LESSON 11 TEACHER’S GUIDE Sasha’s Missionforms.hmhco.com/assets/pdf/journeys/grade/L11... ·...

Number of Words: 3,229

L E S S O N 1 1 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Sasha’s Missionby Lillian Rose

Fountas-Pinnell Level YHistorical FictionSelection SummarySasha is a servant to the Romanovs when revolutionaries force the tsar’s abdication and imprison the royal family. Sasha is determined to help Anastasia through heroic action.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Historical fi ction

Text Structure • Introduction gives historical background• Events in chronological order; several references to the past• Third-person omniscient narrator reveals characters’ thoughts

Content • Russian revolution; abdication of Romanov tsar Nicholas II• Romanov family; imprisonment in Alexander Palace• Life of Russian peasants during WWI and Russian Revolution

Themes and Ideas • Loyalty in the face of danger• War is devastating for rich and poor alike

Language and Literary Features

• Descriptive and sensory language• Figurative language; similes• Some dialogue

Sentence Complexity • Complex sentences; embedded clauses; introductory participial phrases• Dashes; italics for character’s thoughts

Vocabulary • Words and names associated with Russian history: tsar, tsarina, revolutionaries, duchesses; Romanov, Nicholas II

Words • Multisyllable words• Compounds; base or root words with affi xes or infl ected endings

Illustrations • Realistic illustrations aid visualization and support the text.Book and Print Features • Sixteen pages of text, seven with illustrations

• Table of contents© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Expand Your Vocabulary

abdicate – formally relinquish power, p. 3

provisions – necessary supplies, especially food, p. 15

revolutionaries – militants in the struggle for revolution, p. 3

tsar – an emperor who ruled Russia before the revolution of 1917, p. 3

Sasha’s Mission by Lillian Rose

Build BackgroundHave students use their knowledge about revolution to build background for the story. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: What kinds of things happen in a revolution? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. It shows Sasha, a servant of the royal family, tying Anastasia’s sash. Explain that this book is historical fi ction. Its characters and events are set in a real period of history.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Page 3: Point out that page 3 provides important historical background. Read aloud the fi rst sentence: “In 1914, much of the world was at war.” What war began in 1914? Yes, World War I. Explain that tsar, comes from the Latin word Caesar, meaning “emperor.” Call attention to the word revolutionaries in the last sentence. Suggested language: In 1917 in Russia, revolutionaries overthrew the government and imprisoned the tsar and his family in their palace. The tsar was forced to abdicate, to give up his throne.

Pages 4–5: Sasha is a servant to the tsar’s family. Sahsa has to carry out a diffi cult mission in this story. As you begin to read, think about how war and revolution can cause turmoil in people’s lives. What kind of turmoil might servants experience during a revolution? What kind of turmoil might rich people experience?

Page 6: Turn to page 6. Here and in the following pages you will learn some real information about the Romanov family. Remember that historical fi ction is based on real information about the past. What impression does the illustration on page 7 give of the Romanov family?

Page 15: Read aloud the sentence containing the word provisions. Why would provisions be especially hard to get during wartime?

Now go back to the beginning and read to fi nd out what Sasha’s mission is and if she succeeds in carrying it out.

2 Lesson 11: Sasha’s MissionGrade 6© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy as they read. Suggest that they pause after each chapter and in their own words tell about the important parts that they have just read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the story.Suggested language: How do you think Sasha felt as she saw Anastasia rush away with the map in her hand? Why do you think that Anastasia reacted this way?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• When Sasha worked in the tsar’s palace, she became close friends with Anastasia.

• Revolutionaries took over the palace in 1917 and forced the Tsar Nicholas II to give up his throne.

• Sasha worried about the tsar’s children, especially Anastasia.

• Friendship can overcome class barriers.

• Being a good friend sometimes means facing danger.

• Illustrations contrast the life of the tsars and peasants in Russia at the time of the Revolution.

• The book ends with Sasha’s completing her mission.

• The author weaves in details about conditions in Russia at the time of the Revolution in 1917.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to act out a scene from the story in a readers’ theater. Remind

them to use infl ection to distinguish the dialogue from the narration.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that prefi xes and suffi xes are added to base words and roots to change their meanings or parts of speech. Have students tell the meaning of each of these words and identify the base word: illness (page 8), breathless (page 9), imprisoned (page 12), unfolded (page 13), enraged, rechecked (page 14), likeness, exchange (page 15).



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 11.9.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillUnderstanding Characters

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that authors reveal what a

character is like through his or her actions, thoughts, words, and descriptive details about that character. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

The chart lists one of Sasha’s most admirable character traits, loyalty. What details show that Sasha is loyal? First, Sasha is loyal to her family. She knows she must fi nd a way to help with their fi nances. Second, she is loyal to the tsar’s family. She wants to offer them help or comfort. Third, she is so loyal to Anastasia that she goes on a dangerous mission to help her. Add those three details to the chart.

Practice the SkillEncourage students to share another book they have read in which a major character exhibits great loyalty.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• How is the last paragraph on page 10 important to the book?

• The second paragraph on page 3 is mainly about

________________________________________________________________.

• In the fi rst paragraph on page 9, what does the word looming mean?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Where was the tsar’s village located?

2. Think within the text What was Sasha’s relationship to Anastasia?

3. Think beyond the text Why did Sasha sneak back to the palace to

help Anastasia?

4. Think about the text What is revealed about Sasha’s character when

she brings the map to Anastasia?

Making Connections Sasha took a risk to help her friend. What other character have you read about who took a risk to help others? What motivated that person to take that risk? Explain your answer.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 11B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 9

Sasha’s MissionCritical Thinking

Grade 6, Unit 3: Going the Distance

Name Date

11

The tsar’s village is located fi fteen miles from St. Petersburg,

Sasha was a servant to Anastasia’s family and was Anastasia’s friend.

It reveals that Sasha has a strong friendship with Anastasia. It also

shows how brave she is.

She was worried about her friend’s safety and wanted to do

something to help her if she could.

Possible responses shown.

Russia’s capital.

11.09_6_246260RNLEAN_Crtl Thk.in11 11 6/15/09 12:30:24 PM

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Make sure the text matches the student’s reading level. Language and content should be accessible with regular teaching support.

Idioms The story contains some idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of expressions such as another mouth to feed (page 6), the walls have ears (page 11), heart would stop (page 12).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What country did the tsar rule?

Speaker 2: Russia

Speaker 1: Where did Sasha work?

Speaker 2: the palace

Speaker 1: What did Sasha give Anastasia?

Speaker 2: a map

Speaker 1: Why was Sasha dismissed as servant to the tsar’s family?

Speaker 2: Revolutionaries took the palace by force and imprisoned the tsar’s family there.

Speaker 1: How did Sasha think her map would be of help to Anastasia?

Speaker 2: If Anastasia were freed, she could follow the map to Sasha’s house and get help.

Speaker 1: What problems was Russia facing during World War I, when revolutionaries forced Nicholas II to abdicate his throne?

Speaker 2: Russia’s war with Germany was not going well, workers were striking, people were starving and rioting, and different groups of revolutionaries were fi ghting for power.


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Name Date

Sasha’s MissionThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two or three paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Sasha is a loyal servant who develops a close friendship with Anastasia, the tsar’s daughter. What do you think might happen if Anastasia were free and followed the map to Sasha’s house? Suppose the guards came looking for Anastasia! What would Sasha do? What would she say to them? How do you think Sasha would once again prove her loyalty to her friend?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Where was the tsar’s village located?

2. Think within the text What was Sasha’s relationship to Anastasia?

3. Think beyond the text Why did Sasha sneak back to the palace to

help Anastasia?

4. Think about the text What is revealed about Sasha’s character when

she brings the map to Anastasia?

Making Connections Sasha took a risk to help her friend. What other character have you read about who took a risk to help others? What motivated that person to take that risk? Explain your answer.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Lesson 11B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 9

Sasha’s MissionCritical Thinking

Name Date



1414

244

Student Date Lesson 11

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 1 3

Running Record Form

Sasha’s MissionSasha’s Mission • LEVEL Y

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

4 Sinking to the ground, Sasha laid her head against the

knapsack that held all she could carry of her belongings. She

wasn’t entirely sure why she was crying. It couldn’t be because

she had lost her position in the palace, though she and her

family would sorely miss the money she had earned there.

If she was weeping for anything, Sasha realized, it was for her

country, for the suffering and losses of the past few years and

what they had led to.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/83 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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