The Stranger
Compiled by:
Terry Sams PES
Text and Art
by Chris Van Allsburg
Study Skills
 Genre:
Fantasy
 Comprehension Skill:
Cause and Effect
 Comprehension Strategy:
Ask Questions
 Comprehension Review Skill:
Compare Contrast
 Vocabulary: Multi-meaning Words
Summary
In late summer, a farmer hits a
man in the road with his truck. The
speechless stranger then spends
several weeks on the farm. The
weather stays warm into autumn,
and the leaves around the farm
remain green. The stranger
realizes something is wrong. he
leaves the farm, and the weather
returns to normal.
Genre: Fantasy

A fantasy is a story that
could never really
happen. As you read,
decide which events in
this story could never
happen in real life.
Fantasy
A story that could not
possibly happen. A story
that tells about things that
could not really happen
except in one’s
imagination. Stories that
tell about such things as
talking animals, huge
giants, weird monsters,
and other such imaginary
beings.
Comprehension Skill Tested –
Cause and Effect
 An
TE 291a
effect is something that happens.
 A cause explains why it happens.
 Writing may include clue words such as
because, in order to, so, and as a result to
link causes and effects.
 If these words are missing, readers need
to think about cause-and-effect
relationships on their own.
Practice Book p. 108
Comprehension Strategy –
Ask Questions
 Good
readers ask themselves
questions as they read.
 This helps focus reading because they
are looking for answers.
 Asking questions is especially helpful
when looking for causes and effects.
 Ask yourself, “Why did this happen?”
to find a cause.
 Ask, “What happened because of
this?” to find an effect.
Comprehension Skill Review:
Compare and Contrast - PB 106
A
Comparison tells how two or
more things are alike.
 A Contrast tells how they are
different
 Clue words such as like or as
show comparisons
 Clue words such as but or
unlike show contrasts.
Vocabulary Skill:
Multiple-Meaning Words
 Many
words have more than one
meaning. To decide which meaning
of a word is being used, look for
clues in the surrounding sentences
or paragraph.
 Use context clues, experience, and
word order to decide on the correct
meaning of a multiple-meaning
Click on the title to practice this skill.
word.
Multiple-Meaning Words
Word from story
lying p.274
direction p. 278
tagged pg. 279
seasons p. 281
might p. 283
Meaning 1
flat position on
ground
Meaning 2
telling an untruth
Research/Study Skills –
Almanac - TE 291l – PB 109-110
 An almanac is a reference book
published each year.
 It contains calendars, weather
information, dates of holidays,
and charts and tables of
current information, such as
populations of cities.
Research/Study Skills –
Almanac - TE 291l – PB 110
A
table of contents at the front lists
main topics in the order they appear.
 An index at the back lists the book’s
topics in alphabetical order.
 Tables and charts present information
in an organized visual form that makes
facts and data easy to find and
compare.
Fun Stuff and Practice
 Multi-meaning
Words
 Cause and Effect
 Cause and Effect On-Line PowerPoint
 Compare and Contrast
 Compare Contrast PowerPoint
 Meet the Author
 Verbs and more Verbs and Linking Verbs
Weekly Fluency Check Pitch TE 291a
● You need to change the pitch
of your voice for certain words
and characters’ speeches to
make the reading lively and
enjoyable.
● Read p. 268m for students to
dramatize characters voices.
Question of the Week
TE 267m
What
changes
in nature take
place in the fall?
Day 2 - Question of the
Day
What
is mysterious
about the man Mr.
Bailey strikes with
his truck?
Day 3 - Question of the Day
Since
the stranger’s
visit, how is fall on
the Bailey farm
different from
nearby farms?
Day 4 - Question of the
Day - Review
How
would you
describe the fall
season to someone
who lives in a climate
that is always warm?
Review Questions
1.Name at least one event that
could not really happen?
2.How is the stranger different
from most people?
3.Give a clue that the weather
should have started to change?
4.How can you tell the stranger
was not a hermit?
Review Questions
1. What are some effects the
stranger’s visit had on the Bailey
farm? What is the most important?
2. Why did the pumpkins grow larger
than ever?
3. How can you tell the stranger
continued to care about the Baileys?
4. What might have happened if he had
stayed with the Baileys?
Vocabulary - Say It
draft
fascinated
etched terror
frost
parlor
timid
More Words to Know
drab
hermit
hypnotized
barren
crops
sprout
wilt
barren
 not
able to produce
crops
plants
grown
or gathered by
people for their use
sprout
to
produce new
leaves, shoots, or
buds
wilt
to
become limp and bend
down; to wither
draft
current
of air
timid
easily
shy
frightened;
terror
great
fear
fascinated
interested
greatly;
attracted very
strongly; charmed
etched
engraved;
a design or
drawing on a metal plate
or glass
frost
moisture
frozen on or
in a surface
parlor
formerly,
a room for
receiving or entertaining
guests; sitting room
drab
not
attractive; dull;
monotonous
hypnotized
put
into a
condition
resembling
deep sleep
hermit
person
who goes
away from others
and lives alone
It was so hot that
the crops began
to wilt and die.
It was so hot that
the crops began
to wilt and die.
When Persephone
returns to her
mother, the barren
fields will sprout
with new flowers.
When Persephone
returns to her
mother, the
barren fields
will sprout
with new flowers.
The steam that
rose from the hot
food fascinated
him.
The steam that
rose from the hot
food fascinated
him.
He looked up
with terror and
jumped to his
feet.
He looked up
with terror and
jumped to
his feet.
Mrs. Bailey sat
the stranger on
the parlor sofa.
Mrs. Bailey sat
the stranger on
the parlor
sofa.
Mrs. Bailey
shivered and said,
“There’s a draft in
here tonight.
Mrs. Bailey
shivered and said,
“There’s a draft in
here tonight.
He became one of
the family as he
became less timid
each day.
He became one of
the family as he
became less
timid each day.
The stranger had
etched a message
in the frost of the
windows.
The stranger had
etched a message
in the frost of the
windows.
Mr. Bailey thought
the stranger might
be a hermit
because he was
alone.
Mr. Bailey thought
the stranger might
be a hermit
because he was
alone.
The stranger
stared at the birds
like he had been
hypnotized.
The stranger
stared at the birds
like he had been
hypnotized.
The trees around
the Baileys’
seemed so drab
and ugly to the
stranger.
The trees around
the Baileys’
seemed so drab
and ugly to the
stranger.
Writing Assignment
Write a Science Log Entry
 Think
of something in nature that
interests you.
 It might be a garden, a snowstorm,
a river, or a season.
 Write a description using exact
nouns and powerful verbs.
 Write in a way that allows your
personality to shine through.
Spelling Words
adding -ed and -ing
hurrying
hurried
robbing
noticed
slipped
slipping
noticing
happening
robbed
happened
Spelling Words
Adding -ed and -ing
drying
dried
stopping
stopped
studying
studied
dancing
danced
watched
watching
CHALLENGE
answered
answering
magnified
magnifying
interfered
interfering
This Week’s Word Wall Words
Click and type your own
words for this week:
Let’s review our Spelling
words. Watch carefully
because they will flash on the
screen for just a moment. We
can clap as we spell the word,
or we might just practice
reading the words.
watched
watching
watch
dancing
dance
danced
studied
study
studying
stopped
stop
stopping
dried
dry
drying
happened
happen
happening
noticed
notice
noticing
robbed
rob
robbing
hurried
hurry
hurrying
slipping
slip
slipped