CONTENTS
Talk Show
“Show Time” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
illustrated by David Milgrim
Build Fluency
• Read with accuracy.
• Use an appropriate reading rate.
Build Vocabulary
• Read, write, and learn the meanings of new words.
Review Vocabulary
• Read theme vocabulary words in a different context.
Realistic
Fiction
“Drawing Horses” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
by Cerelle Woods
Use Story Structure
• Review how to use a story’s structure to
identify conflict and resolution.
Use Graphic Organizers
• Review how to use graphic organizers
to keep track of information.
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eat
’ ThW
s
r
e
d
Re a
K SHO
er
TAL
Co m p r e h e n s i o n S t r a t e g i e s
REAL I ST I C F I CT I ON
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intimidating
calamity
invaluable
quandary
composure
hindrance
CHARACTERS
Narrator
Aman, student
Tisha, student
Emily, student and co-host
David, student and co-host
Mrs. Warren, drama teacher
Director
Audience
Hector Navarro, famous actor
and former student
steadfast
surpassed
sage
trepidation
Reading for Fluency
When reading a script aloud,
• Read with accuracy so that
your audience will enjoy your
performance.
• Let the characters and actions
determine your reading rate.
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Narrator: Aman and Tisha are excited about a guest interview
their drama class will be doing today. The guest is to be a real, live
movie star!
Aman: Isn’t it astounding that Hector Navarro is coming to be
interviewed by our drama class? He’s my favorite actor! I loved
that scene in Jungle of the Jaguars where two wild jaguars were
chasing him.
illustrated by David Milgrim
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Tisha: The special effects in that movie
were awesome! I heard his next movie
is a sci-fi fantasy. He’s going to play a
teacher who works at a school on Mars.
Aman: Wow! Do you think we could
be in it? I’d be perfect for the role of a
middle-school Martian!
Tisha: I’m sure you have to audition for
something like that. I doubt that casting
directors just take any kid who wants to
be in a movie.
Aman: Maybe you’re right. I just can’t
believe that someone famous went to
our school! I want to be an actor like
him someday.
Tisha: Well, maybe you’ll get some tips
today.
Narrator: Aman and Tisha take their
seats in the audience. Emily and David,
the co-hosts, fidget and flip through their
cue cards, waiting for the show to start.
Emily: I’m so nervous! I can’t wait to
meet Hector Navarro, but I’m scared
I’ll say something silly or forget my
interview questions.
David: I’m nervous, too. This show will
be broadcast to the whole school. What
if I have food stuck in my teeth?
Narrator: David shows Emily his teeth.
She is inspecting them as Mrs. Warren,
their drama teacher, enters.
Mrs. Warren: Are you two ready for the
big interview?
Emily: We’re nervous. . . .
David: . . . about meeting Mr. Navarro.
Mrs. Warren: Don’t be nervous. Mr.
Navarro is very down-to-earth. He isn’t
intimidating at all.
Emily: What about the school-wide
broadcast?
Mrs. Warren: Remember, you’re in your
own classroom, and your classmates
want you to do well. Just imagine that
the camera isn’t there.
David: I still feel scared. My hands are
shaking.
Mrs. Warren: You two are going to be
fine!
Director: Quiet on the set, everyone!
We’re live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Flue ncy Tip
Read your lines a few
times to improve your
accuracy. Make sure you
know how to say all the
words correctly.
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Emily: Hello, and welcome to Camera in
the Classroom, the show that takes you
inside Littlefield Middle School. My name
is Emily Carle.
David: I’m David Nastasi.
Hector Navarro: Sure,
David. I was a student
here . . . oh,
about a hundred
years ago.
David and Emily: We’re your hosts.
Audience: Ha, ha, ha!
Emily: On today’s show, we have a very
special guest. He is a former Littlefield
Middle School student who is now a
famous actor.
Hector Navarro: I had Mrs. Warren as
a teacher in this very classroom. We
learned about the same things I’m sure
you are now, such as makeup, set design,
and, of course, performing onstage.
David: He has appeared in many
movies, including Jungle of the Jaguars
and Summer Camp Calamity. He has also
starred in a number of plays, including
some here at Littlefield. Let’s welcome
Mr. Hector Navarro!
Narrator: Hector Navarro emerges
from the doorway, smiles at the camera,
and waves to the audience. The audience
applauds and cheers.
Hector Navarro: Hello, hello! Thank you,
everyone.
Emily: Also joining us is Mr. Navarro’s
former drama teacher, our own Mrs.
Warren.
Audience: Good morning, Mrs. Warren.
Emily: Mr. Navarro, it’s such an honor
having you here today.
Hector Navarro: Thank you, Emily. It’s
lovely to be here.
David: Mr. Navarro, to begin, could you
tell us a little about your time here at
Littlefield Middle School?
Emily: What was the most important
thing you learned in Mrs. Warren’s class?
Hector Navarro: Mrs. Warren taught
me an invaluable lesson that changed
my life. To tell you the truth, when I
first started drama class, I was terrified
to speak in front of people. If I had to
make a presentation in class, I would be
completely incapacitated by fear.
Audience: No way! We don’t believe it!
Hector Navarro: I wanted to act in
plays, but when I stood in front of an
audience, my feet felt as if they were
stuck in concrete. I couldn’t move. Just
the thought of performing tormented
me! It’s true! I was in a real quandary.
David: You have such composure now!
How did you overcome your fear?
Hector Navarro: Mrs. Warren had a few
remedies for stage fright. Right?
Mrs. Warren: Right.
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Flue ncy Tip
Use the right reading
rate to be sure your
audience understands
your lines.
Mrs. Warren: I remember that. You had
such a bad case of stage fright that your
arms were shaking. However, since you
were a tree on a windy day, your shaking
went to good use. You made a very good
tree. What began as a hindrance ended
up being beneficial.
Hector Navarro: She started by giving
me small roles in school plays. My acting
career began when I played the part of
an oak tree. I had no lines, but I had to
stand onstage in a gigantic tree costume
and wave my branches around.
Hector Navarro: That’s right. After my
role as an oak tree, Mrs. Warren gave
me small speaking parts. Eventually, I
became comfortable performing in front
of people. Oh—she also gave me one
secret weapon that I still use to this day.
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Audience: What is it? What’s the secret?
Hector Navarro: What do you think, Mrs.
Warren? Should I give away the secret?
Audience: Yes, please tell us.
Mrs. Warren: Oh, I suppose we can let
them in on it.
Hector Navarro: She told me that if I
start to feel afraid, I should just imagine
that the people in the audience are
animals. It’s hard to be afraid in front of a
bunch of kangaroos and turtles!
Audience: Animals? We love it!
David: Mrs. Warren, was Mr. Navarro’s
stage fright really as bad as he says?
Mrs. Warren: Oh yes, if not worse!
He was steadfast, though. He worked
very hard and eventually his bravery
surpassed his fear. I am ecstatic that he
has succeeded!
Emily: We’re going to take a quick break,
folks. When we come back, Mr. Navarro
will answer questions from the audience,
so stay tuned to Camera in the Classroom.
Narrator: The audience applauds. Emily
and David think they hear a few neighs
and woofs, too!
Director: Cut!
Mrs. Warren: Hector, it’s truly amazing
to think of all the things you’ve been able
to accomplish since you were a student
here.
Hector Navarro: I never could have done
it without you, Mrs. Warren. If it weren’t
for your patience and sage advice, I never
would have gained the courage and
confidence to be an actor.
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Director: Quiet on the set! We’re live in
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Narrator: David and Emily move back
behind the desk, and Mrs. Warren and
Hector Navarro take their seats.
David: We’re back! Today on Camera in
the Classroom, we’re speaking with actor
and former Littlefield Middle School
student, Hector Navarro. He is here with
his former drama teacher, our own Mrs.
Warren.
Narrator: Mrs. Warren and Hector
Navarro smile and wave to the camera.
Emily: We’ve been talking with Mr.
Navarro about how he overcame his
stage fright and became a successful actor.
David: Now we invite the audience to
ask Mr. Navarro questions. Aman, I see
that you have a question.
Narrator: Aman gets up from his seat
and walks over to the microphone.
Aman: Hi, Mr. Navarro. First of all, I just
want to say that I’m a huge fan of yours!
I thought you were hysterical in Summer
Camp Calamity.
Hector Navarro: Thank you very much!
What’s your question, young man?
Aman: It sounds as if you were in quite a
few plays here at Littlefield Middle School.
What was your favorite role while you
were a student here?
Hector Navarro: Hmm . . . let me think.
I enjoyed playing the detective in The
Mystery Meat Mistake. Still, I think my
favorite role was that of the teacher in
It Came from the Principal’s Office.
Flue ncy Tip
A character’s traits can
help you choose an
appropriate reading
rate. Is your character
easily excited or shy and
reserved?
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Audience: We just read that play!
Tisha: How do you learn them?
Hector Navarro: That was my first
major role. I was scared at first, but
I used Mrs. Warren’s trick. To my
astonishment, it worked! I overcame my
stage fright and actually had fun.
Hector Navarro: The trick is to break
them down scene by scene. Then I just
keep going over the lines again and again
until I know them cold.
David: Okay. Next question.
Narrator: Aman takes his seat as
Tisha stands up and walks over to the
microphone.
Tisha: Mr. Navarro, you have performed
both in movies and onstage. Do you
prefer one to the other?
Hector Navarro: Well, each has its
positive points, and I enjoy both. With
live plays, I find it exciting to perform
in front of an audience. On the other
hand, if I’m filming a movie and I make a
mistake or play a scene with spinach in
my teeth, I have the luxury of trying the
scene again.
Tisha: What is the toughest thing about
acting in movies?
Hector Navarro: I know we’ve been
talking about it quite a bit, but I would
have to say fear. Whether it’s stage fright
or fear of failure, fear is a tough thing to
tackle.
Tisha: Do you still get scared
sometimes?
Hector Navarro: Yes, but it’s nothing like
the trepidation I used to feel. Now I just
take a deep breath and tell myself to be
confident. If I get really nervous, I imagine
that the director is a big ostrich.
Audience: An ostrich! We love it!
Tisha: Do you ever forget your lines?
Tisha: Are you nervous right now, being
interviewed in front of us?
Hector Navarro: Oh, yes. Memorizing
lines can be very tough. It’s intimidating
when I first read through a script in
which I have hundreds of lines.
Hector Navarro: Not at all. Why would
I be nervous talking to a bunch of
penguins?
Flue ncy Tip
Audience: Penguins! Awk! Awk!
Narrator: Tisha takes her seat, and the
camera swings back to Emily and David.
To read with accuracy,
make sure you read all
the words correctly
before moving on.
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David: Mr. Navarro, do you have any
advice for drama students who are
interested in becoming professional
actors?
Hector Navarro: Yes. My best piece of
advice is to stick with it. If you really want
to be an actor, don’t get discouraged. As
with any career you choose, be prepared
to face some rejection. Acting is hard
work, but the effort you exert pays off in
the end. If you love it, keep at it!
David: Do you have any last comments,
Mr. Navarro?
Hector Navarro: I do have one: Above
all else, believe in yourself. Never let
nervousness stop you from doing what
you love.
Emily and David: From Mrs. Warren’s
class and from Camera in the Classroom,
good-bye to all you rabbits and zebras
out there!
Director: Cut!
Emily: Great advice. Unfortunately, that’s
all the time we have today.
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Lesson 5
Reading Fiction
Bridge to Reading for Meaning Realistic fiction stories
describe characters, settings, and plot events that are like
people, places, and events in real life. The characters face
challenges and problems that could really happen. The notes
on page 145 point out characteristics of realistic fiction.
How can your knowledge about these characteristics help
you read and understand fiction?
Review the Focus Strategies
You can also use the strategies you learned about in this
theme to help you read fiction.
Use Story Structure
All stories have a similar organization, known as the story
structure. Look for the conflict, or problem, near the beginning of the story. Then identify the plot events that occur as
the main character tries to resolve the conflict. Last, look for
the resolution, or final outcome.
Use Graphic Organizers
As you read, use graphic organizers
to help you organize information. For
fiction stories, you can use a story
map like the one shown. A story map
shows the important elements of
the story structure.
Characters
Setting
Conflict
Plot Events
Resolution
As you read “Drawing Horses” on pages 146–149, think
about where and how you can use the strategies.
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CONFLICT
At the beginning of the story, look for a
problem that is realistic in today’s world.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations support the setting and
characters described in the text.
DIALOGUE
Dialogue gives clues about what the
characters are like.
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Apply the Strategies Read this realistic fiction story about
a girl who wants to draw as well as one of her classmates. As
you read, apply comprehension strategies, such as using story
structure, to help you understand the text.
by Cerelle Woods
illustrated by Tristan Elwell
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d
Stop an Think
CompStrat_StopThink
zCompStratStopThink
Use
a story map to listText
the characters,
setting, andRunin
conflict.
USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
I’d give anything to draw horses
the way Euphemia Tucker does. She
draws them in the margins of spelling tests and on the back of her
math homework. They’re always
running wild and free, their manes
swirling over the paper like clouds
across the sky.
Euphemia’s horses look so real
you can almost feel their breath on
your face.
Luke Anderson, who sits next to
me, says he can’t decide whether
my horses look more like Great
Danes or kitchen tables. He also
calls me Messy. I prefer Marisa,
which is my real name, to Missy,
which is what everyone–except
Luke–calls me. If I could draw like
Euphemia, I’d sign all my pictures
Marisa. Nobody messes with
Euphemia’s name, not even Luke
Anderson.
Today I sharpened my pencil
and took a clean sheet of paper
out of my desk. Then I closed my
eyes and pictured one of Euphemia’s
perfect horses rearing up and pawing the air with its sharp hooves. I
could see it so clearly I was sure I’d
be able to draw it this time.
I started with what I do best: a
big, billowing mane. Next I roughed
in most of the body and drew a long
tail streaming out behind. It really
wasn’t turning out half-bad until I
got to the front-legs-pawing-the-air
part, which looked like two macaroni noodles with tiny marshmallows
for hooves.
I tried again, but the hooves still
didn’t seem right, and rather than
doing them over and over, I erased
them and went on to the head. That
was when I really ran into trouble.
First I drew some great donkey
ears, followed by sheep ears, pig
ears, kangaroo ears . . . everything
except horse ears. I erased again
and again until I had rubbed a hole
in the paper. That was when Luke
Anderson poked his nose over my
shoulder.
“Hey Messy,” he said. “What are
you drawing? It looks like a T. rex
with a mohawk.”
I scratched a big X through my
earless, macaroni-legged horse,
wadded it up into a little ball, and
stuffed it under the lid of my desk.
I was still upset when I got off
the school bus this afternoon. I
walked past the neighbors’ horses
standing in the field next to our
horse. They’ve been in that field for
as long as I can remember. Their
stringy manes never float into the
sky. Their ragged old tails hang
straight down to the ground, and
I’ve never seen them run. Every few
minutes they stamp their feet to
knock off the fire ants, which is how
I know they’re alive.
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Euphemia probably has her own herd of wild stallions. I bet they
run right past her bedroom window.
I brooded about it all through dinner. After I’d helped clear the
dishes, I sat down with a stack of typing paper and a freshly sharpened pencil. Without Luke Anderson there to pester me, I hoped I’d
have better luck. I practiced a few horses’ heads, trying to get the ears
right. Then my mother walked by, carrying a basket of laundry.
“Nice dogs, Missy,” she said. “Is that one a German shepherd?”
I slammed my pencil against the table, hard. My dad looked up
from his magazine.
“Was it something I said?” Mama asked.
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d
Stop an Think
How is the main character’s problem resolved? USE STORY STRUCTURE
I tossed all the dog heads into the trash and walked
outside. The sun had just sunk below the horizon, feathering the whole sky with pink and orange wisps. Everything looked special in that light, even the scraggly
horses next door.
I dragged a lawn chair over to the fence and sat down
to take a better look at them. They’d never be free spirits
like Euphemia’s horses, but they did seem patient and
strong. I noticed the curves of their muscles, the shadows
on their faces, the shine along their backs. Their colors
reminded me of dessert–rich chocolate, deep cinnamon,
creamy caramel.
I was just sitting there, feeling kind of dazzled by the
unexpected beauty of it all, when I remembered the big
box of pastels my grandmother had sent for my birthday.
“For Marisa,” the card had said, “because she is such a
bright and colorful person.”
An idea began to take shape in my mind, and just
then the cinnamon horse turned its head toward me and
nodded three times. It was like a sign.
I hurried into the house, grabbed the pastels and
some paper, and raced for the door.
“Whoa, there, Missy,” my dad said. “What’s the rush?”
“Gotta run,” I explained. “The sun is going down!”
I choose a deep brown, pulling it across my paper
in the shape of the chocolate horse. It came out right
the first time, even the legs and ears! Drawing horses is
easier when they’re right there in front of you, and I’ll
say this for the ones next door–they hold their poses.
The sky is turning out just as I’d hoped, too; all the
pinks and reds blending together like a strawberry
parfait, and I love the way the caramel horse’s mane is
blowing, just barely, in the wind.
It doesn’t look exactly like one of Euphemia’s horses,
of course. But I already know that when this drawing is
finished, I’ll be signing it Marisa.
149
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