LESSON 3 TEACHER’S GUIDE Grandma’s Other Life

Number of Words: 2,480

L E S S O N 3 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Grandma’s Other Lifeby Amy Breguet

Fountas-Pinnell Level XRealistic FictionSelection SummaryWhen Grandma dies, Justin learns there was more to her life than he’d ever dreamed. Through her mementos, he learns that she was once a talented ballerina and that pressure from her father and friends led her to refuse a life on stage in order to lead others’ idea of a “normal life.” Rethinking his own plan to quit his art lessons, Justin instead uses his talent to pay tribute to his beloved grandma.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Realistic fi ction

Text Structure • First-person narrative in four chapters• Cause-and-effect structure propels plot events.• Details encourage readers to analyze and form opinions about characters and events.

Content • Death and family relationships; learning about a loved one’s past• Developing and using talents• Ballet and performance

Themes and Ideas • It’s possible that there is much about another person you don’t know.• Develop and use your talents.• Gender should not determine whether someone follows a dream.

Language and Literary Features

• Thoughts and dialogue in casual, conversational language • Dry humor, slang, and similes

Sentence Complexity • Brief sentences simulate everyday speech.• Narrator’s thoughts in italics• Ellipses and dashes

Vocabulary • Many performance terms, some of which might not be familiar to English language learners: company, audition, review. Cultural reference: scrapbook (p. 13).

Words • Multisyllable target vocabulary: demeanor, emphatically, manipulated, preciselyIllustrations • Realistic color illustrations of characters, equipment, and documents

Book and Print Features • Seventeen pages of text, some with full-page illustrations• Table of contents, program cast of characters, newspaper dance review, letter from dance

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

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Target Vocabulary

agony – terrible suffering, p. 7conclusion – a judgment or

opinion made after careful thought, p. 7

demeanor – the way someone acts or behaves, p. 5

emphatically – forcefully, p. 6manipulated – controlled or

infl uenced, p. 13menace – something that

threatens danger or harm, p. 13precisely – in an exact, accurate

way, p. 13resolve – make a fi rm decision

about, p. 5revolting – disgusting, p. 7vigorously – actively or with great

energy, p. 5

Grandma’s Other Life by Amy Breguet

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of grandparents to visualize the selection. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What do you know about your grandparents’ early lives? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this story is realistic fi ction, so the characters will probably act like real people.

Frontload VocabularySome everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check students’ understanding of the following words: funeral, law fi rm, Los Angeles, divorced, The Nutcracker.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:

Pages 2–3: Have students look at the illustration and caption. Explain that this story is told by Justin, a boy whose grandmother has just died. Read the captions under the illustrations.

Pages 4–5: Suggested language: Justin recognizes Grandma in some of the photos on display, but he is surprised by the picture on page 4. Why might Justin be surprised to see his grandma in that picture? Read the fi rst paragraph on page 5. How might someone act to keep a polite demeanor in front of guests? The last sentence says Justin resolves to ask his mother more about his grandma’s dance experience. Ask: What does this tell about Justin?

Pages 8–9: Have students look at the cast of characters in the ballet program on page 8. Explain that Swan Lake is a classic Russian ballet. Have them notice the date of 1959 on the program, and explain that the person who played the character Odette was Justin’s grandmother. Have students identify her name. Cultural support: Make sure students understand the terms auditorium, company, and star on page 9.

Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to join Justin in learning about his grandmother’s other life.

2 Lesson 3: Grandma’s Other Life Grade 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 Analyze/Evaluate Strategy and to think carefully about the text and form an opinion about it.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the story.Suggested language: Why do you think it was so interesting for Justin to learn about his grandmother’s early life?

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

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

• After Justin’s grandmother dies, he discovers that she had been a talented ballerina in her youth.

• Justin learns that Grandma was not allowed to accept an offer from a well-known ballet company.

• Justin uses his artistic talent to create a tribute to Grandma for his mom.

• Develop and use your talents.

• Show your appreciation for people who help and love you.

• You can learn from other people’s experiences.

• The title hints that the story will be about a character’s “other life”—a life previously unknown to one or more characters.

• The dialogue sounds very natural, just the way real people talk.

• The author includes details about ballet to help readers understand how talented the narrator’s grandmother had been.

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

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choose a scene from the story to use for a readers’ theater.

Remind them to determine the narrator’s emotions in the scene and convey these emotions with vocal infl ections, reading rate, and gestures.

• 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 English words are often formed from Latin root words and affi xes. For example, the word manipulated (page 13) comes from the Latin word manipulus, which means “handful.” Explain that the prefi x man– (or manu–) stems from the Latin manus, or “hand,” and gives meaning to many other English words, such as manual, manacle, manager, mandate, and manufacture, among others.



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 3.10.

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 SkillText and Graphic Features

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that analyzing text and

graphic features can give them additional information or a clearer understanding of the text. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

The letter pictured on page 12 gives information about Justin’s great-grandmother. It tells how proud she was of her daughter and how she believed her daughter had “star” talent. It also shows how much she loved her daughter. List these details as the author’s purpose for including this graphic feature.

Practice the SkillHave students identify other graphic features in the story that help them better understand or enjoy the story.

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• What is the meaning of emphatically on page 6?

• Why is the fi rst paragraph on page 13 important to the book?

• The reader can predict at the end of the selection that the narrator will probably

________________________________________________________________.



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Where is Justin at the beginning of the story?

2. Think within the text How does Justin feel at the beginning of the story?

3. Think beyond the text How does the information shown in the graphic

features throughout the story help to change Justin’s opinion of his

grandmother?

4. Think about the text Do you think Justin fi nds a good way to

celebrate his grandmother’s life? Why or why not?

Making Connections In this story, Justin learns about his grandmother’s

life when she was young. Think about something you have learned about

an adult you care about. What did you learn about this person? How did

it make you feel?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Grandma’s Other LifeCritical Thinking

Lesson 3B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 3 . 1 0

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

Grade 6, Unit 1: Finding Your Voice12

He is in his home after his grandmother’s funeral.

He feels sad and young.

Justin learns that his grandmother was a talented dancer but

Yes, because his art helps him remember his grandmother during

her happiest times. He can also help his mother remember her.

gave up an important opportunity. He now understands why she

Possible responses shown.

encouraged him to study art.

03.10_6_246260RNLEAN_Crtl Thk.in12 12 6/15/09 2:39:12 PM

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Check regularly on students’ oral reading to determine accuracy, fl uency, and comprehension.

Idioms The story includes many idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of expressions such as this stuff is cool (p. 8) and looking back (p. 11).

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

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who tells the story?

Speaker 2: Justin

Speaker 1: Why is Justin sad at the beginning of the story?

Speaker 2: His grandmother has died.

Speaker 1: What kind of dance did Grandma enjoy and perform well?

Speaker 2: ballet

Speaker 1: Why does Grandma, not his mother, do nearly everything with Justin?

Speaker 2: Grandma does many things with Justin because his mom is busy at her job.

Speaker 1: Why did Grandma have to sneak away to audition in Los Angeles?

Speaker 2: Grandma had to sneak away because her dad didn’t think young women should have show business careers.

Speaker 1: Why is Justin interested in the letter his great-grandma wrote Grandma?

Speaker 2: Justin wonders whether great-grandma supported her husband’s view on a stage career for their daughter.


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Name Date

Grandma’s Other LifeThinking Beyond the Text

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

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

On page 13, as he decides to make a scrapbook, Justin says, “Now, I only think about what I need to do.” Why is the scrapbook the only thing he thinks about until it is complete? Why do you think he needed to make the scrapbook? Describe how you think Justin feels as he works on making the scrapbook. Explain your answer, giving examples from the story.



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Where is Justin at the beginning of the story?

2. Think within the text How does Justin feel at the beginning of the story?

3. Think beyond the text How does the information shown in the graphic

features throughout the story help to change Justin’s opinion of his

grandmother?

4. Think about the text Do you think Justin fi nds a good way to

celebrate his grandmother’s life? Why or why not?

Making Connections In this story, Justin learns about his grandmother’s

life when she was young. Think about something you have learned about

an adult you care about. What did you learn about this person? How did it

make you feel?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Grandma’s Other LifeCritical Thinking




Student Date

Grandma’s Other Life

Running Record Form


Grandma’s Other Life • LEVEL X


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

13 Reading this note, I wonder about my great-grandmother.

What was her role in the decision not to let Grandma join the

ballet? Aunt Dee only talked about her dad. From what I know

about him, he acted like a strict boss. He believed many of

Grandma’s friends were menaces, people who would ruin her

chances for a good life. You learned well, was my thought any

time Grandma talked about her father. Grandma believed my

friends were bad influences, too.

Now, I only think about what I need to do.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/91 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections


LESSON 3 TEACHER’S GUIDE Grandma’s Other Life

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