Unit 4: Puzzles and Mysteries

Picture
Unit Question:
Is there an explanation for everything?

Houdini Box
By: Brian Selznick  (Historical Fiction)

Question of the Week:
Can you always believe what you see?

Skills and Strategies

Word Analysis:   Suffixes -ian, -ist, -ism

Vocabulary Skills:  Use synonyms and antonyms to determine meaning

Conventions:  Define and identify singular and plural pronouns

Comprehension Skill:  Compare and Contrast

Comprehension Strategy:  Predict 

Related Links:
Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonym Sam 
Pronouns
More Pronouns
Contrasting Characters
Making Predictions

Vocabulary

  1. appeared
  2. bustling
  3. crumbled
  4. escape
  5. magician
  6. monument
  7. vanished

Spelling

List and activities available on SpellingCity.com

Creative Writing

    
Title: Archie Smith, Boy Wonder
Sentence: A tiny voice asked, "Is he the one?"
Title: The Third Floor Bedroom
Sentence: It all began when someone left the window open.
Title:  Mr. Linden's Library
Sentence: He had warned her about the book, but now it was too late.

Ecantado:
Pink Dolphin of the Amazon
By: Sy Montgomery         (Expository Non-Fiction)

Question of the Week:
Why do animals behave the way that they do?

Skills and Strategies

Word Analysis:  Latin roots

Vocabulary Skills:  Multiple meaning words

Conventions:  Subject and Object Pronouns

Comprehension Skill:  Categorize and Classify

Comprehension Strategy:  Visualize

Related Links:
PBS Video about Pink Dolphins
Multiple Meaning Words
Homographs
Pronoun Clubhouse
Balloon Pronoun Game
Pronoun Poppers
Categorize and Classify
Latin Root Matching

Vocabulary

  1. aquarium
  2. dolphins
  3. enchanted
  4. flexible
  5. pulses
  6. surface

Spelling

List and activities available on SpellingCity.com

Navajo Code Talkers
By:     (non-fiction)

Question of the Week:
Why are secret codes necesarry?

Skills and Strategies

Word Analysis:  Understand related words

Vocabulary Skills:  Context Clues

Conventions:  Pronouns and Antecedents

Comprehension Skill:  Sequence

Comprehension Strategy:  Summarize

Related Links:
Pronouns and Antecedent Jeopardy
Context Clues Quia
Sequence Quia
Summarize Quia

Vocabulary

  1. advance
  2. developed
  3. exhausting
  4. headquarters
  5. impossible
  6. intense
  7. messages
  8. reveal

Spelling

Spelling List and games available on SpellingCity.com!

Seeker of Knowledge
By:            (   )

Question of the Week:

Skills and Strategies

Word Analysis:   Latin Prefixes trans- and tele-

Vocabulary Skills:   Use Greek and Latin roots to determine word meanings

Conventions:   Define and identify possessive pronouns.

Comprehension Skill:   Sequence

Comprehension Strategy:   Summarize
from mrsrenz.net

Reading Strategy:  Summarize
A summary always tells the most important information and is told in your own words.  Answer these questions to help you summarize what the selection was about.  Then try to retell a shortened version of the story in your own words.

1. Who is the main character?

2.  Where does the story take place?

3. What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of the story?

4. What is the problem and how is it resolved?

Related Links:
Possessive Pronouns Game
Possessive Pronouns
Balloon Pronouns
Prefix Quia
Greek to Me Game
Greek and Latin Roots Game
ASL words

Vocabulary

1. ancient
2. link
3. scholars
4. seeker
5. temple
6. translate
7. triumph
8. uncover

Spelling

Spelling List and games available on SpellingCity.com.

Encyclopedia Brown
By:    (  )

Question of the Week :
How can attention to detail help solve the problem?

Summary: A salamander has been stolen from the 
Den of Darkness in the town aquarium. 
Encyclopedia Brown, the police chief’s 
son, solves the mystery that has his dad 
stumped.

Skills and Strategies

Word Analysis: Greek prefixes amphi-, anti-

Vocabulary Skills: Synonyms and Antonyms

Comprehension Skill: Plot/Theme

Comprehension Strategy: Prior Knowledge

Related Links:
FunBrain Plot game
Brain Pop Plot Games
Elements of a Story 
Synonyms and Antonyms
More Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective Antonyms
Greek To Me 

Vocabulary

  1. amphibians
  2. crime
  3. exhibit
  4. lizards
  5. reference
  6. reptiles
  7. salamanders
  8. stumped

Spelling

Spelling list, review tools and games available on SpellingCity.com