Scott Foresman Reading Street

Vocabulary Strategy

Use context clues to determine the meaning
of words that are homonyms.

INTRODUCE

Discuss the strategy of context clues using the steps on p. 14.

TEACH

Have students read "Gold Rush," paying attention to how vocabulary is used.
Model using context clues to determine the meaning of skillet.

MODEL The word skillet is said to be "for cooking." Therefore, a skillet must be a tool used for cooking.

Whole Group Discuss the Question of the Day. Then use pp. 14–17.

Group Time
Differentiated Instruction

Boom Town. See
pp. 12f–12g for the small group lesson plan.

Reading

Language Arts
Use pp. 41e–41h, 41k–41m.

Whole Group Use pp. 41a,
41i.

Grouping Options

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students determine the meanings of the remaining words and explain the context clues they used.
Point out that context does not work with every word. Students may have to use the glossary or a dictionary to find the exact meaning of some words.
If you began a Story Prediction from Vocabulary chart (p. 14b), have students reassess their assessment of what the story would be about based on the vocabulary words.
Have students complete Practice Book 3.1, p. 5.

WRITE Have students suggest what

life was probably like in the wilds of California in 1848. Invite them to identify vocabulary words that indicate some of the hardships of life then. Then have students write their opinions, using as many vocabulary words as possible.

then… use Tested Vocabulary Cards.

If… students need more practice with the selection vocabulary,

Context Clues

Practice Book 3.1 p. 5

with | without Answers

Vocabulary Strategy for Homonyms

Try the strategy.
Then, if you need
more help, use
your glossary or
a dictionary.

mending

laundry

business

coins

spell

skillet

fetched

pick

boom

After a short spell of digging
for gold and not finding it, many
miners turned to business. They
found they could make more money doing laundry or mending clothes. The California gold rush just wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

was worth a stack of coins.
Miners needed picks and
skillets, and these things were
hard to find.

But not many people made money by digging for gold.
The people who made money
were those who sold things to the miners. Tools such as a
pick and an ax fetched a good
price. A skillet for cooking

In 1848, gold was
discovered in California.
Thousands of people from all
over the world rushed there
to look for gold. Many towns
became boom towns. They
grew and grew as more and
more people arrived.

Would you have gone off to California to look
for gold in 1848? Why or why not? Write your answer. Use words from the Words to Know list.

Context Clues Sometimes when you are reading, you may see a word you know, but
the meaning you know doesn't make sense
in the sentence. How can that be? The word
might be a homonym. Homonyms are words
that are pronounced and spelled the same
but have different meanings. For example,
bat means "a stick used to hit a ball." Bat
also means "a flying animal."

If a word you know doesn't make sense in
the sentence, it might be a homonym.

Look at the words around it. Can you figure out another meaning?

Try the new meaning in the sentence. Does
it make sense?

As you read “Gold Rush,“ look for words that are homonyms. Remember to try to figure out another meaning for words that might be homonyms. See which makes sense in the sentence.



	Close
	Access Content Use ELL Poster 1 to preteach vocabulary. Choose from the following to meet language proficiency levels. Beginning Point out clues in the second paragraph on p. 15 that show that a pick is a mining tool. Intermediate After reading, students can create charts to show words that describe life around the frontier gold fields. Advanced Teach the lesson on pp. 14–15. Students can report on the names of different objects mentioned in the story in their home languages. Resources for home-language words may include parents, bilingual staff members, bilingual dictionaries, or online translation sources. Context Clues Have students work in pairs to follow the steps on p. 14. Encourage them to list context clues for an unknown word and then decide together the best meaning for it. Invite students to then use the word aloud in a sentence.