Grade 6
Teacher’s Manual
sample lesson
Unit 6: Making Inferences, Fiction and
Expository Nonfiction, Week 1
Train to Somewhere
by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler
From the 1850s to the 1920s, around 100,000 children were sent by train from New York
City to small towns and farms in the Midwest, with the hope they would be placed with
caring families. This is the story of 14 children, going west on the Orphan Train, dreaming
of a better life.
Grade 6
Teacher’s Manual
sample lesson
Thinking and Talking About Words
© 2009 Developmental Studies Center
Week 13
Overview
Train to Somewhere
by Eve Bunting,
illustrated by Ronald Himler
(Clarion, 1996)
Words Taught
Word-learning strategies
scrawny
• Recognizing words with multiple
meanings (review)
pry
prosperous
fretful
• Using context to determine word
meanings (review)
down in the dumps
• Using the suffix -ful to determine word
meanings (review)
on top of the world
• Recognizing idioms (review)
Words reviewed: access, boom, fit, official, suppress
do ahead
• Prior to Day 1, review More Strategy Practice on pages 298–299. Write the “Use the Clues” sentences on the board or a sheet of chart paper or make a transparency of the sentences (BLM10).
• Prior to Day 5, collect these word cards for Ongoing Review: 7, 17, 22, 25, and 29.
Grade Six 293
Week 13  Day 1
Day 1
Introduce Scrawny, Pry,
and Prosperous
Words Taught
Materials
•
•
•
•
Train to Somewhere
•
(Optional) Overhead
projector and marker
scrawny (p. 12)
Scrawny means “thin and weak.”
Chart paper
A marker
pry (p. 14)
Pry means “remove, raise, or pull apart with force.” Pry also means
“ask someone personal questions about things he or she does not
want to discuss.”
(Optional) “Use the Clues”
sentences or transparency
(BLM10; see More Strategy
Parctice on pages 298–299)
prosperous
Prosperous means “successful and rich.”
Introduce and Practice
Using Scrawny
Introduce and Define Scrawny
Briefly review Train to Somewhere.
Show pages 12–13 and review that at the train stop people who
might adopt an orphan look the children over. Read page 12 aloud,
stopping after the sentence, “You should get one for your place.”
Emphasize the word scrawny as you read.
Explain that the first word the students will learn today is scrawny
and that scrawny means “thin and weak.”
Explain that a scrawny, or thin and weak, woman picks Mavis Perkins
because she wants a child big and strong enough to do housework.
294 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 1
The scrawny woman tells her scrawny friend Dorothea to take a
child too for the same reason.
Have the students say the word scrawny, and write it on the chart.
Discuss Scrawny
Remind the students that the woman in the story is described as
scrawny, or thin and weak.
Teacher Note
Discuss as a class:
Q
If the students struggle to
answer the question, ask
Why might a person be scrawny?
questions such as, “How
might [lack of food/being sick]
PROMPT: “A person might be scrawny because….”
make a person scrawny?”
Ask:
Q
Would you adopt a scrawny dog? Why? Turn to your partner.
Teacher Note
Have a few students share their
PROMPT: “I [would/would not] adopt a scrawny dog because….”
thinking with the class. Having
only a few students share
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the word.
keeps the lesson moving.
Introduce and Practice
Using Pry
Introduce and Define Pry
Show pages 14–15. Review that, after the scrawny woman leads
Mavis away, a man and woman stop to look at the children. Read
page 14 aloud, stopping after the sentence, “I have to pry Nora’s
fingers from mine.” Emphasize the word pry as you read.
Tell the students that the next word they will learn is pry and that
pry means “remove, raise, or pull apart with force.” Explain that
Nora wants so desperately to stay with Marianne that she grips
Marianne’s hand tightly. Marianne has to pry, or use force to pull,
Nora’s fingers from her own.
You and a volunteer might act
out what Marianne does when
she pries Nora’s fingers from
her own. Have the volunteer
grip your hand. Then gently
pry her fingers loose.
Have the students say the word pry, and write it on the chart.
Grade Six 295
Week 13  Day 1
Discuss Pry
Explain that people sometimes have to pry, or remove, raise, or pull
apart with force, things that are stuck. For example, if a window is
stuck, a person might use a strong stick or metal rod to pry it open.
You might act out prying
Discuss as a class:
open a window or invite
a student to act it out.
Q
What might you use to pry the lid off a can of paint?
PROMPT: “To pry the lid off a can of paint, I might use….”
Ask:
Q
What might you use to pry a piece of dried chewing gum off the
bottom of your shoe? Turn to your partner.
You might have a volunteer
PROMPT: “To pry a piece of dried chewing gum off the bottom of
my shoe, I might use….”
act out prying the lid off a can
of paint and a piece of gum
off the bottom of a shoe.
Discuss Another Meaning of Pry
Remind the students that words often have more than one meaning
and that sometimes the meanings are very different. Point to the
word pry on the chart, and review that in the story pry means
“remove, raise, or pull apart by force.” Explain that pry can also mean
“ask someone personal questions about things he or she does not
want to discuss.”
Teacher Note
Explain that you will read a scenario that includes the word pry.
Partners will decide whether pry means “remove, raise, or pull apart
by force” or “ask someone personal questions about things he or she
does not want to discuss” and explain why they think so.
You might write the two
definitions on the board.
Read the following scenario aloud twice:
•Peter’s friend Alicia keeps a private diary. Peter pries by asking
Alicia, “What did you write in your diary today?”
Ask:
Q
296 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
In the scenario does pry mean “remove, raise, or pull apart by
force” or “ask someone personal questions about things he or
Week 13  Day 1
she does not want to discuss”? Why do you think so? Turn to your
partner. (ask someone personal questions about things he or
she does not want to discuss)
PROMPT: “I think pry means [ask someone personal questions
about things he or she does not want to discuss] because….”
Have volunteers share their thinking.
In the same way, discuss:
•
The desk drawer is stuck. Martin has to pry it open. (remove, raise,
or pull apart by force)
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the word.
Introduce and Practice
U s i n g P r o sp e r o u s
Introduce and Define Prosperous
Show pages 14–15 again, and review that the couple decides to
adopt Nora. Reread page 14 aloud, starting with the sentence, “The
woman has a soft fur muff,” and stopping after the sentence, “A
puppy, just for you.”
Explain that the last word the students will learn today is prosperous
and that prosperous means “successful and rich.”
Teacher Note
You might explain that prosperous
Explain that there are several indications that the couple is
prosperous, or successful and rich. The woman has a soft fur muff,
and the man carries a cane with a gold head. They ride in a carriage.
They have gotten a puppy to give to Nora as a present. They seem to
see Nora as a possible daughter, not as someone who will work for
them for free. All of these suggest that the couple is prosperous.
is related to the word prosper
and that prosper means “succeed,
especially by making money.”
Have the students say the word prosperous, and write it on the chart.
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Week 13  Day 1
Do the Activity “Imagine That!”
Explain that people such as movie stars, sports stars, and popular
musicians sometimes become quite prosperous, or successful and
rich. Explain that businesses can also be prosperous. For example,
computer companies became prosperous when businesses and
families began buying lots of computers.
Ask the students to imagine they are writing a story about a poor
girl who becomes prosperous.
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
Teacher Note
How does the girl become prosperous? What does she do when she
becomes prosperous? [pause] Turn to your partner.
Support struggling students by
PROMPTS: “The girl becomes prosperous because…” and “When
she becomes prosperous, she….”
asking questions such as, “What
special talents might the girl have
that could make her prosperous?”
“What kind of business might
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the word.
she start to become prosperous?”
“How does the girl spend her
free time after she becomes
M o r e S t r at e g y P r a c t i c e
prosperous?” and “How does
she treat other people when she
becomes prosperous?”
Play “Use the Clues”
Display the transparency or write the following sentences on the
board or a sheet of chart paper, leaving blanks as shown:
Jenn was
when her class trip was postponed.
She had never visited an art museum.
When he saw the growling dog turn in his direction, Dennis
. Big, angry dogs frightened him.
continues
298 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 1
M o r e S t r a t e g y P r a c t i c e continued
Remind the students that, when you come to a word you do
not know in your reading, you can sometimes figure out the
meaning of the word by rereading the sentence that includes the
word, or the sentence before or after it, looking for clues. Explain
that today partners will play the game “Use the Clues” in which
they look for clues to a word that is missing from a sentence.
Direct the students’ attention to the first example. Point to the
blank, and explain that, as you read the sentences aloud, you
want the students to think about what the missing word might
be and what words in the sentences are clues to the missing
word. Tell the students that more than one word might make
sense in the sentence and that the word does not have to be
a vocabulary word. Explain that partners may disagree about
the missing word and that is fine. What is important is that the
students explain their thinking.
Read the sentences aloud twice, slowly and clearly, saying
“blank” for the missing word.
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
Teacher Note
Listen as partners share. If the
students cannot suggest a word
or suggest words that are not
supported by the context, call
for attention. Provide a word,
and point out the context
What’s the missing word? What words are clues to the missing
word? [pause] Turn to your partner.
Have a few pairs share their ideas with the class.
clues. Then have the students
discuss the second example.
Teacher Note
Although disappointed and
If necessary, explain that the missing word might be upset or
disappointed and that the words “trip was postponed” and
“she had never visited an art museum” are clues that Jenn was
unhappy about missing a chance to do something she had
never done before.
upset are logical responses, the
Discuss the second example the same way.
Teacher Note
students may reasonably argue
that sad, angry, or another word
is also supported by clues in the
sentence. What is important is that
the students explain their thinking.
Possible responses include
froze, screamed, and ran.
Grade Six 299
Week 13  Day 2
Day 2
Review Scrawny, Pry,
and Prosperous
Words Reviewed
Materials
•
Word chart from Day 1
scrawny
Scrawny means “thin and weak.”
pry
Pry means “remove, raise, or pull apart with force.” Pry also means
“ask someone personal questions about things he or she does not
want to discuss.”
prosperous
Prosperous means “successful and rich.”
Review the Words
Briefly Review the Words
Review the pronunciation and meaning of each word.
Discuss as a class:
Q
Which of the words do you think was especially interesting or fun
to talk about? Why?
PROMPT: “I thought [pry] was especially [interesting/fun] to talk
about because….”
300 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 2
Practice Using the Words
Teacher Note
Support struggling students
Do the Activity “Create a Sentence”
Explain that partners will do the activity “Create a Sentence.” Review
that partners will work together to create sentences that use the
vocabulary words.
Point to the word scrawny on the chart. Review that scrawny means
“thin and weak.” Then use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
by asking questions such as,
“Why might a person or animal
be scrawny?” and “How might a
person or animal become less
scrawny?” If they continue to
struggle, provide a sentence
starter such as, “The kitten
was scrawny because…” or
“Professional weight lifters
How might you use the word scrawny in a sentence? [pause] Turn
to your partner.
are not scrawny because….”
Then repeat the question.
Have partners share their thinking.
When most pairs have finished, have two or three pairs share their
sentences with the class.
Teacher Note
[pry] Support struggling students
by asking questions such as,
Follow up by asking:
“Why might someone pry open
Q
say if someone pried, or asked
Does it make sense to say, [“The kitten was scrawny because it was
only a few days old”]? Why?
PROMPT: “It [does/does not] make sense to say [‘The kitten was
scrawny because it was only a few days old’] because….”
a jar?” and “What might you
you personal questions about
something you didn’t want to
discuss?” If they continue to
struggle, provide a sentence
starter such as, “Ralph pried open
the jar so that…” or “When the
In the same way, have partners work together to use pry and
prosperous in sentences.
stranger pried into Lee’s personal
life, Lee said….”
[prosperous] Support struggling
Have volunteers share their sentences.
students by asking questions
such as, “What kinds of things
does a prosperous person do?”
and “How might a business
become prosperous?” If they
continue to struggle, provide a
sentence starter such as, “If I were
prosperous, I would…” or “The
tennis shoe company became
prosperous because….”
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Week 13  Day 3
Day 3
Introduce Fretful, “Down in the
Dumps,” and “On Top of the World”
Materials
Words Taught
•
•
•
fretful
Fretful means “worried or annoyed.”
Train to Somewhere
Word chart from Day 1
A marker
down in the dumps (p. 24)
“Down in the dumps” means “unhappy.”
on top of the world
“On top of the world” means “very happy.”
Introduce and Practice
Using Fretful
Introduce and Define Fretful and Review
the Suffix -ful
Show pages 20–21. Review that Marianne expects her mother to
be waiting for her at one of the train stops, but her mother has not
appeared. Read page 20 aloud.
Explain that the first word the students will learn today is fretful and
that fretful means “worried or annoyed.” Explain that Marianne is
fretful, or worried, because her mother has not appeared. “Where is
she?” she asks herself. “She must know I might be on this train.”
Ask the students to say the word fretful, and write it on the chart.
Point to the suffix -ful in fretful on the chart, and review that -ful is a
suffix that means “full of.” Explain that when you add -ful to the word
302 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 3
fret, which means “become worried or annoyed,” it makes the word
fretful, which means “full of worry, or worried or annoyed.”
Teacher Note
If you started a chart of -ful
words, add fretful to it.
Play “Is Cecil Fretful?”
Give examples of times people are fretful because they are worried
and because they are annoyed. (You might say, “Some people feel
fretful, or worried, when they go to the dentist. They worry that they
will feel pain and discomfort when the dentist works on their teeth.
Some people become fretful, or annoyed, when they have to wait in
a long line at the supermarket. They become irritated and complain
to the people around them.”)
Explain that you will describe something our imaginary sixth-grade
friend Cecil is doing. Partners will decide whether or not Cecil is
fretful and why they think so.
Begin by reading the following scenario aloud twice, slowly
and clearly.
•
Cecil is sick. He tosses and turns in his bed. His mother brings him
soup. He says, “Yuck, I don’t want this soup. I hate being sick! Being
sick is horrible!”
Ask:
Q
Is Cecil fretful? Why? Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “Cecil [is/is not] fretful because….”
Have volunteers share their thinking.
In the same way, discuss:
•
•
Cecil’s family is having a picnic. It starts raining. Cecil calmly starts
packing everything up and says, “No problem. We can have an
indoor picnic instead.”
Cecil is at the bus station waiting to pick up his grandmother. The
bus is late. Cecil paces (walks) back and forth mumbling, “Why
is the bus so late? Could there have been an accident? Oh, I hope
not. I hope not.”
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Week 13  Day 3
•
Cecil has a test tomorrow. He studies hard for the test. Then he
closes his books, stretches, and says, “I feel pretty confident that I’ll
do well tomorrow.”
For more practice, invite each pair of students to create their own “Is
Cecil Fretful?” scenario and share it with the class.
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the word.
Introduce and Practice
U s i n g “ D o w n i n t h e D u mp s ”
Introduce and Define “Down in the Dumps” and
Review Idioms
Show pages 24–25. Review that after more of the orphans are
adopted in the town of Glover, only three children are left. Read
the first two paragraphs on page 24 aloud, emphasizing the phrase
“down in the dumps.”
Tell the students that next they will discuss the phrase “down in the
dumps,” and explain that “down in the dumps” means “unhappy.”
Explain that Miss Randolph tells the children not to feel down in the
dumps, or unhappy, because they have not been chosen. She urges
them to sing, hoping it will cheer them up.
Have the students say “down in the dumps,” and write it on the chart.
Teacher Note
If you started an idiom chart,
add “down in the dumps” to it.
304 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Point to “down in the dumps” on the chart, and explain that “down
in the dumps” is an idiom. Review that an idiom is “an expression
or phrase that means something different from what it appears to
mean.” Explain that when Miss Randolph says, “We can’t be down
in the dumps, children,” she isn’t talking about actually going to a
dump. She means that the children should not feel unhappy.
Week 13  Day 3
Discuss Feeling Down in the Dumps
Teacher Note
Explain that all of us feel down in the dumps, or
unhappy, occasionally.
Support struggling students
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
When have you felt down in the dumps? [pause] Turn to
your partner.
by asking questions such as,
“When have you felt down in
the dumps because you missed
someone? Because you didn’t
get to do something that
you wanted to do? Because
someone was unkind to you?”
PROMPT: “I felt down in the dumps when….”
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the idiom.
Idioms can be especially
challenging for second language
learners to understand and use. To
help make the meaning of “down
Introduce and Practice
Using “On Top of the World”
Introduce and Define “On Top of the World” and
Review Idioms
Explain that next the students will discuss the idiom “on top of
the world.” Explain that “on top of the world” is opposite in meaning
to “down in the dumps” and that “on top of the world” means
“very happy.”
Explain that, when we say we are on top of the world, we do not
mean that we are actually standing on top of the world. Instead, we
mean that we are feeling so good that it seems as if we have floated
high into the sky and are looking out over the world. We feel as if we
are the happiest person on earth.
in the dumps” clearer, you might
invite volunteers to act out what
they do when they feel down
in the dumps. Alternatively, you
might ask the students to draw
a picture of what they do when
they feel down in the dumps and
then write about their picture.
Teacher Note
If you started an idiom chart, add
Have the students say “on top of the world,” and write it on the chart.
“on top of the world” to it.
Discuss Feeling on Top of the World
Explain that, when you are feeling on top of the world, you are
not just sort of happy, you are very happy. Explain that people
sometimes feel on top of the world when wonderful things happen
to them or when they have done things that required a lot of effort
or took a long time. Give examples of times you or someone you
know was on top of the world. (You might say, “I was on top of the
Grade Six 305
Week 13  Day 3
world on my wedding day and when my children were born. Those
were wonderful occasions. My daughter was on top of the world
when she won a first-place ribbon at the science fair. I’ve never seen
her so happy.”)
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
Teacher Note
When have you felt on top of the world? [pause] Turn to
your partner.
Support struggling students by
asking questions such as, “When
PROMPT: “I felt on top of the world when….”
was the happiest day of your life?”
or “When have you felt so happy
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the idiom.
that you thought, ‘My life cannot
get any better than this?’ ” If the
students cannot think of times
they have felt on top of the world,
ask alternative questions such as,
“What might happen to you that
would make you feel on top of
the world?” or “When have you
seen another person who seemed
to be on top of the world?”
Extension
An Interesting Fact About “Down in the Dumps”
Explain that when we hear the idiom “down in the dumps,” we might
assume that the dumps are garbage dumps. In fact, the word dump
in the idiom is believed to be from the Dutch word domp, which
means “haze, smoke, or vapor that keeps the air from being clear.”
When you are down in the dumps, or unhappy, you feel as if you are
in a haze that hides the bright light of day.
Explain that the meaning of dump, as in garbage dump, is believed
to come from another Dutch word, dompen, which means “to sink in
or fall over.”
306 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 4
Day 4
Review Fretful, “Down in the
Dumps,” and “On Top of the World”
Words Reviewed
Materials
fretful
Fretful means “worried or annoyed.”
•
•
Word chart from Day 3
A marker
down in the dumps
“Down in the dumps” means “unhappy.”
on top of the world
“On top of the world” means “very happy.”
Review the Words
Briefly Review the Words
Review the pronunciation and meaning of each word.
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
Which word or idiom might you use if you were writing a story
about a girl who tries out for the basketball team three times
before she makes the team? How might you use the word?
[pause] Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “I might use the idiom [‘down in the dumps’].
I might write….”
Grade Six 307
Week 13  Day 4
Practice Using the Words
Do the Activity “What Might You Say or Do?”
Explain that you will describe a situation and partners will discuss
what they might say or do.
Point to the word fretful on the chart, and explain that the first
situation includes this word. Read the following scenario aloud
twice, slowly and clearly:
•
You might have volunteers
Your dad said he would pick you up after school. He’s late. You are
feeling fretful.
act out each scenario.
Use “Think, Pair, Share” to discuss:
Q
What might you say or do if you are feeling fretful because your
dad is late? Why? [pause] Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “If I am feeling fretful because my dad is late, I might [call
him on his cell phone and ask him why he is late] because….”
In the same way, discuss:
[down in the dumps]
•
Q
You go to the school office on an errand for your teacher. You see a
friend sitting in the office, looking down in the dumps.
What might you say or do if you see a friend looking down in the
dumps? Why? [pause] Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “If I see a friend looking down in the dumps, I might [pat
her on the shoulder and say something nice] because….”
308 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 4
[on top of the world]
•
Q
The phone rings. It’s your best friend. He tells you something that
makes you feel on top of the world.
What might you say or do if you are feeling on top of the world?
Why? [pause] Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “If I am feeling on top of the world, I might [clap my
hands and shout ‘All right!’] because….”
Grade Six 309
Week 13  Day 5
Day 5
Ongoing Review
Words Reviewed
Materials
•
•
Pocket chart
access
Access is “the ability or right to use something, enter a place, or
contact someone.”
Word cards 7, 17, 22, 25, 29
boom
Boom means “grow suddenly or rapidly.” Boom also means “make a
loud, deep sound.”
fit
Fit means “good enough or right or proper.”
official
If something is official, it has been approved or done by the
government or someone with power to make rules or decisions.
suppress
Suppress means “control or hide an action or feeling so that you do
not show it.”
Review the Words
Display the Word Cards and Briefly Review the Words
Review the pronunciation and meaning of the words.
310 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
Week 13  Day 5
Practice Using the Words
Play “Make a Choice”
Explain that partners will use the words to play “Make a Choice.”
Point to the word access and explain that they will play the first
round of the game with the word access.
Teacher Note
For a fully written-out example
of this activity, see page 49.
Read the following question aloud twice:
Q
When will you most likely need access to a dictionary: when you
are writing an essay or when you are preparing for a math test?
Why? Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “I will need access to a dictionary when [I am writing an
essay] because….”
In the same way, discuss:
[boom]
Q
Which of these booms: a bass drum or a flute? Why? Turn to your
partner.
PROMPT: “A [bass drum] booms because….”
[fit]
Q
Which of these is a fit drink for a baby: coffee or milk? Why? Turn to
your partner.
PROMPT: “[Milk] is a fit drink for a baby because….”
[official]
Q
Which of these is official: a language the government decides
everyone should speak or a language you and your friends create
just for fun? Why? Turn to your partner.
PROMPT: “[A language the government decides everyone should
speak] is official because….”
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Week 13  Day 5
[suppress]
Q
Teacher Note
Which of these people is suppressing a smile: a person who wants
to smile but forces herself to look solemn or a person who smiles
widely? Why? Turn to your partner.
You might review that solemn
means “very serious.”
312 Making Meaning® Vocabulary
PROMPT: “[A person who wants to smile but forces herself to look
solemn] is suppressing a smile because….”