Incredible Stories!

Houghton Mifflin Theme ThreeMr. Mills

Grade Three

Read…Think…Dream

Ride me the wavesof a story,

Settle me down by a brook,

Dream me the land only dreamed of,

Book me a voyageby 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 NolenWhat 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:

Cows from Outer Space

By Jeanne Modesitt

Teacher Read Aloud

Comprehension Skill:

Fantasy versus

RealismIn 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

A living being, especially an animal

Extremely large, enormous

Causing much fear

Very great, large, or powerful

Very big, enormous

Very brave or daring

Causing much fear

Applying the Vocabulary

colossal heroic creature terrifying

Synonyms and Antonyms

Remember that a synonym is a word that means the same, while an antonym is word that means the opposite.

A monster is a make believe __________ you find in stories.

Words that describe a monster’s size

Words that tell howscary a monster can be

Words that describe abrave character

colossal creature heroic monstrous

Terrifying tremendous horrifying

Independent Vocabulary Practice

Complete the vocabulary chart on page 195 of 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

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.

The Bones Brothers and the Frozen Fence

By Carol Ottolenghi-Barga

Teacher Read Aloud 2

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

Written by Tomie DePaola

Based on the title and the genre, what do you predict will happen in this story?

Vocabulary

giant mysterious pedestal square statue weakling

Very hard to explain or understand

An image made of wood, stone, or metal

A person who is not strong

A huge, strong imaginary creature

A base or support for a statue

An open area like a center of town, where people can get together

Applying the Vocabulary

giant mysterious pedestal square statue weakling

Using the Vocabulary

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 ________.

giant mysterious pedestal square statue weakling

Independent Vocabulary Practice

Complete the vocabulary chart on page 215 of your practice book.

Read the Building Background vocabulary article on pages 336 and 337.

The Mysterious Giant of Barletta

CharactersSetting

Problem

Solution

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 InferencesUse 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?

Salt on a Bird’s Tail

Adapted by Marianne Mitchell

Teacher Read Aloud 3

A Swedish Fairy Tale

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

Small jobs usually done everyday

To break up and turn over dirt so you can plant seeds

Scattered or planted

The desire for food, hunger

Picked or gathered

Tied on or fastened by a knot, ring, or hook

Looked after or took care of

Applying the Vocabulary

appetite chores harvested hitched plow sown

Vocabulary Sort

Noun, verb, or adjective?

Independent Vocabulary Practice

Complete the vocabulary chart on page 230 of your practice book.

Read the Building Background vocabulary article on pages 362 and 363.

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?

A Shed Full of Tigers

Written by Irene N. Watts

Teacher Read Aloud 4

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

Made to do, feel, or believe a certain way

Not able to happen

Too unlikely to be believed

Causing a feeling of wonder or fear

Passed out of sight, vanished

Found, learned

Applying the Vocabulary

awesome convinced disappeared discovered impossible incredible

Vocabulary Sort

Noun, verb, or adjective?

Independent Vocabulary Practice

Complete the vocabulary chart on page 245 of your practice book.

Read the Building Background vocabulary article on pages 394 and 395.

Story Element Chart

Characters

Setting

Plot

Problem or Conflict

Solution

Independent Vocabulary Practice

Complete the story element chart on page 246 of 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?

Critical Thinking What example of personification do you see on page

402?

Although Alan becomes bruised and tired, he still looks for Fritz. What does that show about his character?

How does the author create the feeling of suspense in the last paragraph on page 402?

In what ways might this story be similar to a dream?

Critical Thinking Should Alan be blamed for losing Fritz?

What detail shows that Alan truly believes Fritz has been turned into a duck?

Why does Alan say “You haven’t changed that much” to the duck on page 408?

What clue does the author give to show you that Miss Hester isn’t angry with Alan?

Homophone Practice

Homophones are two or more words that have the same sound.

They can be spelled differently and they have different meanings.

Example:

Ms. Matthews will miss you.

Who can circle the two homophones in this example?

Connecting & Comparing Literature

We are going to be reading and comparing two stories in our theme, Incredible Stories.

You will use the reading strategies and skills we have studied in this theme to analyze, understand, and compare these two stories:

Fugitives on Four Legs and Dinosaur Bob

Fugitives on Four Legs

By Jean Kaplan Teichroew

Escape Vocabulary

fleeing

escapade

sanctuary

wallow

An adventurous escape

Running away

A safe place set aside for people or animals to live

Roll around happily or enjoy something a lot

Applying the Vocabulary

fleeing

escapade

sanctuary

wallow

Complete the vocabulary chart on page 261 of your practice book.

Critical Thinking What are these pigs like? How can you tell?

How does the writer feel about the pigs and their adventure? How does her writing show her feelings?

How is the pigs’ adventure similar to Fritz’s?

What genre of writing is this story? How can you tell?

Complete the comprehension check on page 263 of your practice book.

Dinosaur BobAnd His Adventures with the Family Lazardo

By William Joyce

Travel Vocabulary safari

rendition

liner

berth

serenade

menace

A performance of a song

A trip to see wild animals

A large passenger ship

A place to sleep on a ship

A musical performance that honors someone

A danger

Applying the Vocabulary

safari serenade menace liner berth

Practice Book Page 264

Critical Thinking

Scotty says he “caught” Bob. Do you agree?

Do you think Bob would make a good pet? Explain

How is the plot of this story similar to Raising Dragons?

How are the characters of the parents in this story and in Raising Dragons different?

Complete the comprehension check on page 265 of your practice book.

Comparing Two Stories

1.

2.

3.

4.

Think and Compare

Think about Dinosaur Bob and the pigs in “Fugitives on Four Legs”. Why did the people in each selection care about them?

Can an author make a reader believe an incredible story? Use examples from our theme to explain.

The Lazardos keep Dinosaur Bog while the girl in Raising Dragons takes Hank back to Dragon Island. Why do you think they made different choices?

Which story in the theme was your favorite?

Time for Our Theme 3 Tests!