Unit Plan
Primary Text:
“Africa Digs”
Text type: informational
LANGUAGE! Live Online
Word Study
• Blend, read, and spell words with …
–– single-letter consonants g, w,
d, h, y, z, and x
–– short vowel /ŭ/
–– plural -s
–– letter combination -ck
–– CVC pattern
• Map phonemes to graphemes.
• Sort words by meaning.
• Complete cloze sentences.
• Spell isolated syllables.
• Change onset for a rime.
• Hear and identify single-syllable
words.
• Read decodable phrases.
• Dictate sentences.
Passage Quiz
• Complete a passage quiz with the
following question types:
main idea, inferences, cause and
effect, sequencing, question
words, text features, multiplemeaning words, antonyms
78 Unit 2 • Unit Plan: Lessons 1–10
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Reading
• Determine the topic of the text.
• Determine the author’s purpose.
• Discuss the topic of the text.
• Introduce text features.
Vocabulary
• Determine the meaning of key
passage vocabulary.
Reading
• Preview the text.
• Read an informational text.
• Demonstrate an understanding of
the text by asking and answering
questions and referring to key
details in the text.
Vocabulary
• Use discussion and context to
determine the meanings of the
multiple-meaning words dig and log.
• Demonstrate an understanding of
the words by using them in written
sentences.
Grammar
• Identify plural nouns in text.
• Categorize plural nouns.
• Differentiate between singular and
plural nouns
Writing
• Demonstrate an understanding of
basic parts of a sentence.
• Demonstrate an understanding of
basic ending punctuation by editing
text.
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
Reading
• Write questions about the text to
deepen comprehension.
• Respond to questions orally.
• Refer to details and examples in
a text when answering specific
questions about a text.
Vocabulary
• Review key passage vocabulary.
• Use examples of a word and identify
its antonyms to clarify its meaning.
• Make connections among words to
increase understanding.
Writing
• Identify the basic structure of
a paragraph (topic sentence,
supporting facts and details,
transitions, elaborations, concluding
sentence).
• Identify the main idea.
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Reading
• Read words to develop fluency.
Vocabulary
• Review key passage vocabulary.
• Identify antonyms of words.
Grammar
• Identify singular possessive nouns.
Reading
• Demonstrate an understanding of
how to ask questions and answer
them appropriately.
Reading
• Read phrases to develop fluency.
Grammar
• Identify singular, plural, and singular
possessive nouns.
• Use plural nouns and singular
possessive nouns in sentences.
Reading
• Read phrases with fluency to
support comprehension.
• Generate questions with specific
answers. (how and why questions)
Vocabulary
• Use categories and attributes to
determine the meanings of words.
• Consult reference materials to
clarify the precise meanings of
words.
Reading
• Review key passage vocabulary.
• Read with purpose and
understanding.
• Determine the main ideas of a text.
• Identify explicit details in a text.
Writing
• Demonstrate an understanding of
how to create basic sentences.
• Write expanded simple sentences.
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Reading
• Read words to increase fluency.
Grammar
• Identify subjects, predicates, and
direct objects in a sentence.
• Demonstrate an understanding
of the function of the subject,
predicate, and direct object
in a sentence by diagramming
sentences.
Reading
• Take notes on key details in an
informational text.
Writing
• Summarize notes.
• Orally retell key information from an
informational text.
• Write a topic sentence for an
explanatory paragraph.
• Write an explanatory paragraph,
including supporting details,
transition, and elaborations.
Vocabulary
• Clarify the meaning of key passage
vocabulary.
• Demonstrate an understanding of
passage vocabulary by using words
in sentences.
Grammar
• Demonstrate an understanding of
the function of singular nouns, plural
nouns, and singular possessive
nouns.
• Use singular nouns, plural nouns,
and singular possessive nouns in
sentences.
Reading
• Discuss the main idea and key
details from an informational text.
• Demonstrate an understanding of
basic sentence structure.
Writing
• Demonstrate an understanding
of sentence structure by creating
sentences from noun and verb
phrases.
• Respond to questions orally.
Unit 2 • Unit Plan: Lessons 1–10 79
Lesson 1
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Copy the following sentences and add the needed punctuation and capitalization:
are you going to study for the spelling test
i need to buy bread milk cheese and crackers at the grocery store
sally is not going to see the play with us
i cannot believe that i won the contest
•Write a paragraph about what you read on a daily basis.
•What is the name of your favorite movie? What is the main idea of the movie?
Reading
Objectives
•
•
•
•
Determine the topic of the text.
Determine the author’s purpose.
Discuss the topic of the text.
Introduce text features.
Unit Introduction
Direct students to page 41 in their
Student Books.
Discuss the content focus with
students.
Content Focus
digging in Africa
This is what the passage is about.
What is the topic of the passage?
(digging in Africa)
Type of Text
informational
The text we will read is informational.
Underline the word information in
informational. What do you think
will be in this passage? (information)
Will it be someone’s opinion? (no) It
is fact, not opinion. This passage will
give us information or facts. What will
the information be about? (digging in
Africa)
80 Unit 2 • Lesson 1
Lesson 1 | Reading
Let’s Focus: “Africa Digs”
Content Focus
digging in Africa
Type of Text
informational
Big Ideas
Consider the following Big Idea questions. Write your answer for each question.
What can we learn from fossils?
Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Work with your teacher to follow these instructions using the map.

Place an X to mark where you live.

Mark a C on Chicago.

Label the Atlantic Ocean.
Reading for a Purpose
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
7. What did the team create to help build the skeleton?
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
Unit 2
41
Background Information
Digging in Africa. What does that mean? Paleontology is the study of prehistoric
life, such as dinosaurs. Paleontologists study dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals
primarily through the discovery of fossils. These fossils are often buried beneath the
soil and have to be excavated, or dug up. Dinosaurs were on Earth before humans,
so their bones are buried deep below the surface. Paleontologists carefully dig for
dinosaur bones so they can piece them together and learn from the fossils. The fossils
can help them learn when the animal lived, where the animal lived, and how the world
was when the animal was alive. Fossils can also teach them what the animal looked
like, what it ate, and other characteristics.
Play the Unit 2 Text
Training video found
in the Teacher
Resources online.
Before we read the passage about digging in Africa, we will watch a short video to help
further build our background knowledge. Watch for two things that you did not know
about digging in Africa. You will share this new information with a partner. Play the
Unit 2 Text Training video. Have partners discuss what they learned from the video.
Direct students to page 41 in their Student Books. Read the
following Big Idea questions aloud:
Lesson 1 | Reading
Let’s Focus: “Africa Digs”
Content Focus
digging in Africa
Type of Text
informational
Big Ideas
What can we learn from fossils?
Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Big Ideas
Consider the following Big Idea questions. Write your answer for each question.
What can we learn from fossils?
Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Work with your teacher to follow these instructions using the map.

Place an X to mark where you live.

Mark a C on Chicago.

Label the Atlantic Ocean.
As a class, discuss the two Big Idea questions. After discussing
each question, have students write an answer in their Student
Books. We’ll come back to these questions after we finish our
exploration about digging in Africa. You will have much more
to add to your answers. You don’t know enough to answer
these questions completely yet, but you will by the end of the unit. You can edit your
answers as you gain information.
Reading for a Purpose
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
7. What did the team create to help build the skeleton?
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
Unit 2
41
Preview
Direct students to page 43 in their Student Books. We will look
at some text features that help us comprehend text. Writers of
informational text use text features to provide clues to the topic
and other important information. Review the text features: title,
headings, pictures, captions, bold text, and marginal information.
You will use these text features to preview passages and help you
identify what you will read about. But first, let’s talk about the
bold vocabulary words.
Lesson 1 | Reading
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a
thrill when he digs up the bones of dinosaurs that
lived millions of years ago. In 1, Dr. Sereno led
a dig in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him.
The Touareg tribe helped his team look for bones. The
Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had
a fantastic find. They found a new dinosaur. The
10 Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal.
They call it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to
look for the bones. The scientists named the dinosaur
Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the
Jobaria? Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
5
15
desert
dry place with few
plants
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special
place. Bones stick out of desert rock. The
Touareg tell the scientists their legend.
These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers,
chisels, and drills. They work for 10 weeks.
A huge skeleton emerges. It has been
buried for 135 million years! Fifteen tons
of rock cover it. The team carefully takes
25 the bones from the rock.
20
emerge
to come out of or
appear
The Touareg tribe
helped the team.
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 43
81
Vocabulary
Objective
• Determine the meaning of key passage vocabulary.
Rate Your Knowledge
Lesson 1 | Vocabulary
Direct students to page 42 in their
Student Books.
Vocabulary Rating
Scale poster
Key Passage Vocabulary: “Africa Digs”
Rate your knowledge of the words. Define the words. Draw a picture
to help you remember the definition.
You will again rate your word
knowledge. The purpose of this
activity is to recognize how familiar
you are with this unit’s Key Passage
Vocabulary. Review the Vocabulary
Rating Scale with students.
Vocabulary
Knowledge
Rating
desert
0
1
2
3
dry place with
few plants
emerge
0
1
2
3
to come out of
or appear
pulley
0
1
2
3
port
0
1
2
3
precise
0
1
2
3
create
0
1
2
3
to make
fragile
0
1
2
3
easily broken or
delicate
display
0
1
2
3
to show or put
something in
a place where
others can see it
Vocabulary Rating Scale
0—I have never heard the word
before.
1—I have heard the word, but I’m
not sure how to use it.
2—I am familiar with the word,
but I’m not sure if I know the
correct meaning.
3—I know the meaning of the
word and can use it correctly
in a sentence.
42
Defi nition
Picture
small wheel over
which a rope
moves to help lift
or move objects
a place on the
water where
people load and
unload ships
exact or pays
attention to
details
Unit 2
Read the list of words. Have students repeat each word. Provide time for students to
rate their knowledge of each word.
Have partners discuss the words they rated as 3s and tell each other the meaning.
82 Unit 2 • Lesson 1
Preteach Vocabulary
You’ve rated your knowledge and talked about what you think the words mean. Now,
let’s discuss the words.
Preteach Procedure
This activity is intended to take only a short amount of time, so make it an oral exercise
if your students aren’t capable of writing quickly.
• Introduce each word as indicated on the word card.
• Read the definition and example sentences.
• Ask questions to clarify and deepen understanding.
• If time permits, allow students to share.
* Do not provide instruction time to write definitions or draw pictures, but explain that
students should complete both as time permits during the unit.
Note: Research has proven that vocabulary is best learned when students represent their
knowledge of words in linguistic and/or nonlinguistic ways. Thus, drawing a picture will help
students remember the words. This strategy is especially effective for English language learners.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 83
desert
emerge
Let’s read the first word together. Desert.
Let’s read the next word together. Emerge.
Definition: A desert is a dry place with few plants.
What is a dry place with few plants called? (a desert)
Definition: Emerge means “to come out of or appear.”
What means “to come out of or appear”? (emerge)
Example 1: Because there is so little rain, plants that
don’t need much water grow in a desert.
Example 1: If I were looking in a hole and a snake
emerged, it would certainly scare me.
Example 2: A desert can be hot or cold. In a cold
desert, it might snow, but not much.
Example 2: I was at a concert, and the band emerged
from the fog like magic.
Example 3: A desert has fewer than 10 inches of rain,
or precipitation, in a year.
Example 3: The little boy scared his sister when he
emerged from the bush where he was hiding.
Question 1: Does a desert have a little or a lot of rain?
(a little)
Question 1: If snow is on the ground and melting,
is it emerging? Yes or no? (no) It is disappearing.
Question 2: If you travel to the desert, will you pack an
umbrella? Yes or no? (no)
Question 2: Does a whale emerge from the water to
breathe? Yes or no? (yes)
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and tell how you think
the word desert will be used in the passage “Africa
Digs.”
air Share: Turn to your partner and tell about a time
P
that something or someone emerged to excite or
scare you.
pulley
port
Let’s read the next word together. Pulley.
Let’s read the next word together. Port.
Definition: A pulley is a small wheel over which a
rope moves to help lift or move objects. What is a
small wheel and rope that helps lift and move objects?
(pulley)
Definition: A port is a place on the water where people
load and unload ships. What is a place on the water
where people load and unload ships? (port)
Example 1: The simple machine that raises a flag
on a flagpole is a pulley.
Example 2: We use a pulley system to close the
curtains in our living room.
Example 3: The ski lift has a pulley to move the wire
rope on which the chairs ride.
uestion 1: Could construction workers use a pulley
Q
to lift heavy machinery? Yes or no? (yes)
Question 2: Do you use a pulley to dig a hole?
Yes or no? (no)
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and tell how you think
the word pulley will be used in the passage “Africa
Digs.”
84 Unit 2 • Lesson 1
Example 1: The cruise ship docked at the port to let
people off to explore the city.
Example 2: The ship was docked in the Japanese port
to pick up electronics to bring to the United States.
Example 3: The fisherman returned to his home port
with a full load of fish.
Question 1: Can we find a port near an ocean, lake,
or river? Yes or no? (yes)
Question 2: Are cars built in a port? Yes or no? (no)
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and list things you
might see at a port.
precise
create
Let’s read the next word together. Precise.
Let’s read the next word together. Create.
Definition: Precise means “exact,” or “to pay attention
to details.” If you pay close attention to details, what
are you? (precise)
Definition: Create means “to make.” What am I doing
if I make something? (creating)
Example 1: If you are measuring a board to cut to fit
exactly, it is important that your measurement be
precise.
Example 2: To get your math problems correct,
your calculations must be precise.
Example 3: If you call 9-1-1 with an emergency, make
sure the address is precise.
Question 1: Is it important to have precise directions
to get to a new place? Yes or no? (yes)
Question 2: Do you need to be precise when texting a
friend? Yes or no? (no)
Example 1: The musician created a new song that is
sure to be a hit.
Example 2: My mom creates delicious meals in her
kitchen.
Example 3: The artist created a sculpture of a dog out
of a tree stump.
Question 1: Did people create the Rocky Mountains?
Yes or no? (no)
Question 2: Can you create a report? Yes or no? (yes)
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and tell something
that you have created.
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and tell about
something it is important to do precisely.
fragile
display
Let’s read the next word together. Fragile.
Let’s read the next word together. Display.
Definition: Fragile means “easily broken or delicate.”
If something is easily broken, what is it? (fragile)
Definition: Display means “to show or to put
something in a place where others can see it.” What
will you do if you put something where others can see
it? (display)
Example 1: My brother made a tower with toothpicks.
It was fragile and crashed to the floor when the wind
blew.
Example 2: I broke the fragile glass when I knocked it
over on the counter.
Example 3: As people get older, they have to be
careful not to break a bone because bones weaken
and become fragile.
Example 1: We display our flag to show our respect
for our country.
Example 2: At the restaurant, waiters display the
desserts on a tray.
Example 3: The art teacher displayed students’ work
on the wall.
Question 1: Is a delicate flower fragile? Yes or no?
(yes)
Question 1: Are things inside of a drawer being
displayed? Yes or no? (no)
Question 2: Is a dump truck fragile? Yes or no? (no)
Question 2: Do people display their dirty clothes or
their family pictures? (family pictures)
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and name two things
that are fragile and two things that are not fragile.
Pair Share: Turn to your partner and tell two things
that a department store will display.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 85
Reading
Objectives
• Preview the text.
• Read an informational text.
•Demonstrate an understanding of the text by asking and answering questions and
referring to key details in the text.
“Africa Digs”
Direct students to pages 43–46 in their Student Books.
Lesson 1 | Reading
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils.
They cover the bones with paper or foil. They cut
burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap each
bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side.
30 The strip dries into a hard jacket. Then, they cover the
other side. They number the jackets. They log each
number in the dig’s log.
to come out of or
appear
precise
exact or pays
attention to details
The Touareg tribe
helped the team.
Unit 2
43
44
Unit 2
80
Dr. Paul Sereno examines the dinosaur bones.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the
adult’s bones. What about the ones that are missing?
They fill in the missing bones by making them out of
65 foam and clay.
Step 8: Make a Plan
All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are
made. At last, they can make a model. From it, they
create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the
skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place
70 them in order. Next, they study how to put the bones
back together. Now, they can see the huge size of
the dinosaur.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile
to put together. Dr. Sereno’s team wants to display
the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the
skeleton. They make molds. They create copies of
the bones.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones
to a steel frame. The hard steel frame
is covered by the bones.
Adapted with permission from
“Finding the Pieces…
and Putting Them Back Together Again”
by Michelle Laliberte
to make
Dr. Paul Sereno and his team
at the African dig site
Unit 2
45
46
Unit 2
In addition to the vocabulary words, here are a few words students might have trouble
with:
success when something you have wanted works out
fossil the remains of a plant or animal that is hardened in rock
lab (short for laboratory) a room or building for science experiments or research
tripod a stand with three legs used to hold something
model a copy of something; the way something works
blueprint a plan or how something will work
mold a container that makes something into a shape
frame the part around the edges of a picture; a structure that gives something strength
or shape
discovery to find something or become aware of something
ancient very, very old
Let’s preview the passage before we read. Point out the title, “Africa Digs.”
•Text features can provide information about text before reading. Often, text
features can help readers identify the topic, which is the subject of the passage.
What is the topic of this passage? (digging in Africa)
•Scan the title, pictures, and headings. What do you predict you will learn about
in this passage? (Answers will vary.) In this text, each heading has something in
common. What is it? (steps) The steps in the headings give you a clue that you
will read about a sequence of events.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1
The ancient Greeks did not
know about dinosaurs. But
they had a word, deinos,
that meant “terrible” or
“monstrous” and a word,
saur, that meant “lizard.”
In the 18s when scientists
began to study fossilized
bones of these beasts, they
used the Greek words to
name them and gave us
the word dinosaur.
Why is
“terrible
lizard” a
good name
for these
animals?
create
Words to Know
86 Did You Know?
Finally: Share the Discovery!
They paint the casts to look like
the real fossils. They are white with
tints of green and red. These colors
come from copper and iron in the
85 soil. At last, they pose the dinosaur.
It looks so real! You can almost hear
that dinosaur roar!
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two
years and hundreds of
hours. They use dental
tools, tiny jackhammers,
and chemicals. The work
is careful and precise.
55 They have to clean more
than 2 bones. These
bones came from the adult
Jobaria. But they have some
other bones as well. These
60 are from young Jobaria.
They clean these bones too.
50
emerge
75
to show or put
something in a
place where others
can see it
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers,
chisels, and drills. They work for 10 weeks.
A huge skeleton emerges. It has been
buried for 135 million years! Fifteen tons
of rock cover it. The team carefully takes
25 the bones from the rock.
20
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully
opens each piece and cleans
each bone. They match the
numbers on the jackets to
45 the numbers in the dig’s
log. The bones are put in
the right order. Now it’s
time to rebuild the skeleton.
a place on the
water where
people load and
unload ships
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
15
The Touareg lead the team to a special
place. Bones stick out of desert rock. The
Touareg tell the scientists their legend.
These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
easily broken or
delicate
small wheel over
which a rope
moves to help lift
or move objects
port
pulley
dry place with few
plants
fragile
display
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in
Chicago. Twenty tons of bones have to be moved. Some
35 weigh more than 5 pounds. There is no easy way
to move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and
a chain. They load the bones onto trucks. They drive
1, miles to a port in Ghana. They put the bones on
a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then, the
40 bones are shipped to Chicago.
desert
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a
thrill when he digs up the bones of dinosaurs that
lived millions of years ago. In 1, Dr. Sereno led
a dig in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him.
The Touareg tribe helped his team look for bones. The
Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had
a fantastic find. They found a new dinosaur. The
10 Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal.
They call it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to
look for the bones. The scientists named the dinosaur
Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the
Jobaria? Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
Lesson 1 | Reading
5
Lesson 1 | Reading
Lesson 1 | Reading
•Let’s go for a picture walk. Listen as I read the captions for the pictures. I will
also tell you what I’m thinking as I look at the first picture. The first page has a
picture of a Touareg tribe member. The caption says: “The Touareg tribe helped
the team.” I see that her body is almost totally covered with clothing, probably to
protect her from the desert sun.
•Let’s look at the next picture, on page 44. The caption says: “Dr. Paul Sereno and
his team at the African dig site.” Tell your partner what you are thinking when
you look at this picture.
•Direct students to page 45 in their Student Books. Listen to the caption: “Dr.
Paul Sereno examines the dinosaur bones.” Tell your partner what you are
thinking when you look at this picture. Where do you think this picture was
taken—at the dig site, the campsite, or somewhere else?
•Direct students to page 46 in their Student Books. I notice a text box with the
heading, Did You Know? I also see a graphic of a dinosaur with sharp teeth!
Listen as I read that text aloud.
The ancient Greeks did not know about dinosaurs. But they had a word,
deinos, that meant “terrible” or “monstrous” and a word, saur, that meant
“lizard.” In the 1800s when scientists began to study fossilized bones of these
beasts, they used the Greek words to name them and gave us the word dinosaur.
Why is “terrible lizard” a good name for these animals?
Work with a partner to answer this question: Why is “terrible lizard” a good name
for these animals? Call on one pair of partners to share their explanation. (Fossils of
dinosaurs made them look like scary animals. Their long tails made them look more
like lizards than any other creature.)
Direct students to page 41 in their Student Books.
Sometimes, maps help us to understand text. However, the
author of “Africa Digs” did not include maps. The author
assumed the reader knows where Niger, Africa, is in comparison
with the United States.
Africa is a continent; Niger is a country in Africa. The Atlantic
Ocean separates North America from Africa.
Have students use the map to:
• Place an X to mark where they live.
• Mark a C on Chicago.
• Label the Atlantic Ocean.
Lesson 1 | Reading
Let’s Focus: “Africa Digs”
Content Focus
digging in Africa
Type of Text
informational
Big Ideas
Consider the following Big Idea questions. Write your answer for each question.
What can we learn from fossils?
Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Work with your teacher to follow these instructions using the map.

Place an X to mark where you live.

Mark a C on Chicago.

Label the Atlantic Ocean.
Reading for a Purpose
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
7. What did the team create to help build the skeleton?
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
Unit 2
41
We will revisit the map when we read the text.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 87
Have students look at the questions at the bottom of the page. Have them follow along
as you read the prompts aloud.
Reading for a Purpose
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
2.Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
3.How did the dig team protect the fossils?
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
7. What did the team create to help build the skeleton?
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
You will learn the answers to these questions in the passage. The questions will help
provide a focus for reading as they identify the important facts and concepts found
within the text.
Now it’s time to read. Follow along with your eyes and your pencil eraser. Watch the
words and use your pencil eraser while I read the text to you. Why? Your brain likes
to detect patterns in words. While I’m reading to you, your brain is hard at work
detecting patterns and making meaning while your eyes are on the text and your
eraser tracks the words.
Let’s review. Where are your eyes while I read? (on text) Where is your pencil?
(following along, word for word) Eyes on text, pencil on words. Let’s begin. While
reading, you should also think about our two Big Idea questions: What can we learn
from fossils? and Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Direct students to page 43. Read the passage aloud, pausing after each section to check
for engagement.
Guiding Students Toward Independent Reading
While the lessons are written for a teacher read aloud, it is important that your
students read as much and as often as they can. Assign readings that meet the
needs of your students, based on your observations or data. This is a good
opportunity to stretch students, but if they become frustrated, return to the readaloud method.
Options for reading text:
88 • Teacher read-aloud
• Teacher-led or student-led choral read
•Independent read of small sections with frequent comprehension checks
• Paired read or independent read
Unit 2 • Lesson 1
Africa Digs
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a thrill when he digs up the
bones of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. In 1997, Dr. Sereno led a dig
in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him. The Touareg tribe helped his
team look for bones. The Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had a fantastic find. They found a
new dinosaur. The Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal. They call
it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to look for the bones. The scientists
named the dinosaur Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the Jobaria?
Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
Timer
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner. Provide this example for students: I learned that Dr.
Sereno’s team dug up a dinosaur in Niger, Africa. Now it’s your turn. Share one thing
you learned with your partner.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special place. Bones stick out of desert rock.
The Touareg tell the scientists their legend. These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers, chisels, and drills. They work for 10
weeks. A huge skeleton emerges. It has been buried for 135 million years! Fifteen
tons of rock cover it. The team carefully takes the bones from the rock.
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner. Provide this example for students: During Step 1 of the
dig, the Touareg tribe took Dr. Sereno to a dig location based on the legend of Jobar.
Use this sentence starter to share what you learned about Step 2.
In Step 2, _____.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 89
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils. They cover the bones
with paper or foil. They cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap each
bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side. The strip dries into a hard
jacket. Then, they cover the other side. They number the jackets. They log each
number in the dig’s log.
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in Chicago. Twenty tons of bones
have to be moved. Some weigh more than 500 pounds. There is no easy way to
move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and a chain. They load the bones
onto trucks. They drive 1,000 miles to a port in Ghana. They put the bones on
a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then, the bones are shipped to
Chicago.
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner.
Use these sentence starters to share what you learned in each step.
During Step 3, _____.
During Step 4, _____.
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully opens each piece and cleans each bone. They match the
numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log. The bones are put in the
right order. Now it’s time to rebuild the skeleton.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two years and hundreds of hours. They use dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals. The work is careful and precise. They have to clean
more than 200 bones. These bones came from the adult Jobaria. But they have
some other bones as well. These are from young Jobaria. They clean these bones
too.
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner.
90 Unit 2 • Lesson 1
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the adult’s bones. What about
the ones that are missing? They fill in the missing bones by making them out of
foam and clay.
Step 8: Make a Plan
All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are made. At last, they can
make a model. From it, they create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the
skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place them in order. Next, they
study how to put the bones back together. Now, they can see the huge size of the
dinosaur.
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile to put together. Dr. Sereno’s team
wants to display the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the skeleton. They
make molds. They create copies of the bones.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones to a steel frame. The hard steel frame is
covered by the bones.
Finally: Share the Discovery!
They paint the casts to look like the real fossils. They are white with tints of
green and red. These colors come from copper and iron in the soil. At last, they
pose the dinosaur. It looks so real! You can almost hear that dinosaur roar!
For confirmation of engagement, take 30 seconds to have students share one thing
they learned with their partner.
Now that you have listened to “Africa Digs,” tell me something you shared with your
partner during the reading. Have students share answers.
Unit 2 • Lesson 1 91
Lesson 2
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•List three facts about Jobaria.
•What would you do if you found a dinosaur bone? Why?
•Write a what question and a when question about Jobaria.
Vocabulary
Objectives
•Use discussion and context to determine the meanings of the multiple-meaning
words dig and log.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the words by using them in written sentences.
Multiple-Meaning Words: dig, log
Direct students to
page 47 in their
Student Books.
Multiple-Meaning Map
Determine the meanings of the word dig. Write the definitions in the boxes.
Use the word in a sentence on the lines below the boxes.
In this unit, we are
talking about
scientists digging
dinosaur bones and
the process they
use to uncover and
preserve them.
try to find out
something about
someone or something
a critical comment about a person
She made a dig
about my new shoes.
dig
in volleyball, to hit
the ball upward
before it hits the
floor
My mom is digging
for information about
my boyfriend.
understand
47
Lead students in a discussion of the various meanings of the word dig. Have them
write the meanings and sentences on the Multiple-Meaning Map in their Student
Books.
92 Unit 2 • Lesson 2
Lesson 2 | Vocabulary
Unit 2
The word dig is in
the story. Dig is a
like
I dig what you are
The player digs the
word that has more
saying, but I don’t
ball before it hits
than one meaning.
agree with it.
the ground.
I dig your new
Some words not
outfit.
only have more
than one meaning,
but they function
differently when
used in sentences. In other words, they have different jobs. For example, the word dig
can be a noun (a word that names something) or a verb (a word that shows action).
It all depends on how it is used in a sentence. When we read, how do we know which
meaning is being used? We look for clues around the word to help us.
Model
If I say, “Don’t make digs about my singing,” I am referring to critical comments. It
means that I don’t want you to make fun of my singing. One of the definitions of dig
is a critical comment about a person. Have students find the definition on the map
and use the word in a sentence to a partner. Have them write the sentence below that
definition.
Guided Practice
What if I were to say, “I dig your outfit”? What does dig mean in this sentence? (like)
That’s right, in this sentence dig is not a noun, but it is a verb or action word. In this
usage, dig means like. Have students write the definition in the box and then use the
word in a sentence to a partner. Have them write the sentence below that definition.
As you can see, this small word has very different meanings. That is why we must pay
attention to the context around the word so we know exactly what is being said. We
don’t want to think we are being criticized when someone is actually telling us they
like something.
Let’s try another one. There is a topic that I want a little more information about.
I am going to do some digging. What does dig mean in this example? (to find out
information) Write the definition on the board and have students write it on their
maps. Have students think of a good sentence for this usage and write the sentence
below the definition.
Independent Practice
With a partner, write another definition and sentence using dig. If you can’t think of
one, use the dig that paleontologists participate in. The sentence needs to have enough
details that the meaning is clear. Give examples of sentences. Add to them if needed to
make the definitions clear.
Continue the process until the maps are complete. Review the sentences and correct
as needed.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Additional Definitions of dig
Noun
•activity/place where scientists move dirt and rocks to find ancient things
•in volleyball, hitting a ball that is about to bounce on the floor
Verb
•to make a hole in the ground
Idiom
• dig in one’s heels: to resist or refuse to compromise
Unit 2 • Lesson 2 93
Direct students to
page 48 in their
Student Books. Lead
students in a
discussion of the
various meanings of
the word log. Have
them write the
meanings and
sentences on the map.
Multiple-Meaning Map
Determine the meanings of the word log. Write the definitions in the boxes.
Use the word in a sentence on the lines below the boxes.
to move a certain
distance or time
a thick piece of wood from a tree
I logged 12 hours on
the track this week.
The rabbit jumped
over the log.
log
to clear land
The farmers logged
their land to plant
crops.
The man logged his
daily adventures
during his trip.
Model
If we think of trees, does the word log come to mind? (yes) One of the primary
definitions of log is a thick piece of wood. A log comes from a tree. It can come from
the trunk or a branch. Have students find the definition on the map and think of a
good sentence for this usage and write the sentence below the definition.
Guided Practice
Have you ever heard anyone say something like: “I logged 50 hours at work this week”?
What does log mean in this usage? (to move a certain distance or time) Write the
definition on the board and have students write it on their maps. Have students think
of a good sentence for this usage and write the sentence below the definition.
Independent Practice
Continue the process until the map is complete.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Additional Definitions of log
Noun
•place where events or facts are recorded or written
Verb
•log in, log on—use a password to get into a computer system
•log off, log out—when finished with the computer, get out of it
Idiom
• a bump on a log: someone who does nothing
94 Unit 2 • Lesson 2
48
Lesson 2 | Vocabulary
The company logs
the forested areas,
then plants new
trees.
Unit 2
to write about an
event or fact
to cut trees for
lumber
Grammar
Objectives
• Identify plural nouns in text.
• Categorize plural nouns.
• Differentiate between singular and plural nouns
Plural -s
In Unit 1, we began grouping, or categorizing, words according to their function in a
phrase or sentence. Some words are naming words that answer the question who or
what. What is the name of the category for words that answer these two questions?
(nouns) Noun is the label put on naming words.
Singular
You probably already know several different ways to categorize nouns. One way to
sort or categorize nouns is whether they mean one or more than one of something.
A singular noun names one thing.
Write the word singular on the board, then write the word single underneath it.
This word contains a clue that will help you remember it. Singular is a form of the
word single. If I have a single sheet of paper, how many sheets do I have? (one) Singular
nouns refer to only one something.
Plural
When the naming word or noun refers to more than one, it is called a plural noun.
Write the word plural on the board.
Hold up one pencil. I have a pencil. Hold up several pencils. I have pencils.
The naming word, pencil, changed when I needed to refer to more than one pencil.
I added an -s. Write pencil on the board, then add the -s.
For many nouns, all we have to do is add the -s to make it plural. Endings such as -s
provide clues related to a word’s function within a sentence. If you take off the
plural -s, the word that remains is the singular noun.
Index cards
Distribute two index cards to each student and have them write singular noun on one
card and plural noun on the other card. Write the following words on the board:
glass
tables
pens
moss
Glass. Is glass a singular or plural noun? Respond by holding up the correct card. If it is a
plural noun, I should be able to cover up the -s at the end and have a singular noun. Cover
the final -s in glass. When I cover the -s in glass, I don’t have a real word left. Glass is a
singular noun that just happens to end in s. Watch out because an s at the end of a word
does not always signal a plural noun. Repeat this process with the other words.
Unit 2 • Lesson 2 95
Model
Direct students to Part A on page 49
in their Student Books and read the
instructions aloud. Use the procedure
modeled on the board to complete the
first two sentences as a model.
Lesson 2 | Grammar
Find It: Plural Nouns
Part A
Read the sentences. Underline the plural nouns in each sentence.
1. He took 18 scientists with him.
2. They knew where to look for bones.
3. They use hammers, chisels, and drills.
4. They have to make jackets to protect the fossils.
Guided Practice
Complete the next two as a class.
5. They wrap the bones with the burlap strips.
Part B
Sort the plural nouns according to the question they answer: who or what.
Who
What
scientists
Independent Practice
bones
hammers
chisels
drills
jackets
fossils
bones
strips
Have students work independently to
complete the final sentence.
Direct students to Part B and read
the instructions aloud. Review the
question words who and what and how
to answer the questions. Have partners
complete the section.
After students have completed Part B,
read aloud the instructions for Part C.
Have students complete the activity
independently. Review the answers as
a class.
Part C
Rewrite each plural noun from the sentences in Part A as a singular noun.
1.
2.
3.
scientist
bone
hammer
4.
5.
6.
chisel
drill
jacket
7.
8.
9.
fossil
bone
strip
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Writing
Objectives
•Demonstrate an understanding of basic parts of a sentence.
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic ending punctuation by editing text.
Parts of a Sentence
As readers, you constantly ask yourself what you know and what you still need to find
out as you read. The same thing is true of writers when writing individual sentences.
A sentence is a complete thought. If you are left with questions, then maybe it isn’t
a complete sentence. Knowing the difference can help you become a better writer.
Because it is such an important skill, we will work on the questioning that has to be
done to determine whether a cluster of words is just a phrase or a complete sentence.
With enough practice, this questioning will become a habit, or something you do
automatically.
96 Unit 2 • Lesson 2
Unit 2
49
Listen as I read a group of words, and ask yourself two questions:
• Do I know the who or what?
• Do I know what he/she/it/they did?
If you can answer both questions, then you have a complete sentence. It may not be a
great sentence, but it is a complete thought.
Listen: The lion with a long, curly mane.
• Who or what did it? (lion)
• What did the lion do? (I don’t know.)
• Is it a sentence or a phrase? (a phrase)
Knowing the lion has a long, curly mane helps me create a more complete picture in
my mind, but it doesn’t make it a complete thought.
Repeat the process with the following examples. Point out the value of being able to
answer other questions like where or how, but stress the fact that those other “answers”
don’t make it a complete thought.
Examples
sat patiently in the doctor’s office (phrase)
the fish swam (sentence)
walked slowly through the thick fog (phrase)
a young frisky colt in a meadow full of flowers (phrase)
Model
Lesson 2 | Writing
Direct students to Part A on page 50
in their Student Books. Read the
instructions aloud. Complete the first
item as a model.
Parts of a Sentence
Part A
Read each group of words. Place a check mark by the questions that can
be answered. Identify the group of words by checking Phrase or Sentence.
1. mac sat in the fast cab
2. the fast ram
Guided Practice
3. the man ran to the lab
Guide students in completing the
second item.
4. plans a nap
5. taps the fan
Who or
What?
Did
what?
✓
✓
✓
✓
Phrase
Sentence
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Part B
Correct the sentences in the paragraph. Insert missing end marks.
Draw three lines underneath the first letter of a word that needs to be
capitalized.
Independent Practice
Have partners complete the activity.
Review the answers as a class.
bats help. bats eat insects. insects bite people and pets too!
many insects kill crops. many farmers would lose their
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
farms. people would not have food. bats help get rid of
insects.
50
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 2 97
Punctuation
In the preceding unit, we looked at punctuation and its role in reading comprehension.
When you read, you understand a paragraph one sentence at a time. Without end
punctuation, such as periods and question marks, it would be very difficult to figure
out where one sentence ended and another began. We’ll be editors and revise a
paragraph that lacks punctuation. You will need to ask the same two critical questions
that you asked in the preceding exercise. What were the two questions that we had to
be able to answer to have a complete sentence? (who or what and what did they do)
Direct students to Part B on page 50 in their Student Books. Read the instructions and
the paragraph aloud without using any intonation. Comment on how difficult it is to
understand the content of the paragraph.
Model
Begin rereading the first sentence and work with students to figure out where the first
sentence ends. Read the first word and ask students what question this could answer.
Then, read the first word and the next word and ask what questions can now be
answered. Ask if those two words could be a complete sentence. Confirm that is where
the sentence should end by reading the next word and asking if that makes sense.
Guided Practice
Guide the process for the next three sentences in a similar fashion, reminding students
to correct capitalization along with inserting the end mark.
Independent Practice
Have students work with their partners to finish the paragraph. Review the paragraph
as a class, stressing the relationship between punctuation and comprehension.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
98 Unit 2 • Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Write three sentences using the word dig. Use a different meaning for dig in each
sentence.
•How would life be different if dinosaurs still roamed Earth?
•Write three sentences about your favorite teacher. Identify the subject and predicate
in each sentence.
Reading
Objective
•Read words to develop fluency.
Timer
Word Fluency:
First Read
Correct
Errors
1st Try
2nd Try
Read the words fluently.
yams
sick
back
gut
pass
wax
jam
mud
vans
luck
10
back
gut
pass
wax
jam
mud
vans
luck
fix
but
20
pass
wax
jam
mud
vans
luck
fix
but
zip
cuts
30
jam
mud
vans
luck
fix
but
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
40
vans
luck
fix
but
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
will
rugs
50
fix
but
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
will
rugs
kicks
hut
60
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
70
miss
fuss
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
80
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
wax
pass
90
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
wax
pass
mud
jam
100
51
Lesson 3 | Reading
Unit 2
Follow the Fluency
procedures below. If
it is necessary, begin
the fluency drill
with a choral read
of the words as you
provide a rhythm
(snap your fingers, tap
your pencil). Direct
students to page 51 in
their Student Books
and complete the
process.
Word Fluency
Fluency Procedure
•Partners switch books, so the recorder is marking errors in the reader’s book.
• A timer is set for one minute.
•Readers and recorders move left to right, tracking each word with a pencil.
•As readers read the words aloud, recorders mark errors with a small x above the
misread word.
•Recorders place a star to the right of the last word read when time ends.
•If the reader is able to read all words in the allotted time, the reader needs to start
over at the beginning. The recorder must indicate this feat by placing two stars to
the right of the last word read.
•When both students have read, partners switch books.
•Students calculate total words read, then subtract errors and record.
•Students record information on the progress chart in back of the Student Book.
Unit 2 • Lesson 3 99
Vocabulary
Objectives
• Review key passage vocabulary.
• Identify antonyms of words.
Review
Lesson 1 | Vocabulary
Direct students to page 42 in their
Student Books. Review the vocabulary
words from the passage, “Africa Digs.”
Have students answer in complete
sentences.
Key Passage Vocabulary: “Africa Digs”
Rate your knowledge of the words. Define the words. Draw a picture
to help you remember the definition.
Vocabulary
•The dig for Jobaria took place
in a desert in Niger. Is a desert
a place that is dry or wet? (A
desert is a dry place.) A dry
place with few plants is what?
(A desert is a dry place with few
plants.)
•As scientists were digging in
the desert, bones emerged. If
something emerges, can you see
it? (Yes, you can see something
that emerges.)
•The bones of Jobaria were very
old and fragile. Something that
is easily broken or delicate is said
to be what? (Something that is
easily broken is fragile.)
42
Knowledge
Rating
Defi nition
desert
0
1
2
3
dry place with
few plants
emerge
0
1
2
3
to come out of
or appear
pulley
0
1
2
3
port
0
1
2
3
precise
0
1
2
3
create
0
1
2
3
to make
fragile
0
1
2
3
easily broken or
delicate
display
0
1
2
3
to show or put
something in
a place where
others can see it
Picture
small wheel over
which a rope
moves to help lift
or move objects
a place on the
water where
people load and
unload ships
exact or pays
attention to
details
Unit 2
•The scientists were precise when
using their tools because they didn’t want to be slightly off and break a bone.
What is another word for exact? (Precise is another word for exact.)
•The scientists had a hard time lifting the heavy bones, so they used a pulley.
A small wheel over which a rope moves to help lift or move objects is a pulley.
What two things does a pulley need? (Pulleys need a wheel and rope.)
•The dig team needed to send the bones across the ocean to the United States, so
they took them to a port. Does a port exist in the middle of a desert? (No, a port
does not exist in the desert.) What is a place on the water where people load
and unload ships? (A port is a place on the water where people load and unload
ships.)
•The scientists created copies of the bones to show people. Did they make the
bones or break the bones? (They made the bones.) A verb that means “to make
something” is what? (Create is a verb that means to make something.)
•The scientists put the bones together and displayed them in a museum. Do
museums display ancient dinosaur bones? (Yes, they display dinosaur bones.)
To show or make visible is to what? (To show or make visible is to display.)
100 Unit 2 • Lesson 3
Vocabulary Concept: Antonyms
Understanding how words connect to each other improves our vocabulary and
comprehension. Let’s use the last word we discussed—display. If I display something,
I am showing it. What would be the opposite of displaying something? (hiding
something) Words that are opposites are called antonyms. Knowing a word’s antonym
can give us a deeper understanding of the word.
An antonym is a word that means the opposite. Hot and cold are opposites; they are
antonyms.
• Black and white are opposites. What are they? (antonyms)
• Above and below are opposites. What are they? (antonyms)
I will say a word, and you tell me the antonym (opposite). Respond as a group.
•dead (alive)
•dark (light)
•near (far)
•yes (no)
Model
Lesson 3 | Vocabulary
Direct students to page 52 in their
Student Books. I will read a word.
Choose the antonym from the word
bank and write it on the line. Follow
along as I complete the first one.
Antonyms
Listen to the word. Choose the antonym from the word bank and write it
on the line.
1.
2.
3.
Moon. I know the opposite of moon
is sun. I see the word sun in the word
bank, so I will write it on the line.
4.
sun
5.
flat
6.
fat
7.
sick
8.
up
9.
pull
10.
bad
11.
big
12.
win
full
sad
back
Word Bank
Guided Practice
fat
sad
full
up
big
pull
win
back
sun
sick
flat
bad
Let’s do the second one together.
Round. Look at the word bank. What
is a word that is the opposite of round?
(flat) Flat is an antonym for round.
Write it on the line.
Independent Practice
Now, listen to the remaining words,
and write each antonym on the line.
Use the word bank.
3.thin
52
Unit 2
4.well
5.down
6.push
7.good
8.little
Unit 2 • Lesson 3 101
9.lose
10.empty
11.happy
12.front
Have partners review the answers together and correct any errors.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Grammar
Objectives
• Identify singular possessive nouns.
Singular Possessive Nouns
In the preceding lesson, we worked with singular and plural nouns. What does
singular mean? (one) What does plural mean? (more than one)
Write the following words in a column on the board:
bat
cat
pig
kid
ham
Have students read the words with you. These words are all nouns. What kind of
nouns are they? (singular nouns) What happens when I add an -s to each word? Add
an -s to the end of each word. Choral read the words. What kind of nouns did they
become when I added the -s? (plural nouns) What does the -s ending mean when it is
added to a noun? (more than one)
When the -s ending is partnered with an apostrophe, it takes on an entirely different
meaning. The apostrophe is a very small punctuation mark, but it signals a significant
change. Let’s look at the word bat. Write bat next to bats on the board, then add -’s.
Read both and point out that the words are pronounced the same, but they are spelled
differently. I use an apostrophe with a noun when I want to talk about ownership.
102 Unit 2 • Lesson 3
Direct students to page 53 in their
Student Books. Read the information
as students follow along. Review the
meanings of the two endings -s and -’s.
Lesson 3 | Grammar
Noun Forms
Singular Noun
Singular means “one of something.”
Plural Noun
Adding -s changes a singular noun to a plural noun.
Model
Adding the ending -s to
a singular noun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . makes a plural noun.
Direct students to Part A on page 54
in their Student Books. Read the
instructions aloud. Complete the first
two items as a model.

map + s = maps


dig + s = digs


cat + s = cats

I had the maps in my bag.
The digs were fun.
The cats sat on the mats.
Singular Possessive Noun
Adding -’s to a noun shows possession.
Adding the ending -’s to
a singular noun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . makes a possessive singular noun.
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the
remaining items.

Stan + ’s = Stan’s


dig + ’s = dig’s


man + ’s = man’s

Stan’s maps are at camp.
The dig’s logbook is full.
The man’s cap is black.
Model
Read the instructions for Part B on
page 54 aloud. Complete the first item
as a model.
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the
second item.
Independent Practice
Unit 2
53
Lesson 3 | Grammar
The Owner: Singular Possessive Nouns
Read the remaining sentences
aloud, having students underline the
possessive nouns and connect them to
the objects they possess. Review the
answers as a class.
Part A
Read the sentences. Fill in the blanks to show the meaning of the -’s in each
sentence.
map
1. The man’s map means the
man
.
2. Ann’s pan means a
pan
cab
.
4. Sam’s plant means a
Sam
Ann
owned by
mat
3. The cab’s red mat means one
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
that belongs to the
plant
.
that belongs in the
that belongs to
.
Part B
Read the sentences. Underline each possessive noun. Draw an arrow to show
what the noun owns or possesses.
1. The man’s hat is on the cat.
Before we move on, let’s clarify the
meanings of the endings -s and -’s. If
I add an -s to many singular nouns,
what do they become? (plural nouns)
If I add an -’s to a singular noun, what
does it become? (possessive noun)
One apostrophe makes a big difference
in meaning, so it’s important to pay
attention to the details when we read
and write.
2. Ann’s big boat is at the port near town.
3. They found bones at Paul’s dig.
4. Paul used clay to create the dinosaur’s missing bones.
5. I have Stan’s tools and Pat’s paint.
6. Paul writes in the dig’s logbook at camp.
7. The desert’s land is dry.
8. They search Niger’s desert for Jobaria’s bones.
9. The team’s work is precise.
10. The pulley’s rope connects to the bones.
54
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 3 103
Reading
Objective
•Demonstrate an understanding of how to ask questions and answer them
appropriately.
Question Words:
Basic poster
Question Words: How, Why
We will continue focusing on asking and answering questions as we read. In the
preceding unit, we began exploring the significance of question words. In many
classes, you are asked to read a section of text and then answer questions. The first
step in finding the correct answer is to make sure you know exactly what is being
asked.
Direct students to page 14 in their Student Books or to the
displayed Question Words poster.
Lesson 3 | Reading
Question Words
How to Answer Questions
Use these steps to answer a short-answer question
with a complete sentence:
Lesson 1
| Reading
1
2
What will the answer to a who question contain? (information
about a person or a group)
3
4
About
Find information in the text to answer
the question.
Bats!
Plan and write the answer.
Check the answer.
Example question:
Find answer
in text.
connect
join together;
unite
5
What do bats eat?
10
Look for the
question word.
What kind of question requires a yes or no answer? (is/are or
do/does)
Direct students to the bottom section. What would have to be
in the answer to a how question? (information about the way
something is done) What kind of words or phrases answer a how
question? Listen to the following sentences and decide whether
you can tell anything about the way something is being done.
Bathetty
Look for a question word to know what
question is asking.
vision
the act of seeing;
sight
sonar
Bats eat fruit, bugs,
and flowers.
a way of locating
objects using
sound
4
15
Flying and
Feeding
Bats can fly.
They are the
fly. Bats use
only mammals
wings to fly.
that can
Skin connects
hands, and
ankles of the
the arms,
bat. The skin
Wings are important
makes wings.
to bats. They
and find food.
need them to
fly
Flying takes
lots of energy,
eat half their
so bats eat a
weight each
lot. Bats
day! Bats eat
Some eat fruits
a lot of
and flowers.
Some eat bugs.
Some eat frogs things.
They eat mosquitoes
and fish.
eat moths and
and flies. They
even termites!
Super Sonar
Did you think
bats were blind?
can see. Some
They are not.
even have good
They
How do they
find their way vision. Bats fly at night.
with sound.
in
They use sonar. the dark? Bats can “see”
are. Bats cry
out. We can’t Bats can hear where they
hear these sounds.
their way by
listening to
Bats find
the echoes.
clues too. They
hear bugs buzzing Bats use other
know where
in the air. They
to find a good
meal.
Unit 1
LanguageLive_ST_Unit0
1.indd 4
Question words help you know how to answer the question.
Question Words
How to Answer
If the question asks . . .
Your answer must include . . .
Who
What
When
Where
Question Words
If the question asks . . .
Is/Are
Do/Does
Question Words
If the question asks . . .
Why
How
14
information about a person or group
an action or name of a thing
a specific time, date, or event
a general location or specific place
How to Answer
Your answer must include . . .
a “yes” or a “no” answer plus explanation
a “yes” or a “no” answer plus explanation
How to Answer
Your answer must include . . .
a reason or explanation
the way something is done
Unit 1
•The sprinter ran quickly around the track. Were we told
how something was done? (Yes, the sprinter ran quickly.)
•The dig team packed the bones with great care. What did the dig team do? (The
dig team packed.) We also know how they packed. They packed with great care.
My answer to a how question can be more than a single word.
•The baby cried last night. We know the baby cried, and we know when the baby
cried. We don’t know how the baby cried. Think of possible words or phrases we
could use to tell how the baby cried. Write generated responses on the board.
Along with being asked how you did something, you are frequently asked why you
did something. Think about the last time you asked for permission to do something
and you were told no. Even if you didn’t ask it out loud, you wanted to know why.
Whenever you have to answer a why question, make sure your response contains a
reason or an explanation for the action. Listen to the following sentences to determine
whether you know the reason why something happened.
104 •Beth missed the bus because she overslept. Do we know why Beth missed the
bus? (Yes, she overslept and that caused her to miss the bus.)
•The game was delayed, and I grew tired of waiting for it to start again. You know
that the game was delayed, but do you know why? (No, I don’t know why the
game was delayed.) Think of possible words or phrases we could use to tell why
the game was delayed. Write generated responses on the board.
•Mark went to the store to buy milk and bread. Do you know why Mark went to
the store? (Yes, he went to buy milk and bread.)
Unit 2 • Lesson 3
6/17/13 9:36
AM
Direct students to page 55 in their Student Books. Have students track with their
pencil erasers as you read the instructions aloud. Before reading the passage, establish
a purpose for reading by reading aloud the questions at the bottom of the page.
Read the passage aloud as students follow along with their pencil erasers. Prompt
them to listen for information that would answer the how and why questions they
read.
Boston’s Big Dig
Traffic is a big problem in cities. Millions of people use the roads to get
to work and school. Municipal and city governments have the responsibility to
maintain bridges, roads, and tunnels; but, as time passes, all structures suffer
wear and tear. Sometimes, everything needs fixing. In Boston, Massachusetts,
that is what happened. Road congestion in Boston was so fierce in the 1990s
that for up to 10 hours of the day, traffic could only crawl. The city had a high
accident rate, combined with heavy noise and air pollution. The metropolitan
area needed new bridges, roads, and tunnels. The solution to the problem was to
replace roads with a huge underground tunnel.
Model
After reading the passage, reread each
question. Complete the first question
as a model.
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the
second question.
Independent Practice
Have partners answer the remaining
questions. Review the answers as a
class and have students use the text to
justify their answers.
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
Lesson 3 | Reading
Answering How and Why Questions
Read the passage. Use the information to answer the questions.
Boston’s Big Dig
Traffic is a big problem in cities. Millions of people use the roads to get to
work and school. Municipal and city governments have the responsibility to
maintain bridges, roads, and tunnels; but, as time passes, all structures suffer
wear and tear. Sometimes, everything needs fixing. In Boston, Massachusetts,
that is what happened. Road congestion in Boston was so fierce in the 1990s
that for up to 10 hours of the day, traffic could only crawl. The city had a high
accident rate, combined with heavy noise and air pollution. The metropolitan
area needed new bridges, roads, and tunnels. The solution to the problem was
to replace roads with a huge underground tunnel.
Traffic is a problem
because millions of people use the roads to get
to work and school.
1. Why is traffic a problem in big cities?
They need fixing
because structures suffer wear and tear.
2. Why do bridges, roads, and tunnels need fi xing?
Boston’s bridges, roads,
and tunnels were wearing out, and a high rate
of accidents made traffic even worse.
3. Why was it even worse in Boston?
Traffic moved
extremely slowly most of the time.
4. Most of the time, how did traffic move?
They dug a huge
tunnel to solve the traffic problem.
5. How did Boston solve its traffic problem?
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 3 55
105
Lesson 4
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Write sentences with the following words: cat’s, cats, pig’s, pigs.
•Write three sentences with antonyms. Use the following sentence frames:
is the opposite of
. I like
, but my friend likes
.
My mom is
, but my dad is
.
•Dress your avatar as though he or she were going on a dig in the African desert.
Explain the clothes and accessories you chose.
Reading
Objective
• Read phrases to develop fluency.
Lesson 4 | Reading
Phrase Fluency
Read each phrase fluently.
Errors
Direct students to page 56 in their
Student Books. Follow the Fluency
Procedure outlined below and
complete the process. If it is necessary,
begin with a choral read of all phrases.
Correct
Timer
Phrase Fluency
•Partners switch books, so the
recorder is marking errors in the
reader’s book.
• A timer is set for one minute.
•Readers and recorders move
top to bottom in each column,
tracking each word with a pencil.
•As readers read the words aloud,
recorders mark errors with a
small x above the misread word.
•Recorders place a star to the
right of the last word read when
time ends.
•If the reader is able to read all
words in the allotted time, the
reader needs to start over at the
beginning. The recorder must
indicate this feat by placing two
stars to the right of the last word
read.
•When both students have read,
partners switch books.
•Students calculate total words
read, then subtract errors and
record.
•Students record information on
the progress chart in back of the
Student Book.
106 Unit 2 • Lesson 4
1st Try
2nd Try
Fluency Procedure
56
Unit 2
Bill and Vick
3
in a big bag
83
fill the bill
6
Rick’s pals
85
cans in the sacks
10
the fizz in the cup
90
fill the back
13
of the van
93
Sam’s sack
15
give him a mat
97
has a sax
18
Kip’s big sick fox
101
can the man
21
the six kids in the wigs
107
the fax in the bin
26
fix the van
110
pick jazz
28
six big wigs
113
pits in the pan
32
rip the sacks and bags
118
in the big sack
36
kids win
120
Nick’s bills
38
zip the bags
123
the mad lads
41
into the box
126
the kids in the tan hats
47
the ruts on the hill
131
pick the hits
50
the pig’s mud
134
kick the puck
53
fans in the cab
138
Zack’s fax
55
tip the pan
141
Jack’s bull
57
pack the sack
144
wax on the lid
61
give the hams and hats
149
is a kick
64
the duck’s bill
152
the big gull
67
have Jack and Sam
156
give a tip
70
have his back
159
jazz on the sax
74
has a big rip
163
Vick’s lip
76
pick one kid
166
the van’s rims
79
my six sacks
169
Grammar
Objectives
• Identify singular, plural, and singular possessive nouns.
• Use plural nouns and singular possessive nouns in sentences.
Plural -s, Singular Possessive Nouns
You just read phrases for accuracy. Now, we are going to look more closely at some of
the phrases to determine meaning.
Direct students to Part A on page 57 in
their Student Books and read the
instructions aloud.
Model
Complete the first item as a model by
circling the nouns and sorting them in
the appropriate categories.
Lesson 4 | Grammar
Singular Possessives and Plural Nouns
Part A
Read the phrases. Circle all of the nouns in each phrase. Decide whether
each noun is a singular noun, plural noun, or singular possessive noun.
Write each noun in the appropriate column.
1. Rick’s pals
2. cans in the sacks
5. fi x the van
3. fill the bill
6. Sam’s sack
Nouns
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the next
two phrases.
Independent Practice
Have students complete the activity.
Review the answers as a class.
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
4. the six kids in the wigs
Singular
Plural
Singular Possessive
bill
van
sack
pals
cans
sacks
kids
wigs
Rick’s
Sam’s
Part B
Read the sentence frames. Circle the word that correctly completes each
sentence. Write the word on the line. Read the sentence again.
Stan’s
1. The raft is at
2.
Ann’s
Anns or Ann’s
3. Fran has
4.
Stans or Stan’s
hats
Sam’s
5. The man’s
logbook is at her camp by the dig.
hats or hat’s
Sams or Sam’s
camp.
in her bag.
plans are good.
cats
cats or cat’s
sat on his tools.
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 4 57
107
Now, we are going to look at plural nouns and possessive nouns in complete sentences.
Model
Direct students to Part B and read the instructions aloud. Complete the first item as a
model.
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the second item.
Independent Practice
Read the remaining sentences and have partners choose the correct word. Review the
answers as a class.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Reading
Objectives
• Read phrases with fluency to support comprehension.
• Generate questions with specific answers. (how and why questions)
Sentence Morphs
When we read text, it is helpful to
group the words into meaningful
chunks or phrases. This will help
provide rhythm to what we read and
help us understand what we read. The
goal is to group words into phrases
while reading, just as we do when
speaking. It helps us make sense of
the words. We group or chunk words
based on their meaning or what
questions they answer.
Lesson 4 | Reading
Sentence Morphs
Read the phrases. Scoop them in the complete sentences.
He has
•
•
•
a bag of rags •
•
in the cab •
•
The man •
will tag the bag
•
for the win
•
•
•
The tan wig
•
•
on the rack
•
•
•
•
He has a bag of rags
The man will tag the bag
in the cab.
for the win.
•
Will •
•
has
•
We will practice reading sentences that
have already been broken into phrases.
Our goal is to stop reading word-byword and begin to look at chunks of a
sentence to unlock meaning. This will
help us read fluently.
is for Jan.
•
live •
Will has a fat tick
Jack and Jill
on his back.
live by the dam.
The lid of the bin
has a rat
•
•
for the kids •
•
•
on it •
•
Give Zack the bibs and mats
•
Fill the bun •
•
and pack it •
•
in the bag
•
for the kids.
•
•
Max hid •
the bag of yams •
•
for his pal •
The lid of the bin
Fill the bun and pack it
Max hid the bag of yams
has a rat on it.
in the bag.
for his pal.
Let’s look at the first sentence. I will
58
read each phrase, and I want you to
repeat it. As you read the phrase, I
want you to “scoop it” by joining the dots at each end of the phrase with your pencil.
Unit 2
108 Unit 2 • Lesson 4
•
the bibs and mats •
•
by the dam •
•
Give Zack
•
on his back •
•
Direct students to page 58 in their
Student Books.
•
a fat tick •
•
The tan wig on the rack
Jack and Jill •
•
is •
for Jan •
Then, we will read all of the phrases together as a complete sentence, scooping as we
read.
He has (He has) a bag of rags (a bag of rags) in the cab (in the cab). Together: He has a
bag of rags in the cab.
Continue reading each set of phrases and complete sentences in this way. Have
students scoop and read all of the sentence morphs with you.
Generating Questions: How and Why
You have practiced answering how and why questions as they related to a passage of
text. Now you will use pictures to generate how and why questions. Then, think about
possible answers for your questions.
Review the questions and answers by asking a few simple questions.
• Why did you come to school today?
• How did you get to school today?
Direct students to page 59 in their Student Books and read the instructions aloud.
Generating Questions: How and Why
Look at the following pictures. Write a how question on the first pair of lines. Write a why question on the second pair of
lines. Use all of the clues in the picture and be creative. Answers will vary.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
59
Lesson 4 | Reading
Unit 2
1.
Unit 2 • Lesson 4 109
Model
Look at the first picture. It shows a young woman with her hand over her mouth. I
have to think about an action, so I will focus on “covered her mouth.” I have my first
question. How did she cover her mouth? Write that on the first pair of lines below the
picture. Model writing this on the board. My guess would be she covered her mouth
quickly or suddenly.
My second question needs to focus on the why. Why did she cover her mouth? Write
that question on the second pair of lines. Write the question on the board. Then I
wonder what she did or what she saw that made her cover her mouth. She may have
said something she didn’t mean to say or seen something that startled her.
Guided Practice
Let’s look at the second picture. Several friends are playing together and seem to be
having a good time. First, we need to choose an action. Then, we can ask the how and
why questions about that action. What are some possible actions? (played, laughed)
If I choose played as my action, what would be my first question? (How did they play?)
Write that on the first pair of lines. Think about how you describe playing. What
words could you use to answer the question? (freely, often, roughly, happily) Now, why
did they play? Write that as your second question and think about possible reasons.
Have volunteers share their reasons.
Independent Practice
Work with your partner to generate how and why questions for the remaining pictures.
Remember, the first thing you need to do is choose the action. Then you can ask two
questions that revolve around the action: how and why. Talk about your answers and
be ready to share them.
Monitor students to ensure understanding. Once students have generated questions,
have partners or groups compare their questions and possible answers.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
110 Unit 2 • Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Create two how questions and two why questions.
•Write two sentences with a plural noun and two sentences with a possessive singular
noun.
• Make a list of things you would need to pack for a trip to the desert.
Vocabulary
Objective
• Use categories and attributes to determine the meanings of words.
• Consult reference materials to clarify the precise meaning of words.
Define It
Lesson 5 | Vocabulary
Direct students to page 60 in their
Student Books.
Define It
Determine the category and attributes of each word. Then, write the definition.
Word
Understanding a word and being
able to define it or explain it are two
different things. Sometimes you can
use a word in a sentence but not
be able to put the meaning in your
own words. We will think about
aspects of the word—the way it
looks, its qualities, its parts, and its
features. If you can put the word into
a category and think of qualities or
characteristics, it is easy to create a
sentence that serves as the definition
of the word.
legend
story
Attribute(s)
+
takes place long ago;
can’t be proven
Definition:
A legend is a story from long ago that is thought to be true but that can’t be proven.
Word
scientist
=
Category
Attribute(s)
person
studies nature and
how things work
+
Definition:
A scientist is a person who studies nature and how
things work.
Word
dinosaur
=
Category
Attribute(s)
animal
prehistoric; extinct;
lizard-like
+
Definition:
A dinosaur is a prehistoric, lizard-like animal that is
extinct.
Word
Model
Let’s use a simple example that you
are already familiar with—bat. The
category of a word is the broad group
that it fits into. The broad category for
bat is “mammal.”
Category
=
tint
Category
=
color
Attribute(s)
+
light; pale
Definition:
A tint is a light color.
60
Unit 2
The attributes of a word are what make
it unique or different from other words within the category. Attributes are things like
size, shape, color, texture, and function. An attribute of bats is that they fly. So, bat can
be defined as “a mammal that can fly.”
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 111
Guided Practice
Direct students to the word legend in the second paragraph of “Africa Digs.” In the
passage “Africa Digs,” Dr. Sereno’s team went to Africa and the Touareg people told
them a legend about a very big animal.
If we put legend into a broad category, what would it be? (story) A legend is a story.
Could they prove the story? (no) Was it an old story? (yes) What attributes make
legends different from other stories? (takes place long ago; can’t be proven) Use the
category and attributes to write a definition. (A legend is a story from long ago that is
thought to be true but that can’t be proven.)
Independent Practice
Repeat the process for the second word, allowing students to provide the category,
attributes, and definition. Then have partners complete the activity. Review the
answers as a class.
Dictionaries
Have partners verify their definitions in a dictionary and make corrections as needed.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Reading
Objectives
•
•
•
•
Review key passage vocabulary.
Read with purpose and understanding.
Determine the main ideas of a text.
Identify explicit details in a text.
Close Reading: Guided Highlighting of “Africa Digs”
Proficient readers preview the text for text features such as headings and graphics.
We already did that. They also reread text slowly and carefully to gain understanding.
Proficient readers monitor their thinking while reading to be sure that each sentence
and paragraph make sense. They look for answers to Big Idea questions. In this unit,
we are answering the questions What can we learn from fossils? and Why is it hard to
recover fossils?
Let’s do what proficient readers do and reread “Africa Digs.”
Green, yellow, and
pink highlighters or
colored pencils
112 Have students get out a colored pencil or highlighter.
Unit 2 • Lesson 5
Direct students to page 61 in
their Student Books. We will review
the text features of nonfiction or
expository text. Please use your writing
utensil to mark your text according to
my instructions.
•Draw a rectangle around the
title, “Africa Digs.”
•Circle each heading as I read
them aloud.
Lesson 5 | Reading
Close Reading: Guided Highlighting
Read the text and complete the tasks.
Africa Digs
5
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a thrill when he digs up the
bones of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. In 1, Dr. Sereno led
a dig in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him. The Touareg tribe
helped his team look for bones. The Touareg people live in Niger. They
know their desert land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had a fantastic find. They found
a new dinosaur. The Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal.
They call it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to look for the bones.
The scientists named the dinosaur Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they
10 dig up the Jobaria? Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.

What will the rest of the passage be about? Write a topic sentence.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
Step 2: Digging In
Step 3: Wrap It Up
Step 4: Move It Out
Step 5: Unwrap It
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
Step 8: Make a Plan
Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up
Jobaria.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special place. Bones stick out of desert
rock. The Touareg tell the scientists their legend. These bones belong to
the giant beast, Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers, chisels, and drills. They work for
weeks. A huge skeleton emerges. It has been buried for 135 million
years! Fifteen tons of rock cover it. The team carefully takes the bones
from the rock.
15 10
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils. They cover the bones
with paper or foil. They cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They
20 wrap each bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side. The strip
dries into a hard jacket. Then, they cover the other side. They number the
jackets. They log each number in the dig’s log.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Step 10: Stack It Up
Unit 2
61
Finally: Share the Discovery!
Mark each bold vocabulary word as I read it aloud.
•desert—A desert is a dry place with few plants. Say desert. (desert) The bones of
Jobaria were found in a desert in Niger.
•emerge—Emerge means “to come out of or appear.” Say emerge. (emerge) The
bones began to emerge from the desert as the workers chipped away the rock.
•pulley—A pulley is a small wheel over which a rope moves to help lift or move
objects. Say pulley. (pulley) The workers tied the rope of a pulley to the bones,
then pulled the rope over the wheel to lift the heavy bones.
•port—A port is a place on the water where people load and unload ships. Say
port. (port) The bones were taken to a port and put on a ship headed for the
United States.
•precise—To be precise means “to be exact, or to pay attention to details.” Say
precise. (precise) The workers must be very precise in their digging so they don’t
break a bone.
•create—Create means “to make.” Say create. (create) The scientists created bones
out of plaster to make the skeleton.
•fragile—Fragile means “easily broken or delicate.” Say fragile. (fragile) It is
difficult to move the fragile bones without breaking them.
•display—Display means “to show or to put something in a place where others
can see it.” Say display. (display) The scientists want to display the bones so
other people can learn about Jobaria.
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 113
Talk with a partner about any vocabulary word that is still confusing for you to read
or understand. Share your ratings from day 1. Were you honest about your word
knowledge? Now is the time to do something about it!
You will reread the text, “Africa Digs,” one paragraph at a time. After each paragraph,
you will monitor your understanding by circling the check marks or the question
marks. Please be sure to draw a question mark over any confusing words, phrases, or
sentences. I will also provide specific instruction on how to mark the text that will help
you with your comprehension and writing.
With eyes on text, we’ll read each section. Use your pencil eraser to follow along.
Decide whether each section makes sense to you.
Note: If you feel your students are capable, instruct them to highlight the main idea of each
paragraph or section in green and the supporting details in yellow.
Let’s read the first section, lines 1–10. Read the paragraphs aloud.
Note: While the lessons are written for a teacher read aloud, it is important that your students
read as much and as often as they can. Assign readings that meet the needs of your students,
based on your observations or data. This is a good opportunity to stretch students, but if they
become frustrated, return to the read-aloud method.
Africa Digs
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a thrill when he digs up the
bones of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. In 1997, Dr. Sereno led a dig
in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him. The Touareg tribe helped his
team look for bones. The Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had a fantastic find. They found a
new dinosaur. The Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal. They call
it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to look for the bones. The scientists
named the dinosaur Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the Jobaria?
Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for each paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to lines 1 and 2. How does Dr. Sereno feel when he digs up old bones? Mark
the answer. (gets a thrill)
• Go to line 3. Mark the location of Dr. Sereno’s dig. (Niger, Africa)
•
Go to lines 3–5. Why did Dr. Sereno need the help of the Touareg tribe? Give
two reasons. (1. They know their desert land best. 2. They know where to look
for bones.)
•
Go to line 6. Underline the possessive noun. Draw an arrow to show what the
noun owns. (team)
114 Unit 2 • Lesson 5
•
Go to line 7. Mark a word that means the same as tale or story. (legend)
•Go to line 8. Mark what the Touareg showed Sereno’s team. (where to look for
the bones)
• Go to line 9. Mark what the scientists named the dinosaur. (Jobaria)
•
Look at line 10. Write a topic sentence that tells what the rest of the passage will
be about. (Dr. Sereno followed ten steps to dig up Jobaria.)
•
Using the topic sentence you wrote, circle the number word (ten) and underline
the topic. (Jobaria)
•In the second paragraph, are they talking about the dig as it happens, or like it
already happened in the past? Write your answer in the margin. (past)
Let’s read Step 1: We’ve Got Some!, lines 11–13. Read the section.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special place. Bones stick out of desert rock.
The Touareg tell the scientists their legend. These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to the heading. Circle the punctuation mark that shows they were excited. (!)
•Go to lines 11 and 12. Mark what the scientists see when they arrive at the
special place. (bones stick out of desert rock)
• Go to line 13: Underline two words that define Jobar. (giant beast)
Let’s read Step 2: Digging In, lines 14–17. Read the section.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers, chisels, and drills. They work for
10 weeks. A huge skeleton emerges. It has been buried for 135 million years!
Fifteen tons of rock cover it. The team carefully takes the bones from the rock.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to line 14: Mark three tools used for digging. (hammers, chisels, drills)
•
Go to lines 14 and 15: How long do they dig? Mark the answer. (10 weeks)
•
Go to line 15: What has been buried for 135 million years? (a huge skeleton)
• G
o to lines 16 and 17. Mark what the team does. (takes the bones form the rock)
Mark the word that answers how they do this. (carefully)
•
Circle the answer: What is covered by 15 tons of rock? (skeleton)
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 115
Let’s read Step 3: Wrap It Up, lines 18–22. Read the section.
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils. They cover the bones
with paper or foil. They cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap each
bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side. The strip dries into a hard
jacket. Then, they cover the other side. They number the jackets. They log each
number in the dig’s log.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to line 18. Mark how they protect the fossils. (make “jackets”)
•
Review lines 18 and 19. Number the steps to make the jackets. (1. Cover bones
with paper or foil, 2. Cut strips, 3. Dip them in plaster)
•
Review lines 20 and 21. In a different color, number the steps to wrap the fragile
bones in jackets. (1. Cover one side, 2. Dries, 3. Cover the other side)
•
Go to line 22. The word log is used twice in this sentence. Write an N over the
noun and a V over the verb. (V, N)
•
Go to lines 21 and 22. Do the same with the word number. (V, N)
Let’s read Step 4: Move It Out, lines 23–28. Read the section.
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in Chicago. Twenty tons of bones
have to be moved. Some weigh more than 500 pounds. There is no easy way to
move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and a chain. They load the bones
onto trucks. They drive 1,000 miles to a port in Ghana. They put the bones on
a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then, the bones are shipped to
Chicago.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
• G
o to line 23. Mark where the team wants to take the bones. (their lab in
Chicago)
•
Review line 25. Mark the simple machine used to lift and move the bones.
(pulleys)
• Mark why they use pulleys. (Some weigh more than 500 pounds.)
•
Review lines 26 and 27. Mark the two words that help you understand the
definition of port. (ship, Atlantic)
•
What is the section mostly about? Fill in the blanks to answer the question.
(Ghana, Africa; Atlantic; ship; Chicago)
116 Unit 2 • Lesson 5
Lesson 5 | Reading
Lesson 5 | Reading
Close Reading: Guided Highlighting (cont.)
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in Chicago. Twenty tons of
bones have to be moved. Some weigh more than 500 pounds. There is no
25 easy way to move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and a chain. They
load the bones onto trucks. They drive 1,000 miles to a port in Ghana.
They put the bones on a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then,
the bones are shipped to Chicago.

What is the section mostly about? Fill in the blanks to complete the
sentences. Without machines, 20 tons of bones need to be moved
from
Ghana, Africa , across the
Atlantic
Ocean by
ship
. Next, the bones are shipped across land to
Chicago
.
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully opens each piece and cleans each bone. They match the
30 numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log. The bones are put
in the right order. Now it’s time to rebuild the skeleton.

Read the IVF summary sentence for this section. Step 5: Unwrap It
describes how the team prepares the bones before rebuilding the
skeleton.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two years and hundreds of hours. They use dental tools,
tiny jackhammers, and chemicals. The work is careful and precise. They
have to clean more than 200 bones. These bones came from the adult
35 Jobaria. But they have some other bones as well. These are from young
Jobaria. They clean these bones too.

Close Reading: Guided Highlighting (cont.)
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the adult’s bones. What
about the ones that are missing? They fill in the missing bones by making
them out of foam and clay.

Complete the sentence frame to write an IVF summary sentence for
this section. Identify the Item. Select a Verb. Finish your thought.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces? tells how they
pieces out of foam and clay
make missing
.
Step 8: Make a Plan
40 All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are made. At last, they can
make a model. From it, they create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild
the skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place them in order.
Next, they study how to put the bones back together. Now, they can see
the huge size of the dinosaur.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
45 Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile to put together. Dr. Sereno’s
team wants to display the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the
skeleton. They make molds. They create copies of the bones.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones to a steel frame. The hard steel frame is
covered by the bones.
Finally: Share the Discovery!
50 They paint the casts to look like the real fossils. They are white with tints
of green and red. These colors come from copper and iron in the soil. At
last, they pose the dinosaur. It looks so real! You can almost hear that
dinosaur roar!
Finish the IVF summary sentence for this section. Use the word
precise in your sentence.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up explains how the
precise cleaning of
adult and young Jobaria takes two years and
hundreds of hours
.
62
Unit 2
Unit 2
63
Let’s read Step 5: Unwrap It, lines 29–31. Read the section.
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully opens each piece and cleans each bone. They match the
numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log. The bones are put in the
right order. Now it’s time to rebuild the skeleton.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
• G
o to line 30. Mark what the team does to each bone after it is opened. (match
the numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log)
• M
ark what they do with the bones after they match the numbers. (the bones are
put in the right order)
•
Read the IVF summary sentence for this section. (Step 5: Unwrap It describes
how the team prepares the bones before rebuilding the skeleton.)
•
Underline the heading in the summary sentence. (Step 5: Unwrap It)
•
Circle the main verb or action word in the summary sentence. (describes)
•
Double underline the rest of the sentence. (how the team prepares the bones
before rebuilding the skeleton.)
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 117
Let’s read Step 6: Clean ’Em Up, lines 32–36. Read the section.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two years and hundreds of hours. They use dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals. The work is careful and precise. They have to clean
more than 200 bones. These bones came from the adult Jobaria. But they have
some other bones as well. These are from young Jobaria. They clean these bones
too.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
• I n line 32, mark how long this step takes. (two years and hundreds of hours)
Because the text says “This step...” we know they are referring to something
written before this. Look at the heading. Mark the step that takes two years and
hundreds of hours. (Clean ’Em Up)
•Go to lines 32 and 33. Mark the cleaning tools they use. (dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals)
•Go to line 34. Mark how many bones they clean. (more than 200)
•Find the evidence that suggests they found bones from more than one animal.
Mark the two animals. (adult Jobaria; young Jobaria)
•
Finish the IVF summary sentence for this section. Use the word precise in your
sentence. (the precise cleaning of adult and young Jobaria takes two years and
hundreds of hours.)
•
Underline the heading. (Step 6: Clean ’Em Up)
•
Circle the main verb or action word in the summary sentence. (explains)
Let’s read Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?, lines 37–39. Read the section.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the adult’s bones. What about
the ones that are missing? They fill in the missing bones by making them out of
foam and clay.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•Mark how many adult bones they have. (almost all)
•Mark how they fill in the missing bones. (making them out of foam and clay)
•
Complete the sentence frame to write an IVF summary sentence for this section.
Don’t forget to Identify the Item, select a Verb, and Finish your thought. (they
make missing pieces out of foam and clay.)
118 Unit 2 • Lesson 5
Let’s read Step 8: Make a Plan, lines 40–44. Read the section.
Step 8: Make a Plan
All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are made. At last, they can
make a model. From it, they create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the
skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place them in order. Next, they
study how to put the bones back together. Now, they can see the huge size of the
dinosaur.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•Go to line 41. Mark what they will make. (a model)
•On the same line, mark the word it. Draw a line from it to the word it replaced.
(model)
•On the same line, mark the word This. Draw an arrow to the word it replaced.
(blueprint)
•On the same line, mark the word plan and then mark the word that means the
same thing as plan. (blueprint) Draw an equal sign between the two words.
•
Review lines 40–42. Mark three words that mean construct. (make, create,
rebuild)
•
Review lines 42 and 43. Number three steps to make a dinosaur model. (1. Lay
out the tail bones. 2. Place them in order. 3. Study how to put the bones back
together.)
Let’s read Step 9: Copy the Fossils, lines 45–47. Read the section.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile to put together. Dr. Sereno’s team
wants to display the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the skeleton. They
make molds. They create copies of the bones.
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for this paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to line 45. Underline the possessive nouns in this paragraph. Draw an arrow
to show what each noun owns. (Jobaria, bones; Dr. Sereno, team)
•
Review line 45. Underline the problem that the dig team faced. (Jobaria’s bones
are too heavy and fragile to put together.)
•
Go to lines 46 and 47. Number three steps they took to solve the problem.
(1. They copy the skeleton. 2. They make molds. 3. They create copies of
the bones.)
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 119
Let’s read the remainder of the text, lines 48–53. Read the sections.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones to a steel frame. The hard steel frame is
covered by the bones.
Finally: Share the Discovery!
They paint the casts to look like the real fossils. They are white with tints of
green and red. These colors come from copper and iron in the soil. At last, they
pose the dinosaur. It looks so real! You can almost hear that dinosaur roar!
•
Circle the check mark or question mark for each paragraph. Draw a question
mark over words that confuse you.
•
Go to line 48. Mark the word casts. Draw an arrow to the word in the previous
line that means the same thing. (copies)
•
Review line 50. Mark the word that means “light shades of color.” (tints)
•
Review line 51. Mark the tints that come from copper and iron in the soil. (green
and red)
•
Review line 52. Mark how the team makes the dinosaur look real. (pose the
dinosaur)
•
Find line 52. Circle the phrase that means “imagine.” (almost hear)
Have partners compare text markings and correct any errors.
Writing
Objectives
•Demonstrate an understanding of how to create basic sentences.
• Write expanded simple sentences.
Display the
Masterpiece
Sentences poster
where students can
easily see it.
Masterpiece Sentences: Stage 2
In Unit 1, we developed simple, yet complete, sentences by answering two questions.
• Who or what did it?
What did they (he, she, it) do?
•
Write the following sentence on the board and read it aloud:
The dinosaur ate.
This is an example of a Stage 1 sentence.
As we move into Stage 2, we’ll expand our sentence by asking more questions. We can
ask and answer the question: What did they do it to?
Read the sentence on the board again. What did it? (dinosaur) What did it do? (ate)
Now, consider what the dinosaur could have eaten. Give me some ideas. Write student
responses on the board. (Possible responses: bugs, fruit, other dinosaurs) I will say
bugs. Add bugs to the kernel sentence on the board. Read the new sentence.
120 Unit 2 • Lesson 5
As a writer, I have included a detail that will help the reader generate a more complete
mental picture of the dinosaur. As a reader, I want to use all of the details I can to
visualize the content and confirm my understanding of the text.
Direct students to page 64 in their
Student Books. Let’s use some of the
facts you learned in “Africa Digs” to
build sentences. Before we begin, look
at the labels for your sentence building
elements. What is the subject
question? (Who or what did it?) Listen
as I read the words that answer the
subject question. Read them aloud.
Each one of those choices contains a
naming word, or a noun.
Lesson 5 | Writing
Masterpiece Sentences: Stages 1 and 2
Use the information in the chart to build four sentences. Remember to use
capital letters and punctuation marks for each sentence.
Subject
Predicate
Direct Object
Who or What did it?
What did they do?
What did they do it to?
scientists
tagged
the bones
the dig team
cleaned
the fossils
Dr. Sereno
led
the dig
the fabric strips
protected
each bone
1.
2.
3.
What is the predicate question?
(What did they (he/she/it) do?) Listen
as I read the words that answer the
predicate question. Read them aloud.
Each one of those choices contains a
doing word, or a verb.
4.
Scientists tagged the bones.
The dig team cleaned the fossils.
Dr. Sereno led the dig.
The fabric strips protected each bone.
Now, look at the third column. There
is a name for words that answer the
what did they do it to question. They
are called direct objects. Let’s look at
the words that answer this question.
64
Read them aloud. How could you
categorize these words? (nouns) They
are nouns, so the term objects applies. They also directly receive the action of the verb,
so they are called direct objects.
Unit 2
Model
Read the instructions aloud and complete the first item as a model. Show students
how to use the answers provided to build the sentence: Scientists tagged the bones.
Have students write it on the first line.
Guided Practice
Complete the remaining sentences as a class. Monitor students’ writing for correct use
of capital letters and punctuation marks. Have volunteers read the sentences.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Unit 2 • Lesson 5 121
Lesson 6
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Turn to your Key Passage Vocabulary chart. Complete your drawings and add
information to the definitions as needed.
• Ask five why questions about dinosaurs.
• Use the word precise in a sentence.
Reading
Objectives
• Write questions about the text to deepen comprehension.
• Respond to questions orally.
•Refer to details and examples in a text when answering specific questions about a text.
Question Words:
Basic poster
Guided Reading of “Africa Digs”: Ask and Answer Questions
In Unit 1, we worked on asking and answering questions with who, what, when, and
where. Now we will focus on some other question words.
It is critical to understand what a question is asking and how to answer it. We will
become familiar with these question words and learn exactly how to answer these
types of questions.
Direct students to page 14 in their Student Books or the
Question Words poster. Have them follow along as you review
the information.
Lesson 3 | Reading
Question Words
How to Answer Questions
Use these steps to answer a short-answer question
with a complete sentence:
Lesson 1
| Reading
1
2
3
4
I already pointed out that skilled readers preview the text for
features such as headings and graphics. They also reread text
slowly and carefully to gain understanding. Skilled readers
monitor their thinking while reading to be sure that each
sentence and paragraph make sense. They look for answers to
Big Idea questions.
Skilled readers also ask themselves and others questions about
their reading.
Bathetty
Look for a question word to know what
question is asking.
About
Find information in the text to answer
the question.
Bats!
Plan and write the answer.
Check the answer.
Example question:
Find answer
in text.
connect
join together;
unite
5
What do bats eat?
10
Look for the
question word.
vision
the act of seeing;
sight
sonar
Bats eat fruit, bugs,
and flowers.
a way of locating
objects using
sound
4
Flying and
Feeding
Bats can fly.
They are the
fly. Bats use
only mammals
wings to fly.
that can
Skin connects
hands, and
ankles of the
the arms,
bat. The skin
Wings are important
makes wings.
to bats. They
and find food.
need them to
fly
Flying takes
lots of energy,
eat half their
so bats eat a
weight each
lot. Bats
day! Bats eat
Some eat fruits
a lot of
and flowers.
Some eat bugs.
Some eat frogs things.
They eat mosquitoes
and fish.
eat moths and
and flies. They
even termites!
Super Sonar
Did you think
bats were blind?
can see. Some
They are not.
even have good
They
How do they
find their way vision. Bats fly at night.
with sound.
in
They use sonar. the dark? Bats can “see”
15 are. Bats
Bats can
cry out. We
can’t hear these hear where they
their way by
sounds. Bats
listening to
find
the echoes.
clues too. They
hear bugs buzzing Bats use other
know where
in the air. They
to find a good
meal.
Unit 1
LanguageLive_ST_Unit0
1.indd 4
Question words help you know how to answer the question.
Question Words
How to Answer
If the question asks . . .
Your answer must include . . .
Who
What
When
Where
Question Words
If the question asks . . .
Is/Are
Do/Does
Question Words
If the question asks . . .
Why
How
14
information about a person or group
an action or name of a thing
a specific time, date, or event
a general location or specific place
How to Answer
Your answer must include . . .
a “yes” or a “no” answer plus explanation
a “yes” or a “no” answer plus explanation
How to Answer
Your answer must include . . .
a reason or explanation
the way something is done
Unit 1
You will learn more about asking good questions. The heading
on page 14 is Question Words. The top of the page provides hints on how to answer
questions. The chart at the bottom of the page lists signal words or question words
that you can use to ask good questions.
Let me explain the chart. The words in the left column are used to start the question.
The right column lets you know what information is needed to answer the question.
For example, if I ask, “How do you get to school?” your answer to the question would
include the way you get to school—by walking, by car, or by bus. If I ask, “Why do you
walk to school?” your answer would include a reason for walking to school.
This time when we read “Africa Digs,” we will ask questions about the text. Doing this
helps us understand what is important. We will also answer the questions that we ask.
122 Unit 2 • Lesson 6
6/17/13 9:36
AM
Direct students to page 43 in their Student Books or have them
tear out the extra copy of “Africa Digs” from the back of their
books.
Lesson 1 | Reading
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a
thrill when he digs up the bones of dinosaurs that
lived millions of years ago. In 1, Dr. Sereno led
a dig in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him.
The Touareg tribe helped his team look for bones. The
Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had
a fantastic find. They found a new dinosaur. The
10 Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal.
They call it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to
look for the bones. The scientists named the dinosaur
Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the
Jobaria? Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
5
Note: To minimize flipping back and forth between the pages, a copy of
each text has been included in the back of the Student Books. Encourage
students to tear this out and use it when working on activities that
require the use of the text.
15
desert
dry place with few
plants
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special
place. Bones stick out of desert rock. The
Touareg tell the scientists their legend.
These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers,
chisels, and drills. They work for 10 weeks.
A huge skeleton emerges. It has been
buried for 135 million years! Fifteen tons
of rock cover it. The team carefully takes
25 the bones from the rock.
20
Let’s do what good readers do and reread “Africa Digs” with a
focus on asking and answering questions.
emerge
to come out of or
appear
The Touareg tribe
helped the team.
Unit 2
43
Remember what you do when you read. Your eyes need to track
or follow the text while your eraser points to the words. While
you’re busy looking and pointing to text, your brain is busy looking for patterns and
making meaning. While listening, you should be aware of questions that come to mind
and questions that you can ask others.
Note: While the lessons are written for a teacher read aloud, it is important that your students
read as much and as often as they can. Assign readings that meet the needs of your students,
based on your observations or data. This is a good opportunity to stretch students, but if they
become frustrated, return to the read-aloud method.
Eyes ready? Pencil ready? Let’s begin.
Read the introduction, lines 1–14.
Africa Digs
Dr. Paul Sereno digs dinosaur bones. He gets a thrill when he digs up the
bones of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago. In 1997, Dr. Sereno led a dig
in Niger, Africa. He took 18 scientists with him. The Touareg tribe helped his
team look for bones. The Touareg people live in Niger. They know their desert
land best. They know where to look for bones.
The dig was a success. Dr. Sereno’s team had a fantastic find. They found a
new dinosaur. The Touareg told them a legend about a very big animal. They call
it Jobar. The Touareg showed them where to look for the bones. The scientists
named the dinosaur Jobaria. It means “giant.” How did they dig up the Jobaria?
Dr. Sereno followed 10 steps to dig up Jobaria.
Unit 2 • Lesson 6 123
Direct students to page 65 in their
Student Books. Think about the text.
What questions do you have, or what
should your peers have learned about
the African dig in this section?
Lesson 6 | Reading
Ask and Answer Questions
•Choose one question word to
begin your question. Consider
starting your question with Who
or Where.
•Write the question on the page.
Be prepared to answer your
question orally.
Direct students back to the passage.
Next, we will read Steps 1 and 2. Eyes
ready? Pencil ready? Let’s begin.
Read Step 1: We’ve Got Some! and
Step 2: Digging In.
Reread “Africa Digs.” After each section, write a question for your partner to
answer using question words that you have learned so far. Try not to use the
same question word twice. Be prepared to answer your question orally. Use
the Question Words chart on page 14 to help you.
Introduction
Who?
Where?
1.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some! and Step 2: Digging In
What?
When?
Where?
Is/Are?
What?
How?
How?
Why?
2.
Step 3: Wrap It Up and Step 4: Move It Out
3.
Step 5: Unwrap It and Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
4.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces? and
Step 8: Make a Plan
5.
Lines 73–87:
What?
Why?
6.
Unit 2
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special place. Bones stick out of desert rock.
The Touareg tell the scientists their legend. These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers, chisels, and drills. They work for
10 weeks. A huge skeleton emerges. It has been buried for 135 million years!
Fifteen tons of rock cover it. The team carefully takes the bones from the rock.
Direct students to page 65 in their Student Books.
•Choose a different question word. Try using What or When.
•Write the question on the page. Be prepared to answer your question orally.
124 Unit 2 • Lesson 6
65
Direct students back to the passage. It’s time to read Steps 3 and 4. Eyes ready? Pencil
ready? Let’s begin.
Read Step 3: Wrap It Up and Step 4: Move It Out.
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils. They cover the bones
with paper or foil. They cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap each
bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side. The strip dries into a hard
jacket. Then, they cover the other side. They number the jackets. They log each
number in the dig’s log.
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in Chicago. Twenty tons of bones
have to be moved. Some weigh more than 500 pounds. There is no easy way to
move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and a chain. They load the bones
onto trucks. They drive 1,000 miles to a port in Ghana. They put the bones on
a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then, the bones are shipped to
Chicago.
Direct students to page 65 in their Student Books.
•
Let’s ask more questions. It will be more difficult, but use a question word that
you haven’t used yet. Try using Where or Is/Are.
•
Write the question on the page. Be prepared to answer your question orally.
Direct students back to the passage. Follow along as I read Steps 5 and 6.
Read Step 5: Unwrap It and Step 6: Clean ’Em Up.
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully opens each piece and cleans each bone. They match the
numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log. The bones are put in the
right order. Now it’s time to rebuild the skeleton.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two years and hundreds of hours. They use dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals. The work is careful and precise. They have to clean
more than 200 bones. These bones came from the adult Jobaria. But they have
some other bones as well. These are from young Jobaria. They clean these bones
too.
Direct students to page 65 in their Student Books.
•
Choose a different question word. Try using What or How.
•
Write the question on the page. Be prepared to answer your question orally.
Unit 2 • Lesson 6 125
Direct students back to the passage. It’s time to read Steps 7 and 8. Eyes ready? Pencil
ready? Let’s begin.
Read Step 7: And the Missing Pieces? and Step 8: Make a Plan.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the adult’s bones. What about
the ones that are missing? They fill in the missing bones by making them out of
foam and clay.
Step 8: Make a Plan
All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are made. At last, they can
make a model. From it, they create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the
skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place them in order. Next, they
study how to put the bones back together. Now, they can see the huge size of the
dinosaur.
Direct students to page 65 in their Student Books.
•
Let’s ask more questions. Try using How or Why.
•
Write the question on the page. Be prepared to answer your question orally.
Direct students back to the passage. It’s time to finish the steps. Eyes ready? Pencil
ready? Let’s begin.
Read Step 9: Copy the Fossils, Step 10: Stack It Up, and Finally: Share the Discovery!
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile to put together. Dr. Sereno’s team
wants to display the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the skeleton. They
make molds. They create copies of the bones.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones to a steel frame. The hard steel frame is
covered by the bones.
Finally: Share the Discovery!
They paint the casts to look like the real fossils. They are white with tints of
green and red. These colors come from copper and iron in the soil. At last, they
pose the dinosaur. It looks so real! You can almost hear that dinosaur roar!
Direct students to page 65 in their Student Books.
•
Write your last question on the page. Try using What or Why for this question.
•
Be prepared to answer your question orally.
126 Unit 2 • Lesson 6
Share Questions
Have partners read their questions to each other and answer them orally. Have
students correct each other if needed. Have volunteers share their questions and
answers with the class.
Question Words:
Basic poster
Passage Comprehension
Lesson 6 | Reading
Direct students to pages 66 and 67
in their Student Books. Now, we
will answer other questions about
“Africa Digs” for more practice. Some
of the questions may be similar to
the questions you already asked and
answered.
Passage Comprehension
Underline the question word in each question. Then, answer each question
using a complete sentence. Write the evidence from the text.
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
Dr. Sereno led the dig in Africa.
Text Evidence: In 1997, Dr. Sereno led a dig in Niger, Africa.
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
Dr. Sereno needed help from the Touareg tribe because
they knew where to look in the desert for the bones.
Text Evidence: The Touareg people live in Niger. They know
their desert land best. They know where to look for bones.
•Read each question. Identify and
underline the question word.
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
The dig team protected the fossils by making
jackets to cover them.
Text Evidence: They have to make “jackets” to protect the
fossils. They cover the bones with paper or foil. They
cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap
each bone with the burlap strips.
•Use the Question Words poster
or the chart on page 14 to review
the type of information required
to respond to the question.
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
The dig team used a tripod, pulleys, rope, and
chain to load the bones onto trucks.
Text Evidence: They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and
a chain. They load the bones onto trucks.
•Use text headings or other text
features in the passage to locate
the content needed to answer
each question.
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
The scientists carefully used dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals to clean the bones.
Text Evidence: They use dental tools, tiny jackhammers,
and chemicals. The work is careful and precise.
They have to clean more than 200 bones.
•Reread the section to retrieve
exact information to use as text
evidence.
66
Unit 2
Model
Read the first question aloud.
1. W
ho led the dig in Niger,
Africa?
If the question asks who, the answer must include a person or group.
I can look in the text to find the answer. On page 43, lines 3 and 4, it says that “in
1997, Dr. Sereno led a dig in Niger, Africa.” This is my text evidence. Now I will write
my answer. I want to make sure that my answer is enough for me to look at and learn
from, so I need to include part of the question in my answer.
Unit 2 • Lesson 6 127
Write the following sentence frame on the board:
____________________________________________________________
(who) (Finish the sentence using words from the question.)
Fill in the blanks on the board as you formulate the answer. (Dr. Sereno led the dig in
Niger, Africa.) Have students write the answer and specific text evidence on the page
in their Student Books.
Guided Practice
Read the next question aloud.
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
What is the question word in this sentence? (Why) How do we answer a question that
begins with why? (with a reason) Let’s use this sentence frame to answer the question.
Write the following sentence frame on the board:
________________
(Who or what?)
_____________________________ because
(Use words from the question.)
_______________
(Add a reason.)
Fill in the blanks as students tell you the answer. (Dr. Sereno needed help from the
Touareg tribe because they knew where to look in the desert for the bones.) Have
students write the answer. If they have difficulty finding the text evidence, refer them
to lines 6 and 7 on page 43.
Let’s try one more with a partner.
Read the next question aloud.
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
What is the question word in this sentence? (How) How do we answer a question that
begins with how? (with a way that something is done) Let’s try this one with a partner
without a sentence frame to help us. Remember to put part of the question in your
answer and provide text evidence from the passage.
Allow time, then provide this sentence frame on the board if needed:
The dig team protected the fossils by (Include a way something is done.)
(The dig team protected the fossils by making jackets to cover them.) Have students
write the answer and use lines 26–29 of page 44 to write the text evidence.
128 Unit 2 • Lesson 6
.
Independent Practice
Have students answer the remaining
questions and provide text evidence
for their answers. Review the answers
as a class. Remind students to compare
their answers and make corrections if
necessary.
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
Lesson 6 | Reading
Passage Comprehension (cont.)
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
Dr. Sereno’s team made bones because some were missing.
What about the ones that are missing? They fill
in the missing bones by making them out of foam and clay.
Text Evidence:
7. What did the team create to help them build the skeleton?
The team created a model and a blueprint to help them
build the skeleton.
Text Evidence: At last, they can make a model. From it, they
create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the skeleton.
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
They made the casts look like real fossils by
painting them with colors that come from copper
and iron in the soil.
Text Evidence: They paint the casts to look like the real
fossils. They are white with tints of green and red.
These colors come from copper and iron in the soil.
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 6 67
129
Lesson 7
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Handwriting is very important. Write the alphabet in lowercase and capital letters on
a sheet of paper.
• Ask five how questions about the desert.
• Make a list of six antonym (opposite) word pairs.
Vocabulary
Objectives
• Review key passage vocabulary.
• Use examples of a word and identify its antonyms to clarify its meaning.
• Make connections among words to increase understanding.
Recontextualize Passage
Vocabulary
Lesson 1 | Vocabulary
Key Passage Vocabulary: “Africa Digs”
Rate your knowledge of the words. Define the words. Draw a picture
to help you remember the definition.
Direct students to page 42 in their
Student Books. Review the vocabulary
words from “Africa Digs.”
Vocabulary
•What simple machine is used
to pull a flag up the flagpole at
school? (a pulley) Turn to your
neighbors and tell them the parts
of a pulley and how it works.
(A pulley is a small wheel over
which a rope moves to lift or
move objects.)
•Do many plants and animals
live in the desert? (no) What
attribute of a desert makes it
difficult for plants and animals to
survive? (It’s very dry.)
Knowledge
Rating
Defi nition
desert
0
1
2
3
dry place with
few plants
emerge
0
1
2
3
to come out of
or appear
pulley
0
1
2
3
port
0
1
2
3
precise
0
1
2
3
create
0
1
2
3
to make
fragile
0
1
2
3
easily broken or
delicate
Picture
small wheel over
which a rope
moves to help lift
or move objects
a place on the
water where
people load and
unload ships
exact or pays
attention to
details
•Does water emerge from the
to show or put
bathtub drain? (no) Where does
something in
display
0 1 2 3
a place where
water emerge from? (faucet)
others can see it
42
Water emerges from the faucet
but disappears down the drain.
Those two words are completely
different. They are opposites. Emerge and disappear are examples of what?
(antonyms)
Unit 2
•My friend likes to create mash-ups of songs on his computer. He didn’t create
the original songs, but he creates a new song. Is he making or deleting a song?
(making) The new songs are his creation.
130 Unit 2 • Lesson 7
•Do fashion designers want to display their clothing? (yes) Models on the runway
show the clothes for others to see. What do they do? (display the clothes)
•Is a delicate porcelain doll fragile? (yes) Why would it be a bad idea to give a
porcelain doll to a baby? (It is breakable.)
•If I read the instructions three times, am I being precise? (yes) To put the model
train together exactly as it should be, what do I need to be? (precise)
•Would a ship likely dock at a port? (yes) If I wanted to unload the oil drums off
my ship, where would I go? (the port)
Four-Square: Antonyms
Lesson 7 | Vocabulary
Direct students to page 68 in their
Student Books.
Four-Square
Write the definition of fragile. Then, write examples and antonyms of the
word in the appropriate boxes.
Some words are more difficult to
remember than others. It helps to
use a Four-Square graphic organizer.
This will help you look at the word
more closely to provide a deeper
understanding.
Have students define fragile, and write
the definition under the word.
Possible answers:
unbreakable, sturdy,
strong, rugged,
durable, tough
fragile
Definition:
easily broken or
delicate
In Four-Square in Unit 1, we worked
on the Examples square using the word
interfere. We talked about interference
in football and humans interfering
with bats’ habitats.
So, let’s use today’s word, fragile, and
talk about examples. We discussed
examples of fragile, such as dishes,
porcelain dolls, and dinosaur bones.
Please write the examples in the
correct box.
Antonyms:
Synonyms:
Examples:
Nonexamples:
Possible answers:
dishes, porcelain
dolls, dinosaur bones
68
Unit 2
Model
We introduced antonyms in a previous lesson. An antonym is a word that means the
opposite. Emerge and disappear are opposites; they are antonyms. Black and white are
antonyms. Above and below are antonyms.
Review antonyms as needed.
Example Antonyms for Review
dead/alive happy/sad
leave/stayhot/cold
display/hide frown/smile
Unit 2 • Lesson 7 131
Guided Practice
I broke the fragile glass when I knocked it over on the counter. Why did it break?
(because it was fragile) However, when I dropped the plate on the floor, it did not
break. It was the opposite of fragile. What was it? (Possible answers: unbreakable,
sturdy, strong, rugged, durable, tough) Have students repeat the antonyms and write
them in the appropriate place on the Four-Square.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Making Connections: scientist
Direct students to page 69 in their Student Books. Display the semantic map from the
student page or draw one on the board. In “Africa Digs,” we read about a man named
Dr. Paul Sereno and a group of others who discovered Jobaria. All of the members of
the team were scientists. What were they? (scientists)
Good readers are able to make many connections to words as they read. The more
connections we can make, the faster we can give a word meaning. We’re going to use
this strategy with the word scientist. Let’s see how many connections we can make.
Point to the word scientist in the middle circle. Scientists are people who study nature
and why things happen. Do all scientists study the same things? (no) We learned at the
beginning of this unit that paleontologists are scientists who study prehistoric animals,
such as dinosaurs.
•Write paleontologist in the connected circle below scientist.
•Write prehistoric times and dinosaurs on the two right branches. Paleontologists
must dig in the dirt to find the things that they study.
•Write dig on the left branch.
Archaeologists are similar to paleontologists. They, too, dig in the dirt to find the
things that they study. They study the people and places of ancient times.
•Write archaeologist in the circle connected to dig.
•Write ancient times and people and places on the branches. These two scientists
study nonliving beings—things of the past.
Let’s talk about another group of scientists. These scientists study living things, unlike
paleontologists and archaeologists.
132 •Write biologist in the circle to the right of scientist. A biologist studies life. There
are different types of biologists. Two of them are botanists and zoologists.
•Write botanist and zoologist in the circles connected to biologist. One of these
scientists studies plants and one studies animals. Can you guess which scientist
studies animals? (zoologist) If students have trouble with the answer, underline
zoo in the word.
•Write animals and life on the branches off of zoologist. Repeat the process with
botanist, writing plants and life.
Unit 2 • Lesson 7
Since we have talked about paleontologists and archaeologists who dig below Earth’s
surface, we will add one more scientist to our connected map. A geologist studies the
origin and structure of Earth. Geologists tell us what Earth is made of and how Earth
has changed over time.
•Write geologist in the upper left circle.
•Write Earth’s origin and Earth’s structure on the two branches.
If you had come across the words botanist, zoologist, biologist, paleontologist, geologist, or
archaeologist in isolation, you may not have made any connections between the words.
This semantic map helps us make connections and understand how words are related to
things we already know. This will help us create a deeper understanding of words.
Have students complete the semantic map. If time permits, ask students if they can make
any other connections or know the names of any other scientists.
Making Connections
Make connections to the word scientist by generating other words related to the word.
geologist
Earth’s
origin
scientist
zoologist
biologist
animals
Earth’s
structure
botanist
paleontologist
dig
life
prehistoric
times
plants
life
dinosaurs
Lesson 7 | Vocabulary
archaeologist
Unit 2
69
ancient
times
people
and places
Writing
Objectives
•Identify the basic structure of a paragraph (topic sentence, supporting facts and
details, transitions, elaborations, concluding sentence).
• Identify the main idea.
Green, yellow, and
pink highlighters or
colored pencils
Parts of a Paragraph
Distribute green, yellow, and pink highlighters or colored pencils.
We have learned that sentences have parts and that understanding the parts of a
sentence can help us understand the meaning of the sentence. Paragraphs also have
a structure, and knowing that structure can strengthen our ability to understand the
meaning of the related sentences that make up the paragraph.
We have already looked at text to find the main ideas and key details. This is an
important strategy when reading. It helps us to focus on only the most important
Unit 2 • Lesson 7 133
information. However, when we write, we want our writing to be informative and
enjoyable. Therefore, we must go beyond main ideas and key details.
Paragraphs are written for different purposes. We will use a paragraph on the benefits
of exercise to uncover four of the basic building blocks for a well-written paragraph.
Model
Direct students to page 70 in their
Student Books and have students
follow along as you review the parts of
a paragraph.
We will start by looking for the topic
sentence or big idea of the paragraph.
Then we’ll identify the supporting
details, or facts that support the topic
sentence. Transition words help a
writer or a reader move through the
supporting details, so we’ll circle
the transition words. Paragraphs
are expanded through elaboration—
examples, explanations, or evidence.
We’ll look for information related to
each supporting detail. A well-written
conclusion will restate the topic
sentence or big idea of the paragraph.
Lesson 7 | Writing
Parts of a Paragraph
Topic sentence tells what the paragraph is about.
Supporting details give facts or reasons about the topic.
Transition words link one supporting detail to the next.
Elaborations add interest for the reader. Elaborations (Es) are
explanations, examples, and evidence.
Conclusion restates the topic sentence or big idea.
Read the paragraph. Highlight the parts of the paragraph. The topic
sentence is green. Supporting details and transition words are yellow. The
elaborations are pink, and the conclusion is green. Circle the transition
words, and label each part of the paragraph.
The Benefits of Exercise
topic sentence
Regular exercise benefits
people’s health in two
important ways. One benefit
is that exercise improves
supporting detail
people’s physical health.
elaboration
It makes the heart, lungs,
bones, and muscles stronger
and keeps people at a
healthy weight. Exercise is
also good for the mind.
elaboration
supporting detail
It makes people feel better
about themselves and calms
them down when they are
angry or stressed. When
people regularly do physical
activities they enjoy, their
conclusion
bodies and minds stay fit,
happy, and healthy.
Guided Practice
Read the instructions for the activity.
70
Read the first sentence of the
paragraph aloud and have students
highlight it green. Identify it as the topic sentence. If this is the topic sentence, what
will it tell us? (the big idea of the paragraph) What is this paragraph about? (It is about
the benefits of regular exercise.)
Unit 2
Read the second sentence aloud and have students highlight it yellow. Identify it as
a supporting detail. If this is a supporting detail, what must it do? (It must provide
facts that support the topic.) How does this sentence support the topic? (It is talking
about one of the benefits of exercise.) Help students make this connection if they are
struggling.
Notice the sentence contains the word one. It indicates this is the first supporting
detail. Number words often work as transition words in paragraphs. How are we
supposed to mark our transitions? (Circle them.) Make sure you circle it.
Read the third sentence aloud. Is this a new supporting detail, or is it related to how
exercise improves health? (It is related to how exercise improves health.) This must be
an elaboration. It tells us how exercise can improve someone’s health. How do we mark
our elaborations? (Highlight them in pink.) Highlight this sentence pink.
134 Unit 2 • Lesson 7
Independent Practice
Read the remaining sentences, one at a time. Ask students to consider the role of each
sentence, then mark it appropriately. Then, model how to properly label the parts of
the paragraph.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
Read the paragraph. Highlight the topic sentence green. Highlight the
supporting details yellow. Highlight elaborations pink. Circle the transitions,
and label the parts of the paragraph.
topic sentence
Millions of years ago, two kinds
of giant animals lived in the area
that is now Northern Africa. One
animal was a dinosaur known as
elaboration
It probably looked terrifying to
other animals, but it ate only plants.
The other giant animal was a huge
crocodile. Scientists named the
elaboration
supporting detail
Jobaria. This dinosaur was huge.
supporting detail
animal SuperCroc. SuperCroc
weighed about as much as an
elephant and grew as long as 40 feet.
That’s about as long as a city bus!
Today, bones of both dinosaurs are
on display for the whole world to see.
conclusion
Blueprint for Writing + Parts of a Paragraph
Concluding Sentence
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Supporting Detail
Knowing the parts of a paragraph is
the first step in learning how to write
a solid paragraph. It will also help you
think about all the parts you should
find as you read a paragraph in any
text.
Identify Parts of a Paragraph
Supporting Detail
Tell students they will identify the four
parts of a paragraph by highlighting
and labeling. Read through the
sentences as in the previous paragraph,
but do not identify the parts of the
paragraph. Ask students what color
the sentence(s) should be highlighted
and ask them to defend their choice.
After all of the sentences have been
highlighted, direct them to work with
their partner to label the parts of the
paragraph.
Lesson 7 | Writing
Supporting Detail
Let’s read another paragraph and apply
what we learned about building a solid
paragraph. Direct students to page 71
in their Student Books and read the
instructions.
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Topic Sentence
Unit 2
71
In the preceding unit, we used the
Blueprint for Writing template to help organize our information for a paragraph
about bats. Look at the bottom of your page, and you’ll see the template. Notice the
relationship between the parts of a paragraph and the elements in the template. The
topic sentence is the floor, or foundation. The supporting details are the walls. The
elaborations are the windows, and the conclusion is the roof. We’re simply using
colors instead of parts of the house to help us get ready to write about what we’ve read.
In the last unit, you highlighted information and dropped it into the Blueprint for
Writing. In this unit, you will work on your note-taking skills.
Unit 2 • Lesson 7 135
Lesson 8
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•Write sentences with the following words: bats, bat’s, bones, bone’s.
• Would you like to go on a dig in the desert? Why or why not?
• Write five why questions you would ask a new teacher.
Reading
Objective
• Read words to increase fluency.
Correct
yams
sick
back
back
gut
pass
pass
wax
jam
jam
mud
vans
vans
luck
fix
gut
pass
wax
jam
mud
wax
jam
mud
vans
luck
mud
vans
luck
fix
but
luck
fix
but
zip
cuts
fix
but
zip
cuts
miss
but
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
will
vans
luck
10
fix
but
20
zip
cuts
30
miss
fuss
40
fuss
will
rugs
50
rugs
kicks
hut
60
zip
cuts
miss
fuss
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
70
miss
fuss
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
80
will
rugs
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
wax
pass
90
kicks
hut
sick
yams
gut
back
wax
pass
mud
jam
100
Fluency Procedure
•Partners switch books, so the recorder is marking errors in the reader’s book.
• A timer is set for one minute.
•Readers and recorders move left to right, tracking each word with a pencil.
•As readers read the words aloud, recorders mark errors with a small x above the
misread word.
•Recorders place a star to the right of the last word read when time ends.
•If the reader is able to read all words in the allotted time, the reader needs to start
over at the beginning. The recorder must indicate this feat by placing two stars to
the right of the last word read.
•When both students have read, partners switch books.
•Students calculate total words read, then subtract errors and record.
•Students record information on the progress chart in back of the Student Book.
136 Unit 2 • Lesson 8
Errors
1st Try
2nd Try
Read the words fluently.
Unit 2
Follow the Fluency
Procedure outlined
below. If it is
necessary, begin the
fluency drill with a
choral read of the
words as you provide
a rhythm (snap your
fingers, tap your foot,
tap your pencil).
Direct students to
page 72 in their
Student Books and
complete the process.
Word Fluency
72
Word Fluency:
Second Read
Lesson 8 | Reading
Timer
Grammar
Objectives
• Identify subjects, predicates, and direct objects in a sentence.
•Demonstrate an understanding of the function of the subject, predicate, and direct
object in a sentence by diagramming sentences.
Prepare subject and
predicate color-coded
index cards.
Direct Objects
We know how to expand a simple
sentence by asking additional
questions. Whenever we ask the
question what did they do it to, we
add something very specific to our
sentence. What is it called? Direct
students to page 73 in their Student
Books for a clue. (a direct object)
Write subject on the board. Think
about “Africa Digs” and answer the
who or what did it question. (Possible
answers: scientists, tribe members,
workers, people) Display student
responses underneath subject.
Write predicate on the board and
ask students to generate answers to
the what did they do question. Write
responses on the board.
Lesson 8 | Grammar
Noun as a Direct Object
A noun can be the direct object—the person, place, or thing that receives
the action.
The direct object:

Is in the predicate part of the sentence

Answers What (whom) did they (he, she, it) do it to?
Ask yourself…
To find the direct object,
ask yourself the following
questions: Who did it?
What did he do? Then ask:
Whom did he do it to?
Casey visits granddad.
Who did it?
noun
What did
he do?
verb
Whom did
he do it to?
direct object
Casey visits granddad.
subject
predicate
Copy the sentences from class on the lines. Remember to include proper
punctuation for each sentence. Underline the direct object in both
sentences. Answers will vary.
1.
2.
Let’s “prepare our canvas” using some
of these responses. What subject
and predicate responses make sense
together? Create two Stage 1 sentences
by writing each subject word on a colored index card and writing the predicate words
on index cards of a different color. Designate one color to consistently be the subject
parts of the sentence and another color for the predicate parts of the sentence. Display
the cards for students to view.
Unit 2
73
Now, we have to answer the what did they do it to question. Ask for direct objects.
Write student responses on separate index cards that are the same color as the
predicate and add them to the kernel sentences. Direct students to copy the sentences
on the lines at the bottom of the page. Remind them to capitalize and add punctuation
marks. Once they’ve copied the two sentences, have them underline the direct object
in each sentence and check their answer with a partner.
To help us see how words are functioning in a sentence, we can diagram them. A
diagram is a graphic organizer for a sentence and helps us “see” the relationships
between the words and better understand the sentence. Let’s start by diagramming
the sentences we created. Diagram the two sentences on the board, using the same
question flow that is outlined on page 73 in the Student Book.
Unit 2 • Lesson 8 137
Model
Lesson 8 | Grammar
Direct students to page 74 in
their Student Books and read the
instructions. Complete the first
sentence as a model.
Diagramming Subject/Predicate/Direct Object
Write each sentence in the diagram below it. Use the questions to help you
fill in the diagram correctly.
1. Jackets protected the fossils.
What did it?
Jackets
What did they do?
protected
What did they do it to?
fossils
e
th
Guided Practice
Guide students in completing the
second sentence.
2. The ship crossed the Atlantic.
What did it?
ship
What did it do?
crossed
3. The scientists built a dinosaur.
Who did it?
scientists
What did they do?
What did they do it to?
What did they do?
What did they do it to?
What did he do?
What did he do it to?
built
e
Th
4. The team took the bones.
Who did it?
team
took
e
Th
5. Dr. Sereno led the dig.
Who did it?
Dr. Sereno
bones
e
th
Note: Base the number of modeled
and guided examples on student ability
and progress. Challenge them with
independent practice when appropriate.
dinosaur
a
Read the remaining sentences and
have students complete the diagrams.
Review the answers as a class.
Atlantic
e
th
e
Th
Independent Practice
What did it do it to?
led
dig
e
th
74
Unit 2
Reading
Objective
• Take notes on key details in an informational text.
Guided Reading of “Africa Digs”: Take Note/Sequence
You have read for many purposes. First, you read to confirm answers to our big ideas.
Next, you read closely and highlighted specific information in the text to improve your
vocabulary and increase comprehension. Then, you read with a focus on asking and
answering questions about the text. Now, you are ready to do some advanced thinking
while reading informational text. We will identify and record a sequence of events in
our own logbook. What is a log again? (a record of events) That’s right. We are going
to record the events of the dig in the order in which they happened.
Well-written text has organization. Sometimes informational text is organized using a
sequence or order of events.
Good readers pay attention to the order in which things happen. This is easiest to do
when text is written step by step. Good readers also take notes about the important
details to help them understand and remember. Notes are written in phrases or
bulleted lists of information. Complete sentences and punctuation are not required
during note-taking.
138 Unit 2 • Lesson 8
Note: While the lessons are written for a teacher read aloud, it is important that your students
read as much and as often as they can. Assign readings that meet the needs of your students,
based on your observations or data. This is a good opportunity to stretch students, but if they
become frustrated, return to the read-aloud method.
Direct students to pages 75 and 76 in their Student Books.
Lesson 8 | Reading
Lesson 8 | Reading
Take Note: Writing a Log of Events
Take Note: Writing a Log of Events (cont.)
Take notes for each step of the dig. Start each note with a strong verb or
action word.
Logbook
Logbook
Phase 1:
Collecting
the
dinosaur
bones
found dig site in Niger, Africa
Step 1: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
dug up a dinosaur skeleton
Step 2: _______________________________________________________
Phase 3:
Displaying
the
dinosaur
bones
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
created copies of bones because too
Step 9: ______________________________________________________
heavy
and fragile
____________________________________________________________
bones
____________________________________________________________
protect them
_____________________________________________________________
painted the bones and displayed the
Finally, ______________________________________________________
shipped the bones to Chicago
Step 4: _______________________________________________________
Putting the
dinosaur
bones
together
____________________________________________________________
covered steel frame with man-made
Step 10: _____________________________________________________
numbered and wrapped the fossils to
Step 3: _______________________________________________________
Phase 2:
made a plan to rebuild skeleton
Step 8: ______________________________________________________
skeleton
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
prepared the bones
Step 5: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
cleaned the bones
Step 6: _______________________________________________________
takes 2 years
_____________________________________________________________
made missing bones out of foam and
Step 7: _______________________________________________________
clay
_____________________________________________________________
Unit 2
75
76
Unit 2
The notes you take will be your logbook. You will own it. How do we show that you
own the logbook in writing? (-’s) On the line, write your name the correct way to show
that you possess the logbook. Let’s do what good readers do and reread “Africa Digs”
with an eye on sequencing the steps of the African dig into phases. Each phase is a
stage in a process. While I read, listen for important facts during the first phase of the
African dig.
Unit 2 • Lesson 8 139
Model
Read Steps 1–4. Model how to complete the logbook.
Step 1: We’ve Got Some!
The Touareg lead the team to a special place. Bones stick out of desert rock.
The Touareg tell the scientists their legend. These bones belong to the giant beast,
Jobar.
Step 2: Digging In
The dig begins. They use hammers, chisels, and drills. They work for 10
weeks. A huge skeleton emerges. It has been buried for 135 million years! Fifteen
tons of rock cover it. The team carefully takes the bones from the rock.
Step 3: Wrap It Up
They have to make “jackets” to protect the fossils. They cover the bones
with paper or foil. They cut burlap strips and dip them in plaster. They wrap each
bone with the burlap strips. First, they cover one side. The strip dries into a hard
jacket. Then, they cover the other side. They number the jackets. They log each
number in the dig’s log.
Step 4: Move It Out
The team must take the bones to their lab in Chicago. Twenty tons of bones
have to be moved. Some weigh more than 500 pounds. There is no easy way to
move them. They use a tripod, pulleys, rope, and a chain. They load the bones
onto trucks. They drive 1,000 miles to a port in Ghana. They put the bones on
a ship, which takes them across the Atlantic. Then, the bones are shipped to
Chicago.
Since our logbook has to do with the steps of the dig, we will start our note-taking
with Step 1. What is the most important event or fact in Step 1? (found dig site in
Niger, Africa) I will take notes, starting each phrase with an action verb to show how
the action took place over time at different places. While I take notes on the board,
you take the same notes in your logbook.
Let’s write an important event from Step 2. (dug up a dinosaur skeleton)
How about Step 3? (numbered and wrapped the fossils to protect them)
Let’s continue with Step 4. (shipped the bones to Chicago) We just took notes about
how the dinosaur bones were collected.
140 Unit 2 • Lesson 8
Guided Practice
Repeat this process with a partner, taking notes on the second phase of the dig as
I read the text. Read Steps 5–7.
Step 5: Unwrap It
The team carefully opens each piece and cleans each bone. They match the
numbers on the jackets to the numbers in the dig’s log. The bones are put in the
right order. Now it’s time to rebuild the skeleton.
Step 6: Clean ’Em Up
This step takes two years and hundreds of hours. They use dental tools, tiny
jackhammers, and chemicals. The work is careful and precise. They have to clean
more than 200 bones. These bones came from the adult Jobaria. But they have
some other bones as well. These are from young Jobaria. They clean these bones
too.
Step 7: And the Missing Pieces?
They have good luck! They have almost all of the adult’s bones. What about
the ones that are missing? They fill in the missing bones by making them out of
foam and clay.
Give partners ample time to complete the task.
Unit 2 • Lesson 8 141
Independent Practice
Now, you will work independently to take notes on the final phase, displaying the
dinosaur bones. Read Steps 8–10 and the conclusion.
Step 8: Make a Plan
All of the bones are clean. The missing bones are made. At last, they can
make a model. From it, they create a blueprint. This is the plan to rebuild the
skeleton. First, they lay out the tail bones. They place them in order. Next, they
study how to put the bones back together. Now, they can see the huge size of the
dinosaur.
Step 9: Copy the Fossils
Jobaria’s bones are too heavy and fragile to put together. Dr. Sereno’s team
wants to display the dinosaur. What can they do? They copy the skeleton. They
make molds. They create copies of the bones.
Step 10: Stack It Up
They attach the casts of the bones to a steel frame. The hard steel frame is
covered by the bones.
Finally: Share the Discovery!
They paint the casts to look like the real fossils. They are white with tints of
green and red. These colors come from copper and iron in the soil. At last, they
pose the dinosaur. It looks so real! You can almost hear that dinosaur roar!
Give students ample time to complete the task.
Note: Base the number of modeled and guided examples on student ability and progress.
Challenge them with independent practice when appropriate.
142 Unit 2 • Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•List tools and materials needed for a dig in the desert.
• Write three sentences about a friend using a subject, predicate, and direct object.
• Write five how questions you would ask a new student in class.
Writing
Objectives
•Summarize notes.
•Orally retell key information from an informational text.
•Write a topic sentence for an explanatory paragraph.
•Write an explanatory paragraph, including supporting details, transitions, and
elaborations.
Prepare to Write
Today, we will use our notes to develop an explanatory paragraph. Think about the
parts of a paragraph that we explored in Lesson 7. We will need to develop a topic
sentence and supporting details. We will include transitions to improve the flow of our
paragraph. We will also want to add some elaborations for each supporting detail. We
will finish by restating our topic sentence in a conclusion.
Direct students to pages 75 and 76 in their Student Books. On the board, write Identify
the main phases in the dig for Jobaria. To help us establish a purpose for writing,
consider the prompt displayed on the board. Often you will have a specific prompt for
a writing assignment. We will use this prompt and our log to create a paragraph. Let’s
take a closer look at the prompt. Circle main phases. Explain that a phase is a stage
in a process. Tell students the name for each stage and its description will need to be
included in the paragraph.
Look at the first four steps in your log. What was the purpose of those steps? Discuss
briefly and have students write the purpose on the lines labeled Phase 1. Continue
with the sets of steps for Phases 2 and 3. Explain to students that these three purposes
are the main phases of the dig.
Unit 2 • Lesson 9 143
Lesson 8 | Reading
Lesson 8 | Reading
Take Note: Writing a Log of Events
Take Note: Writing a Log of Events (cont.)
Take notes for each step of the dig. Start each note with a strong verb or
action word.
Logbook
Logbook
Phase 1:
Collecting
the
dinosaur
bones
found dig site in Niger, Africa
Step 1: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
dug up a dinosaur skeleton
Step 2: _______________________________________________________
Phase 3:
Displaying
the
dinosaur
bones
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
created copies of bones because too
Step 9: ______________________________________________________
heavy
and fragile
____________________________________________________________
bones
____________________________________________________________
protect them
_____________________________________________________________
painted the bones and displayed the
Finally, ______________________________________________________
shipped the bones to Chicago
Step 4: _______________________________________________________
Putting the
dinosaur
bones
together
____________________________________________________________
covered steel frame with man-made
Step 10: _____________________________________________________
numbered and wrapped the fossils to
Step 3: _______________________________________________________
Phase 2:
made a plan to rebuild skeleton
Step 8: ______________________________________________________
skeleton
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
prepared the bones
Step 5: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
cleaned the bones
Step 6: _______________________________________________________
takes 2 years
_____________________________________________________________
made missing bones out of foam and
Step 7: _______________________________________________________
clay
_____________________________________________________________
Unit 2
Passage Retell
75
76
Unit 2
Review the main phases of the dig by telling your partner about them. Instead of
reading your notes to your partner, use your own words to identify and describe
the phases. I will give you enough time for each of you to explain the phases of the
dig. Provide ample time for students to talk about the passage with their partners.
Expressing your thoughts aloud is a good strategy to use when you have a writing
assignment. It will help you put your thoughts in order and clarify what you know
about the topic.
144 Unit 2 • Lesson 9
Number Topic Sentence
The phases have been identified, and you have had a chance to clarify your thoughts
using your notes. To begin writing our paragraph, we need to start by developing our
topic sentence. It will define the content we need to include in our paragraph.
In the preceding unit, we learned how to write an IVF topic sentence. This type of
topic sentence is especially good for summary paragraphs. We’re writing a paragraph
today where we want to explain the phases of the dig, so we will learn to write a
different kind of topic sentence. When we have a certain number of things to include
in a paragraph, a number topic sentence will help organize our thoughts. The sentence
has two parts. First, it identifies the topic, and then it requires a number word that
tells how many supporting details will be included in the paragraph.
Direct students to page 77 in their
Student Books. Read the instructions
for Part A. Read the first topic
sentence.
What do you think this paragraph
will be about? (cities, pollution) What
words provide clues for the topic?
(cities, serious pollution problems)
Underline those words. They tell us
the paragraph will be about cities
with serious pollution problems. How
many cities will the paragraph address?
(three) Circle it. The writer will need
to tell us about three cities and their
serious pollution problems. As a
reader, the topic sentence should help
you anticipate what’s coming next.
A good topic sentence helps a writer
organize his or her thoughts.
As a class, complete the remaining
topic sentences using the questions to
guide discussion about each one. Make
sure students underline the words that
define the topic and circle the number
words.
Lesson 9 | Writing
Number Topic Sentence
Part A
Read each topic sentence and underline the words that tell about the
topic. Circle the number word. Answer the questions orally for each topic
sentence.
1. Three cities have serious pollution problems.
2. Maps have multiple layers of information.
3. In winter, I watch two high school sports.
4. I enjoy several kinds of music.
5. At our school, the band raises money in three ways.
What is the topic? What will the writer need to tell about the topic?
Part B
Write a number topic sentence using the topic and supporting details provided.
1. Topic: what makes bats unusual
Supporting Details:
can fly
use sonar
Two abilities make bats unusual
Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________
mammals.
2. Topic: mammals
Supporting Details:
warm-blooded
breathe air
have hair
live births
Mammals have several distinct
Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________
features.
3. Topic: main phases in the dig for Jobaria
Supporting Details:
collecting the dinosaur bones
putting the dinosaur bones together
displaying the dinosaur bones
The dig for Jobaria had three
Topic Sentence: __________________________________________________
main phases.
Unit 2
77
We’ve examined five good examples of number topic sentences. Now, we need to
practice writing our own topic sentences. Direct students to Part B at the bottom of
page 77 and read the instructions aloud.
Look at the first topic along with its supporting details. Read it aloud. How many
details are to be included? (two) The paragraph will focus on two ways that bats are
unusual. The details are things that bats can do, but we do not want to use the word
thing in our topic sentence. Can you think of another word for “things bats can do”?
(abilities, attributes, actions) Our topic sentence could be: Two abilities make bats
unusual mammals. Write it as our first topic sentence.
Unit 2 • Lesson 9 145
As a class, complete the next item, guiding students to write another number topic
sentence about mammals. Our third prompt gives us the information we need to
write the topic sentence for our assignment. Considering the topic and the supporting
details, what do you think our topic sentence should be? (The dig for Jobaria had three
main phases.) Discourage students from saying, There were three main phases in the
dig for Jobaria. Consider writing There are on the board and drawing a circle around
the words with a line through them to indicate that terminology isn’t allowed.
Explanatory Sequence Paragraph
Guide students in developing an explanatory sequence paragraph.
Notebook paper
Steps for Paragraph
Writing poster
Have students get out a sheet of lined paper. Let’s work together to write an
explanatory paragraph. We have decided on our topic sentence, so we’ll start by
writing it on the top line. Write the topic sentence on the board. Look at your logbook
and identify what happened in the first phase. (gathering dinosaur bones) We can use
that information to write our first supporting detail. Write it on the board. Students
should copy the sentences on their paper as they are discussed and written on the
board. We will add elaborations under each supporting detail. These will come from
the notes you took for each step. Have students provide good elaboration sentences
from their notes and write them on the board.
Continue working through the sentences of the paragraph. Use student-generated
sentences if they are able to put the details into complete sentences. If they struggle,
take their ideas and work them into the model paragraph. The goal of the activity is to
model the process for writing an explanatory paragraph. It is not to expect students to
work through the process independently and generate their own paragraphs.
Example Explanatory Paragraph
The dig for Jobaria had three main phases. The first phase was
gathering the dinosaur bones. The team members used special tools
to dig up the bones. They wrapped the bones carefully and sent them
to Chicago. The second phase was putting the bones together. The
team cleaned all the bones. Then they made missing bones. The third
phase was displaying the bones. The team made copies of bones.
Then, the team attached the copies to a steel frame. Finally, they
painted the dinosaur and displayed it for everyone to see. Thanks to
the team’s hard work, many people will be able to see and learn about
Jobaria.
146 Unit 2 • Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson Opener
Before the lesson, choose one of the following activities to write on the board or post
on the LANGUAGE! Live Class Wall online.
•What are the steps you take to get ready in the morning? Use transition words to write
a sequence of events.
•Write five sentences about dinosaur bones. Identify the subject, predicate, and direct
object in each sentence.
•Write four sentences with at least two vocabulary words in each. Show you know the
meanings. (desert, emerge, fragile, precise, pulley, port, create, display)
Vocabulary
Objectives
• Clarify the meaning of key passage vocabulary.
• Demonstrate an understanding of passage vocabulary by using words in sentences.
Review
Lesson 1 | Vocabulary
Key Passage Vocabulary: “Africa Digs”
Direct students to page 42 in their Student Books.
Remind them of the review procedure. Have partners review the
Key Passage Vocabulary.
Rate your knowledge of the words. Define the words. Draw a picture
to help you remember the definition.
Review Procedure
• Student A reads the word.
• Student B tells the meaning.
•Students swap roles for each word.
Have students revisit their rating of the words. If they cannot
change all ratings to a 3, pull them aside to discuss the
vocabulary words they do not know.
42
Vocabulary
Knowledge
Rating
Defi nition
desert
0 1 2 3
dry place with
few plants
emerge
0 1 2 3
Picture
to come out of
or appear
small wheel over
which a rope
moves to help lift
or move objects
a place on the
water where
people load and
unload ships
exact or pays
attention to
details
pulley
0 1 2 3
port
0 1 2 3
precise
0 1 2 3
create
0 1 2 3
to make
fragile
0 1 2 3
easily broken or
delicate
display
0 1 2 3
to show or put
something in
a place where
others can see it
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 10 147
Cloze Activity
Lesson 10 | Vocabulary
Now, we will read a paragraph. You
will determine which vocabulary
words are missing and write them on
the lines.
Using New Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate vocabulary words. If you need
assistance, use the word bank at the bottom of the page.
There is a legend about a giant beast that used to live in the
desert in Africa. Scientists went there to dig for the
________________
Direct students to page 78 in their
Student Books. Remind them of the
cloze procedure.
fragile bones. The scientists needed to be ________________
precise in
________________
emerged
where and how they dug. With careful digging, the bones ________________
from the desert. Because they were so heavy, the bones had to be
pulleys The nearest
loaded onto trucks using tripods and ________________.
Cloze Procedure
port
________________
was 1,000 miles away. After the bones were shipped to
•Teacher reads the text aloud,
pausing at the blanks for
students to write.
•Students fill in the blanks with
words from the word bank.
•Teacher rereads the text as
students chorally tell the
correct word for each blank.
•Students correct errors.
create
Chicago, they were cleaned. They used foam and clay to ________________
display for
the missing pieces. At last, they had a dinosaur to ________________
everyone to see.
Word Bank
78
148 Unit 2 • Lesson 10
Unit 2
display
port
emerged
pulleys
fragile
desert
create
precise
Grammar
Objectives
•Demonstrate an understanding of the function of singular nouns, plural nouns, and
singular possessive nouns.
• Use singular nouns, plural nouns, and singular possessive nouns in sentences.
Plural -s, Singular Possessive Nouns
We learned the -s ending can make a singular noun into a plural noun. The -’s ending
shows possession.
Prepare noun index
cards.
Use this list of nouns to prepare index cards for this activity:
bibs
bag pals rags man’sRick’s kid’s mat lid
bill
cans cup bat’s Sam’sfox pans jazz sack
ratshat
I have prepared index cards that contain either a plural noun, a singular noun, or a
singular possessive noun. The class will be divided into teams, and you can earn points
for your team if you can do two things with the word you pick. To earn one point,
you have to properly identify its category: singular noun, plural noun, or singular
possessive noun. To earn a second point, you have to use it correctly in a sentence.
A member from each team will pick a card. Teammates can help if you have a question
about the category or a sentence. You will only have one minute to decide on the
category and think of a sentence. You need to listen as the other team presents its
word, so you can challenge an answer if you think it’s incorrect.
Write the three categories on the board. As students identify the category, have
them tape the index cards under the correct heading. This is a quick activity. Tell
students they have to work quickly so they can earn as many points as possible in the
allotted time.
Unit 2 • Lesson 10 149
Reading
Objectives
• Discuss the main idea and key details from an informational text.
• Demonstrate an understanding of basic sentence structure.
Sentence Sequencing
Timer
Prepare word index
cards.
Prepare word cards. Each word from the sentences below needs a separate card.
Include capitalization and punctuation only if your students won’t be able to do the
activity without it. All cards for each complete sentence will go into one envelope or
plastic bag. Each group of students will need a set of envelopes or plastic bags—one
for each of the sentences you choose. Groups will compete using the same scrambled
sentence to see who can unscramble it the fastest.
Students within each group take one word and stand in their area and physically put
themselves and their word in the right order.
•One group member is the manager and is responsible for distributing the words
and working to help put everyone in the right place in their “human” sentence.
•You will provide a set amount of time to complete the task.
•Every group that has successfully unscrambled its sentence before time is up
earns a point.
Example Decodable Sentences
Jack was sick of him.
Dan is at the back of the mill.
The pup ran in the mud.
The cubs have fun in the sun.
Jan fits the cup in the rack.
Yuck, a bug is in the cup!
To understand passages, you have to understand the individual sentences that make
up the text. To strengthen your comprehension skills at the sentence level, you will
work in small groups to unscramble sentences. Each of you will represent a word in
a sentence, and you will work as quickly as you can to physically put your sentence in
order. All the groups will work with the same scrambled sentence, and your goal is to
unscramble it before time is up.
Model the sentence: They had the bone in the dig bag. Distribute index cards to
individuals with one word from the sentence written on each. Have students stand in
the front of the class and put themselves in the proper order. Time them to see how
long it takes them to figure out the sentence. Then, have the class chorally read the
sentence.
Once you have modeled the activity, have student teams participate.
150 Unit 2 • Lesson 10
Big Idea
Direct students to page 41 in their
Student Books.
Before we began reading “Africa Digs,”
we answered two Big Idea questions.
Turn to page 41 in your Student Books
and take a look at your answers.
Now that we have read the passage
thoroughly and have developed a
deeper understanding of the topic,
have your answers changed? Have you
learned additional facts that support or
challenge your answers?
Discuss the questions and answers
with the class. Have students
determine whether the questions could
be answered with the text, or if they
need to do additional reading.
Lesson 1 | Reading
Let’s Focus: “Africa Digs”
Content Focus
digging in Africa
Type of Text
informational
Big Ideas
Consider the following Big Idea questions. Write your answer for each question.
What can we learn from fossils?
Why is it hard to recover fossils?
Work with your teacher to follow these instructions using the map.

Place an X to mark where you live.

Mark a C on Chicago.

Label the Atlantic Ocean.
Reading for a Purpose
1. Who led the dig in Niger, Africa?
2. Why did Dr. Sereno need help from the Touareg tribe?
3. How did the dig team protect the fossils?
4. How did the dig team load the bones onto trucks?
5. How did the scientists clean the bones?
6. Why did Dr. Sereno’s team make bones?
7. What did the team create to help build the skeleton?
8. How did they make the casts look like real fossils?
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 10 41
151
Writing
Objective
•Demonstrate an understanding of sentence structure by creating sentences from
noun and verb phrases.
• Respond to questions orally.
Oral Language
We learned several new questions we can ask about sentences in this unit that help us
monitor our understanding of text as well as expand our written thoughts. To become
more automatic with this questioning strategy, we will play a game where quick
thinking matters.
Timer
Each of you will take a turn providing an answer to a question. You have to think
quickly because the clock will be running. We will monitor our time as a class to see if
we’re getting faster with our thinking.
Let’s practice with one of our most basic questions—who or what did it? We answer
this question to find the subject of a sentence. Without the timer, everyone will take
turns answering this question. Remember, your answer can be a single word or a
group of words. Your answer must be accurate, and it cannot be a duplication, so you
need to listen to all of the answers.
Work methodically through the class to give everyone a chance to generate a response.
Choose a subject noun to write on the board, and ask the what did they do question.
Start the timer and see how long it takes for the entire class to respond. Add a
predicate to the subject on the board and ask students to answer the how question. Set
the timer again to see if students can better their time. End with the what did they do
it to question and make note of the class’s best time.
Example Answers to Questions
Who or What?
The pigs
What did they do?
kick
How?happily
What did they do it to? the mud
152 Unit 2 • Lesson 10
Grammar
Objectives for Content Mastery
•Demonstrate an understanding of plural nouns and singular possessive nouns.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the function of direct objects in a sentence.
Plural -s and Singular Possessives
Follow the procedure outlined below for each of the Grammar Content Mastery
questions.
Content Mastery Procedure
•Teacher reminds students to follow along with their pencils and listen.
•Teacher reads the question.
•Teacher reads each answer choice.
•Students choose the correct answer.
•Teacher repeats the question as students check their answers.
Direct students to page 79 in their
Student Books.
Let’s look at the example first. Read the
example aloud to students.
Listen: Which word in the following
sentence is a singular possessive noun?
The boys went over to their friend’s
house to play video games. Fill in the
bubble for your answer.
A games
B house
C friend’s
D boys
Which bubble did you fill in? You
should have filled in C, “friends.”
We know that the word friend’s is a
possessive noun because it refers to a
person and it ends with -’s. If it was a
plural noun, it would end in -s with no
apostrophe.
Follow along as I read aloud the
sentences and possible answers. Fill in
the bubble for your answer choice.
Lesson 10 | Grammar Content Mastery
Plural -s and Singular Possessives
Listen to the sentences and possible answers. Fill in the bubble for your
answer choice.
Example: Which word in the following sentence is a singular
possessive noun?
The boys went over to their friend’s house to play video games.
A games
B house
C friend’s
D boys
1. Which word in the following sentence
is a singular possessive noun?
My dad’s car needs new brakes
and wipers.
A brakes
B dad’s
C wipers
D car
2. Which word in the following sentence
is a plural noun?
The team’s players were hoping
to make one more goal.
A team’s
B players
C more
D goal
4. Which word in the following sentence
is a plural noun?
The puppy’s toys were all over the floor.
A toys
B all
C puppy’s
D floor
5. Which word in the following sentence
is a plural noun?
The pet store’s kittens are in a box
in the window.
A box
B window
C kittens
D store’s
3. Which word in the following sentence
is a singular possessive noun?
The store’s window displays were
full of funny hats.
A hats
B window
C displays
D store’s
Unit 2
Unit 2 • Lesson 10 79
153
Use the following recommendations to reinforce or reteach according to student
performance.
If…
Then…
Students miss 2 questions
Review the questions in a small group or individual
setting, offering answer explanations.
Students miss 3 or more
questions
Reteach the elements taught in Lessons 2, 3, and 4 in a
small group or individual setting. Unmarked copies of the
student page can be reprinted from the Teacher Resources
online.
Direct Objects
Lesson 10 | Grammar Content Mastery
Direct students to page 80 in their
Student Books.
Direct Objects
Listen to the sentences and possible answers. Fill in the bubble for your
answer choice.
Example: Which word in the following sentence is the direct object?
Let’s look at the example first. Read the
example aloud to students.
Listen: Which word in the following
sentence is the direct object? Peter
passed the ball to his friend. Fill in the
bubble for your answer.
A ball
Peter passed the ball to his friend.
A ball
B Peter
C friend
D his
1. Which word in the following sentence
is the direct object?
My sister poured the juice into the glass.
A My
B sister
C juice
D glass
2. Which word in the following sentence
is the direct object?
B Peter
The man bought our old washer and
hauled it off in his truck.
A truck
B man
C it
D washer
C friend
D his
Which bubble did you fill in? You
should have filled in A, “ball.” A direct
object answers the question what did
they do it to? The ball is what Peter did
something to. He passed it.
Follow along as I read aloud the
sentences and possible answers. Fill in
the bubble for your answer choice.
4. Which word in the following sentence
is the direct object?
I hung my coat on a hook in my room.
A coat
B I
C room
D hook
5. Which word in the following sentence
is the direct object?
We put the cookies in the oven for
ten minutes.
A minutes
B cookies
C oven
D We
3. Which word in the following sentence
is the direct object?
The storm blew the leaves off the trees.
A trees
B leaves
C off
D storm
80
Unit 2
Use the following recommendations to reinforce or reteach according to student
performance.
154 If…
Then…
Students miss 2 questions
Review the questions in a small group or individual
setting, offering answer explanations.
Students miss 3 or more
questions
Reteach the elements taught in Lesson 8 in a small group
or individual setting. Unmarked copies of the student page
can be reprinted from the Teacher Resources online.
Unit 2 • Lesson 10
Vocabulary
Objective for Content Mastery
• Identify antonyms.
Antonyms
Follow the procedure outlined below for the Vocabulary Content Mastery questions.
Content Mastery Procedure
•Teacher reminds students to follow along with their pencils and listen.
•Teacher reads the question.
•Teacher reads each answer choice.
•Students choose the correct answer.
•Teacher repeats the question as students check their answers.
Direct students to page 81 in their
Student Books.
Let’s look at the example first. Read the
example aloud to students.
Listen: Which word is an antonym
for inside? Fill in the bubble for your
answer.
A around
B into
Lesson 10 | Vocabulary Content Mastery
Antonyms
Listen to the questions and possible answers. Fill in the bubble for your
answer choice.
Example: Which word is an antonym for inside?
A
B
C
D
around
into
beside
outside
1. Which word is an antonym
4. Which word is an antonym
2. Which word is an antonym
5. Which word is an antonym
for full?
A stuffed
B empty
C ready
D missing
for quiet?
A loud
B silent
C still
D afraid
Cbeside
D outside
Which bubble did you fill in? You
should have filled in the bubble for D,
“outside.” The opposite, or antonym, of
the word inside is outside.
for sunrise?
A noon
B afternoon
C sunset
D night
for come?
A arrive
B travel
C wait
D go
3. Which word is an antonym
for shouting?
A whispering
B talking
C arguing
D screaming
Follow along as I read aloud each word
and the possible answers. Choose the
word that is an antonym for the first
word I read. Fill in the bubble for your
answer choice.
Unit 2
81
Use the following recommendations to
reinforce or reteach according to student performance.
If…
Then…
Students miss 2 questions
Review the questions in a small group or individual
setting, offering answer explanations.
Students miss 3 or more
questions
Reteach the elements taught in Lesson 3 in a small group
or individual setting. Unmarked copies of the student page
can be reprinted from the Teacher Resources online.
Unit 2 • Lesson 10 155