LAFFF

Science Fiction

Big Idea

Essential Question

Target Vocabulary

Comprehension

Target Skill

Story Structure - how the author organized important parts of the story, called story elements, including character, setting and plot. Setting includes where and when a story takes place. The plot is the story events, including a conflict, or problem, and its resolution. The resolution is how the conflict or problem in a story is solved. Understanding each element of a story helps readers understand the story as a whole.

Target Strategy

Infer/Predict - inferring and predicting can help readers better understand the story as they read.

Fluency

Intonation - Good readers read with the correct intonation. Intonation is the rise and fall of the pitch of your voice. Your intonation should reflect the meaning of what's being read. With practice, you can improve your intonation.

Decoding

Recognizing Common Word Parts - you should look for familiar word parts in unfamiliar words when trying to decode a word. After you have identified the words parts, you may have to divide them into syllables to decode the entire word.

Vocabulary Strategies

Using Reference Sources - Use dictionary, thesaurus and glossary entries to learn word meanings and identify synonyms and antonyms. A dictionary entry includes the definition, part of speech, origin, pronunciation and spelling of the entry word. When an entry appears in a dictionary, the part of speech is identified before the word's definition. Parts of speech include nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns and adverbs. The part of speech may be abbreviated; for example, verb = v. A glossary entry includes information on the words in a specific text, such as a school book, including the definition and pronunciation. Glossaries function much like dictionaries, but they are specific to a text, such as a textbook. Glossaries contain the meaning of the entry words as it is used in the text, the pronunciation, and sometimes, where it is used in the text. A thesaurus entry is a listing of synonyms and antonyms for a word. You can use a thesaurus to add more descriptive words to their writing and to identify words related to the entry word. You can also use a thesaurus to find antonyms for the entry word.

Grammar

Adverbs - describe a verb. Some adverbs tell how often an action happens. They are called adverbs of frequency. Adverbs that tell how much or to what degree an action happens are called adverbs of intensity.

Writing

Write to Narrate

Focus Trait: Word Choice - good word choice means carefully selecting the best words to express your ideas. Exact words can bring a character description to life. They can make the reader feel like he or she is actually seeing and hearing the person. A vivid description can help the reader imagine how a person appears.