Guiding Comprehension

Sequence • Literal

When did Bear choose tops or bottoms—before or after Hare planted the crops and dug them up?

Before.

Generalize • Inferential

Look through the story and identify some of the character traits of either Bear or Hare. What generalizations can we make about bears or hares based on the characters' traits?

Possible response: Bear: lazy, bossy; Hare: hard-working, clever. Bears sleep a lot; hares are smart animals.

Predict • Inferential

What do you think will happen the second time Hare plants the garden?

Possible response: He will trick Bear again.

Comparing Stories

Explain to students that there are some fantasy stories, tales, and fables that are different versions of the same story from other cultures. The story from another culture may have the same or different characters, setting, or moral. Have students compare and contrast Tops & Bottoms with the same story from another culture.

STRATEGY SELF-CHECK

Predict

Explain to students that when we make a prediction, we are looking at the facts and details and telling what we think will happen in the future. If we can make a prediction about what we are reading and we are correct, then we have understood what we are reading.

Sometimes the facts and details let us make predictions about why the author wrote a selection.

Have students look through the story at the facts and details and tell what they think the author's purpose for writing this story was. Have them make a prediction about what lesson, if any, the author wants to teach with this story.

SELF-CHECK

Students can ask these questions to assess their ability to use the skill and strategy.

Do the facts and details in the story support my prediction?
Do the facts and details tell me why the author wrote this story?

then…
revisit the skill lesson on
p. 224–225. Reteach as necessary.

If… students have difficulty identifying author's purpose,

Author's Purpose

Answer Questions Look at the questions you asked on p. 228 before you started reading the story. Answer the questions you can here. Continue reading to answer any remaining questions. If you have answered all your questions, write one or two more and look for the answers as you finish the story.

If you want to teach this selection in two sessions, stop here.

"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
	Access Content Students may not know what radishes and beets are. Explain that radishes are small, round, red vegetables with a slightly spicy taste. Beets are large, round, purple vegetables with a slightly sweet taste. Ask them what carrots, radishes, and beets have in common (they are root vegetables; they grow underground). Discuss how Hare tricks Bear (He plants vegetables that grow underground so that he gets the better part of the vegetable.) PRACTICE LESSON VOCABULARY Have students provide oral responses to each question. *Does someone who is lazy* like to work a lot or sleep a lot?** (Sleep a lot) *What are partners?* (People who work together and share the work and the rewards) *If someone has wealth,* does he or she have a lot of money or little money?** (A lot of money) 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.

"Tops & Bottoms"by Janet Stevens

"Tops & Bottoms"
by Janet Stevens