Text and Photos by Richard Sobol Richard Sobol Day 1Day 1 Day 4Day 4 Day 2Day 2 Day 5Day 5 Day 3 Vocabulary Definitions Vocabulary Sentences Additional Resources

Study Skills Genre: Photo Essay Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion Comprehension Strategy: Graphic Organizers Comprehension Review Skill: Generalize Vocabulary: Homonyms

Genre: Photo Essay Photo essays use words and pictures to tell about someone or something. As you read, notice how the words and images work together to tell about Adelina and her whales.

Summary Adelina Mayoral lives in La Laguna, Mexico. Each January, the gray whales arrive in the lagoon near La Laguna and stay for three months before migrating farther north for the summer. Whale-watchers, scientists, and photographers visit La Laguna from all over the world to observe and interact with the whales.

Skill Review: Generalizing Sometimes as you read, you are given ideas about several things or people. When you make a statement about all of them together, you are making a generalization. These are some of the clue words that help locate generalizations: all, none, many, most, always, usually, few, general. A valid generalization is accurate. A faulty generalization is not accurate.

Practice Generalization 1. What is an example of a generalization? Many birds migrate, or move from one place to another. 2. How do you know this is a generalization? The word many gives a clue that not all birds migrate. 3. What is another generalization? Some birds will fly the same path each year. 4. How do you know this is a generalization? The word some gives a clue.

Day 1 - Question of the Week What patterns in nature guide the lives of animals?

Vocabulary - Say It bluff lagoon tropical massive biologist rumbling

More Words to Know altitude ascent swans zone encounter exhaling

Comprehension Strategy – Graphic Organizers Good readers organize their thoughts as they read. Jotting down lists or making charts can help you separate statements of fact or opinion. Using a graphic organizer can help you to understand what you read.

Listen to the Story

Comprehension Skill – Fact and Opinion A fact is a statement that can be proved true or false by doing research.

Fact and Opinion Opinions tell about a person’s beliefs, feelings, or way of thinking that cannot be proved. It often contains a word of judgment, such as best, should, or beautiful. It may begin with the words: in my opinion or I believe.

1. The average wait of a gray whale is from 30 to 40 tons? 2. A gray whales tail measures 10 to 12 foot across.

What is an action verb? It is a verb that tells what action someone or something is performing.

Action Verbs List the action verb in each sentence. 1. The musician placed the flute in its case. 2. This camera takes excellent pictures. 3. The ship struck the dock. Answers: placed, takes, & struck

List the words that are connected by the linking verbs. 1. That purple jewel is an amethyst. ____________________________ Answer: jewel & amethyst

List the words that are connected by the linking verbs. 3. Her favorite colors are turquoise and tan. __________________________ Answer: colors, turquoise & tan

Examples of Helping verbs Is Are Was Were Has Have Had Shall Will Can May Should Would Could Might Must Do Did Does

Helping Verbs List the complete verb phrase. 1. Government officials were sent to the flood area.

Helping Verbs 1. Government officials were quickly sent to the flood area.

Examples of Linking verbs: Linking verbs: Be Being Am Is Are Was Were Appear Become Sensory Linking verbs: Feel Grow Look Remain Seem Smell Sound Stay Taste Turn More linking verbs: Shall be Will be Has been Have been Had been Shall have been Will have been Should be Would be Can be Could be Should have been Would have been Could have been

Helping Verbs 2. The new students should have been taken to meet the principal.

Spelling Words Homophones their there wait weight passed past allowed aloud throne thrown

Spelling Words Homophones beet beat bye by threw through break brake peace piece

CHALLENGE stationery stationary cymbal symbol principle principal

Day 2 - Question of the Day What is the migration pattern of the gray whales Adelina sees?

a high, steep slope or cliff

a pond or small lake, especially one connected with a larger body of water

of or like the regions degrees north or south of the equator where the sun can shine directly overhead

 big and heavy; bulky

scientist who studies living things, including their origins, structures, activities, and distribution

making a deep, heavy, continuous sound

high above sea level

act of going up; upward movement

large water birds with long, slender, curving necks

any of the five great regions of Earth’s surface, bounded by imaginary lines going around Earth parallel to the equator

an unexpected meeting

breathing out

Weekly Fluency Check - Tone of Voice ● You need to change the tone of your voice as you read dialogue to reflect characters’ emotions and make the reading lively. ● Read p. 292m for students to dramatize characters voices.

3. Gray whales swim threw the water. At around 3 to 5 miles per hour. 4. They migrate from the bering sea too Baja, California.

Highlight the Verb The girls had gone shopping. Mom ran errands today. She is washing the car. Mike wants a new dog. Sue is pretty. The dog was running down the road. I want to go to the beach. Bob is eating a sandwich.

Group Work Tri-Fold Section 2 Partner Read & WB 114 Spelling Day 2 WB 46 Language Day 2 WB 45 SmartBoard Verb GameVerb Game

TOC

Day 3 – Question of the Day What mysteries of the whales might Adelina try to unlock some day?

Review Questions 1.How do you know the whales are important to Adelina? 2.How were the people in La Laguna like the people who visited the village? 3.What did Adelina mean when she said, “Laguna is the place where two worlds join together?”

Review Questions 1.Give an example of how you know Adelina has a good understanding of nature. 2.Why do you think the author wrote this selection? 3.Who did the author say was the first person to have a visit from the whales? 4.Why do the mother whales come to the lagoon?

Adelina was awakened by a loud, low, rumbling noise.

A gray whale was exhaling a blast of hot air as large as a room.

The mother whales come to the lagoon to have their babies.

The whales lift their massive heads out of the water.

Adelina’s grandfather was tanned from the bright tropical sun.

Her grandfather told many stories about his first encounter with the whales.

Adelina might become a biologist who studies the ocean when she grows up.

Her home is a simple shack on a sandy bluff hugging the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

The swan is a type of bird that migrates to a milder climate at summer’s end.

The swan gains altitude as he makes his ascent into the air.

Their wings carry them swiftly and surely from zone to zone.

5. You can see the whales, when they be swimming close to shore. 6. If you is looking for an exciting trip go on a whale watch.

Group Work Spelling Day 3WB 47 Language Day 3 WB 46 SmartBoard-Verb GameVerb Game Partner Read & WB Tri-Fold Section 3

Day 4 - Question of the Day What questions might a scientist ask about migration?

7. The people of La laguna is enjoying the visiting whales. 8. The whale’s like the people two.

Homonymes Game Internet4classroom

Group Computer Reading Test Essay Questions Language Arts WB 47 Illustrate 2 sets of homophones Tri-Fold Section 4

Essay Questions 1. How did you know that the whales were important to Adelina? 2. Why did Adelina say that Laguna San Ignacio “is the place where two worlds join together?” 3. How were the people who live in La Laguna like the people who visited the village?

Day 5 - Question of the Week What patterns in nature guide the lives of animals?

Research/Study Skills – Readers’ Guide The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature lists articles and other writing published in magazines and journals. This reference is published in a series of volumes organized by date. Researchers can search for articles by subject or by author name. Each entry shows the article name, authors, titles and date of the source it is in, and the pages on which the article appears.

9. Whales have huge brains and it “talk” to each other in clicks and rumbles. 10. What amazing creature they are?

Group Work Reading Language Day 5 Tri-Fold Section 5 SmartBoard Game- HomonymsHomonyms Writing Assignment

TOC

Writing Assignment - Write a Friendly Letter Write a letter to a friend about where you live. Make a realistic, clear picture in words by using specific details. Use exact nouns when describing details. Be sure to use commas where needed in a letter.

The author’s viewpoint is the way an author looks at his or her subject. Look at statements of opinion an author expresses and the statements of fact the author includes. Try to figure out the author’s viewpoint even when it is not stated.

Fun Stuff and Practice McGraw Hill Activities 4 th Grade Activities 4 th Grade Activities Video Meet the Author Verbs Game Reading Review Homonyms Verb Power Game BrainPop: They're, There, & Their Quia: Distinguishing Fact & Opinion Fact & Opinion Quia: Fact or Opinion Game 2 Editing Friendly Letters 1 Editing Friendly Letters 2 Editing Friendly Letters 3