When you’re done you may…
Take an Accelerated Reader quiz on The Ballad
of Mulan. Look in the “Other Quizzes” area for
this test.
# _____
Name _______________________
The Ballad of Mulan
Retold by Song Nan Zhang
Write your score here:
_____ correct out of _____
Go to www.eduplace.com/kids to write a review
of the story and post it on Education Place.
Created by Tracey Ortiz-Naney for use with Houghton-Mifflin
Reading.
Directions: After reading The Ballad of Mulan, illustrate
this cover with a drawing of your favorite part of the story.
Meet the Author & Illustrator
The author and illustrator of this story is
___________________________________.
When and where was the author born?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Where does the author live now?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Language Link: “Chinese the Write Way”
Read “Chinese the Write Way” by Susan Willis on pages
88 – 91. Then complete this page, using complete
sentences.
1. Do you think the family in the story made the right
decision to return to their earlier ways? Why or why
not?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2. List the sequence of events in the story.
_______________________________________
What other books has he written?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Strategy Focus: Monitor/Clarify
Structural Analysis: Syllabication
Monitor/Clarify means ____________________
Breaking an unfamiliar word into syllables – or
word parts – can help you pronounce it.
• Every word part needs a vowel sound.
• A compound word is divided between
the two words that form it.
night / fall
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
As you read, be sure to monitor your
understanding of the story and reread to clarify
anything you don’t understand.
• In words with a VCCV pattern, syllables
are often divided between the two
consonants.
yel / low
vc / cv
Label the vowels and consonants in the following
words. Then draw a line between the syllables in
each word.
elder
saddle
welcome
mirror
danger
rabbits
Now complete PB page 28.
Making Predictions
Now that you’ve read a page of the story, make
two predictions about what will happen in the rest
of the story. Remember to use complete
sentences.
1. _____________________________________
_______________________________________
2. _____________________________________
_______________________________________
Segment 1 Questions
Comprehension Skill: Making Judgments
Do you think the hardships that Mulan has to
endure will get easier?
_______________________________________
As you read, you can form opinions about story
characters and events by looking at specific story
details and using your own knowledge.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Why do you think the soldiers do not figure out
that Mulan is a woman?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
After reading segment 1 of the story, have your
predictions changed? Yes No
Write one new prediction about the rest of the
story.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Based on the details from the story, do you think
that Mulan knows anything about being a
soldier?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Do you think Mulan’s decision to fight in her
father’s place is a good idea? Fill in the Pros and
Cons chart below with details from the story.
Pros
Cons
Think About the Selection
Choose a question about The Ballad of Mulan
from page 86 to answer below. Remember to
use complete sentences.
Question # _____
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
End of Story Questions
Would you say that a story such as Mulan’s
could really happen? Explain your answer.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
What would you expect Mulan to do now that she
is home?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Now, complete PB page 25.
_______________________________________
Key Vocabulary
Grammar: Kinds of Sentences
Look each vocabulary word up in the glossary of
your reading book. Use the lines to write the
definition of the word and the box to draw a
picture to help you remember its meaning.
There are four kinds of sentences:
1. A statement tells something. It ends with
a period.
2. A question asks something. It ends with a
question mark.
3. A command tells someone to do
something. It ends with a period.
4. An exclamation shows strong feeling. It
ends with an exclamation point.
armor
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Read each sentence below. Add the proper
ending punctuation to each sentence. On the
line, write what kind of sentence it is.
_______________________________________
1. Did Mulan surprise you
______________
_______________________________________
2. She saved her father’s life
______________
endured
3. Tell me another story
______________
_______________________________________
4. What a frightening battle it was ___________
_______________________________________
5. What did she do next
comrades
______________
_______________________________________
Now complete PB pages 33-35.
Information & Study Skills:
Using the Dictionary
farewell
_______________________________________
Using a dictionary can help you become better
speakers, readers, and writers.
_______________________________________
What is a dictionary?
_______________________________________
triumphant
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Alphabetical Order
All the words are in ABC order from A to Z.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
troops
_______________________________________
Guide Words
Within each letter, there are guide words at the
top of each page. These words are the first and
last words on the page.
Entry Word
Each word defined in the dictionary is called an
entry word. Entry words are printed in bold
print.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
victorious
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Now complete PB page 23.
Vocabulary: Multiple Meaning Words
For words with multiple meanings, the most
commonly used meaning appears as the first
definition. Often a sample phrase or sentence
illustrates how the word is used.
Write the correct definition of the underlined
word.
1. “What troubles you?” Mulan’s mother asked.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Comprehension Skill: Making Inferences
Authors don’t always tell everything they want
their readers to know. By leaving some
information out, authors allow readers to become
active participants in the story.
Use your own personal experiences and
knowledge along with story clues to make
inferences about story characters, events, or
settings.
Reread pages 66-67 of the story. Fill in the chart
below with details that will help you infer how
Mulan feels.
Story Clue
What I Know
Inference
2. The war caused trouble for many years.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
3. The town went to great trouble to welcome
Mulan home.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Now complete PB page 32.
Now complete PB pages 24,26, and 27.
Introduce Yourself and Others
Improving Your Writing:
Capitalizing Days and Months
A good introduction includes:
• The person’s name
• Where they are from
• Something special about the person,
such as a hobby or interest
Prepare to introduce yourself to the class by
filling in the following information.
Your Name _____________________________
Where are you from? _____________________
_______________________________________
The days of the week and months of
the year begin with a capital letter.
Capitalize the following days and dates correctly.
1. sunday
___________________
2. friday, November 18 ___________________
3. saturday
___________________
4. monday, january 7
___________________
5. thursday
___________________
6. tuesday, may 8
___________________
7. wednesday
___________________
What are some hobbies/interests that you have?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Make sure that you respond properly to an
introduction by responding with a phrase like,
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” or “It’s nice to
meet you.”
Now complete PB page 37.
Spelling Pretest
1.
____________________
2.
____________________
3.
____________________
4.
____________________
5.
____________________
6.
____________________
7.
____________________
8.
____________________
9.
____________________
10.
____________________
11.
____________________
12.
____________________
13.
____________________
14.
____________________
Short O Words
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
____________________
Short U Words
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
____________________
Challenge Words
1.
____________________
2.
____________________
Highlight the words you missed on this week’s
spelling list.
Now complete PB pages 29-31.