108

SMALL GROUP OPTIONS

ORAL LANGUAGE• Build Background

• Read Aloud

• Expand Vocabulary

VOCABULARY• Teach Words in Context

• Paragraph Clues

COMPREHENSION• Strategy: Make Inferences and

Analyze

• Skill: Character, Setting, Plot

• Differentiated Instruction, pp. 143M–143V

Oral LanguageBuild Background

ACCESS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Share the following information.

Wild animals include butterflies

in Costa Rica and lions in Africa.

TALK ABOUT WILDLIFE WATCHERS

Discuss the weekly theme.

■ Have you seen any wild animals?

■ What was the most exciting thing

you saw an animal do?

FOCUS QUESTION Ask a volunteer to

read “Talk About It” on Student Book

page 109 and describe the photo.

■ What does the girl have on her

shoulder?

■ What wild animal would you like to

watch up close like this?

Beginning Discuss Photograph Point to the frog and say, It’s a

frog. It’s small. The frog is on the girl. Have students repeat. Have

students point to items and say what they can about the photo.

Ask: Who is the girl looking at? Who is the frog looking at?

Intermediate Develop Concept Write the words pets and wildlife

on the board. List some examples, both plants and animals. Ask: Do you

think this frog is a pet or wild animal? Discuss with students animals they

have seen or would like to see in the wild.

Advanced Elaborate Repeat the Intermediate task but encour-

age students to respond in more complex sentences. For example,

I’d like to go and watch lions hunt in the wild.

108

Talk About ItWhat is the girl thinking?

What is the frog thinking?

Find out more about

wildlife at

www.macmillanmh.com

109

Read AloudRead “Wild and Swampy”

GENRE: Personal

Memoir

Tell students a

memoir is a story

about the author’s

personal experience.

LISTENING FOR A

PURPOSE

Ask students to listen

for details that describe the setting,

and how it affects the animals, as

you read “Wild and Swampy” in the

Read-Aloud Anthology. Choose from

among the teaching suggestions.

Fluency Ask students to listen

carefully as you read aloud. Tell

students to listen to your phrasing,

expression, and tone of voice.

RESPOND TO THE MEMOIR

Invite students to discuss where near

their homes they could go to observe

animals in nature. Ask students to

describe the animals they would most

likely see there.

Expand VocabularyHave students identify three more

words in the narrative that relate to

this week’s theme of Wildlife Watchers.

Students can write the words in a word

journal and create new sentences using

each of the words.For an extended lesson plan and Web site activities for oral

language development, go to www.macmillanmh.com

Talk About It Student pages 108–109

Picture Prompt

Look at the picture. Write about what you see. You can write a poem,

a story, or a description, or use any other type of writing you like.

Read Aloud pages 24–27

The Raft 109

Dear Diary,

What an amazing day! I never

thought rafting could be so much

fun. Wait… I should probably back

up and explain what I was doing

on a raft in the fi rst place.

Today, my family and I started

our vacation. We’re taking a rafting

trip down the Colorado River. I

have to admit, it didn’t sound like

my idea of fun. The thought of

getting drenched by the river and

sleeping in tents with creepy bugs

and spiders kind of disgusted

me. But, unless I wanted to be

left behind, I had to put on my

lifejacket and join in.

Lisa, our guide, helped us get

our big, rubber raft into the river.

We joined the others, scattered

here and there along the river.

There were so many, it felt like

we were playing bumper boats!

Lisa had told us that the river

would narrow and we would be

a bit cluttered. Then the river

widened, and the rafts spread

out as we were carried in the

water’s fl ow downstream. At

fi rst, I just sat in the raft and

listened to my music. But when

we picked up speed, I realized

my help was needed.

Vocabularydisgusted cluttered

raft downstream

scattered nuzzle

Context CluesParagraph Clues are clues

within the same paragraph

to the meaning of an

unfamiliar word. Look for

clues within the paragraph

where cluttered appears to

figure out its meaning.

by Olivia Snow

110

110

Vocabulary/Comprehension Student page 110

VocabularyTEACH WORDS IN CONTEXT

Use the following routine.

■ A raft is a kind of flat boat. Mark Twain

wrote a famous story about a boy who

explores the Mississippi River on a raft.

What would it be like to float down the

Mississippi River on a raft? DESCRIPTION

■ Objects that are scattered are spread

or thrown about here and there. When

Matt dropped the checkerboard, the

checkers scattered over the floor. What

other items could be scattered? EXAMPLE

■ If something is filled with a messy

collection of things, it is cluttered .

Laura’s room was so cluttered with

toys that it was hard to walk without

stepping on one. What is a synonym for

cluttered? SYNONYM

■ Downstream means in the same

direction as the current of a stream.

Salmon are born in rivers, but soon

after, they swim downstream to

the ocean. What is an antonym for

downstream? ANTONYM

■ If you nuzzle something, you touch

or rub it with your nose. The cat will

nuzzle my leg when she is hungry and

wants to be fed. How is giving a nuzzle

different from giving a hug? COMPARE AND

CONTRAST

Sentence Frames For the

word cluttered, write The

is cluttered. Help

students to fill in the blank

with examples of things

that can be cluttered. Write

The will nuzzle my

arm when it wants to eat.

Help students fill in the

blank with examples of an

animal that might nuzzle.

Define: If you have a sick feeling of

strong dislike, you are disgusted .

Example: She was so disgusted by her

burned cookies, she threw away her

cookie cutters.

Ask: What is a synonym for disgusted?

SYNONYM

During Small Group Instruction

If No Approaching Level

Vocabulary, p. 143N

If Yes On Level Options,

pp. 143Q–143R

Beyond Level Options,

pp. 143S–143T

Do students understand

word meanings?

Vocabulary and Comprehension

Reread for Comprehension

Make Inferences and AnalyzeCharacter, Setting, Plot Knowing the setting of a story can help readers make inferences and analyze why certain events occur and why characters feel or act the way they do.

A Setting Flow Chart can help you keep track of the setting, character, and events of a story. Reread the selection to learn how the story’s setting affects the main character.

disappointed. But it gave us a

chance to appreciate the beauty

of the Grand Canyon. The sunset

was amazing. It made the red and

gold colors of the canyon walls

positively glow.

We’ll be back on the river early

tomorrow, so I’d better zip up my

sleeping bag and get to sleep.

Before long, I was paddling

away and enjoying the amazing

wildlife overhead and along the

shore. We spotted a great blue

heron and a coyote. Then we

watched a mother beaver nuzzle her young gently with

her snout. Lisa said that if we

looked carefully, we might

even see a mountain lion!

I have to admit that

when it was time to get

off the river and set up

camp, I actually felt

111

Fill in each blank with the correct vocabulary word.

raft scattered disgusteddownstream cluttered nuzzle

1. I’ll never forget the fi rst time I fl oated down a river on

a .

2. The river rushed me .

3. On the side of the river, leaves were here and there.

4. I passed a house. The front porch was with old furniture and newspapers.

5. I saw a mother dog her puppy.

6. I was when I saw paper and cans in the water.

Write four more sentences about the end of this trip. Use an antonym of the words from the box in each sentence.

7.

8.

9.

10.

raft

downstream

scattered

cluttered

nuzzle

disgusted

Possible responses provided.I was thrilled when we made it through

the rapids.

We pulled the rafts onto the bank and left the life

preservers in neat piles.

We gathered to say good-bye.

Next summer I want to explore the river farther

upstream.

On Level Practice Book O, page 29

Approaching Practice Book A, page 29

Beyond Practice Book B, page 29

Vocabulary/Comprehension Student page 111

VocabularySTRATEGYCONTEXT CLUES

Paragraph Clues Explain that the

context clues in the surrounding

paragraph can help students to

determine an unfamiliar word’s

meaning.

Point to the word cluttered on Student

Book page 110. Ask students what

parts of the paragraph help them to

understand the meaning of cluttered.

(so many, bumper boats, narrow)

Read “Rafting—Ready or Not”

As you read “Rafting—Ready or Not”

with students, ask them to identify

clues that reveal the meanings of the

highlighted words. Tell students they

will read these words again in The Raft.

The Raft 111

Transparency 5bTransparency 5a

Vocabulary/Comprehension

Objectives• Make inferences

• Analyze character, setting,

and plot

• Use academic language:

inference, analyze, character,

setting, plot

Materials

• Comprehension Transparencies

5a and 5b

• Graphic Organizer

Transparency 5

• Leveled Practice Books, p. 30

Reread for

ComprehensionSTRATEGYMAKE INFERENCES AND ANALYZE

Tell students that good readers of fiction analyze how the setting—

the time and place of the story—helps determine what is and is not

possible in the plot. Readers also make inferences about the ways

in which the setting of a story influences what a character feels or

does.

SKILLCHARACTER, SETTING, PLOT

■ Explain that an author’s choice of setting is very important to a

story. The more specific or unusual the setting, the more closely

tied the plot and the characters’ experiences will be to that

setting.

■ Students can begin their analyses of the setting by looking at

any illustrations the story might have. They can then identify the

location of the story by looking for details that tell where it takes

place and the time by looking for details that tell when.

Demonstrate Have

students demonstrate

nuzzle, scattered, and

cluttered in sentences.

Write the past tense of

nuzzle on the board.

Co-construct sentences

with present and past

tense of nuzzle.

Character, Setting, Plot

Introduce 85A–B

Practice /Apply

86–101; Leveled Practice, 23–24

Reteach / Review

107M–T; 111A–B, 112–137, 143M–T; Leveled Practice, 30–31

Assess Weekly Tests; Unit 1, 5 Tests; Benchmark Tests A, B

Maintain 101B, 137B, 169B, 201B, 265B, 607A–B, 608–627, 631M–T, 681B

Student Book pages 110–111 available on Comprehension Transparencies 5a and 5b

Dear Diary,

What an amazing day! I never

thought rafting could be so much

fun. Wait… I should probably back

up and explain what I was doing

on a raft in the fi rst place.

Today, my family and I started

our vacation. We’re taking a rafting

trip down the Colorado River. I

have to admit, it didn’t sound like

my idea of fun. The thought of

getting drenched by the river and

sleeping in tents with creepy bugs

and spiders kind of disgusted

me. But, unless I wanted to be

left behind, I had to put on my

lifejacket and join in.

Lisa, our guide, helped us get

our big, rubber raft into the river.

We joined the others, scattered

here and there along the river.

There were so many, it felt like

we were playing bumper boats!

Lisa had told us that the river

would narrow and we would be

a bit cluttered. Then the river

widened, and the rafts spread

out as we were carried in the

water’s fl ow downstream. At

fi rst, I just sat in the raft and

listened to my music. But when

we picked up speed, I realized

my help was needed.

Vocabularydisgusted cluttered

raft downstream

scattered nuzzle

Context CluesParagraph Clues are clues

within the same paragraph

to the meaning of an

unfamiliar word. Look for

clues within the paragraph

where cluttered appears to

figure out its meaning.

by Olivia Snow

110

Vocabulary and Comprehension

Reread for Comprehension

Make Inferences and AnalyzeCharacter, Setting, Plot Knowing the setting of a story can help readers make inferences and analyze why certain events occur and why characters feel or act the way they do.

A Setting Flow Chart can help you keep track of the setting, character, and events of a story. Reread the selection to learn how the story’s setting affects the main character.

disappointed. But it gave us a

chance to appreciate the beauty

of the Grand Canyon. The sunset

was amazing. It made the red and

gold colors of the canyon walls

positively glow.

We’ll be back on the river early

tomorrow, so I’d better zip up my

sleeping bag and get to sleep.

Before long, I was paddling

away and enjoying the amazing

wildlife overhead and along the

shore. We spotted a great blue

heron and a coyote. Then we

watched a mother beaver nuzzle her young gently with

her snout. Lisa said that if we

looked carefully, we might

even see a mountain lion!

I have to admit that

when it was time to get

off the river and set up

camp, I actually felt

111

111A

MODEL

Read aloud the first two paragraphs of the diary entry “Rafting—

Ready or Not” from Student Book page 110.

Think Aloud The narrator says that she didn’t want to go on

the rafting trip at first and that she is surprised by how much

fun it is. She recalls her idea of what the trip would be like:

getting drenched, sharing a tent with bugs and spiders. I’ll

have to keep reading to learn how her actual experiences on

the river changed her opinion.

GUIDED PRACTICE

■ Begin by asking students to write what the setting is in the

top box of the Setting Flow Chart. (the Colorado River, present)

■ Have students identify the first event during the trip that

caused a strong reaction in the narrator. Help them enter this

information on the Setting Flow Chart. (See chart at right.)

APPLY

■ Have students complete the Setting Flow Chart by identifying

two more plot events that are specific to the setting. Ask

students to summarize how the setting affected the narrator.

The characters are the people, and sometimes animals, in a story. The setting is where and when a story takes place. The plot is what happens in the story.

At last we arrived at the ocean cottage. My brother and I were too

excited to look around the house. We ran out to explore the shore. There

were tide pools and seaweed, and minnows swimming in a tide pool.

When I stuck my hand in the water, the little fish darted under a piece of

seaweed. Farther down the rocky coast, we saw a seal resting on a rock!

My brother and I were so excited about seeing the seal that we had

a hard time falling asleep that night. The next morning we ran to find

the seal again. It was gone! But then we heard barking. In the shallow

water near the shore, a dark head looked at us, barked once again, and

disappeared below the water.

1. Name the setting of the passage.

2. Who is the main character?

3. What happens in the fi rst part of the story?

4. What important discovery do they make while they are exploring?

5. How does the story end?

an ocean cottage, the shore

the narrator of the story

The children explore the shore.

They spot a seal.

The seal barks at them and swims away.

On Level Practice Book O, page 30

Approaching Practice Book A, page 30

Beyond Practice Book B, page 30

Vocabulary/Comprehension

Transparency 5

Settingthe Colorado River, present

Event Character’s Reaction

the raft picked up speed

realizes she must help by paddling

Event Character’s Reaction

birds and animals appear along the

river

awed and excited

Event Character’s Reaction

leaving the river to set up camp

disappointed but appreciates the

beauty around her

Setting Flow Chart

Graphic Organizer Transparency 5

During Small Group Instruction

If No Approaching Level Comprehension, p. 143O

If Yes On Level Options, pp. 143Q–143R

Beyond Level Options, pp. 143S–143T

Can students make inferences and analyze the characters,

setting, and plot?

The Raft 111B