Guiding Comprehension

Main Idea and

Details • Inferential

Reread pp. 232–233. What are they about?

Hare has a problem. He decides to solve his problem by working with Bear.

then… use the skill and strategy instruction on
p. 233.

If… students have difficulty identifying the main idea,

Main Idea and Details

Realism and Fantasy

• Inferential

In what ways is Tops and Bottoms a fantasy?

The characters in the story are animals, and they talk and act like people.

Personification • Inferential

In what ways are the characters in the story like people? Give examples.

Possible response: They talk and behave like people do. For example, Mrs. Hare is worried about food for her family, just like a human mother would be in a similar situation. Hare and Bear agree to work together.

SKILLS

STRATEGIES IN CONTEXT

Main Idea and Details

TEACH

Remind students that when we
read a story, we try to
understand what it is about.
We use details from the story
to help us and to support our
ideas.
Model thinking what the story
is about and using details to
support your ideas.

MODEL I read that Hare is in trouble and comes up with a plan to get out of trouble. One detail that supports this idea is when Hare goes over to Bear and tells him they can work together.

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

Have students find another
detail that tells what the story
is about.
To assess, use Practice Book
3.1, p. 86.

Practice Book 3.1 p. 86

with | without Answers

"Tops & Bottoms"
by Janet Stevens

Student Edition
Unit 2, pp. 228–245

An animal fantasy is a story with animal characters that behave like people. Look for ways that Bear and Hare act like people.

Bear and Hare were neighbors, but their lives were very different. Bear had great wealth and lots of land, but he was lazy and did not plant his fields. Hare was just the opposite. He had no land and was poor. The only things Hare had a lot of were family and energy.
One day Hare had a clever idea. He went to Bear and offered to be business partners. If Bear agreed, Hare would plant Bear's fields, do all the work, and give Bear half the crop. Bear could continue sleeping while Hare worked. This sounded like a truly great idea to Bear, so he agreed.
Hare asked Bear if he wanted the top or bottom of the crops. Bear asked for the tops. Then he went to sleep. Hare and his family got right to work. They planted seeds and made sure the growing plants had water.
When it was time for the harvest, they woke up Bear. "You get the tops and I get the bottoms," Hare said. So he and his family pulled up all the ripe carrots, beets, and radishes. They kept the vegetables and gave Bear the leaves that were on top.
Bear became angry. He said that Hare had cheated him. "Next time I will take the bottoms," he said.
Hare agreed, and he and his family got right to work. They planted seeds and made sure the growing plants had water. Again Bear slept while the crops grew. When it was time for the harvest, Hare went to Bear to wake him up. "You get the bottoms and I get the tops," Hare reminded him. So Hare and his family picked the ripe crops of broccoli, lettuce, and celery. They took the vegetables and gave Bear the roots on the bottom.
Again Bear became very angry and said that Hare had cheated him. "Next time I will take both the tops and the bottoms," he growled.
Hare agreed, and he and his family got right to work. They planted seeds and made sure the growing plants had water. This time Bear was half-awake when it was time for the harvest. Hare and his family were already busily picking the ripe crops of corn. "You get the tops and the bottoms of the cornstalks," Hare said. "We keep the ears of corn, because they are in the middle."
Now Bear was very, very angry. He said that Hare would never cheat him again. But Hare had another clever idea. The Hare family had earned money from the crops they had sold. They would be happy to buy some of Bear's fields.
Bear thought about their offer. He agreed to sell some of his fields.
Now Hare and his family grow crops on their own land, and Bear grows crops on his own land.
Bear learned not to sleep again through a season of planting and harvesting. And though they get along as neighbors, Bear learned another valuable lesson. He would never be partners with Hare again!



	Close
	Understand Idioms Point out the idiom to cook up a plan on p. 232. Explain that to cook up means to invent, or think up. Have students think of a time when they cooked up a plan or an idea and share it with the group. To assess, check that students are using the word correctly. Personal Responsibility How many times have you said or heard someone else say, "Hey! That isn't fair!" Maybe someone cut in front of you in line, or your older brother or sister got to stay up later than you one night, to see a movie that you couldn't see, and you protested—loudly! Have you ever stopped to think about what fair is? More importantly, have you ever stopped to think what you can do to be fair towards others? Generally, when we protest that something is unfair, we are upset because someone did something that goes against the rules, whether those be the rules of the house, the rules of the playground, or the rules of society. What are some simple things you can do that show others you can be fair? Give others a turn, be polite, say excuse me, don't cheat, be honest, and apologize when you realize you have been wrong.

"Tops & Bottoms"by Janet Stevens

"Tops & Bottoms"
by Janet Stevens