1 “Fabulous Fabergé Eggs,” written by Cynthia Kennedy Henzel.
2 3 4 5 6 Alexander III, the czar (ZAR) of Russia, wanted to give his wife, the czarina (zar-EE-nuh), a special gift
for Easter. He asked a goldsmith named Carl Fabergé to make a wonderful Easter egg. The egg was delivered on
Easter in 1885. It was made of gold with a glassy white shell that opened like a box. Czarina Maria opened the shell
and discovered a golden yolk. Inside the yolk was a carved hen made of gold, and inside the hen were a gold crown
and a tiny ruby egg. Czarina Maria loved it!
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 So, the Romanov family began a tradition. Each year, Czar Alexander asked Fabergé to make a new
Easter egg for his wife. After Alexander’s death in 1894, his son Nicholas gave both his mother and his wife an
Easter egg each year. Today, the fifty Fabergé Imperial Eggs given to the czarinas are famous for their history.
They tell the story of the Romanov family, who ruled Russia for three hundred years. They also tell the tale of the
period when they were made, from 1885 to 1917. It was a time of great change that included the Russian
Revolution and the First World War. The eggs are also famously expensive. One, called the Winter Egg, sold in
2002 for $9.6 million.
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Above all, the eggs are some of the world’s most famous—and exquisite—works of art. They owe their
existence to Carl Fabergé. Peter Carl Fabergé was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1846. He worked in his father’s
jewelry shop as a child. When he grew up, he became a goldsmith and studied in many cities in Europe. The
ancient treasures he saw in museums and churches inspired him to create beautiful things. At that time, most people
thought the worth of an object was equal to the weight of the gold and gems it contained. Fabergé thought
differently. He believed that creativity and craftsmanship were as important as gold, silver, and gems. He used this
idea when he took over his father’s business in 1872.
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 The Fabergé factory became known for creating beautiful objects such as decorated boxes, carved animals,
and jewelry. Fabergé was a great craftsman and also a smart businessman. He helped repair and appraise the czar’s
treasures for free. This brought Faberge’s work to the czar’s attention. In time, Fabergé became Goldsmith to the
Imperial Court. He made jewelry and gifts for the royal family and for the czar to give to others, but none of these
creations became as famous as his Easter eggs. The Fabergé eggs are known for their creative designs. Each egg is
unique, and each one has a surprise inside. They are made of metals such as gold and silver or of rock crystal. Some
eggs contain thousands of diamonds and other gems. Fabergé did not make the eggs by himself. He hired hundreds
of craftsmen and craftswomen to work in his factory. A single egg might take over a year for designers, goldsmiths,
jewelers, stonecutters, and miniature makers to create. Fabergé approved the designs and all of the work.
30 31 32 33 Many of the eggs have beautiful enamel on the outside. Enameling is the process of applying powdered
glass over metal, then heating it to make a glassy surface. Fabergé created more than one hundred colors of enamel
to make his unique designs. Some items were coated with many layers of different enamels that made beautiful
colors and patterns. The secret to Fabergé’s enameling process is now lost.
34 35 36 37 38 39 40 The Fabergé Imperial Eggs were created especially for the Romanov family. Many of them represent
events that were important to the czars. For example, Fabergé celebrated the coronation of Nicholas II and
Alexandra with the Coronation Egg. Inside the golden egg is a miniature of the coach that brought Alexandra to the
coronation. Every detail of the coach, from the moving wheels to the crystal windows, is perfect. Many of the eggs
contain portraits of the Romanov family. The blue and gold Czarevich Egg contains a portrait of Nicholas and
Alexandra’s son, Alexei. Fabergé made the egg after Alexei almost died in 1911. More than two thousand
diamonds surround the portrait.
41 42 43 44 45 46 The Fabergé eggs are also known for their playful designs. Six of the eggs have windup figures inside. The
Peacock Egg contains a miniature peacock that walks and opens and closes its tail. The Cockerel Egg has a tiny
rooster that flaps its wings, opens its beak, and crows. Fabergé created a special egg in 1900 in honor of the
completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs across Russia. The silver egg has a map of the railway on the
outside and a model train inside with five tiny cars made of gold. The engine runs when it is wound with a golden
key.
47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 The Romanov family tradition came to a sad end. After the Russian Revolution began in 1917, the czar was
overthrown and the family left St. Petersburg. The new leaders feared that the czar might return to power, so Czar
Nicholas II and his family were killed the next year. The czar’s mother, Maria, fled the country, taking at least one
of the eggs with her. The new Russian government claimed the rest of the czar’s belongings. Over the next years,
they sold jewelry and other treasures, including many of the Easter eggs, to raise money. Armand Hammer, a
famous American businessman, brought ten or more of the eggs to the United States. Other eggs simply
disappeared. The new government also claimed Fabergé’s factory. Carl fled to Europe with most of his family. He
died in Switzerland in 1920. His sons tried without success to keep the business going.
55 56 57 58 59 60 61 Over time, other companies began to use the Fabergé name to sell products such as perfume. In 2007, a
company bought the name. They hired Carl Fabergé’s great-granddaughter Tatiana Fabergé to research the history
of Fabergé. Another great-granddaughter, Sarah Fabergé, creates new egg designs. Records from Russia give
descriptions of all fifty Imperial Eggs that Fabergé made. The whereabouts of forty-three of the eggs are known,
but seven eggs are missing. The forty-three known Fabergé Imperial Eggs are now scattered around the world.
Occasionally, one or more of the eggs is sold. In 2004, a Russian businessman bought nine eggs for around $100
million. Other eggs belong to museums or individuals. Many people dream of finding one of the missing eggs.
62 63 64 65 66 67 68 The dream came true for a scrap metal dealer in the American Midwest, but at first he didn’t know it. He
bought a beautiful gold egg with three sapphires, rose-cut diamonds, and a clock inside for about $14,000 at a flea
market. At the time, he planned to resell the egg for its gold and make a small profit. Instead, he made a fortune.
The egg turned out to be the Third Imperial Egg, believed to be valued at more than $30 million. Alexander III gave
the gold clock egg to Maria on Easter in 1887. In 2014 in London, the public saw that egg for the first time in 112
years. So the next time you’re at a yard sale, keep your eyes open. In the biggest Easter egg hunt in history, the next
find could be yours!
UNIT LESSON PLAN
INSTRUCTOR_______________
DATE___________
CLASS LEVEL _ABE Level C______
Fabulous Fabergé Eggs Unit: 5 days
Topic: April: Easter Reading- Fabulous Fabergé Eggs
Lesson Objectives:
1. Gain a deeper understanding of non-fiction literature through collaboration with peers
2. Analyze the text through in-depth reading, text-dependent questions, study of vocabulary, and
visualization.
3. Determine the author’s purpose for writing.
4. Understand and use commas in a series in a sentence.
5. Watch and discuss the educational video about the Faberge eggs.
CCR Standards Aligned to this Lesson:
RI/RL.4.1 , RI/RL.5.1, RI.4.3, RL.5.4, RI.4.5, SL.5.1 , SL.5.2 , L.5.5, L.4.4 & 5.4
Reading: text dependent questions, strategies of visualization, vocabulary, author’s purpose
Vocabulary: craftsmanship (n.), czar (n.), exquisite (adj.), imperial (adj.), miniature (n.), Russia (n.),
appraise (v.), coronation (n.), czarina (n.), portraits (n.), revolution (n.), tradition (n.)
Visualization: effective readers often visualize, or picture in their minds, information discussed in a
book. Remind or explain to students that visualizing is done on the basis of what they read and their own
prior knowledge of a subject. Explain to students that visualizing helps them to better understand and
remember what they read.
Author’s Purpose: an author usually has a reason, or a purpose, for writing a book. Write the following
terms on the board: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade. Explain that to inform means to give the
reader information about a topic, to entertain means to amuse the reader, and to persuade means to
convince the reader to think or act in a certain way.
Grammar: The use of commas: Review or explain to students that whenever a list of three or more items
is made, a comma must be placed between the items.
Foreign Vocabulary/Language: Discuss with students how different languages have different
pronunciations for letters, and sometimes even different alphabets. Point out to students the Russian
language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which has its own letters and sounds.
Text Dependent Questions
Read this sentence from the passage in
line 14: Above all, the eggs are some of
the world’s most famous—and exquisite—
works of art. What does the word
exquisite mean? Use details from
paragraph 1 to support your answer.
Which foreign word means a male
Russian ruler?
Possible Student Answers
Exquisite means finely made; very beautiful or delicate.
Paragraph 1 states that the egg was made of gold with a
glassy white shell that opened like a box. Czarina Maria
opened the shell and discovered a golden yolk. Inside the
yolk was a carved hen made of gold, and inside the hen were
a gold crown and a tiny ruby egg (lines 4-6). The detail and
beauty found in the eggs makes them very exquisite.
Czar, in line 2, means a male Russian ruler. (Alexander III,
the czar (ZAR) of Russia). The Romanov family ruled
Russia for three hundred years (line 12).
Paragraph 4 (lines 21-29) describe
Use prior knowledge information from the text to make a
Faberge’s work and factory. How does the picture in your mind. I know what jewelry stores look like.
They are filled with beautiful necklaces and earrings, jewel
strategy of visualization help to form a
boxes and clocks. The book described Peter Carl Fabergé as
picture of his factory in your mind?
a goldsmith who believed the craftsmanship was just as
important as the gold, silver, and gems.
On the basis of this information, I visualized his shop as one
filled with amazing creations, crowns and bracelets of the
most beautiful decorations, surprising trinket boxes covered
in gems, and other impressive displays. I imagined a store as
fantastic as the eggs he created.
Why does the author connect the reading
She connects the reading passage to Easter because history
passage to Easter?
of the Faberge eggs was related to Easter celebrations.
Alexander III, the czar of Russia, wanted to give his wife,
the czarina a special gift for Easter. He asked a goldsmith
named Carl Fabergé to make a wonderful Easter egg. The
egg was delivered on Easter in 1885 (lines 2-4). Even after
his father’s death, Nicholas II continued the tradition. So, the
Romanov family began a tradition. Each year, Czar
Alexander asked Fabergé to make a new Easter egg for his
wife. After Alexander’s death in 1894, his son Nicholas gave
both his mother and his wife an Easter egg each year. (lines
4-6). Lines 24-25 state that he made jewelry and gifts for the
royal family and for the czar to give to others, but none of
these creations became as famous as his Easter eggs.
What event occurred before the coronation A coronation is the ceremony in which a new king or queen
of Nicholas II?
is crowned. Alexander’s death occurred before Nicholas II
was crowned the new king. The passage states in lines 8-9
that after Alexander’s death in 1894, his son Nicholas gave
both his mother and his wife an Easter egg each year. To
honor the coronation, Fabergé celebrated the coronation of
Nicholas II and Alexandra with the Coronation Egg. Inside
the golden egg is a miniature of the coach that brought
Alexandra to the coronation (lines 35-37).
What was one result of the Russian
The Romanov family was overthrown. After the Russian
Revolution for the Romanov family? Use Revolution began in 1917, the czar was overthrown and the
evidence from the text to support your
family left St. Petersburg. The new leaders feared that the
answer.
czar might return to power, so Czar Nicholas II and his
family were killed the next year. (lines 47-49).
How did the author organize the
She connected the history of the Faberge eggs to events in
information in the text?
Russian history. They tell the story of the Romanov family,
who ruled Russia for three hundred years. They also tell the
tale of the period when they were made, from 1885 to 1917.
It was a time of great change that included the Russian
Revolution and the First World War (lines 10-12). Fabergé
celebrated the coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra with
the Coronation Egg. (lines 35-36). Fabergé created a special
egg in 1900 in honor of the completion of the Trans-Siberian
Railway, which runs across Russia (lines 43-44).
Describe the important historical chain of Today, the fifty Fabergé Imperial Eggs given to the czarinas
events that is connected with Fabergé
are famous for their history. They tell the story of the
eggs.
Romanov family, who ruled Russia for three hundred years.
They also tell the tale of the period when they were made,
from 1885 to 1917. It was a time of great change that
included the Russian Revolution and the First World War
(lines 9-12). Lines 35-36 state that Fabergé celebrated the
coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra with the
Coronation Egg. And in lines 38-39, the author states that
the blue and gold Czarevich Egg contains a portrait of
Nicholas and Alexandra’s son, Alexei. Fabergé made the egg
after Alexei almost died in 1911.
What effect did the Russian Revolution
After the Russian Revolution began in 1917, the czar was
have on the Romanov family and the
overthrown and the family left St. Petersburg. The new
Fabergé eggs?
leaders feared that the czar might return to power, so Czar
Nicholas II and his family were killed the next year. The
czar’s mother, Maria, fled the country, taking at least one of
the eggs with her. The new Russian government claimed the
rest of the czar’s belongings. Over the next years, they sold
jewelry and other treasures, including many of the Easter
eggs, to raise money. Armand Hammer, a famous American
businessman, brought ten or more of the eggs to the United
States. Other eggs simply disappeared. The new government
also claimed Fabergé’s factory. Carl fled to Europe with
most of his family. He died in Switzerland in 1920. His sons
tried without success to keep the business going (lines 4754).
Why are Fabergé eggs now worth so much The Fabergé eggs are famously expensive because they are
money?
some of the world’s most famous—and exquisite—works of
art (line 14). They are made of metals such as gold and
silver or of rock crystal. Some eggs contain thousands of
diamonds and other gems. Fabergé did not make the eggs by
himself. He hired hundreds of craftsmen and craftswomen to
work in his factory. A single egg might take over a year for
designers, goldsmiths, jewelers, stonecutters, and miniature
makers to create (lines 26-29). The whereabouts of fortythree of the eggs are known, but seven eggs are missing. The
forty-three known Fabergé Imperial Eggs are now scattered
around the world. Occasionally, one or more of the eggs is
sold. (lines 58-60). One, called the Winter Egg, sold in 2002
for $9.6 million (lines 12-13).
As you read paragraph 10 (lines 62-68),
As I read the last page, I pictured a man finding one of the
missing eggs, such as the Third Imperial Egg. I saw him
how does the strategy of visualization
discovering it in an old secondhand shop. He recognized the
enhance the story of finding the missing
golden egg and eagerly opened it. Inside, he found three
egg?
sapphires and a clock. He knew it was the missing egg! I
imagined how exciting it would be to find such a treasure.
Visualizing as I read gave me a connection to these Fabergé
Compare and Contrast: What are some
similarities among the various Fabergé
eggs? What are some differences?
How does the author end the reading
passage? What is the purpose of this
ending?
What is the author’s purpose for writing
this reading passage?
Discuss what parts of the story also
entertain the reader and if any details are
persuasive.
eggs and helped me remember new information about them.
The Fabergé eggs have many similarities. Many of the eggs
have beautiful enamel on the outside (line 30). They tell the
story of the Romanov family, who ruled Russia for three
hundred years. They also tell the tale of the period when they
were made, from 1885 to 1917 (lines 10-11). The eggs are
also famously expensive. They are made of metals such as
gold and silver or of rock crystal. Some eggs contain
thousands of diamonds and other gems (lines 26-27). The
Fabergé eggs also have many differences. Each egg is
unique, and each one has a surprise inside (lines 25-26).
There were Faberge Imperial Eggs and Faberge Easter Eggs.
The Fabergé Imperial Eggs were created especially for the
Romanov family. Many of them represent events that were
important to the czars (lines 34-35). The Coronation Egg,
Trans Siberian Railway Egg, and Portrait Eggs are examples
of the Imperial Eggs. Many of the eggs had playful designs,
such as the Peacock Egg and the Cockerel Egg (lines 42-43).
The author ends the passage with a description of the dealer
who found one of the missing eggs. Instead of selling parts
of the egg for profit, he found out that the true value of the
egg was $30 million and that it was the missing Imperial Egg
(line 65). The author emphasizes that because the locations
of some of the eggs are still unknown, it would be possible
to find them at a yard sale or flea market. The author ends
with an entertaining sentence/thought to excite the reader,
and to make the Fabergé eggs relevant. She also again
connects the reading to the Easter holiday (lines 67-68).
The author’s purpose for writing this reading passage is to
inform the reader about the history of the Faberge eggs. She
uses true facts and information to tell the story of the
Faberge eggs, including their recent history.
The first paragraph entertains the reader, because of the way
that the author describes the egg and the czarina’s reaction to
receiving the egg. It was made of gold with a glassy white
shell that opened like a box. Czarina Maria opened the shell
and discovered a golden yolk. Inside the yolk was a carved
hen made of gold, and inside the hen were a gold crown and
a tiny ruby egg. Czarina Maria loved it! (lines 4-6).
Paragraph 7 (lines 41-46) give detailed descriptions of the
different Faberge eggs, and the reader can be entertained by
the emphasis of the detail in the peacock egg, the cockerel
egg, and the railway egg. The final paragraph (paragraph 10,
lines 62-68) can both entertain and persuade the reader. The
story of the dealer finding the egg unexpectedly is
entertaining because it seems like a story that’s too good to
be true. The ending sentence of the paragraph can be seen as
persuasive, because it’s encouraging the reader to go look
for Easter eggs. “So the next time you’re at a yard sale, keep
your eyes open. In the biggest Easter egg hunt in history, the
next find could be yours!” (lines 67-68).
Reading Strategies:
Visualization
1. Remind students that effective readers often visualize, or picture in their minds, information
discussed in a book. Remind or explain to students that visualizing is done on the basis of what
they read and their own prior knowledge of a subject. Explain to students that visualizing helps
them to better understand and remember what they read.
2. Read paragraph 1 aloud to students and model how to visualize. Draw a picture on the board
representing your visualization. Point out to students that visualizations are in our minds, but we
can draw pictures to show what we saw. Discuss with students how your visualization compares
with the photograph.
3. Read paragraph 1 aloud again, and have students close their eyes and visualize while you read.
Remind students their visualization should be their own, not a copy of what you drew or the
photograph in the book. Introduce and explain the visualize worksheet. Ask students to draw what
they visualized on their worksheet.
4. Invite volunteers to share their picture with the rest of the class. Point out to students that the
photograph shows the actual Fabergé egg. Explain to them they should always visualize as they
read, but if they get more accurate information about the subject, they revise their visual image to
reflect the new information they learned.
Author’s Purpose
1. Remind students that an author usually has a reason, or a purpose, for writing a book. Write the
following terms on the board: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade. Explain that to inform
means to give the reader information about a topic, to entertain means to amuse the reader, and to
persuade means to convince the reader to think or act in a certain way.
2. Ask students to give examples to a partner of times when they have said or written something to
inform, entertain, or persuade others. Invite volunteers to share their examples with the rest of the
class.
3. Explain to students that writers often have one of these purposes for writing, or a combination of
two or more. Point out that even when an author has more than one purpose for writing, the author
generally has a main purpose for the book.
4. Model describing an author’s purpose. Think-aloud: To understand a book on a deeper level, I
look at the author’s purpose for writing it. For example, when I read a book about the life of
President Abraham Lincoln, I can surmise that the author’s purpose is to inform me about the
man’s life. If I read a book about ways to live a healthier life, I could describe the author’s
purpose as persuading the reader to live in a healthier way. The only way to truly know an
author’s purpose is by closely reading a book and deciding what effect the author is trying to
achieve. The title of this book is Fabulous Fabergé Eggs. Is the author trying to inform us about
these eggs, entertain us with a story about these eggs, or persuade us about something concerning
these eggs? We will discover the author’s purpose as we read the book.
5. Draw a chart on the board with three columns. Label the first column inform, the second entertain,
and the third persuade. Encourage students to look for evidence that supports any of these
purposes as they read.
Vocabulary:
1. Review with students the correct pronunciation for each word. Point out that the word czar comes
from a different language, which accounts for its unusual pronunciation.
2. Make a word web for the word craftsmanship. Draw a circle, and write the word inside. Then,
draw spokes extending from the central circle and ending in smaller circles. Ask students to
discuss with a partner everything they know about the word craftsmanship. Encourage them to
think about what it means, along with examples of the word. Invite volunteers to share ideas with
the rest of the class, and record key words in the outer circles.
3. Divide students into groups. Pass out a piece of poster paper to each group, and have them draw a
word web. Assign one of the remaining vocabulary words to each group, and have them write it in
the central circle of their web. Then, have groups share details associated with the word and record
key words or pictures in the outer circles. Ask groups to decide on a definition for the word.
4. Have groups share their poster with the rest of the class and explain the definition they created.
Adjust definitions as necessary, and record them on the board.
Grammar:
1. Review or explain to students that whenever a list of three or more items is made, a comma must
be placed between the items. Ask students to share with a partner the items from the sentence on
the board.
2. Read the sentence as if there were no commas, and then read it again with appropriate pauses.
Point out that without commas, the sentence would be difficult to read and understand. Remind
students that this is only one of the uses of commas.
3. Check for understanding: Write several sentences on the board using lists but without the
commas. Have students write the sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Then, have them work
with a partner to determine where to place the commas. Invite volunteers to come to the board and
add commas in the appropriate places, and have other students give a thumbs-up signal if they
agree with the placement.
Listening/Speaking:
Watch the PBS Special “Treasures of the World” which focuses on the Faberge Eggs. Discuss new
information that students learned about the eggs from the video. Also compare and contrast the working
class with the monarchs, and the extremes of poverty and wealth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwoKdDrHO8w
Watch the video from the beginning until 31:53.
How I will scaffold my lessons to reach all of my students' levels:
1. Guide the students in shared reading activities (close reading, chorale reading, reader and
response, scooping for fluency).
2. The class will participate in whole class and small group discussion as we analyze the text.
3. Discuss the meaning and use of vocabulary words in small groups, and divide the students into
multi-level mixed groups to make vocabulary word webs. Use pictures and simplified definitions
for lower-level students who need them.
1. Model Visualization: Model how to visualize as you read. Think-aloud: As I read the last page,
I pictured a woman finding one of the missing eggs, such as the Third Imperial Egg. I saw her
discovering it in an old secondhand shop. She recognized the golden egg and eagerly opened it.
Inside, she found three sapphires and a clock. She knew it was the missing egg! I imagined how
exciting it would be to find such a treasure. Visualizing as I read gave me a connection to these
Fabergé eggs and helped me remember new information about them. Discuss with students how
visualizing helped them to engage with the information in the book. Invite volunteers to share how
visualizing helped them to understand and remember what they read.
2. Model Author’s Purpose: Ask students to identify the author’s main purpose for the book (to
inform). Discuss with students what parts of the book also entertain the reader and if any details
are persuasive. Have students share with a partner how determining the author’s purpose helped
them to better understand the book. Independent practice: Have students complete their author’s
purpose worksheet. Discuss their answers aloud. Add new information to the chart on the board.
3. Grammar: Review or explain to students that whenever a list of three or more items is made, a
comma must be placed between the items. Ask students to share with a partner the items from the
sentence on the board. Check for understanding: Write several sentences on the board using lists
but without the commas. Have students write the sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Then,
have them work with a partner to determine where to place the commas. Invite volunteers to come
to the board and add commas in the appropriate places, and have other students give a thumbs-up
signal if they agree with the placement.
Differentiated instructional techniques:
The students will use different types of graphic organizers to get information about the story. The lowerlevel students can work in pairs to fill out the Character Analysis worksheet. The higher-level students
can work individually to fill out the Character Analysis sheet as they read the story. There will be multilevel mixed groups (low and high level students) to play the vocabulary game together.
How I will assess my students' mastery of the lessons
Consistently use the strategy of visualizing to comprehend the text during discussion and on a worksheet
• Accurately determine the author’s purpose during discussion and on a worksheet
• Correctly use commas in a series during discussion and on a worksheet
• Accurately use foreign vocabulary during discussion and in oral sentences
Suggested Five Day Plan:
1. Day 1: Begin reading the story “Fabulous Fabergé Eggs” (the first page). Answer the text-related
questions for the first page. Discuss the questions and answers as a class, practice reading for
fluency and scooping. Learn the vocabulary from the first page as well. Have students work in
groups to create a word web.
2. Day 2: Continue reading the text (the second page), using reading strategies and scooping for
fluency. Answer the text-related questions for the second page. Discuss the questions and answers
as a class, as well as learn the vocabulary from that page. Have students continue in their groups to
make vocabulary word webs for the vocabulary from that page.
3. Day 3: Teach students the reading strategy of visualization. Model how to visualize for the
students, and then have them fill out visualizations on the worksheet for Paragraphs 1, 6, 7, and
10. Make adjustments on the worksheet accordingly (changing the page numbers to paragraph
numbers). Show students this website that has pictures and descriptions of the all of the eggs that
have been found: http://mieks.com/eng/eggs.htm
4. Day 4: Teach students the reading strategy of Author’s Purpose. Model how to determine the
author’s purpose for a story. Students can complete the graphic organizer for the Author’s
Purpose. Reread the text, and fill out the worksheet according to parts of the story that inform,
entertain, and persuade. Have students discuss what they would do if they found one of the
missing Faberge eggs.
5. Day 5: Teach students the grammar lesson about the use of commas in a series in a sentence.
Model on the board how to use commas in the sentence, and have student identify the commas.
Have them work with a partner to identify the use of commas in several sentences, and check for
understanding. Students can then fill out the commas worksheet, and check it together as a class.
Watch the PBS video about the Faberge Eggs. After watching the video, have a class discussion
about additional information that students learned, as well as different themes presented in the
video.
Vocabulary
appraise (v.) to judge the worth of someone or something after careful
examination
coronation (n.) the ceremony in which a new king or queen is crowned
craftsmanship (n.) great skill in a craft or trade
czar (n.) a male Russian ruler before the Russian Revolution in 1917
czarina (n.) a female Russian ruler before the Russian Revolution in 1917; a
woman married to a czar
exquisite (adj.) finely made; very beautiful or delicate
imperial (adj.) having to do with royalty or an absolute ruler of an empire
miniature (n.) a small-scale model
portraits (n.) drawings, paintings, or photographs of a person
revolution (n.) the removal of a government from power by force and its
replacement with another
Russia (n.) the largest country in the world, located in both Europe and Asia
tradition (n.) a belief or custom that is passed down from year to year and
generation to generation