Guiding Comprehension

Draw Conclusions • Inferential

Try to picture in your mind how Alexander tried to get his tooth to fall out. Use the illustration on p. 80 to help you. Describe what you see and how you think he felt.

Although descriptions will vary, students may include a description of how Alexander tries to use a string to make his tooth fall out. Students may add that this act was probably very painful.

Visualize • Inferential

Text to Self Try to picture in your mind how Alexander feels at the end of the story. Use the words and illustration on p. 81 to help you. Describe how you think he feels.

Although responses will vary, students may suggest that they visualize a somewhat unhappy and embarrassed boy surrounded by things he doesn't want.

Summarize When students finish reading the selection, provide this prompt: Imagine a friend has asked you what Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday is about. In four or five sentences, provide a summary of the story.

STRATEGY SELF-CHECK

Visualize

Have students take turns recalling
and describing specific images they visualized during reading. Then ask students to use the images they
identify to prepare a time line that
shows the sequence of events in
the selection. Use Practice
Book 3.1, p. 27.

SELF-CHECK

Students can ask these questions to assess their ability to understand the selection.

Did I accurately identify the sequence of events?
Did I picture in my mind the characters and events of the story?
How did the pictures I visualized help me keep track of the sequence of events?

then… use the Reteach lesson on
p. 85b.

If… students are having difficulty identifying the sequence of events and visualizing,

Sequence

Practice Book 3.1 p. 27

with | without Answers

"Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday"
by Judith Viorst

Student Edition
Unit 1, pp. 68–81

Realistic fiction is a made-up story that could really happen. Do you know anyone like Alexander?

I'm Alexander and for some reason, I just can't hold on to money. The only things in my pockets are a few bus tokens. My brothers, Anthony and Nick, are the opposite. They always seem to have more money than they need. It is totally unfair that they can hold on to their money as my money disappears without a trace.

On Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit. They gave each of us a dollar. Well, I was rich, not rich enough to pay for college, of course. But I did have one whole dollar, and I had a plan. I planned on saving it because I wanted to buy a walkie-talkie.

As you know, plans do not always work out. Dad and I went downtown and I bought some bubble gum. That cost me fifteen cents, or three nickels. The clerk gave me three quarters and a dime in change.

Later I bet my brothers that I could do some amazing tricks like jumping from the top of the stairs without falling. Wrong! I even bet my Mom that she couldn't guess which hand held a marble. She guessed right, and now I was out another fifteen cents. I was down to 70 cents. That's just seven dimes.

Well, my brothers thought this was a good time to tease me. I had a few choice words to say to them, but I should not have said them. Dad fined me for those words, and I was out another ten cents. That was just my first fine of the day.

All day long, money slipped through my fingers. It cost me more than ten cents to borrow a snake from my friend Eddie. Then I went to a garage sale. Who could resist a one-eyed stuffed animal or a deck of cards with only two cards missing?

That's when I knew I had to put the rest of that dollar away or I would have nothing left to save. Oops! It was too late. My dollar had vanished. I looked everywhere for more money but found none. I guess it is just how my life is supposed to be. I will be spending it with nothing but bus tokens in my pockets though once I was rich.

From Alexander, Who Use to Be Rich Last Sunday. Text copyright © 1978 by Judith Viorst. Reprinted with permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division. All rights reserved.



	Close
	Activate Prior Knowledge Ask students to reread p. 80. Have them describe methods they have used to try to earn money. PRACTICE LESSON VOCABULARY As a class, complete the following sentences orally. Possible responses are given. A college is a (place where people go after high school to study). Most people go downtown either to (shop or go to work). People who are fined must pay money because they have (broken a law or a rule). BUILD CONCEPT VOCABULARY Review previous concept words with students. Ask if students have met any words today in their reading or elsewhere that they would like to add to the Concept Web.

"Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday" by Judith Viorst

"Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday"
by Judith Viorst