1. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander
Written by Donald J. Sobol and Illustrated by Brett Helquist
Compiled by:
Terry Sams PES

2. Study Skills Genre: Realistic Fiction Comprehension Skill: Plot
Comprehension Strategy: Prior Knowledge
Comprehension Review Skill: Compare/Contrast
Vocabulary: Word Structure – Synonyms and Antonyms

3. Summary
A salamander has been stolen from the Den of Darkness in the town aquarium. Encyclopedia Brown, the police chief’s son, solves the mystery that has his dad stumped.

4. Genre: Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction tells about events that could really happen. As you read, think about how the events in this story are similar to events in real life.
(Different PowerPoint on Genre)

5. Comprehension Skill - Plot TE 488
A story’s plot is the important parts of the story.
A plot, or underlying story structure, is found only in fiction
The parts of a plot are the conflict, or problem, the rising action, the climax, and the resolution, or outcome.

6. Comprehension Skill review – Plot and Character PB193
Problem 1.
Rising Action
Cory waited for her turn. 2.
Climax 3.
Resolution 4.
Cory was trying out for a dance group.
Cory danced.
Cory made it into group.
Cory cheered.

7. Comprehension Strategy – Prior Knowledge
Good readers use what they know to help them understand what they read. They try to connect it to what they already know. They think about whether they have ever seen or experienced what they are reading about. This helps understand the new information.

8. Comprehension Skill Review: Compare and Contrast – TE499
A Comparison tells how two or more things are alike.
A Contrast tells how they are different
Clue words such as like or as show comparisons
Clue words such as but or unlike show contrasts.

9. Vocabulary Skill: Synonyms and Antonyms TE 490
When you read, you may come across a word you don’t know.
Sometimes the author will use a synonym or an antonym as a clue to the meaning of the word.
Synonyms are words that mean almost the same thing.
Antonyms are words with opposite meanings.
Click on the title to practice this skill.

10. Research and Study Skill: Card Catalog TE 507L
Card catalogs and databases provide information you need to find a book in the library.
The card catalog has drawers with cards in them. The cards proved information including the author, title, subject, and call number of the book.
You can search a card catalog by any of this information.
A library data bases is the online version of a card catalog.

11. Weekly Fluency Check - Dialogue TE 507a
Your should read dialogue to express each character’s personality and emotions and to make the dialogue should the way real people speak.
Read pg. 496, paragraphs 5-9, and notice how we use our voice to reflect Encyclopedia's feelings of excitement and triumph.

12. Grammar Review – Pronouns
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns.
Pronouns that take place of a singular noun are singular pronouns
I, me, he, she him, her and it
Pronouns that take the place of plural nouns are plural pronouns.
we, us, they, them

13. Grammar Review – Subject and Object Pronouns
A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence.
I, you, he, she, it, we and they
Object pronouns is used in the predicate of the sentence after an action verb or with a preposition.
me, you, him her, it, us and them
Using pronouns makes writing less wordy by avoiding repeated nouns.

14. Grammar Review – Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show who or what possesses something.
The possessive pronouns my, your, her, our, and their are used before nouns
The possessive pronouns mine, yours, hers, ours, and theirs are used alone..
Possessive pronouns his and its are used before nouns and alone.

15. Plot quiz Other Things Other Books Encyclopedia Brown Trivia Game
Salamander Information Sheet
More on Salamanders
Plot PowerPoint
Plot quiz

16. Question of the Week TE 488L
How can attention to detail help solve a problem?

17. Day 2 - Question of the Day
What talents and strategies does Encyclopedia use to solve cases?

18. Day 3 - Question of the Day
How is the Encyclopedia Brown story like and unlike a puzzle?

19. Day 4 - Question of the Day - Review
Should all schools offer a crime lab class like the one in Potterville? Why or why not?

20. Review Questions
Besides working at the aquarium, what do Dr. O’Donnell, Mrs. Brown, and Sam Maine have in common?
What is an important lesson in this story?
What is the setting of the story?
Why did the author write this story?
What was Encyclopedia’s clue that helped him solve the crime?

21. Review Questions
Why would Sam Maine have lied about his experience with animals?
What was Mrs. King doing while Dr. O’Donnell was examining the crocodile?
How are frogs and salamanders alike?
What might Sam have done with the Salamander if he had not been caught?
What did Encyclopedia need before he could solve the crime?

22. reference reptiles stumped lizards exhibit crime Vocabulary - Say It
Salamanders
amphibians
lizards
exhibit
crime
baffled

23. More Words to Know
specimen
frustration
confided
case
damage
court

24. amphibians
cold-blooded animals with backbones and moist scale-less skin. Their young usually have gills and live in water until they develop lungs for living on land.

25. activity of criminals; breaking of the law
crime
activity of criminals; breaking of the law

26. act of displaying; public showing
exhibit
act of displaying; public showing

27. lizards
reptiles with long bodies and tails, moveable eyelids, and usually 4 legs. Some lizards have no legs and look much like snakes.

28. used for information or help
reference
used for information or help

29. reptiles
cold-blooded animals with backbones and lungs, usually covered with horny plates for scales

30. salamanders
animals shaped like lizards, but related to frogs and toads. They have smooth skin and live in water or in damp places.

31. stumped
puzzled

32. confided
told as a secret

33. a feeling of anger and helplessness
frustration
a feeling of anger and helplessness

34. one of a group taken to show what the others are like
specimen
one of a group taken to show what the others are like

35. matter for a court of law to decide
case
matter for a court of law to decide

36. harm or injury that lessons the value or usefulness
damage
harm or injury that lessons the value or usefulness

37. an assembly of persons (judges) who are chosen to administer justice
court
an assembly of persons (judges) who are chosen to administer justice

38. bewildered; hindered someone by being too hard to understand
baffled
bewildered; hindered someone by being too hard to understand

39. Leroy is called Encyclopedia because his brain was filled with more facts than a reference book.

40. Leroy is called Encyclopedia because his brain was filled with more facts than a reference book.

41. A salamander looks like a lizard.

42. A salamander looks like a lizard.

43. A zoo exhibit has live animals on display that you can see up close.

44. A zoo exhibit has live animals on display that you can see up close.

45. It would be a crime to steal an animal from the zoo.

46. It would be a crime to steal an animal from the zoo.

47. Whenever the chief was stumped, Encyclopedia would crack the case for him.

48. Whenever the chief was stumped, Encyclopedia would crack the case for him.

49. Snakes, turtles, and lizards are all reptiles.

50. Snakes, turtles, and lizards are all reptiles.

51. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are all amphibians.

52. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are all amphibians.

53. Writing Assignment Write a Feature Story
Choose a topic that will interest your schoolmates.
It might be a person, a place, or an event.
Use details that show, not tell, your readers about the topic.
Use people’s actual words when possible.

54. Spelling Words Prefixes un-, dis-, and in-
distrust
uncertain
incomplete
unlikely
unfair
discontinue
unaware
disorder
discount
indirect

55. Spelling Words Prefixes un-, dis-, and in-
inability
disapprove
unsolved
disobey
unsuspecting
unopened
disrespect
unimportant
unlisted
disrepair

56. disintegrate disillusioned unconscious unappetizing intolerant
CHALLENGE
disintegrate
disillusioned
unconscious
unappetizing
intolerant

57. This Week’s Word Wall Words
Click and type your own words for this week:

58. Let’s review our Spelling words
Let’s review our Spelling words. Watch carefully because they will flash on the screen for just a moment. We can clap as we spell the word, or we might just practice reading the words.

59. unsuspecting

60. disobey

61. unsolved

62. disapprove

63. inability

64. disrepair

65. unlisted

66. unimportant

67. disrespect

68. unopened

69. indirect

70. discount

71. disorder

72. unaware

73. unfair

74. unlikely

75. incomplete

76. uncertain

77. distrust

78. discontinue

79. disintegrate

80. disillusioned

81. unconscious

82. unappetizing

83. intolerant