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Log Cabins
Audio CD AudioText
Monitor Progress
Word and
Selection Reading
If… students have difficulty reading multisyllabic words in the selection,
then… have them look for and read meaningful parts in the words or have them chunk words with no recognizable parts.
If… students have difficulty reading along with the group,
then… have them follow along as they listen to the AudioText.
DAY 4
ROUTINE
William’s House
Group Time
 
Strategic Intervention
1
2
Practice Retelling
REVIEW STORY ELEMENTS Help students identify the main characters and the setting of William’s House. Then guide them in using the Retelling Cards to list story events in sequence. Prompt students to include important details.
Retelling CardsRETELL Using the Retelling Cards, have students work in pairs to retell William's House. Monitor retelling and prompt students as needed. For example, ask:
  • Where and when does this story take place?
  • What else happened in this story?
  • Why do you think the author wrote this story?
If students struggle, model a fluent retelling.
Read “Log Cabins”
BEFORE READING Read the genre information on p. 268. Recall the Leveled Reader Colonial New England. Reread a page or two to refresh students’ memories. Point out that this selection is expository nonfiction. What does this book explain? (how people in colonial New England built homes and lived) As we read “Log Cabins,” think about what it explains.
Read the rest of the panel on p. 268. Have students scan the article for the photographs, captions, and illustrated time line. Discuss how
those features might be helpful as they read.
DURING READING Have students read along with you while
tracking the print or do a choral reading of the selection. Stop
to discuss difficult vocabulary, such as manure, augur, and creativity.
AFTER READING Have students share their reactions to the selection. Then guide them through the Reading Across Texts and Writing Across Texts activities, prompting if necessary.
  • What did William’s house look like after he was through changing it?
  • How would you describe the log cabin pictured on p. 268?
  • Which house seems like it would be more comfortable to live in?
ROUTINE
DAY 4
1
2
Advanced
Read “Log Cabins”
CRITICAL THINKING/CREATIVE THINKING Have students read
pp. 268–271 independently. Encourage them to think critically and creatively. For example, ask:
  • How would your life change if you lived in the log cabin pictured on p. 268 and 269?
  • What would be some advantages and disadvantages of the different types of floors?
  • How does the log cabin show the cleverness of American settlers?
AFTER READING Have students meet with you to discuss Reading Across Texts. Have students do Writing Across Texts independently.
Extend Genre Study
RESEARCH Have students use Web sites and print resources (magazines, books, and textbooks) to locate expository nonfiction about other kinds of early houses, such as Southwest adobe homes and various kinds of Native American housing. Have students note the Web site URLs and print titles and list the types of housing they learned about.
WRITE Have students select one kind of early housing they found during their research and use that source to gather detailed information. Tell them to write a piece of expository nonfiction that describes the house and how it was built. Encourage students to include drawings or photographs as well as graphics such as time lines or maps, if appropriate.