The Grandpa and the Penguin

Friendship

Animal needs

Geography

The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What does it mean to be a friend?

• Reading and discussing “The Grandpa and the Penguin,” along with the other friendship-themed texts in the magazine (the Fiction, “Sasha’s Solo”; the Mini Graphic Novel, “Gabby Solves: The Pokémon Problem”; and the Poem, “The Fabulous Five”), should give kids insight into what makes a good friend.
• Through the above stories, students will discuss: What makes someone a good friend? How can you be a good friend? Can you be a good friend in good times and bad times?

Show "The Big Question" Video (10 minutes)

• Watch “The Big Question: What Does It Mean to Be a Friend?” (This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)
• Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question: “What does it mean to be a friend?”
• Watch the video.
• After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.

Read About Insects (10 minutes)

• Read our Words & Pictures article, “A Peek at Penguins,” (pages 4-5) to provide students with some background knowledge about penguins.

Preview Vocabulary (3-15 minutes)

• Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are polluted, trusted, delighted, and affection.

Preview the First Pages and Set a Purpose for Reading (5-10 minutes)

• Now tell students they are going to read a nonfiction article. Tell them it connects to the video they watched about what makes someone a good friend.
• Open your magazines to “The Grandpa and the Penguin.” Preview the text features on the opening pages.
• Ask, “What do you know about penguins?” (varies)
• Next, read the Think and Read prompt on page 6: “As you read, think about how the grandpa and the penguin are good friends to each other.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read Together (15-30 minutes)

• You can read this article together as a class or in small groups.
• Check comprehension as you read the issue together with the Pause and Think questions.
• Build reading stamina: Play our Video Read-Aloud feature. Kids can hear the issue read aloud and see the imagery come to life. This is especially helpful for giving lower-level readers the same access to the story as their classmates.

• Pass out the quiz to assess comprehension of the article.
• We also offer a lower-level quiz.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (20 minutes)

• Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the article’s vocabulary words.

ELA Focus: Nonfiction Text Features (20 minutes)

• This Big Read is packed with nonfiction text features such as headlines, subheads, maps, captions, and bold words. Kids can do our Nonfiction Text Feature Hunt skills page either digitally online or on a printed copy.

ELA: Synthesize Key Details (15 minutes)

• Have each of your students imagine that they are Dindim the penguin. Using the “Letter From Dindim” printable, they can each write a letter to Joao from Dindim’s perspective, telling him about their travels and experiences.

Enrich the Learning: Paired Text Opportunities (time amount varies)

Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.

Two Different Texts Use this printable to help your students compare and contrast the Big Read with the Words & Pictures feature, “A Peek at Penguins” (pages 4-5).

Additional Pairable Texts The Mini Graphic Novel, “Gabby Solves: The Pokémon Problem” (pages 13-17); the Fiction, “Sasha’s Solo” (pages 25- 29); and the Poem, “The Fabulous Five” (page 32)

• These texts also ask questions similar to those posed in the Big Read. What does it take to be a good friend? What makes someone a good friend?
• Kids can compare the friendships in the texts using our “Friend Chart” printable. How are the texts alike, and how are they different?