Scott Foresman Reading Street

	Build vocabulary by finding words related to the lesson concept.
	Listen for author's purpose.

bragged boasted

humiliated lowered someone's pride, dignity, or self-respect

vain having too much pride in your looks, ability, or achievements

then… review the lesson concept. Place
the words on the
web and provide
additional words
for practice,
such as bushy
and jealous.

If… students are unable to place words on the web,

Check Vocabulary

Grouping Options

Reading

Whole Group

Introduce and discuss the
Question of the Week. Then
use pp. 224l–226b.

Group Time

Differentiated Instruction

this week’s Leveled
Readers. See pp. 224f–224g
for the small group lesson
plan.

Whole Group
Use p. 249a.

Language Arts
Use pp. 249e–249h and
249k–249m.

Set Purpose

Read the title and have students predict what the selection will be about. Have them listen for author's purpose.

Creative Response

Divide the class into several small groups. Have each group write a short play script for the story. If time permits, have them act out their plays in front of the class. Drama

Activate Prior Knowledge Before students listen to the Read Aloud, explain that many early Native American tribes told stories to explain events in nature they did not understand. Point out that these stories often used animals as characters and that each animal character was a general example of all animals of that kind. Tell students that possums are small, light-haired animals with long faces and long, skinny tails that play dead when they are surprised or frightened.

Access Content Before reading, explain that they are going to hear a Native American tale that explains why possums have bare, skinny tales.

Homework Send home this week's Family Times newsletter.

Build Concepts

FLUENCY

MODEL APPROPRIATE PHRASING As you read "Why Possum's Tail Is Bare," be

sure to pause at appropriate places and to group words appropriately. For example,
in the first paragraph, be sure to pause slightly before the start of the words in the
parentheses, and read the words in the parentheses as one phrase.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

After reading "Why Possum's Tale Is Bare," use the following questions to assess
listening comprehension.

Why do you think the author wrote this story? (Possible response: To entertain;
to teach a lesson) Author's Purpose
What lesson was the author trying to teach?
(Possible response: Don't be too vain or proud of your appearance.) Author's Purpose

BUILD CONCEPT VOCABULARY

Start a web to build concepts and vocabulary related to this week's lesson and the unit theme.

Draw a Personal Responsibility Concept Web.
Read the sentence with the word vain again. Ask students to pronounce vain and
discuss its meaning.
Place vain in an oval attached to Traits. Explain that vain is related to this concept.
Read the sentences in which bragged and humiliated appear. Have students
pronounce the words, place them on the web, and provide reasons.
Brainstorm additional words and categories for the web. Keep the web on display and add words throughout the week.

Long ago in the beginning days of the world, Possum didn't look the way he does now. Creator gave Possum a beautiful, bushy, furry tail, and Possum was

vain about this tail. He bragged about it all the time and sang about it at every dance, until Rabbit (who didn't have much of a tail left since Bear had pulled his off ) became jealous and decided to play a trick on Possum.

Rabbit went to the other animals and said, "Let's have an honor dance for Possum's tail." But all the other animals said, "We are tired of hearing Possum sing about his tail."

"If we have an honor dance for Possum," said Rabbit, "and we let him sing about his tail all night, perhaps he will not talk about it so much from now on." Well, the other animals said they had never thought about it quite like that, and maybe Rabbit was right. And so they agreed to have an honor dance for Possum's tail.

Rabbit traveled to Possum's house and gave him the news. "You mean I can sit where everyone can see me?" said Possum.

"Oh, yes," said Rabbit. "You will have a special seat of honor right next to the council fire."

"Do you mean I can sing and dance and talk about my tail all night?" asked Possum.

"Oh, yes," said Rabbit. "That's what the dance is for, to honor your beautiful tail!"

Well, of course this pleased Possum very much, and he said that he would come. Rabbit said, "I will send Cricket to you on the day of the dance to comb and brush the fur on your tail so it will look its best." Possum liked this idea as well.

So Rabbit went to Cricket, who is such an expert haircutter that the Cherokee word for him means "the barber." Rabbit told him exactly how to fix the hair on Possum's tail.

On the day of the dance, Cricket went to Possum's house. Possum stretched out and closed his eyes and Cricket began to comb and brush the fur on Possum's tail, until it was its silkiest and shiniest. "Possum," said Cricket, "I'm going to wind a red string around the fur of your tail, very very tight, all the way to the tip. It will keep the hair smooth until it is time for you to dance. Remember, Possum, don't take the string off until just before you dance!"

That night, when the sun went down, the drums began to play and the singers to call. Everyone gathered at the council house. Possum sat in a special seat of honor, right next to the council fire, where the light was brightest.

continued on TR1

by Gayle Ross