By: George SeldenBy: George Selden

Cricket in Times Square

Genre: FantasyGenre: FantasyAuthor’s Purpose: EntertainAuthor’s Purpose: EntertainSkill: VisualizingSkill: VisualizingCompiled by Terry Sams, Piedmont

SummarySummary   Chester Cricket got much more Chester Cricket got much more

than he bargained for when he climbed into a than he bargained for when he climbed into a picnic basket in his Connecticut meadow.  He got a picnic basket in his Connecticut meadow.  He got a trip all the way to New York City.  There, in the trip all the way to New York City.  There, in the Times Square subway station, Mario Bellini, the Times Square subway station, Mario Bellini, the son of the newsstand owners, finds Chester and son of the newsstand owners, finds Chester and makes a home for him in a matchbox.  One makes a home for him in a matchbox.  One evening, after the newsstand closes, Chester evening, after the newsstand closes, Chester makes friends with Tucker Mouse and Harry the makes friends with Tucker Mouse and Harry the Cat, who take him above ground to see the sights Cat, who take him above ground to see the sights of the city!of the city!

Genre: FantasyGenre: Fantasy In fantasy, animals talk, miniature In fantasy, animals talk, miniature

creatures inhabit  a world beneath the creatures inhabit  a world beneath the floorboards, and a peach swells to the floorboards, and a peach swells to the size of a house. Some of the size of a house. Some of the characteristics found in fantasy extend to characteristics found in fantasy extend to science fiction, which is set most often in science fiction, which is set most often in the future and deals with the impact of the future and deals with the impact of technology and science on humans. In technology and science on humans. In science fiction, robots talk, people travel science fiction, robots talk, people travel faster than light, and Martians exist.faster than light, and Martians exist.

Extend Skills - FablesExtend Skills - Fables

A fable is a brief story that teaches a A fable is a brief story that teaches a lesson. lesson.

The characters in fables, such as “The The characters in fables, such as “The Ant and the Grasshopper” are usually Ant and the Grasshopper” are usually animals. animals.

They talk and act like people and reveal They talk and act like people and reveal the good and bad points of human the good and bad points of human nature.nature.

Compare Fantasy and FableCompare Fantasy and Fable

FantasyFantasy about something that about something that

could not happencould not happen may or may not have may or may not have

talking animals as talking animals as characterscharacters

may be short or longmay be short or long may or may not may or may not

teach a lessonteach a lesson

FablesFables about something that about something that

could not happencould not happen usually has talking usually has talking

animal charactersanimal characters

is shortis short teaches a lessonteaches a lesson

Comprehension Skill - Comprehension Skill - VisualizingVisualizing

When we visualize while reading, we create pictures in our minds. Visualizing helps us to relate to the characters in a text. We imagine what things look like, smell, sound, taste, and feel.

Practice Visualizing Practice Visualizing TE 157aTE 157a

SightsSights SoundsSounds FeelingsFeelings TasteTaste SmellSmell

Let’s look at page 144 when Chester is in the picnic basket together.

Comprehension Review –Comprehension Review – Making Judgments Making Judgments TE 157bTE 157b

When you form opinions about what When you form opinions about what people are like, you are making people are like, you are making judgments.judgments.

You form opinions about characters in You form opinions about characters in stories by using story events and your stories by using story events and your own experiences to make judgments as own experiences to make judgments as you read.you read.

Look for story evidence to support your Look for story evidence to support your judgmentjudgment

Vocabulary Skill - Vocabulary Skill - SynonymsSynonyms

Words with similar meanings are called Words with similar meanings are called synonyms.synonyms.

You can often find out the meaning of You can often find out the meaning of unknown words by finding a clue in the unknown words by finding a clue in the words around it. words around it.

Examples – melody and songExamples – melody and songsubway – underground trainsubway – underground train

Research Skills –Research Skills –NewspapersNewspapers/ / Magazines/PeriodicalsMagazines/Periodicals 157j157j

NewspapersNewspapers are published daily or are published daily or weekly.weekly.

NewspapersNewspapers contain news, contain news, advertisements, feature stories, advertisements, feature stories, editorials, and other useful, current editorials, and other useful, current information.information.

Research Skills –Research Skills –NewspapersNewspapers/ / Magazines/PeriodicalsMagazines/Periodicals 157j157j

MagazinesMagazines, also called , also called periodicalsperiodicals are are published at set intervals (weekly, monthly, published at set intervals (weekly, monthly, quarterly and so on). quarterly and so on).

They may contain news articles, opinion They may contain news articles, opinion columns, advertisements, cartoons, reports, columns, advertisements, cartoons, reports, and other current information.and other current information.

They often focus on a particular subject.They often focus on a particular subject. The name of the magazine will usually tell you The name of the magazine will usually tell you

what subject is covered.what subject is covered.

Weekly Fluency Check -Weekly Fluency Check -Read with Attention to Read with Attention to

Punctuation Punctuation TE 157dTE 157d

● Students should read with attention to Students should read with attention to punctuation. Let the punctuation be your punctuation. Let the punctuation be your guide as you read.guide as you read.

● Students should let their voices fall at the end Students should let their voices fall at the end of a sentence, and rise at the end of a of a sentence, and rise at the end of a question.question.

● Students should pause at commas, Students should pause at commas, semicolons, dashes, and colons.semicolons, dashes, and colons.

Go to pages 140-141, beginning with Go to pages 140-141, beginning with “Tucker Mouse had . . .”“Tucker Mouse had . . .”

1.Where is Chester from?

2.How did he get to the newsstand in the subway station?

3.How does Chester feel about being in New York in the beginning? Why?

Read to Find Out – Pages 138 - 145

1.How does Chester feel while traveling in the picnic basket? Why?

2.Find in the text the words the author uses to help you visualize Chester’s journey inside the picnic basket?

Read to Find Out –Pages 138 - 145

1.What does Chester hear, see, and feel when the cat arrives?

2.Why is Chester so concerned about Tucker?

3.How does the author help the reader picture the journey up the drainpipe?

Read to Find Out –Pages 146-154

1.1. What are some details the author What are some details the author uses to help create a mental uses to help create a mental picture of New York City at night?picture of New York City at night?

2.2. Visualize Chester’s life in the Visualize Chester’s life in the country and in New York City. country and in New York City. What are some of the What are some of the differences?differences?

Read to Find Out –Pages 146-154

Writing AssignmentWriting AssignmentChoose one of the following and write a Choose one of the following and write a

paragraph:paragraph: Write a paragraph and persuade me to live Write a paragraph and persuade me to live

in either the country or the city. You may in either the country or the city. You may choose which place and then add details as choose which place and then add details as to why you think that is the best place to to why you think that is the best place to live. Be sure to include a topic sentence live. Be sure to include a topic sentence that includes which place you are writing that includes which place you are writing about.about.

What are some of the problems that cities What are some of the problems that cities have? Write a letter of complaint to a city’s have? Write a letter of complaint to a city’s mayor, expressing your complaint clearly mayor, expressing your complaint clearly and politely.and politely.

Fun StuffFun Stuff Character Practice Character Practice Match the VocabularyMatch the Vocabulary Spelling Words Hangman Spelling Words Hangman CricketsCrickets Reading TestReading Test Spelling TestSpelling Test

More Good StuffMore Good Stuff ABC order – This week’s ABC order – This week’s

word list word list New York City TourNew York City Tour What’s Beneath a City What’s Beneath a City

Sidewalk? Sidewalk? Crickets Care SheetCrickets Care Sheet

Say It!Say It!chirpchirp furiouslyfuriouslymelodymelodyventuringventuring

occasionoccasionrailroadrailroadsubwaysubwaytraffictraffic

More Words to KnowMore Words to Know

eavesdroppingeavesdroppingliverwurstliverwurst

scroungingscroungingsympatheticallysympathetically

chirpchirp

a short, sharp a short, sharp sound made by a sound made by a cricketcricket

furiouslyfuriously

quickly; wildlyquickly; wildly

melodymelody

a succession of a succession of single tones in single tones in music; tunemusic; tune

occasionoccasion

a special eventa special event

railroadrailroadthe track the track with steel with steel rails on rails on which which trains trains traveltravel

subwaysubway

an underground an underground electric railwayelectric railway

traffictraffic

cars, trucks, cars, trucks, and buses and buses traveling along traveling along

roadwaysroadways

venturingventuring

daring to godaring to go

eavesdroppingeavesdroppinglistening to talk listening to talk that you are not that you are not supposed to supposed to hearhear

liverwurstliverwurst

a sausage made a sausage made mostly of livermostly of liver

scroungingscrounging

searching about for searching about for what you can findwhat you can find

sympatheticallsympatheticallyy

with kindnesswith kindness

She furiously jumped over the bike.

She furiously jumped over the bike.

The student was The student was caught eavesdropping caught eavesdropping at the teacher’s door.at the teacher’s door.

The student was The student was caught caught eavesdroppingeavesdropping at the teacher’sat the teacher’s door. door.

My teacher talks My teacher talks sympathetically to me sympathetically to me when I have had a bad when I have had a bad dayday..

My teacher talks My teacher talks sympatheticallysympathetically to to me when I have had me when I have had a bad day.a bad day.

The traffic is reallybusy.

The traffic is reallybusy.

Today is a very important occasion.

Today is a very important occasion.

He shared his He shared his liverwurst sandwich liverwurst sandwich with me.with me.

He shared his He shared his liverwurstliverwurst sandwich sandwich with me.with me.

The dog was The dog was scrounging under the scrounging under the bed for his lost bone.bed for his lost bone.

The dog was The dog was scroungingscrounging under the under the bed for his lost bone.bed for his lost bone.

Crickets love to chirp at night.

Crickets love to chirp at night.

The singers had a soft melody.

The singers had a soft melody.

The railroad tracksare very old.

The railroad tracks are very old.

The subway is very busy.

The subway is very busy.

I went venturing on my own.

I went venturing on my own.

Spelling WordsSpelling WordsVowel Sounds in pVowel Sounds in puut/t/ououtt

stoodtookwoodcushionfootball

brookbushJulymountaincloud

Spelling WordsSpelling WordsVowel Sounds in pVowel Sounds in puut/t/ououtt

howevercrowdloudhouseoutside

proudbutcherpuddingpowershower

This Week’s Word Wall WordsThis Week’s Word Wall Words

Click and type your own words for this week:

Let’s review our spelling words. Watch carefully because they will flash on the screen for just a moment. We will clap as we spell the word.

stood

took

wood

football

brook

bush

July

cushion

butcher

pudding

power

however

shower

crowd

loud

house

outside

mountain

cloud

proud

GREAT GREAT JOB!JOB!