LESSON 25 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Dex is a Hero
by Barbara Roenz
Fountas-Pinnell Level S
Science Fiction
Selection Summary
Dex is in training to work on a farm on Mars and needs to learn to
be weightless. His fear of being weightless, as well as his natural
caution, is slowing his progress. When his brother sneaks into the
weightless training room, he is in great danger. Dex overcomes his
fear and enters the room, saving his brother from harm.
Number of Words: 1,492
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Science fiction
• Third-person continuous narrative with dialogue
• Multiple episodes related to single plot
• Subplot involving grandfather helps explain Dex’s fear
• Dex is having difficulty doing what is expected of him
• Humans living on Mars
• Dex overcomes his fear
• People who are different or have opposite personalities can learn from each other.
• Fear can be overcome, especially when a loved one is threatened.
• Assigned dialogue throughout the story
• More advanced fantasy elements related to scientific ideas
• A variety of sentence length with long and complex sentences
• Questions in dialogue
• Vocabulary terms related to space, some of which might not be familiar to English
language learners, such as weightless, space suit, oxygen tanks. Cultural references such
as robots (p. 3).
• Some multisyllable words that might be challenging: centuries, inspector, mechanical
• Illustrations with labels and captions
• Thirteen pages of text, illustrations on every page
• No chapter breaks
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Dex is a Hero
by Barbara Roenz
Build Background
Help students use their knowledge of space to visualize the story. Build interest by asking
a question such as the following: Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be
in space? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that
this story is science fiction, a fantasy story whose plot deals with scientific ideas.
Frontload Vocabulary
Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check
understanding of the following words: robots, gravity, settlement, dome, oxygen.
Introduce the Text
Guide 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: Read the caption on page 2. Explain to students that this story is about
Dex and that he lives on Mars some time in the future. He is trying to pass a test in
weightlessness so that he can help with farming on Mars. Cultural Support: Make
sure students understand the reference to robots on page 3.
Page 3: Explain that on Mars, robots do some of the work. Suggested Language:
Robots calculate the amount of many things that are needed.
Page 11: Read the caption under the illustration. Direct the students’ attention to
the illustration of Mrs. Johnston. Explain that she is Dex and Jace’s mother. Ask:
What emotion do you think Mrs. Johnston is feeling?
Page 14: Read the caption under the illustration. Ask: Can you guess what Dex
learned about himself?
Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to find out how Dex becomes
a hero.
Target Vocabulary
average – typical or normal, p. 7
calculated – working with
numbers to find an answer,
p. 3
centuries – periods of one
hundred years, p. 2
dispute – to argue or say
something isn’t true, p. 3
Grade 4
insert – to put one object inside
of another, p. 13
progress – when things move
forward or advance, p. 4
inspector – a person who checks
to make sure things are
working, p. 6
superior – better than other
things, p. 6
mechanical – having to do with
machines or tools, p. 3
2
waste – to throw away something
thoughtlessly, p. 4
Lesson 25: Dex is a Hero
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Read
Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their
understanding of the story as needed.
Remind students to use Question Strategy
before, during, and after they read.
to formulate questions
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the text.
Suggested language: Why do you think Dex is frightened about working in
weightlessness? Do you think it was easy for him to overcome his fear? Why or why not?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Dex needs to learn to work
in weightlessness, but he is
frightened to do so.
• People who are different from
each other can learn from each
other.
• Dex’s mother and teacher are
concerned about Dex’s fear and
compare him to his brother Jace
who has a less cautious attitude.
• Fear can prevent someone from
trying to do something new or
different.
• The story takes place in a
community on Mars, but it
has elements that are slightly
familiar—like Mars Middle
School.
• When Jace sneaks into the
weightless chamber and is in
danger, Dex faces his fear and
saves Jace from harm.
• You may have to take risks in
order to overcome a fear.
• The story includes some facts
about science.
• The author creates characters
that are very much like real
children.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to read at an
appropriate rate, moving along rapidly with a few slowdowns and stops or pauses to
solve words. Remind them that after they solve words, they should once again pick up
the pace.
• 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. Explain that the word weightless is made up of the word
weight and the suffix less. The suffix less means without, so weightless means
“without weight.” Encourage students to think of other words that use less as a suffix:
careless, thoughtless, etc.
Grade 4
3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 25.10.
Responding
Have 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 Skill
Author’s Purpose
Remind students that when they examine author’s
purpose, they use text details to figure out the author’s reason for writing. Model how to
add details to the Graphic Organizer using a “Think Aloud” like the one below.
Think Aloud
In the story, the author’s purpose is to entertain the reader. One detail that
supports this is the idea of a colony of humans living on Mars. Another
entertaining detail is that Grandpa is a storyteller. Add these details to the
chart to support the author’s purpose of entertainment.
Practice the Skill
Have students share an example of another story in which the author’s purpose was to
entertain.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have 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
• Which words on page 3 help the reader understand what robots are?
• Dex’s main problem is that
________________________________________________________________.
• Why is Dex frightened of weightlessness?
Grade 4
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Give English learners a “preview” of the text by holding a brief
small-group discussion with them before reading the text with the entire group.
Vocabulary The story includes some informal language that might affect fluent reading
for English language learners. Explain the meaning of phrases such as Progress brought
juicy, red tomatoes (p. 4), nearly fell into the big room (p. 12), Dex shook with fear (p. 13),
and swim-like movements (p. 14)
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Who is this story about?
Speaker 1: Who is Jace?
Speaker 2: Dex
Speaker 2: Jace is Dex’s brother
Speaker 1: Where does Jace go at
the end of the story?
Speaker 1: Where is the setting of the
story?
Speaker 1: How are Jace and Dex
different?
Speaker 2: Mars
Speaker 2: Dex is careful and Jace is
not.
Speaker 1: What does Dex have to
learn to do in the story?
Speaker 2: Jace goes into the
weightless training room.
Speaker 2: to work in weightlessness
Lesson 25
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.10
Date
Critical Thinking
Dex is a Hero
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown.
1. Think within the text How are Jace and Dex different?
Jace hurries into everything without thinking. Dex is very careful.
2. Think within the text What is the purpose of the training Dex
is being given?
Every person in the settlement is needed to help plant and harvest crops.
3. Think beyond the text What is the author trying to tell the
reader about overcoming fear?
The author is saying that sometimes just by saying something or by chasing a
worthwhile goal, people can overcome their fears. Once they stop being afraid,
they might even like the thing that they feared.
4. Think about the text What features of this story make it
science fiction?
It takes place in the future. It has been set in a colony that has been created on
Mars.
Making Connections People do many things differently in the Mars colony
from the way they do them on Earth. Think of an activity you like to do.
Invent a new way to do the same activity on Mars in the future.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Critical Thinking
12
Grade 4, Unit 5: Change Is All Around
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5
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Lesson 25: Dex is a Hero
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First Pass
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Name
Date
Dex Is a Hero
Thinking 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 14, the caption states that Dex has learned something about
himself by helping Jace. What kinds of things do you think that Dex learned?
How did this help him become a hero? Explain your answer, giving examples
from the story.
Grade 4
6
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Lesson 25
Name
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.10
Critical Thinking
Dex is a Hero
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text How are Jace and Dex different?
2. Think within the text What is the purpose of the training Dex
is being given?
3. Think beyond the text What is the author trying to tell the
reader about overcoming fear?
4. Think about the text What features of this story make it
science fiction?
Making Connections People do many things differently in the Mars colony
from the way they do them on Earth. Think of an activity you like to do.
Invent a new way to do the same activity on Mars in the future.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 4
7
Lesson 25: Dex is a Hero
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Student
Lesson 25
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 25.14
Dex Is a Hero • LEVEL S
page
3
Dex Is a Hero
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
Ms. Luna smiled. She could not argue with, or dispute, what
Dex said. The weightless room had no gravity. Gravity is the
force that pulls objects toward Earth. Without gravity, people
float around. Blood can go to a person’s head, making it hurt.
But Dex did not leave the antigravity, or a-g, room because he
felt sick. Dex left because he was scared!
Dex had lived on this station on Mars since he was born. Life
on Mars was great. Rain and snow never coated roads or
stopped soccer games because a big rounded dome covered
the whole town.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/99 × 100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 4
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414054
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
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