Scott Foresman Reading Street

	Build vocabulary by finding words related to the lesson concept.
	Listen for statements of fact and opinion.

appreciates admires greatly, values

downhearted low in spirit, depressed

pondered reflected or considered with thought and care

then… review the lesson concept. Place the words on the web and provide additional words for practice, such as discouraged
and satisfaction.

If… students are unable to place words on the web,

Check Vocabulary

Whole Group
Introduce and discuss the Question of the Week. Then
use pp. 332l–334b.

Group Time

Reading

Differentiated Instruction

this week's Leveled Readers. See pp. 332f–332g for the small group lesson plan.

Whole Group
Use p. 353a.

Language Arts
Use pp. 353e–353h and 353k–353m.

Grouping Options

Set Purpose

Have students listen for statements of fact and opinion about Arabella.

Creative Response

Reread the selection aloud. As you read, have students act out Arabella's feelings as she thinks, comes up with an idea, tries the idea, and is told she is not talented. Drama

Activate Prior Knowledge Before students listen to the Read Aloud, ask them what they know about being famous.

Access Content Before reading, share this summary: Arabella Anastasia tries different ways to be famous. People tell her she is not talented. Then she meets two people that appreciate her talents.

Homework Send home this week's Family Times newsletter.

Build Concepts

FLUENCY

MODEL READING SILENTLY WITH FLUENCY AND ACCURACY As you read

“Indescribably Arabella,” model how to read with fluency and how to self-correct
when you misread a word. Read the first paragraph, mispronouncing words
such as ordinary and indescribably. Model how to self-correct by using context
clues and knowledge of word parts. Explain that though you model by reading
aloud, you use the same technique when reading silently.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

After reading “Indescribably Arabella,” use the following questions to assess
listening comprehension.

What is one statement of opinion about Arabella? (She is not a good
painter.) What is one statement of fact about Arabella? (She threw
away her paints, costumes, and dance shoes.) Fact and Opinion
When you heard this story, what did you learn about people? (Possible
response: Different people appreciate different types of expression.) Theme

BUILD CONCEPT VOCABULARY

Start a web to build concepts and vocabulary related to this week’s lesson and
the unit theme.

Draw a Freedom of Expression Concept Web.
Read the sentence with the word appreciates again. Ask students to
pronounce appreciates and discuss its meaning.
Place appreciates in an oval attached to Gains. Explain that appreciates is
related to this concept. Read the sentences in which downhearted and
pondered appear. Have students pronounce the words, place them on the
web, and provide reasons.
Brainstorm additional words and categories for the web. Keep the web on
display and add words throughout the week.

Arabella Anastasia was not an ordinary girl. She was, well, indescribably Arabella. One day Arabella decided to be famous. She pondered on how to do it and…all of a sudden she knew!

"I shall become a famous painter." So she painted and painted and painted. And she tried to make her paintings as beautiful as all the other paintings she had seen. But her colors always ran together and the lines were always crooked.

"I am sorry," her art teacher said, "but you will never be a famous painter." So Arabella went home and put her paintings away.

And she pondered and pondered on how to become famous. All of a sudden she knew!

"I shall become a famous actress." Arabella Anastasia was not an ordinary person, you must remember. She was, well, indescribably Arabella. And she did want to become famous so badly! So she acted and acted and acted. And she tried to act like all the other famous actors she had seen. But her entrances were always late and she could never remember her lines.

"I am sorry," her acting teacher said, "but you will never be a famous actress." Arabella tried not to be downhearted. With her last few pennies she bought a ballet dress and dancing slippers.

"I will teach myself to dance," she said. And she practiced…and practiced and practiced and practiced…till she could leap and whirl and kick and stand on her toes like all the other famous dancers she had seen.

But no one would even look at Arabella dance. The people in the Big Offices just laughed at her short legs and her funny little voice because she was, well, indescribably Arabella, and they turned her away from their doors.

"Oh, dear!" cried Arabella. "I shall never become famous!" And she went out to the trash and threw out her paints, and her costumes, and her dancing slippers.

Two people who were very lonely and very sad were passing by, and they said to her, "Why are you doing that, my dear?"

"No one appreciates me," Arabella said, and she sat down and told her whole story. The two people, who were very lonely and very sad, took Arabella Anastasia, her paints, her costumes, and her dancing slippers home with them.

"Now please paint a picture for us, Arabella." So Arabella Anastasia painted her own kind of picture. It was of their cat, and it was the most unusual picture that the two people had ever seen. They hung it right up over their fireplace.

"Now act out a little play for us, Arabella." So Arabella Anastasia acted in her own kind of way, and it was the most unusual performance that the two people had ever seen. They clapped and clapped.

continued on TR1

by Jane Gilbert