the rumor report the big jump - s3. 2011 benchmark education company, llc before reading introduce...

Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Identify cause and

effect; Compare and contrast• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s

Glossary• Word study: Prefixes• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with inflection/tone:

stress

Writing Objectives• Writer’s tools: Idiom• Write a play using writing-process steps

Related Resources• Comprehension Question Card• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• Next!, Observing the Ants (Level V/60)

The Rumor Report

The Big Jump

While you are meeting with small groups, other students can:• read independently from your classroom library• reflect on their learning in reading response

journals• engage in literacy workstations

B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Teacher’s Guide: Plays

Unit-at-a-Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read

Day 2 Read “The Rumor Report”*

Day 3 Read “The Big Jump”*

Day 4 Reread “The Big Jump”*

Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*

Days 6–15 Write a play using the process writing steps on page 10.

Level V/60

™

®

• Post this chart in your classroom during your plays unit. Say: As we read plays this week, we will come back to this anchor chart. We will look for how these features appear in each play we read.

• Ask students to turn to page 5. Say: Plays are one type of dramatic literature. Let’s read to find out the categories of dramatic literature.

• Have a student read aloud the explanation of dramatic literature while others follow along.

• Say: People have enjoyed plays for thousands of years. Today, movies and TV shows attract even larger audiences. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand that dramatic literature is a form of storytelling that has broad appeal.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: Idiom• Read aloud “Idiom” on page 4. • Say: Many writers use idiom to add color and

familiar speech patterns to their writing. The plays in this book have examples of idiom. Let’s practice identifying idioms so we can recognize them in the plays we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Idiom). Read aloud sentence 1 with students.

• Model Identifying Idiom: The first sentence contains the idiom carry out. Danieli doesn’t literally carry a plan in her arms. Carry out means “complete or accomplish.” People use this expression in everyday speech. Familiar idioms make readers comfortable by creating a realistic tone.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups to identify the idioms in the remaining sentences, explain the meaning of the idioms, and write their own sentence using an idiom.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings. Point out that some idioms are unique to a region and that for a person who is learning a new language, idioms can be challenging.

• Ask the group to read one of the sentences they completed. Use the examples to build students’ understanding of how and why writers use idiom. Remind students that idioms establish a casual style while portraying the flavor of a particular region.

• Ask groups to hand in their sentences. Transfer student-written sentences to chart paper, title the page “Idiom,” and post it as an anchor chart in your classroom.

two plays about family and friends

2

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who

can explain what the word genre means? (Allow responses.) The word genre means “a kind of something.” Campaign speeches and storytelling are different kinds, or genres, of public speaking. Each genre has its own characteristics that we can use to identify it. In the same way, we can identify literary genres by their characteristics. As readers, we pay attention to the genre because it helps us anticipate what will happen or what we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to help us develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the chalkboard. Write Plays in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Plays are one example of a literary genre. Think of any plays you know. How would you define what a play is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of a play they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all plays have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute the book to each student. Read the title

aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we are going to read plays that will help us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study plays from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3 while others follow along. Invite a different student to read the web on page 3.

• Point to your plays web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about plays with what we just read. What new features of this genre did you learn? Allow responses. Add new information to the class web.

Day 1

©2011 benchmark education Company, llC. all rights reserved. teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. no other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.isbn: 978-1-4509-3037-6

©2011 benchmark education Company, llC

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Rumor Report” • Reread the plays anchor chart or the web on

page 3 to review the features of a play.• Ask students to turn to page 6. Ask: Based on

the title and photographs, what do you predict this play might be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (magnificent, illegal, irresistible, synchronize). Say: As you read, pay attention to these words. If you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in the surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll come back to these words after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the play, focusing on the

genre elements they noted on their anchor chart. They should also look for examples of idiom and think about how the author’s use of idiom establishes a conversational, true-to-life atmosphere in the play.

Read “The Rumor Report” • Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the play silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and their use of fix-up strategies.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice examples of idiom or features of the genre.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Identify Cause and Effect• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze

the Characters and Plot” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on page 14. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to identify cause and effect in a play.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that a play focuses on what characters say and do to solve a problem or make a decision. Events in the plot often have a cause-and-effect relationship. When you read a play, pay attention to the causes and effects. Understanding how events unfold—what makes the next thing happen—can help you to better understand both the characters and the plot.

3two plays about family and friends

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper. What is a literary genre, and how can understanding

genres help readers and writers? What did you learn today about the play genre? How can readers recognize idiom? Why is it hard for

people to understand idioms from another culture? Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas

and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning.

Day 2

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use

some of the reflect and review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in addition to turn and talk activities.

• Have students create genre study folders. Keep blackline masters, notes, small-group writing, and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart paper. Hang charts in the room where students can see them.

1. Danieli waited for the chance to carry out her clever plan.

________________________________________________________________

2. The roofers will work until sunset before they throw in the towel.

________________________________________________________________

3. I always pitch in when Grandma makes her jams and preserves.

________________________________________________________________

4. “By all means come over for dinner,” the neighbors said graciously.

________________________________________________________________

5. James evaluated my swing and then gave me a lesson for good measure.

________________________________________________________________

6. When my parents praise my singing, I take it with a grain of salt.

________________________________________________________________

7. How will we manage to pull off our play with a week to practice?

________________________________________________________________

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTWO PLAYS ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS

BLM 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

IdiomDirections: Read each sentence. Underline each example of idiom. Write the

meaning of the idiom on the line.

complete or accomplish

quit

work energetically

certainly, of course

as something added or extra

pay little attention; doubt its importance

succeed

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Identify Cause and Effect) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

• Model: We find many cause-and-effect relationships in “The Rumor Report.” For example, Marisa’s mom found shawls for a good price. As a result, she bought two. Since Marisa’s mom bought two shawls, Marisa has one to share with Kate. Later, Kate throws the shawl at Marisa. Why? Because she is angry with her.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to identify causes and effects in the play. Prompt them with questions such as: Why does Josh ask to borrow Kate’s homework? What effect does his request have on her? Why does Kate let him take the homework? What causes Marisa to tell Mel what Kate did? How does this news affect Mel?

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folder.

©2011 benchmark education Company, llCtwo plays about family and friends

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• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Find It! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Prefixes• Explain/Model: Read aloud “Prefixes” on page 4.

Say: Prefixes have their own meanings. Therefore, a prefix added to the beginning of a root or base word changes the meaning of the word. For example, the prefix il- (“not”) added to the word legible (“able to be read”) makes the word illegible (“not able to be read”). Sometimes readers can figure out an unfamiliar word by analyzing its component parts.

• Practice. Ask students to think of words in which the prefixes in-, il-, im-, and ir- mean “not,” such as incorrect, illogical, impolite, and irregular. List the words on the board. Invite students to break the words into their component parts and explain their meanings.

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this play. What can you do if you don’t know what these words mean? (Allow responses.) Besides looking in the glossary or a dictionary, you can use clues in the text around the words or in the words themselves to help you define them. One “in the word” strategy is to look for a prefix and a root or base word and analyze their meanings.

• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 15 using BLM 3 (Focus on Prefixes). Explain that they should determine the word’s part of speech, identify the prefix and its meaning, and explain how the prefix changes the target word’s meaning.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups of students to share their findings. Then challenge individual students to use the words in new sentences. Ask other students to listen carefully and identify the context clues that support each word’s meaning.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Day 2 (cont.)

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able to support their answers with facts or clues and evidence directly from the text.

• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent comprehension questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right in the book. You can find the answer in one place in the text.

• Model: Read the second Find It! question. Say: When I read the question, I look for important words that tell me what to look for in the book. What words in this question do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Kate, throw, and Marissa. On page 13, I read, “Kate opens the locker, pulls the blue shawl out, and throws it at Marisa.” This sentence answers the question.

Event Causes of EventEffects of Event on Characters

The Rumor Report

Kate gives Josh her homework to copy.

Josh didn’t get his homework done. Kate wants Josh to like her and ask her to the dance.

Kate feels uneasy and guilty. She tells Marisa.

Mel writes “J & K” on Kate’s locker.

Mel is angry with Josh. He is upset that Kate likes Josh, but Josh doesn’t respect Kate.

Kate is embarrassed and feels betrayed by Marisa.

Page WordPart of Speech

Prefix and Its Meaning

How Prefix Changes the Meaning

7 magnificent adjective magni-, “great”

adds meaning “great” to fic which comes from facere (“to do, make”)

9 illegal adjective il-, “not” makes legal mean “not authorized by law”

10 irresistible adjective ir-, “not” makes resistible, mean “not capable of being refused”

13 synchronize verb syn-, “with, together”

makes chronos (“time”) mean “happen together or at the same time”



Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of a Play” web on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in “The Rumor Report.” Ask groups to share and support their findings.

Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress• You may wish to have students reread the play

with a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on stressing or emphasizing key words. To demonstrate, stress the words you and you’re in the following sentences from page 7: “You wear super-cool clothes. You’re funny and popular. People like to be around you.” Help students realize that emphasizing you or you’re indicates that Kate is contrasting Marisa with herself. Then, have volunteers read the entire dialogue between Kate and Marisa on page 7 using emphasis to express each girl’s thoughts and feelings.

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Big Jump” • Ask students to turn to page 16. Say: Today we

are going to read “The Big Jump.” This play is written in a different format from the other play we read. Notice how in the margins there are notes to you, the reader. The first time we read the text, we will read to understand the play, focusing on the characters, setting, and plot. Tomorrow, we will read this play like a writer and think about the notes in the margin as a model for how we can write our own play.

• Say: Let’s look at the title and illustrations of this play. What do you predict it might be about? Give students time to share their predictions.

• Ask students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (translates, billion, panorama, beneficial). Ask: What do you notice about these words? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? Allow responses. Encourage students to notice that all of these words have prefixes.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these words based on their prefixes and base or root words. After we read, we will talk about how you used word analysis and context clues to figure out word meanings.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the play, focusing on how

the characters and plot build conflict and then resolve it. Encourage students to notice the author’s use of idiom.

Read “The Big Jump” • Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the play silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and their use of fix-up strategies.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Identify Cause and Effect• Say: Yesterday we identified cause-and-effect

relationships in “The Rumor Report.” Characters caused and reacted to other characters’ feelings, words, and actions. Today’s play also involves actions that set other events in motion. Why is Sam upset with David? What is the overall cause of the conflict between the brothers? Allow responses. As students share their analyses, synthesize their responses into a whole-group chart like the one here.

Day 3

Note Regarding This Teacher’s GuideEach book provides an opportunity for students to focus on an additional comprehension strategy that is typically assessed on state standards. The strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section) with text-specific follow-up questions found on the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also introduce an advanced language arts concept or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because students at this level should be able to consider more than one comprehension strategy per text.


6

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Prefixes• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3, which they started on Day 2. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs of students to discuss the meanings of the prefixes and roots and explain how these meanings “add up” to the definition of each target word. Then have partners write sentences using each target word in context. As they share their sentences with the whole group, students can give a thumbs-up if the word is used correctly.

• Discuss Causes and Effects Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the following questions. How does inner turmoil cause a problem in both plays? How do the effects of confiding in someone differ in the two plays?

How does covering up your real feelings cause problems in both plays?

Where has the author used idiom? What effect does idiom have on the style of the dialogue? What effect does it have on you?

Day 3 (cont.)

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Look Closer! questions. The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find the different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question.

• Model: Read the first Look Closer! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Look Closer! question. This question asks me to contrast Sam and David with Miguel. I know because it has the clue words different from. Now I need to look for other important information to find in the book. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I’m looking for descriptions of Sam, David, and Miguel on page 17. I read that “Sam and David are anxiously staring out into the forest,” but “Miguel exudes an easygoing, confident, carefree manner.” I have found the answer in the book. I looked in several sentences to find the answer.

Event Causes of EventEffects of Event on Characters

The Big Jump

David told Dad he should go first on the zip line.

David is angry because he feels forced to come on the vacation and go on the ride.

Sam is upset with David and confronts his brother. David calls Sam a baby.

The boys antagonize each other about being scared to go on the ride.

They are miserable because of their mother’s death. Sam is concerned that David is covering up his true feelings.

David yells that Mom is not here and says he wants out of their pathetic family. The boys start to fight.

Miguel smooths over the boys’ anger and tells them they should yell in the forest like the howler monkeys.

Miguel can see they have a deeper problem than fear of the ride. Miguel needs for them to calm down so they can safely ride the cable.

David understands Miguel’s “lesson” about needing to talk. Both boys agree to jump.

Page WordPart of Speech



18 translates verb trans-, “across”

makes latus (“brought”) mean “brought across”

20 billion adjective bi-, “two” originally meant one million to the 2nd power (one million million) but now means one thousand million in the U.S.

23 panorama noun pan-, “all” makes horama (“view, sight”) mean “ability to see all”

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions and report their ideas to the whole group. Why do you think the author waits until the boys start fighting to reveal the real reason for their conflict? How does this affect the dramatic effect of the story? Think of a time when you fought with someone about something minor when the real problem was something big. What was the larger problem? What was the effect of your actions?

Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress• You may wish to have students reread the play with a

partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on stressing or emphasizing key words. Discuss why Sam and David are upset during their dialogue on pages 18 and 19. Then, invite each student to choose a section from these pages to read aloud. Encourage them to think about the hidden meanings in what the characters are saying to help them figure out what words to emphasize. For example, David would stress the phrase family vacation at the top of page 19 because he is being sarcastic.

©2011 benchmark education Company, llC two plays about family and friends

7

Before ReadingSet a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 16. Say: Until now, we

have been thinking about plays from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of plays has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread “The Big Jump” and think like writers. We’re going to pay attention to the annotations in the margins. These annotations will help us understand what the author did and why she did it.

Reread “The Big Jump” • Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the play silently or whisper-read.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their understanding of the text and annotations.

After ReadingAnalyze the Mentor Text• Explain to students that the text they have just read

is a mentor text. A mentor text is a text that teaches. This text is designed to help them understand what writers do to write a play and why they do it.

• Read and discuss each mentor annotation with students. Encourage them to comment on the writer’s style, character and plot development, and use of literary techniques such as idiom.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with

small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Prove It! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You have to look for clues and evidence to prove the answer.

• Model: Read the second Prove It! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This question asks me to analyze a character. I know because I must find a clue that supports a statement about Miguel’s feelings. Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to read what Miguel says about his grandmother on page 25. Miguel says “as long as I remember her and talk about her, she is alive. I think she may be up there—on top of the mountain—still looking down at me.” I have located the clue I need.

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: In the

next few days, you will have the opportunity to write your own play. First, let’s think about how the author wrote “The Big Jump.” When she developed this play, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own play.

• Read step 1. Say: The first thing you’ll do is decide on a problem and the conflict it causes. Let’s recall the problems in the plays we read. In each play, a main character faces an emotionally distressing situation and must make a decision. What problem and conflict would you like to write about in a play? Let’s make a list. Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 2. Say: In each play we read, one character has a problem and the other characters make the problem better or worse. For example, David and Sam get into a fight, and Miguel tries to help them by telling them about the howler monkeys. Who will our characters be? What will they be like? Will they make the story problem better or worse? Let’s make a list of characters and their traits. Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 3. Say: Before you’re ready to write, you need a setting and plot. “The Big Jump” takes place in the jungles of Costa Rica. This is a perfect setting for the characters to work out their problems in a realistic, yet unique way. When you write your play, think about what setting is right for your characters. What plot, or actions, will help you develop the problem of your play? Choose one of the problems/conflicts and some of the characters the class has brainstormed, and work as a group to construct a possible setting and plot. Remind students to use the correct format for a play.

Build Comprehension: Compare and Contrast• Explain: A play always includes a cast of

characters. Often, the author contrasts two or more of the characters to make a point or emphasize a theme. In “The Big Jump,” David acts tough and speaks sarcastically, while his younger brother Sam is sensitive and insecure. These differences increase the conflict between the brothers while showing that both are hurting. Each is angry at the way the other acts. When we finally learn the root cause of their unhappiness, their family connection becomes stronger than their differences.

Day 4

Analyze & SynthesizePractice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with

small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take It Apart! questions. To figure out the answer to a Take It Apart! question, you must think like the author.

• Model: Read the first Take It Apart! question. Say: This question asks me to evaluate the author’s purpose. I know because it says “Why did the author include . . .” Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? (Allow responses.) Yes, I need to study the information in the Cast of Characters on page 16. I find that the author lists the characters’ ages, personality traits, and roles. I think the author wants to tell who the characters in the play are and what they are like. Thinking about the author’s purpose helps me understand the importance of this feature in the play.

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart! questions.

Summarize & Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the plays in

this book. Invite a different student to summarize each play. Encourage other students to add their ideas and details.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the book. Say: Good readers think about how literary works are related. We know, for example, that both of these plays share certain features. They both have a main character with a conflict. Both stories are told through dialogue. What else do they have in common? (Allow responses.) Today we will think about elements in both plays and what we can learn from them.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).

• Class Discussion or Literature Circles. Facilitate a whole-class discussion or keep students in their small groups for a literature circle discussion. If you choose to conduct literature circles, share the rules for good discussion below. Each group should discuss and be prepared to share its ideas about the following prompts. Which characters are most alike? How are they alike? How do the characters’ emotions differ in the plays?

Which story problem might readers encounter more often in real life? Which play’s plot do you find most thought-provoking? Why?

• Model: In “The Rumor Report,” Kate is shy, studious, and reserved while Marisa is vivacious, outgoing, and fun-loving. Their differences cause them to act and react as they do. Marisa impulsively tells Mel about her plan for Kate and Josh, setting the stage for disaster. Kate reacts with overly dramatic finality, saying her friendship with Marisa is over. To Kate, the exposure is horrifying because she shies away from being the center of attention. Comparing and contrasting the characters helps me understand their actions.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to compare and contrast Mel and Josh in “The Rumor Report” and David and Miguel in “The Big Jump.” Ask the groups to explain how their analyses help them better understand the plot and ending of each play.

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions.

How is thinking about plays as a reader different from thinking about them as a writer? How is it similar? What new words have you added to your vocabulary this week? Which is your favorite? Why? Which character do you think is most like you? Explain how. How can you use prefixes and idiom as a writer?

Fluency: Read with Inflection/Tone: Stress• You may wish to have students reread the play

with a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on stressing or emphasizing key words. Invite a volunteer to read Miguel’s touching memories of his grandmother on page 25 followed by David’s rude reaction and Miguel’s quick use of humor to diffuse the tense situation. Remind them to think about the hidden meanings in what the characters say to help them figure out what words to emphasize.


8

Day 4 (cont.) Day 5

Reinforce Vocabulary: Prefix-It! • Place students in groups. Have each group make

a set of flash cards using the glossary words and place the cards face-down on the table.

• One student turns over a card. Players snap their fingers if they know the word’s prefix and its meaning. The first to snap gets the first chance to identify and define the prefix. If the answer is incorrect, the next player to snap gets a turn. The student who supplies the correct answer gets to turn over the next card.

• After students identify and define all the prefixes, continue play by having them tell the word’s meaning and again by having them use the word in a sentence with context clues.

Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance• Discuss with students the emotions depicted by

various characters in the plays. • Say: The characters show resentment, shyness,

anger, and admiration as well as other emotions. When you read the plays aloud, you can demonstrate your understanding of the characters’ feelings through your expression. This helps your listeners better appreciate and understand the play’s plot.

• Invite individual students to read a section of one of the plays with expression that helps listeners understand the emotions portrayed.

• Encourage students to have fun with their readings and to make them as dramatic as possible.

• As a whole class, discuss each reader’s interpretation. Think about alternate ways to interpret the emotions.

Review Writer’s Tools: Idiom• Ask students to look for other examples of

idiom in titles from your classroom library or the school’s library. Each student should select one title at his or her independent reading level. Ask students to read pages specifically to find an example of idiom.

• Invite students to share their examples with the class. Encourage students to discuss how the idioms create an informal, colorful tone and make dialogue sound more like real conversation. Point out that not all students will have found examples in the books they chose. Idiom is not a tool all writers use all of the time.



• Tell students that at the end of their discussion, you will ask them to share the important text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections they have made.

• While each small group of students discusses the book, confer with individual or small groups of students. You may wish to revisit elements of the genre, take running records, or model fluent reading skills.

The Rumor Report The Big Jump

Setting hallway next to lockers in Pleasantdale High School, Friday morning

platform high in Costa Rican jungle, late afternoon, present time

Characters Marisa, Kate, Josh, Mel Miguel, Sam, David

Characters’ personalities

Marisa is popular and outgoing. Kate is shy and afraid of rejection. Josh is athletic and self-involved. Mel clowns around to cover his real feelings.

Miguel is confident and carefree. David is angry and sarcastic. Sam is sensitive and insecure.

Problem Kate gives her homework to Josh to get him to like her, but he is not interested.

Both boys are afraid to ride the zip line and angry with each other, but the main problem is grief for the loss of their mother.

Solution The conflict escalates until Kate’s secret is publicly exposed and friends are upset.

Miguel sways them to see the importance of “yelling” about their grief and going on the ride as a symbolic way of moving on.

Ending Friends are estranged. Josh leaves, furious with Mel. Kate storms away from Marisa.

Both boys show their care for each other, and David takes off on the ride, yelling.

Rules for Good Discussion• Pay attention to the person who is talking and do

not interrupt him or her.• Think about what others are saying so you can

respond and add to their ideas.• Allow and encourage everyone in the group

to speak.• Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.

Reinforce SkillsIf time permits, choose from the following activities to reinforce vocabulary and fluency.

Day 5 (cont.)

Write a Play• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide students

through the steps of process writing. Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students work independently, circulate around the room and monitor student progress. Confer with individual students to discuss their ideas and help them move forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their plays, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Play Checklist). Review the characteristics and conventions of writing that will be assessed. Tell students that they will use this checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six traits of writing as they pertain to plays.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Play Planning Guide) to

brainstorm the conflict, characters, setting, and plot for their plays.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of a Play” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on their ideas. Did students begin their plays with a problem or conflict and solution in mind? Did students develop the conflict through the characters and plot?

Days 8–9: Draft • Tell students that they will be using their completed

Play Planning Guides to begin drafting their plays. • Say: Remember that when writers draft their ideas,

they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling. What’s important is to focus on developing your characters, setting, and plot. You will have an opportunity to make corrections and improvements later.

• Confer with students as they complete their drafts. Use the Play Checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the Plays genre that they may have overlooked. Focus on how students have organized their ideas and the voice of the writer. Did students introduce characters at the beginning of the play? Did they use character actions to reveal and complicate the conflict? Does the play have a strong voice? Will the voice keep readers interested?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise • Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre Models to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Play Checklist as they edit and revise their plays independently.

• Confer with students focusing on sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions. Did students include both long and short sentences? Do the sentences read smoothly? Have students used the correct form for a play? Did they use examples of idiom? Did they use appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?

• You may want students to continue their editing and revision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations • Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft of

their plays.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with one

or more drawings that depict specific characters or events in their plays.

• Confer with students about their publishing plans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: Authors work long and hard to develop

their works. You have worked very hard. And one of the great joys of writing is when you can share it with others. Authors do this in many ways. They publish their books so that people can buy them. They make their work available on the Internet. They hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing students’ work: Make a class display of students’ completed plays. Hold a class reading in which students can read their plays to one another and/or to parents. Create a binder of all the plays and loan it to the library so that other students can read them. Create a binder of all the plays for your classroom library.


©2011 benchmark education Company, llC10

Days 6–15

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTWO PLAYS ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS

BLM 5

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No 1. My play has a strong lead. 2. My play has at least one main character. 3. My play is told through dialogue. 4. My characters use dialogue that matches the setting

of the plot. 5. I developed my characters through their actions. 6. I included movement and activity in my play. 7. I included stage directions in my play. 8. I divided my play into scenes. 9. My play has a problem. 10. I have 3 to 5 main events in my play. 11. My play has a solution to the problem.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Play ChecklistTitle _____________________________________________________________________________

TWO PLAYS ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 6

Play Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own play.

1. Decide on a problem and conflict.

2. Brainstorm characters.

3. Brainstorm setting and plot.

Setting

Problem

Events

Solution

Characters Description, TraitsCharacter 1:

Character 2:

Character 3:

Character 4:

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

1. �Danieli�waited�for�the�chance�to�carry�out�her�clever�plan.�

________________________________________________________________

2. The�roofers�will�work�until�sunset�before�they�throw�in�the�towel.

________________________________________________________________

3. I�always�pitch�in�when�Grandma�makes�her�jams�and�preserves.�

________________________________________________________________

4. “By�all�means�come�over�for�dinner,”�the�neighbors�said�graciously.

________________________________________________________________

5. James�evaluated�my�swing�and�then�gave�me�a�lesson�for��good�measure.

________________________________________________________________

6. When�my�parents�praise�my�singing,�I�take�it�with�a�grain�of�salt.�

________________________________________________________________

7. How�will�we�manage�to�pull�off�our�play�with�a�week�to�practice?

________________________________________________________________


blm 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

IdiomDirections: Read each sentence. Underline each example of idiom. Write the

meaning of the idiom on the line.



Identify Cause and Effect

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Directions: Use the chart below to identify causes and effects in the plays.

blm 2

Event Causes of Event Effects of Event on Characters

The�Rumor�Report

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Focus on PrefixesDirections: Write the part of speech for each word below. Then record the prefix

and its meaning and explain how the prefix changes the meaning of the word.


blm 3

Page Word Part of Speech



7 magnificent

9 illegal

10 irresistible

13 synchronize

18 translates

20 billion

23 panorama

23 beneficial

Make Connections Across Texts

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Directions: Fill in the chart. Use it to compare and contrast the two plays.


©2011 benchmark education Company, llCblm 4

The Rumor Report The Big JumpSetting

Characters

Characters’�personalities

Problem

Solution


Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No

� 1.�My�play�has�a�strong�lead.� � � 2.�My�play�has�at�least�one�main�character.� � � 3.�My�play�is�told�through�dialogue.� � � 4.��My�characters�use�dialogue�that�matches�the�setting��

of�the�plot.� � � 5.�I�developed�my�characters�through�their�actions.� � � 6.�I�included�movement�and�activity�in�my�play.� � � 7.�I�included�stage�directions�in�my�play.� � � 8.�I�divided�my�play�into�scenes.� � � 9.�My�play�has�a�problem.� � 10.�I�have�3�to�5�main�events�in�my�play.� � 11.�My�play�has�a�solution�to�the�problem.� �

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No

I�looked�for�and�corrected�.�.�.

•�run-on�sentences� •�sentence�fragments� •�subject/verb�agreement� •�verb�tense�� •�punctuation� •�capitalization� •�spelling� •�indented�paragraphs�

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Play Checklist

Title _____________________________________________________________________________




Play Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date _________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own play.

1. �Decide�on�a�problem�and�conflict.

2. �Brainstorm�characters.

3. �Brainstorm�setting�and�plot.

Setting

Problem

Events

Solution

Characters Description, TraitsCharacter�1:

Character�2:

Character�3:

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

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