This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Number of Words: 2,317
L E S S O N 2 1 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E
A Dragon’s Viewby Jennifer Weinstein
Fountas-Pinnell Level SFantasySelection SummaryBeardy, a lizard, talks about his life in a classroom at Newman Elementary School. Beardy spends winter break with Manuel, one of the students in his classroom. Another student, Jacob, comes over to help. Working together, Manuel and Jacob learn that they have a lot in common.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30571-4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.
Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.
Characteristics of the Text Genre • Fantasy
Text Structure • First-person narrative told from a lizard’s point of view• Continuous narrative without chapter or section breaks
Content • Many facts about bearded dragons—physiology, habitat, food• Responsibilities that go with taking care of pets• Friends fi nding common ground
Themes and Ideas • Lizards like the bearded dragon are amazing animals.• Caring for a pet is a big responsibility.• People who think they don’t get along can have a lot in common.
Language and Literary Features
• Anthropomorphized, witty, bearded dragon narrator.• Confl ict between main human characters from a pet’s perspective
Sentence Complexity • Frequent compound sentences and some complex sentences• Transitional words, phrases indicate sequencing and setting change• Multiple hyphenation (“I’m not really a jog-a-mile, life-a-few-weights kind of lizard”);
italics for emphasisVocabulary • Most Australian colloquialisms, including Aussie, bloke, and tucker, are explained in text.
• Scientifi c terms, such as omnivore and diurnalWords • Many multisyllable words: aquarium, temperature, starvation, reluctantly
• Present participles and -ing words derived from verbs: puffi ng, sprawling, bickeringIllustrations • Cartoon-like drawings
basked – to expose oneself to pleasant warmth, p. 12
dehydration – excessive loss of water from the body, p. 6
diurnal – active during the daytime rather than at night, p. 14
docile – easily managed or handled, p. 2
molt – to shed, or cast off, by a natural process, p. 5
A Dragon’s View by Jennifer Weinstein
Build BackgroundHelp students use their experience with pets to visualize the story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: Suppose you had to take care of a lizard. What are some of the things a lizard needs? Explain that a bearded dragon is a particular kind of lizard. Read the title, author, and illustrator, and talk about the cover illustration of a bearded dragon waving. Ask students what genre they think this story might be. How can they tell it is a fantasy? Explain that the bearded dragon will share facts about himself and a particular adventure it had.
Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that the bearded dragon is a gentle and docile lizard native to Australia. Suggested language: Read the fi rst three sentences: Good day, mate! Let me introduce myself—the name’s Beardy. I am a bearded dragon. Ask: Why do you think Beardy introduces himself by saying “Good day, mate”?
Page 5: Tell students that Beardy leaves his classroom and has an adventure in this story. On page 5, Beardy says he thought he might start to molt, or shed his skin. Ask: Why do you think Beardy thought he might molt?
Page 9: Have students read the second-to-last paragraph, which begins, “Exercise? I’m not really a jog-a-mile, lift-a-few-weights kind of lizard.” Ask: What does this paragraph tell you about Beardy’s sense of humor? What does it tell you about the way he uses language?
Now back to the beginning of the story to read about Beardy’s adventure.
ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their problem solving and fl uency as needed.
Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy , and to look for important details about the setting, characters, and plot.
Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the story. Suggested language: Have you ever been responsible for taking care of a pet? Do you think you could care for a lizard as well as the boys in the story do? Why or why not?
Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text
• Beardy is a bearded dragon who lives in an elementary school classroom.
• Beardy stays with a student named Manuel for winter break.
• Manuel and Jacob, another student, take care of Beardy and become friends.
• Taking care of a pet is a very big responsibility that takes teamwork.
• Sometimes you discover that you have a lot in common with a person you don’t like at fi rst.
• A bearded dragon tells the story.
• Because bearded dragons come from Australia, the narrator uses Australian words.
• The author includes details about bearded dragons to teach readers about these lizards.
Choices for Further Support• Fluency Lead students in a readers’ theater to demonstrate phrased fl uent reading.
Choose a passage in which Beardy speaks to the reader and uses Australian colloquialisms such as mate, bloke, and tucker.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that many multisyllable words are formed from shorter words and affi xes, such as the bound morpheme –ing. For example, the word blaring on page 5 is made up of the word blare and the affi x –ing. The meaning of the new, longer word is closely related to the meaning of the shorter word. Blaring means “to proclaim loudly.”
Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 21.9.
RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, writing the answers in their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension SkillTheme
Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that a story’s theme is an important idea,
viewpoint, or message about a subject. Most stories express themes through details about characters. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:
Think Aloud
The author uses details to suggest the theme of the story. Beardy needs to be fed during school vacation. Add that as a detail that supports the theme.
Practice the SkillEncourage students to identify another theme in the story and to explain which details support the theme.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the writing prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts• One idea present in this selection is that ___________________________________.
• When Beardy says “I must admit that I had my doubts at fi rst” on page 11, this means he _________________________________________________________________.
• What will most likely happen to Beardy the next day?
English Language DevelopmentReading Support Make sure the text matches the student’s reading level. Language and content should be accessible with regular teaching support. Remind them that Manuel and Jacob take care of Beardy and become friends.
Idioms The story includes many idioms that come from Australian English, such as bloke (page 4) and tucker (page 6). Most of Australian idioms are explained in the text, but students may fi nd them confusing. Explain that in Australia, where Beardy is from, most people speak English but use some words that are different from American English.
Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Who is telling the story?
Speaker 2: Beardy
Speaker 1: Who is Beardy?
Speaker 2: a lizard who lives in a classroom
Speaker 1: Where does Beardy go in the story?
Speaker 2: to Manuel’s house
Speaker 1: Why does Beardy go to stay at Manuel’s house?
Speaker 2: It is winter break. Manuel is going to take care of Beardy.
Speaker 1: What kind of care does Beardy need?
Speaker 2: He needs to be fed. He needs exercise. He needs water. He needs to stay warm.
Speaker 1: What does Beardy notice about Manuel and Jacob?
Speaker 2: Beardy notices that they do not get along at school and they always bicker. But when they are taking care of him, Beardy notices that the boys start to like each other.
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two or three paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
On page 14, Beardy says, “I thought about how Jacob and Manuel never got along at school, but how tonight it seemed that they actually liked each other.” How did Beardy play a role in the way the boys became friends? How can a shared project help bring different people together?