Celebrating Traditions

Theme Two: Houghton Mifflin ReadingMr. Mills3rd Grade

What does each of these symbols represent?

Introducing the ThemeWhat is a “tradition”?

What are some traditions you follow?

Where do these traditions come from?

Brainstorming Traditions Does your family celebrate any traditions or customs different

than those of our American culture?

Different Family Traditions

Practice Book Using practice book page 93, describe a

tradition that you celebrate. Think about the following information to include:

• When do you celebrate it?• Where do you go?• Who shares the celebration with you?• What do you do to honor the event?• Why do you celebrate that event?• What is your favorite part?

The Keeping Quilt

Patricia Polacco

Border

A part that forms the outside edge of something

Gathering

A coming together of people

Needles

Small thin tools used for sewing

Scraps

Leftover bits of cloth

Sewn

Fastened with stitches using a needle and thread

Threaded

Passed thread through the eye of a needle

Quilt-Making Vocabulary

Matching Vocabulary with MeaningWrite the vocabulary word that best fits the meaning of the picture.

Use the word bank below to help you spell the vocabulary word correctly.

Border Gathering Needles Scraps Sewn Threaded

Quilting Vocabulary Categorization

We will sort our vocabulary

words by the parts of speech

we are studying in class.

Define the parts of speech:

Noun Verb Adjective

Double click to open Smart

notebook link

Reading Background

Turn to page 158 of your reading book. We will read about how these words are correctly used.

Complete practice book page 95 by yourself.

Thinking About the Selection

Why does Anna’s mother start the tradition of the Keeping Quilt?

Compare each daughter to her mother’s wedding. How is each wedding different and the same?

How do you think Patricia Polacco feels about family? Give examples from the story.

What does the Keeping Quilt help the family keep?

Why do you think Polacco has drawn only part of each illustration in color?

Using Our Vocabulary

Border

Gathering

Needles

Scraps

Sewn

Threaded

Rewrite the vocabulary words in the correct category.

Words about Sewing

Words about People

Words about Cloth

Grandpa’s Baseball CardGrandpa’s Baseball Card

Gathering

Librarian

Defense

Career

Talent

Sewn

A group of people coming together

A person who works in a library

In sports, the attempts to prevent the other team for scoring

A long-term occupation or job

Great ability or a special skill

Fastened with stitches using a needle and thread

Using the Vocabulary

The _________ helped me find a good book.

Everyone says I have a _________ for singing.

My kimono was hand ________.

When you are in high school you should start thinking about your future __________.

Every Thanksgiving there is a huge ________ at my house.

Word Bank

sewn talented gathering librarian defense career

Independent PracticeIndependent Practice

Complete the vocabulary handout independently.

When you are finished, read

Grandpa’s Baseball Card.

Think About the SelectionThink About the Selection

Why is the Willie Mays card so important to Carl’s mother and grandfather?

How does Carl feel when he receives the card for his birthday? Why?

What does Carl do to learn about Willie Mays?

Willie Mays EnrichmentWillie Mays Enrichment

Teacher Read Aloud: “Presidents Day”

• What are some ways the nation honors both Presidents?

• What other ways is George Washington honored?

• What are some ways that children celebrate Presidents Day?

• How do adults honor these two Presidents?

Grandma’s Records

Eric Velasquez

Salsa Music Vocabulary

SalsaSalsa

CongaConga

PercussionPercussion

PerformingPerforming

RecordsRecords

TheaterTheater

A style of Spanish dance music that mixes African, Cuban, jazz, and rock.

A tall, narrow drum with one head that is played by beating with the hands.

A family of instruments played by being struck or shaken.

Presenting something for an audience.

A grooved disc that can be played on a phonograph.

A building where plays, movies, or concerts are presented.

Show what you know!

conga percussion performing record salsa theater

Practice your Vocabulary

Complete practice book page 115, using what you now know about our vocabulary.

Other words you will see…

• El Barrio

• Merengue

• Dominican Republic

• Nightclubs

• Pigeon peas

• Bronx

• Spectacular

A neighborhood where many Spanish people live

A type of fast dance music

A country where people speak Spanish

Clubs that stay open late and have dancing or music

A kind of pea grown in warm climates

A section of New York City where many people live

Impressive or amazing

ComprehensionWhat is so special about Grandma’s favorite

song?

What are some things the boy learns from his grandmother?

Look at the illustration on page 196. Why do you think this is so different?

What does the author mean when he says “Grandma wrapped me in her world of music”?

Reading Skill: Categorizing Information

Sorting details into groups helps us better understand and keep track of what is happening in a story.

The boys experience listening to music on records

The boys experience listening to music at a concert

Reading Skill: Categorizing Information

Practice independently, using page 116 of your practice book.

On His Own With his GrandmaThings the boy did at

Grandma’s House

Enrichment Connections• Let’s watch and listen to a Hispanic band

playing the merengue.

Miyu and the Cranes for Peace

Vocabulary

• Earthquake

• Stationary

• Festival

• Cranes

• Performers

• Origami

A shaking or trembling of the earth’s crust.

Paper goods and writing supplies.

A celebration or a fair.

Birds with long legs and necks that wade in water.

People who act, sing, or dance.

A Japanese art of folding paper to look like different things

Show what you know!

Earthquake stationary festival

Cranes performers origami

Comprehension

• How is Miyu able to learn about what life was like in Japan?

• How do Miyu’s classmates learn origami?

• What is special about the origami cranes?

• Describe some Japanese customs you learned about in this story?

Additional Enrichment•We will listen to a traditional

Japanese folktale involving cranes.•Remember that folktales are

stories passed down from generation to generation.

•Think about the message, or lesson to be learned, in “The Crane Maiden”.

http://www.unitedstreaming.com/personalized/myContent.cfm?guidFolder=71ea6e65-96ff-4910-aeb0-9f00ae056668&rand=7074B112-18FE-8925-CCBAD4841C17B625&tabDisplay=myContent

Independent Enrichment

• If you have completed all of your other work, you may try to make an origami crane.

• Use the web link and follow the directions.

Good luck!

http://www.monkey.org/~aidan/origami/crane/

Story Telling TreesPay close attention to the details in this story. We will need them to answer questions after reading.

What must a tree be like to be chosen to become a story-telling tree?

What details show that a totem-pole carving today is different than in the past?

What details show that raising a totem pole long ago was hard work?

The Talking Cloth

By Rhonda Mitchell

Cloth from Ghana Vocabulary Ghana is a country on the continent of Africa. Our

vocabulary focuses on words related to the cloth made in Ghana.

Collection

Embroidered

Royalty

Symbols

Wealth

Flourish

A group of objects with something in common.

Decorated by sewing designs with thread or yarn.

Members of a royal family.

Designs that stand for other things or ideas.

Plenty of money or other valuable things.

A dramatic waving motion or a showy way of doing something

Using the Vocabulary: collection flourish royalty

embroidered symbols wealth

Practicing the Vocabulary

• Read the building background for The Talking Cloth on pages 215 and 215.

• Complete practice book page 130 to show that you understand the vocabulary.

Thinking about the Story

•Why do you think Aunt Phoebe likes to

collect things?

•Why does Amber enjoy visiting Aunt Phoebe?

•How does the Talking Cloth “talk”, and what

does it say?

•What does Aunt Phoebe mean when she says

that Amber has grown inside?

Fly-Fishing with Grandpa

Written by Matthew C. Hart

Fly-Fishing Vocabulary

Collection

Flies

Flourish

Casting

Patience

Concentrate

A group of objects with something in common.

Fishhooks made to look like insects.

An energetic or dramatic waving motion.

Throwing or flinging

The ability to put up with trouble or a delay without complaining.

Paying attention, keeping your thoughts focused.

Using the Vocabulary

Flies collection flourish casting patience concentrate

Working Independently

• Show your understanding and correctly complete the vocabulary handout.

• Read the story independently.

• Look over the questions on the back page of the book.

Punxsutawney Phil

Reading Skill Focus

Most informational writing is organized by topic, main ideas, and supporting details.

The topic is what the writing is about.

The main ideas are the important points or facts.

The supporting details are facts, examples, and information about the main ideas.

As I read aloud, you listen and try to identify the topic, main ideas, and supporting details.

Punxsutawney Phil

Topic

Main Idea: Main Idea:

Supporting Details Supporting Details

Dancing Rainbows

By Evelyn Clarke Mott

Vocabulary: Native American Dance

People one’s family comes from

People who are older and respected

To show special respect for

Copying what someone does

Admiration or consideration

Applying VocabularyHonor

Elders

Respect

Imitating

Ancestors

Building Background

Let’s turn to page 234 of your reading book, to read and develop a better understanding of our story.

Pay close attention to our vocabulary words and make sure you read them correctly.

Show what you have learned, completing page 145 of your practice book.

Vocabulary ReviewYou should always respect your __________.

You can learn more about your ethnic group by researching your __________________.

It is important to show ________ to your parents and teachers.

If you do something heroic, you should be shown ________.

It can be annoying when someone is __________ you.

Think about the Selection

Why do you think Curt respects his grandpa and tries to belike him?

Why does Andy start a dance group for young Tewas?

How does Curt follow Andy’s advice to “dance with all your heart”?

What does Andy mean when he says, “A Tewa never dances for himself. He dances for all things and people?

How does Andy teacher younger family members about the past?

What are some ways you learn about the past?

Identifying the OrganizationTopic:

Main Idea: Main Idea: Main Idea:

Supporting Details Supporting Details Supporting Details

Dancing Rainbows Extension

Use electronic media to learn more about the look, sounds, and feel of a Native American dance ritual.

http://www.unitedstreaming.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=4AB2CCB6-33D9-4EBB-A34D-4E37223109C5

Drum DancersAn Inuit Story

Drum Dancers Vocabulary

Older and respected members of a group

A person who drives a dogsled

Dim or quiet

To mover faster or speed up

Applying the Vocabulary

faint musher elder quickens

Think about the Story• Why might Father believe that

Nanuq’s name is a fitting one for him?

• What does Nanuq do to help Aputik?

• Why do the people of the village come together in the snowhouse?

• Would you like to live in a village like Nanuq’s? Explain your answer.

Organization of the Story

Supporting Details Supporting Details

Topic

Main Idea Main Idea

A Friendly Letter

Things to Consider

Why do people write friendly letters?

When have you received a letter?

Who sent it and why did they?

When have you written a letter?

Why did you write the letter?

What are the parts to a letter?

• How does a letter begin?

• What information is included in a letter?

• How does a letter end?

Let’s Learn Online!

We will use this website to aid our learning:

http://esd.iu5.org/LessonPlans/LetterWriting/lettermain.htm

Applying Your Learning

Using the information we have learned about the five parts to a letter, you will write your own letter.

First we need to identify who we are writing to, as well as the purpose for our letter.

Then you can follow the 5 steps to finish your letter!

Addressing your Envelope

Name of Person you are Writing ToStreet Address

City, State, Zip code

Your Name

Your Street Address

City, State, Zip code

Paired Stories

We will read two stories to prepare for our theme two tests. We will review and practice the following reading skills:

• Author’s Viewpoint• Noting Details• Categorize and Classify• Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details

Miss Rumphius

Story and pictures by Barbara Cooney

Vocabulary

Flowers that opened up or blossomed

Flowers of a certain type that grow in a cone-shaped cluster

Amounts that each equal 32 quarts

Points of high land that stick out into a body of water

Small valleys

Matching Vocabulary with Meaning

Write the vocabulary word that best fits the meaning of the picture.

Use the word bank below to help you spell the vocabulary word correctly.

bushels headlands lupines bloomed hollows

Miss RumphiusMiss Rumphius Video Reading: Borrowed from United Video Reading: Borrowed from United StreamingStreaming

Click on the Screen to Start Video

Author’s Viewpoint• How is Andy, the grandfather in Dancing

Rainbows, like Miss Rumphius’ grandfather?

• How do the authors in both stories seem to feel about grandfathers?

• In The Keeping Quilt, the beautiful quilt comforts Anna when she is sick. When Miss Rumphius’ back hurts, what comforts her?

• How do you think the authors of Miss Rumphius and The Keeping Quilt feel about beautiful things?

Noting Details

• Compare the illustration on page 267 of Miss Rumphius with the illustration on page 245 of Dancing Rainbows. What are Miss Rumphius and Andy both doing?

• How are their actions different?

• What furry animal do you see on page 271? Was this animal on any earlier pages?

• Why are there more and more lupines each year?

Critical Thinking

• What is the tradition that is passed down in this story?

• Do you think Miss Rumphius had a happy life?Explain your reasoning.

• How is Alice like Curt from Dancing Rainbows?

• Based on the selections we have read in this theme, how do you think most families feel about traditions?

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Vocabulary

togetherness

People who throw a party

Complicated and carefully planned

A large, fancy meal

A cook

Matching Vocabulary with Meaning

Write the vocabulary word that best fits the meaning of the picture.

Use the word bank below to help you spell the vocabulary word correctly.

unity chef elaborate hosts feast

Noting Details• Compare the photo on page 275 with

the illustration on page 176-177 of The Keeping Quilt. What similarities do you notice between the two families?

• What differences do you notice?

• What two details explain why Ryan’s father is the person who prepares the food for the feast?

Think and Compare

• Both Miss Rumphius and Chinese New Year tell about traditions that are passed along. How are these traditions alike and how are they different?

• How do traditions help younger people and older people feel closer? Use examples from the theme.

• Both Miss Rumphius and Aunt Phoebe from The Talking Cloth share beautiful things with other people. Why do you think they do this?

Celebrating Traditions

Theme Skills Test

Theme Test