Night Letters
On-Level Reader
The First Year
Unit 3 Week 3
DRAW CONCLUSIONS ASK QUESTIONS
LESSON VOCABULARY blade, budding,
dew, fireflies, flutter, hawkmoth, notepad,
patch
SUMMARY This story explores a year in the life of early Virginia settlers who
use their knowledge of nature to help them survive.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Ask students if they have ever gone camping or if
there was ever a time, such as during a storm, when the electricity or water
didn’t work in their homes. Discuss how they and their family had to improvise solutions.
PREVIEW/USE ILLUSTRATIONS Ask students to look over the illustrations
in the book and discuss what information the illustrations give about the story. Pay attention to details such as dress and the expressions on people’s faces.
Ask students to skim the story and write down unfamiliar words. Suggest they look the words up in the dictionary and write the meanings in
their notebook.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Play Vocabulary Master with students. Give students three definitions for each word. Have them select the correct
definition and use the word in a sentence. Make the game fun by inventing
one definition that is fantastical or silly.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
DRAW CONCLUSIONS Remind students that
drawing conclusions means making a decision that makes sense after thinking about facts and
details. Give students a few sentences about a topic related to this selection
and have them draw conclusions about it.
ASK QUESTIONS Remind students that
asking questions is a way to
further understand a topic. Ask students what questions they have about
what the story might be about. Suggest they write one or two questions
before reading. After reading, they can verify whether the story answered
these questions.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 7 If the garden is blooming with every color, what conclusion can you draw about what was planted? (Possible response: Lots of seeds for colorful
flowers were planted.)
PAGE 9 What conclusion can you draw about how the Native Americans felt
about the family? (Possible response: They liked them because they helped
them plant.)
PAGE 9 What questions would you ask the Native Americans if you were a
member of this family? (Possible response: I would ask if their children go to
school.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
- Responses will vary.
- Possible response: What kinds of games did you play? What was your
journey to America like?
- note and pad; responses will vary.
- Possible response: I would feel excited because I’d get to see new
things.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Ask students to imagine they are Sarah or Jacob and have them
write a page in their diaries describing one day living in this new land.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL STUDIES Ask students to research what life must have been like for this family in England. Then have them make a graphic organizer and compare and contrast that life with life in America.
L.R. TOC
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