Shark Lady: True Adventures of Eugenie Clark
By Ann McGovern
Tier 2 Words:
mysterious - like a puzzle; strange
A mysterious book or movie could be
suspenseful and have a strange ending.
fascinating - something that grabs or captures your
attention , exciting
A fascinating book would grab
your attention and you would not want to stop
reading it.
dissect - to cut up
If you take a science class in high school you
you may be asked to dissect a plant or animal.
admire - to look up to someone or something with great
respect
You may admire Michael Jordon and think he
is an example of a determined athlete.
graceful – moving with ease or smoothness
Graceful ballet dancers would move with
ease as they danced across the stage.
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Day 1 First Activity
Introduce words and discuss definitions with students.
First Activity- Repeat words together
Boys and girls, lets repeat our new words together. First,
lets say them very softly. (Students and teachers repeat
words softly together)
Word Networks
(I will do this assignment orally with the students on the
overhead. I will write their responses while they
brainstorm ideas. I provided examples of what student
responses may be).
*What people, things, situations, or words come to mind
when you think about the word mysterious?
mysterious
Myst
*What people, things, situations, or words come to mind
when you think about the word fascinating?
fascinating
2
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind
when you think about the word dissect?
dissect d
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind
when you think about the word admire?
dissect
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind
when you think about the word graceful?
graceful
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Day 2 Second Activity
Word Associations
Today we are going to review our vocabulary words by
through the word associations’ game. First lets repeat our
words together louder and with expression.
(Explain word associations)
Answer key is included in the responses and examples
of what students responses may be.
Teacher: I will give you an example of one our
vocabulary words and you say the word that best descides
the example.
Teacher: Which word goes with a strange old house that
no one has lived in for awhile?
Students: mysterious
Teacher: Why?
Students: An old house could be a place where you might
not want to go by yourself because it could be scary.
Teacher: Which word goes with how a football player
would kick a field goal?
Students: graceful
Teacher: Why?
Students: A kicker must smoothly and carefully kick the
ball in order for the team to score the points.
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Teacher: Which word goes with how someone may feel
about Michael Jordon?
Students: admire
Teacher: Why?
Students: He is a great athlete and he always tries hard.
Teacher: Which word goes with a science experiment
where a scientist may use a frog to look at?
Student: dissect
Teacher: Why?
Students: We could learn about the inside of a frog by
cutting it up.
Teacher: What word goes with a book that keeps your
attention?
Students: fascinating
Teacher: Why?
Students: If it is a good book you can’t wait to read more
of it.
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Day 3 Third Activity
Have you ever?
Today we are going review our words through the game
Have You Ever. Before we begin lets repeat our words
together and clap the syllables as we say the words.
(Examples of possible student answers are included)
(Explain game) I will ask you to describe a time you used
our vocabulary words or ask you why you may use them.
*Describe a time you felt graceful?
Students responses: taking a ballet class, walking across
the stage during the Avery County Fair beauty pageant
*Why might you want to dissect a frog?
Students responses: to learn about the inside, to see how a
frog uses its muscles to move
*Describe a time you were fascinated.
Students responses: When I opened my birthday presents,
when I came in the living room on Christmas morning
*Have you ever read a mysterious book? What was the
title and why was it mysterious?
Students responses: Magic Tree House Mummies in the
Morning because I wanted to see how Annie and Jack
solved the mystery through their clues.
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*Whom do you admire? Why do you admire them?
Students responses: My parents because they help me. My
best friend because they listening to me.
First Speed Round
True or False
Children, lets see how fast you can answer these true or
false questions about our vocabulary words. I am going to
read the true or false questions out loud to you and you
circle true or false. Remember I will only read the question
one time and we will move on.
Answer Key (Student copy is on the next page)
1. If you are reading a mysterious book you will not
want to put the book down. (True)
2. A graceful eagle floating through the sky would be
fascinating. (True)
3. You would admire a basketball player who would not
pass the ball to his teammates. (False)
4. You should dissect your new jeans before you wear
them. (false)
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First Speed Round
Circle True or False as I read the questions.
1. If you are reading a mysterious book you will not want
to put the book down.
True
False
2. A graceful eagle floating through the sky would be
fascinating.
True
False
3. You would admire a basketball player who would not
pass the ball to his teammates.
True
False
4. You should dissect your new jeans before you wear
them.
True
False
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Day 4 Fourth Activity
Examples and Nonexamples
Boys and Girls, today we will I give you two examples and
your job is to tell me which example best describes the
vocabulary word.
*Which would be mysterious?
A book with a surprise ending or a funny book with a
predictable ending ( answer: a book with a surprise
ending)
Why? (you wouldn’t know the ending until you
finished the book)
*Who would you admire?
Someone who shares their things or someone who refuses
to share (answer: someone who shares their things)
Why? (my friend shared her paper with me one day
because I didn’t have any and it made me think she really
cared for me)
*Which is graceful?
A girl walking across the stage during a beauty pageant or a
football player tackling an opponent.
(answer: a girl walking across the stage during a beauty
pageant)
Why? (she would have to walk smoothly so she
wouldn’t fall and embarrass herself)
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*Which is fascinating?
A video about sharks or waiting on your mom in the
grocery store. (answer: a video about sharks)
Why? (sharks are exciting animals)
*Which would you dissect?
An animal during science class or your new shoes.
(answer: an animal during science class)
Why? (mom would be very upset if I dissected my new
shoes)
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Second Speed Round
Boys and girls, we are going to review our words with a
speed round by circling the letter of the correct item to
complete the following sentences.
(Teacher Copy / Student copy is on the next page)
1. Something is mysterious if it is _____________.
a. entertaining
b. puzzling
c. informational
answer: b
2. When you move gracefully you are
moving__________
a. smoothly
b. fast
c. slowly
answer: a
3. When you dissect something you are __________
d. repairing it
e. cutting it up
f. putting it together
answer: b
4.When you admire someone you ____________
a. miss them
b. go visit them
c. look up to them
answer: c
5. A fascinating magazine on motorcycles would _______
a. keep your attention through pictures and words
b. cause you to get sleepy
c. bore you
answer: a
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Second Speed Round
Circle the correct answer as I read the question.
1. Something is mysterious if it is ________________.
a. entertaining
b. puzzling
c. informational
2. When you move gracefully you are moving _______.
a. smoothly
b. fast
c. slowly
3. When you dissect something you are ____________.
a. repairing it
b. cutting it up
c. putting it together
4. When you admire someone you_____________.
a. miss them
b. go visit them
c. look up to them
5. A fascinating magazine on motorcycles would ____.
a. keep your attention through pictures and words
b. cause you to get sleepy
c. bore you
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Day 5 Fifth Activity
Making Choices
Class, before we take our assessment on this week’s
vocabulary let’s review our words with one more game.
If any of the things I say might be examples of mysterious
places say “mysterious.” If not, don’t say anything.
1. an abandoned old house (students say mysterious)
2. a baseball game (students say nothing)
If any of the things I say might be examples of something
fascinating say, “wow.” If not, don’t say anything.
1. a video about the coral reef (students say fascinating)
2. a movie you have seen before (students say nothing)
If any of the things I say might be examples of something
you can dissect say, “cut it up.” If not, don’t say anything.
1. your new shirt (students say nothing)
2. your old basketball to see inside it
(students say cut it up)
If any of the things I say might be examples people you
would admire say, “admire.” If not, don’t say anything.
1. your parents (students say admire)
2. someone who takes things that do not belong to
them ( students say nothing)
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If any of the things I say might be examples of places you
would see graceful movements say, “ smooth.”
1. an aquarium (students say smooth)
2. a football game (students say smooth)
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Final Assessment on vocabulary words from Shark Lady
Multiple Choice
Circle the best response.
1. If you were reading a mysterious book you would not
expect it be:
a. exciting
b. boring
c. puzzling
2. If you were watching someone who is graceful you
would expect her or him to move:
a. roughly
b. quickly
c. smoothly
3. If you admire someone you would not expect her or
him to:
a. to obey rules
b. to bully others
c. to help others
4. If you dissect something you would expect:
a. to pack it up
b. to repair it
c. to cut it up
5. If you described the movie you watched as
fascinating your classmates would expect it to:
a. be very interesting
b. bore them
c. give them nightmares
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6. A graceful fish would move:
a. with ease
b. carefully
c. quickly
7. If you wanted someone to admire you would need
to:
a. be a bully to your classmates
b. help your classmates when they have problems
c. do your classmates homework for them
8. If you meet a mysterious person, you would expect
her or him to be:
a. funny
b. loud
c. secretive
9. If your mom told you not to dissect your food she
would expect you to:
a. stop cutting it up
b. stop eating it
c. stop touching it
10.If you meet a fascinating person you would not
expect them to be:
a. interesting
b. boring
c. funny
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Answer Key to Muliple Choice Test on Shark Lady
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. c
5. a
6. a
7. b
8. c
9. a
10.
b
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