1. art and entertainment
2. books and literature

Table of Contents
Gourmet
Learning
®
4th Grade Reading Sample Packet
Sample #
Description
1
Suggested Timeline
2
Appetizers
3
Main Dishes Table of Contents
4
Fourth Grade Reading Test Analysis
5
Literature Connection
6
Main Dishes Objective Draw Conclusions
7
Initial Lesson
8
Lesson 2 Hands-on
9
Lesson 3 Cooperative Learning
10
Assessment Test 2 Benchmark Test
11
Enrichment #1
12
Reteach
13
Final Test
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
vii
Appetizer
Cooperative
Learning
Lesson 3
Appetizer
Week 2
Basal/Novel
Appetizer
Basal/Novel
Main Dish
Objective
Incorporate
2A Lesson 1 Direct Teach
Checking for
Lesson 1
Understanding
Closure
Week 1
Appetizer
Daily
Test 2
Benchmark
Appetizer
Main Dish
Lesson 2
Activity
(Games)
Appetizer
Basal/Novel
Appetizer
Basal/Novel
Appetizer
Enrichment/
Reteach
Appetizer
Basal/Novel
Practice
Test 1
Appetizer
Suggested Timeline for Gourmet Reading
Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Gourmet
Learning
®
Appetizers
TM
TM
Gourmet Learning’s menu for reading, math and science goes beyond the regular educational
“menu” and serves smooth, rich differentiated instruction that actively engages students in
their learning. The end result is students taking responsibility for their learning and ultimately
achieving significantly higher test scores! The Gourmet Lesson design provides teachers with all
the tools to learn how to teach more effectively and thus increasing their teaching success with
significantly data measurable outcomes.
Appetizers are short, daily warm-ups that provide daily reading comprehension skills review. The
content for each grade level Appetizer has been carefully selected to include across-the-curriculum,
high interest content that incorporates high interest content that incorporates dual coded reading
skills with a variety of literary and informational texts. These teacher-modeled activities provide
informal assessments of students reading, problem-solving and critical thinking development.
More specifically Appetizers:
•
provide high interest content, relating students’ experiences to the objective of the lesson
and putting the students in a receptive frame of mind for learning;
•
focus students’ attention on the lesson objective; create a framework for students to
organize and metacognitively interact with text;
•
extend students’ understanding and application of skills to real-world text;
•
review reading and writing skills in a short comprehensive format;
•
empower teachers with thousands of opportunities to emphasize test-taking strategies;
•
provide models that incorporate critical thinking strategies for responses by providing
evidence from the text that supports and justifies students’ understanding.
•
written specifically to the New Texas TEKS/STAAR standards with over 75% dual coded questions
There you have it, fully aligned to the Texas TEKS/STAAR, the “full meal deal” utilizing
a fun, different approach to learning. All materials are available in print or online. For
additional teaching ideas and suggestion for using Appetizers as part of your daily reading,
please refer to page iv. Additional information about other Gourmet products can be found
at www.gourmetlearning.com. There are no “left-overs” in the Gourmet Learning meals!
You will have an extraordinary successful year using the Gourmet Menu of products.
Jan Garber
President and Publisher
Gourmet Learning
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
iii
Appetizers
TM
TM
Using Reading Appetizers:
Model the following procedure and expectations with your entire class for several
weeks until students are comfortable with them.
Procedure and Expectations:
Step 1: Read aloud the definition(s) of the skill(s) presented on each recipe card. The
answer keys have the definition of each skill. It is very important that the same
definition be restated so students hear the same terminology and vocabulary
each time the skill is presented.
Step 2: Read each card’s passage from the transparency or Media Presentation.
Step 3: Next, read and discuss the question. Read each of the possible multiplechoice answers, and discuss whether that choice is a reasonable answer. If
it is a possibility, put a question mark next to the letter. If it is a choice that
can be eliminated, draw a √ or an X through the letter.
Step 4: As students eliminate possible answer choices, ask them to use information
from the passage to justify their reasoning. This is a critical test-taking skill
that Appetizers help reinforce.
Step 5: Continue this process until one or two answers remain. Use direct
questioning to prompt students to redirect or fine tune their search for
accurate justifications from the text that clarify why an answer is correct or
incorrect.
Step 6: Once a final answer is selected, ask students for verbal justification, specific
with information from the text, why this is the best possible answer.
iv
After students are comfortable with these expectations, have students complete the
recipe cards and record their answers. Using spiral notebooks for this activity allows
students to accumulate their daily responses efficiently and simplifies your grading
and long-term assessment of their progress.
Procedural Example:
Sept. 5 page 14
Card 1 B
Card 2 H
Card 3 A
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Serves: 4th grade
Appetizers
Francisco Coronado
Francisco Coronado was a famous explorer. He was born in Spain in 1510.
When he was 25 he decided to move to New Spain. After several government
jobs, including being named the governor of Nueva Galicia, Coronado was
selected to lead an exploration. Earlier a man named Alvar Nunez Cabeza de
Vaca had traveled to Mexico and claimed to have found seven cities of gold.
Coronado’s job was to go to Mexico and see if this was true. Hoping to cover
more territory, Coronado split his group in two. One group found the Colorado
Plateau while the other discovered the Grand Canyon. The men kept traveling
and found themselves in what is now Texas and even Oklahoma before they
gave up and returned to Spain. Coronado explored much of the Southwest
during his travels.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Main Idea 11(A)
The main idea for this passage is –
A
B
C
D
When he was 25 he decided to move to New Spain.
Earlier a man named Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca had traveled to Mexico and
claimed to have found seven cities of gold.
Coronado’s job was to go to Mexico and see if this was true.
Coronado explored much of the Southwest during his travels.
“Sand and Water”
Out on the great seas men searched for land
They stood high in the Eagle’s Nest with spyglass in hand
Looking to find some new spot to claim
Hoping for treasure, fortune and fame.
Many tried, but few succeeded.
Smarts, money and luck were all needed
To weather the storms and the warriors they’d meet
To have enough water and decent food to eat
Once on land a new trouble was found
Navigating across deserts and across unknown ground
Soon places were discovered like the Rio Grande
Explorers returned home claiming to have found “New Land.”
Explicit/Implicit Relationships 11(C); Fig 19(F)
Both of the passages above describe –
A
B
C
D
the life of Francisco Coronado
explorers coming to North America
the troubles one explorer faced on his journey
life on a ship during an exploration
29
Ingredients For Success
Main Idea 11(A)
The main idea of a paragraph or text is the theme or topic to which all other
paragraphs, sentences, and details directly support.
D Coronado explored much of the Southwest during his travels.
Explicit/Implicit Relationships 11(C); Fig 19(F)
Students are expected to describe explicit and implicit relationships among
ideas in texts organized by cause-and-effect, sequence, or comparison
B explorers coming to North America
29 A
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Serves: 4th grade
Appetizers
Fish Facts
Fish can be part of a tasty and healthy meal. However, there are some fish
that are dangerous for people to eat. Some fish absorb chemicals from their
environment, such as mercury. Mercury is a chemical found naturally in
the ocean. It is also man-made in products like pesticides. Mercury particles
from pesticides land on the ground and water. Small tiny organisms eat the
mercury. Small fish eat the organisms. Larger fish eat the small fish. PCBs are
polychlorinated biphenyls. These were used by factories many years ago.
PCBs, like mercury, are found in some fish. These chemicals can be dangerous
for us, and especially for young people. Many experts say that children under
15 should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. One way to avoid
fish that is contaminated with chemicals is to eat farm-raised salmon, catfish,
and tilapia.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Facts and Details 11(A)
Identify the detail that belongs in the empty box below.
Some fish absorb chemicals from their environment.
Many experts say
that people under 15
should not eat shark,
swordfish, king
mackerel, or tilefish.
A
B
C
D
Small organisms eat
mercury; small fish
eat the organisms.
It is also man-made in products like pesticides.
These were used by factories many years ago.
PCBs, like mercury, are found in some fish.
Fish can be part of a tasty and healthy meal.
Draw Conclusions Fig 19(D)
From the information in the passage above, a conclusion that can be drawn is –
A
B
C
D
Everyone in America eats fish.
Some fish should not be eaten.
Most fish are not good for you.
People of all ages should avoid swordfish and tilefish.
62
Ingredients For Success
Facts and Details 11(A)
Facts are things known to have happened or known to be so because they can be
proven. Details explain and make the facts clear by providing answers to the “who,
what, when, where, why, and how” of the passage.
C PCBs, like mercury, are found in some fish.
Draw Conclusions Fig 19(D)
Drawing a conclusion requires reading information, combining it with what you
already know, and then using evidence from the text and making a final decision
about what has happened.
B Some fish should not be eaten.
62 A
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Gourmet
Learning
®
Main Dishes
TM
TM
Gourmet Learning materials are organized by reading objective. Each objective is
organized in a logical taxonomy; however, the materials are designed to be flexible. They
are structured independently of each other to enable flexible lesson planning based on
students’ differentiated needs. The Main Dish Volumes are a Teacher-Student Resource;
thus, every page is available as a blackline master. To make student instruction pages
immediately accessible, these pages are provided as teaching pages and noted with
a (T) next to the page number.
Main Dishes are comprehensive books designed to be indispensable guides that
enable you to introduce, practice, and test reading objectives. Each objective is presented
with an introductory lesson (explicit instruction) that guides you step-by-step through a
formatted presentation. This is followed by a guided practice activity (Checking for
Understanding), then a game that requires students to apply their learned skill, followed
by a formative assessment test.
The modular design of each objective, plus the spiraling design of the overall
curriculum, provides multiple opportunities for differentiated instruction and flexible
grouping. Upon learning each student’s outcome on a practice formative assessment,
you can determine the appropriate follow-up activity. You can work closely with those
students who have not mastered the skill on the practice assessment in a reteach
activity, while those students achieving mastery will work on a challenging enrichment
activity. For an even greater group option, see the model for differentiated instruction
and flexible grouping on cover page viii. These exercises may be used separately or in
tandem with our other curriculum Appetizers and Desserts books.
Word analysis/word study is a crucial component of building fluency and
comprehension. A word wall, therefore, becomes a valuable tool in today’s classroom
with many uses. A word wall helps reinforce and expand students’ knowledge of our
complex language. Suggestions for creating and implementing word walls in your
classroom can be found in the Main Dish Context Clues objective.
It is our hope that our publication will facilitate the best teaching of reading skills
that are necessary to generate competent readers.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
iii
Table of Contents
Volume I
CATEGORY 1
I. Vocabulary/Context Clues - 4; 2(A)(B)(E); 8(A)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Paired Selection)
638 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
635 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Expository) 707 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level
Pages
680/4
1-33
34-48
820/4-5
49-55
690/4
56-59
60-64
65-67
69-73
CATEGORY 3
II. Written Directions - 13(A)(B); 14; Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Paired Selection)
779 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Mixed Selection)
786 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 687 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
800/4
1-18
19-27
590/3
28-35
650/3-4
36-38
39-41
42-46
47-48
CATEGORY 1, 2 & 3
III.Facts/Details - 6(A); 7(A); 11(A)(C)(D); 12; Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Expository) 676 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Mixed Selection)
594 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Narrative) 623 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
670/4-5
610/3
660/4-5
1-25
26-36
37-43
44-46
47-52
53-56
57-60
ix
Table of Contents
Volume I
CATEGORY 2 & 3
IV. Stated/Implied Main Idea - 10(A)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Narrative)
777 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
573 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 634 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level Pages
660/4
1-15
16-27
760/4-5
28-34
950/5-6
35-36
37-39
40-44
45-46
CATEGORY 2 & 3
V.
Summarization - 3(A); 4(A); 6(A)(B); 11(A); Fig 19(E)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Narrative)
239 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
800 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Expository) 783 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
x
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
NP
1-25
26-39
700/3-4
40-46
600/3
47-48
49-50
51-54
55-56
Table of Contents
Volume II
CATEGORY 2
I. Characterization - 6(A)(B)(C); Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Narrative)
835 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Narrative)
706 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Paired Selection) 906 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level
Pages
780/4-5
1-22
23-34
840/4-5
35-42
880/5-6
43-45
46-47
48-52
53-56
CATEGORY 2
II. Story Elements - 6(A)(B); 3(B); Fig 19(D)(E)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Narrative)
773 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Narrative)
741 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Paired Selection) 685 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
520/3
1-27
28-41
650/3-4
42-48
780/4-5
49-50
51-53
54-57
59-62
CATEGORY 2 & 3
III. Literary Forms and Genres - 3(A); 6(B)(C); 11(C)(D);
16(B); Fig 19(D)(E)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Paired Selection)
535 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Paired Selection)
604 Word Count
D. Enrichment #1
E. Enrichment #2
F. Reteach
G Final Test (Triplet Selection)
724 Word Count
H. Answer Keys
I. Endnotes
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
700/4
1-53
54-64
870/4-5
65-71
760/4-5
72-73
74-77
78-82
83-86
87-90
91-92
vii
Table of Contents
Volume II
CATEGORY 2 & 3
IV. Sequential Order - 6(A); 9; 11(C); 13(A)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
713 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Mixed Selection)
681 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Expository) 768 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level
Pages
630/3
1-15
16-28
600/3
29-37
720/4
38
39-43
44-48
49-52
CATEGORY 2 & 3
V. Cause/Effect - 11(C)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
557 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
849 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 701 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
650/3-4
1-23
24-32
920/5-6
33-37
710/4
38-39
40-41
42-45
47-49
CATEGORY 2 & 3
VI. Compare/Contrast - (11)(C)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Expository)
748 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Narrative)
625 Word Count
D. Enrichment #1
E. Enrichment #2
F. Reteach
G. Final Test (Paired Selection) 974 Word Count
H. Answer Keys
580/3
1-27
28-41
490/2
42-47
670/4
48-52
53
54-55
56-60
61-63
CATEGORY 2 & 3
VII.Graphic Organizers - 11(D); 13(B); Fig 19(E)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
772 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Mixed Selection)
832 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 874 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
viii
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
670/3-4
1-39
40-53
630/3
54-63
580/3
64-65
66-75
76-81
83-87
Table of Contents
Volume III
CATEGORY 2 & 3
I. Author’s Purpose - 6(C); 10; 11(C); 12; 19(B)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
846 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
665 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Paired Selection) 755 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level
Pages
580/3
1-14
15-28
700/3-4
29-33
600/3
34
35-37
38-42
43-44
CATEGORY 2 & 3
II. Draw Conclusions - 2(D); 6(A)(B); 7; 8; Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
558 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Paired Selection)
606 Word Count
D. Enrichment #1
E. Enrichment #2
F. Reteach
G. Final Test (Expository) 608 Word Count
H. Answer Keys
810/4-5
1-19
20-29
880/5
30-36
780/4-5
37-38
39-41
42-44
45-47
49-50
CATEGORY 2 & 3
III.Make Predictions - 6(A)(B); 7; 8; 11(C)(D); Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Paired Selection)
804 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
723 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 473 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
620/3-4
1-18
19-35
640/3-4
36-41
740/4
42-44
45-46
47-49
51-52
vii
Table of Contents
Volume III
CATEGORY 2 & 3
IV.Make Generalizations - 6(A); 11(A)(B)(C)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Expository)
709 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
779 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 720 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
/Grade Level
Pages
920/5
1-11
12-22
860/5-6
23-28
890/5-6
29-30
31-43
44-48
49-51
CATEGORY 3
V. Fact/Opinion - 11(B); 10
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Paired Selection)
749 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Paired Selection)
747 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Mixed Selection) 642 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
800/5
1-19
20-30
880/5
31-37
800/5
38-40
41-45
46-49
51-52
CATEGORY 3
VI.Persuasive Devices - 12; 19
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Mixed Selection)
380 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Expository)
760 Word Count
D. Enrichment #1
E. Enrichment #2
F. Reteach
G. Final Test (Paired Selection) 692 Word Count
H. Answer Keys
780/4-5
1-32
33-45
680/3-4
46-53
680/3-4
54-55
56-58
59-67
68-72
73-76
CATEGORIES 2 & 3
VII.Evaluate/Make Judgments - 2(E); 5; 6(A)(B); 10; 11(C); 14(C); Fig 19(D)
A. Introductory/Lesson 1 - Explicit Instruction/Checking
B. Lesson 2/Test 1 (Practice Test - Expository)
749 Word Count
C. Lesson 3/Test 2 (Benchmark Test - Narrative)
1060 Word Count
D. Enrichment
E. Reteach
F. Final Test (Paired Selection) 774 Word Count
G. Answer Keys
viii
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880/5
1-37
38-48
660/4-5
49-56
930/4-5
57-58
59-63
64-69
71-73
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
xi
Test 1
800
Written
Directions
Science
Expository
Science
Science
Expository
Mixed
Test 2
760
Final Test
950
Water, Water Conservation
Clouds
Learning About Dinosaurs
on a Field Trip
Tap Dancing
Riverboarding
Christopher Reeve
Planning a School Trip
to a State Park
Planning and Cooking a Meal
Density, Carbon Dioxide
Nerves
Lance Armstrong
Newbery and Caldecott Medals
Test Topic
Brochure
Brochure
Directions, Rubric,
Letter, Map
Recipes, Lists
Experiments,
Directions, Lists
Narrative Passage &
Student Essays
Special Format
(if any)
The Lexile Framework® for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. It includes the Lexile®
measure and the Lexile scale. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below 200L for beginningreader material to above 1700L for advanced text. All Lexile Framework products, tools and services rely on the Lexile measure
and scale to match reader and text.
Science
Mixed
Music, Sports
Narrative
Test 1
660
Travel, Sports
Mixed
Stated/
Implied
Main Idea
Biography
Expository
Social Studies
Mixed
Test 1
670
Test 2
610
Final Test
660
Cooking
Mixed
Science
Biography
Expository
Paired
Literature
General Subject
Paired
Type of Reading
Selection
Facts/
Details
Test 2
590
Final Test
650
Test 1
680
Test 2
820
Final Test
690
Test/
Context
Clues
Objective
4th Grade Reading Test Analysis - Gourmet Learning
xii
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Literature
Paired
Mythology
Final Test
760
African American
Baseball Player
Expository Text
News Article
Narrative, Diary
Reference Article
Discovering Ancient Troy
The Greek God, Poseidon
Narrative with
dialogue & poetry
Expository
Passage &
Narrative Passage
Dialogue
Historical Fiction,
Dialogue
Historical Fiction,
Dialogue
Brochure
Poems
Special Format
(if any)
Jackie Robinson
Fictional Characters Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed
Gods of the Underworld
Greek Myth—Poseidon
Adaptation of a Fairy Tale
Skateboarding
Japanese Boy’s Festival
Japanese Girl’s Festival
Family of Track Stars
Sharks
Playing, Dreaming, Flying
Test Topic
The Lexile Framework® for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. It includes the Lexile®
measure and the Lexile scale. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below 200L for beginningreader material to above 1700L for advanced text. All Lexile Framework products, tools and services rely on the Lexile measure
and scale to match reader and text.
Expository
Biography
Tall Tales - Fiction
Literature
Narrative
Mixed
Story with a Moral
Social Studies,
Cultural Tradition
Sports, Biographies
Narrative
Paired
Narrative
Test 2
870
Literary Forms Test 1
& Genres
700
Story
Elements
Test 2
840
Final Test
880
Test 1
520
Test 2
650
Final Test
780
Characterization
Social Studies,
Cultural Tradition
Sports, Biographies
Expository
Narrative
Science, Conservation
Expository
Test 2
700
Final Test
600
Test 1
780
Animals
General Subject
Narrative
Type of Reading
Selection
Test 1
NP
Test/
Summarization
Objective
4th Grade Reading Test Analysis - Gourmet Learning
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
xiii
Mixed
Expository
Test 2
600
Final Test
720
Test 1
650
Mixed
Mixed
Test 2
630
Final Test
580
Paired
Final Test
670
Mixed
Narrative
Test 2
490
Test 1
670
Expository
Mixed
Final Test
710
Test 1
580
Expository
Test 2
920
Mixed
Mixed
Type of Reading
Selection
Test 1
630
Test/
Summer Camp
Health
Travel, Geography
Social Studies
School Election
Biographies
Sports
Social Studies
Science
Social Studies
Science, Family
Social Studies
General Subject
Activities at Camp
Broken Bones
Moab, Utah Canyonlands National Park
Traveling West to California
Running for Class President
Women That Helped
Shape Our Country
Snowboarding
Wild Shelters
Science Trick - Seeds and Water
Mound Builders
Science Trick - Vacuum/ Suction
Pony Express Rider
Test Topic
Diary, Schedule,
Map, Table
Dialogue, Tables,
Lists
Brochure, Tables,
Lists
Historical Fiction
Election Posters &
Speeches
Newspaper
Articles
Diary Entry
Lists,
Explanations
Dialogue,
Directions,
Explanation
Story within a
Story
Special Format
(if any)
The Lexile Framework® for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. It includes the Lexile®
measure and the Lexile scale. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below 200L for beginningreader material to above 1700L for advanced text. All Lexile Framework products, tools and services rely on the Lexile measure
and scale to match reader and text.
Graphic
Organizers
Compare/
Contrast
Cause/
Effect
Sequential
Order
Objective
4th Grade Reading Test Analysis - Gourmet Learning
xiv
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Make
Generalizations
Mixed
Final Test
890
Animals
Biography
Swimming with Dolphins
Tiger Woods
American Women’s Soccer
Spies, Spy Museum
Harriet Tubman
Women Soldiers
Longitude, John Harrison
Plants and Animals
in the Mojave Desert
Shoshone Indians
Indonesia, Bali, Rice
Endemic Species, Galapagos Islands
Inventor, Chemist Kevlar
Test Topic
Brochures
Brochure
Newspaper
Articles
Poem &
Expository Passage
Personal Narrative,
Brochure
Dialogue, E-mail,
Brochure
Expository
Passage &
Narrative Passage
Special Format
(if any)
The Lexile Framework® for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. It includes the Lexile®
measure and the Lexile scale. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below 200L for beginningreader material to above 1700L for advanced text. All Lexile Framework products, tools and services rely on the Lexile measure
and scale to match reader and text.
Expository
Test 2
860
Sports
Social Studies
Mixed
Expository
Biography
Social Studies,
Biographies
Paired
Expository
Science, Biography
Science
Expository
Paired
Test 1
920
Test 2
640
Final Test
740
Final Test
780
Make
Test 1
Predictions
620
Test 2
880
Social Studies
Mixed
Science
Social Studies
Expository
Test 2
700
Biography, Science
General Subject
Paired
Mixed
Type of Reading
Selection
Test 1
580
Test/
Final Test
600
Draw
Test 1
Conclusions
810
Author’s
Purpose
Objective
4th Grade Reading Test Analysis - Gourmet Learning
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
xv
Expository
Narrative
Paired
Test 2
660
Final Test
930
Paired
Final Test
680
Test 1
880
Expository
Test 2
680
Expository
Final Test
800
Mixed
Paired
Test 2
880
Test 1
780
Paired
Type of Reading
Selection
Test 1
800
Test/
Science, Conservation
Music, Disabilities
Social Studies
Science, Conservation
Science
Advertisements
Science
Social Studies,
Geography
Fundraisers
General Subject
Special Format
(if any)
Beaches, Water Pollution
Famous, Disabled Violinist
Encourages Disabled Children
Working Children Go on Strike
Crittercams
Dugongs
Kid’s Magazine
Air Pollution
Visiting Alaska and Hawaii
Story Based on a
Real Person
Presentation Notes,
Newspaper Article
Magazine Ad,
TV Commercial
Chapters from a
Travel Book
Raising Money Through Fundraisers List, Instructions,
Letter, Dialogue
Test Topic
The Lexile Framework® for Reading is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. It includes the Lexile®
measure and the Lexile scale. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below 200L for beginningreader material to above 1700L for advanced text. All Lexile Framework products, tools and services rely on the Lexile measure
and scale to match reader and text.
Evaluate/
Make
Judgments
Persuasive
Devices
Fact/
Opinion
Objective
4th Grade Reading Test Analysis - Gourmet Learning
Literature Connection
Fourth Grade
Objective
Activity
Title
Initial
Context Clues
Summer of the Monkeys
Instruction
From the Mixed-up Files
of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler
Maniac Magee
Alexander and the Terrible,
Horrible, No-Good, Very
Bad Day
Initial
Cinderdog AND THE
Characterization
Instruction Wicked Stepcat
Lesson 3
The Hundred Dresses
The Whipping Boy
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Charlotte’s Web
Mr. Lincoln’s Drummer
The Rajah’s Rice
Story Elements
Author
(S)uggested
(N)eeded
Approximate
(E)xcerpt
Grade
(R)eference Lexile Score Equivalent
Wilson Rawls
E
810
4th-6th
E.L. Konigsburg
E
700
3rd-5th
Jerry Spinelli
E
820
4th-6th
Judith Viorst
E
970
4th-8th
Joan Holub
E, N
AD410
3rd
S
S
870
570
4th-6th
2nd-3rd
S
560
2nd-3rd
S
S
680
800
3rd-4th
4th-6th
S
*
S
550
S
*
S
*
S
S
640
1000
3rd-4th
6th and up
S
S
600
570
3rd-4th
2nd-3rd
S
*
R
680
3rd-4th
R
1000
6th and up
R
R
710
610
3rd-5th
3rd-4th
S
AD480
2nd
S
*
S
820
4th-6th
S
S
670
AD210
3rd-4th
1st
S
AD710
3rd-5th
S
1030
6th and up
S
S
S
S
AD600
AD680
AD720
AD630
3rd-4th
3rd-4th
3rd-5th
3rd-4th
Eleanor Estes
Sid Fleischman
Patricia
MacLachlan
E.B. White
G. Clifton Wisler
retold by Janet
Stevens
I’ll Meet You at the
Lilian Moore
Cucumbers
Hopper Hunts for Spring Marcus Pfister
retold by Janet
Tops and Bottoms
Stevens
A Chair For My Mother Vera B. Williams
Enrichment The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster
Charlie and the Chocolate
Roald Dahl
Factory
Nory Ryan’s Song
Patricia Reilly Giff
The Doll People
Ann M. Martin
Robert and the Lemming
Barbara Seuling
Problem
Robert Kimmel
Checking Chocolate Fever
Smith
Island of the Blue
Scott O’Dell
Dolphins
Onion John
Joseph Krumgold
Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo
Ludwig
Enrichment Madeline
Bemelmans
Rascal and Gert
Socrates
Bogaerts
Mike Mulligan and his
Virginia Lee
Steam Shovel
Burton
A River Ran Wild
Lynne Cherry
First Day Jitters
Julie Dannenberg
Berta and Elmer
The Big Snow
Hader
retold by Steven
Paul Bunyan
Kellogg
Looking Out for Sarah
Glenna Lang
Silent Lotus
Jeanne M. Lee
John Henry
Julius Lester
Make Way for Ducklings Robert McClosky
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
2nd-3rd
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xxxvii
Literature Connection
The Frog Prince
Continued
Vassilisa the Wise
Cause/Effect
Mimi’s Tutu
The Printer
Initial
The Cricket in Times
Instruction Square
Checking
Compare/
Contrast
Search for the Shadowman
The Westing Game
Dominic
The Janitor’s Boy
Daughters of Liberty:
Barbara’s Escape
Fortunately
Lesson 3
Enrichment
Where the Red Fern Grows
#2
Charlotte’s Web
Stuart Little
James and the Giant Peach
Ben and Me
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats
of NIMH
The Cricket in Times
Square
Island of the Blue
Dolphins
Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory
The Incredible Journey
The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever
Shiloh
Make
Predictions
Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone
Initial
The Secret of Platform 13
Instruction
Frindle
A Series of Unfortunate
Events: Book the First: The
Bad Beginning
How to Eat Fried Worms
Ramona the Brave
The Last of the Really
Great Whangdoodles
Jumanji
Lesson 2
xxxviii
Rumpelstiltskin’s
Daughter
The Relatives Came
There’s a Nightmare in My
Closet
Mike Fink
The Patchwork Quilt
Frindle
Tuck Everlasting
Jon Scieszka
retold by Joseph
Sherman
Tynia Thomassie
Myron Uhlberg
George Selden
S
AD600
3rd-4th
S
*
S
S
AD470
*
2nd
E
780
3rd-5th
Joan Lowery
Nixon
Ellen Raskin
William Steig
Andrew Clements
E
780
3rd-5th
E
E
E
750
900
770
3rd-5th
5th-8th
3rd-5th
Elizabeth Massie
E
680
3rd-4th
Remy Charlip
S
AD420
2nd
Wilson Rawls
S
700
3rd-5th
E.B. White
E.B. White
Roald Dahl
Robert Lawson
S
S
S
S
680
920
870
1010
3rd-4th
5th-8th
4th-6th
6th and up
Robert C. O’Brien
S
790
3rd-5th
George Selden
S
780
3rd-5th
Scott O’Dell
S
1000
6th and up
Roald Dahl
S
810
4th-6th
Sheila Burnford
S
1320
10th-12th
Barbara Robinson
S
930
5th-8th
Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor
S
890
4th-6th
J.K. Rowling
S
880
4th-6th
Eva Ibbotson
S
Andrew Clements
S
Lemony Snicket
S
Thomas Rockwell
Beverly Cleary
Julie Andrews
Edwards
Chris Van
Allsburg
S
S
N
AD620
3rd-4th
Diane Stanley
N
AD570
Cynthia Rylant
N
AD940
5th-8th
Mercer Mayer
N
AD670
3rd-4th
Steven Kellogg
Valerie Flournoy
Andrew Clements
Natalie Babbit
N
N
E
R
870
AD520
830
770
4th-6th
2nd-3rd
4th-6th
3rd-5th
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
S
Literature Connection
The Boy of the Three Year
Nap
Island of the Blue
Dolphins
Free Fall
Good Times on
Grandfather Mountain
Mirette on the High Wire
Make
Lesson 3
Generalizations
Dianne Snyder
R
AD610
3rd-4th
Scott O’Dell
R
1000
6th and up
David Wiesner
R
*
Jaqueline Martin
R
AD880
4th-6th
Emily Arnold
McCully
R
580
2nd-3rd
The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer
Ramona the Brave
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate
the Wash
Make Way for Ducklings
Mark Twain
R
750
3rd-5th
Beverly Clearly
Trinka Hakes
Noble
Robert McClosky
R
820
4th-6th
R
AD540
2nd-3rd
S
AD630
3rd-4th
Anno’s U.S.A
Mitsumasa Anno
S
*
S
S
*
*
S
NP
S
S
S
S
S
*
*
*
*
NP
S
*
E
470
2nd
E
E
650
650
3rd-4th
3rd-4th
S
920
5th-8th
N
NP
N, E
550
2nd-3rd
R
370
1st-2nd
David Wiesner
David Wiesner
Emily Arnold
Picnic
McCully
Zoom
Istavan Banyai
The Story of a Main Street John S. Goodall
Naughty Nancy
John S. Goodall
Mighty Mizzling Mouse Friso Henstra
Window
Jeannie Baker
You Can’t Take a Balloon
Jaqueline Preiss
Into the Museum of Fine
Weitzman
Arts
Persuasive
Initial
Tales of a Fourth Grade
Judy Blume
Devices
Instruction Nothing
How to Eat Fried Worms Thomas Rockwell
Double Dog Dare
Jamie Gilson
Draw
Initial
Patricia
All the Places to Love
Conclusions
Instruction
MacLachlan
Initial
Tuesday
David Wiesner
Instruction
Initial
Fact/Opinion
Stone Fox
John Reynolds
Instruction
Evaluate/Make Initial
Freckle Juice
Judy Blume
Judgments
Instruction
Sector 7
Free Fall
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
xxxix
Sample Section
of
Reading Main Dishes
Objective:
Draw Conclusions
7(A); Fig 19(D)
Lesson 1 – Initial Lesson
Lesson 2 – Hands On
Lesson 3 – Cooperative Learning
Benchmark Test
Enrichment #1
Reteach
Final Test
Introductory Lesson
Draw Conclusions
Focus:
Show the picture transparency, page 2, of the messy kitchen.
Ask: What conclusion may we draw from looking at this picture?
Ask: What information did you use to come to this conclusion?
Say: Based on the pictures, possible conclusions include the following: someone had
been cooking in the kitchen other than mom, they were making cookies, they didn’t clean
up the mess, and Mom is angry about the mess.
The skill that was used to draw conclusions from the pictures is what we will work on
today. Not only do you need to be able to draw conclusions from looking at pictures, but
you should also be able to draw conclusions from written passages.
Statement of Importance:
Drawing conclusions is an important reading skill that requires the reader
to first decide what question is being asked and then, determine what has
already happened in the passage. Next, ask what information is already
known about this topic, and finally, combine all of this information to draw
a conclusion about what has happened.
Across the Curriculum Goals:
Math – Use the facts in a problem, combine it with what you already know,
and decide on a plan to solve the problem
Science – Make a hypotheses; draw a conclusion about a science experiment
Social Studies – Use information from history to draw a conclusion about
current events
Health – Social skills – Use information and previous knowledge to determine
a positive or negative action
Language – Write detailed information so that the reader can draw
conclusions
Objective:
At the close of the lesson, the students will be able to draw conclusions from
the text based on information, prior knowledge, and/or experiences about the
topic.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
1(T)
Lesson 1
Draw Conclusions
Definition:
Drawing a conclusion requires
reading information, combining
it with what you already know,
and making a final decision about
what has happened.
Steps for Drawing Conclusions
1
2
Carefully read
the text and
Read the
locate facts
question first to that support the
determine what question being
is being asked.
asked.
3
Ask yourself,
“What do I
already know
about this
topic?”
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
4
Combine
the new
information
with what you
already know,
and draw a
reasonable
conclusion
about what
has happened.
3(T)
Draw Conclusions
Lesson 1
Objective: Students will draw conclusions from a written text
Initial Instruction—Part I—Passage #1 continued
Questioning Technique
Direct Questioning
Ask: Look at the first choice in Question #1. What does the answer choice say? (waiting with
his grandfather while baby sheep are born)
Ask: Can we draw a conclusion that this is what Eli is doing based on the information from
the passage? (Perhaps he is waiting. However, there is no specific information given about
baby sheep.)
Ask: From looking at the information given in the passage and the information written on
our graphic organizer, is the second choice a possible answer? (wishing he was wrapped in a
wool blanket) (No, the passage says he was wrapped in a wool blanket when he was born but
not that he wants to be wrapped in one again.)
Ask: Look at the third choice. Which sentences support the statement that Eli is waiting
with his grandfather for his sister to be born? (Sentence #3 – a small bundle wrapped in a
wool blanket is held up; sentence #4– his grandfather cries when he sees the bundle. Then,
he carves a girl’s name in the rafters beside Eli’s name. This could mean there is a new female
member of the family.)
Ask: In the fourth choice, both Eli and his grandfather would be sad, and Eli’s mom would
have died. What details from our information tell us that this is most likely not true? (Sentence
#3 – Grandmother holds a small bundle up to the window. Eli is not sad in the passage;
sentence #4 – Grandfather carves a girl’s name beside Eli’s name, and his mother is not dead.)
Ask: Based on the information from the passage and our prior knowledge, which of the answer
choices is the most logical conclusion? (The third choice, Eli is waiting with his grandfather
for his sister to be born.) (Students will write this answer choice in the last rectangle and will
write the appropriate conclusion in the center box of their graphic organizer, page 7.)
Say: Now, in Question #2, we are asked about which sentence best supports the conclusion
we have drawn.
Ask: Does the first choice best support the conclusion that we drew? (Possibly, it lets us know
that when someone is born on the farm they are wrapped in a wool blanket. This is considered
background information that informs us about a similar situation.)
Ask: What is important in the second and third choices? (Eli and his grandfather are waiting
for what Grandmother holds up to the window.)
Ask: Do these two answer choices best support the conclusion from Question #1? (Possibly,
but we have to look at all of the choices before we decide.)
Ask: Look at the fourth choice. What does it tell us? (Grandfather cries when he sees the
bundle and carves a girl’s name in the barn rafters beside Eli’s name.)
Ask: Using the information from all the other sentences, are we able to determine what Eli is
doing? (Yes, he has been waiting for his sister, Sylvie, to be born.)
Ask: Which sentence from the passage best supports the conclusion drawn in Question #1?
(The fourth choice because Grandfather is emotional from the sight of the bundle and carves a
girl’s name beside his grandson’s name. When we combine this sentence with all of the other
information, we can see this sentence best supports the conclusion from Question #1.)
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
5
Draw Conclusions
Lesson 1
Objective: Students will draw conclusions from a written text
Graphic Organizer
What does the question ask?
Combining the information and
what I know, I can make a decision
about what has happened.
Conclusion
What is happening in the passage?
What do I already know about this?
7(T)
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Draw Conclusions
Lesson 1
Objective: Students will select and match scenarios to a specific conclusion
Checking for Understanding
Review by having the students tell you the steps for drawing a conclusion.
1. Read the questions first to determine what is being asked.
2. Carefully read the text and locate facts that support the question being asked.
3. Ask yourself, “What do I already know about this topic?”
4. Combine the new information with what you already know, and draw a reasonable
conclusion about what has happened.
“Rabbit Out of a Hat”
Teacher note: In this activity, students will match clues to a specific conclusion. Levels 4
and 5 of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Analysis and Synthesis are used.
Group size: whole group, based on class of 24
Materials: conclusion cards, pages 10–11; clue cards, pages 12–15; big hat
Before class: Make copies of conclusion cards, pages 10–11 and clue cards, pages 12–15
and cut out. Bring in a “Top Hat” or some other type of large hat. Place all the rabbits in
the hat.
Directions:
• Distribute one carrot (clue card) to each student. Explain that each carrot is a clue.
• There are eight conclusions in this game. Teacher will pick a student at random to
draw a rabbit (conclusion card) out of the hat.
• That student will stand and read the conclusion on the rabbit to the class. The other
students will read the clues on their carrots. Those who think they have a clue which
matches the conclusion will stand and read the information on their carrot. (There are
three clues for every conclusion.)
• The class will decide whether it is a correct clue or not.
• When three carrots (clues) and the correct rabbit (conclusion) are matched, pieces are
put together as a set.
• Play continues until all eight scenarios are completed.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
9
Lesson 2
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Student will listen to text and draw a conclusion
“Fishing for Conclusions”
Teacher note: In this activity, students will read selections, choose conclusions, and learn
all about fish! This activity uses Level 4 of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Analysis.
Group size: two students
Materials: cover wheel, page 21; conclusion wheels, pages 22–23; point cards, page 24;
card stock, optional; scissors; brads
Before class: Make one copy of each conclusion wheel, pages 22–23, and two copies of
cover wheels, page 21, for each group. Cut out wheels. Use a brad to attach the conclusion
wheels to the cover wheels. Each pair will get one of each of the conclusion wheels. Make
copies of point cards, page 24, for each group, and cut them out. (Use of card stock is
recommended.)
Directions:
• Students work in pairs, and each player has one conclusion wheel.
• Using his/her conclusion wheel, Player 1 reads a scenario and the three conclusion
choices to Player 2.
• Player 2 chooses a conclusion (correct answers are marked with a star). If Player 2 is
correct, he/she gets a point card. If Player 2 is incorrect, Player 1 gets the point card.
Each card is worth one point.
• Now, Player 2 reads a scenario from his/her conclusion wheel and three conclusions to
Player 1. Player 1 chooses a conclusion and points are awarded as specified.
• Play continues until all 12 conclusions have been read. The player with the most point
cards is the winner.
Extension: Have students create short scenarios and three possible conclusions for
additional games. These scenarios can be conclusions from materials students currently
are reading or an extension activity using science or social studies content.
Practice extension:
Students will read “Shoshone Days” Test 1, and complete the questions over drawing
conclusions. Teachers may use this as a teaching reinforcement of test-taking skills, or
grades may be taken for evaluation purposes.
20
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Lesson 2
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Student will listen to text and draw a conclusion
“Fishing for Conclusions” Cover Wheel
Fishing for
Conclusions
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
21
Lesson 3
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Students will identify mystery objects and write clues to draw conclusions about
each object
Cooperative Learning
“What Am I?”
Teacher note: In this cooperative learning activity,
students will identify mystery objects in a box and write
clues to help other students identify them as well. This
activity uses Level 4 of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Analysis.
Glue or staple
here.
Group size: three students
Materials: for every group: cards, page 32; one shoe box;
five small objects (spoon, pencil, golf ball, thimble, etc.);
12x18 piece of dark fabric; pencil; notebook paper
Before class: Make copies of cards, page 32, for each group.
Gather a shoe box, fabric, and five small objects for each
group. Hot glue or staple one short edge of the fabric to the
top of one end of the box, so that the students can put their
hands in the box without revealing the objects.
Directions:
• One at a time, students reach into the box and feel the different objects without looking
at them.
• Students draw conclusions about the objects and, on paper, list the things that are
believed to be in the box.
• Without talking, the student passes the box to the next student.
• When all students have listed the objects they believe are in the box, students will
compare lists.
• Each group will make a “Group List” of the things believed to be in the box and assign
each object a number.
• Groups will lift the fabric and examine the objects.
• Then, they will check the Group List and see if objects were identified correctly.
• Next, groups will write three clues for each object on the Clue Cards.
Example (for mechanical pencil):
I am long and skinny.
I am used for writing.
I have a push-button on one end.
• Groups will replace the fabric over the top of the box and exchange boxes and Clue
Cards with another group.
• Groups will read the clues and will draw conclusions about the objects in the new
box.
• Then, one at a time, students reach into the box and feel the different objects without
looking at them.
• Students will draw conclusions about which thing in the box is Object #1, #2, etc.
• Groups will lift the fabric, examine the objects, and evaluate their conclusions. Which
were correct? Which were incorrect?
30
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Lesson 3
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Students will identify mystery objects and write clues to draw conclusions about
each object
“Rubric”
Expectations
Pts.
Received
1. The group will follow all directions in the correct
order.
Possible
Pts.
5
2. The group will make a Group List which correctly
identifies the objects in the box.
5
3. The group will generate three clues for each object.
5
5
4. The group will draw valid conclusions using another
team’s Clue Cards.
5. Students will show respect for the ideas of others.
6. Students will complete the work in a timely manner.
7. Students will share in responsibilities.
Total possible points: 25 = 100.
Total
2
2
1
25
Teacher note: Benchmark, Test 2, “Night Life” and “Life in the Mojave” will be given
following this lesson. Students will complete Test 2 independently. Those who score 80%
and above will complete the Enrichments, pages 37–41. Those who score less than 80%
will work with the teacher on the Reteach, pages 42–44.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
31
Test 2
Draw Conclusions
After reading the following selections, you will be asked a series of questions. These questions
will be based on the material in the selections.
Most people imagine deserts as wide stretches of sand. Mention life in the desert and people
immediately think of cactus. However, California’s Mojave Desert is home to many animals and
plants. Some are only slightly different from creatures in the city or the forest. But, some things
living in the Mojave could not survive in any other habitat.
“Night Life”
1
2
3
4
The moon creeps over the horizon
To hang in the sky like a jewel.
Nocturnal creatures begin stirring
For finally now it is cool.
5
6
7
8
Overhead flies a bat seeking insects,
While dodging a tiny elf owl.
The animals all hear the night song
That coyotes begin to howl.
9
10
11
12
Kangaroo rats munch on cactus
To get water they don’t have to drink.
A frog splashes the only puddle
So that into the mud he can sink.
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Scorpions hold high their stingers
Waiting for insects to eat.
The jackrabbit perks up his long ears
Which help him get rid of the heat.
17
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A pair of spotted skunks goes marching
Past a large family of quail.
A diamondback rattlesnake slithers—
He is hunting, and he will not fail.
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All of these creatures must scurry
To hide from the approaching sun,
For the animals’ night life is over
And a new morning now has begun.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
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Test 2
9
Draw Conclusions
Support your conclusion chosen in question #8 with information from the passage and the
poem.
10 Fill in the T-chart, listing features that allow plants and animals to live in the desert.
Animals
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Plants
• don’t drink water
•
•
• short growing cycle
•
•
• ears help get rid of heat
• creosote – pushes back down into the soil
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Enrichment #1
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Students will draw conclusions for three stories and write endings based on their
conclusions
“Drawing” Conclusions
Teacher note: In this Enrichment, students will draw conclusions
about the information they read according to what they know about
the subject. Students will see the many conclusions they can draw
from the same stories with this “Drawing” Conclusions activity.
This activity uses Level 5 of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Synthesis.
Group size: individual
Materials: story sheet, page 38; writing paper; crayons or markers;
glue; scissors
Before class: Make copies of the story sheet, page 38, for each student.
Directions:
• Distribute a copy of the story sheet, page 38, to each student.
• Explain to students that they will read three simple stories and then answer a few
questions. To demonstrate, use the first story and the first two questions as a model.
• Then, have the students discuss their answers to those questions to help them form
several conclusions about the story and record their conclusions on the sheets.
• Next, they repeat the same steps with the remaining two stories.
• Once students have completed the questions for all three stories, have them choose
one of the stories from which to write an ending based on their conclusions. Have
them cut the desired story box from their story sheet and glue it to the top of a sheet
of writing paper. Then, have each student write the ending to the story below the box
and draw an illustration.
• Once students have completed their papers, have volunteers read their conclusions
and story endings aloud for all to enjoy and appreciate the differences. Be sure to have
students point out the connections between what they knew about the subject and what
they concluded.
• For a more challenging activity, have students write endings for all three stories, then
share the stories with the class.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
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Reteach
Draw Conclusions
Objective: Students will draw conclusions about the meaning of idioms
“What On Earth Does That Mean?”
Teacher note: In this activity, students will read passages containing idioms and determine
the meaning of these often–used phrases. This activity uses Levels 4 and 5 of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, Analysis and Synthesis.
Group size: whole group, teacher directed; then students work in pairs independently
Materials: passages, pages 43–44
Before class: Make copies of passages, pages 43–44, for each pair.
Directions:
• Teacher reads Passage #1, which contains the phrase, “let the fox guard the hen
house.”
• Teacher and students discuss clues from the passage and prior knowledge which can
help determine the meaning of this phrase. (A robber wants to work in a bank; a fox
will try to steal and eat chickens; robbers usually steal money from banks; having a
robber guard the bank vault is not a good idea.)
• Teacher writes the meaning of the phrase on the line under the passage.
• Students work in pairs to determine the meaning of the other phrases used in Passages
#2–#5.
Passage #1
Richard wanted to work as a guard at the bank. He filled in every space on his
application and even wrote about the time he went to jail for stealing from a gas station.
But, when the manager saw that part of Richard’s application, he shook his head. “I might
as well let the fox guard the hen house,” he thought.
“let the fox guard the hen house” means –
Extension: Have students write a paragraph which shows the meaning of one of the
following phrases:
“ants in your pants” – unable to sit still, wiggling and squirming
“eating like a bird” – not eating very much
“his bark is worse than his bite” – he is not as mean as he sounds
Answer key:
“let the fox guard the hen house” – put someone in charge who cannot be trusted
“kill two birds with one stone” – get two things done at the same time
“bright–eyed and bushy–tailed” – awake and alert or more ready to concentrate
“if it were a snake, it would have bitten you” – it was right in front of you the whole time
“happy as a clam” – perfectly content, having everything I need
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Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
Final Test
Draw Conclusions
After reading the following selection, you will be asked a series of questions. These questions
will be based on the material in the selection.
“The Search For Longitude”
An Age-Old Problem
1
It was always easy to figure latitude, even at sea. First, sailors measured the
angle of the sun above the horizon at noon, when the sun was highest. They used
this angle and information from the ship’s charts to determine their latitude, the
distance north or south of the equator. Figuring longitude was more difficult. The
Earth rotates fifteen degrees every hour. A sailor needed to know what time it was
at home when it was noon on the ship. Then, the sailor determined how many
degrees the Earth had rotated since noon at home. This number was the measure
of longitude or distance east or west of home port.
2
The simple solution was to bring along a clock, set to the time at home. However,
300 years ago, no clock was accurate enough to keep time on a rocking boat. Sailors
could not determine longitude, and many ships were lost.
3
In 1713, the British Parliament held a longitude contest. They offered a reward
of 20,000 British pounds to the person who could build a seaworthy clock. (This is
equal to about 12 million dollars today.)
A Time-ly Solution
4
John Harrison was immediately interested. He was a carpenter from Hull in
northern England. John liked to figure out why things moved and worked the way
they did. He had designed and built many clocks of wood. His clocks kept time as
well as those made of metal.
5
John went to work on a clock that would keep time on a rocking boat. He used
seesaw balances and metal wires he called “worm springs.” In 1735, John took his
clock to the Longitude Board. It was an odd-looking clock, over two feet tall, but it
worked. This clock proved accurate on a journey to Portugal and became known
as “H1.” But, the members of the Longitude Board were upset with John’s solution.
How could a carpenter have solved the longitude problem instead of a scientist?
He had never even been to college! John received some of the money, but he did
not win the contest.
6
He refused to admit defeat, however. John returned home and began working
on another clock. The second clock, called “H2,” was never tested at sea. He built
a third, “H3,” that never saw a boat either. Finally, John had a new inspiration. A
friend made a pocket watch for him. John figured that he could build a pocket
watch that would keep accurate time at sea. He built a new clock, called “H4,” in
1760. This clock was only five inches across and weighed only three pounds. John’s
son, William, took the clock on a sea voyage. H4 only lost two minutes on the five
month journey.
Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc.©
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