CHALLENGING WORDS
dungeon
eccentric
gigantic
instrument
melliflouous
museum
original
rehearsal
vibration
yodel
SUMMARY
The class is going to give a concert at the Sound Museum. On the
way, the Magic School Bus breaks down, in front of a big, old
haunted house!
The class hears a lot of weird sounds! Ms. Frizzle and the kids
enter at their own risk!
--- Conversation Questions--(1) Explain what causes sound.
(Answer)
Any logical answer.
(Follow Up)
Describe a sound for me that hurts your ears.
(2) Suppose you were one of the children on the school bus. Would
you be frightened in the haunted house?
(Answer)
Any logical answer.
(Follow Up)
Besides the noises, what else is scary about a haunted
house?
(3) Imagine how Carlos feels when his instrument finally sounds
right.
(Answer)
Any logical answer.
(Follow Up)
Tell me about a time you have heard a band play.
(4) Suppose you were going to play an instrument in the concert,
which instrument would you choose to play?
(Answer)
Any logical answer.
(Follow Up)
List some musical instruments.
(5) Define the word “vibration”.
(Answer)
Quick movement or quivers.
(Follow Up)
Use the word in a sentence.
(6) Tell me the teacher’s name.
(Answer)
Ms. Frizzle.
(Follow Up)
Tell me the name of your science teacher.
(7) Find whose instrument did not sound well.
(Answer)
Carlos.
(Follow Up)
Describe for me the sound a horn makes.
(8) Share with me what noises came from inside some of the
books.
(Answer)
Foghorns, roars, whispers, screams, and crazy laughter.
(Follow Up)
Tell me a noise that relaxes you or makes you sleepy.
(9)
Name what Carlos saw through the funny looking glasses.
(Answer)
Sound waves.
(Follow Up)
Describe what they looked like.
(10)
Look on page 22 and tell me what high and low sounds are
made by.
(Answer)
High sounds are made when something vibrates fast; low
sounds are made when something vibrates slow.
(Follow Up)
Name something that has a high pitched sound.
Activities
1.
Draw a picture of all the musical instruments you can think of and
label them.
2.
Create your own musical instrument, draw a picture of it and write
down what sort of noise it makes. Remember to give your instrument
a name.
3.
Make a list of all the sounds you might hear in a haunted house.
4.
Make a list of all the things you have in your home that make a
noise.
Introduction
1. Have some sort of musical instrument on the table. Let the child
play the instrument. Discuss the sounds that different instruments
make. Say, “Let’s read The Magic School Bus, a book about sound
and find out where sound really comes from…”
2. Have a picture of a haunted house. Ask the children what sort of
noises you may hear in a haunted house. Talk about this. Say,
“Today we’re going to read about Mrs. Frizzle and the kids on the
Magic School Bus and what they learn about sound in a Haunted
House…”
3. Copy and color a picture of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus.
Tell the child that the kids on the Magic School Bus get trapped in
a Haunted House. Let the child guess what they might learn about
there. Say, “Let’s read and find out what they do learn about…”
Book Title: The Magic School Bus In The Haunted House
Author: Joanna Cole
Illustrator: Bruce Degen
ISBN: 0-590-48412-5
# of Text Pages: 28
AR: 3.3 LEX: 370
Building Oral Vocabulary
1
ploopy
11
eccentric
16
yodel
Prediction Questions
3
What is going to happen to the bus?
15 Where do you think the door leads?
23 Where do you think his instrument is?
This resource is provided by THE LEARNING CORPS—Barren County Board of Education, an AmeriCorps project funded in part by the
Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.