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September 2011 • Teacher’s Edition • A Complete Teaching KitVol.

19 N

o. 1

ISSN

106

8-02

92

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS• “The World’s Deadliest Creature” is part

science article and part survival story about a 10-year-old girl who was stung by the terrifying box jellyfish. Includes rich nonfiction text features and a skills focus on problems and solutions.

• I Survived Hurricane Katrina is a play packed with information about the disaster and its aftermath. Perfect for teaching about historical fiction.

• Compare and contrast the hottest and coldest places on Earth and what it’s like for the people who live there. Prepare for lively class discussions!

• Create a Character Contest for award-winner (and kid favorite) Barbara O’Connor!

URGENT NEWS ABOUT OUR

ANSWER KEYS!

You will find the answer keys for online activities on a separate Web site: www.scholastic.com/storyworksanswerkey. This comes in response to complaints from teachers that their students were finding answers online. The magazine’s answer key is also on that Web site andon page T7 of this Teacher’s Edition.

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Welcome Back! I missed you. This summer has been a whirlwind of exciting work.

I searched for amazing nonfiction stories for you, hunted down famous fiction authors, met with teachers, worked with Rosa, our amazing new video producer, on a series of “how to use Storyworks” videos, and read a gazillion articles about how much testing pressure you are under. (We’ll help you with this!)

When I wasn’t working, I got to spend some lovely time with my family and bonded with our new puppy, Roy. One fact about our new pup: he steals issues of Storyworks from my desk and chews them to bits. Could it be he read this month’s back-page poem, Eve Merriam’s “How to Eat a Poem?” Smart guy, he is.

Say hi to your students from me, and please be in touch!

LaurenLTarshis@Scholastic.com

Lauren and her Storyworks-loving pup, Roy.

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Major Features Language Arts Standards and Skills Development Online Resources

Play, p. 4I Survived Hurricane KatrinaBy Lauren Tarshis

Lexile Level 520Guided Reading Lev. R

Primary Standards and Skills:•Distinguishing fact from fiction•Examining how events affect character

Plus: vocabulary, identifying factual information, plot, drawing conclusions, writing to prompts

•Interactive Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Fact vs. Fiction•How Events Affect Character•Vocabulary

Nonfiction, p. 10“The World’s Deadliest Creature”By Lauren Tarshis

Lexile Level 910Guided Reading Lev. T

Primary Standards and Skills:•Understanding text structure •Identifying problems and solutions

Plus: vocabulary, previewing text features, factual details, literary devices, writing to prompts

• StoryWorkshop: Identifying Problems and Solutions

•Interactive Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Nonfiction Text Features•Problems and Solutions•Research Skills

Fiction, p. 16“The Big One” By Tommy GreenwaLd

Lexile Level 550 Guided Reading Lev. Q

Primary Standards and Skills: •Understanding main idea •Understanding theme•Understanding character

Plus: vocabulary, identifying character’s goals, citing details, plot, identifying important events, writing to prompts

•Interactive Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Main Idea•Theme•Storyboard•Media Literacy

Poetry, p. 22“The Monarch Butterfly”By douGLas FLorian

Primary Standards and Skills: •Vocabulary, including synonyms•Factual information

Plus: science connections, main idea, tone

• StoryWorkshop: Comparing Genres

•Interactive Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Cross-Genre Text Comparison

Poetry, p. 32“How to Eat a Poem”By eve merriam

Primary Standards and Skills: •Understanding metaphors•Comparing and contrasting

Plus: details, drawing conclusions

•Interactive Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Metaphors

Departments and Skills Pages

Sentence ChefParagraph Writing

page 15

Where Would You Rather Live?

Compare/Contrast page 24

DebatePersuasive Details

page 26

Grammar CopPrefixespage 28

WordworksParts of Speech

page 29

Vocab LabVocabulary/Word Nerd

pages 30-31

Bubble TestTest-TakingNow online!

The True Story of Winter the Dolphin. Language Program Grades 2–4. http://www.scholastic.com/dolphintale

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September at a Glance

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on Play I Survived Hurricane Katrina p. 4LEXILE LEVEL 520; GUIDED READING LEVEL R

SUMMARYI Survived Hurricane Katrina will help students experience some of the terrible events of the disaster through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy.

MAIN SKILLS AND TEACHING OBJECTIVESThis lesson will help your students: •Distinguish fact from fiction•Examine how events affect character

WORD NERD’S VOCABULARYmandatory: required; wailing: crying; jolts: moves suddenly; rickety: unstable, likely to break; gushing: pouring; ferocious: fierce; toxic: poisonous; wreckage: broken pieces

BEFORE READINGDISTINGUISHING FACT FROM FICTION(10 minutes)Before class: Download our Fact vs. Fiction reproducible from Storyworks online and make a copy for each student.During class: Invite students to share what they know about Hurricane Katrina. Tell them they are going to read a historical-fiction play about it; this means it tells a fictional story that has a true historical setting and details. Distribute the reproducible and ask students to predict which statements are fact or fiction. What makes them think so?(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

DURING READING HOW EVENTS AFFECT CHARACTER(25 minutes)In this play, Barry’s actions and character are shaped by the events in his environment. Help students recognize this by prompting them to think about these questions throughout the play: What does the hurricane cause Barry to do that he wouldn’t usually do? What specific events are challenging for him? What characteristics do they bring out in him? (A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

AFTER READINGCRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10 minutes)(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)•What information do you learn about Hurricane Katrina

in the scenes before it hits New Orleans? (identifying factual information) It happened August 28-29, 2005; it was a Category 5 storm with winds of 175 mph; people

were supposed to evacuate; those without cars went to the Superdome, which was greatly overcrowded.

•Why doesn’t Barry’s family evacuate? How does Barry end up in the water? (plot) Barry’s family stays because his little sister gets sick. They rush to the roof of their house as it floods, and then the wind blows Barry into the rushing water.

•What does Barry see, hear, and feel before he is rescued that shows the devastating effects of the hurricane?(how events affect character) He sees destroyed houses floating down the street and water everywhere; he hears the wind howling and dogs barking; he feels sharp objects scraping him and toxic water stinging his skin.

•Re-read Scene 5, starting where Nell finds Barry and Cruz. What can you conclude about the conditions in New Orleans? (drawing conclusions/factual details) Many people desperately needed help, but little aid was available.

•How has Barry changed by the end of the story? (how events affect character) By living through a scary, life-threatening situation, he finds bravery he didn’t know he had.

DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM FICTION (15 minutes)Have students return to the Fact vs. Fiction skills sheet and complete it based on what they have read.

WRITING PROMPTSNarrative: Write a story based on the events of the play, told from Cruz’s point of view.Persuasive: Was Barry a lucky character (he and his family survived, etc.) or an unlucky one (he lost his home, etc.)? Write a paragraph supporting your opinion with detailsfrom the play.

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Online ResourcesActivities to print or project: • Interactive Comprehension Quiz• Critical-Thinking Questions•Vocabulary• Fact vs. Fiction• How Events Affect Character

www.scholastic.com/storyworks

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SUMMARY The box jellyfish is the most venomous animal on Earth. Ten-year-old Rachael Shardlow of Australia is the only person known to have survived a serious attack. This is her story.

MAIN SKILLS AND TEACHING OBJECTIVESThis lesson will help your students:•Understand the text structure of the article•Identify problems and solutions in the story

WORD NERD’S VOCABULARY entangled: wrapped up in; venom: poison; injected: forced through a needle-like object; searing: burning; prone: likely; neutralize: stop an effect; doused: poured liquid on; avid: eager; intriguing: very interesting; aimlessly: without purpose; immune: unable to be harmed

BEFORE READINGPREVIEWING TEXT FEATURES(5 minutes)Ask students to peruse the article, looking at the images, captions, title, and subheads. What can they predict the article will be about? What do they think happened to the girl in the photo on p. 11? What scientific information might be included? Prompt students to look for how the author presents both the girl’s story and jellyfish science. (A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

DURING READINGUNDERSTANDING TEXT STRUCTURE(25 minutes)Have students pause after reading the first section, and ask them to summarize what happened. Pause again after the first paragraph of the “Horror-Movie Creature” section. Ask: How is this section different from the previous one so far? Why do you think the author put this section here? (to create suspense and provide information) Have them identify when the author goes back to Rachael’s story.

AFTER READINGCRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10 minutes)(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)•What is the main problem Rachael faces in the first

section? What details do you learn about the problem? (identifying problem) Rachael gets stung by a box jellyfish.

It is the most venomous animal in the world, wraps tentacles around its victim, shoots 500,000 poison stingers, etc.

•What qualities make the box jellyfish so dangerous?(factual details) Its venom is highly toxic; it is almost impossible to see; it swims close to shore, near swimmers.

•What factors helped Rachael survive? (identifying solutions) Campers used vinegar to free her from the jellyfish; her father did CPR; doctors treated her.

•What have Dr. Seymour and other scientists discovered?Why do they want to know more about the box jellyfish? (factual details) The jellyfish track their prey, move quickly, and sleep at night. Scientists want to keep people safe from the deadly creatures.

•This article contains a number of similes—comparisons using “like” or “as.” What are some of them? Why does the author include them? (literary devices) Students will identify several similes; they help readers picture information.

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS (15 minutes)Help students identify problems and solutions in the story by downloading and distributing our reproducible skills sheet.(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

FOR YOUNGER OR LESS ADVANCED STUDENTSHave students work in pairs to make a list of facts they learned about the box jellyfish. They can then turn their lists into warning signs to post on a beach.

WRITING PROMPTSDescriptive: Write a paragraph for a “wanted” poster for the jellyfish that attacked Rachael. Describe the “crime,” the “suspect,” where the jellyfish was last seen, and so on.Narrative: Rewrite the events of the story from another point of view: Rachael’s, her brother’s, or a camper’s.

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on Nonfiction “The World’s Deadliest Creature” p. 10LEXILE LEVEL 910; GUIDED READING LEVEL T

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Online ResourcesStoryWorkshop Digital Lesson Plan: Identifying Problems and Solutions—includes video, interactive whiteboard skills-sheet activity, and lesson

Activities to print or project:•InteractiveComprehensionQuiz•Critical-ThinkingQuestions•NonfictionTextFeatures•ProblemsandSolutions•ResearchSkills

www.scholastic.com/storyworks

whiteboard skills-sheet activity, and lesson

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on Fiction “The Big One” p. 16LEXILE LEVEL 550; GUIDED READING LEVEL Q

SUMMARYIn up-and-coming author Tommy Greenwald’s originalfiction, a father and son bond over a fishing trip.

MAIN SKILLS AND TEACHING OBJECTIVESThis lesson will help your students: •Understand the main idea of what it means to catch

“The Big One”•Understand the theme of hope in the story•Understand character

WORD NERD’S VOCABULARYbait: something used to attract an animal; guardian: person legally responsible for taking care of a child; slumped: sank down; reel: pull in by wrapping a line around a spool; waterlogged: soaked through; grime: dirt

BEFORE READINGUNDERSTANDING CHARACTER (15 minutes)Ask students how many of them have ever gone fishing. Then ask for a show of hands of who thinks fishing would be a fun activity and who does not. Have students jot down reasons to support their opinions, and invite volunteers on each side to share their reasons with the class. Finally, have students open their magazines to page 16, and explain that they will read a story about a boy who loves fishing. Prompt them to look for reasons he loves it.

DURING READINGIDENTIFYING MAIN IDEA (25 minutes)Pause after the opening portion (ending with “the day I caught The Big One”). Ask: What does it tell you about the main character? (He loves fishing though others don’t.) Pause again on p. 17, after “No one really gets it . . .” Ask: Does Joe’s family like fishing? How does this make Joe feel? (disappointed, alone, odd) How would he like them to feel about fishing? Finally, pause on p. 20 and ask: How has Joe’s dad changed? What is this story about besides fishing?(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

AFTER READING CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10 minutes)(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)•What does Joe want to achieve in the story? (character’s

goals) He wants his family to understand and possibly share his love of fishing; he also wants to accept himself for who he is.

•Throughout the story, Joe goes back and forth between his enthusiasm for fishing and feeling dumb for liking it. What are some examples that show this? (citing details; character) Examples include the opening passage; asking his parents about the ice fishing trip; feeling dumb when his dad was cold; feeling embarrassed about the stuffed elephant, etc.

•What does Joe love about fishing? (reading for details) He loves waiting hopefully, talking to people, going different places.

•How does the ice fishing trip change Joe’s dad? (plot) He realizes what makes fishing fun: He gets to wait, hope, and talk to his son.

•What is “The Big One” in this story? (main idea) It’s Joe’s dad. In fishing lingo, “the big one” is a hard-to-catch fish.

•How has Joe achieved his goals by the end of the story? (character’s goals) He no longer feels alone in his family; his dad likes fishing; he accepts his own love of fishing.

UNDERSTANDING THEME(20 minutes)One theme, or big idea, in this story is hope. On p. 18, Joe declares, “All fishermen are hopeful people.” How does this line relate to the opening passage? What other examples in the story demonstrate hopefulness? Use your examples to write a paragraph about the theme of hope.(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

FOR YOUNGER OR LESS ADVANCED STUDENTSAsk students to pick out four important events from the story and create a storyboard, sketching pictures of each event. (A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

WRITING PROMPTSPersonal narrative: Write about a time you felt different from your family or a group. What made you feel that way?Letter: Pretend that you are Joe, and write a letter to your dad thanking him for going on the ice fishing trip.

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Online ResourcesActivities to print or project: • Interactive Comprehension Quiz• Critical-Thinking Questions• Main Idea• Theme• Storyboard• Media Literacy

www.scholastic.com/storyworks

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9“How to Eat a Poem” by Eve Merriam p. 32

SUMMARY Poetry is not to be approached daintily! This delightful work shows readers how to sink their teeth into poems.

MAIN SKILLS AND TEACHING OBJECTIVESThis lesson will help your students:•Understand what a metaphor is• Compare and contrast reading and eating

BEFORE READING UNDERSTANDING METAPHOR (5 minutes)Explain: A metaphor is a comparison of two things that seem different. What is a poem compared with here?(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

DURING READING COMPARE AND CONTRAST (5 minutes)Ask: What is odd about the title? Why do you think the author writes about eating a poem? What do eating and reading have in common? (In both, you consume something—one enriches your body, the other your mind.)

AFTER READING CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (5 minutes)(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)•According to the first verse, in what way should you

eat a poem? What details suggest this? (details) You should dig in and fully enjoy it; details include “Don’t be polite,” eating with fingers and letting juice drip, etc.

•What does the last verse emphasize? (drawing conclusions) You can enjoy every bit of a poem.

Poetry

“The Monarch Butterfly” by Douglas Florian p. 22

SUMMARY Poetry and science intersect in this fun poem about the king of butterflies.

MAIN SKILLS AND TEACHING OBJECTIVESThis lesson will help your students:•Acquire new vocabulary words, including synonyms•Learn some scientific facts about monarch butterflies

BEFORE READING VOCABULARY (5 minutes)Have students identify the insect they see in the photo (a monarch butterfly). What does the word “monarch” mean? Explain that it’s a ruler, like a king or queen, who comes from a royal family. Have them skim the poem to find words related to “monarch.” (king, prince, duke)

DURING READING SCIENCE CONNECTIONS (10 minutes)Read the poem through once, then go back for a closer look. Ask: What does “migrations” mean? Hint: The fourth line gives a clue. Monarchs are the only migratory butterfly. They fly south to Florida, Texas, and Mexico in the fall and return north to states across the U.S. and to Canada in the spring. Ask: What does “wince” mean? Hint: What would you do if you discovered you had eaten poison? Monarchs are poisonous to birds and mammals; this is how the butterflies protect themselves from predators.

AFTER READING CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS(5 minutes)(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)•In what ways is a monarch butterfly like a royal

monarch? (main idea) It travels through various countries and fights back against those that attack it.

• How does the last line contrast with the rest of the poem? (tone) The rest of the poem is regal and lofty, but the last line is informal and funny.

COMPARING GENRES (20 minutes) Go online to find a nonfiction text about monarch butterflies, along with questions to compare the poem and nonfiction.(A skills sheet is available at Storyworks online.)

Online Resources“THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY”StoryWorkshop Digital Lesson Plan: Comparing Genres—includes video, paired texts, interactive whiteboard skills-sheet activity, and lesson•Interactive Comprehension Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions“HOW TO EAT A POEM”•Interactive Comprehension Quiz•Critical-Thinking Questions•Metaphorswww.scholastic.com/storyworks

Interactive Comprehension Quiz

Interactive Comprehension Quiz

www.scholastic.com/storyworks

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Sentence Chef, p. 15Answers will vary but might be similar to the following: Quick action by several people kept Rachael alive after she was stung by a box jellyfish while swimming in the Calliope River. Two campers nearby doused her legs and arms with vinegar. This caused the jellyfish to fall from her body. Then Rachael’s father ran with her to the car, and her mother began to drive to the hospital. Rachael’s father gave her CPR for eight minutes. Rachael was able to survive the box jellyfish sting because the people around her acted quickly.

Debate, p. 27 Answers will vary but might be similar to the following: Yes: Many experts

say that uniforms improve learning. Uniforms may also make schools safer. Students might be happier because they don’t have to feel stressed about having the latest brands. No: Uniforms can be expensive. Some kids might feel self-conscious wearing clothes that don’t fit their bodies well. Learning to choose clothes for school provides important practice for later in life.

Grammar Cop: Prefixes, p. 28pre, extra, auto, mis, inter, dis

Vocab Lab, p. 30Mystery Word: evacuation, page 6Perfect Words: buoyant, extroverted, jovial, lighthearted, prancing, sprightly, whimsical

Caption: Answers will vary but might be similar to the following: The whimsical Jack Black was so lighthearted that he couldn’t help prancing all day.

Word Nerd, p. 31Answers will vary but might be similar to the following: I am very angry about the unattractive clothes my parents forced me to wear today.

ANSWER KEYAnswers to skills exercises and quizzes appearing in the September student edition

POSTAL INFORMATION: STORYWORKS (ISSN 1068-0292) is published six times during the school year, monthly September, October, and January, and bimonthly November/December, February/March, and April/May by Scholastic Inc., 2931 East McCarty St., P.O. Box 3710, Jefferson City, MO 65102-3710. Second-class postage paid at Jefferson City, MO 65102-3710 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS: Send notice of address changes and undeliverable copies to STORYWORKS, 2931 East McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65102-3710. PUBLISHING INFORMATION: U.S. Prices: $6.75 each per year for 10 or more subscriptions to the same address. 1-9 subscriptions, each: $29.95 student, $29.95 Teacher’s Edition, per school year. Single copy: $6.00 student, $7.00 Teacher’s. Communications relating to subscriptions should be addressed to STORYWORKS, Scholastic Inc., 2931 East McCarty St., P.O. Box 3710, Jefferson City, MO 65102-3710. Communications relating to editorial matter should be addressed to Editor, STORYWORKS, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999. Canadian address: Scholastic-TAB Publications, Ltd., 123 Newkirk Rd., Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 3G5. Indexed in Children’s Magazine Guide. Available on microfilm through Xerox University Microfilms, Inc., 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Also available on microfiche through Bell & Howell Photo Division, Old Mansfield Rd., Wooster, OH 44691. Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations. Copyright © 2010 by Scholastic Inc. All Rights Reserved. Materials in this issue may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or format without special permission from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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S T O R Y W O R K ST8 © 2011 Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.

activity

Create a Character ContestMy name: _______________________________________________________________________ Age: ___________

Teacher’s name: _________________________________________________________________ Grade: _________

School: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

School address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

School phone number: __________________________ Home phone number: __________________________

(Remember to include your area code and ZIP!) See page 23 of the September Storyworks for rules to this contest.

My Character

1. My character’s name: ____________________________________________________ Age: ___________

2. Where my character lives: _________________________________________________________________

3. My character’s hobbies, skills, and dreams for the future: _______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. The biggest problem my character has ever faced, and how he, she, or it solved it:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. How my character might grow in the story: ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What my character looks like: _____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Other information you should know about my character: ______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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