Common
Core Coach
English
Language Arts
3
First Edition
Contents
Lesson 1: Reading Myths and Fables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Listen and Learn The
Wind and the Sun / Daylight . . . . . . . . . . 6
Share and Learn How the Camel Got His Hump . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Handout
Read On Your Own Tiger Gets His Stripes . . Online
Lesson 2: Reading Short Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Listen and Learn The
Adventure of the Three Students . . . . . 20
Share and Learn The Adventure of the Red-Headed League . 28
Read On Your Own The Case of the
Handout
Stolen Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
Lesson 3: Writing Fictional Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1. Get Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2. Organize: Beginning, Middle, and Ending . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Common Core
State Standards
RL.3.1; RL.3.2; RL.3.4; RL.3.6;
RL.3.7; RL.3.10; RF.3.4.a, c;
SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3; L.3.4.a
RL.3.1; RL.3.3; RL.3.4; RL.3.5;
RL.3.7; RL.3.9; RL.3.10;
RF.3.4.a, c; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3;
L.3.4.a
RF.3.3.d; W.3.3.a–d; W.3.4;
W.3.5; W.3.6; W.3.8; W.3.10;
SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.1.a–f; L.3.3;
L.3.4.a; L.3.6
3. Draft: Writing a Good Ending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5. Revise: Using Time-Order Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . 54
6. Edit: Using Nouns and Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lesson 4: Reading Historical Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . 61
Listen and Learn Ellis
and Angel: Islands of Hope . . . . . . . . . . 62
Share and Learn Sarah Winnemucca / A Great Woman . . . . . 70
Handout
Read On Your Own Harriet Tubman . . . . . . Online
2
RI.3.1; RI.3.2; RI.3.4; RI.3.5;
RI.3.6; RI.3.8; RI.3.9; RI.3.10;
RF.3.4.a, c; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3;
L.3.4.a
Common Core
State Standards
Lesson 5: Writing Personal Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . 79
1. Get Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
2. Organize: Beginning, Middle, and Ending . . . . . . . . . . . 88
3. Draft: Using Time-Order Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . 90
RF.3.3.a, b, d; W.3.3.a–d;
W.3.4; W.3.5; W.3.6; W.3.8;
W.3.10; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.2.c–g;
L.3.3, L.3.3.a, b; L.3.4.b, c;
L.3.6
4. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
5. Revise: Using Sensory Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6. Edit: Punctuating Dialogue, Using Possessives,
and Spelling Correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
7. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Lesson 6: Reading Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Listen and Learn A
Garden to Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Share and Learn A Mammoth Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Handout
Read On Your Own Attic Stardust . . . . . . . . Online
Lesson 7: Reading Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Listen and Learn excerpt
from “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” 120
Share and Learn Shenandoah / The Wind / Autumn . . . . . . . 126
Read On Your Own Who Has Seen the Wind? / Afternoon on
Handout
a Hill / From a Railway Carriage . . . . . Online
Lesson 8: Reading Technical Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Listen and Learn Using
the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Share and Learn Migration of Loggerhead Turtles . . . . . . . . 140
Handout
Read On Your Own Swimming with Sharks Online
RL.3.1; RL.3.3; RL.3.4; RL.3.5;
RL.3.6; RL.3.10; RF.3.4.a, c;
SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3; L.3.4.a
RL.3.1; RL.3.4; RL.3.5;
RL.3.10; RF.3.4.a, c;
SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3; L.3.4.a
RI.3.1; RI.3.3; RI.3.4; RI.3.5;
RI.3.7; RI.3.8; RI.3.10;
RF.3.4.a, c; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3;
L.3.4.a
3
Common Core
State Standards
Lesson 9: Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts 147
1. Get Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
2. Organize: Main Idea, Supporting Details,
and Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Draft: Using Linking Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Revise: Using Literal and Nonliteral Language . . . . . . .
6. Edit: Sentence Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
158
160
162
166
168
172
Lesson 10: Reading Scientific Nonfiction . . . . . . . 173
Listen and Learn Howling
Wind, Swirling Snow . . . . . . . . . . 174
Share and Learn Giants of the Grassland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Handout
Read On Your Own Plants That Fight Back! Online
Lesson 11: Writing Opinion Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
1. Get Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
2. Organize: Opinion, Supporting Reasons,
and Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Draft: Using Linking Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Revise: Using Comparatives and Superlatives . . . . . . . .
6. Edit: Capitalization and Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
196
198
200
204
206
210
Writing Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
4
RF.3.3.c; W.3.2.a–d; W.3.4;
W.3.5; W.3.6; W.3.7; W.3.8;
W.3.10; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.1.h, i;
L.3.2.g; L.3.3; L.3.4.d;
L.3.5.a, c
RI.3.1; RI.3.2; RI.3.3; RI.3.4;
RI.3.5; RI.3.7; RI.3.8; RI.3.10;
RF.3.4.a, c; SL.3.1.a–d; L.3.3;
L.3.4.a
W.3.1.a–d; W.3.4; W.3.5;
W.3.6; W.3.10; SL.3.1.a–d;
L.3.1.g; L.3.2.a–d; L.3.3;
L.3.5.b, c
Lesson
Reading
1
Myths
and
Fables
Look at this
picture of the night sky.
What do you think people
thought about the moon
before scientists
explained it?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can made-up stories
with imaginary characters
teach important things about
real life?
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 5
Listen and Learn
What happens when two forces of nature—
the Wind and the Sun—get into an argument?
Consider
FABLE A fable is a story that
teaches a lesson. It features
animals or things in nature
that behave like people.
Fables are imaginary, but they
include things that are true to
life. This story begins with an
imaginary argument between
the Wind and the Sun. In
what way is their argument
true to life?
ASKING AND ANSWERING
QUESTIONS Asking yourself
questions and looking for the
answers as you read can help
you understand a story better.
On this page you might ask,
“What are the Wind and
the Sun arguing about?”
What other questions could
you ask yourself about what
is happening or what the
characters are like? Look for
answers to those questions
as you read further.
CONTEXT CLUES You can
often figure out a word you
don’t know by looking for
hints, or context clues, in the
words around it. Look at the
word defeated in paragraph
8. What context clues can you
find that help you understand
the meaning of defeated ?
6
In what ways are the Wind and the Sun like
real people?
and the Sun
adapted from a fable by Aesop
1
One day the Wind and the Sun were
arguing over which of the two was stronger.
“I’m a lot stronger than you,” said the Sun.
“Don’t be silly,” said the Wind. “I’m truly
more powerful!”
The friends argued but could not agree.
Suddenly, a man wearing a dark cape came walking
down the road.
5
“Here’s how we can end our quarrel,” the Sun
said. “The one of us who can make that man take
off his cape is the stronger. You go first.” Then the
Sun hid behind a cloud.
“That’s easy,” said the Wind. “I’ve blown hats off
many people.”
The Wind whipped itself up and blew against the
man. This made the traveler grip his cape. The Wind
decided to blow even harder, but then the man held
his cape more tightly.
Finally, the Wind gave up. “I’ve puffed with all
my might,” he said in a defeated voice. “I’m all out
of breath.”
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Listen and Learn
“It’s not so easy, is it?” asked the Sun with a
chuckle. “Now it’s my turn.”
10
The Sun beamed a few rays on the man, and he
opened his cape. When the man stopped at a river
for a drink, the Sun shone the full power of its heat.
Soon the man was dripping with sweat. At last, he
took off the cape and tossed it on the grass.
“That settles it. I’m stronger! I have won our
argument,” said the Sun. Then, more meekly, the
Sun asked, “Can we still be friends?”
Moral:
A gentle way often succeeds
where a forceful way fails.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations, or pictures,
can often help tell a story.
A picture can show more
details about the characters
and help you understand
them better. What do you
learn about the Wind and the
Sun in this picture?
MORAL “The Wind and the
Sun” is a fable. It ends with
a moral, or a short lesson
about life. What lesson does
the Wind learn in this fable?
How could you use this
lesson in your own life?
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 7
Listen and Learn
Why does the sun come and go from the sky?
Consider
Why do we have both daylight and darkness?
Daylight
MYTH A myth is a story
that tells how something
in nature came to be. What
do you think this myth will
tell about?
adapted from a Paiute myth
USING ILLUSTRATIONS
Pictures can show what
characters look like and
how they behave. Studying
a story’s illustrations can
help you better understand
a character’s personality and
actions. Look at the pictures
of Tavu on these pages. What
do the details in the pictures
tell you about Tavu? How
do these pictures help tell
the story?
POINT OF VIEW Point of
view shows who is telling
the story. In this story, the
narrator is telling the story.
Who is the narrator of
this story? Is it one of the
characters or someone who
is not part of the story? How
do you know?
8
1
A long time ago, there were not many hours
of daylight. Nights were long, and days were very
short. The Paiute people did not have enough time
to hunt before it got dark.
The rabbit Tavu wanted to help them, so he
decided to go to the place where daylight began.
He packed up his bow and his arrows and set out
on a journey east toward the sun.
Tavu traveled far. He wandered through forests
and hopped on stones to cross rivers. At last he
came to the edge of the world, where the sun lived.
He hid behind a large rock that night and waited for
the sun to come out in the morning.
As soon as the sun began to rise, Tavu raised his
bow and an arrow. He took aim and shot. The arrow
did not get near the sun at all. It burned up before it
got close. Tavu tried again. He walked closer to the
sun, shooting arrows as he went. Every arrow burst
into flames before it reached its mark.
5
Finally, there were only two arrows left. Tavu was
upset. He sat on the ground and began to weep.
He cried so much that his tears soaked his last
two arrows.
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Listen and Learn
Tavu gathered his strength. He took aim again
and shot one of his last two arrows. He smiled
when he saw how close the arrow came. It almost
hit the sun! Wet with tears, the arrow did not burn
up. He let his last arrow fly. This time, it struck the
target. The sun fell to the ground.
Tavu moved quickly. He cut the sun into pieces
and threw one piece into the sky.
“Go higher than before and make the days
longer,” he commanded. Then he ran away as fast
as he could.
The angry sun tried to chase Tavu. Every time
it came close, the clever rabbit hid. At last the sun
gave up. Tavu watched it rise higher and higher
into the sky. He was very pleased.
10
“Now the day will be longer,” he said.
When Tavu returned, the Paiute people cheered.
They held a sun dance in his honor. They begged
Tavu to go fight the sun again.
DETAILS Details give
information. They tell who,
what, when, where, and how.
One detail in the story is that
Tavu’s arrows got wet when
he cried. Why is the wet
arrow able to hit the sun?
RETELLING One way to
enjoy a story is to retell it,
or tell it again in your own
words. To retell this story, first
think about the main idea:
Tavu the rabbit makes the
sun stay up longer so people
will have more daylight.
Then think about the details
that show how Tavu does
this. What details would be
important to include when
retelling the story?
“We want daylight all the time,” they cheered.
“No,” said Tavu. “You need night as well as day.
You must have time for sleep.”
And from that day to this, the world has had both
daylight and darkness so that people have time to
work and to rest.
THEME This myth explains
that in most parts of the
world, the day is divided
fairly equally into daylight
and darkness. The story also
has a theme. A theme is the
message or truth about life
that a story suggests. One
theme of this story is that a
small person can make a big
difference, if the person is
brave and determined. How
do Tavu’s actions in the story
support this theme?
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 9
Comprehension Check
Look back at “The Wind and the Sun” and “Daylight.” Fill in the chart
to answer questions about each story.
“The Wind and
the Sun”
Type of Story
Is this story a
myth or a fable?
Characters in
the Story
Who are the
characters in
the story?
Purpose of
the Story
What is the
purpose of
the story?
10
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
“Daylight”
Listen and Learn
Vocabulary
Use the word map below to help you define and use one of the
highlighted vocabulary words from the Share and Learn reading or
another word your teacher assigns you.
howling
saddle
fetch
idle
whistling
reflection
Antonyms
Synonyms
My word
Definition
Other forms
My sentence
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 11
Share and Learn
Consider
How do different animals work for Man in this story?
Why is the camel so well suited to living in the desert?
DETAILS Why does the
Camel live in the desert?
adapted from a fable by Rudyard Kipling
1
CONTEXT CLUES Find
the word fetch in
paragraph 4. Circle
nearby words that can
help you understand
what fetch means.
USING ILLUSTRATIONS
Study the picture on
this page. What do you
think the Horse, the
Dog, and the Ox think
of the Camel?
In the beginning of years, when the world was so
new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to
work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the
middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to
work; and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate
sticks and thorns . . . and when anybody spoke to him
he said “Humph!” Just “Humph!” and no more.
Presently the Horse came to him on Monday
morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his
mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come out and trot
like the rest of us.”
“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Horse went
away and told the Man.
Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his
mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and fetch
and carry like the rest of us.”
5
“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Dog went away
and told the Man.
Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his
neck, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and plow like
the rest of us.”
“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Ox went away
and told the Man.
12
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Share and Learn
POINT OF VIEW Is this
fable told by a story
character or by a narrator
who is outside the story
and knows all about the
characters? Explain how
you can tell.
At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and
the Dog and the Ox together, and said, “Three, O Three,
I’m very sorry (with the world so new-and-all); but
that Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, or he
would have been here by now, so I am going to leave
him alone, and you must work double-time to make
up for it.”
That made the Three very angry (with the world
so new-and-all) . . . and the Camel came chewing on
milkweed most ’scruciatingly idle, and laughed at
them. Then he said “Humph!” and went away again.
10
1
Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of
All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always
travel that way.) . . .
ASKING AND
ANSWERING
QUESTIONS This story
has several different
characters. What
questions could you
ask yourself about the
characters and how they
act toward each other?
DETAILS What does
the Camel’s refusal
to work mean for the
other animals?
“Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for
any one to be idle, with the world so new-and-all?”
“Certainly not,” said the Djinn.
1
Djinn in myths, a spirit that can appear in animal or human form
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 13
“Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle
of your Howling Desert (and he’s a Howler himself)
with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a
stroke of work since Monday morning. He won’t trot.”
“Whew!” said the Djinn, whistling, “that’s my
Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say
about it?”
CONTEXT CLUES Look
at the word reflection on
this page. Circle nearby
words that can help
you understand what
reflection means.
ASKING AND
ANSWERING
QUESTIONS In this
story, both the Camel
and the Djinn have
important roles. What
question could you ask
yourself about the role
of the Djinn in this part
of the story?
14
15
“He says ‘Humph!’” said the Dog; “and he won’t
fetch and carry.”
“Does he say anything else?”
“Only ‘Humph!’; and he won’t plow,” said the Ox.
“Very good,” said the Djinn. “I’ll humph him if you
will kindly wait a minute.”
The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and
took a bearing across the desert, and found the Camel
most ’scruciatingly idle, looking at his own reflection
in a pool of water.
20
“My long and bubbling friend,”
said the Djinn, “what’s this I hear
of your doing no work, with the
world so new-and-all?”
“Humph!” said the Camel.
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Share and Learn
The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and
began to think a Great Magic, while the Camel looked
at his own reflection in the pool of water.
“You’ve given the Three extra work ever since
Monday morning, all on account of your ’scruciating
idleness,” said the Djinn . . . with his chin in his hand.
“Humph!” said the Camel.
25
DETAILS Both “The
Wind and the Sun” and
this story have a man as
one of the characters.
How are these human
characters the same?
How are they different?
“I shouldn’t say that again if I were you,” said the
Djinn; “you might say it once too often. Bubbles, I want
you to work.”
And the Camel said “Humph!” again; but no sooner
had he said it than he saw his back, that he was so
proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a great big
lolloping humph.
“Do you see that?” said the Djinn. “That’s your very
own humph that you’ve brought upon your very own
self by not working. Today is Thursday, and you’ve
done no work since Monday, when the work began.
Now you are going to work.”
USING ILLUSTRATIONS
Look at the illustrations
on this page. How do
the details in these
illustrations help you
understand the story?
“How can I,” said the Camel, “with this humph on
my back?”
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 15
RETELLING Think about
the characters and events
in this story. What details
would you include in a
retelling of this story?
MORAL The moral
of this story is that if
you avoid work and
responsibility, you will
suffer the consequences.
How do the Camel’s
actions in the story
support this moral?
“That’s made a-purpose,” said the Djinn, “all
because you missed those three days. You will be able
to work now for three days without eating, because you
can live on your humph; and don’t you ever say I never
did anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to
the Three, and behave. Humph yourself !”
And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all,
and went away to join the Three. And from that day
to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call it
“hump” now, not to hurt his feelings), but he has never
yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the
beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned
how to behave.
Camels are useful because they can carry
heavy loads for many miles without getting
tired. However, they are often stubborn and
difficult for people to manage.
The camel can go without eating
for a long time because its hump
stores extra fat. It can burn this
fat to get energy.
16
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Share and Learn
Anchor Standard Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your peer group. Then record your
answers in the space provided.
1. Do you think the Camel’s punishment was fair? Support your answer
with details from the text.
2. Now that the Camel has a hump, how might his behavior be different?
How might it be the same as it was at the beginning of time? Support
your answer with details from the text.
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 17
Share and Learn
Comprehension Check
1. In “How the Camel Got His Hump,” the Camel often says, “Humph!”
Why does he say this instead of explaining why he will not work?
2. Compare how the Man and the Djinn deal with the Camel. Which way
is better? Why?
3. In what ways are the Djinn from the fable “How the Camel Got His
Hump” and the rabbit, Tavu, from the myth “Daylight” similar? In what
ways are they different?
Read On Your Own
Read another fable, “Tiger Gets His Stripes,” independently. Apply
what you learned in this lesson and check your understanding.
18
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Contents
Benchmark Assessment 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Benchmark Assessment 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Benchmark Assessment 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Benchmark Assessment 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Summative Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law.
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Part 1: Reading Comprehension
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Fox was trotting down the dusty country road and feeling very hungry.
He couldn’t stop thinking about all the foods he might find along the way.
“Maybe I’ll find an orchard full of crisp red apples,” he said to himself,
“or maybe a vegetable garden filled with crunchy green beans.”
He paused, looked around, and shook his head with disappointment.
On both sides of the road were meadows of wildflowers. “Well, there are
lots of flowers, but I do not see a single thing to eat,” he said sadly.
Fox continued down the road, getting hungrier with every step. Then, to
his great relief, he saw something different. It was a house and a grape arbor.
“That is a truly beautiful sight!” Fox exclaimed as he hurried to the grape
arbor and stood beneath it. The arbor was made of slats of wood held up by
sturdy poles. Twisting vines grew around and up the poles and all along the
wood slats. Hanging from the vines were large bunches of deep purple grapes
that looked juicy and ripe.
“Now all I have to do is find a way to reach those grapes,” Fox thought,
“and that will be easy for someone like me.”
Fox stood on his hind legs and stretched his front paws up farther and
farther until he couldn’t reach any higher. But he was still far below the
delicious-looking grapes.
Fox stared up at the lovely grapes and murmured to himself, “I’m
absolutely convinced that I can reach them by jumping. After all, I’m a truly
excellent jumper.”
Fox got a good running start, and then he jumped as high as he could,
reaching out to grab a bunch of grapes. Thud! He landed hard on the ground,
and his paws were still empty. He hadn’t even come close to getting the grapes!
Grumbling to himself, Fox examined the arbor until he came up with
another possible solution. “Ordinary red foxes can’t climb poles,” he thought,
“but I bet I can. I’ll just climb one of the poles and reach the grapes.”
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The Fox and the Grapes
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Fox stood next to one of the poles and stretched up against it, trying to
grip it with his front legs. But he found his legs weren’t made for that kind of
climbing, and he slipped right off the pole again and again.
“Hrrrumf !” Fox snorted. “I’ve tried everything—reaching, jumping, and
climbing, but nothing has worked.”
Fox tilted back his head and stared at the grapes again. Then he walked to
the far side of the arbor and studied them from that angle.
“Those grapes don’t look so great after all,” he said aloud. “They look like
they might be sour. As a matter of fact, I’m sure they’re sour!”
Fox left the arbor and began to trot along the road again. As he walked, he
held his bushy tail high and muttered to himself, “Sour grapes, sour grapes—I
didn’t want those sour grapes anyway.”
The moral of the story is: When you can’t have something, it’s easy to say
it’s not worth having.
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1. The story of Fox and the grapes is
told by
3. What does the word
grumbling mean?
A. Fox himself.
A. complaining
B. another character in the story.
B. thinking
C. a narrator outside the story.
C. working
D. Fox’s closest friend.
D. climbing
2. At the beginning of the story, how
does Fox describe the grapes?
4. Why is Fox unable to get
any grapes?
A. He is too lazy.
B. crisp and crunchy
B. The grapes are too high.
C. too far away
C. He is too big.
D. beautiful
D. The grapes are not worth it.
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law.
A. sweet
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5. What does the illustration help readers understand about the story?
A. that the grapes really were sour
B. what an arbor looks like
C. what the fox did to try to get the grapes
D. that the fox was weak from hunger
6. Read this sentence from the story.
The moral of the story is: When you can’t have something, it’s easy to
say it’s not worth having.
What does Fox do in the story that shows this moral? Explain using details
from the story.
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law.
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Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Olivia’s brother, Antonio, wanted to become a filmmaker someday.
Olivia’s own dream was much simpler. She wanted to throw her brother’s
video camera out the window. Not someday, but right this minute.
She wasn’t the only one who was frustrated with Antonio and his video
camera. “Can you please put that camera down while we’re eating?” Mom asked
at dinner. “The world doesn’t need to see me shoving food into my mouth.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong!” said Antonio. “This dinner scene will be
hilarious on video!”
“Mom!” Olivia said. “Are you really going to let him keep this up? He films
me flossing my teeth!”
“Her face is very expressive when she’s flossing,” Antonio said.
Mom smiled and shrugged.
“Dad?” Olivia asked.
“Hey, your brother thinks you’re a movie star in the making,” Dad said.
“Why fight it?”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve never been caught flossing on film,” Olivia said.
“It’s true, and I’m very hurt about it,” Dad said. “Antonio never films me
at all.”
Olivia huffed. “Um, excuse me. This is not funny. Hasn’t anyone heard
of privacy?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of creative freedom?” Antonio asked.
Olivia made a gagging motion.
“OK, that’s enough, you guys,” Mom said.
Olivia glared at Antonio through the rest of dinner. “It’s not fair,” she
thought. “How would he like having a camera on him 24/7?” Then Olivia
had an idea.
That night, after everyone was asleep, Olivia crept into Antonio’s room.
The video camera sat on his desk. Since she’d seen Antonio use it a million
times, Olivia knew just what to do. She turned the camera on and aimed it
at her snoozing brother.
As usual, Antonio was snoring like a two-ton bear. The lampshade next
to his bed shook each time he exhaled. Olivia giggled as she filmed him.
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The Filmmaker
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“Gee, Antonio, your face is so expressive when you snore!” she said under
her breath. “It’s funny, though,” she thought. “Looking through the video
camera did make stuff seem more interesting, even sort of lovable.” Olivia
almost saw why Antonio loved filming so much.
The next day after school, Antonio burst into Olivia’s room.
“I can’t believe you did that!” he said. “I showed my video to the class,
and there I was, snoring like a … like a two-ton bear!”
“Now you know how I feel, bro,” said Olivia.
“I don’t care about that,” Antonio said. “I care that you made the funniest
part of the whole video. Everybody cracked up. They thought I was a genius.
Then I had to admit my little sister did it.”
“I learned from the master,” Olivia said. “Hey, can I borrow your camera
tonight?”
“Uh-uh,” said Antonio. “No more movie stardom for me, thank you very
much.”
Just then, Dad walked past Olivia’s room. He was absentmindedly
whistling to himself and scratching his head.
Olivia and Antonio looked at each other and laughed. “Now, there’s a star
waiting to be discovered!” Olivia said. Antonio grabbed the camera.
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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Benchmark Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Peer Group Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Peer Writing Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv
Word Maps to Build Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Freewriting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Teacher-Student Writing Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
Understanding the Common Core State Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxii
CCSS Correlation Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
Lesson 1
Reading Historical Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lesson 2
Writing Responses to Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Lesson 3
Reading Literary Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Speaking and Listening Graphic Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Lesson 4
Writing Personal Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Lesson 5
Reading Historical Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Lesson 6
Reading Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Speaking and Listening Radio Plays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Lesson 7
Reading Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Lesson 8
Writing Fictional Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Speaking and Listening Modern-Day Retelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Lesson 9
Reading Scientific and Technical Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Speaking and Listening Conducting a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Lesson 10 Writing Informative Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Lesson 11 Reading Persuasive Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Lesson 12 Writing Opinion Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Speaking and Listening Evaluating Political Speeches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
iii
Contents
Common Core
State Standards
Lesson 1: Reading Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Listen.and.Learn Henry.Speaks.Out./.Peace.Will.Be.My.Applause . .
Share.and.Learn Ready.to.Serve. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Read.On.Your.Own The.Mystery.of.the.Tides. .
. . . . Online
RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.3; RL.7.4;
. . . . . . 6 RL.7.6; RL.7.9; RL.7.10;
SL.7.1; L.7.4.a, d,
. Handout
Lesson 2: Writing Responses to Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
W.7.1.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5;
1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 W7.6; W.7.9.a; W.7.10; SL.7.1;
2. Organize:.Supporting.Evidence.and.Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
L.7.1.b; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.c; L.7.6
3. Draft:.Showing.Clear.Relationships.Between.Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
5. Revise:.Using.Complex.Sentences.for.Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
6. Edit:.Eliminating.Wordiness.and.Redundancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Lesson 3: Reading Literary Nonfiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.3; RI.7.4;
RI.7.5; RI.7.6; RI.7.8; RI.7.9;
of the Life of Frederick
Douglass, an American Slave./.Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 RI.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.5.c;
Listen.and.Learn excerpt.from.Narrative
Share.and.Learn Blood,.Toil,.Tears.and.Sweat:.Address.to.Parliament.on.
RH.6-8.1; RH.6-8.6; RH.6-8.10
May.13th,.1940./.WW.II:.British.Home.Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Read.On.Your.Own From.Awful.Rail.to.Awesome.Trail:.
A.Community.Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
. Handout
Lesson 4: Writing Personal Narratives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
W.7.3.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5;
1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.a.Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.b;
L.7.2.a; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.a;
2. Organize:.Introduction,.Body.Paragraphs,.Descriptive.
L.7.5.b; L.7.6
Details,.and.Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
3. Draft:.Using.Transition.Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
5. Revise:.Using.Complex.Sentences.to.Express.Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
6. Edit:.Using.Commas.and.Coordinate.Adjectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
2
iv
Common Core
State Standards
Lesson 5: Reading Historical Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Listen.and.Learn Guarding.the.Coast./.Women.in.the.U .S ..Coast.Guard. .
Share.and.Learn excerpt.from.“The.Factory.Girl’s.Danger” . .
. . . . . . . . . 106
Read.On.Your.Own Shadow.and.Stone:.Europe’s.
Medieval.Castles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
. Handout
Lesson 6: Reading Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Listen.and.Learn excerpt.from.Romeo
RH.6-8.2; RH.6-8.3; RH.6-8.4;
RH.6-8.5; RH.6-8.7; RH.6-8.8;
RH.6-8.9; RH.6-8.10; SL.7.1;
L.7.4.a, c, d; L.7.6
RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.3; RL.7.4;
and Juliet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 RL.7.5; RL.7.6; RL.7.10;
Share.and.Learn excerpt.from.Pygmalion. .
Read.On.Your.Own The.Torn.Tapestry. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
. . . . . . . . . . Online
SL.7.1; L.7.5.c
. Handout
Lesson 7: Reading Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Listen.and.Learn If./.The.Rhodora . .
RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.4; RI.7.5;
94 RI.7.9; RI.7.10; RH.6-8.1;
RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.4; RL.7.5;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 RL.7.6; RL.7.10; SL.7.1
Share.and.Learn The.Stolen.Child./.Voices.of.Earth. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Read.On.Your.Own The.Fool’s.Song./.To.Wish.
Myself.Courage./.Blizzard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
. Handout
Lesson 8: Writing Fictional Narratives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
W.7.3.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5;
1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.a;
2. Organize:.Introduction,.Plot/Conflict,.Climax,.and.Conclusion . . . . 148
L.7.1.c; L.7.3.a; L.7.5.a; L.7.6
3. Draft:.Using.Dialogue.and.Transitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
5. Revise:.Using.Strong.Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
6. Edit:.Using.Phrases.and.Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
3
v
Common Core
State Standards
Lesson 9: Reading Scientific and Technical Texts . . . . . . . . 163
Listen.and.Learn Seeing.the.Light. .
Share.and.Learn A.Closer.Look . .
RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.3; RI.7.5;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 RI.7.10; RH.6-8.5; RH.6-8.8;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Read.On.Your.Own Global.Warming,.
Local.Warning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
. Handout
Lesson 10: Writing Informative Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
RST.6-8.1; RST.6-8.2; RST.6-8.3;
RST.6-8.4; RST.6-8.5; RST.6-8.6;
RST.6-8.7; RST.6-8.8; RST.6-8.9;
RST.6-8.10; SL.7.1; L.7.4.c; L.7.6
W.7.2.a−f; W.7.4; W.7.5;
1. Get.Ready:.Take.Notes.on.Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 W.7.6; W.7.7; W.7.8; W.7.9.b;
2. Organize:.Introduction,.Supporting.Paragraphs,.and.Conclusion. . 192
3. Draft:.Using.Transition.Words.and.Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.c;
L.7.3.a; L.7.4.b; L.7.6
4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
5. Revise:.Word.Choice.and.Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
6. Edit:.Fixing.Dangling.Modifiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Lesson 11: Reading Persuasive Nonfiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Listen.and.Learn NASA’s.Recent.Cancellation.of.Manned.Missions . .
Share.and.Learn Contact.Sports.and.Concussions . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Read.On.Your.Own Changing.the.Laws.
for.Teenage.Driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online
RI.7.1; RI.7.4; RI.7.6; RI.7.8;
. . . 208 RI.7.9; RI.7.10; RH.6-8.6;
RH.6-8.7; RH.6-8.8; RH.6-8.9;
RH.6-8.10; RST.6-8.6;
RST.6-8.7; RST.6-8.8; SL.7.1
. Handout
Lesson 12: Writing Opinion Pieces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
W.7.1.a−e; W.7.2.e; W.7.4;
1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.Support.for.Your.Argument. . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 W.7.5; W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1;
2. Organize:.Introduction,.Supporting.Reasons,.and.Conclusion. . . . . 232
3. Draft:.Using.Sentence.Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
5. Revise:.Using.Formal.Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
6. Edit:.Using.Correct.Spelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Writing Handbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
4
vi
L.7.2.b; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.d;
L.7.5.c; L.7.6
Lesson
Reading Myths and Fables
1
CCSS: RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.4, RL.3.6, RL.3.7, RL.3.10, R.F.3.3.a, RF.3.4.a,
RF.3.4.c, SL.3.1.a–d, L.3.3, L.3.4.a
Focus Skills
Review Skills
Ask and Answer
Questions
Ask and Answer
Questions
Retell Stories: Central
Message and Key Details
Retell Stories: Central
Message and Key Details
Fable
Moral
Myth
Context Clues
Moral
Point of View
Theme
Illustrations
Foundational Skills
Common Suffixes
Context Clues
Point of View
Illustrations
Reading Selections
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The Wind and the Sun / Daylight . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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How the Camel Got His Hump . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Discussion
2 • Lesson 1: Reading Myths and Fables
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Whole Class Listen and Learn
The Wind and the Sun Student Edition page 5
Direct students’ attention to the photograph of the night sky. Lead a discussion about what people thought about the
moon long ago.
Why are people interested in the moon?
Lesson
Reading
1
Myths
and
Fables
Look at this
picture of the night sky.
What do you think people
thought about the moon
before scientists
explained it?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can made-up stories
with imaginary characters
teach important things about
real life?
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Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 5
Possible response: The moon is beautiful, but
it is also distant and mysterious. Almost every
culture in the world has stories about the
moon because it has fascinated people for so
long. By studying the moon, scientists hope to
learn more about the universe and the world
around us.
Why do you think people who lived long
ago used stories to explain how the moon
was created?
Possible response: People who lived long ago
were fascinated by the moon and curious about
how it came to be. People didn’t have the
same knowledge of science that we do today,
so they often made up stories to explain how
the moon, and other things in nature, were
created. Stories helped people make sense of
the world around them.
Essential Question
Read the Essential Question aloud. Tell
students to keep it in mind as they read
the lesson selections.
Possible response: Made-up stories with
imaginary characters can include a moral,
or important lesson, about life. Many
cultures of the past created stories to help
them understand the world around them. Made-up stories can also help explain
things in the world that might be hard to
understand.
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The Wind and the Sun Student Edition pages 6–7
Read the fable straight through with the class. Then read it a second time, using the Think
Alouds with the class to model the process
of thinking through the questions.
Think
Aloud
FABLE
I can tell this is a fable because it has things in nature
that act like real people. This story is about the
Wind and the Sun. They’re arguing the same way
that people argue in real life. One says something
that the other disagrees with, so they decide to test
their strength as a way to settle the argument. This
isn’t usually a good way to settle an argument, but I
know people do this sometimes, too.
ASKING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Asking and answering questions as you read can
help you understand the story better. This story starts
with the Wind and the Sun having an argument.
So my first question is “What are they arguing
about?” Let me keep reading to find the answer to
my question. Here it is! The Wind and the Sun are
arguing over which of the two is stronger. I’ll keep
reading and see if I have any more questions about
the story.
Listen and Learn
What happens when two forces of nature—
the Wind and the Sun—get into an argument?
Consider
FABLE A fable is a story that
teaches a lesson. It features
animals or things in nature
that behave like people.
Fables are imaginary, but they
include things that are true to
life. This story begins with an
imaginary argument between
the Wind and the Sun. In
what way is their argument
true to life?
ASKING AND ANSWERING
QUESTIONS Asking yourself
questions and looking for the
answers as you read can help
you understand a story better.
On this page you might ask,
“What are the Wind and
the Sun arguing about?”
What other questions could
you ask yourself about what
is happening or what the
characters are like? Look for
answers to those questions
as you read further.
CONTEXT CLUES You can
often figure out a word you
don’t know by looking for
hints, or context clues, in the
words around it. Look at the
word defeated in paragraph
8. What context clues can you
find that help you understand
the meaning of defeated ?
In what ways are the Wind and the Sun like
real people?
and the Sun
adapted from a fable by Aesop
1
One day the Wind and the Sun were
arguing over which of the two was stronger.
“I’m a lot stronger than you,” said the Sun.
“Don’t be silly,” said the Wind. “I’m truly
more powerful!”
The friends argued but could not agree.
Suddenly, a man wearing a dark cape came walking
down the road.
5
“Here’s how we can end our quarrel,” the Sun
said. “The one of us who can make that man take
off his cape is the stronger. You go first.” Then the
Sun hid behind a cloud.
“That’s easy,” said the Wind. “I’ve blown hats off
many people.”
The Wind whipped itself up and blew against the
man. This made the traveler grip his cape. The Wind
decided to blow even harder, but then the man held
his cape more tightly.
Finally, the Wind gave up. “I’ve puffed with all
my might,” he said in a defeated voice. “I’m all out
of breath.”
CONTEXT CLUES
6 Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
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When you don’t know the meaning of a word,
it’s helpful to look for hints, or context clues, in
the surrounding words and sentences to get the
meaning. I don’t know what the word defeated
means. I’ll look at the words around the word
defeated. A good clue is that the Wind gave up
blowing against the man. The text says the Wind
puffed with all its might and was out of breath.
Using these context clues, I can determine that
defeated means “beaten” or “discouraged.”
4 • Lesson 1: Reading Myths and Fables
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Think
Aloud
Listen and Learn
ILLUSTRATIONS
When I look at this illustration, I see that the Wind
is shown to look like a person. The Wind has a
face and what look like hands. The Wind looks
angry in this drawing. The illustration also shows
me that the Wind is blowing very hard, because
the trees are bending over, and the man’s cape is
flying out behind him. The Sun, however, looks
kind and gentle as it is shining on the man.
MORAL
“It’s not so easy, is it?” asked the Sun with a
chuckle. “Now it’s my turn.”
10
The Sun beamed a few rays on the man, and he
opened his cape. When the man stopped at a river
for a drink, the Sun shone the full power of its heat.
Soon the man was dripping with sweat. At last, he
took off the cape and tossed it on the grass.
“That settles it. I’m stronger! I have won our
argument,” said the Sun. Then, more meekly, the
Sun asked, “Can we still be friends?”
Moral:
A gentle way often succeeds
where a forceful way fails.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations, or pictures,
can often help tell a story.
A picture can show more
details about the characters
and help you understand
them better. What do you
learn about the Wind and the
Sun in this picture?
MORAL “The Wind and the
Sun” is a fable. It ends with
a moral, or a short lesson
about life. What lesson does
the Wind learn in this fable?
How could you use this
lesson in your own life?
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 7
The moral of this fable is that a gentle way often
succeeds where a forceful way fails. I think this
is a great lesson. I know that it’s better to say
“please” and “thank you” when I want something
rather than being forceful and trying to take it. In
an argument or disagreement, it is often better to
be kind and listen to the other person rather than
only trying to get your own way. I can use these
lessons in my everyday life.
Word
Analysis
Direct students to the word powerful in
paragraph 3. Have them identify these
parts of the word: power: root word; -ful:
suffix or ending. Discuss what each word
part means using the following examples:
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This battery’s power lasts up to six hours. (Power means “strength” or “ability.”)
We were hopeful that the rain would stop
soon. (-ful means “full of”)
Put the word part meanings together to
show that powerful means “full of power
or strength.”
Repeat these steps for the word forceful,
which appears in the moral at the bottom
of page 7.
Listen and Learn • 5
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Daylight Student Edition pages 8–9
Think
Listen and Learn
Why does the sun come and go from the sky?
Consider
Why do we have both daylight and darkness?
Aloud
MYTH
I know that the purpose of a myth is to explain
things about the world. The first sentence of this
story is “A long time ago, there were not many
hours of daylight.” I’m not sure yet what this myth
is about, but I think it will explain how we got
more daylight.
USING ILLUSTRATIONS
Pictures help the reader see what the characters
look like and how they behave. In the illustration on
this page, I see that Tavu is very sad that his arrows
are not reaching the sun. His ears are pinned back,
his eyes are closed, and he is crying. The illustration
on the next page shows that Tavu and the Paiute
people are celebrating because they are dancing
together. These pictures not only tell me about Tavu’s
personality but also help me understand what is
happening in the story.
POINT OF VIEW
Point of view shows who is telling the story.
In first-person point of view, the narrator is a
character in the story, and the story is told from
his or her perspective. The narrator uses the words
I, me, we, and us. In third-person point of view,
the story is told by someone outside of the story. The narrator uses the words he, she, it, they, and
them. “Daylight” is told in the third-person point
of view. I know this because the story uses the
word he.
Daylight
MYTH A myth is a story
that tells how something
in nature came to be. What
do you think this myth will
tell about?
adapted from a Paiute myth
USING ILLUSTRATIONS
Pictures can show what
characters look like and
how they behave. Studying
a story’s illustrations can
help you better understand
a character’s personality and
actions. Look at the pictures
of Tavu on these pages. What
do the details in the pictures
tell you about Tavu? How
do these pictures help tell
the story?
POINT OF VIEW Point of
view shows who is telling
the story. In this story, the
narrator is telling the story.
Who is the narrator of
this story? Is it one of the
characters or someone who
is not part of the story? How
do you know?
1
A long time ago, there were not many hours
of daylight. Nights were long, and days were very
short. The Paiute people did not have enough time
to hunt before it got dark.
The rabbit Tavu wanted to help them, so he
decided to go to the place where daylight began.
He packed up his bow and his arrows and set out
on a journey east toward the sun.
Tavu traveled far. He wandered through forests
and hopped on stones to cross rivers. At last he
came to the edge of the world, where the sun lived.
He hid behind a large rock that night and waited for
the sun to come out in the morning.
As soon as the sun began to rise, Tavu raised his
bow and an arrow. He took aim and shot. The arrow
did not get near the sun at all. It burned up before it
got close. Tavu tried again. He walked closer to the
sun, shooting arrows as he went. Every arrow burst
into flames before it reached its mark.
5
Finally, there were only two arrows left. Tavu was
upset. He sat on the ground and began to weep.
He cried so much that his tears soaked his last
two arrows.
8 Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law.
Read the myth straight through with the class. Then read it a second time, using the Think
Alouds with the class to model the process
of thinking through the questions.
6 • Lesson 1: Reading Myths and Fables
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Think
Aloud
Listen and Learn
Tavu gathered his strength. He took aim again
and shot one of his last two arrows. He smiled
when he saw how close the arrow came. It almost
hit the sun! Wet with tears, the arrow did not burn
up. He let his last arrow fly. This time, it struck the
target. The sun fell to the ground.
Tavu moved quickly. He cut the sun into pieces
and threw one piece into the sky.
“Go higher than before and make the days
longer,” he commanded. Then he ran away as fast
as he could.
The angry sun tried to chase Tavu. Every time
it came close, the clever rabbit hid. At last the sun
gave up. Tavu watched it rise higher and higher
into the sky. He was very pleased.
10
“Now the day will be longer,” he said.
When Tavu returned, the Paiute people cheered.
They held a sun dance in his honor. They begged
Tavu to go fight the sun again.
DETAILS Details give
information. They tell who,
what, when, where, and how.
One detail in the story is that
Tavu’s arrows got wet when
he cried. Why is the wet
arrow able to hit the sun?
RETELLING One way to
enjoy a story is to retell it,
or tell it again in your own
words. To retell this story, first
think about the main idea:
Tavu the rabbit makes the
sun stay up longer so people
will have more daylight.
Then think about the details
that show how Tavu does
this. What details would be
important to include when
retelling the story?
“We want daylight all the time,” they cheered.
“No,” said Tavu. “You need night as well as day.
You must have time for sleep.”
And from that day to this, the world has had both
daylight and darkness so that people have time to
work and to rest.
THEME This myth explains
that in most parts of the
world, the day is divided
fairly equally into daylight
and darkness. The story also
has a theme. A theme is the
message or truth about life
that a story suggests. One
theme of this story is that a
small person can make a big
difference, if the person is
brave and determined. How
do Tavu’s actions in the story
support this theme?
Lesson 1 • Reading Myths and Fables 9
DETAILS
Details give information about the story. One
detail in the story is that Tavu’s arrows got wet
when he cried. This might explain why the last
two arrows didn’t burn up. The arrows were too
wet from Tavu’s tears to burn up before they
reached the sun.
RETELLING
When you retell a story, you tell the main idea
of the story again in your own words. The main
idea of this story is that a rabbit named Tavu
makes the sun stay up longer so the Paiute people
will have more daylight. What details would
help me tell how Tavu completed this task? Tavu
makes the sun stay up longer by shooting it with
an arrow that was wet from his tears. Tavu then
cuts the sun into pieces and throws one piece into
the sky. He commands the sun to go higher than
before to make the days longer.
THEME
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law.
The theme is a message or a truth about life that
the story suggests. One theme of this story is that
a small person, if he is brave and determined, can
make a big difference. Tavu is a rabbit who goes
out alone to hunt the sun. He wants to help the
Paiute people get more daylight so they will have
enough time to hunt. He shoots arrows at the
sun and becomes discouraged because none of
his arrows hit. Tavu starts crying, but he doesn’t
give up. Finally, he succeeds in hitting the sun.
He completes his mission because he is brave
and does not give up. His actions demonstrate
the theme that anyone who really cares about
something can make a big difference.
Listen and Learn • 7
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