lesson 25 teacher’s guide dex is a hero 25 teacher’s guide dex is a hero ... of the book and...

Number of Words: 1,492

L E S S O N 2 5 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Dex is a Heroby Barbara Roenz

Fountas-Pinnell Level SScience FictionSelection SummaryDex is in training to work on a farm on Mars and needs to learn to be weightless. His fear of being weightless, as well as his natural caution, is slowing his progress. When his brother sneaks into the weightless training room, he is in great danger. Dex overcomes his fear and enters the room, saving his brother from harm.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Science fi ction

Text Structure • Third-person continuous narrative with dialogue• Multiple episodes related to single plot• Subplot involving grandfather helps explain Dex’s fear

Content • Dex is having diffi culty doing what is expected of him• Humans living on Mars• Dex overcomes his fear

Themes and Ideas • People who are different or have opposite personalities can learn from each other.• Fear can be overcome, especially when a loved one is threatened.

Language and Literary Features

• Assigned dialogue throughout the story• More advanced fantasy elements related to scientifi c ideas

Sentence Complexity • A variety of sentence length with long and complex sentences• Questions in dialogue

Vocabulary • Vocabulary terms related to space, some of which might not be familiar to English language learners, such as weightless, space suit, oxygen tanks. Cultural references such as robots (p. 3).

Words • Some multisyllable words that might be challenging: centuries, inspector, mechanicalIllustrations • Illustrations with labels and captions

Book and Print Features • Thirteen pages of text, illustrations on every page• No chapter breaks

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

average – typical or normal, p. 7calculated – working with

numbers to fi nd an answer, p. 3

centuries – periods of one hundred years, p. 2

dispute – to argue or say something isn’t true, p. 3

insert – to put one object inside of another, p. 13

inspector – a person who checks to make sure things are working, p. 6

mechanical – having to do with machines or tools, p. 3

progress – when things move forward or advance, p. 4

superior – better than other things, p. 6

waste – to throw away something thoughtlessly, p. 4

Dex is a Hero by Barbara Roenz

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of space to visualize the story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be in space? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this story is science fi ction, a fantasy story whose plot deals with scientifi c ideas.

Frontload VocabularySome everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: robots, gravity, settlement, dome, oxygen.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:

Pages 2–3: Read the caption on page 2. Explain to students that this story is about Dex and that he lives on Mars some time in the future. He is trying to pass a test in weightlessness so that he can help with farming on Mars. Cultural Support: Make sure students understand the reference to robots on page 3.

Page 3: Explain that on Mars, robots do some of the work. Suggested Language: Robots calculate the amount of many things that are needed.

Page 11: Read the caption under the illustration. Direct the students’ attention to the illustration of Mrs. Johnston. Explain that she is Dex and Jace’s mother. Ask: What emotion do you think Mrs. Johnston is feeling?

Page 14: Read the caption under the illustration. Ask: Can you guess what Dex learned about himself?

Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to fi nd out how Dex becomes a hero.

2 Lesson 25: Dex is a HeroGrade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the story as needed.

Remind students to use Question Strategy to formulate questions before, during, and after they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text.Suggested language: Why do you think Dex is frightened about working in weightlessness? Do you think it was easy for him to overcome his fear? Why or why not?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Dex needs to learn to work in weightlessness, but he is frightened to do so.

• Dex’s mother and teacher are concerned about Dex’s fear and compare him to his brother Jace who has a less cautious attitude.

• When Jace sneaks into the weightless chamber and is in danger, Dex faces his fear and saves Jace from harm.

• People who are different from each other can learn from each other.

• Fear can prevent someone from trying to do something new or different.

• You may have to take risks in order to overcome a fear.

• The story takes place in a community on Mars, but it has elements that are slightly familiar—like Mars Middle School.

• The story includes some facts about science.

• The author creates characters that are very much like real children.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to read at an

appropriate rate, moving along rapidly with a few slowdowns and stops or pauses to solve words. Remind them that after they solve words, they should once again pick up the pace.

• 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 Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Explain that the word weightless is made up of the word weight and the suffi x less. The suffi x less means without, so weightless means “without weight.” Encourage students to think of other words that use less as a suffi x: careless, thoughtless, etc.



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 25.10.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillAuthor’s Purpose

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that when they examine author’s

purpose, they use text details to fi gure out the author’s reason for writing. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer using a “Think Aloud” like the one below.

Think Aloud

In the story, the author’s purpose is to entertain the reader. One detail that supports this is the idea of a colony of humans living on Mars. Another entertaining detail is that Grandpa is a storyteller. Add these details to the chart to support the author’s purpose of entertainment.

Practice the SkillHave students share an example of another story in which the author’s purpose was to entertain.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• Which words on page 3 help the reader understand what robots are?

• Dex’s main problem is that

________________________________________________________________.

• Why is Dex frightened of weightlessness?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text How are Jace and Dex different?

2. Think within the text What is the purpose of the training Dex

is being given?

3. Think beyond the text What is the author trying to tell the

reader about overcoming fear?

4. Think about the text What features of this story make it

science fi ction?

Making Connections People do many things differently in the Mars colony from the way they do them on Earth. Think of an activity you like to do. Invent a new way to do the same activity on Mars in the future.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

12Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 25B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 5 . 1 0

Grade 4, Unit 5: Change Is All Around

Name Date

Dex is a HeroCritical Thinking

Jace hurries into everything without thinking. Dex is very careful.

Every person in the settlement is needed to help plant and harvest crops.

The author is saying that sometimes just by saying something or by chasing a

worthwhile goal, people can overcome their fears. Once they stop being afraid,

they might even like the thing that they feared.

It takes place in the future. It has been set in a colony that has been created on

Mars.

Possible responses shown.

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First Pass

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Give English learners a “preview” of the text by holding a brief small-group discussion with them before reading the text with the entire group.

Vocabulary The story includes some informal language that might affect fl uent reading for English language learners. Explain the meaning of phrases such as Progress brought juicy, red tomatoes (p. 4), nearly fell into the big room (p. 12), Dex shook with fear (p. 13), and swim-like movements (p. 14)

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is this story about?

Speaker 2: Dex

Speaker 1: Where is the setting of the story?

Speaker 2: Mars

Speaker 1: What does Dex have to learn to do in the story?

Speaker 2: to work in weightlessness

Speaker 1: Who is Jace?

Speaker 2: Jace is Dex’s brother

Speaker 1: How are Jace and Dex different?

Speaker 2: Dex is careful and Jace is not.

Speaker 1: Where does Jace go at the end of the story?

Speaker 2: Jace goes into the weightless training room.



Name Date

Dex Is a HeroThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

On page 14, the caption states that Dex has learned something about himself by helping Jace. What kinds of things do you think that Dex learned? How did this help him become a hero? Explain your answer, giving examples from the story.


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Lesson 25B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 5 . 1 0

Name Date

Dex is a HeroCritical Thinking


Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text How are Jace and Dex different?

2. Think within the text What is the purpose of the training Dex

is being given?

3. Think beyond the text What is the author trying to tell the

reader about overcoming fear?

4. Think about the text What features of this story make it

science fi ction?

Making Connections People do many things differently in the Mars colony from the way they do them on Earth. Think of an activity you like to do. Invent a new way to do the same activity on Mars in the future.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.


1414

054

Student Date Lesson 25

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 5 . 1 4

Dex Is a Hero • LEVEL S Dex Is a HeroRunning Record Form

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

3 Ms. Luna smiled. She could not argue with, or dispute, what

Dex said. The weightless room had no gravity. Gravity is the

force that pulls objects toward Earth. Without gravity, people

float around. Blood can go to a person’s head, making it hurt.

But Dex did not leave the antigravity, or a-g, room because he

felt sick. Dex left because he was scared!

Dex had lived on this station on Mars since he was born. Life

on Mars was great. Rain and snow never coated roads or

stopped soccer games because a big rounded dome covered

the whole town.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/99 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections


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lesson 25 teacher’s guide dex is a hero 25 teacher’s guide dex is a hero ... of the book and...

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