1. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom

2. Vocabulary/Word Work: Homophones Homophones, or homonyms, are words that are pronounced the same but have different spellings and meanings. here/hearseen/scene there/theirfour/for rain/reinthrough/threw blue/blewplains/planes needed/kneadedburies/berries seen/sceneroad/rode

3. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom The Polar Express (p. 1) On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound---a sound a friend had told me I’d never hear--- the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh. “There is no Santa,” my friend had insisted, but I knew he was wrong. Late that night I did hear sounds, through not of ringing bells. From outside came the sounds of hissing steam and squeaking metal. I looked through my window and saw a train standing perfectly still in front of my house. WordMeaningWordMeaning forfour hearhere Theretheir Homophones not knew through

4. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom Homophones I knew that I could have any gift I could imagine. But the thing I wanted the most for Christmas was not inside Santa’s giant bag. What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. When I asked, Santa smiled. Then he gave me a hug and told an elf to cut a bell from a reindeer’s harness. The elf tossed it up to Santa. He stood, holding the bell high above him, and called out, “The first gift of Christmas!” wordmeaningwordmeaning

5. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom Comprehension: Similes Authors sometimes use literary elements to make writing more interesting and add suspense. Similes- A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using the word 'like' or 'as', e.g. an example of a simile would be as big as a bus. It is used to paint pictures in the head of the reader.

6. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom The Polar Express (p. 3) SimileMeaning/Picture as white as snowvery white as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars hot chocolate that is very sweet and delicious The train was filled with other children, all in their pajamas and nightgowns. We sang Christmas carols and ate candies with nougat centers as white as snow. We drank hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars. Outside, the lights of towns and villages flickered in the distance as the Polar Express raced northward.

7. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom The Polar Express (p. 5) SimileMeaning/Picture We climbed mountains so high it seemed as if we would scrape the moon. But the Polar Express never slowed down. Faster and faster we ran along, rolling over peaks and through valleys like a car on a roller coaster.

8. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom Comprehension: Author’s Purpose As you read, ask yourself if the author is trying to entertain, inform, or persuade. If a selection includes humor or suspense, the author’s purpose may be to entertain. If the author gives a lot of information about a topic, the purpose is probably to inform. An author whose purpose is mainly to persuade tries to get the reader to think or act a certain way. Remember, many selections have more than one purpose. Authors use figurative language for a purpose. Authors use background information to help the reader understand what is going on or to build suspense.

9. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom Author’s Purpose Why do you think the author had the boy lose the bell through a hole in his bathrobe pocket? What was the author’s purpose in choosing this theme?

10. Mrs. Murray's 4th Grade eMINTS Classroom The Polar Express 2 Santa is concerned with how very little attention was given to the city of The North Pole in the first book. Two of his Reindeer, Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Wells are unable to sleep at night wondering what pictures the kids must be painting in their heads when they read this part. Santa has sent his head Elf, Mrs. Murray, to get “Kid Authors” to rewrite this page. Please use some great similes to help children imagine just how magical the North Pole is. Santa needs all of his Reindeer rested and ready for the big day! Do a great job so Mrs. Wells and Mrs. Carson can get some sleep!