1. Before and During Reading Skills
“Three Skeleton Key”
by George G. Toudouze
Before and During Reading Skills

2. “Three Skeleton Key”
1. Identify and define the two Literary Focus elements in this selection.
2. Identify and define the Reading Focus element in the this text.
3. What is the Writing Focus in this story and what are you asked to do while reading?

3. Author Information
4. Read the information about the author on page 162.
4. Make a list of the things you learned about the author.
4. Circle the detail you think will be the most important to help you understand the story.
5. Read the “Build Background” paragraph and make a list of 3 things you learned.

4. Quick Write Scary Places
Make a list of places that you or others might consider scary.
Explain what makes those places scary.
Which features are common in most of these places?

5. Choose four of the five vocabulary terms below.
For each term, copy the definition, find and copy the sentence from the book that uses the word, construct an original sentence to demonstrate your understanding of the term, and create an illustration that represents the meaning.
Treacherously
Maneuver
Hordes
Receding
Edible

6. “Three Skeleton Key”
Read the text carefully and note the way the author uses the settings to create mood and atmosphere in the story.
Which words and phrases does the author use to make the setting seem terrifying?
Explain your thoughts and ideas and use evidence from the text to support your response.

7. Preview and Predictions
Before Reading Skills
Preview and Predictions
Examine the text features located throughout the selection.
Make a list of the things you “know” or “think you know” based only on the text features.
Make a list of at least 3 things you want to know, but you need to read in order to find out.
What genre or type of text do you think we are reading? Why?

8. Suspense and Foreshadowing
During Reading Skills
Suspense and Foreshadowing
This story “hooks” us with the opening sentence. We immediately want to know about the terrifying experience. This feeling of anxious curiosity is called suspense.
Writers often add to the suspense by dropping hints about what “might” happen later on in the story. This use of clues for added impact is called foreshadowing.
As you read the story, think about which scenes would be effective in a film.

9. Stop and Think!!!
Making Judgments – Do you think Billy will appreciate the puppies more than someone who did not have to work for them? Explain your ideas and thoughts.
Predicting Outcomes – What do you think Billy would have done if his grandfather learned that a pair of dogs cost sixty dollars rather than forty? Explain the reasons for your response.

10. Predictions and Purpose Setting
Which predictions were accurate?
Which ones need to be changed/revised?
Which questions did we find the answers to while reading?
Which questions do we still not know the answer to yet?
Do we need to any any new questions to look for as we read?

11.
Movie Trailer…
Spoken by Vincent Price…