Scott Foresman Reading Street

Literature in
Reading

Examine features of a song.
Practice a test-taking strategy.
Compare and contrast across texts.

PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

Have students locate the first and second verse, and the refrain. Then ask:

In which part of the song is the title repeated four times? (the refrain)

Link to Writing

Encourage students to write verses that relate to the main idea of the song.

SONG

Use the sidebar on p. 218 to guide discussion.

A song is a poem set to music. Its patterns and rhythms are similar to those of a poem.
Discuss why this song's refrain might be more interesting when sung than when read.

AudioText

Whole Group Discuss the Question of the Day.

Group Time
Differentiated Instruction

"It's a Small World."
See pp. 194f–194g for the
small group lesson plan.

Reading

Language Arts
Use pp. 219e–219h and
219k–219m.

Whole Group Use pp. 219a
and 219j.

Grouping Options

GUIDED PRACTICE Have students discuss using the strategy to answer this question.

According to verse 1, what is the world made up of?

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE After students answer the following question, discuss the process they used.

In verse 2, why does the world seem big?

Use the Strategy

Read the question. If it asks about a particular verse, find that verse.
Put brackets around each complete sentence. Then reread, focusing on meaning. Pause only for commas or periods.
Use what you have read to help you answer the question.

USE VERSES Tell students that they may have to answer questions about songs or poems. Point out that being able to locate verses can help them answer questions.

Strategies
for Song

Have students reread the song aloud.

CONNECT TEXT TO TEXT

Reading Across Texts

Help students recount Jangmi's experiences and then relate them to the song's first two lines.

Writing Across Texts Encourage students to include specific details from Good-Bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong in their paragraphs.

There is just one moon
and one golden sun,
And a smile means friendship
to ev’ry one.
Though the mountains divide
and the oceans are wide,
It’s a small world after all.

It’s a world of laughter,
a world of tears,
It’s a world of hopes
and a world of fears.
There’s so much that we share,
and it’s time we’re aware,
It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small, small world.

Work with a small group
to write another verse
for the song. Add all
the new verses to the
original song, and try
singing it as a class.

Link to Writing

Each verse of a song
is similar to a stanza
of a poem.

In a song, often a
refrain, or chorus,
is repeated after
every verse.

A song is a poem that
is set to music. You
can read the words of
a song as you would
a poem.

Genre

Song

Writing Across Texts
  Write a brief paragraph
    telling why you think
      as you do.

    Do you think Jangmi
   would agree with the
  first two lines of the song
“It’s a Small World”?

Across Texts

Reading

Reread the song if you didn’t understand the meaning.

Monitor and Fix Up

mountains	very high hills
oceans	huge bodies of salt water

It's a Small World

"It's a Small World" was written in 1964 by two brothers
from New York City, Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. They started writing songs together after a challenge from their songwriting father and have been working together for over 50 years. Most of their work has appeared in children's movies and stage plays. You may have heard many of their famous songs, which include "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "I Wanna Be Like You," and "A Spoonful of Sugar." "It's a Small World" may be their most famous song. The Shermans wrote it for a ride at the World's Fair in New York City in 1964. Since then, it has become one of the world's most translated and performed songs.