READING
Rosa Lee Carter ES
MINI-LESSONS
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Prefixes
Suffixes
Context clues
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Fact and Opinion
Plot
Character
Theme
Make Inferences
Genre
Personification
Text structure
PREFIXES (UN-,RE-, DIS-)
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A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of
a word. It changes the meaning of the original
word.
An unemployed person has a good job.
The car may need rewashing, even if you
think you’re done.
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Think aloud: in the first sentence, I see a word
with a prefix un-: unemployed. Unemployed
means “not employed,” so this sentence isn’t
true. In the second sentence, I see a word with
the prefix re-: rewashing. Rewashing means
“washing again” so this sentence is true.
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A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a
word. A prefix changes the meaning of the original
word.
The prefix un- can mean “not”
employed)
un+ employed=(not
The prefix re- can mean “again”
(wash again)
re+ wash= rewash
The prefix dis- can mean “not”
disappear ( not appear)
dis+ appear=
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Read each sentence underline the word that has a prefix. Write the meaning of the word
on the line below.
1. An unkind person doesn’t help others.
___________________________________________________________
2. After a hurricane, a whole town may have to rebuild.
___________________________________________________________
3. A person who always tells lies is dishonest.
___________________________________________________________
4. Skateboarding without a helmet is unsafe.
___________________________________________________________
5. Hikers can retrace their steps to find their way home.
___________________________________________________________
6. When people disagree, they don’t think alike.
___________________________________________________________
7. Unclear directions are hard to understand.
___________________________________________________________
8. You might look at a book and then replace it on the shelf.
___________________________________________________________
SUFFIXES(-FUL, -ABLE, -LESS, -LY)
A
suffix is a word part added to the end
of a word. It changes the meaning of the
original word.
Which one is most powerful- a train
engine, a wheelbarrow, or a bike?
 Think
Aloud: I see the word powerful. It has
the suffix –ful. Powerful means “full of
power.” A wheelbarrow and a bike aren’t
powerful, but a train engine is powerful.
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A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. It
changes the meaning of the original word.
The suffix –ful means “full of.”
of power)
power+ ful= powerful ( full
The suffix –able means “able to be.”
able to be washed)
was+ able= washable (
The suffix –less means “without.”
( without fear)
fear+ less= fearless
The suffix –ly means “in a certain way.”
soft way)
soft+ly= softly ( in a
READ EACH QUESTION. UNDERLINE THE WORD THAT HAS A SUFFIX. THEN CIRCLE THE WORD(S) THAT
ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
1. What can you tell about a predictable story?
when it was written
what will happen next
how long it will take to read
2. Which animal is often described as faithful?
a dog
a squirrel
a fish
3. Which word is a synonym for cloudless?
cloudy
cloudburst
clear
4. Which one is comfortable?
a fluffy pillow
a wooden bench
a lumpy bed
5. Which animal moves swiftly?
a turtle
a shark
a cow
6. Which one is harmful to the environment?
recycling
pollution
gardens
7. Which one is breakable?
a glass vase
a rubber ball
a metal rod
8. Which person acts bravely?
a deserter
a coward
a hero
CONTEXT CLUES
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readers come to an unfamiliar word,
they should first try to use context clues to
figure out the meaning. Context clues are
the other words in the sentence or in the
sentences that come before or after the
unknown word.
Grizzly bears are loners. Yet sometimes they
congregate at fishing spots. Dozens of bears gather to
eat fish.
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Think Aloud: The word congregate is unfamiliar. I’ll
look at the other words in the sentence and in the
sentences around it to figure out the meaning.
READ EACH PASSAGE. USE CONTEXT CLUES TO FIND THE MEANING OF EACH
UNDERLINED WORD. CIRCLE THE CORRECT MEANING.
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Passage 1:
Grizzly bears are immense, powerful animals,.
These huge bears are quite fast in spite of their size.
Grizzly bears are appealing animals that are both
fascinating and frightening to people.
1. The word immense means:
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A) enormous
B) undersized
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2. The word fascinating means:
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A) boring
B) unpleasant
C) average
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C) interesting
PASSAGE 2
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Once, any grizzly bears lived in the
western United States. Over time, people
built roads and houses, so the bears’ home in
the wild became smaller. The loss of habitat
caused many bears to die. It looked as
though grizzlies would be eliminated from
the area.
3. The word habitat means:
A) a house built by many people
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B) an animal’s natural home
4. The word eliminated means:
A) got rid of
B) included
C) a place for hunters
C) accepted
PASSAGE 3
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People wanted grizzlies to survive. To be
sure these special bears would go on living,
laws were passed to protect grizzlies.
Today, grizzlies still remain in parts of the
western United States and will stay there
as long as people care about this
extraordinary animal.
5. The word survive means:
A) continue to exist
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B) stop living
C) become endangered
6. The word extraordinary means:
A) common
B) strange
C) remarkable
MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
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The main idea is what a passage is mostly about.
Supporting details give information, or facts, that tell
more about the main idea.
Long ago, groups of Native Americans lived in
different parts of what is now the United States. The
Hopi lived in the southwest desert country. The
Iroquois lived in the northern forests. On the central
prairies, you would find the Osage.
Think Aloud: First, I ask myself: what is this passage
mostly about? What is the main idea? It is Native Americans
lived in different parts of this country. Details that tell me
more about the main idea are the Hopi lived in the desert,
the Iroquois lived in the northern forests, and the Osage
lived on the prairies.
Read each passage. Write a sentence from the passage that
tells the main idea. Then list two details that support the
main idea.
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The Hopi lived in the desert. Little rain fell there.
They built houses with stones. The stones were
covered with damp clay from the desert. The hot
desert sun made the clay hard and smooth when it
dried. The Hopi used what was available in the desert
to make their homes.
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1. Main Idea:
_____________________________________________
 2. Two details that support the main idea:
______________________________________.______
_____________________________________________
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Passage 2:
The Iroquois lived deep in the forest where
there were many trees. The Iroquois used trees to
build their homes and protect their villages.
They made wooden homes called longhouses
that looked like long, narrow barns. The roofs
and walls were made of tree bark. Their villages
were surrounded by high fences made of upright
logs. The logs had sharp points on the tops.
1. Main Idea:
_____________________________________________
 2. Two details that support the main idea:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
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FACT AND OPINION
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fact is a statement that can be proven true or
false. An opinion tells what a person or group of
people thinks, feels, or believes. An opinion cannot
be proven true or false.
Clara Barton helped nurse the sick and wounded
during the American Civil War. She is the most famous
nurse of all time.
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Think Aloud: The statement Clara Barton helped nurse the
sick and wounded during the Civil War is a fact. I can check a
reference source to probe whether it is true or false. I can’t
check to prove that She is the most famous nurse of all time.
This is a statement of opinion.
READ EACH PASSAGE. THEN WRITE
FROM THE PASSAGE.
ONE STATEMENT OF FACT AND ONE STATEMENT OF OPINION
Passage 1
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Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in 1706.
The best day of his life was when he moved to
Philadelphia. Franklin worked all day, every day to
make life better for people in that city. He set up
Philadelphia’s first volunteer fire department.
While living there, he helped organize our country’s
first public library. Benjamin Franklin was the
greatest citizen from Philadelphia.
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1. Statement of Fact:
____________________________________________
 2. Statement of Opinion:
 ______________________________________
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Passage 2
Roberto Clemente was the first Latin American
to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I
believe Clemente was a superstar both on and off
the baseball field. On New Year’s Eve 1972,
Roberto was taking supplies to earthquake
victims when the cargo plane he was riding in
crashed. I think Roberto Clemente will always be
remembered for his baseball records and for how
much he cared for others.
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3. Statement of Fact:
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4. Statement of Opinion:
PLOT
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The plot is the series of events in a story. It begins with a
problem or conflict faced by a character. The plot ends
with the resolution of the problem or conflict.
Jo didn’t want to make a sandwich for her
lunch every day. Jo tried not packing a sandwich,
but then she was hungry. Jo tried soup instead of a
sandwich, but she got tired of soup. One Saturday,
Jo thought of a way. “I’ll make five sandwiches and
freeze them for the week!”
Think Aloud: The problem in this plot is that Jo doesn’t want to
make a sandwich every day. Story events show that Jo tries to solve
the problem by not packing a sandwich and by eating soup instead.
The resolution is when Jo makes five sandwiches to freeze.
READ THE STORY. THEN COMPLETE
THE PLOT CHART.
Keep the Fire Burning
In the winter, winds and snow blew across the American plains. The Blackfoot had to stop following
buffalo herds. They set up teepees among trees. The teepees protected them from the weather.
One very cold day, the Whitecloud family was huddled around the fire in their teepee. “We have to keep
the fire burning,” said Father. Since it was the women’s job to gather wood for the fire, Mother and Sister
went to the forest to get branches.
“It’s freezing out here,” said Mother. “If only we didn’t have to do this every day.”
“Let’s bring in long, thick branches,” Sister offered. “They will last longer than a day.”But they could not
carry out the heavy branches.
“ We can pick up many little branches,” suggested Mother. “ Then we can feed the fire slowly so it will last
for many days.” But the wind blew the little branches out of their arms. Finally, the two women gave up.
They went back to the teepee with only one day’s supply of firewood.
The next day was sunny and bright. The wind was very light. “I know what we can do,” said Mother. “Since
it is a good day, we can spend a lot in the woods gathering branches. We can stack the branches next to the
teepee. We can make a cover for the wood. Then we won’t have to go into the forest on days when the wind
is cold and howling.”
“We will keep the fire burning, and we will keep warm, too!” agreed Sister.
Title: Keep the Fire Burning
1.
Problem:
Events:
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3.
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5. Resolution:
CHARACTER
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Characters are the people, animals, and sometimes
objects the story is about. Readers learn about
characters through what the characters say, do, and
think, and through descriptions of their physical
appearance and of their traits.
Lexie had piles of papers all over her desk. “I
can’t even find my homework!” complained Lexie
as she sifted through the mess.
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Think Aloud: I think that the way Lexie acts and what she says
to figure out what Lexie is like. This shows that Lexie is a person
who doesn’t keep things in places where she can find them. One of
Lexie’s traits is that she is disorganized.
READ THE PASSAGE ABOUT THE JACOB FAMILY. USE THE WEB WITH A CHARACTER TRAIT THAT DESCRIBES
EACH PERSON.
thoughtful
bossy
hard-working
excited
impatient
athletic
It was Saturday and Kayla and Brad were going to run in a race with their
grandfather. “Brad, get water bottles for both of us,” Kayla demanded. “Don’t
forget bars and oranges.”
“ I’ll bring a health bar and an orange for Grandpa, too,” thought Brad. “This 5K
race will be fun, especially since Grandpa has run it so many times.”
When Kayla and Brad got to the runners’ area, Mom was already there. She’d
been setting up and organizing the sign-in stations since early morning. When
Grandpa, arrived, Dad insisted on getting a photo of Kayla, Brad and Grandpa. “I’ll
take a before and after picture,” said Dad. “And I’ll try to get one during the race as
I cheer you on. This is a great day for the Jacob family!”
“The only thing we need now is the starter’s signal,” said Grandma. “I’m getting
tired of watching runners get in place. It’s time to get this race on the road!”
Grandpa
________
Brad
_________
Kayla
__________
Mom
__________
Jacob
Family
Dad
_________
Grandma
___________
CHARACTER TRAITS VOCABULARY
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5th grade words:
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Apprehensive
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Compliant
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Corrupt
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Cross
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Depraved
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Dignified
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Discreet
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Docile
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Ethical
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Frank
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Glum
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Ingenious
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Lackadaisical
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Malicious
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Plucky
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Prudent
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Rebellious
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Selfless
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Sheepish
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Sullen
• 4th grade words:
•Assertive
• Cordial
• Cunning
• Defiant
• Fickle
• Haughty
• Hesitant
• Indifferent
• Meek
• Menacing
• Noble
• Perceptive
• Pompous
• Reckless
• Ruthless
• Skeptical
• Submissive
• Surly
• Unassuming
• Uncompromising
Character Trait
Synonym
Example
Tolerant
Understanding
Louis Armstrong
Mischievous
Naughty
White Witch of Narnia
Optimistic
Positive
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.
Malicious
Evil
Lord Voldemort
Admirable
Praiseworthy
Roberto Clemente
Persistent
Determined
Nancy Drew
Spiteful
Hateful
Nazy soldier
Action
Jim secretly sold his watch to
buy a present for his wife.
Character Trait
discreet, selfless
THEME
The theme is the central idea or insight about life the
author wants readers to understand. The theme is the
general message.
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A dog had a big, tasty bone in his mouth as he
walked across a bridge over a stream. The dog
looked into the stream and saw his reflection in
the water. Thinking it was another dog with a
bone, he wanted to have that bone, too. The dog
snapped at his reflection. His bone fell into the
water and was lost forever.
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Think Aloud: What does the author want me to
understand about life? One good bone wasn’t enough
for the dog. I think the theme or message is, “ if you
are greedy, you can loose what you have.”
PASSAGE 1. READ. CIRCLE THE CORRECT OPTION.
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Rocco wasn’t a good speller. He knew he was unlikely
to win the upcoming spelling bee. Still, he made flash cards
and listened to spelling CDs. He played spelling games with
friends. In the last round of the bee, Rocco got the word
“spaghetti.” He thought his chances were over. But then he
started to think of the words on the cards and the words on
the CDs. Still no hope. Time was running out. Then Rocco
remembered seeing a box of pasta on the kitchen counter.
He spelled s-p-a-g-h-e-t-t-i. Rocco came in fourth, which
made all his hard work worth it.
1. A. Spelling bees can be fun.
B. Always read the backs of boxes.
C. Never give up.
D. Fourth place is better than first place.
2. Why did you choose that answer?
PASSAGE 2. READ. CIRCLE THE CORRECT OPTION.
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One hot summer day, Ant was trying to drink from a pond. She
fell in. “Help!” cried Ant. “I can’t swim!” Dove was flying nearby.
She had to do something fast to save Ant. Dove quickly broke a twig
from a tree and dropped it into the pond. Ant crawled onto the twig
and floated safe to the shore. Not long after, Ant saw the Bird
Catcher. He was setting a trap to catch Dove. Dove was flying
straight toward a trap. Ant knew she had to save Dove. Ant bit the
Bird Catcher’s ankle. “Yipes!” yelled the Bird Catcher. Dove heard
the shout and flew away. Dove was safe.
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3. A. A favor is often returned.
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B. Stay away from ponds.
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C. Birds and bugs can be friends.
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D. Take care of ant bites.
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4. Why did you choose that answer?
MAKE INFERENCES
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Authors do not always explain everything in the text.
Sometimes readers must make inferences, or educated
guesses, based on details in the text and what they
already know.
The bus was filled with people from all over the
country. As it turned the corner, I could see the
White House.
Think Aloud: I wonder where this person is? The author
doesn’t say, so I have to make inferences.
PASSAGE 1. READ. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
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This was a special night for Julie. A lady with a
friendly smile handed Julie a booklet. Quickly, Julie
browsed the pages until she found the photo of her
dad. “My dad plays the part of Professor Higgins,”
Julie pointed out before she found her seat. Then the
lights went dark and the curtain went up.
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1. Where is Julie? How do you know?
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2. How does Julie feel about her dad? How do you know?
PASSAGE 2. READ. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
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Jorge looked at the floor, the wall, and back at
the floor again. He checked his safety devices one
more time. Then he gathered his courage, grabbed
the rope, and took the first step on the wall. Up and
up he climbed. He could barely hear his instructor’s
encouraging voice from below. “Don’t look down,”
Jorge repeated to himself over and over again.
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3. What is Jorge doing? How do you know?
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4. How is Jorge feeling? How do you know?
GENRE
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Genre is a type of writing. There are four main genres:
fiction( stories),
nonfiction (biography, how –to),
plays ( writing that uses dialogue and stage directions), and
poetry ( writing that used short lines, stanzas, rhythm, and
sometimes rhyme).
George Washington was born in 1732. He made his
home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. In 1789, George
Washington became the first president of the United
States.
Think Aloud: What genre is this passage? It is not a story, a
play with stage directions, or a poem with short, rhythmic
lines. This passage is nonfiction. It’s a biography that gives
facts about the life of George Washington.
READ. WRITE WHETHER IT IS FICTION, NONFICTION, A PLAY, OR POETRY.
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Once upon a time, a princess wanted a new
horse. The king always gave the princess
everything she wanted. “Bring every horse in the
land to the castle!” the princess demanded.
1.
Make Party Snacks
 * Get whole-grain crackers of different shapes.
 * Spread peanut butter on each cracker.
 * Put raisins or chopped bananas on top of the peanut
butter.
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2.
READ. WRITE WHETHER IT IS FICTION, NONFICTION, A PLAY, OR POETRY.
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Act 1
Matt:[shaking voice] So you think it’s perfectly safe to camp
in these woods?
Dad: [nodding] Of course, it’s the same place I camped with
my dad years ago.
Mr. Gaines:[ beaming flashlight on the campers] Who are you
two? Why is there a tent in my backyard?
3.
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Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick;
Jack jump over the candlestick.
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4.
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Our spaceship landed in a dark, murky
swamp. As we disembarked, three smiling
creatures greeted us. They grabbed our hands
and began twirling us around in a wild dance.
Laughing and clapping, we followed them
through the muck. But were they friends or
enemies?
5.
PERSONIFICATION
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Personification is giving human qualities and abilities
to non- humans, such as animals or objects.
The flames were dancing around the campfire
logs.
Think Aloud: Flames can’t dance. Only humans can
dance. The author personified the flames. This
personification paints a picture in my mind.
READ. FIND THE PERSONIFICATION. CIRCLE THE NAME OF THE ANIMAL OR OBJECT
 1.
BEING PERSONIFIED.
The colorful fall leaves hurried across the yard.
 2.
Children ran and played as the sunshine smiled at
them.
 3.
Fear held his legs in place.
 4.
The wind came screeching by my bedroom
window.
 5.
Lori’s keyboard chattered on, clicking the notes for
her report.
 6.
The waves marched up the beach.
 7.
The stars blinked in the dark night sky.
 8.
I pushed a button, and my computer went
to sleep.
9
.My friend, the sky, invited me to play.
 10.
The mountain is dressed in a robe of
snow.
TEXT STRUCTURE
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Authors organize their writing in different ways. Text
structure is the way text is arranged or organized. One
type of text structure is cause and effect.
Some wildfires are started by lightning and some
are from the intense heat of the sun. others are
started by careless or uncaring people.
In hot, dry weather, a wildfire can spread and
burn acres of trees and brush. Wildfire flames can
destroy the homes of animals and people.
Think Aloud: I notice that this text structure is cause and
effect. The first paragraph gives causes of wildfires, and
the second paragraph tells the effects of wildfires.
READ. ORGANIZE INFORMATION IN THE CAUSE-EFFECT CHART.
A tornado starts to form when warm,
wet air and cold, dry air meet. They turn
into a thundercloud. If the rising air
begins to spin, then often a funnel-shaped
cloud is created.
 When a powerful tornado hits, it can
destroy homes and building. The strong
tornado winds can toss cars and uproot
trees. At times, people and animals are
injured or killed because if a tornado’s
force.
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TORNADOES
Causes of a tornado
Effects of a tornado
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
6.
YOU ARE…
 On
your way to being an expert
reader!
 SGK