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BEFORE READING
Tech Files ONLINE
Students can find out more about
totem poles and story poles by
searching the Internet. Have them
use a student-friendly search engine
and the keywords totem poles, story
poles, Snohomish Indians, and Native
Americans of the Pacific Northwest.
ELL
Build Background Use ELL Poster
12 to build background and vocabulary
for the lesson concept of how people
explain nature in order to understand it.
ELL Poster 12
ELL Poster 12
Lesson Vocabulary
WORDS TO KNOW
Tested Word antlers bony, branching
growths on the head of a male
deer, elk, or moose
Tested Word imagined made a picture or
idea of something in your mind
Tested Word languages human speech,
spoken or written
Tested Word narrator the person who tells a
story
Tested Word overhead over the head; on
high; above
Tested Word poked pushed with force
against someone or something
MORE WORDS TO KNOW
bumped hit yourself against
something hard
randomly in no particular order
Tested Word = Tested Word
Practice Book
Practice Book 3.1 p. 114
with | without Answers
Build Background
ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
BEGIN A KWL CHART about Native American culture and Native American
folk tales that students know.
  • Provide the opportunity for students to write as many things as they can
    think of about Native Americans and Native American folk tales. Allow about
    two to three minutes for writing. Also, remind students of the selection “An
    Up-and-Down Story” that they just read. Record what they know in the first
    column of the chart.
  • Then ask students what they want to know about Native American culture
    and folk tales. Write their questions in the second column of the chart.
  • As students read the play, tell them to look for answers to their questions
    that can be added to the chart.
Graphic Organizer 3
BACKGROUND BUILDING AUDIO This week’s audio presents an interview
with a carver of totem poles. After students listen, discuss what they
learned and have them share what they thought was the most
surprising information.
Audio CD Background Building Audio
Introduce Vocabulary
DISCUSS THE VOCABULARY
Share lesson vocabulary with students. Have students locate each word in
their glossaries and note each word’s pronunciation and meaning. Ask these
questions to help clarify word meanings.
Can deer feel with their antlers?
What did you imagine the result would be?
How many languages does she speak?
Who tells the narrator what to say?
What kind of bird is that overhead?
Who poked the hole in the screen door?
Have students use these steps for reading multisyllabic words. (See the Multisyllabic
Word Routine on p. DI•1.)
1 Look for Meaningful Word Parts (base words, endings, prefixes, suffixes, roots)
Think about the meaning of each part. Use the parts to read the word. Model: I see
-head at the end of overhead. I know what my head is, and over can mean "above."
Overhead means "above the head" or "high."
2 Chunk Words with No Recognizable Parts Say each chunk slowly. Then say the
chunks fast to make a word. Model: ant, lers—antlers.
Point out that some of this week's words apply specifically to plays. Ask students
what other words they know that might apply to plays.
Activate Prior Knowledge
Continue this activity by having students write their own questions using the
vocabulary.