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Language Vocabulary Skill Mini-lessons Language/Vocabulary Skill Mini-lessons

Grade 5

The vocabulary/language mini-lessons support students and teachers with vocabulary knowledge and skills. The mini-lessons are written for specific texts, which teachers need to access for instruction. Teachers can also adapt them to other texts or even other grades. The mini-lessons cover language standards L.4 and L.5, which are the standards with greatest focus on vocabulary as it applies to reading.  

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4

LV Grade 5 Language Standard

 
LANGUAGE STANDARDASSOCIATED WHEATLEY TEXTSASSOCIATED WHEATLEY READING LESSONS
M1M2M3M4M5
L.5.3.BCompare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.

We Are the Ship

28
L.5.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.5.4.AUse context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

The Crossover

3, 9, 17

“Chief Joseph”

20

Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part II


The River Between Us

29

19
L.5.4.BUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).

Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part III

30

The Shakespeare Stealer

12, 20
L.5.4.CConsult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.5.5Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.5.5.AInterpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

Thunder Rolling in the Mountains

6, 9
L.5.5.BRecognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

The River Between Us

18
L.5.5.CUse the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

GRADE 5: MODULE 1

GRADE 5: MODULE 1

 
We Are the Ship
L.5.3.B

Background



  1. Explain dialect by saying: People in different regions or from different groups may speak English differently, with speech that is specific to a place and community. That speech, also called dialect, is often less formal and sometimes more colorful.

  2. Explain that slang often changes over time. Share examples with similar meanings from varied times:


    • 1920s–1930s: “That’s swell!”

    • 1960s–1970s: “That’s boss!”

    • 1980s–1990s: “That’s awesome!”

    • 2000s–2010s: “That’s cool!” or “Sweet!”


  3. Clarify that the author of We Are the Ship uses both dialect and slang to convey meaning. Colorful language exaggerates events and experiences and gives them a context in time and place. Slang from the 1920s–1940s captures the speech of players in the Negro Leagues.




Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT contrast dialect with standard English by restating text from We Are the Ship.

  2. Share BACKGROUND information.

  3. Read paragraph 2 on p. 31 expressively to introduce slang and dialect.

  4. READ WITH EXPRESSION AND INTONATION: Share definitions and ask students to identify examples.



    • Slang is informal speech. (taken their toll, sent him over the edge, folded)

    • Dialect is speech unique to a certain area of a country, including pronunciations, sentence construction, and local slang. (ol’)



  5. Distribute Handout: Slang and Dialect.

  6. Direct partners to read paragraphs to each other expressively:



    • p. 38, last paragraph

    • p. 41, second paragraph

    • p. 42, first paragraph



  7. Listeners should follow along in the text and then record examples of slang and dialect on Handout: Slang and Dialect.

  8. When complete, ask volunteers to share their examples with the class. Discuss omissions and confusion as needed.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Circulate as students complete Handout: Slang and Dialect to monitor their capacity to supply missing or partial words in slang and dialect. Without all the implied content, students may struggle to restate slang and dialect in formal English.


Reteach



  1. Ask students to read aloud a piece of dialect or slang from their handout.

  2. Ask them to complete or supply any missing words that are implied from the context.




Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students submit Handout: Slang and Dialect, having circled one row for Exit Ticket review.


    • Sample student response



    • Accept any correctly identified sentence and reasonable rewritten sentence.

 


Associated Handout: Slang and Dialect



  • Slang is informal speech. (taken their toll, sent him over the edge, folded)

  • Dialect is speech unique to a certain area of a country, including pronunciations, sentence construction, and local slang. (ol’)


 


Directions: Take turns with a partner reading the following paragraphs with expression. As a listener, identify slang and dialect. List it in the first column, identify it as slang or dialect, and rewrite it in formal English.



  • 38, last paragraph

  • 41, second paragraph

  • 42, first paragraph



 


Grade 5 Module 1 Sub Table

 
WORDS OR PHRASE, PAGE NUMBERSLANG OR DIALECT
Dialect		HOW IT MIGHT BE SAID IN FORMAL ENGLISH
“a big ‘un” p. 41DialectHe was a very big man.
“like a mule kicks” p. 41
The Crossover
L.5.4.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use context clues to define an unfamiliar word (phenomenal) from The Crossover.

  2. Write the word phenomenal on the board and ask a volunteer to read it aloud. Support pronunciation as needed.

  3. With students, read the word in context on p. 23 (“JB and I”).

  4. Say: I don’t know what this word means, so I’ll look for context clues, or clues in the text. First, I think this word is an adjective. It describes JB as the “second-most phenomenal baller on the team.” Whom does Josh think is the most phenomenal? (Josh thinks he is the most phenomenal.)

  5. Ask: What comparisons does Josh make in this poem that help you figure out the word?



    • “He’s the better jumper, but I’m the better slasher. And much faster.”

    • “We both pass well.”



  6. Say: Comparisons can help us figure out a word. Josh already told us in his other poems that he thinks he’s the best player on the team. He compares himself to JB, so “second most phenomenal” must mean “second greatest.” Good readers notice and use comparisons to help them define unfamiliar words


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Have students reread “JB and I” on p. 23. Point out the word Ask students to try to figure out the definition of the word from the context (using the description of JB and Josh’s skills in the last stanza).


Reteach



  • Ask: Which of these things could be described as phenomenal: a six-year old who can slam dunk or a six-year old who can tie his shoes? (a six-year old who can slam dunk) Then ask: Why is this phenomenal? (It is unusual for a six-year old to be tall enough or strong enough to dunk. It would be something extraordinary or remarkable. A six-year old who can tie his shoes is ordinary.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Ask students to write one sentence that describes what it means to be phenomenal. (Something phenomenal is something that is really extraordinary or remarkable.)


Reteach



  • Use the RETEACH in CHECK VOCABULARY SKILLS to support students.

The Crossover
L.5.4.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use context clues to define an unfamiliar word (heirloom) from The Crossover.

  2. Write the word heirloom on the board and ask a volunteer to read it aloud. Support pronunciation as needed.

  3. With students, read the word in context on p. 183.

  4. Say: I don’t know what this word means, so I’ll look for context clues, or clues in the text. First, I think this word is a thing. Josh compares Dad’s championship ring to an heirloom. Do you agree? Why or why not? (Yes. Josh says “some kind of family heirloom”)

  5. Ask: When will Josh be able to wear the championship ring, or heirloom? (When he “becomes Da Man.”)

  6. Explain that this comparison is a kind of context because it helps them understand one thing in relationship to another. Say: In this case, we know that the ring is special to Josh’s dad, so an heirloom must be special. We also might infer that it is passed down from father to son.

  7. Say: Good readers use comparisons in the text to help them define unfamiliar words.

  8. Reread the stanza aloud, emphasizing the word Ask: What do you think heirloom means? (An heirloom is a special object passed from one generation to the next.)



Check Vocabulary Skills



  1. Return to the poem “The inside of Mom and Dad’s bedroom closet” (pp. 44–47) where Josh and JB first discover the ring.

  2. Ask students to identify words that show the significance of the ring to the boys.



    • It is kept in a “silver safety box” that has a key. (p. 44)

    • Josh says, “actually holding / his glossy championship ring / in our hands / is more than magical.” (p. 45)

    • Josh hopes that JB “will realize it’s my turn / to wear Dad’s championship ring.”


Reteach



  1. Work with students to name some other objects that might be considered heirlooms (wedding rings, furniture, pictures) and things that could be passed down, but would not be considered heirlooms (money, debts, animals).

  2. Then to challenge them, ask students: Would Josh’s dreadlocks someday be considered heirlooms to his own children? Why?


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students name a possession they would consider an heirloom. (My mother’s wedding ring; my dad’s car; my grandmother’s figurine.)


Reteach



  • Use the RETEACH in CHECK VOCABULARY SKILLS to support students.

The Crossover

L.5.4.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use the relationship between two words (professional, amateur) as clues to the meaning of both words.

  2. Have students explain the meaning of the word amateur, which they learned during The Crossover. Explain, if necessary, that amateur athletes compete for pleasure and are not paid for it. Explain that professional athletes compete as a career and earn money doing it.

  3. Read the following excerpt from the text: “As a result, Babe was now barred from every golf tournament except the Western Open, the only tournament then open to women professionals. All others were restricted to amateurs” (p. 93).

  4. THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Have students think-pair-share: What can you infer from the text that amateurs could do that professionals could not do?



    • You can infer that women amateurs could enter most golf tournaments open at the time.



  5. Read the following from the text: “Since she had been declared a professional, she would start playing exhibition golf as a professional” (p. 94).



    • Professional means paid or done as a career.

    • Amateur means unpaid or done as a hobby.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Have students read pages 74–75 and write a brief explanation as to why Babe gave up her amateur status to go professional.


    • Sample Student Response:



    •  Babe decided to give up her amateur status so she could make money doing what she loved: playing various sports.


Reteach



  • Ask students to name a professional sports team. (The Baltimore Orioles.) Explain the difference between an amateur and professional team.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Ask: Would you rather play a sport as an amateur or as a professional? Why?


    • Sample Student Response:



    • I would rather play a sport professionally because you make more money.


Reteach



  • Use the RETEACH in CHECK VOCABULARY SKILLS to support students.

GRADE 5: MODULE 2

GRADE 5: MODULE 2

 
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
L.5.5.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT interpret the meaning of similes used in Thunder Rolling in the Mountains.

  2. Explain that a simile is a figure of speech in which two or more things are compared using the word like or as.

  3. Share a well-known simile, such as “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.”

  4. Ask: What is being compared in this simile? (life and a box of chocolates) What is inside a box of chocolates? (Many candies; often the chocolates are filled with something, and you don’t know what until you bite into it.) What does this simile mean? Why does the author compare life to a box of chocolates? (You often can’t predict what will be inside a chocolate candy. In the same way, you can’t predict what will happen in life.)

  5. Read aloud this simile from Thunder Rolling in the Mountains: “The white settlers are like the sands of the river.” (p. 48)

  6. THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Have pairs discuss the following questions:



    • What two things are being compared? (white settlers and sands in a river)

    • Think about sands in a river. What is sand in a river like? Does sand in a river (or any type of water) ever totally wash away? (Sand in a river is always there. The river water might move the sand around, but it never disappears.)

    • Why does the author compare white settlers to sands in a river? (The author wants to show that the white settlers are too numerous to be totally defeated. They will overpower the Nez Perce.)


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Circulate as students read, to monitor their capacity to identify the two elements being compared in a simile and understand what the author wants to show by comparing the two elements.


Reteach



  1. Read aloud this simile from chapter 9: He said that the clicks ran through the wire like evil spirits, telling the one-armed general which trails we took and where we camped each night.

  2. Ask: What two things are being compared? (clicks on the wire; evil spirits) What are the clicks on the wire? (communication between white settlers; messages about the location of the Nez Perce) Why might these clicks be compared to evil spirits? (The messages are mean-spirited; they are sent as a way to find and destroy the Nez Perce.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Direct students to the simile “Bullets tore through the camp like hailstones” on p. 55. Have students write one sentence that describes what the simile means. (The bullets shot through the camp quickly and in large numbers.)


Reteach



  1. If students are unfamiliar with what hailstones are, provide a brief explanation.

  2. Then ask students how hailstones fall from the sky, and encourage them to think about what this might have in common with the bullets.

Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
L.5.5.A

Advance Preparation



  • Prepare to display these excerpts from chapters 15 and 16 for the EXIT TICKET.

    • “When we struck camp the frost glittered on the prairie like a lake sparkling in the sun.” (p. 83)

    • “Soon we heard guns speak.” (p. 84)

    • “[Lean Elk’s] eyes were coals of hot fire.” (p. 87)




Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective


  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT interpret the meaning of figurative language used in chapters 15 and 16 of Thunder Rolling in the Mountains.


  2. Explain that authors often use figurative language to make their writing more interesting. Figurative language is words and phrases with non-literal meanings.

  3. Discuss some of the different types of figurative language. Review or reference the Vocabulary Mini-Lesson for Module 2, Lesson 6, for content about similes: A simile is a figure of speech in which two or more things are compared using the word like or as.

  4. Explain that two other types of figurative language are metaphor and personification. A metaphor compares two or more things without using the word like or In personification, a non-human thing is described as having human qualities.

  5. Discuss examples of figurative language from chapters 15 and 16:



    • “‘When I saw them my heart was just like fire.’” (p. 82) This is a simile, because it compares two things using the word It means Swan Necklace was angry about what he saw.

    • “They were no longer our brothers, so we took their horses and left our worn-out ponies behind.” (p. 84) “They were no long our brothers” includes a metaphor since it compares two things without using the word like or as. It means that in the past, the Crows and the Nez Perce had been close, like brothers, even though they were not literally related.

    • “A misshapen moon streaked with red rode low in the eastern sky.” (p. 90) This example of personification shows a non-human thing (the moon) performing a human action (riding). It means that the moon is located low in the sky.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  1. Display the three excerpts from ADVANCE PREPARATION.

  2. Have students write a response identifying which type of figurative language each sentence is (simile, metaphor, or personification) and what it means.


    3. Sample Student Responses:



    • “The first sentence is a simile. It shows that the frost was sparkly and shiny.”

    • The second sentence is personification. It shows that the guns were being fired.

    • The third sentence is a metaphor. It shows that Lean Elk is angry.


Reteach



  1. Review the definitions of simile, metaphor, and personification as needed.

  2. Remind students to look for the word like or as, which often signals a simile.

Chief Joseph
L.5.4.A

Advance Preparation



  • Post words from “Chief Joseph”: betrayed, inherited, resisted/resistance, injustice, and conscience.


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT determine the meaning of unknown words using context.

  2. Explain that readers can use a variety of strategies to determine the meanings of unknown words. One is to examine the context in which the word is used.

  3. Reference the displayed words from ADVANCE PREPARATION: betrayed, inherited, resisted/resistance, injustice, and conscience.

  4. Explain that to determine the meanings of these words, readers can use context clues from nearby words or sentences. Say: Look at the word inherited in paragraph 3. The sentence before this states, “When his father died in 1871, Joseph was elected to succeed him.” This tells us that Chief Joseph took over for his father who died. The next sentence tells us that he inherited his father’s name and the situation. These clues help us understand that inherited means “received something that was passed down.”

  5. TURN AND TALK: Have partners figure out the meanings of resisted (paragraph 3), critical (paragraph 6), injustice (paragraph 9), and conscience (paragraph 8), identifying and using context clues.

  6. Elicit pairs’ ideas and then lead the class in discussing all the suggested meanings.


    7. Sample Student Responses:



    • Resisted means “opposed or fought against.” Chief Joseph fought to stay on Nez Perce land until General Howard threatened to attack.

    • Critical means “important.” Chief Joseph was not considered a war chief, so he was not very important to the Nez Perce’s military feat.

    • Injustice means “unfairness.” Chief Joseph spoke out about the unfair treatment of the Nez Perce by the U.S. government.

    • A conscience is an inner sense or awareness of right and wrong. A “voice of conscience” would be an inner voice that judges whether something is right or wrong.



Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students respond in writing: What is the meaning of the word betrayed in paragraph 2 of “Chief Joseph”? What context clues help you figure out the meaning?


    • Sample Student Response:


    Betrayed means “deceived,” as when someone has gone back on a promise. Chief Joseph’s father was angry that the U.S. government took back land they had set aside for the Nez Perce people.


Reteach



  • Read paragraph 2 aloud, and have students consider what happened in this paragraph. Ask: What did the U.S. government do to the Nez Perce? How would this make Joseph the Elder feel?

Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part II
L.5.4.A

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT define words using cause-and-effect relationships in the text.

  2. Lead students in reading aloud this excerpt from paragraph 1 of Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part II: “‘Come and sign the treaty.’ My father pushed him away, and said: ‘Why do you ask me to sign away my country? It is your business to talk to us about spirit matters, and not to talk to us about parting with our land.’”

  3. Point out that when the father pushed him away and asked, “Why do you ask me to sign away my country?”the father connected the signing of the treaty to giving away “his country.” This provides a clue to readers about what the word treaty

  4. Write the following on the board:


    5. Cause → Effect


    Father was asked to sign treaty. → “Father pushed him away.”



  5. Explain that the arrow demonstrates a cause-and-effect relationship; it shows what happened, and then what occurred as a result.

  6. Say: When asked to sign a treaty with the U.S. government, Chief Joseph’s father pushed Mr. Spaulding away, which is a cause-and-effect relationship. What does this show about the treaty? (It shows that the thought of signing a treaty upset Chief Joseph’s father.) Why does Chief Joseph react this way to the treaty? (He feels he would be signing away his country.)

  7. Ask: Based on these clues, what do you think the word treaty means? (When people sign a treaty, they are making an agreement that has a major impact, such as giving away land.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students write a response to the following prompt: What is the meaning of cautioned in paragraph 2? How do cause-and-effect context clues help show the meaning of cautioned?


    • Sample Student Response:


    The word cautioned means “warned against.” Chief Joseph’s father cautioned, or warned, his people because he was worried that that U.S. government would take advantage of them.


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: Which context clues in the text help determine the definitions of the word cautioned?

Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part II
L.5.4.A

Advance Preparation



  • Prepare to display the following paragraph from Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part III for use in the vocabulary lesson and Exit Ticket.


“Too many misrepresentations have been made; too many misunderstandings have come up between the white men and the Indians. If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same laws. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.”



Introduce the Vocabulary Learning



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT describe how the meaning of the affix mis- changes the meaning of unknown words.

  2. Display and read aloud the paragraph from ADVANCE PREPARATION.

  3. Ask: What is Chief Joseph talking about? What misrepresentations is he referring to? (Chief Joseph was saying that the U.S. government did not represent correctly what the Native Americans had agreed to. The Native Americans did not want to give up the lands they were living on because they wanted their freedom.)

  4. Discuss the root mis-, which means “bad or wrongly,” and how it applies to the word misrepresentation. The word representation means “a statement such as one makes in a court of law,” so misrepresentation means “an incorrect or false statement.”

  5. THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Have pairs answer the following question: What other words can you think of that begin with the prefix mis-? What do they mean?


    6. Sample Student Responses:



    • Miscalculate means “ to calculate wrongly.”

    • Misbehavior means “ bad behavior.”

    • Mismatch means “ to match wrongly.”

    • Misinform means “ to give wrong information.”


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  1. Refer to the displayed paragraph from Chief Joseph’s Lincoln Hall Speech, Part III. (See ADVANCE PREPARATION.)

  2. Have students respond in writing to the following prompt: What is the meaning of misunderstandings in the paragraph? How does the prefix mis- affect the meaning?


    3. Sample Student Response:


    The word misunderstandings means “things that are not understood correctly.” The prefix mis– means “bad or wrongly,” showing that something is wrongly understood.


Reteach



  • Restate the prompt as: How are the words understandings and misunderstandings different?

GRADE 5: MODULE 3

GRADE 5: MODULE 3

 
The Shakespeare Stealer
L.5.4.B

Advance Preparation



  • Display this chart showing the parts of incredulously and the meanings of each part.


    •  


    LV Grade 5 Mod 3 Table1

     
    incredulously
    notbelieffull ofin a way or manner




Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT apply knowledge of the root word cred- to learn new words related to beliefs.

  2. Read aloud the last paragraph on p. 38:


    3. “London has a curfew?” I asked incredulously. The largest and most cosmopolitan city in England, the symbol of freedom to thousands upon thousands of country youths, compelled its citizens to be off the streets at nine o’clock?”



  3. Point out the word incredulously and identify its root, cred-, which means “belief.” Share other words that use the same root (credibility, credit, credential) and discuss how each word’s definition relates to the meaning of the root. For example, say: The word credibility consists of the root word cred- and the suffix -ibility, which means “ability.” Credibility means “the ability to be believed.”

  4. Refer to the displayed chart and have students use it to determine the meaning of credulous, incredulous, credulously, and finally incredulously, which means “in a disbelieving way.”

  5. Ask a volunteer to explain the sentence from the text using the definition. (Widge can’t believe that London would have a curfew.) Then, ask a volunteer to provide a new sentence using the word. (You caught a fish that big? he asked incredulously.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students answer the selected-response question:


    • Based on your knowledge of the root word cred-, what is the best definition of incredible?



    1. believable

    2. believing

    3. not believable

    4. not believing


    Sample Student Response: C. not believable


Reteach



  • Students may revisit the Vocabulary mini-lesson to establish the meaning of cred- and the prefix in-.

The Shakespeare Stealer
L.5.4.B

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT explain the function of the suffix -able/-ible.

  2. Direct students to the word respectable in this sentence from p. 77: “Most of the members of our company, in fact, were destined for some more respectable trade.”

  3. Ask students what part of speech respectable (It is an adjective that describes the noun trade.)

  4. Explain that the suffix able or -ible means “able to” or “able to be.” Adding the suffix to a word or root forms an adjective.

  5. Write respectable on the board and underline Elicit from students that adding -able to the word respect means able to be respected or “worthy of respect.”

  6. Note other words that use the suffix -able/-ible, such as reliable and lovable, and incredible. Point out the spelling changes involved in adding -able to rely and love. Elicit from students that incredible is formed by adding the prefix in- and the suffix -able to the root cred-.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  1. Have students respond to this prompt: Write a sentence that uses a word with the suffix -able/-ible.

  2. Tell students that their word may include a prefix, such as un,- but it is not necessary.


    3. Sample Student Response:



    • I think my favorite singer’s new song is forgettable.


Reteach



  • Review that the suffix -able/-ible forms an adjective (a word that describes a noun). If students struggle to find a word, suggest that they think of a common verb (action word) and add -able/-ible to it. Remind them to change the spelling of the base word if necessary to add the suffix.

The Shakespeare Stealer
L.5.5.C

Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use the relationship between mood and personality words from The Shakespeare Stealer to better understand characters in the text.

  2. JIGSAW: Form four “expert” groups and assign each a vocabulary word related to mood and personality. Direct students to define their group’s word and to explain which character in the text the word describes.



    • pensive, p. 151, paragraph 4 (definition: thoughtful in a sad way; character: Shakespeare)

    • anxiety, p. 155, first complete sentence (definition: a state of worry or concern; character: Widge)

    • frantic, p. 159, paragraph 4 (definition: desperate or upset; character: Julian)

    • unobservant, p. 160, paragraph 1 (definition: unable to notice things; character: Nick)



  3. Reorganize groups so that each one has a member from each “expert” group. Have students share definitions and correct/revise definitions as necessary.

  4. As a class, discuss whether these descriptions apply to the character’s basic personality (pensive, unobservant) or to a temporary reaction to a particular event (anxiety, frantic).

  5. Discuss characters’ personalities as a whole class. Ask for other examples from the text when each character displayed the same personality trait.


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Have students respond to this prompt: Write a sentence that describes a character from the text using a mood or personality word from the list.


    • Sample Student Response:


    Nick is very involved with his own thoughts and problems and is unobservant of others.



Reteach



  • Refer students to sentences in the text that use mood and personality words for ideas about their use.

GRADE 5: MODULE 4

GRADE 5: MODULE 4

 
The River Between Us
L.5.4.A

Advance Preparation



  • Prepare to display these excerpts from The River Between Us:


    • Excerpt 1: It wasn’t every day in the week that we had company in your spare room. (p. 40)


    Excerpt 2: People could vanish without a trace in them times, and you dreaded the next one who might. (p. 70)


    Excerpt 3: Mama’s hands clenched in her apron. But she spoke mildly. (p.77)



Materials



  • The River Between Us (p. 50, displayed)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use context to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words (spare, stirred, dreaded, clenched).

  2. Display and read aloud Excerpt 1: It wasn’t every day in the week that we had company in our spare room.

  3. Use the example to model determining meaning from context.



    • Pause in your reading when you come across an unfamiliar word. Say: I pause because I am unfamiliar with the word

    • Examine the surrounding sentence and paragraphs for clues to the word’s meaning. Say: I see that on most days of the week, this room has no one in it. When there are visitors in the house, though, they stay in that room. Spare must mean “extra” or “additional.” The spare room is an extra room used only for guests.



  4. Display p. 50, and read aloud the last paragraph. Ask: What does this paragraph say that Delphine did? (She stirred first.) When did she stir? (after sitting for a long time) What did she do next? (She shrugged and asked to see the town.) So, stirred must mean “moved.”


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Display Excerpt 2: People could vanish without a trace in them times, and you dreaded the next one who might. Have partners use context clues to determine the meaning of the word dreaded in the sentence. (“feared” or “greatly worried about”)


Reteach



  • Ask: What clues in the sentence help you figure out the meaning? (She describes people vanishing without a trace, which is terribly frightening. The words the next one and who might also show that this is something she fears will happen. Dreaded must mean “feared” or “greatly worried about.”


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Display Excerpt 3: Mama’s hands clenched in her apron. But she spoke mildly. Have students use context clues to determine the meaning of the word clenched.


Sample Student Responses: “held tight,” “made a fist”



Reteach



  • Ask: What clues in the sentences help you figure out the meaning? (The second sentence starts with but so it contrasts with what Mama does in the first sentence. Since the spoke mildly, contrasting to that must mean was upset or angry. When she clenched her hands, she probably held them tight or made a fist. Clenched in the first sentence must mean “held tight” or “made a fist.”)

The River Between Us
L.5.5.B

Materials



  • The River Between Us (pp. 36, 38, displayed)


Introduce the Vocabulary Learning Objective



  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: SWBAT explain the meaning of common idioms using context clues from the text.

  2. Review that idioms are nonliteral language in which the words together mean something more than each word’s dictionary definition. Explain that good readers can use context clues in a text to help them understand what idioms mean.

  3. Display p. 36. Use the idiom out of the frying pan and into the fire to model steps for explaining the meaning of an idiom, using context clues.



    • Read aloud and identify the idiom: “I am, how do you say it?” the young lady declared. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire!” Say: The idiom is Out of the frying pan and into the fire.)

    • Analyze the idiom and determine the literal meaning of the words. Say: If something is in a frying pan, it’s pretty hot, and it’s cooking. But if it comes out of the pan and falls into the fire, it’s even hotter, and it burns.

    • Reread the text and look for clues to the meaning of the idiom in surrounding words and phrases. Say: At the bottom of the page, Delphine says she was “insulted at Cairo,” which doesn’t sound pleasant, but she’s heading for St. Louis, where Tilly (two paragraphs earlier) says there is “unrest” and there will be “blood in the streets” if the Missouri Confederates go against Federal authority. Those are clues to the meaning of the idiom.

    • Use the clues to determine the meaning of the idiom. Say: Out of the frying pan and into the fire means to start off already in trouble, as Delphine is when she is searched, and to jump right into a situation that gets you into worse trouble, which would happen to Delphine if she continued on to St. Louis.

    • Check the meaning by substituting it in the sentence. Say: Let’s use the meaning in Delphine’s sentence: “I am, how you say, already in trouble and headed for worse trouble.” That makes sense in Delphine’s situation.


Check Vocabulary Skills



  • Display p. 38 and direct students’ attention to the third paragraph. Have students determine the meaning of the idiom could have knocked me over with a feather in the paragraph and use that meaning in a sentence. (Tilly was so surprised when her mother spoke up that she almost lost her balance.)


Reteach



  • Ask: What clues in the paragraph help us figure out the meaning? (Tilly says that her mother rarely spoke up, so she would have been surprised when she realized that her mother had said the words.)


Vocabulary Exit Ticket



  • Refer students to the last paragraph on p. 38. Have students write the meaning of this idiom and use it correctly in a sentence: wouldn’t say boo to a goose.


    • Sample Student Response:



    • Wouldn’t say boo to a goose means that the person is extremely shy and quiet and would never talk to anyone. Cass wouldn’t say boo to a goose, so Tilly had to speak for her.

    • My baby brother is so shy he wouldn’t say boo to a goose.



Reteach



  • Students may confuse the literal meaning of say boo to a goose with the figurative meaning. Point out that Tilly is using the literal meaning when she says that Cassie would only say boo to a goose if it were a ghost.