• Have students write a new Hoppers story in which the Hoppers go on another kind of trip. They can go on a plane trip, boat ride, bus ride, car trip, a ride on a Ferris wheel, or even a trip on a rocket ship.
• Have students follow the model of Vacation Time! Have students brainstorm something that might happen while the Hoppers are on their trip. The boat might go through a storm, or the car might go over a high bridge. Ask students how the characters will react to the problem.
• Have students brainstorm how Grandpa Grizzly could help the Hoppers solve their problem. How could Grandpa Grizzly make them feel better?
• Have the students compose the story as a group. Each student can then provide an illustration for the story. 

Geography Connection: Land Forms

• Find a topographical map. It can be of your local area or of an area that might be of interest to students.
• Show students how the lines on the map represent the height of the land. Mountains have lots of lines going up to their peaks. Flat areas have widely spaced lines. Water is usually blue.
• Have students plot a train route over the land forms. Have them identify when the train will pass over mountains, along flat plains, over plateaus, and across bodies of water. 

Assessment 

• Monitor student discussion before, during, and after reading to see if students can make logical predictions based on the illustrations and preliminary information. Review worksheet 1 to examine student predictions.
• Monitor discussion to see if students can pronounce and identify the ng digraph.
• Review completed worksheet 2 to assess how well students can form comparatives and how well they can use those comparatives in sentences.