the key in the cave brooke leaves the group€¦ · realistic fiction story. • explain: we...

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Evaluate author’s

purpose; Analyze character• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s

Glossary• Word study: Heterographs• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with characterization

and feelings

Writing Objectives• Writer’s tools: Slang• Write a realistic fiction story using

writing-process steps

Related Resources• Comprehension Question Card• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• Jake Digs a Hole; Luke and the Bug Man

(Level V/60)

The Key in the Cave

Brooke Leaves the Group

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

Unit-at-a-Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read

Day 2 Read “The Key in the Cave”*

Day 3 Read “Brooke Leaves the Group”*

Day 4 Reread “Brooke Leaves the Group”*

Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*

Days 6–15 Write a realistic fiction story using the process writing steps on page 10.

Level V/60

Teacher’s Guide: realisTic FicTion

®

™

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

• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: The characters and settings in these stories are people and places we might encounter in everyday life. Let’s read about the characters and settings for the stories.

• Have a student read aloud the character and setting descriptions while others follow along.

• Say: The authors created settings based on places they knew and loved when they were growing up. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand that the authors can describe these places realistically and in detail because they remember them well.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: Slang• Read aloud “Slang” on page 4. • Say: Many writers use slang to put words in

characters’ mouths that will sound natural and conversational. The realistic fiction stories in this book include many examples of slang. Let’s practice identifying slang so we can recognize it in the stories we read.

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

• Model Identifying Slang: The first sentence uses the slang word nuke. It describes the action of heating or cooking food in a microwave oven. Using slang makes the sentence informal and conversational.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups to identify the examples of slang in the remaining sentences and explain their meanings and to write their own sentences using slang.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings. Point out that some slang terms combine parts of two words, such as clashion (clash and fashion).

• Ask the groups to read one of the sentences they completed. Use the examples to build students’ understanding of how and why writers use slang. Remind students that an author’s use of slang creates an everyday informality in realistic fiction that can help readers connect with characters and plot.

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

two rEaListiC fiCtion storiEs

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.” Country and blues are two different genres, or kinds, of music. Each musical 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 notice the genre of what we are about to read to help us anticipate what the text will contain 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 Realistic Fiction in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Realistic fiction stories are one example of a literary genre. Think of any realistic fiction stories you know. How would you define what a realistic fiction story is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of a realistic fiction story 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 realistic fiction stories 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 realistic fiction stories 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 realistic fiction stories 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 realistic fiction web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about realistic fiction stories 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: 978-1-4509-3045-1

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 3two rEaListiC fiCtion storiEs

Before ReadingIntroduce “The Key in the Cave”• Reread the realistic fiction anchor chart or the web

on page 3 to review the features of realistic fiction.• Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on the

title and illustrations, what do you predict this story might be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (currant, current, faint, feint). 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 story, focusing on the

genre elements they noted on their anchor chart. They should also look for examples of slang and think about how the author’s use of slang makes the story feel true to life and helps them relate to the characters.

Read “The Key in the Cave”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the story 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.

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 realistic

fiction genre? How can readers recognize when a writer is

using slang? 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.

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTWO REALISTIC FICTION STORIES

BLM 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

SlangDirections: Read each sentence. Underline each example of slang. Write the

meaning of the slang word or phrase.

1. When I got home from baseball practice, I decided to nuke a TV dinner.

________________________________________________________________

2. As usual, Bridget wore her own form of clashion—combining the weird and the lame.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

3. The talk show host stood and exclaimed, “Let’s give it up for our next guest, Liberty LaBosh!”

________________________________________________________________

4. I rehearsed my part constantly and was so nervous that Trent finally told me to chillax.

________________________________________________________________

5. Students should be required to take a class in netiquette before they get a computer.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

heat or cook in a microwave oven

applaud; show audience appreciation

take it easy; take a break (chill + relax)

items of clothing that do not go together well(clash + fashion)

informal rules and code of conduct for onlinebehavior (Internet + etiquette)

Day 2

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

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Author’s Purpose• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze

the Characters, Setting, and Plot” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on page 14. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to evaluate the author’s purpose in a realistic fiction story.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that a realistic fiction story places characters in a true-to-life setting and poses a believable problem for them to solve. The characters are people you could meet in real life, and the plot could actually happen. When you read a realistic fiction story, think about what the author wants you to get from the story. One important purpose of fiction

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.

is to entertain readers. At the same time, the author often has a “hidden” message—a plot outcome that gives readers something to think about. Evaluating the author’s purpose can help you better understand and appreciate the story.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Author’s Purpose) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

• Model: When I evaluate the author’s purpose in a realistic fiction story, I think about why the author includes certain details. I think about the voice the author gives to the narrator and what the narrator learns. I think about the events in the story and how the conflict is resolved. The overall effect of these elements suggests the author’s purpose or purposes.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to summarize the plot and use the details to evaluate the author’s purposes. Remind them to look for the author’s “hidden message” to help them determine why the author wrote the story.

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


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

Focus on Vocabulary: Heterographs• Explain/Model: Read aloud “Heterographs”

on page 4. Say: Some words have the same pronunciations but different spellings and meanings. These heterographs require readers to stay alert to decide their meanings. Readers can figure out which heterograph an author is using by looking for context clues.

• Practice. Ask students to think of some heterographs they know, such as so/sew; coarse/ course, led/lead, pane/pain, and great/grate. List the words. Discuss the differences in the words’ meanings.

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this story. What can you do if you are confused about the heterograph’s meaning? (Allow responses.) Besides looking up the word in the glossary or a dictionary, you can look for clues in the text to help you define the unfamiliar word. Context clues include descriptions, examples, synonyms, and definitions.

• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 17 using BLM 3 (Focus on Heterographs). Explain that they should read the sentences around the boldfaced word to find clues to its meaning.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups of students to share their findings. Then challenge individual students to make up riddles using the dual meanings of the heterographs. (For example: What do you call a diet that makes you gain weight? A waste of a waist!) After the other students guess the answer, have a volunteer write the answer on the board with each heterograph spelled correctly.

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

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

reread the “Features of Realistic Fiction” web on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in “The Key in the Cave.” Ask groups to share and support their findings.

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 first 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 key ring. First I find the words on page 9 followed by the words a big skeleton key. Then I find the words again on page 10 followed by the words a small silver whistle. These sentences answer the question.


The Key in the Cave

Plot Summary Cai goes to the cave without his dog Tucker, who is playing with a collie. Cai finds a key and whistle on a key ring. He and his friends try to figure out what the key unlocks. They try it on a boat and a shed. Then they see the collie with a woman on the beach. They figure out that the whistle calls a dog. They meet the woman, who has lost the key and whistle. She offers Cai a reward, and he asks for the whistle to call Tucker.

Author’s Purpose to entertain readers; to show how doing the right thing (looking for the owner of the key ring) benefits everyone involved

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 5two rEaListiC fiCtion storiEs

Fluency: Read with Characterization and Feelings• You may wish to have students reread the story

with a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with appropriate expression to reflect the character’ traits and emotions. Ask students to read the fifth paragraph on page 9 to portray Cai’s personality and feelings and the dialogue on pages 10 and 11 to depict the character traits of Jake, Linda, and Maria. Remind them to use a variety of techniques, such as pacing, pausing, pitch, and volume, to help with their characterizations.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Brooke Leaves the Group” • Ask students to turn to page 18. Say: Today we

are going to read “Brooke Leaves the Group.” This story is written in a different format from the other realistic fiction story 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 story, focusing on the characters, setting, and plot. Tomorrow, we will read this story like a writer and think about the notes in the margin as a model for how we can write our own realistic fiction story.

• Say: Let’s look at the title and illustrations of this story. 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 (intense, intents, mustered, mustard, dessert, desert). Ask: What do you notice about these words? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? Allow responses. Encourage students to notice that each word pair sounds alike but has a different spelling and meaning.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these words. Look for descriptions, examples, and other clues in the text. After we read, we will talk about how you used context clues provided by the author.

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

story details, events, and themes point to one or more purposes the author had for writing. Encourage them to notice the author’s use of slang.

Read “Brooke Leaves the Group”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the story 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: Evaluate Author’s Purpose• Say: Yesterday we evaluated the author’s purposes

for writing “The Key in the Cave.” The author included exciting, realistic details to entertain readers. She also included events that indirectly express ideas. Now we will evaluate the author’s purposes for writing “Brooke Leaves the Group.” What details are most important? What message do you think author wants readers to take away from this story? Allow responses. As students

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.

Page WordPart of Speech

DefinitionText Words That Helped You Choose the Correct Heterograph

12 currant noun used as adjective

a small, seedless raisin

freshly baked, pie

12 current adjective occurring in the present time

get back to, problem

14 faint verb pass out from being weak and light-headed

swooned


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which they started on Day 2. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask pairs of students to make up a descriptive phrase using each target word. Then invite them to demonstrate or act out the meaning of each word in this context. As partners present their phrases and demonstration, have the audience identify the correct target word by spelling it aloud.

Day 3 (cont.)

• Discuss Author’s Purpose Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the following questions. How does the author’s purpose for writing “Brooke Leaves the Group” compare to the author’s purpose for writing “The Key in the Cave”? In which story do realistic details seem more important to achieving the author’s purpose? Why?

How do plot events in each story help you understand an idea the author is trying to express?

Where have the authors used slang? How does the slang help you identify with the characters or accept the story as realistic?

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 second Look Closer! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Look Closer! question. This question asks me to identify cause and effect. I know because it has the clue word why. 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 the reason Brooke can’t concentrate on her work. On page 23, I read that Brooke is worried that the new group won’t accept her, and “worrying made for a stressful afternoon.” I have found the answer in the book. I looked in several sentences to find the answer.

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

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

“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3,

share their analyses, synthesize their responses into a whole-group chart like the one here.

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

discuss the following questions and report their ideas to the whole group. Do you agree that Brooke’s friends are acting immature in this story? What do you think of the actions and words of the “cool” girls? Think about a time in your life when you worried about being accepted. How did this make you feel and act?

Fluency: Read with Characterization and Feelings• You may wish to have students reread the story with a

partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with appropriate expression. Ask students to discuss how Brooke and other characters feel in various scenes and summarize the traits of each character. Have students take turns reading dialogue between Brooke and the “cool” girls on pages 22 and 23 and between Brooke and Luke on page 27. Encourage students to show the traits and feelings of the characters in each passage as they read.



Plot Summary Brooke decides to leave the Oak Street kids because they seem immature and silly. She asks to join another group of girls at lunch, who eventually decide to “allow” her to associate with them. As they leave school, Brooke is afraid her old group will be hurt, but they think she is meeting with a project group. When the girls rudely criticize Brooke—and even each other—Brooke decides to rejoin the Oak Street kids, who know what true friendship is.

Author’s Purpose to entertain with a story about friendship and values; to show that friendship is earned by acceptance, caring, and kindness Page Word Part of

Speech DefinitionText Words That Helped You Choose the Correct Heterograph

21 intense adjective extreme; deeply felt

mortified; trying to appear as if she wasn’t part of the group; accompanied . . . by a herd of beeping, box-headed aliens

27 intents noun purposes; intentions

partner up with me; but you could use a hand in organization . . .

22 mustered verb gathered together; summoned up

a little taken aback; still; courage

25 mustard noun a pungent yellow condiment made from seeds of the same name

white and yellow with swirls; napkin; smeared

22 dessert noun a usually sweet course served at the end of a meal

at lunch; counting the calories; carrot sticks actually counted


7

Before ReadingSet a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 18. Say: Until now, we

have been thinking about realistic fiction from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of realistic fiction has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread “Brooke Leaves the Group” 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 “Brooke Leaves the Group”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the story 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 realistic fiction story and why they do it.

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

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


• 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 make predictions. I know because it says, “What clues help you predict?” 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 find out what the girls do when Brooke asks if she can join them. On page 22, I read that the table fell silent, and that Crystal, Emmaline, and Ann-Marie exchanged glances. These actions suggest that the girls might not take Brooke into their group. I have located the clues I need.

• Guide Practice. Use the Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions and support students’ text-dependent comprehension strategies.

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 realistic fiction story. First, let’s think about how the author wrote “Brooke Leaves the Group.” When she developed this story, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own realistic fiction story.

• Read step 1. Say: The first thing you’ll do is decide on a problem that the main character or characters must face. In the first story, Cai and his friends must find the owner of the key ring. In the second story, Brooke struggles to accept old friends and be accepted by new ones. What realistic problems could we describe in our story? Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 2. Say: In “Brooke Leaves the Group,” the main character feels more mature than her friends but learns that real friends accept you as you are and are genuine, not fake. The two sets of friends provide a contrast in actions and attitudes that suggests this lesson. For example, the “cool” girls are critical, snobbish gossips, while the old friends are spontaneous, accepting, and carefree. Who could our characters be? What will they be like? 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. “Brooke Leaves the Group” takes place in and around a middle school. This is a perfect setting for a plot that revolves around issues of friendship. When you write your story, think about what setting is right for your characters. What plot, or actions, will help you develop the problem of your story? Choose one of the problems and some of the characters the class has brainstormed, and work as a group to construct a possible setting and plot.

Build Comprehension: Analyze Character• Explain: To analyze a character in a story, we pay

attention to what he or she says and does. We also note what others say about the character and how they act toward him or her. These clues help us figure out the character’s traits, attitudes, and emotions. In short, we get to know the characters in the story just as we might get to know a new neighbor or classmate in real life. Analyzing the characters in a story helps us understand the plot.

• Model: In “Brooke Leaves the Group,” Brooke suggests breaking down the boxes and folding them to make them easy to carry. Her words and actions show that she is a logical, organized, take-charge kind of person. In “The Key in the Cave,” Cai looks for his dog Tucker as soon as he wakes up; he misses Tucker when he goes to the cave

Day 4


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


• 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 analyze text structure and organization. I know because it tells me to find a description. 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 look on page 20 for a description of the kids walking around with boxes. The author says, “The next thing Brooke knew, the hallway was filled with four alien robots walking around bumping into one another and making beeping noises underneath their head-boxes.” I have found the description in the text.

• 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 two stories

in this book. Invite a different student to summarize each story. 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 realistic fiction stories share certain features. They both have characters and settings that could really exist. They both tell about events that could really happen. What else do they have in common? (Allow responses.) Today we will record information about the story elements in both stories. We will think about how the elements are alike and different 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. How is the point of view different in the two stories? Which characters are most alike? How are they alike? Which story’s problem is most like a problem you have faced?

Which story’s plot do you think is more exciting? More entertaining? Explain your choices.

to read. Given a choice of “treasures” as a reward, Cai asks for a dog whistle so he can call Tucker when they are apart. His actions and words show that he has a strong bond with his dog. Understanding these characters’ personalities and motivations helps me understand how they think and why the stories develop as they do.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to analyze at least one character in each story. Ask the groups to share how their analysis of the characters helps them better understand and enjoy the stories.

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions.

How is thinking about a realistic fiction story as a reader different from thinking about a realistic fiction story as a writer? How is it similar? What new words have you added to your vocabulary this week? Which do you think you will use the most? Why? Which character is most like someone you know? What makes this character realistic? How can you use slang and heterographs as a writer?

Fluency: Read with Characterization and Feelings• You may wish to have students reread the story

with a partner during independent reading time. Have them focus on reading with appropriate expression to reflect the feelings and traits of the characters. Ask students to discuss Brooke’s feelings toward her friends and the “cool” girls at the beginning of the story and how they change by the end. Invite students to take turns reading the text from the middle of page 20 through the first paragraph on page 21 and on the last page of the story, varying their expression to dramatize Brooke’s emotions.


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Day 4 (cont.) Day 5


• The first student should pick a sentence and read the sentence aloud, fill in the blank with the appropriate word, and then spell the word. For example, “When we played tag, I made a feint to the left and then ran to the right.” (f-e-i-n-t) If the group agrees on the word and spelling, the player gets a point. Continue until all the sentences have been solved.

Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance• Discuss with students the emotions and traits

shown by the various characters in the stories. • Say: The characters portray sadness, irritation,

confusion, embarrassment, gratitude, and pettiness, among other emotions and traits. When you read the stories aloud, you can demonstrate your understanding of the characters’ personalities and actions through your tone and expression. This will help your listeners appreciate the characters more and better understand the story.

• Invite individual students to read a section of one of the realistic fiction stories with expression that helps listeners understand the character’s emotions and traits. Suggest that students use facial expressions and body language along with tone, inflection, and volume of voice.

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

• Encourage the audience to offer constructive suggestions about each reader’s interpretation, including giving alternate ways of interpreting the characters’ emotions.

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

slang 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 slang.

• Invite students to share their examples with the class. Encourage students to discuss how the slang creates a sense of everyday life and helps them connect to characters. Point out that not all students will have found examples in the books they chose. Slang 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.

9two rEaListiC fiCtion storiEs

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.

Reinforce Vocabulary: Which Heterograph?• Write the glossary words on the board. Ask students

to write a sentence for each word that provides context clues to its meaning, leaving a blank where the word belongs. Then ask them to cut their sentences apart.

• Place students in groups, and have each group’s members mix their sentence strips in a pile.


The Key in the Cave Brooke Leaves the Group

Point of View first person third person

Setting a vacation place at the beach in summer

an apartment building where the Oak Street kids live, their school, and in between

Main Characters Cai; his dog Tucker; his friends Maria, Jake, Linda; a woman visitor

Brooke; her “old” friends Jalissa, Jamal, Tia, Luke; her “new” friends Crystal, Emmaline, Ann-Marie

Problem Cai finds a key and whistle in a cave and needs to find out whose they are and what they are for.

Brooke decides her friends are too immature and leaves them to join a group of “cool” girls.

Solution Cai figures out that the whistle calls dogs; a stranger claims the items and gives Cai a reward.

Brooke is miserable with the negative, gossipy girls and returns to her friends, whom she now sees as spontaneous and fun.

Day 5 (cont.)

Write a Realistic Fiction Story• 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 stories, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Realistic Fiction 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 realistic fiction stories.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Realistic Fiction Planning

Guide) to brainstorm the problem, characters, setting, and plot for their stories.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of Realistic Fiction” 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 stories with a problem in mind? Did they use an authentic, realistic setting and characters?

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

Realistic Fiction Planning Guides to begin drafting their realistic fiction stories.

• 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 Realistic Fiction Checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the realistic fiction 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 story? Did they develop a problem and then show how it was resolved? Does the story 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 Realistic Fiction Checklist as they edit and revise their stories 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 interesting words and phrases? Did they use examples of slang? 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

realistic fiction stories.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with one

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

• 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 realistic fiction stories. Hold a class reading in which students can read their stories to one another and/or to parents. Create a binder of all the stories and loan it to the library so that other students can read them. Create a binder of all the stories for your classroom library.

Days 6–15

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCTWO REALISTIC FICTION STORIES

BLM 5

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No 1. My story has a strong lead. 2. My story is told in first or third person. 3. My story has a current-day, lifelike setting with time

and place. 4. The characters are like everyday people. 5. At least one character deals with a conflict. 6. The conflict causes the main character to change. 7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the story. 8. I have 3 to 5 events in my story. 9. My story has a solution to the problem. 10. My story has a believable ending. 11. I used figurative language in my story.

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 _________________

Realistic Fiction Checklist

Title ________________________________________________________________________ ______

TWO REALISTIC FICTION STORIES

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 6

Realistic Fiction Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own realistic fiction story.

1. Decide on a problem.

3. Brainstorm setting and plot.

Characters Traits, Examples

Character 1: _______________

Character 2: _______________

Character 3: _______________

Character 4: _______________

Setting

Problem

Events

Solution

2. Brainstorm characters.


10 ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCtwo rEaListiC fiCtion storiEs

BLm 1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

SlangDirections: Read each sentence. Underline each example of slang. Write the

meaning of the slang word or phrase.

1. When I got home from baseball practice, I decided to nuke a TV dinner.

________________________________________________________________

2. As usual, Bridget wore her own form of clashion—combining the weird and the lame.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

3. The talk show host stood and exclaimed, “Let’s give it up for our next guest, Liberty LaBosh!”

________________________________________________________________

4. I rehearsed my part constantly and was so nervous that Trent finally told me to chillax.

________________________________________________________________

5. Students should be required to take a class in netiquette before they get a computer.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________



Evaluate Author’s Purpose

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the chart below to evaluate author’s purpose in the realistic fiction stories.

BLm 2

The Key in the Cave


Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Focus on HeterographsDirections: Reread each story. Record the part of speech, definition, and clues for

each heterograph below.

Page Word Part of Speech Definition

Text Words That Helped You Choose the Correct Heterograph

12 currant

13 current

14 faint

15 feint


©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLm 3

21 intense

27 intents

22 mustered

25 mustard

23 desert


Make Connections Across Texts

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Fill in the chart. Use it to compare and contrast the two realistic fiction stories.


BLm 4

The Key in the Cave Brooke Leaves the GroupPoint of View

Setting

MainCharacters

Problem

Solution


BLm 5

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No

1. My story has a strong lead. 2. My story is told in first or third person. 3. My story has a current-day, lifelike setting with time

and place. 4. The characters are like everyday people. 5. At least one character deals with a conflict. 6. The conflict causes the main character to change. 7. I tell the problem at the beginning of the story. 8. I have 3 to 5 events in my story. 9. My story has a solution to the problem. 10. My story has a believable ending. 11. I used figurative language in my story.

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 _________________

Realistic Fiction Checklist

Title ________________________________________________________________________ ______


©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLm 6

Realistic Fiction Planning Guide

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own realistic fiction story.

1. Decide on a problem.

3. Brainstorm setting and plot.

Characters Traits, Examples

Character 1: _______________

Character 2: _______________

Character 3: _______________

Character 4: _______________

Setting

Problem

Events

Solution

2. Brainstorm characters.

the key in the cave brooke leaves the group€¦ · realistic fiction story. • explain: we...

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