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Timothy Writes a Story An Interactive Tale
Timothy is a third grader at Sunshine Elementary School. His teacher, Mrs. Lawson, asks her class to write about their best memory. Timothy decides to write about spending his birthday at the zoo. Could you help him write a good story for his assignment? You will? Thank you! Let’s begin.
“On my fifth birthday, my mom and dad planned a party for me. They bought chocolate cake and ice cream. I invited my friends to come, too. They gave me presents for my birthday. My parents also gave me a present. It was a trip to the zoo! The zoo was in Washington D.C. It was called the National Zoo. The trip to the zoo is my favorite memory.” What is Timothy’s purpose for writing this story? • to describe the food that he ate for his birthday • to tell everyone how much he loves his parents • to describe his trip to the zoo • to thank his friends for the presents they gave to him
“When we got to the zoo, I wanted to see the hippo first. I learned that its full name is hippopotamus. Sometimes a hippo is called a river horse. It has short legs and lives in water most of the time. Its eyes and nose are high on its head so that it can breathe when it is in the water.” Click on the word that contains the same vowel sound as the “i” in hippo.
“My mom said we should see an elephant next. I was surprised because it was so huge! In fact, the elephant is the biggest animal that lives on land. Its ears are wide and floppy, and its has thick, strong legs. Its trunk is also large. My mom also told me that the elephant can use the long trunk to spray water and clean its body.” What do you think is the main idea of Timothy’s paragraph about elephants? • his mother knows a lot of information about elephants • elephants can spray water with their trunks • elephants have long trunks • elephants are very large animals
“We came to the big cat exhibit, and I heard a loud roar! Behind a tree, I saw a lion with a shaggy yellow mane. I read the sign in front of the lion’s yard. It said that they live in grassy fields, not forests. Lions can hunt very well in the open fields. Also, most lions live for 8-10 years.” Click on the word that is a homophone.
“I was surprised to see a white and black bear at the next exhibit. My dad told me that it is called a panda bear. It has a small tail and black patches around its eyes. The panda likes to eat bamboo. The zoo keeper explained that pandas are indangered. That means that there are not many pandas left in the world. She said that they could become extinct if we don’t take care of them. That means they would all be gone. This made me sad because I like pandas.” Click on the misspelled word.
Correct!Continue helping Timothy! By the way, the correct spelling of the word is endangered, not indangered.
“I was very happy to see the flamingo next. It is a tall and skinny bird with bright pink feathers. The flamingo eats tiny animals and plants. Near the water, it puts its eggs in a nest made out of mud. I think that the flamingo is a beautiful bird!” How many adjectives did Timothy use in this sentence? • four: tall, skinny, pink, tiny • five: happy, tall, skinny, near, mud • six: happy, tall, skinny, bright, tiny, beautiful • seven: happy, tall, skinny, bright, pink, tiny, beautiful
“The last animal that I visited on my trip to the zoo was a turtle. I found out that turtles don’t have any teeth and they eat mostly plants. Their upper and lower shells are made of very hard bone. Because their shells are so hard, they cannot breathe the same way people do. They have muscles in the back of their bodies that help them with respiration. What is the definition of the word “respiration”? • the act of chewing • the act of moving • the act of breathing • the act of swimming
“It was time to leave the zoo, and I was happy and sad at the same time. Going to see the animals was a great birthday present! But, I didn’t want to leave just yet. My mom and dad told me that maybe we could come back some day soon. I will never forget the wonderful day I had at the zoo!” What is your conclusion about Timothy’s attitude about the zoo (according to his paragraph)? • he doesn’t want to go back to the zoo because it made him sad • he is upset with his parents for not allowing him to stay at the zoo any longer • he is happy about his visit to the zoo, and hopes to return because he enjoyed it so much • he doesn’t care whether he goes back to the zoo or not
Timothy would like to thank you for helping him work on his assignment. Because of all of your help, he revised his story and earned an A+! Good job! A+
This PowerPoint presentation addresses the 3rd Grade English Standards of Learning in Reading and Writing. Specifically, and in order of the slides, I targeted these concepts: the author’s purpose, vowel patterns, main idea, homophones, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and conclusions. • I feel that this format would help students learn reading and writing concepts for a few reasons. First, they will probably feel that they are involved in Timothy’s writing process, and that might motivate them to work on their own. Second, they must understand the reading or writing terminology, as well as how the terms fit into the reading passage. Third, this presentation covers both reading and writing skills using the same format. Many actual SOL tests also combine reading comprehension and writing skills. • Resources: • Standards of Learning: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/sol.html • National Zoo: http://natzoo.si.edu
