About the Book 

Text Type: Fiction/Realistic
Page Count: 16
Word Count: 1,137

Book Summary
Neighborhood Mystery is a story about a boy who notices a strange occurrence every Sunday night in the house across the street. He sees a group of people entering a building, each of them wearing similar-looking uniforms and carrying some kind of case. While on a stakeout, he discovers a wonderful surprise. Illustrations support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Make, revise, and confirm predictions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions to understand text
• Sequence events
• Identify and use contractions
• Identify Spanish vocabulary words used in the text and understand their translation

Materials

• Book -- Neighborhood Mystery (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Index cards
• Prediction, sequence events, contractions, vocabulary worksheets

    Indicates an opportunity for student to mark in the book. (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are reusable.)

Vocabulary

• Content words: binoculars, eerie, folk band, instruments, mariachi, serenade, sombrero, symphony orchestras, ukulele, vihuela

Before Reading 

Build Background

• Ask students to name musical instruments. Write the names of these instruments listed on the board. Discuss the kinds of instruments on the board and place them into groups (percussion, woodwind, brass, string).
• Ask students to share kinds of instrumental ensembles. Write the names of these ensembles on the board (orchestra, symphony, band, and so on). Discuss the kinds of instruments in each ensemble.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is and what it might be about.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).
• Preview the table of contents on page 3. Remind students that the table of contents provides an overview of what the book is about. Ask students what they expect to read about in the book based on what they see in the table of contents. (Accept any answers students can justify.)

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

• Explain to students that good readers often make predictions, or guesses, about what will happen in a book based on the series of events and what the characters say, do, and think in the story. As they read the story, readers make, revise, or confirm predictions based on what they learn from reading.
• Model using the title and cover illustrations to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the illustration on front cover, I see a group of people. It looks as though they are each holding some kind of suitcase. When people carry suitcases, they are often leaving their home for some reason. The people in the picture all appear to be dressed the same. In the title I see the word Neighborhood. Maybe a group of strange people moves into the neighborhood. I'll have to read the book to find out what happens.
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Create a similar chart on the board. Model writing a prediction in the Predict column, such as: A group of strange people moves into the neighborhood. Invite students to make a prediction based on the table of contents, cover illustrations, and title, and write it on their worksheet in the Predict column. 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

• Review or explain that stories are generally told in order from beginning to end.
• Model sequencing the main events of the story Jack and the Beanstalk. Write key words about each event in order on the board as you describe them to students.
• Think-aloud: If I want someone to be able to tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, certain events need to be included to tell the story correctly. In this story, the first event that happens is that Jack goes to town to sell his cow. Next, a man gives him magic beans for his cow. Then, the beans grow into a beanstalk that extends into the sky. After that, Jack climbs up the beanstalk and finds a giant's castle. Next, Jack takes some gold coins and climbs down the beanstalk. Then, Jack climbs back up the beanstalk to steal a hen that lays golden eggs and returns home. After that, Jack climbs up the beanstalk and takes a singing harp. The harp wakes up the giant, who follows Jack down the beanstalk. Last, Jack cuts down the beanstalk before the giant reaches the bottom.
• Explain that certain words are often used to explain a sequence of events. Read the list of events on the board to students in order, using words such as first, next, then, and last. Ask students to identify these types of sequencing words from the example.
• Have a volunteer use the key words on the board to sequence the events of the story out of order. Ask students to explain why the order of the steps is important (the sequence does not make sense out of order).
• Point out to students that the sequence of events listed on the board shows only the events that were most important for someone to understand the story. It does not include all the details of a retelling of the story.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Write the following words from the content vocabulary on the board: binoculars, eerie, and serenade.
• Give groups of students a large piece of blank paper. Have them divide the paper into three parts. For each word, have them write or draw what they know about the word. Have groups discuss and create a definition for each word using their prior knowledge.
• Discuss the definitions and create a class definition for each word. Write each class definition on the board.
• Explain to students that sometimes they will not find any context clues that define an unfamiliar word. Review with students how to locate a word and its definition in the dictionary.
• Have a volunteer read the definition for each word. Compare students' definitions with the dictionary definition. Use the comparison to modify the definition for each word on the board. Have volunteers use the words in oral sentences.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students read the book to find out more about the neighborhood mystery. Remind them to make, revise, and confirm predictions as they read. Have them think about the events of the story that happened first, next, and so on.

During Reading 

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read to the end of page 8 and then stop to think about the events that have happened so far in the story. Encourage students who finish early to reread the text.
• Model revising a prediction.
  Think-aloud: I predicted that a group of strange people moves into town. So far, I've learned that the group arrives at the same house every Sunday. They are not carrying luggage because the cases are too small. I will write this information in the Actual column on the chart on the board. Based on what I've read, I don't think the group of people is moving into the neighborhood. Instead, they appear to be meeting at a neighbor's house every week. However, it is difficult to tell what they are doing. It seems as though the boy will have to get a closer look in order to find out what is happening. Maybe that is why he was packing his binoculars. If so, perhaps he will be able to watch the people without getting caught. I think that the boy will use his binoculars to watch the people inside the house and find out what they are doing without getting caught. I will write my revised prediction in the Predict column on the chart on the board.
• Have students review the prediction they made before reading. Have them write a new or revised prediction on their worksheet in the Predict column. Ask students to place a check mark in a prediction box if that prediction was confirmed.
• Write the following events on the board: The boy sees people enter a house across the street every week; each person carries a kind of case; it is hard to see anything clearly in the dark; the boy hadn't seen anything like this in Boston; the boy asks his friend Maria if she knows what is going on; the boy wanted to play the guitar.
• Discuss and circle the events that are the most important to correctly tell the story. (The boy sees people enter a house across the street every week; the boy asks his friend Maria if she knows what is going on.)
• Ask students to tell what the story is mostly about so far (a boy trying to solve a neighborhood mystery). Review the circled events on the board. Point out that the other information is details that make the story interesting but are not important events that tell about the mystery and how it is solved.
• Introduce and explain the sequence events worksheet. Have students write the circled events in order on their worksheet. Discuss the correct order and allow students time to make corrections on their worksheet as necessary.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to the end of page 11. Remind them to use the illustrations, sentences, and what they already know to make predictions as they read. When they have finished reading, have them make, revise, and/or confirm a prediction on their worksheet. When students have finished, discuss whether their prediction turned out to be true or whether they needed to revise it. Reassure students by explaining that predicting correctly is not the purpose of this reading strategy.
• Ask students to write additional important story events in order on their sequence events worksheet. Discuss the important events as a class and write them on the board in order. (The boy went on a stakeout near the house. He heard music coming from the house.) Allow students to make corrections to their worksheet.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm their predictions as they read the rest of the story.

    Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they have learned to read the words and figure out their meaning.

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.
• Think-aloud: I predicted that the boy would use his binoculars to watch the people inside the house without getting caught. That prediction was partially correct. The boy did use his binoculars to watch the people inside the house. However, his dog started to bark, he jumped out of the bushes, and his flashlight shined on Maria. She discovered him hiding and invited him inside to watch the mariachi band play. I will write this information in the Actual column on my prediction chart.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their prediction worksheet. Ask them to explain other predictions they made while reading. Invite students to discuss whether their prediction turned out to be true or whether it needed to be revised. If time allows, 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: Review with students the sequence of events on their worksheet using sequencing words (first, next, then, after that, and so on). Point out how they used their own words to write each event.
• Independent practice: Have students complete the sequence events worksheet by identifying the remaining important events of the story. If time allows, discuss their answers.
• Enduring understanding: In this story, Alan was confused about what was going on in his neighborhood and decided to investigate on his own. Now that you know this information, why is it important to not make something bigger than it is by letting your imagination get the best of you?

Build Skills 

Grammar and Mechanics: Contractions

• Ask students to turn to page 5 and locate the word can't in the second paragraph. Review or explain that this word stands for two words. Ask students to use context clues to identify which two words were joined together to make the new word (can and not). Write both the contraction and the two words on the board. Point out that the letters n and o in not are dropped to make the contraction.
• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the sentence on page 5, substituting cannot for can't to check if these words make sense in the sentence. (I cannot see much of anything in the darkness.)
• Review or explain that a contraction is a word formed by joining two words and that an apostrophe shows where the letter or letters in the second word have been left out.
• Ask students to turn to page 7 and identify two contractions on the page (Haven't and I've). Ask students to identify which two words were joined together to make each new word (Have and not, I and have). Write each contraction and the pairs of words that were joined together on the board.
• Ask students to identify which letter was dropped to make the contraction haven't (the o in not). Ask them to identify which letters were dropped to make the contraction I've (the h and a in have). Ask volunteers to read the sentences on page 7, substituting Have not for Haven't and I have for I've.
• Have students turn to page 12. Point to the word Eduardo's. Have students read the sentence aloud, substituting is for 's. (Did you come here to hear the mariachi at my Uncle Eduardo is house?) Ask students to explain whether the sentence makes sense. Review or explain that an 's that shows possession is not a contraction. Point out that using context clues helps readers determine whether a word is a possessive noun or a contraction.

  Check for understanding: Have students circle all of the contractions in the book and write the two words each contraction stands for next to the word. Remind them not to circle any words with an 's that shows possession. When they have finished, discuss their answers.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the contractions worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Word Work: Spanish vocabulary

• Discuss the Spanish vocabulary used in this book. Have students turn to page 13 and find a Spanish word in the first paragraph (S’). Ask them to use context clues to tell what S’ means in English (Yes).
• Have students reread page 14. Write the following Spanish words on the board: gracias, viol’n, guitarra, trompeta, guitarr—n, vihuela. Ask students to use context clues to identify the English equivalent for each word (thank you, violin, guitar, trumpet, bass guitar, small guitar). Have volunteers write the English equivalents next to the Spanish words on the board.
• Explain that when pronouncing the letter r in Spanish words, the tongue is rolled. Model saying the Spanish words aloud. Then have students practice saying each word.
• Check for understanding: Have students write each Spanish word on an index card. Have them write the English equivalent on the back of each index card. Divide students into pairs. Have them show their partner each Spanish word, asking their partner to provide the English equivalent.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the vocabulary worksheet. If time allows, invite students to share their responses.

Build Fluency 

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently or with a partner. Encourage repeated timed readings of a specific section of the book.

Home Connection

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

Extend the Reading 

Expository Writing Connection
Have students research and write a report on the history of mariachi. Ask them to identify such information as: its origin, where it is practiced today, what mariachi players wear, and which instruments are used.

Social Studies Connection
Provide students with books about Mexico. Foster a discussion about cultural heritage and traditions. Discuss similarities and differences between Mexican food, language, clothing, customs, and traditions and their own. Record the information on a class Venn diagram.

Assessment 

Monitor students to determine if they can:

• consistently use the strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions to comprehend the text during discussion and on a worksheet
• accurately sequence story events during discussion and on a worksheet
• recognize contractions in text and identify the two words that are joined together to make each contraction during discussion and on a worksheet
• identify and fluently read Spanish content vocabulary; identify the English equivalent for each Spanish word during discussion, with a partner, and on a worksheet

Comprehension Checks

• Book Quiz
• Retelling Rubric

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