Build Background

• Write the word snow on the board and read the word aloud with students. Discuss what students know about snow, such as why it snows, where it snows, when it snows, and so on. Write students' responses on the board around the word snow.
• Ask students to think about activities they might do in the snow. Write these ideas on the board around the word snow. Invite students to share their favorite snow experiences.

Book Walk

Introduce the Book

• Show students the front and back covers of the book and read the title with them. Ask what they think they might read about in a book called Monster Snow Day. (Accept any answers students can justify.)
• Ask students to explain whether the story will be real or fantasy. Have students provide specific details that lead to their conclusion.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).
• Turn to the title page. Review the names of the characters in the story by pointing to each character. Write each name on the board. Have students read each name aloud: Uzzle, Lurk, Bonk.

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions

• Explain that good readers often make predictions, or guesses, about what will happen in a story. Explain that making predictions can help people to make decisions, solve problems, and learn new information. Emphasize that knowing how to make predictions is more important than whether the prediction is right, or confirmed. Readers continue to make new predictions based on clues they read in a story.
• Model using the title page illustration to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the picture on the title page, I notice the expressions on the characters' faces. I see that their eyes are big and their mouths are open. When I make this expression, I am usually surprised or upset about something. What do you think they might be surprised or upset about? The title of the story says Snow Day. Maybe it snows all day long and there is so much snow that the monsters cannot even leave their house.
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Model writing a prediction in the box, such as The monsters are upset because there is too much snow. Invite students to make a prediction based on the cover pictures and title, and write it on their worksheet. Share and discuss the predictions as a group.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Sequence events

• Choose a daily routine students are familiar with, such as getting ready for school. Tell the story out of order (first I eat and get dressed, next I go to school, then I take a shower, last I wake up). Ask students to explain what is incorrect about the story.
• Discuss with students that a story does not make sense when the events are out of order. When they read a story, the beginning is told first, the middle is told next, and the end is told last.
• Write each event of the familiar routine on an index card. Place them in an incorrect order in a pocket chart or along the chalkboard ledge. Model how to sequence events.
  Think-aloud: After I read these sentences, I can see that they are not in the correct order because the information does not make sense. I can tell that this story should be about getting ready for school. If I want someone to be able to describe how to get ready for school, they need to include certain events in order to tell the story correctly. From the events on the cards, the first one should be that I wake up. I will write the word first next to this card. What should happen next? (take a shower) I will write the word next by this card and place it under the first card. After I shower, I should get dressed. I will write the word then next to this card and place it under the second card. What event should be last? (go to school) I will write the word last next to this card and place it under the third card.
• Explain that certain words are often used to explain a sequence of events. Read the list of events on the board with students, using the words first, next, then, and last. Ask students to identify sequencing words from the example.
• Discuss the order of events of a different familiar routine, such as getting ready to go home or getting ready for bed. Remind students that a sequence of events contains only the events that are most important for someone to understand the story. Write each step on an index card and place the cards in order in a pocket chart or along the chalkboard ledge. Use sequencing words to read the story aloud with students.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Cut out the pictures from pages 4 and 14 from an extra copy of the book and place them on the board or along the chalkboard ledge. Write the vocabulary words on index cards: snowflakes, snowstorm, snowballs, and skis. Read the words aloud with students.
• Ask students to explain what falls from the sky when it rains (water droplets). Ask them what would happen to the water droplets if the temperature were much colder outside (they would freeze). Explain that when the temperature is colder, snowflakes fall from the sky instead of rain. Show students the picture from page 4. Ask students to identify what is above Bonk's head (snowflakes).
• Give students a piece of blank white copy paper. Have each student cut out a snowflake. Tape one snowflake near a window and place the word snowflake next to it.
• Ask students to explain what happens when the weather is stormy outside. Ask them to explain what it might look like during a snowstorm. Collect all the snowflakes from students. Tape them over a window so that students cannot see outside. Explain that during a snowstorm, a lot of snow often falls to the ground, making it difficult to see. Place the word snowstorm on the window.
• Invite students to explain what they think a snowball is. Explain that a snowball is snow that has been pressed into a ball. Ask 2 or 3 students to crumple pieces of paper into balls to represent snowballs. Place the snowballs near the window with the word snowball next to them.
• Review with students activities done in the snow. Show students the picture on page 14. Point out the skis and explain that Uzzle is wearing skis. Have students use the picture to explain the activity of skiing. Explain that skis allow people to slide across snow or down hills of snow.
• For tips on teaching high-frequency words or word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read to find out what the monsters do during the snow day. Remind them to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read. Have them think about the event that happened first, next, and so on.

During Reading 

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Give students their copy of the book. Have them read to the end of page 7 and then stop to think about the events that have happened so far in the story. Encourage students who finish before others to reread the text.
• Cut out the pictures from an extra copy of the book. Place the picture from page 3 in a pocket chart or along the chalkboard ledge. Model sequencing events and revising a prediction.
• Think-aloud: If I want someone to be able to tell this story to someone else, certain events need to be included in order to tell the story correctly. As I look at this picture, the first event that happens is Bonk thinks there will be a snowstorm. What happens next? (Bonk cuts out paper snowflakes.) I will place this picture next to the first picture. After that, Uzzle skis down the hall. I will place this picture next to the second picture. Why didn't I describe how Uzzle makes the skis and how quickly he skis downs the hall? (These are details). What happens after that? (Lurk makes a pillow snow monster). I will place this picture next to the third picture. After that, I notice that Lurk and Bonk get upset at each other. I will place this picture next to the fourth picture. In this picture Uzzle appears to be coming towards Bonk with her eyes closed. What do you think might happen? Before reading, I predicted that the monsters are upset because there is too much snow. Now that I have read some of the story, I want to change my prediction. I think that the monsters look upset because they are angry at each other. I will write my revised prediction on my worksheet next to my original prediction.
• Have students review the prediction they made before reading. Have them write a revised prediction next to their first prediction on their worksheet or place a check mark in the Confirm box if their prediction was correct. If they confirmed their prediction, have them make another prediction and write it on their worksheet.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to page 11. Remind them to use the pictures, sentences, and what they already know to make predictions as they read. When they have finished reading, have them revise or confirm their prediction(s) on their worksheet. Discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised.
• Use the cut-out story pictures to discuss the sequence of events through page 11. Remind students that a sequence of events contains only the events that are most important for someone to understand the story.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Remind them to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read and to think about the events of the story in order.

    Have students make a small question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. These can be addressed in the discussion that follows.

After Reading 

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.
• Have students complete their make predictions worksheet. Ask them to explain other predictions they made while reading. Invite students to discuss whether their predictions turned out to be true or whether they needed to be revised.
  Think-aloud: I predicted that the monsters looked upset because they were angry at each other. On page 10, I read that the three monsters were mad at each other, so I can confirm this prediction. What other story clues also support this conclusion? (Bonk stomps his feet, Uzzle scowls, Lurk makes fists, and so on.)
• Ask students to explain how making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them to understand and enjoy the events of the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Use the cut-out story pictures to discuss the sequence of events through the end of the book. Remind students that a sequence of events contains only the events that are most important for someone to understand the story.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the sequence events worksheet.
• Enduring understanding: In this story, words and actions caused the three monsters to become angry at one another. Now that you know this information, what will you do next time you say or do something to someone else? (taking others' feelings and perspectives into consideration before speaking and acting)

Build Skills 

Phonemic Awareness: Diphthong /ou/ and long /o/ digraph sounds

• Say the word how. Ask students to tell the vowel sound they hear at the end of the word. Say the word throw. Ask students to identify the vowel sound at the end of this word.
• Have students practice saying the words aloud, emphasizing the vowel sound in each word.
• Check for understanding: Read the following words, one at a time: now, plow, blow, meow, know, mow, chow, show. Have students show the thumbs-up signal if the word sounds like throw and the thumbs-down signal if the word sounds like how.

Phonics: Identify diphthong and digraph spelling ow

• Write snow, frown, pillow, crow, and cow on the board. Ask students to look carefully at all the words to identify a common letter pattern (ow). Have volunteers circle the ow letter combination in each word.
• Read the words aloud together, emphasizing the sound of the ow letter combination in each word. Ask students to identify the different sound the ow letter combination can make.
• Explain to students that repeated reading of these words and thinking about what makes sense in a sentence will help them to determine which sound the ow letter combination stands for in a word.
• Check for understanding: Write the words down and throw on the board. Write the following sentence on the board under the words: He can ______ the ball ______ the hill. Ask students to read the sentence and determine which word fits in each blank. Point out to students how the clues in the sentence helped them correctly choose and pronounce the word for each blank.
• Have students practice using each word on the board in a written sentence, circling the word with the ow letter combination. When finished, have them read their sentences to a partner.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the vowel diphthong and digraph worksheet.

Grammar and Mechanics: Adjectives

• Write the following sentence on the board: Bonk makes paper snowflakes. Read the sentence aloud with students.
• Review that nouns are naming words that identify a person, place, or thing. Ask students to identify the nouns in the sentence (Bonk, snowflakes).
• Point to the word snowflakes. Ask students to identify a word that describes the snowflakes (paper). Explain that the word paper is an adjective, or a describing word.
• Ask students to think of other words that might be used to describe the snowflakes Bonk is making (big, small, white, pretty, and so on). Discuss with students how adjectives change the way they visualize      story events.
• Check for understanding: Have students read page 5. Ask them to identify the adjective in the first sentence (cardboard). Have them identify the noun the adjectives describes (skis). Ask students to work with a partner to identify additional examples in the book of adjectives and the nouns they describe. Have students share their examples aloud.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the adjectives worksheet.

Word Work: Time and order words

• Review that events in a story happen in a certain sequence, or order. Refer to the sequence of events for getting ready for school during the Introduce the Comprehension Skill section.
• Write the word first on the board. Invite students to identify other time and order words (next, then, last, and so on). Write these words on the board.
• Ask students to explain how time and order words help readers. (They help readers understand the order in which events happen.)
• Check for understanding: Write the following words on index cards: After, Next, Then, Finally, First. Write the following sentences on sentence strips and read them aloud: ______, I put on my coat and zip it up. ______, my gloves go on my hands. ______, I pull on my boots. ______, I go out to play in the snow. ______, I am done playing, I come in for hot chocolate. Yum! Have students identify the time and order word that belongs in each sentence.

Build Fluency 

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Encourage repeated timed readings of a specific section in the book. Additionally, partners can take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Encourage students to sequence the events of the story with someone at home.

Extend the Reading 

Writing and Art Connection
Ask students to think about how the characters in Monster Snow Day behaved toward one another. Discuss positive choices for dealing with anger. Have students read pages 6 through 9. Ask them to choose one character--Bonk, Lurk, or Uzzle--and find the statement(s) on these pages that made the other characters angry. Have students rewrite the character's statement in a positive manner on a separate piece of paper. For example, the statement I don't think so on page 6, could be rewritten to say I like how you used pillows for the big snowballs. Provide paper plates, yarn, and other art supplies for students to create their character's head. Then attach the written statement as a speech balloon and have students share with the class.

Math Connection
Show students a map of the country in which you live. Point out the various regions and identify the place where you live. Discuss the weather in your area during the various seasons. Have students describe a typical day during each season. Choose another location in your country that varies considerably from your own climate. Use the Internet to gather data on the weather for both locations. Create a graph on chart paper to compare the weather in the two locations over a period of two weeks.

Assessment 

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• accurately and consistently make, revise, and confirm predictions during discussion and on a worksheet
• accurately sequence story events during discussion and on a worksheet
• orally identify and discriminate between diphthong sound /ou/ (how) and long /o/ digraph sound (throw)
• recognize and correctly use ow vowel diphthong and digraph words during discussion; correctly sort and write ow vowel diphthong and digraph words on a worksheet
• identify adjectives and the nouns they describe during discussion and on a worksheet
• correctly read, write, and understand the use of time and order words during discussion

Comprehension Checks

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