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The Gardener
On-Level Reader
Tulips for
Annie’s Mother
Tulips for Annie's Mother
Unit 3 Week 1
Target Skill CAUSE AND EFFECT
Target Skill TEXT STRUCTURE
LESSON VOCABULARY beauty, blooming,
bulbs, doze, humor, recognizing, showers,
sprouting
SUMMARY This story shows how a family—and a country—struggled during
the Great Depression.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Discuss with students what they know about the
Great Depression.
PREVIEW/USE ILLUSTRATIONS Invite students to look at the illustrations.
Ask what the drawing on page 7 tells them about the adult character.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Review vocabulary. Then give students
sentence pairs where one sentence uses the vocabulary word correctly and
one does not. Have students mark the sentences correct or incorrect.
ELLAfter reviewing vocabulary words with the class, give students
multiple definitions for each word and have them select the correct one.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
Target Skill CAUSE AND EFFECT Remind students that cause is why something
happened and effect is what happened. Point out that one cause may have
many effects and one effect can be produced by several causes. Some but
not all sentences will have helpful clue words such as so and because. Give students an event such as “I carried an umbrella,” and ask them to supply the cause. Then give them an event like “It rained at the picnic,” and ask them to supply the effect. Suggest students use a graphic organizer as they read to
pick out the causes and effects in the story.
Target Skill TEXT STRUCTURE Remind students that text structure is the way a
story is organized, and that fiction usually relies on the sequence of events.
Go over a story students have already read, making a flow chart of the events. Suggest students do this as they read the text.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 4 Why did Annie remember a past event? (to remind her that things were
not always bad)
PAGE 5 What did Annie’s father say was the cause of the Great Depression?
(Stocks were worth nothing and banks were out of money, so companies went
out of business, and people lost jobs.)
PAGE 9 In what way was Annie’s family lucky? (They had corn, potatoes, and milk to sell and eat.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
  1. Possible responses: Cause: Annie's father knew how to fix cars.
    Effect: Annie's father got a new job. Cause: Annie's father got a job.
    Effect: He gave the children presents.
  2. Possible responses: It takes place over a few days. Clue words: the next
    morning
  3. Sentences will vary.
  4. Possible response: They traded goods. They had each other over for
    supper.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Ask students to imagine they are Annie’s mother. Have them write a
diary page after Annie’s father comes home with a new job.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
Time for SOCIAL STUDIES
SOCIAL STUDIES/MUSIC Hand out lyrics and play the famous Depression song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Discuss with students how this song might have helped people through tough times.
 
   
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Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect
Vocabulary
Vocabulary