various ways. The
author of a fantasy story can help
readers understand the theme by using
a particular structure.
SKILLTHEME
Remind students that to identify the
theme of a story, they should look
for clues that tell them what message
about life the author is trying to
express.
Vocabulary Words Review the tested vocabulary words:
eavesdropping, scuffling, wistfully, jumble, logical,
acquaintance, and scornfully.
Story Words Students may be unfamiliar with these words.
Pronounce the words and give meanings as necessary.
cricket (p. 694): an insect, similar to a grasshopper, that makes a noise
at night
brook (p. 696): a small stream
liverwurst (p. 696): a sausage made with ground liver
forlornly (p. 701): sadly
leery (p. 707): cautious, distrustful
Main Selection
693
Story available on Listening Library Audio CD
Main Selection Student pages 692–693
Preview and PredictAsk students to read the title, preview
the illustrations, and make predictions
about the selection. Do they think
the animals get along well together?
Why? Have students write about their
predictions and anything else they
want to know about the story.
Set PurposesFOCUS QUESTION Discuss the “Read
to Find Out” question on Student
Book page 692. Remind students to
look for the answer as they read.
Point out the Theme Map in the
Student Book and on Practice Book
page 195. Explain that students will fill
it in as they read.
Read The Cricket in Times
Square
Use the questions and Think Alouds
to support instruction about the
comprehension strategy and skill.
As you read The Cricket in Times Square, fill in the Theme Map.
How does the information you wrote in the Theme Map help you to analyze the story structure of The Cricket in Times Square?
Clue
Clue
Clue
Clue
Clue
Theme
On Level Practice Book 0, page 195
Approaching Practice Book, A, page 195
Beyond Practice Book, B, page 195
If your students need support
to read the Main Selection,
use the prompts to guide
comprehension and model
how to complete the graphic
organizer. Encourage students
to read aloud.
If your students can read the
Main Selection independently,
have them read and complete
the graphic organizer. Remind
them to use appropriate
strategies for different purposes.
If your students need an alternate selection, choose the
Leveled Readers that match their instructional level.
The Cricket in Times Square 693
ChesterChesterTucker Mouse had been watching the Bellinis and listening
to what they said. Next to scrounging, eavesdropping on human beings was what he enjoyed most. That was one of the reasons he lived in the Times Square subway station. As soon as the family disappeared, he darted out across the floor and scooted up to the newsstand. At one side the boards had separated and there was a wide space he could jump through. He’d been in a few times before—just exploring. For a moment he stood under the three-legged stool, letting his eyes get used to the darkness. Then he jumped on it.
“Psst!” he whispered. “Hey, you up there—are you awake?”There was no answer.“Psst! Psst! Hey!” Tucker whispered again, louder this time.From the shelf above came scuffl ing, like little feet feeling
their way to the edge. “Who is going ‘psst’?” said a voice.“It’s me,” said Tucker. “Down here on the stool.”A black head, with two shiny black eyes, peered down at him.
“Who are you?”“A mouse,” said Tucker, “Who are you?”“I’m Chester Cricket,” said the cricket. He had a high, musical
voice. Everything he said seemed to be spoken to an unheard melody.
“My name’s Tucker,” said Tucker Mouse. “Can I come up?”
694
1
2
Main Selection Student page 694
Develop Comprehension
1 MONITOR AND CLARIFY: READ AHEAD
In the first paragraph, Tucker Mouse
says being able to eavesdrop is one
of the reasons he lives in the Times
Square subway station. How might
reading ahead help you think of other
reasons why a mouse would want to
live in a subway station? (Answers will
vary. Students may note that they can
read ahead to look for other clues
about what Tucker likes, where he lives,
who lives with him, and what his daily
activities are.)
Clarify Check students’ comprehension of the story. Ask, Who is
the first character we meet in the story? Where does he live? Explain
that Times Square is a place in New York City. Make sure students
understand what a subway station is and that Tucker Mouse lives
below the street. Ask, What does he like to do? Discuss the actions of
Tucker Mouse with students. Write Psst on the board and explain it.
Check that students understand words and phrases such as human
beings, newsstand, three-legged stool, peered, and melody.
694
695
Main Selection Student page 695
Develop Comprehension
2 STRATEGYCONTEXT CLUES
Find the word darted on page 694.
What do you think it means? Use
paragraph clues to check your
prediction. (The phrases out across the
floor and scooted up are context clues.
In this sentence, darted must mean
“ran very quickly in one direction.”)
Vocabulary Research cites that there is
a cumulative advantage phenomenon
in reading. The very students who
are reading well and who have good
vocabularies will read more, learn more
word meanings, and read better.
Donald R. Bear
Go to
www. macmillanmh.com
The Cricket in Times Square 695
“I guess so,” said Chester Cricket. “This isn’t my house anyway.”
Tucker jumped up beside the cricket and looked him all over. “A cricket,” he said admiringly. “So you’re a cricket. I never saw one before.”
“I’ve seen mice before,” the cricket said. “I knew quite a few back in Connecticut.”
“Is that where you’re from?” asked Tucker.“Yes,” said Chester. “I guess I’ll never see it again,” he
added wistfully.“How did you get to New York?” asked Tucker Mouse.“It’s a long story,” sighed the cricket.“Tell me,” said Tucker, settling back on his haunches. He
loved to hear stories. It was almost as much fun as eavesdropping—if the story was true.
“Well it must have been two—no, three days ago,” Chester Cricket began. “I was sitting on top of my stump, just enjoying the weather and thinking how nice it was that summer had started. I live inside an old tree stump, next to a willow tree, and I often go up to the roof to look around. And I’d been practicing jumping that day too. On the other side of the stump from the willow tree there's a brook that runs past, and I’d been jumping back and forth across it to get my legs in condition for the summer. I do a lot of jumping, you know.”
“Me too,” said Tucker Mouse. “Especially around the rush hour.”
“And I had just fi nished jumping when I smelled something,” Chester went on, “liverwurst, which I love.”
“You like liverwurst?” Tucker broke in. “Wait! Wait! Just wait!”
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3
Develop Comprehension
3 GENRE: FANTASY
To make the events in a fantasy story
more believable, an author might
include details that are found in the
real world. What is realistic about the
story so far? (Crickets and mice are
found in real life. Times Square and
Connecticut are real places. Chester’s
home in the tree stump is realistic.)
What about the story could happen
only in a fantasy? (Mice cannot
understand what people are saying.
Mice and crickets cannot speak.)
Find the sentence that contains the word
wistfully . Use wistfully in a sentence that
shows its meaning. (Possible answers: I
spoke wistfully everytime I remembered
the good old days.)
Main Selection Student page 696
Cross–Curricular ConnectionTIMES SQUARE AND BROADWAY
Tell students that New York City’s Times Square is the site of
the Broadway theater district, where for over a hundred years
actors and musicians have been entertaining people. Invite
students to share any knowledge or experiences they have had
with theatrical performances. They might also compare a live
performance with a movie.
Have students review newspaper or radio ads for theatrical
productions and movies. Then have them create advertising
posters for productions they might have seen or learned
about. Encourage them to use quotations from reviews
and other persuasive text and illustrations or downloaded
photographs and images. Have the class establish criteria for
judging the effectiveness of the posters. They should explain
the cultural perceptions that advertisements play upon.
696
Theme What is the author's message about different types of characters becoming friends?
In one leap, he sprang down all the way from the shelf to the fl oor and dashed over to his drain pipe. Chester shook his head as he watched him go. He thought Tucker was a very excitable person—even for a mouse.
Inside the drain pipe, Tucker’s nest was a jumble of papers, scraps of cloth, buttons, lost jewelry, small change, and everything else that can be picked up in a subway station. Tucker tossed things left and right in a wild search. Neatness was not one of the things he aimed at in life. At last he discovered what he was looking for: a big piece of liverwurst he had found earlier that evening. It was meant to be for breakfast tomorrow, but he decided that meeting his fi rst cricket was a special occasion. Holding the liverwurst between his teeth, he whisked back to the newsstand.
“Look!” he said proudly, dropping the meat in front of Chester Cricket. “Liverwurst! You continue the story—we’ll enjoy a snack too.”
“That’s very nice of you,” said Chester. He was touched that a mouse he had known only a few minutes would share his food with him. “I had a little chocolate before, but besides that, nothing for three days.”
“Eat! Eat!” said Tucker. He bit the liverwurst into two pieces and gave Chester the bigger one. “So you smelled the liverwurst—then what happened?”
697
4
5
Develop Comprehension
4 STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Teacher Think Aloud
I know that
the structure of a story can be seen
in the way the author introduces
characters and develops the plot.
So far, I’ve met two characters,
Tucker the mouse and Chester the
cricket. As I read the dialogue, I can
analyze the characters’ thoughts
and behaviors. I notice that Tucker is
being quite friendly toward Chester.
He encourages Chester to tell his
story and even shares his liverwurst
when he hears that Chester likes it.
This information may help me figure
out what the theme is. I can add it
to my Theme Map.
5 THEME
What is the author’s message about
different types of characters becoming
friends? (Suggested answer: Even though
creatures may be different in many ways,
they have some things in common. Even
creatures as different as a mouse and a
cricket can like the same things and be
kind to each other.)
Main Selection Student page 697
STRATEGIES FOR EXTRA SUPPORT
Question 5 THEMEAsk, Who are the characters of the story so far? (Tucker Mouse,
Chester Cricket) How do they help each other? What kinds of things
do they do that show they have become friends? (listen to each other,
share food) How do you feel about these two animals being friends?
Think about the two characters’ actions. What do you think the
author’s message is?
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
The Cricket in Times Square 697
698698
Main Selection Student page 698
Develop Comprehension
6 THEME
What clues can you find to the story’s
theme in the way that Tucker responds
to Chester’s story? (The two characters
have just met, but Tucker listens with
real interest to Chester’s story. He
notes that he would have reacted the
same way as Chester did to the events.
This kind of understanding between
two characters shows how friendships
grow.) Add this information to your
Theme Map.
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
Clue
Tucker listens well and says he understands Chester’s feelings.
698
“I hopped down from the stump and went off toward the smell,” said Chester.
“Very logical,” said Tucker Mouse, munching with his cheeks full. “Exactly what I would have done.”
“It was coming from a picnic basket,” said Chester. “A couple of tuffets away from my stump the meadow begins, and there was a whole bunch of people having a picnic. They had hard boiled eggs, and cold roast chicken, and roast beef, and a whole lot of other things besides the liverwurst sandwiches which I smelled.”
Tucker Mouse moaned with pleasure at the thought of all that food.
“They were having such a good time laughing and singing songs that they didn’t notice me when I jumped into the picnic basket,” continued Chester. “I was sure they wouldn’t mind if I had just a taste.”
“Naturally not,” said Tucker Mouse sympathetically. “Why mind? Plenty for all. Who could blame you?”
“Now, I have to admit,” Chester went on, “I had more than a taste. As a matter of fact, I ate so much that I couldn’t keep my eyes open—what with being tired from the jumping and everything. And I fell asleep right there in the picnic basket. The fi rst thing I knew, somebody had put a bag on top of me that had the last of the roast beef sandwiches in it. I couldn’t move!”
“Imagine!” Tucker exclaimed. “Trapped under roast beef sandwiches! Well, there are worse fates.”
699
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Main Selection Student page 699
Develop Comprehension
7 STRATEGYCONTEXT CLUES
Find the word sympathetically on
page 699. What paragraph clues
help you figure out the meaning of
sympathetically? (Tucker says, “Naturally
not,” and “Who could blame you?”
So sympathetically must mean “with
understanding.”)
Animated Films
Explain The Cricket in Times Square was made into a short TV film
many years ago. Today animated films seem to be more popular than
ever. Instead of painting images onto film sheets, some animators now
create puppets or clay figures to portray the characters. Animation
contributes to communication in various ways.
Discuss Ask students what their favorite animated films are. Do
they prefer to watch films with painted images or clay figures?
Apply Ask partners to do some research on types of animation.
Then have them plan how they would animate one scene from
The Cricket in Times Square. How would they design the characters?
What actors would do the voiceovers? Have partners show sketches
of the characters as they explain their ideas to the class.
The Cricket in Times Square 699
“At fi rst I wasn't too frightened,” said Chester. “After all, I thought, they probably come from New Canaan or some other nearby town. They'll have to unpack the basket sooner or later. Little did I know!” He shook his head and sighed. “I could feel the basket being carried into a car and riding somewhere and then being lifted down. That must have been the railroad station. Then I went up again and there was a rattling and roaring sound, the way a train makes. By this time I was pretty scared. I knew every minute was taking me farther away from my stump, but there wasn't anything I could do. I was getting awfully cramped too, under those roast beef sandwiches.”
“Didn’t you try to eat your way out?” asked Tucker.“I didn’t have any room,” said Chester. “But every now and then
the train would give a lurch and I managed to free myself a little. We traveled on and on, and then the train stopped. I didn’t have any idea where we were, but as soon as the basket was carried off, I could tell from the noise it must be New York.”
“You never were here before?” Tucker asked. “Goodness no!” said Chester. “But I’ve heard about it. There was
a swallow I used to know who told about flying over New York every spring and fall on her way to the North and back. But what would I be doing here?” He shifted uneasily from one set of legs to another. “I’m a country cricket.”
“Don’t worry,” said Tucker Mouse. “I’ll feed you liverwurst. You’ll be all right. Go on with the story.”
“It’s almost over,” said Chester. “The people got off one train and walked a ways and got on another—even noisier than the first.”
“Must have been the subway,” said Tucker.
700
Main Selection Student page 700
Develop Comprehension
8 MAINTAINSUMMARIZE
How would you summarize Chester’s
journey to New York? (He was sitting
in his stump in Connecticut when
he smelled liverwurst. He followed
the smell to a nearby picnic. Soon he
jumped into the picnickers’ basket to
eat some of the liverwurst. Later, he fell
asleep because he’d eaten too much.
He woke up trapped under a bag of
roast beef sandwiches in the basket.
The people carried the basket and
Chester onto a couple of trains. Chester
worked himself loose and leaped out
of the basket when they got off the
second train.)
700
“I guess so,” Chester Cricket said. “You can imagine how scared I was. I didn’t know where I was going! For all I knew they could have been heading for Texas, although I don’t guess many people from Texas come all the way to Connecticut for a picnic.”
“It could happen,” said Tucker, nodding his head.“Anyway I worked furiously to get loose. And finally I made
it. When they got off the second train, I took a flying leap and landed in a pile of dirt over in the corner of this place where we are.”
“Such an introduction to New York,” said Tucker, “to land in a pile of dirt in the Times Square subway station. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“And here I am,” Chester concluded forlornly. “I’ve been lying over there for three days not knowing what to do. At last I got so nervous I began to chirp.”
“That was the sound!” interrupted Tucker Mouse. “I heard it, but I didn’t know what it was.”
“Yes, that was me,” said Chester. “Usually I don’t chirp until later on in the summer—but my goodness, I had to do something!”
The cricket had been sitting next to the edge of the shelf. For some reason—perhaps it was a faint noise, like padded feet tiptoeing across the floor—he happened to look down. A shadowy form that had been crouching silently below in the darkness made a spring and landed right next to Tucker and Chester.
“Watch out!” Chester shouted, “A cat!” He dove headfirst into the matchbox.
701
8
9
Main Selection Student page 701
Develop Comprehension
9 GENRE: FANTASY
What information does the author
include on pages 700 and 701 that
could only happen in a fantasy?
(Suggested answers: Chester could
not know that he was in New York,
because how would a cricket have
that knowledge? Crickets don’t chirp
because they are nervous.)
10 CHARACTER
What do Chester Cricket’s actions so far
tell you about the kind of creature he
is? (Chester is brave, because he was
able to get loose from the sandwiches
and jump out of the basket. Even
though he is far from home, he has
been all right so far in New York.
Chester is also nervous and frightened,
because he stayed in one place for
three days while he thought about
what to do.)
10
The Cricket in Times Square 701
Harry CatHarry CatChester buried his head in the Kleenex. He didn’t want to see
his new friend, Tucker Mouse, get killed. Back in Connecticut he had sometimes watched the one-sided fights of cats and mice in the meadow, and unless the mice were near their holes, the fights always ended in the same way. But this cat had been upon them too quickly: Tucker couldn’t have escaped.
There wasn’t a sound. Chester lifted his head and very cautiously looked behind him. The cat—a huge tiger cat with gray-green eyes and black stripes along his body—was sitting on his hind legs, switching his tail around his forepaws. And directly between those forepaws, in the very jaws of his enemy, sat Tucker Mouse. He was watching Chester curiously. The cricket began to make frantic signs that the mouse should look up and see what was looming over him.
Very casually Tucker raised his head. The cat looked straight down on him. “Oh, him,” said Tucker, chucking the cat under the chin with his right front paw, “he’s my best friend. Come out from the matchbox.”
Chester crept out, looking first at one, then the other.“Chester, meet Harry Cat,” said Tucker. “Harry, this is
Chester. He’s a cricket.”“I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance,” said Harry Cat
in a silky voice.“Hello,” said Chester. He was sort of ashamed because of all
the fuss he’d made. “I wasn’t scared for myself. But I thought cats and mice were enemies.”
702
Main Selection Student page 702
Develop Comprehension
11 STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Teacher Think Aloud As a new
character is introduced here, I notice
how the author is careful to show us
Chester’s reaction. Chester is afraid
of the cat, so at first I also think the
cat is dangerous. Cats and mice are
usually enemies, so the fact that
Harry is not a danger to Tucker or
Chester is a surprise. How else does
the introduction of a friendly cat
affect your understanding of the
story?
(Encourage students to apply the strategy
in a Think Aloud.)
Student Think Aloud I find out
that Tucker and Harry are best
friends, because Tucker says so.
This is important to know, because
I already read about how friendly
Tucker is to Chester. Now I see that
three very different kinds of animals
can get along. I will keep reading to
find out how they will look out for
each other.
Find the sentence that contains the word
acquaintance . Which of the following
words and phrases has the meaning closest
to the meaning of acquaintance: friend,
co-worker, best friend, casual friend,
stranger? (casual friend)
11
12
702
703
Main Selection Student page 703
Develop Comprehension
12 THEME
How does Chester’s behavior on page
702 show that he already trusts Tucker
and values him as a friend? (He tries
to warn Tucker about the cat, because
he does not want his new friend to be
killed. When Tucker says the cat is a
friend, Chester trusts Tucker and comes
out to meet him.) Add this information
to your Theme Map.
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
Clue
Tucker listens well and says he understands Chester’s feelings.
Clue
Chester tries to warn Tucker about the cat; Chester trusts Tucker about meeting Harry.
Have students respond to the selection
by confirming or revising their
predictions and purposes.
Can students identify clues
about the theme of a story? If
not, see the Extra Support on
this page.
Stop here if you are reading
this story over two days.STOP
Theme
If students are having difficulty identifying events and character
traits that provide clues to the author’s message, guide them with
questions such as the following.
• How did Chester feel when he first arrived in Times Square?
(nervous, confused, and unhappy)
• How does he feel now? (happier, more relaxed, less worried about
his future in New York)
• What brought about this change in his mood? (Tucker has made
friends with him, showing interest in his problem, sharing food
with him, and introducing him to a yet another new friend.)
• How do Tucker and Harry feel about Chester? (They both admire
Chester’s music. They give him hope about being able to leave, but
also give him reasons to stay.)
The Cricket in Times Square 703
“In the country, maybe,” said Tucker. “But in New York we gave up those old habits long ago. Harry is my oldest friend. He lives with me over in the drain pipe. So how was scrounging tonight, Harry?”
“Not so good,” said Harry Cat. “I was over in the ash cans on the East Side, but those rich people don't throw out as much garbage as they should.”
“Chester, make that noise again for Harry,” said Tucker Mouse.Chester lifted the black wings that were carefully folded across
his back and with a quick, expert stroke drew the top one over the bottom. A thrumm echoed through the station.
“Lovely—very lovely,” said the cat. “This cricket has talent.”“I thought it was singing,” said Tucker. “But you do it like
playing a violin, with one wing on the other?”“Yes,” said Chester. “These wings aren’t much good for flying,
but I prefer music anyhow.” He made three rapid chirps.Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat smiled at each other. “It makes
me want to purr to hear it,” said Harry.“Some people say a cricket goes ‘chee chee chee,’” explained
Chester. “And others say, ‘treet treet treet,’ but we crickets don’t think it sounds like either one of those.”
“It sounds to me as if you were going ‘crik crik crik,’” said Harry.
“Maybe that’s why they call him a ‘cricket,’” said Tucker.
704
Main Selection Student page 704
Develop Comprehension
13 MONITOR AND CLARIFY: READ
AHEAD
Find the word scrounging on pages 694
and 704. How might reading ahead
have helped you to understand its
meaning? (On page 704, Harry explains
what scrounging means by saying he
had been looking through garbage
cans for food. On page 694, we learn
that Tucker likes scrounging, but the
context doesn’t necessarily explain
what it means.)
IMMIGRATION
People who leave their homes in one country to move to a new
country are called immigrants. New York City is known for welcoming
people from different backgrounds and giving them the chance to
become friends. Tucker says that, in the country, a cat and a mouse
would be enemies. In the city, however, they become friends. New
immigrants like Chester are often nervous about their new home at
first, but they soon grow to appreciate the friends they make.
Have students recall the immigrant characters in My Diary from Here
to There and The Gold Rush Game. In several paragraphs, ask them
to compare and contrast their experiences of coming to live in the
United States with Chester’s arrival in New York. They should also
discuss the similarities and differences in how the authors tell the
immigrants’ story.
13
14
704
705
Main Selection Student page 705
Develop Comprehension
14 THEME
How does Tucker’s and Harry’s reaction
to Chester’s chirping add to your
understanding of the story’s theme?
(Both Tucker and Harry really like
Chester’s chirping, which shows that
friends appreciate the special qualities
that each has. The author may be
trying to show that taking time to
appreciate others can lead to having
good friends.) Add this information to
your Theme Map.
STRATEGIES FOR EXTRA SUPPORT
Question 14 THEMEReread aloud the dialogue on page 704 that tells what Tucker
and Harry think about Chester’s chirping: “Lovely . . . cricket has
talent . . . Like playing a violin . . .” Say that Tucker and Harry are
complimenting Chester on his ability to chirp. Write the word
compliment and give other examples. Ask, What does the characters’
behavior tell you about their feelings for each other? How does their
behavior help you understand the theme? (Friends appreciate each
other’s qualities.) Write appreciation on the board and ask, How do
you show your appreciation for your friends?
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
Clue
Tucker listens well and says he understands Chester’s feelings.
Clue
Chester tries to warn Tucker about the cat; Chester trusts Tucker about meeting Harry.
Clue
Tucker and Harry compliment Chester on his chirping skills.
The Cricket in Times Square 705
They all laughed. Tucker had a squeaky laugh that sounded as if he were hiccupping. Chester was feeling much happier now. The future did not seem nearly as gloomy as it had over in the pile of dirt in the corner.
“Are you going to stay a while in New York?” asked Tucker.“I guess I’ll have to,” said Chester. “I don’t know how to
get home.”“Well, we could always take you to Grand Central Station and
put you on a train going back to Connecticut,” said Tucker. “But why don’t you give the city a try. Meet new people—see new things. Mario likes you very much.”
“Yes, but his mother doesn’t,” said Chester. “She thinks I carry germs.”
“Germs!” said Tucker scornfully. “She wouldn’t know a germ if one gave her a black eye. Pay no attention.”
“Too bad you couldn’t have found more successful friends,” said Harry Cat. “I fear for the future of this newsstand.”
“It’s true,” echoed Tucker sadly. “They’re going broke fast.” He jumped up on a pile of magazines and read off the names in the half-light that slanted through the cracks in the wooden cover “Art News—Musical America. Who would read them but a few long-hairs?”
“I don’t understand the way you talk,” said Chester. Back in the meadow he had listened to bullfrogs, and woodchucks, and rabbits, even a few snakes, but he had never heard anyone speak like Tucker Mouse. “What is a long-hair?”
706
Main Selection Student page 706
Develop Comprehension
15 STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
How has the author used clues in the
plot to bring out the theme of the story?
Student Think Aloud The author
has shown us that, even though two
individuals are very different, they
can be kind to each other. We see
this when Tucker listens carefully
to Chester’s story. Also, we know
that Harry would never eat Tucker.
Friends also take care of each other.
For example, we see that Tucker
shares his liverwurst when Chester is
hungry. And friendship also means
being willing to share your talents,
like singing and chirping.
16 DRAW CONCLUSIONS
How do you think Tucker has learned
to speak the way he does? (At the
beginning of the story, we learn that he
loves to eavesdrop on humans. He has
probably picked up a lot of vocabulary
and phrases from them. Chester says
he has never heard such words in the
country, but that is because there are so
few people in the country.)
15
16
706
Tucker scratched his head and thought a moment. “A long-hair is an extra-refined person,” he said. “You take an Afghan hound—that's a long-hair.”
“Do Afghan hounds read Musical America?” asked the cricket.“They would if they could,” said Tucker.Chester shook his head. “I’m afraid I won’t get along in New
York,” he said.“Oh, sure you will!” squeaked Tucker Mouse. “Harry, suppose
we take Chester up and show him Times Square. Would you like that, Chester?”
“I guess so,” said Chester, although he was really a little leery of venturing out into New York City.
The three of them jumped down to the floor. The crack in the side of the newsstand was just wide enough for Harry to get through. As they crossed the station floor, Tucker pointed out the local sights of interest, such as the Nedick’s lunch counter—Tucker spent a lot of time around there—and the Loft’s candy store. Then they came to the drain pipe. Chester had to make short little hops to keep from hitting his head as they went up. There seemed to be hundreds of twistings and turnings, and many other pipes that opened off the main route, but Tucker Mouse knew his way perfectly—even in the dark. At last Chester saw light above them. One more hop brought him out onto the sidewalk. And there he gasped, holding his breath and crouching against the cement.
707
Main Selection Student page 707
Develop Comprehension
17 THEME
How does the author show that Tucker
and Harry value having Chester as a
new friend? (They offer to help him
get back to Connecticut, but they
also want to show him all the things
that New York has to offer. They
seem to want him to stay.) Add this
information to your Theme Map.
18 MAINTAINSUMMARY
How would you summarize the tour of
Times Square that Tucker and Harry give
Chester? (First, they squeeze through
the crack in the newsstand and cross
the subway station. Tucker points out
interesting places to eat, such as Nedick’s
and Loft’s candy store. Then they travel
through the drain pipe, twisting and
turning in the dark for a long time, until
they come up onto the sidewalk.)
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
Clue
Tucker listens well and says he understands Chester’s feelings.
Clue
Chester tries to warn Tucker about the cat; Chester trusts Tucker about meeting Harry.
Clue
Tucker and Harry compliment Chester on his chirping skills.
Clue
Tucker and Harry seem to want Chester to stay in New York.
17
18
Semantic/Meaning Cues
Explain Good readers use their background knowledge and context
clues to help them predict and check meanings of words.
Model Discuss the word venturing on page 707.
Think Aloud
I don’t know what the word venturing means, but it
reminds me of the word adventure. It appears right after Tucker
says he and Harry will show Chester Times Square. The -ing
ending shows that it is a verb, and it is followed by the adverbs
out and into. Venturing must mean “going” or “traveling.” That
makes sense: Chester is leery about going out into New York City.
Apply Encourage students to use context clues and their background
knowledge to help them with other difficult words or phrases, such as
extra-refined on this page.
Ways to Confirm Meaning
The Cricket in Times Square 707
Theme How does the author use his characters to express the theme?
They were standing at one corner of the Times building, which is at the south end of Times Square. Above the cricket, towers that seemed like mountains of light rose up into the night sky. Even this late the neon signs were still blazing. Reds, blues, greens, and yellows flashed down on him. And the air was full of the roar of traffic and the hum of human beings. It was as if Times Square were a kind of shell, with colors and noises breaking in great waves inside it. Chester’s heart hurt him and he closed his eyes. The sight was too terrible and beautiful for a cricket who up to now had measured high things by the height of his willow tree and sounds by the burble of a running brook.
“How do you like it?” asked Tucker Mouse.“Well—it’s—it’s quite something,” Chester stuttered.“You should see it New Year's Eve,” said Harry Cat.Gradually Chester’s eyes got used to the lights. He looked up.
And way far above them, above New York, and above the whole world, he made out a star that he knew was a star he used to look at back in Connecticut. When they had gone down to the station and Chester was in the matchbox again, he thought about that star. It made him feel better to think that there was one familiar thing, twinkling above him, amid so much that was new and strange.
708
Develop Comprehension
19 THEME
How does the author use his characters
to express the theme? (Suggested
answer: The three characters are very
different kinds of creatures, yet they
have learned how to trust one another
and to care for each other. They see the
differences between them as positive
things and reasons to be happy together
rather than as problems. The author
shows how they speak to each other
with respect and offer help when it’s
needed. By seeing how these characters
behave together, we understand how
important good friendships are.) Add
this information to your Theme Map.
Main Selection Student page 708
19
Clue
Tucker encourages Chester to tell his story and shares his liverwurst.
Clue
Tucker listens well and says he understands Chester’s feelings.
Clue
Chester tries to warn Tucker about the cat; Chester trusts Tucker about meeting Harry.
Clue
Tucker and Harry compliment Chester on his chirping skills.
Clue
Tucker and Harry seem to want Chester to stay in New York.
Theme
Friendships are valuable. They make any place feel like home.
708
709
Main Selection Student page 709
Develop ComprehensionRETURN TO PREDICTIONS
AND PURPOSES
Review students’ predictions and
purposes. Were they correct? Did
students know what would happen
when a country cricket winds up in the
city? (Even though Chester knew no
one when he arrived in New York, he
soon made two very good friends.)
Students should view and respond to
classic texts.
REVIEW READING STRATEGIES
■ In what ways did analyzing the story
structure to identify the theme help
you understand this story?
■ What strategies did you use when
you came to difficult words?
Encourage students to select useful
visual organizers after reading to
organize information.
PERSONAL RESPONSE
Ask students to write about a time
when they made friends with someone
very different from themselves.
Invite them to perform their stories
nonverbally, as in pantomime.
During Small Group Instruction
If No Approaching Level Leveled
Reader Lesson, p. 717P
If Yes On Level Options,
pp. 717Q–717R
Beyond Level Options,
pp. 717S–717T
Can students use clues to
identify the theme of a story?
The Cricket in Times Square 709
George SeldenGeorge Selden wrote this story after he heard a cricket chirping in the Times Square subway station. Chester’s whole story came to George immediately. The cricket reminded George of his home in the countryside where he used to live.
Garth WilliamsGarth Williams worked very hard to make the creatures in this story look and act like real people. First he started with an actual photograph of the animal. Then he drew and redrew until the animal seemed to have human qualities.
Author's PurposeWhy did George Selden write The Cricket in Times Square? Was his main purpose to explain, entertain, or persuade? What details help you to know?
On a On a JourneyJourney with with GeorgeGeorge and and GarthGarth
Other books by George Selden and Garth Williams
Find out more about George Selden
and Garth Williams at
www.macmillanmh.com
710
710
Respond Student page 710
Author and Illustrator
ON A JOURNEY WITH GEORGE
AND GARTH
Have students read the biographies of
the author and the illustrator.
DISCUSS
■ How did George Selden use his
own experiences to create a work of
imaginative fiction?
■ What advantages and disadvantages
might Garth Williams have had from
working with photographs of animals?
WRITE ABOUT IT
Have students write about a new place
they would like to visit. Ask them to
give a detailed description of things
they would like to see there. Use a
world map as a prompt for students
to share their ideas about travel
destinations.
Students can find more information about George Selden and Garth Williams at www.macmillanmh.com
Author’s CraftHumorous Contrast
■ Writers often place animals in situations together even though
they would not face each other in real life.
■ For example: “‘Who are you?’ ‘A mouse,’ said Tucker, ‘Who are
you?’ ‘I’m Chester Cricket,’ said the cricket.’” (p. 694) In real life, a
mouse and a cricket would not make homes near each other.
■ Ask students how contrasting situations and odd animal pairs
adds humor to the story.
■ Have students look for and discuss other examples of humorous
contrast, such as “‘I jumped into the picnic basket,” continued
Chester. “I was sure they wouldn’t mind if I had just a taste,’” (p. 699)
and “directly between those forepaws, in the very jaws of his enemy,
sat Tucker Mouse.” (p. 702)
Author’s PurposeHave students look for clues in the
story and in the author’s biography
that indicate George Selden’s purpose
for writing. Suggest that they consider
the story’s theme when looking for and
discussing the clues. Students should
conclude that he wrote to entertain.
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Summarize The Cricket in Times Square. Tell about the main characters, the most important events in the story, and the theme.
Think and Compare
1. New York City is fi lled with people from many diff erent backgrounds and countries. What message do you think the author is sending by making a cricket, a cat, and a mouse his main characters? Use your theme chart to answer the question. Analyze Story Structure: Theme
2. Reread page 708 of the story. How do you think Chester feels about New York after he sees Times Square? Use story details to support your answer. Analyze
3. If you could be a character in the story, which character would you choose to be, Chester or Tucker? Explain your answer. Apply
4. Tucker advises his new acquaintance Chester to give the city a try. How would you decide if this is a good idea? Support your answer with details from the text. Evaluate
5. Read “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse” on pages 690–691. How is Country Mouse’s experience similar to Chester’s on pages 701 to 704? How is it diff erent? Use details from both selections in your answer. Reading/Writing Across Texts
711
Respond Student page 711
Comprehension Check
SUMMARIZE
Have partners summarize The Cricket in
Times Square in their own words. Remind
students to use their Theme Map to help
them organize their summaries.
THINK AND COMPARE
Sample answers are given.
1. Theme: The author’s message
seems to be that a big city is filled
with many different characters who
can still become friends despite their
differences.
2. Analyze: Chester is very
overwhelmed by New York City’s
lights and sounds. He feels that it is
beautiful but busy since it is so much
bigger and noisier than the place he
came from. USE THINK AND SEARCH
3. Text to Self: Students may say
that they would rather be Tucker
because he is very energetic and
outgoing. Some students might
prefer to be Chester because he is
quiet and a talented musician.
4. Text to World: Answers may vary.
Students’ may say that if they were
Chester, they might feel better
about staying in the city because of
friends like Tucker and Harry.
FOCUS QUESTION
5. Text to Text: Both Chester and
the Country Mouse are from the
country. They both think the city
is dangerous, busy, and noisy. The
Country Mouse’s trip was a planned
visit with a friend, but Chester
comes to the city by accident.
Chester is considering staying in
the city, but Country Mouse goes
home. USE THINK AND SEARCH
Think and Search
Model the Think and Search strategy with questions 2 and 5.
The answer is found in more than one place in the selection. You
need to put different parts of the text together.
Question 2 Think Aloud:
I first read that Chester was
frightened by the noises he heard. Then I learned that he was
from a very quiet place. Therefore, Chester must have been
scared but excited in this new place.
Question 5 Think Aloud:
In “The Country Mouse and the
City Mouse,” I read that Country Mouse took a planned trip to
the city to see her friend. In The Cricket in Times Square, Chester
accidentally found himself in the city. Both are surprised at what
they see and hear in the city. Country Mouse decides to return
home. Chester may decide to give the city a chance.
The Cricket in Times Square 711
Fluency/Comprehension
711A
Objectives• Read accurately with good
prosody
• Rate: 113–133 WCPM
Materials
• Fluency Transparency 27
• Fluency Solutions
• Leveled Practice Books, p. 196
FluencyRepeated Reading: Punctuation
EXPLAIN/MODEL Tell students that paying close attention to
punctuation will help them with proper intonation and expression.
Contrast intonation for statements and exclamations as you model
reading the passage on Fluency Transparency 27 aloud. Then read
one sentence at a time, having students echo-read the sentence,
imitating your intonation.
Think Aloud
I see that most sentences end with periods, so I
will make my voice stay level at the end. One of Chester’s lines
ends with a exclamation point, so I will read that line with more
emphasis. Provide a Context Discuss
what is happening in
the passage and the
character’s feelings. Make
sure students understand
that Chester is talking to
Tucker Mouse. Echo-read
the passage with students.
You may need to explain
the expression “Little did I
know!”
During Small Group Instruction
If No Approaching Level Fluency, p. 717N
If Yes On Level Options, pp. 717Q–717R
Beyond Level Options, pp. 717S–717T
Can students read accurately with good prosody?
As I read, I will pay attention to end punctuation in each sentence.
Stripes raised his eyes and blinked at Jani. He was a lovely
12 striped cat. Jani thought he looked like a little tiger. She picked
24 the cat up. She sat with him on a chair, stroking his head.
37 “You’ll never believe what we learned in school today,” she
47 told Stripes.
49 Stripes looked up at her with wise green eyes. “People used
60 to make leopard-skin coats,” she told him. “Some people still
71 do. A coat made from a cat, Stripes. It makes me so mad!”
84 Jani could not be sure, but she thought that Stripes scrunched
95 up his nose in disgust.
100 That night, Jani fell into a restless sleep. She tossed and
111 turned. She dreamed about animals who could talk. In her
121 dream, she hid nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation.
129 The animals were in danger. And they needed help. Suddenly
139 she woke up. It was almost midnight, but there was a light in
152 her room. “Who’s there?” she asked. 158
Comprehension Check
1. Why does Jani fall into a restless sleep? Make Inferences
2. Why might Jani feel sympathy for leopards? Make Inferences
Words Read – Number of Errors = Words
Correct Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Jani falls into a restless sleep because she is still upset about the idea of a coat made from an animal’s fur. Jani probably feels sympathy for leopards because they are also cats, and she loves her own cat, Stripes.
On Level Practice Book O, page 196
Approaching Practice Book A, page 196
Beyond Practice Book B, page 196
Transparency 27
“At first I wasn’t too frightened,” said Chester. “After all, I thought, they probably come from New Canaan or some other nearby town. They’ll have to unpack the basket sooner or later. Little did I know!” He shook his head and sighed. “I could feel the basket being carried into a car and riding somewhere and then being lifted down. That must have been the railroad station.”
Fluency Transparency 27
from The Cricket in Times Square, page 700
PRACTICE/APPLY Divide students into two groups. The first group
reads the passage a sentence at a time. The second group echo-
reads. Then groups switch roles. Students will practice fluency using
Practice Book page 196 or the Fluency Solutions Audio CD.
Fluency/Comprehension
ComprehensionMAINTAIN SKILLSUMMARIZE
EXPLAIN/MODEL
■ To summarize means to tell about something in a brief and
organized way.
■ A summary of a story includes the main idea and supporting
details. Sometimes a story’s main idea is not stated; it may be
implied by the details. What are the secondary ideas?
Lead a class discussion about how students would summarize a
favorite story. Ask, What are the most important details?
PRACTICE/APPLY Discuss the story The Cricket in Times Square and
have partners summarize and evaluate Chester’s adventurous trip to
Times Square by role-playing the character. Ask each partner to take
a turn acting out different parts of his city experience.
Have students use opinions and reactions of their teachers and
classmates to evaluate their own interpretations of the book.
For comprehension practice use Graphic Organizers on Teacher’s
Resource Book pages 40–64.
Objective• Summarize text by
identifying important details
Summarize
Introduce 377A–B
Practice /Apply
378–401; Leveled Practice, 104–105
Reteach / Review
405M–T, 543A–B, 544–557, 561M–T; Leveled Practice, 150–151
Assess Weekly Tests; Unit 3, 5 Tests; Benchmark Tests A, B
Maintain 627B, 651B, 711B, 777B
The Cricket in Times Square 711B
ScienceGenreEditorials are articles
printed in newspapers and
magazines that express the
opinions of the writer.
Text FeatureAdvertisements are text
and pictures that try to
persuade consumers to
buy a product.
Content Vocabularycolony
echolocation
insecticides
cont. on page 714
by Patricia West
What words come to mind when you see or think of a
bat? Creepy? Dark? Dangerous? People who know very little about this creature might answer in this way. Those who know bats would use words such as “fascinating,” “amazing,” even “beautiful.”
All of us here in Austin have an incredible opportunity to take
a first-hand look at the Mexican free-tailed bat. A colony of bats has settled under the Congress Avenue Bridge.
I urge all of you to come out to see these bats. They tend to come out around sunset. Depending on the size of a colony, bats can eat tens of thousands of insects during their nightly flights. That, my friends, is a lot of mosquitoes.
The Chanceof aof a LifetimeTheThe ChanceChanceof aof a LifetimeLifetime
712
Paired Selection Student page 712
Informational Text: ScienceGENRE: EDITORIALS
Have students read the bookmark on
Student Book page 712. Explain that
editorials
■ are printed in newspapers and
magazines;
■ express opinions that may or may
not be supported with facts;
■ may be written to convince readers
to see things the same way the
writer does.
Text Feature: Advertisement
Point out the advertisement on page
713. Explain that an advertisement tries
to persuade people to buy a product
or service. This advertisement is trying
to motivate customers to buy a house
to keep bats.
■ An advertisement contains text and
pictures.
■ It gives important facts, details, or
descriptions about the product or
service.
■ It includes persuasive words and
techniques and is designed to catch
the reader’s attention.
Ask students what makes the bat
house being advertised on page 713
unique enough to purchase. (It is
designed by the Bat Society.) Discuss
the importance of having correct
information in the advertisement.
(All the details must be correct so
consumers will know how to purchase
the product and what it will cost.)
Content VocabularyReview the spelling and meaning of each content vocabulary word
for “The Chance of a Lifetime” on Student Book page 712: colony,
echolocation, and insecticides.
■ A colony is a group of animals or plants of the same kind living in a
particular place. Have you ever seen a colony?
■ Bats use echolocation , bouncing sound waves off objects, to fly
around. What other animal do you think might also use echolocation
or something similiar?
■ Insecticides are chemicals used to kill insects. In what ways are
insecticides harmful to our environment?
712
Science
Special: Hammocks—Up to 50% off!Wheelbarrows—10% off when you bring this adFor a limited time only. Sales end 6/30.
KRAMER’S LAWN AND GARDEN555 Main Street, Cedar Park, Texas • (555) 555-5555
Open daily 10-6
Reading an AdvertisementThe purpose of an advertisement is to
persuade people to buy a product. Look
for ways in which the author motivates
customers to come to Kramer’s.
Advertisement
Our Best Bat House Just Went On Sale!
Now Only $40.00(Regularly $55.00)Designed by the Bat SocietySlanted roof for better run-offWeather-resistant red cedarMade in the USA
SALE!
713
1
2
Informational TextRead “The Chance of a
Lifetime”
As you read, remind students to
apply what they have learned about
advertisements. Also have them
identify clues to the meanings of the
highlighted words in the selection.
1 TEXT FEATURE: ADVERTISEMENT
What items are on sale at Kramer’s
Lawn and Garden? (The bat house,
hammocks, and wheelbarrows are on
sale.) Which item could you save the
most on? (You could save the most on
a hammock.)
2 TEXT FEATURE: ADVERTISEMENT
How does the advertisement try to
persuade consumers to buy the bat
house? (It states that it is the best bat
house designed by the Bat Society. Its
roof is designed for better run-off and
it is made of material that withstands
weather.)
Author’s Viewpoint Use the article to make a list of the amazing
things about bats. Reread the text and call out the positive things
about bats. Discuss with students. Ask, Why do you think the author
of this article likes bats? What words does she use to let the reader
know bats are amazing? Point out the exact words and phrases the
author uses to convey her opinion.
Paired Selection Student page 713
The Cricket in Times Square 713
cont. from page 712
Unfortunately, bat populations are falling all around the county. This decline is due to several factors. Insecticides have killed many bats. People have disturbed bat roosts. Sadly, people who mistakenly think that bats are dangerous or carry disease have intentionally destroyed them. Scientists, however, believe that fewer than one bat in 200 is sick. Sick bats are too weak to fly, so they rarely come in contact with people. We need to spread the word.
Tips on Viewing Bats Look for bats at dawn or dusk.
Pick an open spot to see bats against the sky.
Look for bats near water or streetlights.
Never touch a bat.
Do not disturb bats during the day when they sleep.
Dr. Markus Rivera, a scientist who
studies bats, has some helpful
advice to pass along. Here are his
bat-viewing suggestions.
714
3
4
Paired Selection Student page 714
Informational Text
3 CONTENT VOCABULARY
Look at the word insecticides on
page 714. What clues help you to
understand the meaning of the word?
(“killed many bats”)
4 CAUSE AND EFFECT
What are two causes of the decline
in bat populations? (insecticides and
misinformed people who disturb and
kill the bats) What are two effects of
sickness in bats? (Sick bats cannot fly,
and they rarely come into contact with
people.)
Advertisements use pictures and text to get people to buy or do something. Advertisements use several techniques of persuasion:• loaded language, such as best, better, and special• bandwagon, or urging that you join many other people • testimonials, or the backing of a celebrity• warnings that the offer is good for a limited time only
Read each advertisement. Then answer the questions.
Our world-class bird feeder will blow you away! It’s the best there is. As Bob Wells of the Nature Channel says, “You won’t find a better feeder anywhere.”
1. What techniques does the advertisement use?
2. What words or phrases did you use to fi gure out the advertisement’s
approach?
Join your friends and neighbors by donating to the Save the Tigers fund. Act now and receive this beautiful tote bag.
3. What techniques does the advertisement use?
4. What words or phrases did you use to fi gure out the advertisement’s
approach?
loaded language and testimonial
world-class; blow you away; best there is; Bob Wells says
bandwagon and limited time offer
join friends and neighbors, act now and receive a gift
On Level Practice Book O, page 197
Approaching Practice Book A, page 197
Beyond Practice Book B, page 197714
Connect and Compare1. What are some persuasive techniques used in the ad on page
713? Could a customer at Kramer’s get 50% off all hammocks?
Explain. Reading an Advertisement
2. If you want to watch bats, when and where should you look?
Analyze
3. Think about the editorial and The Cricket in Times Square.
What are some misunderstandings that people have about
crickets? About bats? Reading/Writing Across Texts
Science Activity
Research either bats or crickets. Draw a picture of one.
Write three facts you learned in your research.
Find out more about bats at www.macmillanmh.com
Did you know that bats do not rely on their eyes when they fly and hunt insects? They use echolocation. They emit high-pitched sounds. When the sound waves bounce off objects and return to the bat’s ears, it can tell how far away the object is.
Did You Know?
715
Paired Selection Student page 715
Informational TextConnect and Compare
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
1. There are three persuasive techniques:
(1) the use of persuasive, or loaded,
words such as best, better, and special;
(2) the testimonial, or backing, by the
Bat Society; (3) the statement that the
sale is for a limited time only, which
urges customers to buy now. No,
a customer can get up to 50% off.
READING AN ADVERTISEMENT
2. At dawn or dusk you can see them
in an open spot against the sky,
near water or streetlights. ANALYZE
3. FOCUS QUESTION People
sometimes fear these creatures
when they shouldn’t. Many people
think crickets are noisy and carry
germs. Others believe bats to
be dangerous and carry disease.
READING/WRITING ACROSS TEXTS
Internet Research and Inquiry Activity
Students can find more facts about bats at
www.macmillanmh.com
Science ActivityHave students share their research and
relate the three facts they learned. As
students share their facts, list them on
the board under a column marked bats
or a column marked crickets. Students
can also display the pictures they drew.
Nocturnal Animal Facts
Encourage students to learn more about nocturnal animals. Have
them brainstorm and share any facts they know already about
animals that come out at night.
Invite student partners to use library and Internet resources to learn
more about an animal of their choice. Ask partners to tell about the
animal they’ve chosen, including at least five interesting facts about it.
Have partners share their research with the class. Remind students
to use the Discussion and Conversation Guidelines on page
662I. You may wish to compile the facts into a book. Each pair
of students can contribute a page that focuses on their animal.
Encourage students to make the page colorful and to add
photographs or illustrations. Suggest that students help their
partners follow directions.
The Cricket in Times Square 715
Features of a News Article
In a news article, the writer gives true information about a specific
topic. A news article tells about an event or topic of interest to a
large audience and is written to inform.
■ A news article answers the questions who, what, when, where,
and why about a newsworthy event.
■ A news article includes only facts, not opinions.
■ It opens with an interesting first sentence or question that gets
the reader’s attention.
■ It often ends with a concluding sentence that wraps up the
article.
Write aNews Article
What ARE Those Birds?
by Matthew E.
Have you seen the big green birds on the
telephone poles behind the school? Their messy
nest has been there for at least three years,
growing larger every year.
The birds are called monk parakeets, but
they are a kind of parrot that originally lived
in South America.
How did they get here? They are probably
escaped pets. Bird experts think the parakeets
like it here on the coast
because it doesn’t get too
cold in the winter. Next
time you’re outside for
recess, take a look at our
monk parakeet colony.
I included the “five Ws”-who, what, why, when, and where.
I wrote a fact-filled news article about an interesting subject.
Writer’s CraftFacts and OpinionsNews articles answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why. These “five Ws” should be explained within the text of the article. Present the facts and avoid giving opinions.
716
716
WritingFacts and Opinions
READ THE STUDENT MODEL
Read the bookmark about facts and
opinions. Explain that readers and
writers can prove facts true through
research or by observing events.
Opinions tell what someone thinks or
feels.
Have students turn to pages 712–713.
Identify, contrast, and discuss facts and
opinions.
Have the class read Matthew E.’s news
article and the callouts. Tell students
that they will write a news article
about an animal. They will also learn to
use facts and opinions in their writing.
WRITING• Expository Writing
• Writer’s Craft: Facts and Opinions
WORD STUDY• Words in Context
• Context Clues: Paragraph
• Phonics: Homophones
• Vocabulary Building
SPELLING• Homophones
GRAMMAR• Comparing with Adverbs
SMALL GROUP OPTIONS
• Differentiated Instruction, pp. 717M–717V
Transparency 105
Writing Transparency 105
PREWRITE
Discuss the writing prompt on page
717. The purpose of a news article
is to inform. Students can work
independently or in pairs to brainstorm
animals for their articles. Ask them to
choose the animal they think is the
most interesting.
Display Transparency 105 then
present the mini lesson on
Organization on page 717B. Matthew
used a Five-W’s chart to plan a news
article that answers the important
questions with facts. Have students use
a similar chart to plan their own news
articles.
DRAFT
Display Transparency 106. Talk about
ways to improve the draft. Before
students write, present the lesson on
Facts and Opinions on page 717A and
the mini lesson on A Strong Opening
on page 717B. Have students use their
charts to write their articles. Remind
them to include only facts.
REVISE
Display Transparency 107 and discuss
Matthew’s revisions. Point out that he
used precise words and facts. Students
can revise their drafts or work on
them later. If they choose to revise,
have them work in pairs to use the
Writer’s Checklist on page 717. Then ask
students to proofread their writing.
For Publishing Options, see 717A.
For lessons on Grammar and Spelling,
see page 717B and 5-Day Spelling and
Grammar on pages 717G–717J.
Transparency 105: Five-W’s
Chart
Transparency 106: Draft
Transparency 107: Revision
Writer’s Checklist
Ideas and Content: Did I pick an interesting topic
and present facts, not opinions?
Organization: Did I answer the questions “Who?,”
“What?,” “Where?,” “When?,” and “Why?”
Voice: When I read the article aloud, did it sound
as if I used enough facts to support the topic?
Word Choice: Did I use precise words?
Sentence Fluency: Did my writing flow smoothly
from one idea to the next?
Conventions: Did I use more or most or other
adverbs that compare? Did I check my spelling?
Expository Writing
Your TurnWrite a news article about an animal
outside its habitat. Choose a topic that
is important or unusual—something
that will interest your readers. Think
about the “five Ws” as you research
and write: who, what, where, when,
and why. Make sure you answer these
questions with facts. Use the Writer’s
Checklist to check your writing.
717
Writing Student pages 716–717
My Five-Ws Chart
Who? Big green birds called monkparakeets; really parrots fromSouth America
What? They have a big colony thatgets bigger every year.
Where? Nest is behind the school.
When? Nest has been there for atleast three years.
Why? Probably escaped pets; like it here because it isn’t toocold in the winter
Writing Transparency 105
The Cricket in Times Square 717
SPEAKING STRATEGIES
■ Speak clearly, using a
natural note of voice.
■ Catch your audience’s
attention with your
introductory sentence.
■ Present ideas in a logical
sequence.
■ Show interest in the
animal but do not show
opinion or emotion.
LISTENING STRATEGIES
■ Listen carefully for facts
and details about the
animal.
■ Keep track of the answers
to the five W’s.
■ Be prepared to ask
questions about the
animal.
717A
Facts and OpinionsEXPLAIN/MODEL
Good writers use only facts in a news article. Facts are pieces of
information that can be proven, usually through research or by
personal experience and observation. Opinions tell how someone
thinks or feels. Display Transparency 108.
Think Aloud The first sample sentence is a fact that I can prove
by looking up white-tailed deer in an encyclopedia or almanac.
The second sample sentence has a fact in it, which is that deer
eat vegetable gardens, but it is still an opinion because it states
the view that deer are pests. Some people think that deer are
important food sources or beautiful animals. If people can
disagree with an idea, it is an opinion.
Writing Transparency 108
Transparency 108
PRACTICE/APPLY
Work with students to read the four sentences and identify the facts.
Ask students to tell why these statements are facts and how they
could be proved. Then have students identify and discuss facts in
another news article they have recently read.
Tell students that as they draft their news article, they should
include only facts. Urge students to use their facts to answer the
five W’s.
Publishing OptionsStudents can read aloud their news articles to the class. See the Speaking and Listening tips below. They can also use their best cursive to write their news article. (See Teacher’s Resource Book pages 163–168 for cursive models and practice.) Then invite students to submit their articles to the school or local paper.
4- and 6-Point Scoring Rubrics
Use the rubrics on pages 787G–787H to score published writing.
Writing Process
For a complete lesson, see Unit Writing on pages 787A–787H.
Writer’s CraftWriting
Facts and Opinions
Fact: White-tailed deer are the most common deer in
North America.
Opinion: White-tailed deer are pests because they eat the
vegetable garden.
1. A male white-tailed deer may weigh as much as
200 pounds.
2. Male deer have bigger antlers, which makes them
much more interesting than female deer.
3. White-tailed deer don’t have an actual home; they
just move around in a home area.
4. Deer can be a problem because they bring bugs
that carry dangerous diseases.
(1. fact; 2. opinion; 3. fact; 4. opinion)
Writing Transp
arency 108
Technology
Writing
Writer’s Toolbox
To help them find definitions or synonyms, tell students
to select the word in their draft, go to the Tools menu, and
then choose Thesaurus or Dictionary to find what they
need.
Writing Trait: Organization
Explain/Model For a news article, writers can
organize ideas around answering the five W’s: who,
what, when, why, and where. Point out the phrase
“on the telephone poles behind the school” on
page 716. Explain that this phrase answers the
question where.
Practice/Apply Work with students to find the
answers to the other five-W questions in the
student model. Discuss how organizing according
to the five W’s helps writers make sure they include
all the important information.
Comparing with Adverbs
Explain/Model Adverbs can be used to compare
actions. To compare using most one-syllable
adverbs, add –er or –est, as in quicker or slowest.
For adverbs with two or more syllables, add the
words more or most to the adverb, as in more
carefully.
Practice/Apply Work with students to find
examples of comparing with adverbs in the
student model on page 716. Ask students to pay
attention as they write to using adverbs correctly
to compare. For a complete lesson on comparing
with adverbs, see pages 717I–717J.
A Strong Opening
Explain/Model Explain that strong openings get
readers interested and keep them reading. For
a news article, good writers often start with an
attention-grabbing sentence or a question to get
readers involved. This makes readers respond to the
question and keep reading to see how the writer
answers it.
Practice/Apply Discuss with students why
Matthew’s opening works. Then invite students to
suggest other strong openings Matthew could have
used. As students draft, tell them to use a strong
opening to get readers interested in their news
article.
Spelling Homophones
Ask students to find the word seen in the student
model on page 716. Point out that this word
is spelled s-e-e-n. Explain that the word scene
sounds the same but is spelled s-c-e-n-e. These
words are homophones—they sound the same
but have different spellings and meanings. Have
students find other homophones in the student
model, such as their/there. Remind them to make
sure they have the correct word when they spell
homophones. Remind them that they can use a
print or online dictionary to check spelling in their
drafts. For a complete lesson on homophones, see
pages 717G–717H.
The Cricket in Times Square 717B
717C
Objectives• Apply knowledge of word
meanings and context clues
• Use paragraph clues to
understand the meanings of
unfamiliar words
Materials
• Vocabulary Transparencies
53 and 54
• Leveled Practice Books,
p. 198
Practice Vocabulary
Create a pile of objects
to illustrate a jumble of
things. Say, This is a jumble
of books, pencils, and paper.
Have students discuss
where in their homes there
is a jumble of objects. (a
drawer/a closet)
eavesdropping (p. 694)
listening to other people
talking without letting
them know you are
listening
scuffling (p. 694) the
sound of feet shuffling
wistfully (p. 696) sweetly
sad; thoughtfully
jumble (p. 697) a
confused mixture or
condition; a mess
logical (p. 699)
reasonable; thoughtful
acquaintance (p. 702)
someone known or
introduced
scornfully (p. 706) angrily;
disapprovingly
Review
VocabularyWords in Context
EXPLAIN/MODEL
Review the meanings of the vocabulary words. Display
Transparency 53. Model how to use word meanings and context
clues to fill in the first missing word with students.
Think Aloud In the first sentence, I read that Barbara learns secrets
from other people’s conversations. She must have been listening
without their knowledge. That’s eavesdropping. I think the missing
word is eavesdropping. It makes sense in the sentence.
PRACTICE/APPLY
Instruct students to complete the remaining sentences on their
own. Have them use context clues to fill in the missing words for
items 2–7 on a separate sheet of paper. Then students can exchange
papers, check their answers, and explain the context clues they used
to figure out the missing words.
Story Time In small groups, students should tell a story
using vocabulary words. A student might start the story with
eavesdropping, as in, We were eavesdropping in the bushes when a
loud noise startled us. Another student continues the story using
another word.
Word Study
Word Study
jumble logical acquaintance scufflingscornfully wistfully eavesdropping
1. Barbara learned our secrets by eavesdropping on our
conversations.
2. She is not a good friend; she is more like an
acquaintance .
3. Grandma wistfully told stories of her happy girlhood.
4. I heard the raccoon scuffling along the driveway.
5. It didn’t seem logical that wild animals would wander
the city.
6. The animal’s nest was a jumble of fur, feathers, and
dried grass.
7. He glanced scornfully at the rowdy children, saying
that he did not want to be disturbed.
Transparency 53
Vocabulary Transparency 53
Context clues are words in the same or surrounding sentences that help a reader figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Read the passage below. Then write the meaning of each word in dark type and the context clues that helped you figure it out.
The audience streamed into the theater to hear Regina Jackson’s talk.
Hundreds of people moved smoothly but quickly into their seats. Jackson
was the world’s leading authority on jaguars. No one else knew more
than she did about the lives of these big cats. From the moment she began
to speak everyone sat quietly. You could see by their interested expressions
that they were fascinated by what she had to say. When Regina finished,
everyone stood up and began to applaud.
1. audience Defi nition:
Context clues:
2. streamed Defi nition:
Context clues:
3. authority Defi nition:
Context clues:
4. jaguars Defi nition:
Context clues:
5. fascinated Defi nition:
Context clues:
Possible responses provided.
people who come to hear something
hundreds of people, hear talk
moved smoothly
moved smoothly and quickly
expert
no one else knew more than she did
large mammals of the cat family
big cats
very interested
sat quietly; interested expressions
On Level Practice Book 0, page 198
Approaching Practice Book A, page 198
Beyond Practice Book B, page 198
Word Study
Vocabulary Strategy Transparency 54
Use Context Clues
Have students turn to
Student Book page 694
and model how to read
surrounding text to
identify the meaning of
scuffling. Point out how the
phrase after the comma
helps define the word.
Repeat this activity with
jumble on page 697.
Paragraph Clues
1. There was a jumble of things in Eric’s room. There were shoes, hats, shirts, books, and pens. Eric came in from school and threw his clothes on the floor, his books on the bed, and his sneakers on the desk!
2. Emily peered at the animals in the park. From her tenth story window, she could barely see how many dogs there were. By staring intently, she noticed that there were twice as many dogs as pigeons.
3. After the bell sounded, Scott dashed across the field. His teammates looked on with excitement and hope as they watched him go. The first person to cross the finish line would win ice cream for the whole team! They were confident because Scott was the fastest runner in grade four.
4. The child sat forlornly on the bench. People raced by, ignoring him. He seemed so alone and sad. Was he lost? Where could his family be?
Transparency 54
STRATEGYCONTEXT CLUES: PARAGRAPH
EXPLAIN/MODEL
Explain that writers sometimes include context clues throughout a
paragraph. Students may want to read the entire paragraph to help
them understand the meaning of an unknown word. Context clues
may be one or more sentences away from the original word. Model
finding the meaning of the word jumble in the first paragraph on
Transparency 54. Then have students read items 2–4 to figure out
the underlined words’ meanings using paragraph clues.
PRACTICE/APPLY
Have students identify the paragraph clues for liverwurst on Student
Book pages 696–697. Then tell students to use those clues to write
sentences to answer the following questions: Is liverwurst something
to eat? Is it a kind of vegetable or a kind of meat?
During Small Group Instruction
If No Approaching Level Vocabulary, pp. 717N–717O
If Yes On Level Options, pp. 717Q–717R
Beyond Level Options, pp. 717S–717T
Can students use context clues and paragraph clues to choose
the correct word and understand unfamiliar words?
The Cricket in Times Square 717D
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. The words right and write are homophones. right = correct write = make marks on paper
Fill in each blank with the correct homophone.
1. tale / tail He told a about a lion that lost its
.
2. patience / patients The doctor encouraged his
to have more while they waited to see him.
3. dough / doe The and her fawns ate the
that the baker left on the window sill.
4. wade / weighed She tried to across the river
wearing a backpack that ninety pounds.
5. bolder / boulder The skier grew after he
jumped over the .
6. plain / plane We flew in a over the
where the buffalo were.
7. week / weak I felt for a .
8. aloud / allowed “There are no photos ,” the
guide said .
tale
tail
patients
patience
doe
dough
wade
weighed
bolder
boulder
plane
plain
weak week
allowed
aloud
On Level Practice Book 0, page 199
Approaching Practice Book A, page 199
Beyond Practice Book B, page 199
717E
Phonics Homophones
EXPLAIN/MODEL
Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently
and have different definitions. One reason that there are a number
of homophones in English is that there are often different ways to
spell the same sound. Write doe and dough.
Think Aloud
I know that these words are both pronounced with
long o. In one case, the vowel sound is spelled oe, as in toe. In
the other, the sound has the unusual spelling ough. When I read
/dō/, I must be sure that I don’t confuse the meaning. I can use
context clues or a dictionary to be sure of the correct meaning.
PRACTICE/APPLY
Write these words on the board: weighed, root, tail, and weave.
Have students sound out the words and write homophones for
them on the board. (wade, route, tale, we’ve) Ask students to use
the homophones in sentences.
Decode Multisyllabic Words Write flower, flour; capital, capitol;
ceiling, sealing. Sound out the words as a class. Ask students to
define each word. Have students use each word in a sentence.
For additional practice, use the decodable passages on Teacher’s
Resource Book pages 32–33.
Draw It! Write pairs of homophones on cards, both words on one
card. Divide the class in two. A player from Team A selects a card,
then draws clues that will help Team B name the words. After Team
B correctly identifies the words, Team B players must spell both
homophones. Players on Team A then must use both homophones
correctly in sentences. The teams then switch roles. Teams earn
points by drawing, guessing the words, spelling the words, and using
the words correctly.
Objectives• Identify and distinguish
homophones
• Identify antonyms
Materials
• Leveled Practice Books, p. 199
• Teacher’s Resource Book,
pp. 32–33
Homophone Practice
Create sentences for the
following homophone
pairs: red/read, see/sea,
cent/sent. Discuss the
meanings of the words and
the differences in spellings.
Make a classroom chart
of homophones with
students’ illustrated
sentences for them to refer
during writing and reading
activities.
Word Study
Word Study
During Small Group Instruction
If No Approaching Level Phonics, p. 717M
If Yes On Level Options, pp. 717Q–717R
Beyond Level Options, pp. 717S–717T
Can students decode words that are homophones?
Vocabulary BuildingWord Study
Vocabulary Building
Antonyms Help students identify the parts of
speech for the following vocabulary words: logical,
disappointment, scornfully, acquaintance, fragile, and
threatened. In pairs, have students come up with
antonyms for each word. Have them see who can
think of the most antonyms per word. Ensure that
the antonyms are the same part of speech.
Spiral Review
Build-A-Cricket Find line art of a cricket and
duplicate it. Cut each cricket into several pieces,
making a puzzle. Write current and previous
vocabulary words on pieces of the cricket. Divide
the class into groups. Place a jumble of assorted
cricket parts (enough for each student to make a
cricket) on a group’s table. Have students earn the
pieces to build a cricket by defining the word on
the part and using it in a sentence that contains
at least one context clue for the word. When
a student is done with his or her cricket, that
student may help another student in the group
build a cricket by providing antonyms or context
clues for words on the missing parts.
Vocabulary PuzzleMaker For additional vocabulary and
spelling games, go to
www.macmillanmh.com
Edit Writing Using Adverbs
Adverbs Remind students that they can fine-tune
their writing by using adverbs or changing words
into adverbs. Review:
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an
adjective, or another verb.
Sometimes an adverb describes when or how often
the action is done. Sometimes an adverb describes
where the action is done. At other times an adverb
describes in what manner, or how, the action is done.
To make adjectives into adverbs, you add -ly. The
giraffe is wistful. The giraffe sings wistfully.
Like adjectives, adverbs also have a comparative
and a superlative form. You use the comparative
form of the adverb to compare two. You use the
superlative form of the adverb to compare more
than two. Some long adverbs do not add -er and
-est. Use more and most to form the comparative
of these adverbs.
Apply Vocabulary
Write a Story Direct students to use the
vocabulary words to write a short story about
animal friends. The short story could be a fantasy,
mystery, or folk tale. Encourage students to give
the animals human characteristics. They should
include at least four vocabulary words in their
stories.
The Cricket in Times Square 717F
717G
Pretest Word Sorts
Dictation Sentences 1. A tree root grew out of the
ground.
2. Have you heard the tale of Paul Bunyan?
3. Do you like to wade in the ocean?
4. My dog wagged his tail excitedly.
5. The prince lives in the castle.
6. It’s fun to roll out cookie dough.
7. The moose has large antlers.
8. She prints her letters carefully.
9. We’ve been here all day.
10. Can you weave on a loom?
11. Whose jacket is on the floor?
12. We took the quickest route home.
13. Who’s coming to the party?
14. We climbed over a boulder.
15. The baby weighed seven pounds.
16. Have patience with your brother.
17. Outside school, the child seemed bolder.
18. We saw a doe run in the woods.
19. I tasted the chocolate mousse.
20. My doctor gives lollipops to her patients.
Review/Challenge Words 1. My shirt is made of pure cotton.
2. I ate a toasted corn muffin.
3. He turned eleven years old.
4. An iron makes curly hair straight.
5. The strait was too narrow for the boat to pass through.
Word in bold is from the main selection.
Spelling Practice Book, pages 167–168
doe boulder patience moussewho’s weighed tail doughroute patients prince whoseweave tale bolder rootmoose prints wade we’ve
There are ten pairs of spelling words that are homophones. They sound the same but are spelled differently. Sort the homophones into pairs. Write each pair on the lines below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Order Please!
Write the following words in alphabetical order: patience, weighed,tail, dough, whose, weave, bolder, root, moose, and prints.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
doebolderroute
patiencemooseprincewho’swade
weavetail
doughmoose
patiencepp
bolder
printspp
doughboulder
root
patientsmousseprints
whoseweighed
we’ve
tale
tailweave
weighed
root
whose
Spelling Practice Book, page 169
Spelling
5 Day Spelling
Homophones
ASSESS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Using the Dictation Sentences, say
the underlined words. Read the
sentences and repeat the words.
Have students write the words on
Spelling Practice Book page 167.
For a modified list, use the first 12
Spelling Words and the 3 Review
Words. For a more challenging list,
use Spelling Words 3–20 and the
2 Challenge Words. Have students
correct their own tests.
Have students cut apart the Spelling
Word Cards BLM on Teacher’s
Resource Book page 92 and figure
out a way to sort them. Have them
save the cards for use throughout
the week.
Use Spelling Book page 168 for
additional practice with this week’s
Spelling Words.
For Leveled Word Lists, go to
www.macmillanmh.com
TEACHER AND STUDENT SORTS
■ Write doe and dough, pointing out
that these words are homophones.
Homophones are words that sound
the same but are spelled differently
and have different meanings.
Explain that all the Spelling Words
for this week are homophones, and
are not arranged in any specific
spelling patterns. Have students
find all the homophone pairs
and discuss their spellings and
meanings.
■ Challenge student pairs to sort
all the word cards in two ways.
Have them record both sorts
by listing the headings and
corresponding words. (Possible
sorts include vowel sounds,
syllables, initial letters, number of
letters, or parts of speech.)
■ When students have finished,
discuss the different ways they
sorted.
root prints weighed
tale we’ve patience
wade weave bolder
tail whose doe
prince route mousse
dough who’s patients
moose boulder
Review cotton, muffin, eleven
Challenge straight, strait
Review and Proofread
Spelling
Word Meanings
DEFINITIONS
Read each definition below. Ask
students to copy the definitions
into their word study notebooks,
and then write the correct Spelling
Word for each.
1. a female deer (doe)
2. a story (tale)
3. walk in shallow water (wade)
4. a large rock (boulder)
5. people who visit a doctor
(patients)
Challenge students to write
definitions for other Spelling,
Review, or Challenge Words. Have
them create a list and exchange
with a classmate who can try
supplying the correct Spelling
Word for each definition.
Have partners create crossword
puzzles, using clues for homophone
pairs. They can exchange papers and
solve each other’s puzzles.
SPIRAL REVIEW
Review the final /әn/ spellings.
Write cotton, muffin, and eleven on
the board. Have students identify
other words with the schwa + n
sound that are spelled these three
different ways.
PROOFREAD AND WRITE
Write these sentences on the
board, including the misspelled
words. Have students proofread,
circle each misspelled word, and
write the word correctly.
1. You need patients when you
make bread doe. (patience,
dough)
2. The prints enjoys eating lemon
moose. (prince, mousse)
3. Who’s tale is longer, the mouse’s
or the lion’s? (Whose, tail)
4. To get to Root 4, we make a
right at the big bolder. (Route,
boulder)
POSTTEST
Use the Dictation Sentences on
page 717G for the Posttest.
If students have difficulty with any
words in the lesson, have students
place them in a list entitled
Spelling Words I Want to Remember
in a word study notebook.
Challenge student partners to look
for words that are homophones in
this week’s reading materials.
doe boulder patience moussewho’s weighed tail doughroute patients prince whoseweave tale bolder rootmoose prints wade we’ve
What’s the Word?
Complete each sentence with a spelling word.
1. We made double of the pictures of the birds in the park.
2. The man had to into the fountain to save the cat.
3. Our dog’s was run over by a car.
4. been trying to rid our house of mice for months.
5. It would be funny to see a in the city.
6. Mrs. Jennings has no for untrained animals.
7. The elephant at the city zoo more than six tons.
8. You have to be careful not to hit a deer when driving down that
.
9. The squirrels in the park are not afraid of people and are becoming
every day.
10. pet is this?
11. There is a and her baby who live near that road.
12. Have you heard the of the cricket that lived in New York?
13. that man with the yellow hat?
14. Nothing could move that except an elephant.
15. The at the city hospital like to watch the birds in the park.
16. The bread takes an hour to rise.
printswade
tailWe’ve
moosepatience
weighed
route
bolder
doetale
Who’s
boulder
Whose
patients
dough
Spelling Practice Book, page 170
Proofreading
There are six spelling mistakes in this story. Circle the misspelled words. Write the words correctly on the lines below.
A Tael of the Two Deer
Once upon a time, there was a dou named Cinnamon. Cinnamon lived
in a grand kingdom with all of her animal friends. Cinnamon was also very
much in love with Printse Butternut. But Cinnamon and Butternut were
very upset. Their kingdom was in danger. Nearby was a large human city.
Every year the humans would build another road or roote closer to their
kingdom. If a deer heard a car coming he would raise his taile to warn the
other animals. Then one day, Cinnamon and Butternut had an idea. They
got all the other animals in the kingdom to help them. Bowlder upon rock,
the animals built a wall that would protect them from the cars on the roads.
Cinnamon hoped that all the animals would be very careful and not cross the
wall. That way the kingdom would remain safe.
1. 3. 5.
2. 4. 6.
Writing Activity
Write a story about animals interacting with humans. Use at least three spelling words in your paragraph.
taledoe
Princeroute
tailBoulder
Spelling Practice Book, page 171
Look at the words in each set below. One word in each set is spelled correctly. Use a pencil to fill in the circle next to the correctword. Before you begin, look at the sample set of words. SampleA has been done for you. Do Sample B by yourself. When you are sure you know what to do, you may go on with the rest of the page.
Sample A: Sample B:
� peice � peese� pease � piece� peace � pease� piese peice
1. � doe� doo� doa� dow
2. � doo� dow� dough doa
3. � boalder� bowlder� boleder� bolder
4. � boulder� boleder� bowlder boalder
5. � rute� route� rewt� rout
6. � rute� rewt� root rout
7. � payshenz� payshense� paitients� patience
8. � payshents� patients� paitents payshenz
9. � moose� mewse� moosse� muese
10. � mewse� mousse� muese moosse
11. � prinz� prinse� printz� prince
12. � prinz� prints� printz prinse
13. � hoo’s� who’s� hew’s� whue’s
14. � hoose� whooze� whose huze
15. � wayd� wade� waid� wayed
16. � wayed� waid� wayd weighed
17. � weeve� wheave� weave� wheeve
18. � we’ve� wee’ve� we’v whee’ve
19. � taile� talle� tael� tail
20. � taile� tale� tael talle
�
����
��
��
����
��
�� ����
�� ��
����
�� �� �� ��
��
��
Spelling Practice Book, page 172
Assess and Reteach
The Cricket in Times Square 717H
Grammar
5 Day Grammar
Daily Language ActivitiesUse these activities to introduce each day’s lesson. Write the day’s activity on the board or use Daily Language Transparency 27.
DAY 1Natasha’s cat was nice but mine was nicest. Peters pet was hungryest than Molly’s pet. The mouse seemed to listen polite. (1:nicer; 2: Peter’s; 3: hungrier; 4: politely.)
DAY 2Sarah is a well listener. She listens more hard than I do. She asked curiouslier than Al about our trip to the city. (1: good; 2: harder; 3: more curiously)
DAY 3Sarah and me enjoy vacations, but Gerard enjoy them more of all. He gets ready fastest than we do in the mornings. (1: and I; 2: Gerard enjoys; 3: most of all; 4: faster)
DAY 4The bus ride seemed more slower than last time. “Weave got to go to the second floor.” my teacher said. (1: seemed slower; 2: We’ve; 3: floor,)
DAY 5I saw well sights on our field trip. When it was time to go, it was most sad than before? (1: good; 2: sadder; 3: before.)
Use Concrete Examples
Demonstrate the
difference between more
and most. For example,
have Student A run quickly,
another more quickly than
Student A, and a third
most quickly of all. Create
a sentence about each.
Emphasize that adverbs
compare actions instead of
things.
Grammar Practice Book, page 167
• Use more or most to form comparisons with adverbs that endtin -ly or with longer adverbs.y
• Use more to compare two actions.• Use most to compare more than two actions.t• When you use more or most, do not use the ending -er or -r est.
Use more or most with the underlined adverb in each first tsentence to complete the two sentences that follow.
1. The train that Chester was on shook harshly as it moved on the track.
The second train shook every now and then.
But the subway car shook of all.
2. Chester furiously tried to escape from the picnic basket.
He tried as the train rattled and shook.
Chester tried the of all when they fi nally reached New York.
3. Harry Cat speedily jumped toward Chester and Tucker Mouse.
Chester jumped the of all into the matchbox.
Chester jumped than Harry Cat.
4. Chester chirps sweetly when he is excited.
Chester chirps when he is scared.
But Chester chirps the when he is happy.
5. Chester moves hastily through the drain pipe.
Harry Cat moves through the drain pipe.
But Tucker moves the of all through the drainpipe.
more harshly
more furiously
most harshly
more speedily
most furiously
most speedily
more sweetlymost sweetly
more hastilymost hastily
Grammar Practice Book, page 168
Introduce the Concept
INTRODUCE ADVERB
COMPARISONS
Present the following:
■ Adverbs can be used to compare
two or more actions.
■ To compare using most one-
syllable adverbs, add -er or
-est: Amelia tried harder than her
teammate. Ken tried the hardest of
all.
■ Adverbs with two or more
syllables are usually used with
the words more or most to make
comparisons: Tom read more
carefully than Monica. I read the
most carefully of all.
■ When adverbs are used with more
or most, they do not use endings
to make comparisons.
REVIEW ADVERB COMPARISONS
Discuss with students how to
compare with adverbs. Ask them
for some basic rules for deciding
whether to use endings or to use
more and most.
INTRODUCE IRREGULAR
COMPARATIVE ADVERBS
Present the following:
■ To make comparisons using the
adverb well, use better and best:
Shania works well in math. Bo
works better.
■ To make comparisons using the
adverb badly, use worse and
worst: I swam the 100-meter
badly. It was not my worst time
though.
Teach the Concept
Comparing with Adverbs
See Grammar Transparency 131 for modeling and guided practice.
See Grammar Transparency 132 for modeling and guided practice.
717I
Review and Proofread
• An adverb can compare two or more actions.• Add -er to short adverbs to compare two actions.r• Add -est to short adverbs to compare more than two actions.t• Use more or most to form comparisons with adverbs that endt
in -ly or with longer adverbs.y• Use more to compare two actions.• Use most to compare more than two actions.t• When you use more or most, do not use the ending -er or -r est.
Add more or most to the beginning of each boldfaced adverb totcomplete the sentences below.
1. easily Tucker Mouse moves through the city
than Chester.
2. clumsily Of the three friends, Chester runs the
through Times Square.
3. terribly Times Square upset Chester thanhe had imagined.
4. kindly Harry Cat treats mice and crickets than other cats do.
5. politely City cats behave than country cats.
6. speedily Chester thought that Harry ran the of all.
7. widely Chester opened his eyes as he got used to the lights.
8. dazzlingly Of all the lights in the sky, there was one star that shone
the .most dazzlingly
more easily
most clumsily
more terribly
more kindly
more politely
most speedily
more widely
Grammar Practice Book, page 169 Grammar Practice Book, page 170 Grammar Practice Book, pages 171–172
See Grammar Transparency 133 for modeling and guided practice.
See Grammar Transparency 134 for modeling and guided practice.
See Grammar Transparency 135 for modeling and guided practice.
Grammar
Review and Practice
REVIEW COMPARING WITH
IRREGULAR ADVERBS
Review how to make comparisons
using well and badly.
MECHANICS AND USAGE:
ADVERB COMPARISON
■ Use more or the -er ending
with an adverb to compare one
action with one other action.
This creates the comparative
form of the adverb.
■ Use most or the -est ending
with an adverb to compare
one action with two or more
other actions. This creates the
superlative form of the adverb.
■ Irregular adverbs better and
worse compare an action with
one other action. Best and worst
compare an action with two or
more other actions.
REVIEW COMPARISONS WITH
ADVERBS
Ask students when to use -er,
-est, more, and most. Review the
comparative and superlative forms
of adverbs.
PROOFREAD
Have students correct errors in the
following sentences.
1. The mouse ate well, but the
cricket ate best. (better)
2. The cat ran fast but the mouse
ran fastest. (faster)
3. The mouse liked the cheese
and the sugar, but he liked the
dried prune more of all. (most)
4. Country mouse decided she
would live happier in the
country than in the city. (more
happily)
ASSESS
Use the Daily Language Activity
and page 171 Grammar Practice
Book for assessment.
RETEACH
Write the corrected sentences from
the Daily Language Activities and
the Proofread activity on the board.
Tell students to copy the sentences
down on a sheet of paper. Students
should identify what items are being
compared. Have them write the
items being compared and identify
if more/er or most/est was used.
Have students restate the rules of
comparatives and superlatives after
the activity.
Also use page 172 of the Grammar
Practice Book for reteaching.
Assess and Reteach
The Cricket in Times Square 717J
En
d-o
f-W
ee
k A
sse
ssm
en
t
Fluency Assessment
ELL Practice and
Assessment, 166–167
Administer the Test Weekly Reading Assessment, Passage and questions, pages 341–348
ASSESSED SKILLS
• Theme
• Vocabulary Words
• Context Clues: Paragraph Clues
• Comparing with Adverbs
• Homophones
Administer the Weekly Assessment online or
on CD-ROM.
FluencyAssess fluency for one group of students per week.
Use the Oral Fluency Record Sheet to track the number
of words read correctly. Fluency goal for all students:
113–133 words correct per minute (WCPM).
Approaching Level Weeks 1, 3, 5
On Level Weeks 2, 4
Beyond Level Week 6
Alternative Assessment• ELL Assessment, pages 166–167
Weekly Assessment, 341–348Assessment Tool
717K
VOCABULARY WORDS
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Context Clues: Paragraph
Clues
Items 1, 2, 3, 4
IF...
0–2 items correct . . .
THEN...
Reteach skills using the Additional
Lessons page T7.
Reteach skills: Go to
www.macmillanmh.com
Vocabulary PuzzleMaker
Evaluate for Intervention.
COMPREHENSION
Skill: Theme
Items 5, 6, 7, 8
0–2 items correct . . . Reteach skills using the Additional
Lessons page T2.
Evaluate for Intervention.
GRAMMAR
Comparing with Adverbs
Items 9, 10, 11
0–1 items correct . . . Reteach skills: Grammar Practice Book
page 172
SPELLING
Homophones
Items 12, 13, 14
0–1 items correct . . . Reteach skills: Go to
www.macmillanmh.com
FLUENCY 109–112 WCPM
0–108 WCPM
Fluency Solutions
Evaluate for Intervention.
Diagnose Prescribe
En
d-o
f-We
ek
Asse
ssme
nt
To place students
in the Intervention
Program, use
the Diagnostic
Assessment in the
Intervention Teacher’s
Edition.
TriumphsAN INTERVENTION PROGRAM
R E A D I N G
The Cricket in Times Square 717L
Phonics
Approaching Level Options
Objective Decode homophones
Materials • dictionary • Student Book “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse”
HOMOPHONES
Model /Guided Practice
■ Explain that homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled
differently and have different meanings.
■ Write tow and toe on the board. I know these words are both pronounced
with a long o. In the first word, the vowel sound is spelled ow as in snow. In
the other, the vowel sound is spelled oe as in Joe. When I read /tō/, I need
to be sure of its meaning, so I can use context clues or a dictionary. In the
dictionary I learn that t-o-w means to pull along behind with a chain, rope,
or cable. A t-o-e is part of the foot.
■ Have students follow your model to figure out the difference between
stair and stare. Provide constructive feedback as needed.
MULTISYLLABIC HOMOPHONES
■ Write seller and cellar on the board. I know these words are both
pronounced /sel әr/. When I read /sel әr/, I need to be sure of its meaning, so I
can use context clues or a dictionary. Write the following sentences on the
board: The seller sold his home for a lot of money. In my house the furnace
is in the cellar. Help students use the context clues in these sentences to
figure out the correct meaning of each word.
■ Have pairs of students work together to practice reading longer
homophones. Write the following homophone pairs on the board and
ask students to copy them onto a sheet of paper. Have them say each
word and look up its meaning in the dictionary. Then partners can take
turns writing riddles that can be answered with a homophone from the
list for the other partner to solve.
manner/manor capital/capitol principle/principal
stationery/stationary serial/cereal patience/patients
■ Check each pair for their progress and accuracy.
WORD HUNT: HOMOPHONES IN CONTEXT
■ Review the different spellings of homophones.
■ Have students search page 690 of “The City Mouse and the Country
Mouse” to find the following words that are part of a homophone pair:
one, I, night, and there.
■ Have students write the homophones for the words they found: won,
eye, knight, and their/they’re.
For each skill below,
additional lessons are
provided. You can use these
lessons on consecutive days
after teaching the lessons
presented within the week.
• Theme, T2
• Context Clues, T7
• Advertisements, T11
Additional Resources
To help students build
speed and accuracy with
phonics patterns, see
additional decodable
text on page 31 of the
Teacher’s Resource Book.
Decodable Text
For students who are
confused by homophones,
such as we’d/weed, provide
additional practice with
these words in sentences
with context clues. For
example, We’d all have to
work hard to pull every weed
from the garden. Point out
that we’d is a contraction
for we would and weeds
are unwanted plants in
a garden. Help students
make up additional context
sentences that help them
remember the meanings
and spellings of other
homophones, such as stare/
stair and sweet/suite.
ConstructiveFeedback
717M
Objective Read with increasing prosody and accuracy at a rate of 113–123 WCPM
Materials • Index cards • Approaching Practice Book A, page 196
WORD AUTOMATICITY
Have students make flashcards for the following homophones: roots, prints,
weighed, tale, we’ve, patience, wade, weave, bolder, tail, whose, doe, prince,
route, mousse, dough, whose, patients, moose, and boulder. Display the
cards one at a time and have students say each word. Repeat twice more,
displaying the words more quickly each time.
REPEATED READING
Encourage students to follow along as you read aloud the fluency passage
on Practice Book A page 196. Tell students to pay close attention to the
way punctuation affects your reading. Then read one sentence at a time
and have students echo-read the sentence, copying your intonation.
During independent reading time, have students work with a partner. One
student reads aloud while the other repeats each sentence. Ask students
to write down any words they felt were difficult to pronounce. Circulate
and provide constructive feedback.
TIMED READING
At the end of the week, have students do a final timed reading of the
passage on Practice Book A page 196. Students should
■ begin reading the passage aloud when you say “Go.”
■ stop reading the passage after one minute when you say “Stop.”
Keep track of miscues. Coach students as needed. Help students record
and graph the number of words they read correctly.
Vocabulary
Objective Apply vocabulary word meanings
Materials • Vocabulary Cards • Transparences 27a and 27b
VOCABULARY WORDS
Display the Vocabulary Cards for: wistfully, eavesdropping, scuffling,
acquaintance, jumble, scornfully, and logical. Help students locate the words
in “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse” on Transparencies 27a and
27b. Then provide students with a sentence for each vocabulary word,
leaving a blank where each word should be. Include two choices after
each sentence and have students identify the correct choice. For example:
If you are , you’re listening secretly to someone else’s conversation.
(scuffling/eavesdropping)
Approaching Practice Book A, page 196
If students read without
sufficient pauses, stops, and
attention to punctuation,
reread the passage to
them, exaggerating the
correct pauses, stops, and
intonation. Then read one
sentence at a time and
have students echo-read
the sentence, copying
your pauses, stops, and
intonation.
ConstructiveFeedback
The Cricket in Times Square 717N
Vocabulary
Approaching Level Options
Review last week’s words
(reference, prospectors,
disappointment, annoyed,
circular, outstretched,
glinted) and this week’s
words (wistfully,
eavesdropping, scuffling,
acquaintance, jumble,
scornfully, logical). Have
students find a synonym for
each word and use it in a
sentence.
Objective Use context clues
Materials • Student Book “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse”
CONTEXT CLUES: PARAGRAPH
Read paragraphs 3–5 on page 690 of “The Country Mouse and the City
Mouse.” Ask students to skim through the paragraphs to find context
clues for the word eavesdropping. (Country Mouse followed City Mouse as
she tiptoed quietly into a cupboard and listened. “Shhh. We’re doing a bit
of eavesdropping. When the cook leaves for the night. . . . ”) Ask students
to find other vocabulary words in “The Country Mouse and the City
Mouse” that have paragraph context clues in their surrounding sentences.
Comprehension
Objective Identify theme
Materials • Student Book “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse”
• Transparencies 27a and 27b
STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Remind students that recognizing how an author organizes a story can
help them understand the theme.
SKILLTHEME
Explain/Model
The theme is the main idea, or lesson about life, an author wants to tell.
■ The theme is usually implied, but in a fable, the theme, or moral, is
often stated directly.
■ A recurring theme is a theme that repeats throughout a selection.
Display Transparencies 27a and 27b. Reread the first page.
Think Aloud
I can underline details about what the characters do and
say that will give me clues about the story’s theme. Sometimes the
author does not state the theme, and I must put the clues together.
Practice
Read the rest of the story. After reading, invite students to retell the story,
identifying the theme. Discuss the following.
■ Did Country Mouse and City Mouse enjoy the same things?
■ Do you think City Mouse found the city as scary as Country Mouse did?
Student Book, or Transparencies 27a and 27b
retold by Jeff Banner
717O
Leveled ReaderLeveled Reader Lesson
Objective Read to apply strategies and skills
Materials • Leveled Reader In the Land of the Giants
PREVIEW AND PREDICT
Have students read the title and preview the illustrations and first
chapter. Ask students to make predictions about what they will read.
Have them note any questions they might have before reading.
VOCABULARY WORDS
Review the Vocabulary Words as needed. As you read together, discuss
how each word is used in context.
STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Remind students that recognizing how the author organizes a story can
help them understand the theme.
SKILLTHEME
Tell students to read the first two chapters of the story. Remind students
to pay attention to what the characters do and say, and what happens as
a result.
Think Aloud In the first chapter, I learn that Roberto agrees to go with
the mice to save the dog that has been kidnapped. Roberto learns
that the dog is not free, it lives in a cage, and it is very sad. I need to
remember this information for my Theme Map.
READ AND RESPOND
Finish reading In the Land of the Giants with students. Discuss the
characters and the theme using the following questions.
■ What qualities did Roberto have that enabled him to rescue the dog
from the powerful giants?
■ Do you think the giants had a right to keep the dog because they were
stronger than Roberto and the mice?
MAKE CONNECTIONS ACROSS TEXTS
Invite students to compare The Cricket in Times Square and In the Land of
the Giants.
■ Is the author’s message equally clear in each story? Discuss the theme of
each story to support your answer.
Leveled Reader
Context Clues Review the
vocabulary words before
reading. Ask students to use
context clues to complete
these sentences using the
vocabulary words.
1. By I could hear
right through the door.
(eavesdropping)
2. There was a of
papers, pencils, and crayons
on the table. (jumble)
3. We use gas to our
car. (fuel)
4. I was very excited to
meet Sarah and said, “I am
very happy to make your
.” (acquaintance).
The Cricket in Times Square 717P
Leveled Reader LessonVocabulary
On Level Options
Student Book
Student Book
The Chanceof a LifetimeThe Chanceof a Lifetime
On Level Practice Book O, page 196
As I read, I will pay attention to end punctuation in each sentence.
Stripes raised his eyes and blinked at Jani. He was a lovely
12 striped cat. Jani thought he looked like a little tiger. She picked
24 the cat up. She sat with him on a chair, stroking his head.
37 “You’ll never believe what we learned in school today,” she
47 told Stripes.
49 Stripes looked up at her with wise green eyes. “People used
60 to make leopard-skin coats,” she told him. “Some people still
71 do. A coat made from a cat, Stripes. It makes me so mad!”
84 Jani could not be sure, but she thought that Stripes scrunched
95 up his nose in disgust.
100 That night, Jani fell into a restless sleep. She tossed and
111 turned. She dreamed about animals who could talk. In her
121 dream, she hid nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation.
129 The animals were in danger. And they needed help. Suddenly
139 she woke up. It was almost midnight, but there was a light in
152 her room. “Who’s there?” she asked. 158
Comprehension Check
1. Why does Jani fall into a restless sleep? Make Inferences
2. Why might Jani feel sympathy for leopards? Make Inferences
Words Read – Number of Errors = Words
Correct Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Jani falls into a restless sleep because she is still upset about the idea of a coat made from an animal’s fur. Jani probably feels sympathy for leopards because they are also cats, and she loves her own cat, Stripes.
Objective Use vocabulary words and context clues
Materials • Vocabulary Cards • Student Book The Cricket in Times Square
VOCABULARY WORDS
Have the group play a game of Ten Questions. Allow one student to be
“it.” The student will think of one of the vocabulary words. Students can
ask yes/no questions until they figure out the word. Questions can relate
to the part of speech, the meaning, or the syllabification. (Is it a noun?
Does it have three syllables?) If the group asks ten questions and still can’t
get the word, the person who is “it” tells the word.
CONTEXT CLUES: PARAGRAPH CLUES
Remind students that they can look for context clues in surrounding
sentences to help them understand the definition of an unfamiliar word.
Have students find unfamiliar words in The Cricket in Times Square. Ask
them to identify any context clues near the word. Then have them create
a new sentence using each of the words and their own context clues.
Text Features
Objective Read advertisements for information
Materials • Newspapers and magazines • Student Book “The Chance of a Lifetime”
ADVERTISEMENTS
Discuss how effective the advertisement is in “The Chance of a Lifetime.”
Then have students look through newspapers and magazines to point out
and discuss the purpose and target audiences of the advertisements.
Objective Read fluently with appropriate prosody at a rate of 113–133 WCPM
Materials • On Level Practice Book O, p. 196
REPEATED READING
Model reading the Fluency passage on page 196 of Practice Book O.
Remind them that paying close attention to punctuation will help them
with proper intonation and expression. Then read one sentence at a time,
having students echo-read the sentence, imitating your intonation.
During independent time, partners can take turns reading the passage.
Timed Reading At the end of the week, have students read the passage
and record their reading rate.
717Q
Leveled ReaderLeveled Reader Lesson
Objective Read to apply strategies and skills
Materials • Leveled Reader The Tiger-Stripe Potion
PREVIEW AND PREDICT
Have students preview The Tiger-Stripe Potion.
■ Ask students to predict what the selection is about.
■ Ask students to write down any questions they have about Jani.
STRATEGYANALYZE STORY STRUCTURE
Remind students that analyzing how an author organizes a story can
help them understand its theme.
SKILLTHEME
Review: The theme is the main idea, or lesson about life, that an author
wants to tell readers. It is usually implied, but in a fable, the theme, or
moral, is often stated directly. Explain that students will fill in information
about theme in Theme Maps.
READ AND RESPOND
Read Chapter 1. Pause to discuss the characters and events. At the end
of Chapter 1, fill in the Theme Map. Have students describe the main
problem that the characters face.
VOCABULARY WORDS
Ask students to identify the vocabulary words that appear in The Tiger-
Stripe Potion and discuss how each word is used. Ask, Do you think Kartik
and Asha expected to be friends or just acquaintances when they met?
MAKE CONNECTIONS ACROSS TEXTS
Invite students to analyze the theme and draw connections between The
Cricket in Times Square and The Tiger-Stripe Potion.
■ Ask students to describe the theme of each story.
■ Ask students to compare and contrast the authors’ messages.
ELLLeveled Reader
Go to pages
717U–717V.
Leveled Reader
The Cricket in Times Square 717R
Vocabulary
Beyond Practice Book B, page 196
Beyond Level Options
Objective Generate questions and answers using content vocabulary words
Materials • Student Book “The Chance of a Lifetime” • Dictionaries
EXTEND VOCABULARY
Write the content vocabulary words on the board and invite students to
write their own dictionary entries for each word, including pronunciations,
definitions, parts of speech, example sentences, and etymologies. Have
students compare entries with a partner. Remind students to use two
different dictionaries for examples of word entries and to check the
spelling of each word.
Text Features
Objective Read advertisements for information
Materials • Newspapers and magazines
ADVERTISEMENT
Point out that an advertisement is used to try to persuade consumers to
buy things. Ask students if they think the advertisement for Kramer’s in
“The Chance of a Lifetime” could make a lot of people want to shop there.
Have students think of a product they would like to invent. Ask them to
identify their audience and to keep it in mind when thinking about an ad.
Then invite students to use advertisements in newspapers and magazines
as models to write their own advertisements for their products. Ask
students to display their ads for the class.
Objective Read fluently with appropriate prosody at a rate of 123–133 WCPM
Materials • Beyond Practice Book B, p. 196
REPEATED READING
Work with students to begin reviewing the Fluency passage on page 196
of Practice Book B. Remind students that commas call for a brief pause,
periods require a full stop, exclamation points indicate excitement, and
quotation marks show when another person is speaking. Read the first
part of the passage, pausing, stopping, and changing tone according to
the punctuation. Have partners finish marking the passage on their own.
During independent reading time, listen for accuracy as partners take
turns reading the passage they have practiced reading aloud.
Timed Reading At the end of the week, have students read the passage
and record their reading rate.
Student Book
The Chanceof a LifetimeThe Chanceof a Lifetime
Using Advertisements
Explain that another
type of advertisement
is a commercial. Have
students work in groups
to create a commercial for
a product of their choice.
Ask students to think
about their audience and
keep it in mind while they
work on the commercial.
Students should create a
script for their commercial
and act it out. Then when
students are finished, have
the groups present their
commercials to the class.
717S
Leveled ReaderLeveled Reader Lesson
Objective Read to apply strategies and skills
Materials • Leveled Reader The Wood Sprite
PREVIEW AND PREDICT
Have students preview The Wood Sprite, predict what it is about, and set
a purpose for reading.
SKILLTHEME
Ask a student to explain what the term theme means and why it is
important for understanding a story. Explain that students will read
The Wood Sprite together and fill in a chart with information about the
story’s theme.
READ AND RESPOND
As they read, students should identify details of the theme in the story
and use them to fill in their Theme Maps. Invite students to discuss
details from their maps with one another. Have students critique the story
together after reading.
VOCABULARY WORDS
Have students pay attention to vocabulary words as they occur. Review
definitions as needed. Ask, What kind of scuffling noise did Stella hear in her
own backyard?
Self-Selected Reading
Objective Read independently to analyze the theme of a selection
Materials • Leveled Readers or trade books at students’ reading levels
READ TO ANALYZE THEME
Invite students to choose a fiction book for independent reading and
enjoyment. As they read, ask them to identify details that will help them
understand the theme. After they finish reading, have students paraphrase
the story using the theme as the focus. They should include supporting
details they have identified. Have the groups discuss their readings and
compare themes. Do any themes seem to recur across different genres,
time periods, and cultures?
Leveled Reader
The Cricket in Times Square 717T
English Language Learners
Academic LanguageThroughout the week the English language learners will need help in
building their understanding of the academic language used in daily
instruction and assessment instruments. The following strategies will help
to increase their language proficiency and comprehension of content and
instructional words.
Use Strategies to Reinforce Academic Language
■ Use Context Language (see chart below) should be
explained in the context of the task during Whole Group.
Use gestures, expressions, and visuals to support meaning.
■ Use Visuals Use charts, transparencies, and graphic
organizers to point out and explain key labels to help
students understand classroom language.
■ Model Demonstrate the task using academic language in
order for students to understand instruction.
Academic Language Used in Whole Group Instruction
Content/Theme Words Skill/Strategy Words Writing/Grammar Words
wild animals (p. 688)
colony (p. 712)
echolocation (p. 712)
insecticides (p. 712)
consumers (p. 712)
paragraph clues (p. 691)
unfamiliar word (p. 691)
analyze story structure (p. 691A)
theme (p. 691A)
editorials (p. 712)
advertisements (p. 712)
product (p. 712)
persuasive words and techniques
(p. 712)
facts and opinions (p. 716)
news article (p. 716)
who, what, where, when, why
(p. 716)
sentence fluency (p. 717)
comparisons with adverbs (p. 717I)
irregular comparative and superlative
adverb forms (pp. 717I–717J)
For additional language
support and oral language
development use the lesson
at www.macmillanmh.com
717U
ELL Leveled ReaderELL Leveled Reader Lesson
DEVELOP ORAL LANGUAGE
Build Background Tell the class that you had a
dream with some “wild visitors.” I dreamed last
night that there were wild animals, like elephants,
tigers, and zebras, running around the city.
Review Vocabulary Before class, write definitions
for each word on sentence strips. Then write the vocabulary and story
support words on the board. Read each definition and have students
help you pair them to the words. Model using each word in a sentence.
I know Dan’s sister, but not very well. She’s not a good friend. She’s an .
(acquaintance)
PREVIEW AND PREDICT
Point to the cover illustration and read the title aloud. What do you think
this story may be about? Why? Turn to the Table of Contents and have
students add to their predictions.
Set a Purpose for Reading Show the Theme Map and remind students
they have used one before. Ask them to make a similar map, look for clues
to help identify the theme, and record them on the map.
Choose from among the differentiated strategies below to support
students’ reading at all stages of language acquisition.
Beginning
Shared Reading After
reading each chapter, model
how to summarize it. Identify
clues and record them in the
map. At the end of the book,
read the clues and identify
the theme.
Intermediate
Read Together Read the
first chapter. Help students
retell it. Model how to record
clues in the map. Use these
clues to identify the theme.
Take turns reading the story
with students. Then ask
them to use the strategy and
fill in the map.
Advanced
Independent Reading
After reading each day,
ask students to identify
and record clues in the
map. Have them share this
information with a reading
partner to identify a theme.
Remind students to use the vocabulary and story words in their whole
group activities.
Objective• To apply vocabulary and
comprehension skills
Materials
• ELL Leveled Reader
DAY 1 • Academic Language
• Oral Language and Vocabulary Review
DAY 2 • Academic Language
• ELL Leveled Reader
DAY 3 • Academic Language
• ELL Leveled Reader
DAY 4 • Academic Language
• ELL Leveled Reader
DAY 5 • Academic Language
• ELL Leveled Reader Comprehension Check and Literacy Activities
ELL Teacher’s Guide
for students who need
additional instruction
The Cricket in Times Square 717V