November/December 2009

STORYWORKS ACTIVITIES
Reading and writing skills practice for each
Storyworks article, play, and poem
Vocab U Larry

 

We have created 27 brand-new standards-based reproducibles and comprehension quizzes for you to use with the November/December issue, plus a LIBRARY of reading comprehension/essay writing templates, graphic organizers, and skills activities to be used with any issue!

Brand New: The Storyworks Writing Center!
Click here for activities and resources for you and your students.

•Important Answer Key Information
Answers to all online reproducibles and quizzes are on our secret Web site. The URL to this Web site can be found on page T1 of the print version of your Teacher’s Edition.

•This Month's Teacher's Edition
Misplace your Teacher’s Edition? Don’t worry! You can now download it directly from our Web site by clicking here. Note: This online version does NOT include the answer key. The answer key is on page T7 of the print version of your Teacher’s Edition, and also on the Answer Key Web site.

•Jumbo Vocabulary Activity For This Issue
Help your students master key vocabulary taken from this issue of Storyworks. Click here.

•Additional Vocabulary Activity Using Vocab U. Larry's Words!
More fun with Vocab U. Larry's words on page 2 of this issue. Click here.

•Special From Scholastic: HINI fact-sheet for your students.
Click here.

Most of the following resources are in PDF format. To view and print them, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader Software. Click here to download it for free.

 

Nonfiction
Deadly Bites:
A True Science Horror Story
By Lauren Tarshis

When a 10-year-old boy becomes gravely ill, doctors race to save him, and to uncover a medical mystery that will shock America.
Lexile Level: 920L

(To access the TE lesson for this article, click here!)

  • Nonfiction Reading & Thinking Elements
    A three-page self-guided reading activity for a variety of reading skills and stategies
  • Comprehension Quiz
    Test-prep and critical thinking questions
  • Read. Think. Explain.
    Critical thinking questions
    (Note: These are also listed in our Teacher’s Edition and can be used for discussion.)
  • Vocabulary
    An activity based on words from this article
  • Summarizing/Differentiating Details
    Students learn to differentiate between important events in the article and the supporting details.
  • Science Detective's Notebook
    Students practice their best sleuthing skills in this activity! A science detective's notebook full of critical-thinking questions, space for note-taking, and more!

    VIDEO!
  • www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?em
    This  gripping New York Times article and accompanying video on food poisoning tells the story of a 22-year-old girl infected with a rare food-borne illness caused by traces of E. coli found in her hamburger. NOTE: This is a great and informative video, but the content is intense and there is  some strong language at the end of the video. We suggest that you screen it first before showing it your students.


Fiction
My Homework Ate My Homework
By Patrick Jennings

A hilarious story that will get your students thinking about personal responsibility at home and at school.
Lexile Level: 780L

(To access the TE lesson for this story, click here!)



Yesterday & Today
Volcanoes: Krakatoa & Mount St. Helens

A thrilling compare-and-contrast article about two of the world's mightiest volcanic eruptions.
Lexile Level: 890L

 

Play
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
By Washington Irving

More than 200 years after it was written, this classic tale is still the creepiest story we've ever heard. Your students will be on the edge of their seats.
Great for genre studies.
Lexile Level: 590L

(To access the TE lesson for this play, click here!)




Charming Poetry
by J. Patrick Lewis


(To access the TE lesson for this poem, click here!)

  • Comprehension Quiz
    Test-prep and critical thinking questions
  • Read. Think. Explain.
    Critical thinking questions
    (Note: These are also listed in our Teacher’s Edition and can be used for discussion.)
  • Rhyming
    Rhymes are sublime! Students practice using rhymes in their poetry, alone and with a partner!
  • Understanding Literary Devices (Metaphors)
    Metaphors are the golden parachutes of language. Students practice using metaphors when writing their own poems.


. . . and Langston Hughes!



(To access the TE lesson for this poem, click here!)

  • Comprehension Quiz
    Test-prep and critical thinking questions
  • Read. Think. Explain.
    Critical thinking questions
    (Note: These are also listed in our Teacher’s Edition and can be used for discussion.)
  • Understanding Mood
    A beautiful poem, full of feeling and mood . . . This activity helps students get inside the poem's beauty by focusing on its mood.
Word Nerd

To Download all activities, click here

To download all quizzes, click here

Skills and Graphic-Organizer Library
Use these basic skills activities for just about any Storyworks feature