Marven of the Great

North WoodsBy: Kathryn LaskyBy: Kathryn Lasky

Click to meet the authorClick to meet the author

Genre: BiographyAuthor’s Purpose: Information and

EntertainmentReading Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Compiled by Terry Sams, Piedmont

SummarySummary   Marven was only ten years old when

his great-aunt died of influenza. To protect him from the disease, his family sent him far away from the city, up to the Great North Woods. There he kept the books at a logging camp. Marven was scared of the big, grouchy lumberjacks, especially Jean Louis, a “jack” whose feet were as big as skillets. But he was even more scared when he skied into the woods-and thought he saw a grizzly bear.

Genre: BiographyGenre: Biography A biography is a story of a real person’s life,

written by another person. It is written in the third-person. The author

writes, “He was free! He found a job with a printer.”

A biography can cover a person’s whole life or part of it.

An autobiography is also a story of a real person’s life, but it is written by someone else.

Make a Biography

Comprehension Skill – Comprehension Skill – Drawing ConclusionsDrawing Conclusions

•Author’s don’t always tell you everything. Instead, they may give you a few details about what happens or about characters.

•A conclusionconclusion is a decision you reach that makes sense after you think about the details or facts that you have read.

•You can you details and what you know to draw conclusionsdraw conclusions, or to figure out things about characters and evens in what you read.

Practice Drawing ConclusionsPractice Drawing ConclusionsReread the fourth and fifth paragraphs on page 270. Draw conclusions about how Marven feels at the moment.

What I knowWhat I know Details from Details from the Storythe Story

Conclusion Conclusion

Marven is a Marven is a young boyyoung boy

Marven is Marven is alonealone

Grizzly bears Grizzly bears are dangerousare dangerous

Vocabulary Skill:Vocabulary Skill:Multiple-Meaning WordsMultiple-Meaning Words

Many words have more than one meaning. Many words have more than one meaning. To decide which meaning of a word is To decide which meaning of a word is being used, look for clues in the being used, look for clues in the surrounding sentences or paragraph.surrounding sentences or paragraph.

Use context clues, experience, and word Use context clues, experience, and word order to decide on the correct meaning of order to decide on the correct meaning of a multiple-meaning word.a multiple-meaning word.

Click on the title to practice this skill.

Comprehension Review – Context CluesContext Clues

ContextContext means words around an unfamiliar word that help readers figure out what the unfamiliar word means.

Context cluesContext clues can include definitions, synonyms, antonyms, explanations, or, in the case of foreign words, interpretations.

Sometimes readers have to figure out the meaning of a word by looking at how it is used in the sentences.

Click on the words “Context Clues” to practice the skill.

Practice Context Clues Practice Context Clues TE 279bTE 279b

Phrase (pg. 266)Phrase (pg. 266) MeaningMeaning Type of ClueType of Clue

Leve-toilLeve-toil

BonjourBonjour

Quel est ton nom?Quel est ton nom?

Figurative Language – Simile Figurative Language – Simile and Metaphorand Metaphor

Figurative language is a language that goes Figurative language is a language that goes beyond the ordinary meanings of words. Similes beyond the ordinary meanings of words. Similes and metaphors help make the images in the story and metaphors help make the images in the story richer and clearer. richer and clearer.

A simile uses words like or as to compare two A simile uses words like or as to compare two things that are not alike.things that are not alike.

“ “. . . one eye. . . glittered like a blue star. . .”. . . one eye. . . glittered like a blue star. . .” A metaphor also compares two things that are not A metaphor also compares two things that are not

alike but it does not use any words of comparison.alike but it does not use any words of comparison. “ “The shadows were the lumberjacks.”The shadows were the lumberjacks.”

Practice Simile and Metaphor Practice Simile and Metaphor TE 279iTE 279i

PhrasePhrase SimileSimile MetaphorMetaphor

““the the menmen jumping…like a jumping…like a pack of frantic, grizzly bears”pack of frantic, grizzly bears”

““Beads of iceBeads of ice glistened on glistened on bare branches like bare branches like jewelsjewels.”.”

““the the eggshelleggshell skysky””

““his his feetfeet…as big as …as big as skilletsskillets””

Research Skills – Locate/Collect Research Skills – Locate/Collect Information Information TE 279jTE 279j

When you need to locate information on a When you need to locate information on a topic, where can you look?topic, where can you look?

To find information about a subject, you To find information about a subject, you can use resources such as books, can use resources such as books, magazines, newspapers, dictionaries, magazines, newspapers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, videotapes, audiotapes, encyclopedias, videotapes, audiotapes, CD-ROMs, Internet websites, CD-ROMs, Internet websites, photographs, drawings, and diagrams. photographs, drawings, and diagrams.

Writing AssignmentWriting Assignment

Write a letter from Marven Write a letter from Marven to his family. Describe the to his family. Describe the frightening day when you frightening day when you thought you saw a thought you saw a

grizzly bear. Invite yourgrizzly bear. Invite your family to visit you at the family to visit you at the logging camp. logging camp.

Weekly Fluency Check -Weekly Fluency Check -Read with ExpressionRead with Expression

Another way to read with expression is by Another way to read with expression is by changing voices to different characters. In changing voices to different characters. In Marven, Jean Louis is a French Canadian Marven, Jean Louis is a French Canadian man, while Marven is a 10-year old American man, while Marven is a 10-year old American boy. boy.

Decide beforehand what type of voice you Decide beforehand what type of voice you think each character might have, and then think each character might have, and then use your regular voice for the narration. use your regular voice for the narration.

Go to pages 266-267, beginning with “At the Go to pages 266-267, beginning with “At the third bell. . .”third bell. . .”

Vocabulary SupportVocabulary SupportFrench Words and Phrases

en retard (än rә tär)les en retard (laz än rә tär)Leve-toi! (lev twä)Qui es tu? (kē a tu)Quel est ton nom? (kel a to nom)mon petit (mon pe tē)merci beaucoup (mer sē bo ku)

Hebrew Word and Hebrew Word and NamesNames

broche (bru kә)

(Aunt) Ghisa (gē sә)

(Uncle) Moishe (moi shә)

Review #1a Pages 261-271Review #1a Pages 261-271

1.1. Do you think Marven liked the Do you think Marven liked the lumber camp? Explain lumber camp? Explain

2.2. What two jobs did Marven What two jobs did Marven have at the logging camp?have at the logging camp?

3.3. How did he feel about waking How did he feel about waking up the lumberjacks?up the lumberjacks?

Review #1b Pages 261-271Review #1b Pages 261-271

1.1. Why did Marven develop a Why did Marven develop a system and organize the system and organize the payroll?payroll?

2.2. Why did Marven mistake Why did Marven mistake Jean Louis for a grizzly bear?Jean Louis for a grizzly bear?

Review #2 Pages 272-277Review #2 Pages 272-277

1.1. How did Jean Louis show How did Jean Louis show Marven that he was a special Marven that he was a special friend?friend?

2.2. How did this make Marven feel?How did this make Marven feel?

3.3. How did this experience away How did this experience away from home change Marven?from home change Marven?

Great Stuff to DoGreat Stuff to Do Spelling ABC order Spelling ABC order WorkshopWorkshop – A New Way to Make Friends – A New Way to Make Friends Vocabulary Crossword PuzzleVocabulary Crossword Puzzle Vocabulary Study Vocabulary Study More About the AuthorMore About the Author Making FlapjacksMaking Flapjacks More Context Clues PracticeMore Context Clues Practice More Context PracticeMore Context Practice Reading TestReading Test Spelling Test Spelling Test

Say It!Say It!cordcord depotdepotsnowshoessnowshoes

grizzlygrizzlyflapjacksflapjacks

More Words to KnowMore Words to Knowbookkeeperbookkeeper

chitchit

logginglogging

lumberjackslumberjacks

flapjacksflapjackspancakespancakes

cordcorda unit of a unit of measurement for measurement for cut woodcut wood

lumberjackslumberjackspeople who cut people who cut down treesdown trees

depotdepota railroad or bus a railroad or bus stationstation

snowshoessnowshoeswooden-framed wooden-framed shoes for shoes for walking in walking in

deep snowdeep snow

grizzlygrizzlya large a large

fierce bear of fierce bear of

North AmericaNorth America

chitchitan official receipt an official receipt or voucheror voucher

loggingloggingcutting down treescutting down trees

bookkeeperbookkeepera person who a person who keeps a record of keeps a record of businessbusiness

accountsaccounts

Marven was taught to be the bookkeeper because he was smart and organized.

Marven was taught to be the bookkeeperbookkeeper because he was smart and organized.

She arrived at the train depot at 3:00 p.m.

She arrived at the train depotdepot at 3:00 p.m.

Each logger gave Each logger gave Marven a chit Marven a chit with the number with the number of trees he cut of trees he cut each day.each day.

Each logger gave Each logger gave Marven a Marven a chitchit with with the number of trees the number of trees he cut each he cut each day.day.

The lumberjacks lumberjacks are really large are really large

and strong men.and strong men.

The lumberjackslumberjacks are really large and strong men.

The logginglogging was a really hard workfor the men.

The logginglogging was a really hard workfor the men.

Marven had to stack a cord of wood before supper.

Marven had to stack a cordcord of wood before supper.

Marven put on his snowshoes before going outside.

Marven put on his snowshoessnowshoes before going outside.

The lumberjacks ate a lot of flapjacks

The lumberjacks ate a lot of flapjacksflapjacks.

We saw a grizzly bear in the woods.

We saw a grizzly bear in the woods.

Spelling WordsSpelling WordsAdding –Adding –ss and - and -eses

monkeysholidaysdelaysflowersfriends

tigerssuppliesenemieshobbiesmemories

Spelling Words Spelling Words Adding –Adding –ss and - and -eses

mysterieseyelashesashesbeachesbunches

circusesglassesclassestaxessuffixes

This Week’s Word Wall WordsThis Week’s Word Wall Words

Click and type your own words for this week:

Let’s review our words.

Watch carefully because they will flash on the screen for just a moment. We will clap as we

spell the word.Practice spelling the root word

of each noun also.

monkeys

holidays

delays

flowers

friends

tigers

supplies

enemies

hobbies

memories

mysteries

eyelashes

ashes

beaches

bunches

circuses

glasses

classes

GREAT GREAT JOB!JOB!

taxes

suffixes