Incredible Stories!

Incredible Stories! Houghton Mifflin Theme Three Mr. Mills Grade Three

Read…Think…Dream Ride me the waves of a story, Settle me down by a brook, Dream me the land only dreamed of, Book me a voyage by book J. Patrick Lewis

Introducing the Theme • Have you ever read a story that has taken you to a faraway place? • What does J.Patrick Lewis mean when he says, “Book me a voyage by book”? • What is the object or tool in the picture above? • What does a telescope have to do with dreaming and imagining?

Introductory Letter by Jerdine Nolen What makes a story incredible? Author Jerdine Nolen sometimes creates an “idea box” to help her create an incredible story. If you would create an idea box, what would you put inside? Look at the book covers on page 307 and make predictions. Complete practice book page 193

What is an “incredible” story? incredible Opposite of:

Teacher Read Aloud Cows from Outer Space By Jeanne Modesitt

Comprehension Skill:Fantasy versus Realism In writing there are different categories or genres of books. One category is “fantasy”, like the story The Lost and Found. What makes a story a fantasy? • events & characters that can’t exist in real life Fantasy stories often do include realistic details to make the story more believable, more interesting, and more humorous.

Think about the Read Aloud • What are some details that show that this is fantasy? • Why do the parents think that the children have good imaginations? • Why don’t the parents believe that their children spent the afternoon with cows in London?

Dogzilla Written and directed by Dav Pilkey

Vocabulary • colossal • creature • heroic • horrifying • monstrous • terrifying • tremendous Very big, enormous A living being, especially an animal Very brave or daring Causing much fear Extremely large, enormous Causing much fear Very great, large, or powerful

Applying the Vocabulary colossal heroic creature terrifying

SynonymsandAntonyms Remember that a synonym is a word that means the same, while an antonym is word that means the opposite. Vocabulary Sort Link

colossal creature heroic monstrous Terrifying tremendous horrifying A monster is a make believe __________ you find in stories. Words that describe a monster’s size Words that tell how scary a monster can be Words that describe a brave character

Independent Vocabulary Practice Complete the vocabulary chart on page 195of your practice book. Read the Building Background vocabulary article on page 308 and 309.

Skill: Fantasy versus Realism • What is the difference between fantasy and realism? • Give some examples of stories or movies you are familiar with, and explain why they are fantasy or realism. • Throughout this story, look for examples of both fantasy and realism.

Fantasy Versus Realism Fantasy Realism Classify story details as fantasy or realism.

Critical Thinking Questions • Why is this story set in a large city instead of in the country? • How are the mice similar to people? • Why does the author include realistic details in the story? • Why does the author include a volcano in the story?

Critical Thinking Questions • How does the author show Dogzilla to be colossal? • Do you think Dogzilla is a terrible monster? • What characteristics of the mice might help them deal with Dogzilla? • How does the author show that Professor O’Hairy is smart?

Comprehension Check Read the article on page 197 of your practice book. Draw a line through the mistakes and write what really happened. Then rewrite the news article correctly.

Teacher Read Aloud 2 The Bones Brothers and the Frozen Fence By Carol Ottolenghi-Barga

Think about the Story • How does the writer describe Slim and Leroy? • Why don’t Slim and Leroy want to build the fence in the usual way? • What steps to Slim and Leroy take to build the fence?

The Mysterious Giant of Barletta An Italian Folktale Based on the title and the genre, what do you predict will happen in this story? Written by Tomie DePaola

Vocabulary • giant • mysterious • pedestal • square • statue • weakling A huge, strong imaginary creature Very hard to explain or understand A base or support for a statue An open area like a center of town, where people can get together An image made of wood, stone, or metal A person who is not strong

Applying the Vocabulary giant mysterious pedestal square statue weakling

Using the Vocabulary giant mysterious pedestal square statue weakling • There is an open _____ in the middle of town where people can meet. • There, you will find a stone _____ of a man holding a huge hammer. • The statue has a strange, _________ look on its face. • The statue is so big that the man looks like a _________. • The __________ under the statue has writing on it. • The writing says that the man built our town and was a person of great strength, not a ________.

Independent Vocabulary Practice Complete the vocabulary chart on page 215of your practice book. Read the Building Background vocabulary article on pages 336 and 337.

The Mysterious Giant of Barletta Solution Setting Characters Problem Author’s Message

Critical Thinking • Why is the statue so important to the people of Barletta? • How do the townspeople react to news of the coming army? How do they feel? • How does the Giant’s action of stepping off the pedestal change the entire idea of the story?

Making Inferences Use story clues from page 351 and what you know to a complete the chart. What the Giant Says and Does What I know from Real Life My Inference:

Think about the Story • How would you describe the Giant’s personality? • How is the ending like most folktales? • Why is Zia Concetta the only one who doesn’t panic? • Why does the Giant decide to help the town? • Why is it better to trick them than to fight them?

Teacher Read Aloud 3 Salt on a Bird’s Tail A Swedish Fairy Tale Adapted by Marianne Mitchell

Think about the Read Aloud • Why does Olle want to put salt on the magpie’s tail? • What can you tell about Olle from what he does to get the shiny knife? • Why does the magpie ask Olle to get her the items that he wants himself?

Raising Dragons Written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Elise Primavera

Vocabulary • appetite • chores • harvested • hitched • plow • sown • tended The desire for food, hunger Small jobs usually done everyday Picked or gathered Tied on or fastened by a knot, ring, or hook To break up and turn over dirt so you can plant seeds Scattered or planted Looked after or took care of

Applying the Vocabulary appetite chores harvested hitched plow sown

Vocabulary Sort Noun, verb, or adjective?

Purpose Setting • What genre of writing is this story? How can you tell? • Preview the selection, looking at the title and pictures. Make predictions. • When you are reading, remember to think about what you already know about farms and farming. This will help you make inferences about the story.

Character Development The author shows a character’s personality through descriptions, dialogue, and his or her actions. What do we know about the girl in this story?

Think about the Story • What does the girl know that makes her different from her parents? • Why does the father insist the girl stay away from the egg? • Why does the author describe the girl waiting, watching, and wondering about the egg, day after day?

Teacher Read Aloud 4 A Shed Full of Tigers Written by Irene N. Watts

Think about the Read Aloud • Who are the characters in this story? • Where and when does the story take place? • What problem does Jaimie face? • What does Jaimie do to solve the problem?

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi Chris Van Allsburg

Vocabulary • awesome • convinced • disappeared • discovered • impossible • incredible Causing a feeling of wonder or fear Made to do, feel, or believe a certain way Passed out of sight, vanished Found, learned Not able to happen Too unlikely to be believed

Applying the Vocabulary awesome convinced disappeared discovered impossible incredible

Vocabulary Sort Noun, verb, or adjective?

Story Element Chart Plot Characters Solution Setting Problem or Conflict

Independent Vocabulary Practice Complete the story element chart on page 246of your practice book.

Critical Thinking • How does Ms. Hester feel about Fritz and how can you tell? • How seriously does Alan take his job of pet-sitting and how can you tell? • Based on the first paragraph on page 400, what can you tell about the relationship between Alan and Fritz? • Why does the author capitalize the letters of the sign on page 400?

Incredible Stories!