LESSON 11 TEACHER’S GUIDE
What Road to Follow?
by Andre Torrez
Fountas-Pinnell Level T
Historical Fiction
Selection Summary
In 1915, a 13-year-old French boy named Tomas, whose father is
fighting, is urged by an army captain to fight in World War I. His
grandfather, who lost an arm in a previous war, tells him he is too
young and his help is needed on the farm. A talk with a lonely
soldier convinces Tomas his grandfather is right.
Number of Words: 1,365
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Historical fiction
• Third-person narrative told in eight chapters
• Details help the reader understand the main characters
• War efforts
• Difficulties of war for soldiers
• Learning from other people’s first hand experiences
• There is more than one way to support a cause.
• Experience and wisdom come with age.
• War causes hardship.
• Descriptive, informal language
• Realistic dialogue
• Mix of simple and complex sentences
• Colon used for constructing a list
• Italics for internalized dialogue
• Simple key vocabulary: desperation, dismay, jutted, eerie, collided
• Idioms: sleepyhead, sign up
• Mostly one- and two-syllable words
• Realistic watercolor illustrations on most pages
• Captions in complete sentences
• Fourteen pages of text balanced with large illustrations
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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What Road to Follow?
by Andre Torrez
Build Background
Help students use their knowledge of grandparents and other relatives to visualize the
story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What kind of advice would
you seek from your grandfather or grandmother? Read the title and author and talk about
the cover illustration. Tell students this story is historical fiction and the characters and
events are set in a real period of history.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar
language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some
suggestions:
Page 3: Explain that this story is about Tomas, a 13-year-old French boy who in
1915 wants to fight in World War I. Suggested language: What do you know so
far about the setting of this story?
Page 6: Tell students that Grandpa and Tomas raise crops and deliver food to the
soldiers. Read the caption. Why would the captain be desperate enough to want a
13-year-old boy to join the army?
Pages 8–9: Draw attention to the picture on these pages and ask students to
read the captions. Why is Tomas awake late at night? Have students read the
chapter head on page 9. The caption tells us Tomas is going to join the army.
The illustration shows him looking back at his home. Do you think Tomas feels
confident about his decision?
Now turn back to the beginning and read to find out which road Tomas follows.
Target Vocabulary
collided – crashed into with great
force, p. 11
eerie – disturbingly weird, causing
an uneasy feeling, p. 10
mounting – increasing or
growing rapidly
desperation – a feeling of
hopelessness, despair, and
extreme anxiety, usually during
some type of crisis, p. 6
frothing – foaming and bubbly
receded – moved back or away
from a limit, point, or mark
dismay – sudden unhappiness or
worry, p. 8
Grade 6
jutted – stuck sharply upward or
outward, p. 9
looming – coming into view,
often with a threatening
appearance
2
stabilize – provide balance and
security
Lesson 11: What Road to Follow?
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Read
Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud.
Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy
important parts of the text in their own words as they read.
and to briefly tell the
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the text.
Suggested language: How did the author succeed in realistically describing Tomas’
situation requiring a tough choice?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Tomas helps his grandfather
raise crops, which they take to
the French troops in WWI.
• Important decisions are best
made after taking time to think
about the pros and cons of all
sides.
• Creative page design highlights
content.
• A French captain asks Tomas
to join the army. Tomas’s
grandfather tells him not to do it.
• Tomas sneaks off to join but
changes his mind after talking to
a homesick soldier.
• There are many ways to
contribute and each is important.
• It’s wise to stop and listen to
people’s experiences.
• Chapter headings show
sequence of the story.
• Watercolor illustrations
complement historic elements.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite pairs of students to choose a passage of dialogue from the text and
demonstrate phrased fluent reading as they act out parts of the plot. Remind them
to pay attention to content and to stress words in italics, as well as sentences ending
with question marks and exclamation marks.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Explain that English words come from many different sources.
The word eerie, for example, comes from the Middle English word eri that means
“filled with dread.” Middle English was spoken from the 11th century through the
15th century.
Grade 6
3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 11.7.
Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of their book, using their Reader’s
Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding
of the comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Understanding Characters
Remind students to use text details to explain
why characters act, speak, and think as they do. Model how to add details to the Graphic
Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:
Think Aloud
On page 6, Tomas goes near the front lines with his grandfather to take
food to the soldiers. On page 8, Tomas decides to join the army. On page
10, he talks to a homesick soldier. On page 12, he thinks about his duty
to help his grandpa and returns home. These text details give us insight
into Tomas’s character and show that he is brave and thoughtful.
Practice the Skill
Have students find text details that help them understand another character’s thoughts,
words, and actions.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind students that when they
think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts
• On page 3, why are the words in italics at the top of the page important to the book?
• What is the meaning of dismay on page 8?
• What is the author’s purpose in writing this book on the subject of war?
Grade 6
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the story softly, or
have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that a French captain
asks Tomas to join the army, but Tomas’s grandfather tells him not to do it.
Idioms The story contains some idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meanings
of sleepyhead (page 3) and sign up (page 6).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What is the story about?
Speaker 1: Why does Grandpa need
help?
Speaker 1: Why does the captain
ask Tomas to join the army?
Speaker 2: He lost an arm during war
and can’t do certain chores.
Speaker 2: Many soldiers have
been hurt or killed and they need
more.
Speaker 2: a French boy who is asked
to join the army
Speaker 1: Who are the main
characters?
Speaker 2: Tomas and Grandpa
Speaker 1: What happens at the end?
Speaker 2: Tomas stays on the farm.
Speaker 1: What two things does
Grandpa tell Tomas about war?
Speaker 2: War is hard and Tomas is too
young to fight.
Speaker 1: Who does Tomas
meet who helps change his mind
about enlisting?
Speaker 2: He meets a tired,
homesick soldier who has left
the battle.
Lesson 11
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 11.7
Date
Critical Thinking
What Road to Follow?
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown.
1. Think within the text Where is Tomas’s father?
He joined the army, and his family does not know where he is.
2. Think within the text What does the captain want Tomas to do?
He wants Tomas to join the army.
3. Think beyond the text What is revealed about Tomas’s character
when he comes home in the end?
He is loyal to his family and understands there are different ways
to be brave, other than becoming a soldier.
4. Think about the text Tomas decides to help his family instead of
helping his country. Why do you think he makes this choice? Do
you think he made the right choice? Explain your answer.
I think Tomas chose to return home because he was too young to
become a soldier and he listened to the people that warned him.
I think he made the right decision. If Tomas wanted to become a
soldier, he should have waited until he was older.
Making Connections Tomas’s grandfather is an important character in the
story. What do you think of his grandfather’s actions? Do you agree with the
statements he makes? Why or why not?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
9
Critical Thinking
Grade 6, Unit 3: Going the Distance
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Grade 6
5
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Name
Date
What Road to Follow?
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
Remember, when you think beyond the text, you use your personal
knowledge to reach new understandings.
Think about all the things that happened to Tomas in this story when
he made his decision to join the army and when he changed his mind.
Do you think Tomas made the right decision? Why or why not? Use details
from the story to support your answer.
Grade 6
6
Lesson 11: What Road to Follow?
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Lesson 11
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 11.7
Date
Critical Thinking
What Road to Follow?
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text Where is Tomas’s father?
2. Think within the text What does the captain want Tomas to do?
3. Think beyond the text What is revealed about Tomas’s character
when he comes home in the end?
4. Think about the text Tomas decides to help his family instead of
helping his country. Why do you think he makes this choice? Do you
think he made the right choice? Explain your answer.
Making Connections Tomas’s grandfather is an important character in the
story. What do you think of his grandfather’s actions? Do you agree with the
statements he makes? Why or why not?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 6
7
Lesson 11: What Road to Follow?
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Student
Lesson 11
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 11.11
What Road to Follow? • LEVEL T
page
12
What Road to Follow?
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
But Grandpa smiled at Tomas when he saw him. “So you’ve
come back?” Tomas nodded. “The weeds are still here, and so
are the chickens.” Tomas nodded again.
Grandpa hugged Tomas with his good arm. “I’m glad you’re
here, and I know your mother will be, too.”
14
Grandpa turned to go into the barn, but stopped. “There are
many roads to becoming a man, Tomas. Not everyone follows
the same road. But you took the first step today. You thought
about how your choice would affect those who love you.”
15
Grandpa turned away and spoke over his shoulder, “Get
washed up. We’ll get you some dinner before bed. Tomorrow
morning, we have to load the wagon again.”
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/117 × 100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 6
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat

Error
1414451
Behavior
1
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