Imagination
Students will be reading stories, poems, fables, and a short biography--all
exploring the ways people use their senses and imagination. Readings in
this unit will include the well-known fairy tale about the emperor's new
clothes. Students will also read a story about how a person "sees" without
using his eyes, a story about an imaginative place that a group of children
actually created, and a children's biography about Picasso.
1/4/10 – 1/8/10 “The Cat Who Became a Poet” (fantasy-fantasies often
involve very imaginative, fanciful tales and sometimes feature animals that
talk)
This fantasy is about the purpose of poetry and being a poet. As the
cat in the story says, “Perhaps all this poetry stuff is just the world’s
way of talking about itself.”
At one point in this fantasy, a character tells the cat that once
poetry gets in your blood you’re stuck with it for the rest of your life.
Ask your child to tell you about an activity that he or she loves so much
that, like poetry, it must be “in your blood.” It might be an activity such
as drawing, playing a musical instrument, dancing, writing, or acting in
plays. Or, it might be a sport, a craft, or a hobby.
Vocabulary: poet-person who writes or composes poems; nibbling-taking small
bites; alarm-sudden fear; a sense of danger; temperature-degree of hotness
or coldness measured with a thermometer; commanded-ordered; burglars-people
who steal; thieves
Comprehension strategies: monitoring and clarifying, summarizing, making
connections
Comprehension skills: Author’s purpose
Literary elements: Point of view
12/14/09 – 12/18/09 “Through Grandpa’s Eyes” (realistic fiction)
“Through Grandpa’s Eyes” is about a young boy who learns to see his
surroundings in a new way from his blind grandfather who has his own way of
seeing. Ask your child to tell you more about this story.
You can help your child explore his or her surroundings by using the senses
and imagination. You and your child might go to a local park and sit on a
bench with your eyes closed. Without looking at your surroundings or
talking, concentrate on listening to the sound of birds or insects, feeling
the sun or wind on your skin, and smelling the scent of grass or a nearby
tree. After you’ve taken a few minutes to concentrate and use your senses to
explore your surroundings, open your eyes. Have a paper and pencil handy to
write down a description of what you heard, felt, and smelled. Be
imaginative in your descriptions. Share them with each other.
Vocabulary: carved-cut carefully; burrow-to make a snug, warm place, usually
deep and narrow like a tunnel that a rabbit or gopher digs; exercises-
physical activities for the sake of fitness; bow-a wooden rod with horsehairs
stretched from end to end used in playing a stringed instrument; imitating-
being or appearing like; mimicking; sculpture- a statue or other art object
that is carved or shaped in three dimensions and not flat like a painting.
Comprehension Strategies: monitoring and clarifying, summarizing, making
connections
Comprehension Skills: Author’s purpose
Literary Elements: point of view
11/30/09 - 12/12/4/09 "Secret Place" (realistic fiction)
This is the story of a boy who finds a hidden spot in the middle of the city
where many different types of wildlife live. A few other people know about
the place and teach the boy about the different types of wildlife that live
there.
Vocabulary: shallow-not deap; concrete-a hard building material; slopes-
upward or downward slants; plumes-long feathers; shadowed-covered in shadow,
partially hidden; wilderness-an area undisturbed by human activity
Comprehension strategies: monitoring and adjusting reading speed,
summarizing, visualizing
Comprehension skills: author's purpose
Literary elements: onomatopoeia
11/16/09 - 11/20/09 "Two Days in May" (realistic fiction)
This is a story based on a true event that heppened in Chicago in 1996. a
family of deer wandered into the middle of a garden in the city searching for
food. The neighbors worked together to save the deer and even spent a night
camping outside with the deer to keep them safe.
In this story, neighbors worked together to protect wildlife that had been
pushed in to the city because its habitat had been destroyed. Discuss with
your child how wildlife and people affect one another, whether people have a
responsibility to protect wildlife, and what people can do to protect it.
Vocabulary: does-female deer; bucks-male deer; teriitory-an area belonging
to a group; organization-a group; association; society; relocates-moves to a
diferent place; population- the total number of inhabitants of a given area
Comprehension strategies: asking questions, making connectins, summarizing
Comprehension skills: cause and effect
Literary elements: setting
11/9/09 - 11/13/09 "Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City" (Expository
Text)
This article describes the numerous species of birds that live in cities, and
tells some of the unusual and unexpected places they nest. Ask your child to
tell you more about this article.
Vocabulary: abandoned-left behind or unused; either unprotected, unneeded,
or unwanted; originally-at first; in the beginning; species-kind or type of
plant or animal that scientists group together because they share the same
characteristics; cavity-hollow place or hole; suburbs-area of homes, stores,
and businesses that are near or right next to a city or urban area; clamor-
loud noise, usually lasting for a long time
Comprehension Strategies: monitoring and classifying, summarizing, asking
questions
Comprehension Skills: cause and effect
Literary Elements: Details
10/26/09 – 11/6/09 “Make Way for Ducklings” (Fantasy)
In this fantasy Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decide to raise their family of eight
ducklings right in the middle of traffic-congested Boston. Ask your child to
tell you more about the story.
Vocabulary: enormous-very large, huge; delighted-very happy, pleased; cozy-
warm and comfortable; bursting-filled and overflowing with strong emotion;
responsibility- important job, duty; beckoned- made a sign or signal to
someone to have them come closer
Comprehension Strategies: asking questions, predicting
Comprehension Skills: fantasy and reality
Literary Elements: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
10/12/09 – 10/15/09 “City Critters” (Expository Text)
This article is about the wildlife that fills our cities and the scientists
who are working to protect both the animals and the places they live. Ask
your child to tell you more about the article.
You can help your child begin to appreciate the vast numbers of animal,
bird, and insect species by taking a “field trip” in your neighborhood or in
a local park. Ask your child to listen and watch carefully for birds hidden
in trees, tiny insects under foot, and animals sleeping in dark places. Take
along a set of binoculars, if possible. Remind your child that scientists
observe wildlife by sitting absolutely still and being quiet. Encourage your
child to keep a record of the wildlife you see on your field trip to share
with us at school.
Vocabulary: biologist-person who studies how people, other animals, or
plants live and grow; skyscraper-very tall building found in the city; urban-
having to do with a city or city life; migrating-moving from one place to
another, usually when the seasons change; laboratories-places where science
studies and experiments are done; observation- watching and looking, being
careful to notice details
Comprehension Strategies: Asking questions, monitoring and clarifying,
summarizing
Comprehension Skills: Drawing conclusions
Literary Elements: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
10/5/09 – 10/9/09 “The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring"(realistic
fiction)
“The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring” is the story of a young boy named
King Shabazz, who decided one day that he had heard enough talk about
spring. He put on his shades, grabbed his friend Tony, and went off to find
himself some spring, whatever it was. Ask your child to tell you more about
this story.
Vocabulary: crops- plants grown for food or to sell to make money;
decorated- made beautiful by adding fancy things and frills; vacant- empty,
abandoned; mound- small hill or pile of dirt, rocks, or other material;
patch- an area different from what’s around it.
Comprehension Strategies: asking questions, monitoring and clarifying,
visualizing, predicting
Comprehension Skills: classify and categorize
Literary Elements: characterization
Open Court Reading Unit 2
City Wildlife
City wildlife includes all the wild animals, birds, plants, and trees
that thrive in urban areas. Through a variety of articles, stories, and
poems students will discover the vast number of living things—often unseen—
that share city spaces with people.
Our class will begin by reading an informational article about the
various animals and birds that have adapted to city life. Students will go
on to read about the importance of open spaces in cities, the places birds
nest in cities, and the joy of discovering and protecting wildlife.
You can help in this discovery of city wildlife by reading books with
your child, and joining him or her in setting up experiments, visiting
wildlife habitats and preserves, or planting seeds. In addition, you and
your child may enjoy the following books about city wildlife-
Backyard Birds for Summer by Carol Lerner
Washing the Willow Tree Loon by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
City Foxes by Wendy Shattil and Susan J. Tweit
9/21/09 - 9/29/09 "The Legend of Damon and Pythias (Myth)
"The Legend of Damon and Pythias" is a story about two friends who show
great loyalty to each other even at the risk of their lives. It is a legend
based on real characters who lived long ago. There are many legends like
this- partly fictionalized stories about real people- but there are other
legends that are completely fictional and whose characters are imaginary.
Vocabulary: tyrant-a harsh,unjust ruler; rebel-to resist a ruler's power;
appointed-to name officially; traitor-someone who betrays another's trust;
honorable-deserving of honor or respect
Comprehension Strategies: asking questions, monitoring and adjusting,
reading speed, summarizing
Comprehension Skills: Sequence
Literary Elements: Features of a play
9/14/09 - 9/18/09 "Teammates" (biography)
"Teammates" is about the friendship between the baseball players Jackie
Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.It tells about the courage of Jackie Robinson,
the first African American to play Major League baseball. It also tells
about Pee Wee Reese, who had the courage to stand up for his teammate.
Vocabulary: exist-to be around; extraordinary- remarkable, very special;
apathetic- not interested, not caring; intimidate- to make someone feel bad
by hurting their feelings; experiment- a test used to discover something;
humiliations- things that cause someone to be embarrassed
Comprehension strategies- monitoring and clarifying, summarizing, predicting
Comprehension skills- main idea and details
Literary Elements- characteristics of nonfiction
9/8/09 - 9/11/09 "Rugby & Rosie"
In this story, a new puppy comes to live with Rugby's family, but only for
one year. Rugby is the family dog. The family will spend one year training
the puppy and exposing it to different types of environments. At the end of
the year, if the puppy passes the tests, it will go on to take special
training to become a guide dog for a blind person. The boy in the story is
happy to have a puppy to play with him and Rugby, but the boy worries that
he will miss the new puppy when she is gone. As for rugby, he takes some
time to get used to the puppy. Ask your child to tell you more about the
story and how the friendship grew, what lessons pets can teach us about
friendship, and how friends sometimes have to let go.
Comprehension Strategies: making connections, asking questions, visualizing
Comprehension Skills: cause and effect
Literary Elements: Characterization
Vocabulary: commands-short, firm instructions; manners-habits of behavior;
proud-feeling very pleased with something; trainers-teacher, coach;
graduation-ceremony to mark the completion of a full course of study
8/31/09-9/4/09 "The Tree House" (realistic fiction)
This story is about two girls who learn that
cooperating and sharing is a lot more fun than being rivals.
Comprehension Strategies: making connections, asking questions visualizing
Comprehension Skills: compare and contrast
Literary Elements: dialogue
Vocabulary: magnificent- great, wonderful; marvelous-outstanding; beautiful-
lovely, pleasing to look at; peered- looked; height-how tall something is
8/24/09 - 8/28/09 "Angel Child, Dragon Child" (realistic fiction)
is a story of a young Vietnamese girl whose mother hasn't yet arrived from
Vietnam. Whenever the girl feels lonely, she looks at a picture of her
mother that she keeps in a small wooden matchbox.
Comprehension Strategies: asking questions, summarizing, visualizing
Comprehension Skills: cause and effect
Literary Elements: plot
Vocabulary: twittered- chattered noisily, sounding like chirping birds;
gleamed- was bright and shiny; darted- moved or ran quickly from one place
to another place; scrawled- wrote quickly but not carefully; margins- empty
spaces at the edge of the page, above, below, to the left and right
8/17/09 - 8/21/09 "Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend" (realistic fiction)
Is a story about a boy who didn't want a girl for a friend until Gloria moved
in a block away.
Comprehension: making connections, summarizing, predicting, classifying &
categorizing
Literary Elements: point of view
Open Court Reading Curriculum- Each unit of stories in our reading
anthology centers on a theme. These themes will be read about, thought
about, discussed, researched, and written about. The students will be
provided with many opportunities to compare and contrast ideas and to
respond in different ways to what they read and find out.
I will try to keep you informed about what your child is learning throughout
each unit and will, from time to time, send home activities related to the
unit that you can work on and share with your child. This year your child
will learn about frinedship, city wildlife, imagination, storytelling,
money, and country life.
The first unit of the year explores the concept of friendship. Your child
will be reading fiction stories about children who learn about making a new
friend, sharing with a friend, and mending damaged friendships. The will go
on to read a legend about true friendship and a nonfiction article about the
friendship between two great athletes.
You can help by going to the library with your child to find other books
about friendship, by reading the books together, and by encouraging your
child to talk to you about experiences with his or her own friends.
Listed below are some books about friendship that you and your child might
enjoy. These books should be available in the public library.
How Humans make Friends by Loreen Leedy
The Faithful Friend by Robert D. San Souci