How Do You Raise a Raisin?

By Pam Munoz Ryan

Illustrated by Craig BrownUnit 3 Week 1

area

• Noun: a space used for a special purpose

• The area around our home has many trees.

• How would you describe the area you are sitting in right now?

artificial

• Adjective: made by humans, not by nature

• My mom used an artificial plant for decoration in our house.

• What types of things can be artificial?

grapevine

• Noun: a woody vine on which grapes grow

• The farmer had to harvest the grapes that were growing on the grapevine.

• Where have you seen a grapevine?

preservative• Noun: a substance used to keep food from spoiling

• The can of beans was packed with a preservative so the food wouldn’t become rotten.

• What types of food use a preservative?

proof

• Noun: anything that can be used to show something is true

• The detective needed proof to show the man was guilty of a crime.

• When do you need to show proof for something?

raise

• Verb: to lift

• The men needed to work together to raise the heavy couch.

• When have you had to raise something?

raisin

• Noun: a dried grape

• A raisin is a good snack to eat because it has vitamins.

• Have you ever tasted a raisin?

Pushing Up the Sky

By Joseph Bruchac

Illustrated by Teresa FlavinUnit 3 Week 2

antlers

• Noun: bony, branching growths on the head of a male deer, elk or moose

• I could see the deer’s antlers while walking through the woods.

• When have you seen antlers on an animal?

imagined

• Verb: made a picture or idea in your mind

• I imagined I was sailing through the ocean on a yacht.

• What have you imagined you could do?

languages

• Noun: human speech, spoken or written, of different countries

• In the United States, many people speak different languages.

• What languages do you speak?

narrator• Noun: the person who tells a story

• The narrator of a play must speak loudly and clearly so the audience can hear.

• When have you been a narrator for something?

overhead

• Adjective: over the head; above

• We saw an airplane overhead.

• When have you seen something overhead?

poked

• Verb: pushed with force against someone or something

• My brother poked my arm to ask me for help.

• When have you been poked by someone or something?

Seeing Stars

By Donna Latham

Unit 3 Week 3

dim

• Adjective: somewhat dark; without much light

• The flashlight became dim when the battery ran out.

• What might cause a light to become dim?

gas

• Noun: a substance that can expand indefinitely

• My dad used a gas grill to cook our hamburgers and hotdogs.

• What kinds of things run on gas?

gigantic

• Adjective: very large, tall or bulky

• A whale is a gigantic sea animal.

• Name something that is gigantic.

ladle

• Noun: a large spoon with a long handle

• The chef used a ladle to spoon the soup into bowls.

• What other foods can a ladle scoop up?

patterns

• Noun: arrangements or designs

• The quilter had to follow the patterns to sew the quilt correctly.

• Where have you seen patterns?

shine

• Verb: to give off light

• The sun began to shine through the clouds.

• What is something that can shine?

temperature

• Noun: the degree of heat or coldness

• The temperature outside was 32 degrees so we couldn’t go out to play.

• What temperature do you feel most comfortable?

A Symphony of Whales

By Steve Schuch

Illustrated by Wendell MinorUnit 3 Week 4

anxiously

• Adjective: uneasily; nervously

• I waited anxiously before it was my turn to give a speech.

• When have you been anxiously waiting for something?

bay

• Noun: a part of a sea or lake partly surrounded by land

• My family and I went fishing in the bay and caught a Snook fish.

• What other activities can you do in a bay?

blizzards

• Noun: snowstorms with very strong, cold winds

• The blizzards were so severe we lost power and got 6 inches of snow and ice.

• Have you ever experienced a blizzard?

channel

• Noun: a waterway that joins two larger bodies of water

• The boat moved slowly through the channel to reach its destination.

• What other things could be in a channel?

chipped

• Noun: cut or broke off small, thin pieces of something

• My tooth chipped when I fell on the pavement while playing basketball.

• What else can be chipped?

melody

• Noun: an easily remembered series of musical notes

• Our music teacher taught us how to play a melody on the recorder.

• What melody do you know how to play or sing?

supplies

• Noun: food and other necessary items

• My family went camping and we brought a tent, grill, food supplies and sleeping bags.

• What supplies do you need for school?

surrounded

• Verb: shut in on all sides; enclosed

• An island is land surrounded by water.

• What other things can be surrounded?

symphony

• Noun: a long musical piece for an orchestra

• My family and I went to the symphony at the Philharmonic Center.

• What music have you heard during a symphony?

Around One CactusOwls, Bats and Leaping Rats

By Anthony D. Fredericks

Illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbioUnit 3 Week 5

incredible

• Adjective: hard to believe

• After we hiked to the mountain peak, we saw an incredible view of the land.

• What have you seen that is incredible?

lofty

• Adjective: tall, or high off the ground

• The lofty mountain peak lifted high above the clouds.

• What is something that can be lofty?

noble

• Adjective: belonging to a high social class

• The noble knight rescued the princess from the dangerous dragon.

• What might a noble person do?

search• Verb: to look for something

• The detective had to search for clues to solve the mystery case.

• When have you had to search for something?

stinging

• Verb: having a sharp pain

• The bee began stinging my arm and I yelped out in pain.

• Has a bee or wasp ever been stinging you?

survivors

• Noun: people who remain alive after an event where others have died

• The survivors from the car accident were taken to the hospital.

• Where might survivors after a fire have to live?

topic

• Noun: a subject

• Animals are my favorite topic to read about.

• What topic do you like to study?

unseen

• Adjective: not seen

• The deer were hiding the woods, unseen from the hunters.

• What things can be unseen?

waterless

• Adjective: without water

• The desert is a hot, dry and waterless place.

• What is something else that is waterless?