suggested reading imagery - wesreads/wesmath · for the next few weeks, students are going to work...

WEEK TWO

Suggested reading: Chapter 3

Summarize Have students summarize what they read last week.

Term of the week Imagery: First, have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then, provide them with the standard definition. Have students identify imagery in the reading. Imagery: The use of words that make the reader imagine what the characters see, hear, taste, touch or smell. (Point out the description of Colorado on pg. 12)

Discussion Questions 1. What did you learn about llamas in this chapter? How should Sarah’s family

take care of them? 2. How did Sarah’s mother react when the llama jumped across the stream?

Interactive Activity! Based on descriptions from the book, have each student draw what he or she thinks a llama would look like. Have them write the descriptive quotes from the book directly on their drawings.

Closing Predictions Have students predict what they think will happen next in the story, using evidence from the previous reading to support their predictions.

WEEK THREE

Suggested reading: Chapter 3


Term of the week Imagery: First, have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then, provide them with the standard definition. Have students identify imagery in the reading. If you did this word last week, go over it again because it is a challenging concept for second graders. Imagery: The use of words that make the reader imagine what the characters see, hear, taste, touch or smell. (Point out the description of Colorado on pg. 12)

Discussion Questions 3. What does the author mean when she says “I sure hoped it didn’t rain cats and

dogs tomorrow…” (pg. 24)? 4. Is taking caring of llamas easy or difficult? Use details from the text to support

your answers (if it’s difficult, then why is it difficult?). 5. If your dad said that you could bring 10 lbs of personal items on a trip, what

would you bring? How does this compare to what Sarah packed? What does what Sarah brought with her show about her personality?

Interactive Activity! Based on descriptions from the book, have each student draw what he or she thinks a llama would look like. Have them write the descriptive quotes from the book directly on their drawings. If you did this activity last week, have students act out a scene from the chapter and then discuss how they felt as the characters in the story (Ex. If one student was the Mom, how did she feel when it began to rain?).


WEEK FOUR

Suggested reading: Chapters 5-6 (pg. 30-45)


Term of the week Simile: First have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then provide them with the standard definition. Make up some examples of similes for the students and then have them make up some of their own. They should look for examples of similes while they are reading and point them out if they find any. Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as.” (Ex. 1: “Compo hopped sideways like a 300-pound frog.”) Discussion Questions 1. How would you feel on your first night sleeping out in the wilderness?

Compare how you would feel with how Sarah felt. Support your comparison with details from the text.

2. What does the title of chapter 6 refer to? 3. Describe two of the animals Sarah and her family see throughout their day in

the woods. Include the physical characteristics. 4. How does Sarah’s opinion on wilderness change throughout the reading? (At

first she’s frightened, by the end she is fascinated)

Interactive Activity! Game: The author makes many comparisons throughout the reading this week (not necessarily similes). Have students start at the same time and start searching through this week’s reading for comparisons. When a student finds a comparison, he or she “buzzes in.” All students must pause and close their books (they can keep their finger in the book to mark where they are) and the student who buzzed in must share the comparison he or she found. The student gets one point for finding the comparison, another point if it’s a simile, and an additional point if he/she can explain why the author includes this comparison in the text (what does this comparison tell the reader?). Keep score to make the game more exciting.

WEEK FIVE

Suggested reading: Chapters 9 - part of 10 (pg. 61 – top of 75)


Term of the week Setting: First have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then provide them with the standard definition. Make up some examples of personification for the students and then have them make up some of their own. They should look for examples of personification while they are reading and point them out if they find any.

Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things (inanimate objects, not animals). (Ex. Page 46: “the wind whistled past my ears.”)

Discussion Questions 5. Explain what the author means when she says “[Sarah] felt like a mosquito

stew” on page 47? 6. How does Sarah’s dream relate to her experiences in the wilderness? 7. What is your first impression of Zeke? Have you ever met someone like Zeke?

Compare how you feel about Zeke with how Sarah reacts to Zeke’s actions and comments.

8. Why is this book called Llama Pajamas? Cite the text to support your answer.

Interactive Activity! Have students pick their favorite scene from this week’s reading and act it out. Afterwards, have students discuss how they felt as the different characters.


WEEK SIX

Suggested reading: Chapters 9 – part of 10 (pg. 61 – top of 75) STOP at pg. 67 for comprehension question #2. Note: If this feels like a lot of reading, trying having the students do the first half of the reading selection for the week and then you read the second half to them.


Term of the week Setting: First have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then provide them with the standard definition. They should identify the setting of the reading this week.

Setting: Where the story takes place. Discussion Questions 9. How does Sarah’s opinion of littering in the wilderness contrast with Zeke and

his father’s opinion? 10. Pg. 67 STOP & ask students: What should Sarah’s father do? Leave the tent

and risk his own life for the llamas’? Or stay inside the tent where he is safe and hope that nothing happens to the llamas?

11. How would you react to discovering that one of your llamas has escaped? 12. Describe Sarah’s scheme to get Compo’s leash. Incorporate details from the

text. Do you think this plan will be successful?

Interactive Activity! IMPORTANT: This is the beginning of a long-term project that students will work on as their interactive activities for the remaining tutoring sessions this semester. For the next few weeks, students are going to work on producing a short story and picture to illustrate it. The prompt for the story is as follows: Imagine you and your family are going on a camping trip with llamas similar to the camping trip that Sarah and her family takes. Based on what you have learned about llamas and camping trips from Llama Pajamas, write a fictional story about

what would happen on your family’s camping trip. Note: You should not simply retell something that happens in Llama Pajamas; you should come up with your own original idea. This week, just explain the project and give students the prompt. Then lead a brainstorming session with them about what they might write about. Students should make notes of their ideas so they remember them for next week.


WEEK SEVEN

Suggested reading: Chapters 10-11 (pg. 75-92) Note: If this feels like a lot of reading, trying having the students do the first half of the reading selection for the week and then you read the second half to them.


Term of the week Conflict: First, have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then, provide them with the standard definition. Have students discuss conflicts from Llama Pajamas.

Conflict: The tension or problem in the story.

Discussion Questions 13. WRITE: How has Sarah's opinion of her family trip and of the wilderness

changed since the beginning of the book? 14. How does Sarah's camel training come in handy in chapter 10? 15. On page 86, the author writes, "It was as if being in the wilderness gave him an

extra light inside." What does this mean? 16. "The rain rolled off the hood of my coat like a waterfall." This sentence is an

example of a a) metaphor b) protagonist c) conflict d) simile

Interactive Activity! Have students review their brainstorming notes for their story from last week, pick a topic, and start writing! In planning their stories, make sure they identify what the conflict of their story will be. Go around and help students as they write. Review of prompt: Imagine you and your family are going on a camping trip with llamas similar to the camping trip that Sarah and her family takes. Based on what you have learned about llamas and camping trips from Llama Pajamas, write a fictional story about what would happen on your family’s camping trip. Note: You should not simply

retell something that happens in Llama Pajamas; you should come up with your own original idea.


WEEK EIGHT

Suggested reading: Chapter 12 (pg. 93-194)


Term of the week Character motivation: First, have the students brainstorm what this term means. Then, provide them with the standard definition. After reading the chapter, discuss Zeke’s motivation for slapping the llamas and creating chaos.

Character motivation: The reason why a character acts, feels, or thinks in a certain way.

Discussion Questions 17. On page 101, the author writes "his eyes were like that rabbit who had gotten

caught in our headlights last year." What is this an example of? Explain how this writing technique helps the reader better understand Zeke's reaction.

18. WRITE: How is the setting in this chapter dangerous? 19. Explain how you know that Sarah's dad cares about her. Use details from the

text to support your answer.

Interactive Activity! Have students continue writing. Pull each student aside to meet with them one-on-one about their story so far. Review what they’ve written, edit it a bit, and talk with them about what they can change and where they should go from here. Review of prompt: Imagine you and your family are going on a camping trip with llamas similar to the camping trip that Sarah and her family takes. Based on what you have learned about llamas and camping trips from Llama Pajamas, write a fictional story about what would happen on your family’s camping trip. Note: You should not simply retell something that happens in Llama Pajamas; you should come up with your own original idea.

Closing Predictions

Have students predict what they think will happen next in the story, using evidence from the previous reading to support their predictions.

WEEK NINE

Suggested reading: Chapter 13 (pg. 105-113)


Term of the week Character development: First, have the students try to brainstorm what this term means. Then, provide them with the standard definition. Have students discuss whether Sarah’s character has changed throughout the story, and if so, how.

Character development: The way in which a character changes over time in a story.

Discussion Questions 20. The word "ominous" on page 105 most nearly means:

a) threatening b) bright c) calm d) vibrant 21. Describe what Sarah is worried about concerning her father with. How would

you feel if you were in her situation? What agreement do Sarah and her father come to?

22. Why is this book called Llama Pajamas? How does the title relate to this chapter in particular?

Interactive Activity! Have students continue writing. Look over what they have done and work with them on their stories. If they are close to finishing or have made substantial progress on their story, they can draw a picture to illustrate their story. Review of prompt: Imagine you and your family are going on a camping trip with llamas similar to the camping trip that Sarah and her family takes. Based on what you have learned about llamas and camping trips from Llama Pajamas, write a fictional story about what would happen on your family’s camping trip. Note: You should not simply retell something that happens in Llama Pajamas; you should come up with your own original idea.

suggested reading imagery - wesreads/wesmath · for the next few weeks, students are going to work...

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