Big Question: How can
attention to detail help
solve a problem?
Author:
Donald J. Sobol
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Story
Sort
Vocabulary Words:
Arcade
Games
Study Stack
Spelling City: Vocabulary
Spelling City: Spelling Words
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Vocabulary Words
 amphibians







crime
exhibit
lizards
reference
reptiles
salamanders
stumped
More Words to Know

confided

frustration

specimen

case

damage

court
Question of the Day
How can attention to
detail help solve a
problem?
 Build
Concepts
 Plot
 Prior
Knowledge
 Build Background
 Vocabulary
 Fluency: Characterization/Dialogue
 Grammar: Contractions and Negatives
 Spelling: Prefixes: un-, dis-, and in Inquiry
 Listen
as I read “Something Fishy.”
 As I read, notice how I read dialogue
to express each character’s
personality and emotions and to make
the dialogue sound the way real
people speak.
 Be ready to answer questions after I
finish.
What
is the story’s main
problem?
How does the magistrate
solve the problem?
case – matter for a court of law to
decide
 damage – harm or injury that
lessens the value or usefulness
 court – an assembly of persons
(judges) who are chosen to
administer justice


(Next Slide)
Concept
Vocabulary
(To add information to the graphic organizer, click on end
show, type in your new information, and save your
changes.)
The Law
Inquiry
Crimes
or
problems
Plot,
Prior Knowledge
Turn to Page 488 - 489.
Work
Mystery
Stories
Helping
Others
Rewards
 This
week’s audio focuses on a
police detective and crime
solving. After we listen, we will
discuss what you learned and
how this career relates to the
concept of mysteries.
Vocabulary
Words
 amphibians – cold-blooded animals
with backbones and moist, scale-less
skins. Their young usually have gills
and live in water until they develop
lungs for living on land.
 crime – activity of criminals;
violation of law
 exhibit – act of displaying; public
showing
 lizards – reptiles with long bodies
and tails, movable eyelids, and
usually four legs. Some lizards have
no legs and look much like snakes.
 reference – used for information or
help
 reptiles – cold-blooded animals with
backbones and lungs, usually covered
with horny plates or scales
 salamanders – animals shaped like
lizards, but related to frogs and
toads. Salamanders have moist,
smooth skin and live in water or in
damp places.
 stumped – puzzled
 confided – told as a secret
frustration – a feeling of anger and
helplessness
 specimen – one of a group taken to
show what the others are like


(Next
Slide)
i was unware that salamanders
and lizard’s looked so similiar
 I was unaware that salamanders
and lizards looked so similar.
 a salamanders skin are damp, a
lizards is’nt
 A salamander’s skin is damp. A
lizard’s isn’t.

 If
he’s a lizard expert, then I’m
the Queen of England.
 He’s
and I’m are contractions.
Each contraction is made up of
two words (he is and I am), with
one letter replaced by an
apostrophe.
A
contraction is a shortened form of
two words. An apostrophe takes the
place of one or more letters. Some
contractions are formed from a
pronoun and a verb: she is = she’s.
 Other
contractions combine a verb
and the word not: would not =
wouldn’t.
Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs
I am
it us (has)
I’m
it’s
I had (would)
you had (would)
I’d
you’d
they are
she will
they will
they’re
she’ll
they’ll
we have
she is (has)
we are
we’ve
she’s
we’re
she had (would)
she’d
he had (would)
he’d
you have
he is (has)
you are
you’ve
he’s
you’re
we will
he will
I have
we’ll
he’ll
I’ve
I will
you will
I’ll
you’ll
they have
they’ve
Contractions with Verbs and not
is not
were not
isn’t
weren’t
did not
would not
cannot
didn’t
wouldn’t
can’t
are not
aren’t
has not
does not
could not
hasn’t
doesn’t
couldn’t
was not
wasn’t
have not
haven’t
will not
should not
won’t
shouldn’t

Chief Brown is not happy.

isn’t

He is having difficulty solving a
case.

He’s

It is about a missing salamander.

It’s
 I have read another Encyclopedia
Brown story.


I have – I’ve
I could not guess what was going to
happen.

could not – couldn’t

That boy did not have any difficulties.

did not – didn’t
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Question of the Day
What talents and
strategies does
Encyclopedia use to
solve cases?
 Context
Clues
 Plot
 Vocabulary
 Fluency:
Echo Reading
 Grammar: Contractions and Negatives
 Spelling: Prefixes: un-, dis-, and in Time for Science: Salamanders
 Inquiry
Vocabulary Strategy:
Context Clues for
Synonyms and
Antonyms
Turn to Page 490 - 491.
Encyclopedia Brown
and the Case of the
Slippery Salamander
Turn to Page 492 - 497.
 Turn
to page 486, paragraphs 5-9.
 As I read, notice how I convey
Chief Brown’s frustration about the
unsolved case and Mrs. Brown’s
surprise at the salamander’s value.
 We will practice as a class doing
three echo readings of this
paragraph.
is it unfare to keep animals in
captivity
 Is it unfair to keep animals in
captivity?
 some animal’s dont seem to mind
being in cajes
 Some animals don’t seem to mind
being in cages.

A
contraction is a shortened form of
two words with an apostrophe taking
the place of one or more letters.
 Contractions
can be formed from a
pronoun and a verb ( I + am = I’m).
 Contractions
may also be formed
from a verb and the word not
(is + not = isn’t).
Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs
I am
it us (has)
I’m
it’s
I had (would)
you had (would)
I’d
you’d
they are
she will
they will
they’re
she’ll
they’ll
we have
she is (has)
we are
we’ve
she’s
we’re
she had (would)
she’d
he had (would)
he’d
you have
he is (has)
you are
you’ve
he’s
you’re
we will
he will
I have
we’ll
he’ll
I’ve
I will
you will
I’ll
you’ll
they have
they’ve
Contractions with Verbs and not
is not
were not
isn’t
weren’t
did not
would not
cannot
didn’t
wouldn’t
can’t
are not
aren’t
has not
does not
could not
hasn’t
doesn’t
couldn’t
was not
wasn’t
have not
haven’t
will not
should not
won’t
shouldn’t
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Question of the Day
How is the Encyclopedia
Brown story like and unlike
a puzzle?
 Prior
Knowledge
 Compare and Contrast
 Vocabulary
 Fluency: Characterization/Dialogue
 Grammar: Contractions and
Negatives
 Spelling: Prefixes: un-, dis-, and in Inquiry
Encyclopedia Brown
and the Case of the
Slippery Salamander
Turn to Page 498 - 503.
 Turn
to page 499, paragraphs 4-10.
 As I read, notice how my voice
reflects Encyclopedia’s feelings of
excitement and triumph when he
solves the case.
 Now we will practice together as a
class by doing three echo readings.
mouses seems perfectly happy as
pets
 Mice seem perfectly happy as
pets.
 im not so sure large animels such
as bears and mooses, enjoy zoos
 I’m not so sure large animals,
such as bears and moose, enjoy
zoos.

A
contraction is a shortened form of
two words with an apostrophe taking
the place of one or more letters.
 Contractions
can be formed from a
pronoun and a verb ( I + am = I’m).
 Contractions
may also be formed
from a verb and the word not
(is + not = isn’t).
Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs
I am
it us (has)
I’m
it’s
I had (would)
you had (would)
I’d
you’d
they are
she will
they will
they’re
she’ll
they’ll
we have
she is (has)
we are
we’ve
she’s
we’re
she had (would)
she’d
he had (would)
he’d
you have
he is (has)
you are
you’ve
he’s
you’re
we will
he will
I have
we’ll
he’ll
I’ve
I will
you will
I’ll
you’ll
they have
they’ve
Contractions with Verbs and not
is not
were not
isn’t
weren’t
did not
would not
cannot
didn’t
wouldn’t
can’t
are not
aren’t
has not
does not
could not
hasn’t
doesn’t
couldn’t
was not
wasn’t
have not
haven’t
will not
should not
won’t
shouldn’t
 Using
contractions makes writing
sound like natural speech.
I
am glad he is here. I’m glad
he’s here.
 The
second sentence sounds
more informal and natural than
the first sentence.
 Review
something you have
written to see if you can use
contractions to make your
writing sound more like natural
speech.
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Question of the Day
Would you like a crime
lab class in your school?
What skills would you
like to learn in such a
class?
 Newspaper
Article
 Reading Across Texts
 Content-Area Vocabulary
 Fluency: Partner Reading
 Grammar: Contractions and
Negatives
 Spelling: Prefixes: un-, dis-, and in Time for Science: Experiments
“Young Detectives of
Potterville Middle
School”
Turn to Page 504 - 507.
 Turn
to page 499, paragraphs 4-
10.
 Read these paragraphs three
times with a partner. Be sure to
read dialogue dramatically,
showing Encyclopedia’s personality
and emotions and offer each
other feedback.
when i visit a new city i always
see if theres a aquarium
 When I visit a new city, I always
see if there’s an aquarium.
 i gone to one in florida last year
 I went to one in Florida last year.

A
contraction is a shortened form of
two words with an apostrophe taking
the place of one or more letters.
 Contractions
can be formed from a
pronoun and a verb ( I + am = I’m).
 Contractions
may also be formed
from a verb and the word not
(is + not = isn’t).
Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs
I am
it us (has)
I’m
it’s
I had (would)
you had (would)
I’d
you’d
they are
she will
they will
they’re
she’ll
they’ll
we have
she is (has)
we are
we’ve
she’s
we’re
she had (would)
she’d
he had (would)
he’d
you have
he is (has)
you are
you’ve
he’s
you’re
we will
he will
I have
we’ll
he’ll
I’ve
I will
you will
I’ll
you’ll
they have
they’ve
Contractions with Verbs and not
is not
were not
isn’t
weren’t
did not
would not
cannot
didn’t
wouldn’t
can’t
are not
aren’t
has not
does not
could not
hasn’t
doesn’t
couldn’t
was not
wasn’t
have not
haven’t
will not
should not
won’t
shouldn’t
 Test
Tip: Most contractions formed
from a verb and the word not have
an apostrophe in place of the o in not
but no other letter changes: isn’t,
aren’t, don’t, doesn’t, wasn’t, weren’t,
couldn’t, shouldn’t.
 However,
there are two exceptions:
will not = won’t; cannot = can’t.
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Question of the Day
How can attention to
detail help solve a
problem?
 Build
Concept Vocabulary
 Plot
 Idioms
 Context
Clue
 Grammar: Contractions and Negatives
 Spelling: Prefixes: un-, dis-, and in Card Catalog/Database
 Inquiry
A
plot, or underlying story
structure, is found only in fiction.
 A plot begins when a character has
a problem or conflict.
 The problem builds up during the
rising action, is met directly at the
climax, and comes to an end, as the
action winds down, during the
resolution.
 An
idiom is a phrase or expression
whose meaning cannot be understood
from the ordinary meaning of the
words that form it.
 Context clues will sometimes help
you figure out the meaning of an
idiom.
 Some idioms can be found in a
dictionary by looking up a keyword
contained in the idiom.
 Synonyms
are words that mean
the same or about the same.
 Antonyms are words that are
opposites.
 A synonym or an antonym may
appear as a context clue near an
unfamiliar word.
 Reread
the last paragraph on
page 494 and look for a synonym
for the word leaked.
 Choose other story words, use a
thesaurus to find a synonym and
antonym for each word, and write
sentences that include the story
word and a synonym or antonym.
Word
Synonym/Antonym
Sentence
 How
would you find books about
salamanders in the library?
 A card catalog and library
database provide information to
help readers find library books.
 A card catalog has drawers with
cards on each book in the library.
 The
cards are organized
alphabetically. You can search
for a book by author, title, or
subject.
 The call number is an
identification number that shows
where each book is stored on the
library shelves.
A
library database is the online
version of the card catalog.
john love snakes but hes afraid
of spiders
 John loves snakes, but he’s
afraid of spiders.
 lizard’s look like dinosaurs, but
their a lot smaller
 Lizards look like dinosaurs, but
they’re a lot smaller.

A
contraction is a shortened form of
two words with an apostrophe taking
the place of one or more letters.
 Contractions
can be formed from a
pronoun and a verb ( I + am = I’m).
 Contractions
may also be formed
from a verb and the word not
(is + not = isn’t).
Contractions with Pronouns and Verbs
I am
it us (has)
I’m
it’s
I had (would)
you had (would)
I’d
you’d
they are
she will
they will
they’re
she’ll
they’ll
we have
she is (has)
we are
we’ve
she’s
we’re
she had (would)
she’d
he had (would)
he’d
you have
he is (has)
you are
you’ve
he’s
you’re
we will
he will
I have
we’ll
he’ll
I’ve
I will
you will
I’ll
you’ll
they have
they’ve
Contractions with Verbs and not
is not
were not
isn’t
weren’t
did not
would not
cannot
didn’t
wouldn’t
can’t
are not
aren’t
has not
does not
could not
hasn’t
doesn’t
couldn’t
was not
wasn’t
have not
haven’t
will not
should not
won’t
shouldn’t
• distrust
• uncertain
• incomplete
• unlikely
• unfair
• discontinue
• unaware
• disorder
• discount
• indirect
• unopened
• disrespect
• unimportant
• unlisted
• disrepair
• inability
• disapprove
• unsolved
• disobey
• unsuspecting
• disintegrate
• disillusioned
• unconscious
• unappetizing
• intolerant
Story test
› Classroom webpage,
› Reading Test
 AR
› Other Reading Quizzes
› Quiz #
