Advance Preparation
- Prepare to display these poems from The Dragons Are Singing Tonight:
- “I’m an Amiable Dragon” (p. 6)
- “I Made a Mechanical Dragon” (p. 14)
- “I Have a Dozen Dragons” (p. 28)
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.
- Explain that sometimes readers see a word they do not know. Good readers slow down and search for clues in the sentence to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Display and read aloud “I’m an Amiable Dragon” (p. 6) in The Dragons Are Singing Tonight.
- Pause after line 5 and say: I’m not sure what fret means.
- Share and model the steps for determining the meaning of unknown words from sentence-level clues, using fret:
- Reread the sentence and visualize it: Say: I see a person walking by a dragon with fire in the air. I don’t know what fret means yet, but it’s definitely different from being scared because it says “do not fret,” and I know from the title that this is an amiable, or friendly, dragon.
- Look for clues in the sentence and the picture: Say: The sentence says that the person should not feel this way. The dragon wants the person to feel safe or happy. So this word must be different from feeling safe and happy.
- Create a possible definition: I think fret might mean Worry is different from feeling safe or happy. The dragon doesn’t want the person to worry.
- Try your definition in place of the word to see if it makes sense: “Do not be worried about the fire that I unleash in the air.” I think that makes sense.
- Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Display “I Made a Mechanical Dragon” from The Dragons are Singing Tonight (p. 14). Have students use sentence-level context to determine the meaning of the word maneuvers in stanza 2, line 5. (Maneuvers means “movements.”)
Reteach
- Review how to replace the word in the sentence with a predicted definition. If it doesn’t make sense in the sentence, then it is most likely an incorrect prediction of the definition. Encourage students to look for context clues again.
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Display “I Have a Dozen Dragons” on p. 28 of The Dragons are Singing Tonight. Have students use sentence-level context to predict the meaning of the word basin in stanza 2, line 5. (Basin means “sink.”)
Reteach
- Ask: What did the dragons jump into on line 4 of stanza 2? What are they most likely, therefore, splashing around in? (a sink)
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My Father’s Dragon
L.3.4.A | My Father’s Dragon
L.3.4.A |
Materials
- My Father’s Dragon (p. 32, displayed when directed; pp. 33–36, one per student pair)
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use context to predict the meaning of a word.
- Explain that when you see an unfamiliar word in your reading, it’s important to pause and try to figure out what it means. Good readers use context clues to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Display p. 32 of My Father’s Dragon, and use it to share and model steps.
- Identify an unfamiliar word. Say: I’m not sure what muttering means.
- Look for clues about the word. Say: Now I need to look for clues about the word by figuring out exactly what is happening in this scene. First, the mouse is hurrying away, muttering to himself. I don’t know what muttering means, but I think that the word must be like talking because it is followed by words in quotation marks. Maybe the mouse is whispering to himself.
- Fill in your definition to see whether it works in the context of the sentence. Model using the word whispering in the sentence. Say: That makes sense. The mouse could be whispering to himself, but I better check to see if my prediction is correct.
- Use a dictionary to determine whether your prediction is correct. Model using http://www.wordsmyth.net/ or a beginner dictionary to check the prediction. Say: Muttering isn’t exactly whispering. While it does mean speaking in a low tone, it also means speaking in a way that is hard to understand. That makes more sense since the mouse keeps mixing up the words so they would be hard to understand.
- Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals or other word list.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Distribute pp. 33–36. Have partners use context clues to predict the meaning of the word solemn in the sentence that begins at the end of p. 33 and ends at the top of p. 36. (Solemn means “serious.”)
Reteach
- Explain that sometimes you need to search for clues farther down in the paragraph.
- Say: In this case, we know that the wild boars are talking in low solemn whispers. So, it helps to read on to see what they are whispering about. Later on the page, we learn that they are talking about a possible invasion.
- Ask: How do you think the boars feel about a possible invasion by some enemy? What do you think their voice sounds like as they quietly discuss the three signs? Is it angry, serious, or sad? (serious)
- Based on the text details, have students revise their definition of solemn as necessary.
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Have students use context clues and a dictionary to define the meaning of invasion (p. 36) and then use it accurately in a sentence.
Sample Student Responses:
- Invasion means “an enemy attack” on the island.
- The wild boars think that there has been an invasion because they found tangerine peels and tangerines don’t grow on the island.
Reteach
- Say: Use this sentence frame to show your understanding of the meaning of the word invasion: The wild boars think that there has been an invasion because________.
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Yuri and the Dragon
L.3.4.C | Yuri and the Dragon
L.3.4.C |
Advance Preparation
- Display the word fear and these sentences about “Yuri and the Dragon” when directed:
- Yuri fearlessly stood before the dragon.
- Yuri respectfully greeted the dragon.
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use a known root word as the clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root.
- Reference the displayed word fear.
- THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Ask: What does fear mean?
- Build a kid-friendly definition from students’ responses: a feeling of being afraid of someone or something.
- Display and read aloud the first sentence: Yuri fearlessly stood before the dragon. Direct students’ attention to the word fearlessly, and use it to share and model steps for determining the meaning of an unknown word by using a known root word.
- Identify the root word: Circle the word fear.
- Identify the meaning of any prefixes or suffixes: Underline –less and –ly. Ask: What does the suffix –less mean? For instance, what does it mean if you are shoeless? (–less means “without”; shoeless means “without shoes”) Ask: What does the suffix –ly mean? For instance, what does it mean if you do something happily? (–ly means “in a certain way”; happily means that you do something in a happy way)
- Add the suffix to the root word: Explain that since you know what the root word fear means, and you know the meaning of the suffixes, you can figure out the meaning of the word fearlessly.
- Elicit student responses to build a definition of the word fearlessly (in a way that shows that you have no fear). Explain that the word fearlessly describes the way in which Yuri stood before the dragon: He stood before the dragon in a fearless way—in a way that showed no fear.
- Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals or other word list.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Write the word powerful on the board. Ask students to determine its meaning using what they know about the root word power.
Reteach
- Explain that we know that power means “strength” or “might.” We also know what –ful Therefore, we can figure out that powerful means “full of strength or might.”
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Display and read aloud the second sentence: Yuri respectfully greeted the dragon. Have students use the root word and suffixes to determine the meaning of the word respectfully.
Sample Student Responses:
- in a way that is full of respect
Reteach
- Explain that the suffix –ly is used to describe a verb, such as greeted. The word respectfully describes how Yuri greeted the dragon. He greeted the dragon in a respectful way.
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My Father’s Dragon
L.3.4.D | My Father’s Dragon
L.3.4.D |
Advance Preparation
- Display My Father’s Dragon, p. 15–16 and reference when directed.
- Prepare and display alphabet groupings when directed: A–D; E–H; I–L; M–P; Q–T; U–Z.
Materials
- Sticky notes (one per student)
- Dictionaries (one per student or group, as available)
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use a dictionary’s guiding words to find the definition for an unknown word.
- Reference the displayed pages (pp. 15–16) of My Father’s Dragon and read aloud to “particularly during Christmas rush.”
- Pause to say: I’m not sure what inconvenient means. I will use a dictionary for help. Explain that good readers use dictionaries to help them define unfamiliar words. Ask: How do dictionaries list words and their definitions? (in alphabetical order)
- Share and model the steps for using dictionary guide words to locate definitions.
- Identify the first letter of the word that you need to look for. Say: I need to find the word inconvenient in the dictionary. Inconvenient begins with
- Find the dictionary pages with words that start with the same first letter as your word. Model flipping through the dictionary, saying the alphabet aloud, until you find the section for the letter i.
- Identify the next letter in your the word. Say: The next letter after i in inconvenient is n. Point out that each page has guiding words in the top corner. Model searching for guiding words that start with in. Model by quietly saying the alphabet to yourself until you get to words that start with in.
- Repeat steps, as needed, for additional letters in your word. Model searching for guiding words that start with inc.
- On the page where your word should be, skim down in alphabetical order to find the word and definition. Model finding the page where inconvenient is located. Pause on that page. Model skimming down, again in alphabetical order, until you find the definition for inconvenient.
- Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals or other word list.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Display prepared alphabet groupings: A–D; E–H; I–L; M–P; Q–T; U–Z.
- Distribute sticky notes and instruct students to write their first names on their note in large letters.
- Have students arrange their names in alphabetical order by sticking their note under the appropriate grouping label, and then arranging them in correct order within the grouping.
Reteach
- Clarify that students used guiding letters to alphabetize. For instance, the name Milly will always be between the names Mary and Monique because the letter i comes between the letters a and o. Point out incorrectly alphabetized names and reteach as necessary.
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Distribute dictionaries.
- Have students locate dependable in the dictionary and write down the definition. Then have them list the guiding words that helped them find the word. Sample Student Responses:
- Dependable means “deserving of trust.”
- The guiding words are dentistry and
Reteach
- Post the word study. Think aloud about whether this word would appear between the guiding words start and stop, and why or why not. (No, study would appear after stop because u comes after o.)
- Then, have partners determine if bloom would appear between the guiding words blow and blue. (No, bloom would appear before blow because oo comes before ow.)
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The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
L.3.5.A | The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
L.3.5.A |
Advance Preparation
- Display “I Wish I Had a Dragon” (The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, p. 12) and reference when directed.
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE:WBAT distinguish literal and nonliteral language.
- Recall that sometimes authors use nonliteral language. Ask what this is. (words or expressions that mean something different from their literal meaning) Ask what the word literal means. (It means that words or phrases mean exactly what they say, using their definition from the dictionary.)
- Share an example of “I have butterflies in my stomach!” and discuss its literal and nonliteral meanings:
- Literal: There are actually butterflies in my stomach.
- Nonliteral: My stomach feels fluttery, the way it would if butterflies were flying around, because I feel nervous.
- Explain that authors use nonliteral language to make their writing more engaging and to help readers visualize. Good readers need to determine when language is literal and when it is nonliteral.
- Reference the displayed text of “I Wish I Had a Dragon” to share and model steps:
- First, identify nonliteral language by determining whether the author meant the words literally. Say: Look at this phrase: “With claws like silver sabers.” If you read this as literal language, it would mean that the claws are actually large swords. That doesn’t make sense, so the language must be nonliteral.
- Then, interpret the meaning of nonliteral language. Say: I think this is nonliteral language that means that the dragon’s claws are so large and sharp that they look like sabers.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Have students identify another example of nonliteral language in the first stanza of “I Wish I Had a Dragon.” (fangs like silver nails)
Reteach
- Recall that one type of nonliteral language uses the format ___ is like ___ or ___ is as ____ as
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Have students interpret the meaning of the phrase fangs like silver nails in the poem “I Wish I Had a Dragon.”
Sample Student Response:
This nonliteral language means that the dragon’s fangs would be very sharp and shiny.
Reteach
- Say: Nonliteral language means that the language does not literally mean what it says. Therefore, the dragon doesn’t have nails for fangs.
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My Father’s Dragon
L.3.5.A | My Father’s Dragon
L.3.5.A |
Advance Preparation
- Display these sentences from My Father’s Dragon, and reference when directed.
- “The other sailors looked at the bag too, and my father, who was in the bag, of course, tried even harder to look like a bag of wheat.” (p. 24)
- “The whale was snoring and making more noise than a steam shovel.” (p. 28)
Materials
- My Father’s Dragon, pp. 17–19 (displayed and referenced when directed)
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT distinguish literal from nonliteral language.
- Recall that sometimes authors use nonliteral language. Ask what this is. (words or expressions that mean something different from their literal meaning) Ask what literal means. (It means that words or phrases mean exactly what they say, using their definition from the dictionary.)
- Share the example: I’m never going to get this done! It’ll take me a million years. Ask students if this is literal or nonliteral and why. (Nonliteral—it doesn’t mean the task will take a million years; it means the task will take a long time.)
- Explain that authors use nonliteral language to make their writing more engaging and to help readers visualize. Good readers need to recognize when language is literal and when it is nonliteral.
- Display pp. 17–19 from My Father’s Dragon and use them to share and model the steps for distinguishing literal from nonliteral language:
- Identify a sentence with a description: Say: I see a description and I’m not sure if it’s literal or nonliteral: “He’s not a very big dragon, about the size of a large black bear.” (p. 18)
- Ask: Does the speaker mean this literally? Say: This sentence is comparing the dragon to a large bear. That seems like it could be possible. The speaker means that the dragon is literally about the size of a black bear. Therefore, this is literal language.
- Have students practice the steps with another example: Direct attention to the description at the bottom of p. 18: “The rope around his neck is about the biggest, toughest rope you can imagine, with so many knots it would take days to untie them all.” Ask: Does the speaker mean this literally? This sentence says that it would take days to untie all the knots on the rope. That seems like a big exaggeration. This is nonliteral language. The speaker wants readers to understand that there are too many knots for one person to easily untie. But it might not literally take days.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- Display the sentence below from p. 24, and have partners decide whether the language is literal or nonliteral.
- “The other sailors looked at the bag too, and my father, who was in the bag, of course, tried even harder to look like a bag of wheat.” (literal)
Reteach
- Circulate to monitor students’ understanding. As needed, explain that this is not an example of nonliteral language even though it uses the word like. Elmer was literally trying to look like a bag of wheat.
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Display this sentence from p. 28: “The whale was snoring and making more noise than a steam shovel.” Ask students to determine whether it is an example of literal or nonliteral language and to explain why.
Sample Student Responses:
It is nonliteral because it is exaggerated. The author suggests that the sound of the whale is much louder than it really is.
Reteach
- Review that authors can use literal or nonliteral language to make comparisons. In this example, the author makes a comparison in an exaggerated way.
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The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
L.3.5.B | The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
L.3.5.B |
Materials
- The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, pp. 6–7 (one per student)
Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective
- LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT identify real-life connections between the word amiable and its use.
- Share a story about an amiable person you know. For instance, say: My grandmother is very amiable. She volunteers every weekend for the pet shelter and plays with the lonely dogs. She is amiable because she calls her friends and family just to tell them she loves them. She is amiable because she enjoys laughing and playing with her grandchildren. She is amiable because she smiles often and is kind to strangers.
- TURN AND TALK: Have partners discuss what they think amiable means.
- Build a kid-friendly definition with the class and write it on the board: amiable means “kind.” An amiable person gets along well with others.
- THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Have students identify an amiable staff member in your school and explain why he or she is amiable.
- Direct students to write the definition in their writing journals or another word list.
Check Vocabulary Skills
- STUDENT POLL: Distribute pp. 6–7. Ask: If the dragon is amiable, will it try to hurt the knight and horse?
Reteach
- Explain that if it is an amiable dragon, it will be nice. Therefore, it will most likely not try to hurt the knight and horse.
Vocabulary Exit Ticket
- Have students describe a person they know who is amiable.
Sample Student Response:
My mother is amiable because she is always friendly when we have guests at our house.
Reteach
- Provide a sentence frame: ___ is amiable because ___.
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