Roadrunner’s DanceBy: Rudolfo Anaya

Mrs. Murray’s 4th GradeeMINTS Classroom

Reflection: Day 1

• What is a synonyms for the word gaurdian? Write at least three.

Reflection: Day 2

• After reading pages 281-285, explain how the author is building suspense in this story.

Reflection: Day 3

• On page 291, what context clues help you find synonyms for the word abode?

• How does the author create suspense on page 291?

Reflection: Day 4

• What purpose do you think the author had for writing ROADRUNNER’S DANCE?

Reflection: Day 5

• How did the author use foreshadowing on page 298?

• How did the author use symbolism on page 301?

Vocabulary• interfere- to take part in the affairs of others

when not asked• awkward- without grace in movement or

behavior• proclaimed- announced publicly • agile- able to move and react quickly and easily • guardian- someone or something who watches

over or protests • tottered- walked or moved with unsteady steps

Practice:

Vocabulary Game Quia Matching Quia Cloze

Vocabulary: Story Words

• inhibiting- slowing down or holding back• coiled- moved in a circling or twisting way• mesquite- a shrub with thorns that grows

in the southwestern United States• yucca- a warm-climate plant with long

leaves, strong stems, and white flowers• ruckus- a lot of noise and activity

Vocabulary/Word WorkThesaurus: Synonyms• A synonym is a word that has the

same or a very similar meaning to another word.

• Finding synonyms for an unfamiliar word can help you to understand its meaning.

• You can use a Thesaurus to find synonyms.

Synonym Slider Game Synonym Memory Squanky’s Synonyms

Thesaurus Practice

Phonics: /ur/

• The /ur/ sound can be spelled:• er her• ir first• or worm• ur curb

Fluency: Intonation/Pausing

“I’ll never get it right,”/ he moaned.//“Yes, you will,”/ Desert Woman said,/ again helping him to his feet.//”You need only to practice.”//So Roadrunner practiced.// He ran back and forth,/ learning to use his skinny legs,/ learning to balance with his tail feathers.//“Practice,”/ he said again.// “Practice.”//With time, / he was swirling and twirling like a twister.// The once awkward bird was now a graceful dancer.//

Comprehension:Evaluate• When evaluating a story, you can ask

yourself:• Why has the author included these details?• Why has the author described the character

this way?• Why has the author used poetic language,

humor, or suspense?• By asking these kinds of questions, students

can increase their understanding and appreciation of the story and of the author’s purpose in writing it.

Comprehension: Author’s Purpose• As you read, ask yourself if the author is trying to

entertain, inform, or persuade. • If a selection includes humor or suspense, the

author’s purpose may be to entertain.• If the author gives a lot of information about a

topic, the purpose is probably to inform.• An author whose purpose is mainly to persuade

tries to get the reader to think or act a certain way.

• Remember, many selections have more than one purpose. Often you are asked what the author’s purpose is for a selection. You will have to analyze the selection and choose the author’s MAIN purpose.Author’s Purpose Practice Author’s Purpose Quiz

Comprehension: Inferences• Good readers make inferences to

understand things the author wants them to know but does not directly state in the story.

• To make inferences, you can use information from the text, illustrations, and things you already know to make connections.

Comprehension:Paraphrase• You can check your understanding

of what you have read by restating the main points in your won words.

• You should make sure that you can restate important details and do not include any of your own opinions.

Comprehension:Foreshadowing and Symbolism• Authors sometimes use literary elements to

make writing more interesting and add suspense.

• Foreshadowing hints at what is going to happen without giving a piece of the story away. It is used to build suspense in the reader.

• Symbolism uses concrete objects to represent qualities or ideas such as love, happiness, or courage.

Foreshadowing Chart

Symbolism

Unit 3 Week 1Text: Roadrunners :Surprising Birds (P.278)

What is the meaning of awkward? What context clues helped you define the word? Use two details or examples from the story to support your answer.

R1E Vocabulary1.6 patterns & relationships

Unit 3 Week 1Text: Roadrunners Dance

Describe a time when you or someone you know experienced a situation like the rattlesnake found himself in. Use details and/or examples from the story to support your answer.

R1I Making connections1.6 patterns & relationships

Unit 3 Week 1Text: Roadrunner’s Dance

What are two ways that the roadrunner in the selection is the same as a real roadrunner? Use details and/or examples from the story to support your answer.

R1I Making connections1.6 patterns & relationships

Unit 3 Week 1Text: Flycatcher and Coyote

Explain the meaning of the boulder in the road. Use two details or examples from the story to support your answer.

R2B Fiction literary devices1.6 patterns & relationships

R2C 1.6 continued

• Identify author’s purpose

The author wrote the selection on pages 278-279 to:

A. Entertain the readersB. Inform the readersC. Convince the reader to do somethingD. Tell an important truth

The Roadrunner• The Roadrunner or Ground Cuckoo, Geococcyx californianus, is a

bird that lives in thorny scrub, sparse grasslands, and deserts of Mexico and the southwestern USA. The Roadrunner can run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour). It rarely flies and does not migrate. When it is in danger, it runs or crouches to hide. Anatomy: The Roadrunner is about 23 inches (58 cm) long. It has a shaggy crest on its head. The tail is long and narrow; it helps the Roadrunner with balance and lets it turn quickly when running. The wings are short and rarely used; the legs are long and make this bird a fast runner. Males and females are similar in appearance. Roadrunners make rattling and cooing calls.

• Diet: Roadrunner eat fruit and small animals, including small lizards, scorpions, spiders, insects, eggs, small snakes, and some small rodents.

• Reproduction: The Roadrunner is a type of cuckoo, but unlike many other cuckoos, it is not a nest parasite. It builds its cup-like nest in a thorn bush or a cactus. The female lays 3 to 8 white eggs.