Reading - Group 2

The Weather Assignment

Reading focus: Main Idea

As you read this story, look for the main idea of each paragraph. These can be put together to make a summary of the whole story.

Anthony’s teacher, Mr. Rivera, gave the class a different kind of homework assignment. The assignment was to watch the weather report on television every night for a week. Mr. Rivera told the students some things to listen for as they watched each night’s report. He also gave them a worksheet to fill out while they watched.

Mr. Rivera said to look at the large weather map that they would see behind the weather reporter. He told them that they might see a large blue line or a large red line on the map. There might be both a blue line and a red line. He said that a blue line is a high pressure area that usually brings dry weather. A red line is a low pressure area that usually brings wet weather. When blue and red lines meet, there usually is stormy weather on the way.

On the worksheet there was a box to fill in with the expected high temperature for the next day. There were other boxes to check if it was expected to rain, or to be cloudy, or to be windy.

Anthony watched the weather report and filled in the worksheet each night. He noticed that the next day was usually a lot like the report said it would be. One day’s weather map showed a blue line right next to a red line, and the next day there was a rainstorm. Anthony decided that he liked this kind of homework assignment.

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

a. Anthony’s teacher is Mr. Rivera.

b. Anthony’s homework was to watch the weather report for a week.

c. Anthony likes to watch the weather report on television.

2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

a. Mr. Rivera told the students what to watch for on the weather report.

b. Mr. Rivera said the blue lines usually brings dry weather.

c. Mr. Rivera said to look at the weather map behind the reporter.

3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

a. The worksheet had a box to fill in with the expected high temperature for the next day.

b. The worksheet had a box to check if it was going to rain.

c. Mr. Rivera gave the students a worksheet to fill in.

4. What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?

a. Anthony liked the homework assignment.

b. One day after Anthony watched the report there was a rainstorm.

c. Anthony noticed that the weather report was usually right.

5. Write the number 1 through 4 in the boxes beside the events to show the sequence of what happened, from first to last.

⃞ Mr. Rivera told the students what to watch for on the weather report.

⃞ Anthony’s homework was to watch the weather report.

⃞ Mr. Rivera gave the students a worksheet to fill in.

⃞ Anthony noticed that the weather report was usually right.

6. If you could do a homework assignment about anything, what would you study? Write some quick facts about your chosen topic

Kangaroos

Focus: Sequencing

Sequencing is putting things in order, from first to last.

Read the story, paying attention to the sequence of events, from first to last.

Baby kangaroos are called joeys. Mother kangaroos usually have only one joey each year. Mother kangaroos have a large pouch, like a pocket, on their bellies where they keep their babies safe. When a joey is born it is just one inch long. It looks like a tiny pink hairless worm. As soon as it is born, it crawls up through the mother’s fur and into her pouch. The baby’s back legs are not yet formed, so the tiny joey pulls itself along with its front legs. This trip only takes about five minutes, and the little joey stays in the mother’s pouch for the first four months of its life.

Inside the pouch, the joey has room to move around, and milk to drink. After about four months in the pouch, the joey sticks its head out of the pouch for the very first time, and looks around. It rides around like that, watching and learning, for a few weeks. Then it jumps out and begins to learn to hop around and find food on its own.

Young joeys soon learn to find grass and other plants to eat. They also like to play-fight with each other. The mother kangaroo communicates with her joey by making clicking noises with her tongue. She teaches it how to protect itself from enemies by hiding in the water or by kicking with its back legs. Sometimes, if a joey is frightened by something outside, it will jump head-first back into its mother’s pouch. And the joey still goes back into the mother’s pouch to sleep or to travel long distances. It still has plenty of room there, and its mother’s milk to drink.

The joey keeps going back to its mother’s pouch to sleep until it is too big to fit in it. That means that there are often two little joeys in the pouch—the one that is over a year old, and a new one that has just been born. The mother kangaroo has different kinds of milk for the older and the younger joey.

Joeys grow very fast. In only about two years, the little pink joey will grow to be as tall as six feet.

1. Write the numbers 1 through 6 in the boxes beside the events to show the sequence of what happened, from first to last.

⃞ The joey jumps out of the pouch and finds food on its own.

⃞ When a joey is born, it is only one inch long.

⃞ The joey stays in its mother’s pouch until it is about 4 months old.

⃞ The joey learns to play-fight with the other joeys.

⃞ The newborn joey travels up into its mother’s pouch.

⃞ The joey sticks its head out of the pouch for the first time

2. What are two things that might come next in this story?

The Golden Fish Keeps a Promise

By L. M. Gask

Focus: Story Elements

Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an ending. The beginning of a story tells you who the story is mostly about, and where the story mostly takes place. The characters are who the story is mostly about. The setting is where the story mostly takes place. The middle of a story tells you the things that happen in the story. The events are the things that happen in the story. The plot is all of the events in the story. The plot usually includes some kind of problem. The ending of a story tells how the problem is solved. The problem solution is how the problem is solved.

Think about these story elements as you listen to this story.

Upon a certain island in the middle of the sea lived a fisherman and his wife. They were so poor they often went without bread when the fishing did not go well. One day when the man had been fishing for many hours without any luck, he hooked a small golden fish with eyes as bright as diamonds.

“Let me go, kind fisherman,” the little creature cried. “I would not even make a single mouthful for your dinner.” The man was so moved by the beauty of the golden fish that he let him go. Before he swam away, the fish promised that he would come back if the fisherman ever needed help. The fisherman laughed, for he could not think how a little fish could help him, other than providing a bit of food. He went home and told his wife about his adventure. “What!” she cried. “You let him go? We have not a scrap of food in the house, and I suppose that now we must starve.”

The fisherman’s wife continued to fuss at him until, finally, he decided to go and put the little fish to the test. He hurried down to the seashore, and stood at the edge of the waves. “Golden Fish, Golden Fish! Come and help me, please,” he called. The last word was not out of his mouth when the little fish popped its head up out of the water. “You see I have kept my promise,” said the fish. “How can I help you, my friend?” And when the fisherman made his request, the fish simply said, “Don’t worry about that. There will be plenty of food when you get home.” And strangely enough, when the fisherman arrived home, there was a basket of bread on the table, and cheese and fruit as well.

Now let’s think about the story elements.

1. Characters: Who is this story mostly about?

a. a little golden fish

b. a fisherman, his wife, and a little golden fish

c. a fisherman’s wife and a little golden fish

2. Setting: Where does this story mostly take place?

a. in a small cabin

b. on a beach

c. on an island

3. Problem: What problem does one or more of the story characters have?

a. The fisherman and his wife do not have much food to eat.

b. The fisherman does not want to let the golden fish go free.

c. The golden fish does not keep his promise to help the fisherman.

4. Event 1: Which event happens first in this story?

a. The fisherman’s wife fusses at him for letting the fish go free.

b. The fisherman catches a small golden fish.

c. The fisherman calls for the golden fish to come and help him.

5. Event 2: Which event happens second in this story?

a. The fisherman’s wife fusses at him for letting the fish go free.

b. The fisherman catches a small golden fish.

c. The fisherman calls for the golden fish to come and help him.

6. Event 3: Which event happens third in this story?

a. The fisherman’s wife fusses at him for letting the fish go free.

b. The fisherman catches a small golden fish.

c. The fisherman calls for the golden fish to come and help him.

7. Problem Solution: How is one of the characters’ problem solved?

a. The fisherman catches the golden fish again.

b. The fisherman asks the golden fish for help, and food appears on the table.

c. The fisherman’s wife asks the golden fish for help.

8. How does thinking about story elements help you to understand the story better?

Please Wait

Today was the first day of school, and my friend Jody had a new haircut. It looked so cool. When I got home, I asked my mom for a haircut, and I told her exactly how I wanted it. I asked her, very politely, “Could you please do it today?” Sadly, she was busy. She told me that it takes a long time to cut hair. “First, you have to take a bath so that your hair is wet. Then, you have to brush it out really well,” she said. My face dropped as my mom continued. “Finally, when you cut, you have to use special scissors, and cut very gently so that everything is even…” Her voice trailed off. “You need to be very careful and get it just right. If you make a mistake, you can’t glue the hair back on,” she said, laughing. I didn’t think it was very funny. “Maybe I can cut it for you on the weekend,” she told me.

I went back to my room and looked at my hair in the mirror. It was way too long, and I didn’t want to go back to school looking like this. I thought about what Mom had told me. She said to take a bath first, but I already took one this morning. Then she said to brush my hair, so I gave it a quick brush. Mom had said to use special scissors. I got my school scissors out of my desk. If they could cut paper, they could cut hair! I looked in the mirror again and paused. Mom’s comment that “you can’t glue it back on again” made me worry a little.

I decided to cut off just a little hair. Snip. Snip. Snip. I watched some hair float to the floor. I looked in the mirror, and one side was shorter than the other. Snip. Snip. Snip. I looked again, but now the other side was shorter! Snip. Snip. Snip. It was still wrong. Snip. Snip. Snip. I kept trying to fix things, but the more I cut, the more lopsided and crooked my hair became. I started to cry. Mom walked in. She looked at my new haircut. She shook her head and didn’t say anything. I don’t like it when she doesn’t say anything. “Are you mad because it's ugly?” I asked. “No, I’m disappointed because you were not patient. I am disappointed that you did not wait for me,” she replied. I went into the bathroom and took a bath. My mom brushed my hair out, then clipped gently with her special scissors. It wasn’t perfect, but it was much better. My mom smiled as she combed my hair one last time. “All good things come to those who wait,” she said.

1. Choose the correct answer. Why did the girl want to cut her hair?

a. She was bored with her hair.

b. Her best friend got a new haircut that she liked.

c. She didn’t want hair anymore.

d. She wanted to annoy her mom.

2. Why did the girl’s mom ask her to wait?

a. She did not want to cut her daughter’s hair.

b. She was not in the mood.

c. She was busy.

d. She wanted her daughter to cut her own hair.

3. What lesson did the girl learn at the end of the story?

a. Do not steal.

b. Be kind to others.

c. Be respectful toward your parents.

d. Be patient.

4. Circle the correct choice in the sentences below.

The girl wanted to make her hair ( longer / shorter ).

Her best friend’s hair was ( cool / awful ).

The result was ( amazing / terrible ) when the girl cut her own hair.

Mom was ( angry / disappointed ) that her daughter cut her own hair.