Go to page
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.
dear stars
DAY 4
ROUTINE
Night Letters
Group Time
Strategic Intervention
1
2
Practice Retelling
REVIEW STORY ELEMENTS Help students identify the main
character and setting of Night Letters. 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 Night Letters. Monitor retelling and prompt students as needed. For example, ask:
  • When and where does this story take place?
  • What is Lily like?
  • Why do you think the author wrote this story?
If students struggle, model a fluent retelling.
Read “dear stars”
BEFORE READING Read the first two bulleted points of genre
information on p. 352. Explain that poetry often appeals to our five
senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. As we read
“dear stars,” think about what it makes you see, hear, and feel.
Read the final bulleted point of genre information on p. 352. Have
students note the grouping of lines into verses and the lack of
punctuation in the poem.
Read the rest of the panel on p. 352.
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 hammock.
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 the creatures and plants in Night Letters say to Lily?
  • How do you think Lily would react to seeing stars twinkling
    at night?
ROUTINE
DAY 4
1
2
Advanced
Read “dear stars”
CRITICAL THINKING Have students read pp. 352–353 independently. Encourage them to think critically. For example, ask:
  • How do the stars make the speaker in the poem feel?
  • Why does the speaker write to the stars instead of about them?
AFTER READING Have students meet with you to discuss “dear stars” and Reading Across Texts. Have students do Writing Across Texts independently.
Extend Genre Study
RESEARCH Have students look online or in print materials for poems about stars or other things in nature. Have them list the subjects of the poems they find. If they find another poem about stars, ask them to read it and compare it to “dear stars.”
WRITE Have students write a poem to something they like in nature, such as the sun, a tree or flower, an animal, or the ocean. Tell them to divide their poems into verses, as in “dear stars.” They may choose to use punctuation or not, depending on how they think it will affect the meaning of their poem. Remind them to directly address the thing they are writing to.