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DURING READING
Reader
Response
Open for Discussion Personal Response
Think Aloud MODEL At Sanu's house, I learn how to make a traditional meal and eat with Sanu's entire family.
Comprehension Check Critical Response
  1. Responses should include the children's pictures with labels written by each child and information about each family's background. Author's Purpose
  2. Responses will vary but should include information that can be proved through observation, research, measurement, or interview.
    Target Skill Fact and Opinion
  3. Possible response: It helped me that some sentences began In America…. and then In Taiwan…. and so on. This helped me focus on how the countries were different.
    Target Skill Text Structure
  4. Explanations will vary but should show an understanding of the words on the Words to Know list and from the story.
    Target Skill Vocabulary
TEST PRACTICE Look Back and Write
For test practice, assign
a 10–15 minute time limit.
For assessment, see the
Scoring Rubric at the right.
Retell
Have students retell How My Family Lives in America.
SUCCESS PREDICTOR
Monitor Progress
then… use
the Retelling Cards and the
Scoring Rubric
for Retelling on
p. 191 to assist fluent retelling.
If… students have difficulty retelling the selection,
Check Retelling Rubric
ELL
Check Retelling Have students use illustrations and other text features to guide their retellings. Let students listen to other retellings before attempting their own. See the ELL and Transition Handbook.
Write Now
Look at the Prompt Explain that each sentence in the prompt has a purpose.
  • Sentence 1 presents a topic.
  • Sentence 2 suggests students think about the topic.
  • Sentence 3 tells what to write—an opinion.
Strategies to Develop Sentences
Have students
  • write one statement, one question, and one exclamation about a food they like.
  • write two sentences with strong persuasive words about foods.
  • combine short related sentences.
NO:   Pizza is good for lunch. Pizza
is also good for dinner.
YES: Pizza is good for lunch or
dinner.
For additional suggestions and rubric, see pp. 193g–193h.
Writer's Checklist
  • Focus Does the writer state a strong opinion and support it with reasons?
  • Organization Are ideas in a convincing order, such as best reason last?
  • Support Are details vivid and convincing?
  • Conventions Are adjectives that compare used and spelled correctly?
Retelling: SUCCESS PREDICTOR
Reader Response
Open for Discussion Suppose that you visit Sanu, Eric,
and April all in one day. Tell the three best things that
happen during each visit.
1.
How does the author show you that these are real
children? Choose three parts of the selection to help
you explain. Think Like an Author
The selection is full of facts. Find some. How could you
prove that these facts are true? Fact and Opinion
Each child in this selection compares America or
American traditions with his or her native country or
traditions. What clue words did you notice that helped
you recognize a text structure? How did that help you as
you read? Text Structure
Which of the three cultures you read about was most
interesting to you? Tell why. Use words from the Words
to Know list and from the story. Vocabulary
4.
2.
3.
Look Back and Write Here is a riddle: Why is it easier to play baseball in winter in Puerto Rico than in New York? Look back at pages 181–182. Use information from the selection
in your answer.
Meet author and photographer Susan Kuklin on page 420.
TEST PRACTICE
Write Now: Write Your Opinion
How My Family Lives in America describes traditions such as special foods.
Think of a kind of food that you have strong feelings about.
Now write an opinion about that kind
of food, using persuasive words.
Prompt
Writing Trait
Use a variety of sentences. They will help readers understand and agree with your opinion.
Writer uses a variety of sentences—
a question,
a command,
a statement, and an exclamation.
Vivid details
help make
opinion more convincing.
Writer states opinion using a strong persuasive word.
Student Model
Student Model
Use the model to help you write your own
opinion.
 
   
Close  
Scoring Rubric
Look Back and Write
Top-Score Response A top-score response will use information from
the selection to explain why playing baseball in winter is easier in
Puerto Rico than in New York.
Example of a Top-Score Response Puerto Rico is an island close to Florida. It is warm there every day. Winters are much warmer in Puerto Rico than they are in New York. In New York, you have to wear a heavy jacket to stay warm. Eric says that wearing the jacket makes it hard to catch the baseball. You do not need to wear warm, heavy clothes in Puerto Rico. This makes it much easier to play baseball in the winter in Puerto Rico.
For additional rubrics, see p. WA10.
Scoring Rubric    Expository Retelling
Rubric 4 3 2 1
Connections
Makes connections and generalizes beyond the text
Makes connections to other events, texts, or experiences
Makes a limited connection to another event, text, or experience
Makes no connection to another event, text, or experience
Author's
Purpose
Elaborates on author's purpose
Tells author's purpose with some clarity
Makes some connection to author's purpose
Makes no connection to author's purpose
Topic
Describes the main topic
Identifies the main topic with some details early in retelling
Identifies the main topic
Retelling has no sense of topic
Important Ideas
Gives accurate information about events, steps, and ideas using details and key vocabulary
Gives accurate information about events, steps, and ideas with some detail and key vocabulary
Gives limited or inaccurate information about events, steps, and ideas
Gives no information about events, steps, and ideas
Conclusions
Draws conclusions and makes inferences to generalize beyond the text
Draws conclusions about the text
Is able to draw few conclusions about the text
Is unable to draw conclusions or make inferences about the text
Selection Test To assess with How My Family Lives in America, use Selection Tests, pp. 85–88.
Fresh Reads for Differentiated Test Practice For weekly leveled practice, use pp. 127–132.
Retelling Plan
  • Week 1 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • This week assess Advanced students.
  • Week 3 Assess Strategic Intervention students.
  • Week 4 Assess On-Level students.
  • Week 5 Assess any students you have not yet checked during this unit.
Use the Retelling Chart on
p. TR17 to record retelling.