Book Summary
Takehito's Tango tells the story of a young Japanese boy named Takehito and his desire to make friends and fit in at his new school. His teacher pushes him to participate in the talent show, which sets him on a mission to uncover a hidden talent. With the help of young Melinda, he works hard to learn a dance called the tango. He picks up the steps quickly and even begins to enjoy the attention of his admirers. On the day of the talent show, he takes the stage, and Takehito realizes that he has already made at least one friend--Melinda. Illustrations and diagrams support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Visualize

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of visualizing to understand text
• Analyze characters in the text
• Understand the use of a dash as punctuation
• Recognize and use synonyms and antonyms
• Use a thesaurus

Materials

• Book -- Takehito's Tango (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Thesauruses
• Index cards
• Visualize, analyze characters, dash, synonyms and antonyms worksheets
• Discussion cards

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

Vocabulary

• Content words: audience, awkward, clumsily, entranced, deliberate, footwork, performance, rhythm, spectators, tango, traditionally