Lesson Plans for THE MYSTERY WIND level N

Text Type:
Fictional / Fantasy

Reading Level:
N

Word Count:
864

Pages:
22

Text Summary
The Mystery Wind is a story about a little African girl named Taba. The mystery wind comes to grant Taba several wishes. Taba uses these wishes to help improve the lives of the people in her village. Her unselfishness inspires the mystery wind and will inspire readers as well.

Lesson Objectives
Reading Strategies
Children should use a variety of strategies to determine word meaning and comprehend text. The targeted strategy for this lesson is: Rereading.

Word and Print Skills
Phonics
Long vowels

Word Work
Compound words
Quotation marks

Comprehension
You will likely address a number of comprehension skills as children work to understand the text. The targeted comprehension strategy for this lesson is: Story elementsócharacters, setting, problem, solution, events.

Visual Learning
Visual learning is a very important comprehension strategy. Have children look through the book at the pictures. Ask them what they think the story is about. Have children look at page 12. Ask: Without reading the words, how do we know that Taba is speaking to the wind?

Targeted Vocabulary Words
Content Words
pondered, tending, ridiculous

Before Reading

Introducing the Book
Show children the book and ask: What do you notice? (title, author, illustrator names) Why are the lines swirling around her head? Look at the title page and the back page and have children point out how the illustrator shows the wind. Ask children what they think the book will be about. Look through every page of the book.

Building Background
Make connections to other stories that you might have read about making wishes (The Magic Fish). Talk about when children make wishes (blowing out birthday candles, for instance). Ask: What are some things you would wish for, if you had a chance? What do you think Taba, the girl in the story, will wish for?

Book Walk
Show children the book and point out that this book has chapter titles. Ask: Why do you think books have chapter titles? How will the chapter titles help us understand the story? Have someone read the title of the first chapter. Ask: What do you think this chapter will be about? Why do you think this?
Turn to page 6 and have someone read the chapter title. Ask: What do you think this chapter will be about? Why do you think this? Continue on through the book, having children read the chapter titles on pages 11 and 16.

Reading Strategies
Discuss any reading strategies children can use to help them read. You might ask the following questions:
  • How will the pictures help you read the words?
  • What can you do when you come to a word you cannot read?
  • What can you do if you don’t understand a part you have just read?
  • Suggest a think-aloud strategy to model how you would deal with an unfamiliar word.

During Reading

Student Reading
Have children read the book with a partner. Review some of the strategies readers use while reading: skip the word and read to the end; rereading when the story does not make sense. Say: The purpose for reading today will be to read the story and then complete the worksheet.

After Reading

Comprehending the Text
Have the children gather as a group and ask: Did Taba use her wishes wisely? Why or why not? Look at page 5. Ask: What does it mean to be tending the goats? Look at page 11. Ask: What does " she sat and pondered" mean? How does the illustrator show the wind in the story? Look at pages 6 and 7. Ask: Does Taba seem frightened of the wind? How can you tell?

Visual Learning
Holding the book so children can see it, point to the picture on page 1. Ask: Who is this? Where is Taba? Point out the action and speaking lines. Ask: What are these lines for? What do they tell you? Ask children what they think the book will be about. Discuss their guesses to reinforce the information they draw from the illustrations.

Building Skills

Phonics
Have children work in pairs to look through the story and list all of the long-vowel words. Then have them sort these long-vowel words into long a, long e, long i, long o, and long u. Have them read the words aloud to each other, enunciating the long vowel sounds in each word.

Word Work
Compound Words
Review compound words. Have children look through the story and find some compound words. Have children complete the worksheet. On the chalkboard, write the words milkshake, goldfish, birthday, backpack, classroom, subway, and sidewalk. Have children volunteer to come up to the board and draw lines between the two words that make up each compound word.

Quotation Marks
Have children turn to page 4 and find the quotation marks. Ask: Why does an author use quotation marks? Have a discussion about the use of quotation marks. Look through the text at a few quotations. On page 4, have volunteers read just the quotations. Continue through the book, looking for quotation marks and having children read the quotes.

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
Have children write about what their wish would be if they met the wish-granting wind. Ask: Would you wish for something for yourself? If they choose to, they may put their wish in story form, putting themselves in Taba’s role in The Mystery Wind.

Art Connection
The illustrations in the story could be used as a model for writing or art, showing children ways that illustrators show action in their drawings. Have them draw a picture related to their wish from the Writing Connection section. Have them use action lines to show what is happening.

Reading Independently
Have children read the book independently or with a partner. You can also encourage them to read other books of their choice at the appropriate level.

Home Connection
Have children take their book home and share what they have learned with a family member. Have children ask a parent or another family member about a difficult time, like the one Taba’s villiage was facing, in his or her life, or in history, and how it improved. Have children write a few sentences about what his or her family member has shared.

Assessment
  • Monitor children’s responses in the Comprehending the Text section to assess how well they understand the text or story.
  • Monitor reading to see if children are using the effective reading strategies.
  • Monitor their use of one-to-one correspondence as they read the text.
  • Monitor their ability to understand and use long vowels.
  • Check the Comprehension and Skills Activity Sheets for following directions and completing the activity accurately.


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