The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

Level S/44

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff Drama 

Teacher’s Guide Skills & Strategies

Anchor Comprehension Strategies

• Make inferences Comprehension • Analyze story elements • U  se text features to locate information

Word Study/Vocabulary • Use knowledge of word structure to determine word meaning

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overview Related Resources

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

skills and strategies

Comprehension Strategy Posters (for Assessed Skills/Strategies)

This lesson teaches and/or reinforces the following skills and strategies:

• Analyzing Story Elements

 Analyze Story Elements (pp. 3–9)

• Making Inferences Thematic Poetry Connections (in Reading & Writing Poetic Forms) • “Long Gone” (Jack Prelutsky) Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5) • Ongoing Assessments #3 and #4 Notable Trade Books for Read Aloud • Wollard, Kathy and Debra Soloman (Illustrator). How Come? Workman Publishing Company, 1993. • Jones, Charlotte Foltz and John O’Brien (Illustrator). Mistakes That Worked. Doubleday, 1994.

• Make Inferences (pp. 3–6) • Use Text Features to Locate Information (p. 4) • Interpret Figurative Language (p. 5) • Make Predictions (p. 6) • Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning (p. 6)

This skill/strategy is the focus of the Ongoing Assessments for this title.

Web Site for Content Information • Kid’s Patent Cafe http://www.kids.patentcafe.com This is an excellent site for young inventors.

table of contents theme connections Prehistoric People Inventions and Inventors Explorers

Before Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Lesson 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lesson 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Lesson 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 After Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Writing Workshop and Writing Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9 Reproducible Graphic Organizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Content-Area Extension Activities (BLMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Before Reading

Introduce the Book

Book Summary The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff is a lighthearted play about discovery and invention. The Ogs are a prehistoric people who happen upon discoveries and inventions such as oral and written communication, fire, cooking, and the wheel. They use a combination of ingenuity and help from famous discoverers and inventors, such as Christopher Columbus and Henry Ford, to learn new and enlightening things.

Draw students’ attention to the front cover of the book. Read the title together. Turn to the back of the book and read the blurb and author information. Examine the “Cast of Characters.” Page through the book looking at the illustrations. While previewing, pose the following questions to encourage students to think about the play before they read. What do the title and the cast of characters tell you about the book? Do you think the play is fiction or nonfiction? Do you think it will be based on historical facts? Why? What do you know about discovery and invention? Can you name some famous discoverers and inventors? What do you predict this play will be about?

• • • •

Set a Purpose for Reading This text provides an excellent opportunity for students to focus on the strategies of analyzing story elements and making inferences. During reading, students will analyze the literary elements of a fictional story, such as the development of setting, characters, plot, and theme. Examining problems and events encountered by the characters will encourage readers to make inferences about the author’s meaning. Read the “Setting” description on page 3 aloud to start students thinking about the historical setting of the book and making inferences about the story. Ask: In what time period in history does this play take place? What do you know about prehistoric people? What do you know about ancestors? What inferences can you make about the Ogs from the little you already know about them?

Analyzing Story Elements Title: Author: Setting:

Characters:

Problem:

Lesson 1 Event:

Lesson 2 Event:

Lesson 3 Event:

Theme/Author’s Message:

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Introduce the Graphic Organizer Provide each student with a copy of the Analyzing Story Elements graphic organizer. Explain that as they read, each student will be looking for story elements that tell about the setting, characters, problems, events, and theme (or author’s message). You might suggest that students use sticky notes in the margins of pages to highlight the sections that give information about the story parts. Explain that throughout the play, the author will provide directions to the actors. These directions give information about the characters and setting and help readers imagine the play in their minds. Encourage students to use these stage directions to locate information for the graphic organizer.

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

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Lesson 1

TEACHING TIPS Meaningful Activities for Rapid Readers

• How did the Ogs communicate Read the Text

pages 2–13 Use the following prompt to set a purpose for the reading: As you read, think of how this text is different from other books you’ve read. What category, or genre, would you put it in? Ask students to read the pages independently. Invite them to use sticky notes to flag sections that are characteristic of a play. Also ask them to highlight story elements that describe the setting, characters, and main problem, as well as any unfamiliar words they encounter. When the group has finished, use the activities below to focus on skills, strategies, and text and graphic features of the book.

Focus on comprehension

Discuss Story Elements: Genre Invite students to share their ideas about genre. Encourage them to make connections with other plays they’ve read, as well as compare the genre with others such as poetry, short stories, and nonfiction. Ask: How is this play like or unlike other plays you’ve read before? How does a play compare to other genres such as poetry, short stories, or nonfiction?

Begin the Graphic Organizer: Analyzing Story Elements Ask students to reread or skim and scan the text to locate information for the graphic organizer. At this point, they should be able to identify parts of the story that describe setting and characters, as well as start making inferences about the plot. Ask: What is the setting for this story? Who are the characters we’ve met so far? Can you identify the main problem the Ogs face?

Make Inferences Explain to students that inferring is what a reader does when she or he tries to understand what the author means but is not explicitly stating. Draw students’ attention to the author’s suggestions on page 3. Read the following aloud: “The Ogs are dressed ‘Og-ishly’ (for example, with inside-out-T-shirts).” Ask: What clues does the author give you about the Ogs through this costume suggestion? Do you know what an Og is? How does this clue help you infer who and what an Og is?

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The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

before they discovered language? Try to hold a conversation with a partner without using any words.

Prompts to Help Readers Monitor Comprehension

• If you come across an idea that

you do not fully understand, read on to see if the author explains it in the following sentences.

• Look for context clues to help you define unfamiliar words.

Use Text Features to Locate Information

Draw students’ attention to the text features used in script writing that help readers follow character lines and stage directions. Instruct them to skim or scan the text looking for various types of text features. Ask: What types of text do you notice in the script? How do the text features help you read the play? Students should notice that: • The types of text features include bolded, normal, and italicized text. • Different text types help the reader decipher stage directions from character lines. • The bolded character names help identify who is speaking.

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TEACHING TIPS

Lesson 2

Meaningful Activities for Rapid Readers

• If you could live any place on Earth, where would you pick? Describe your ideal spot.

Read the Text

pages 14–24 Use the following prompt to set a purpose for the reading: As you read, think about the mood of the story. How does the play make you feel? What kind of atmosphere do the Ogs create in the story? Ask students to read the pages independently. Invite them to use sticky notes to flag sections of the text that give them ideas about the mood of the play. Also ask them to highlight parts that tell about events of the story, as well as any unfamiliar words they encounter. When the group has finished, use the activities below to focus on skills, strategies, and text and graphic features of the book.

Focus on comprehension

• How do you think people reacted to the theory that Earth was round, not flat? What historical significance did this discovery have?

Prompts to Help Readers Monitor Comprehension

• Long sentences can sometimes

make you lose the meaning. Reread the sentence and see if the punctuation helps you better understand the meaning.

Interpret Figurative Language: Alliteration

Discuss Story Elements: Mood Invite students to share their ideas about the mood of the story. Explain that the author uses setting, characters, and writing style to create an atmosphere of happiness or sadness. Encourage students to reflect on the mood of the play by asking: What mood has the writer created in this play? What elements of the story help create this feeling?

Continue the Graphic Organizer: Analyzing Story Elements Ask students to reread or skim and scan the text to locate information for the graphic organizer. At this point in the story development, students should focus on the events taking place. Ask them to identify and describe important events. Explain that after reading, they can use their charts to make connections between the events and their effects on the Ogs. Ask: What events have taken place in the story? What is the effect of these events on the Ogs? Do you observe any changes in their behavior? What are they learning about themselves?

Use the character names to create alliteration. Point out how the names of all the Ogs contain “og” plus a consonant: Fog, Mog, Cog, Tog, Gog, Zog, Jog, and Bog. Explain to students that alliteration describes a repetition of the same sounds. Writers can use alliteration to form tongue twisters. Challenge students to write a tongue twister using the names of the Ogs.

Make Inferences Help students make inferences about the Ogs’ character. Say: Think about the different tasks the Ogs have accomplished in this story. Make inferences about the Ogs that help explain how they’ve been able to do all these things. After students share their own ideas, model the following think aloud to show how a reader makes inferences. The author shows us through examples that the Ogs like to work as a team to get things done. They had a problem when the group wanted to work on different projects, but once they decided to just divide the group into two working teams, everything was okay again.

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Lesson 3

TEACHING TIP S Meaningful Activities for Rapid Readers

• Create a list of props that your class would need to produce this play.

Read the Text

pages 25–32 Use the following prompt to set a purpose for the reading: As you read, try to make predictions about the next famous person the Ogs will meet. Pay attention to the clues the author gives that a new person is going to enter the stage.

• Think about the famous people you met in the play. Pick one who interests you and learn more about him or her.

Prompts to Help Readers Monitor Comprehension

Ask students to read the pages independently. Invite them to use sticky notes to flag sections of the text that encourage them to make predictions. Remind them to highlight story elements that help them identify the theme, as well as any unfamiliar words they encounter. When the group has finished, use the activities below to focus on skills, strategies, and text and graphic features of the book.

Focus on comprehenSion Discuss Making Predictions

Invite students to share the predictions they made while reading. Encourage them to reflect on the story clues and script features that prompted them to make predictions. Ask: What story clues led you to think that another famous person might enter the stage? What clues did the script give you? Were your predictions accurate?

• If you lose the meaning, go back and reread the section where you lost concentration.

• Look for context clues to help you define unfamiliar words.

Analyze Compound Words Challenge students to find examples of compound words in the text. Discuss how paying attention to the words within compound words can be used to decipher meaning and spelling patterns. Create a word web like the one below as an example.

Complete the Graphic Organizer: Analyzing Story Elements

word parts

air





planes

 transportation vehicles



atmosphere synonym



Use the text to help students make inferences using prior knowledge. Draw students’ attention to page 25, the introduction of Henry Ford. Have students reread the text and then ask: Why do the Ogs and Columbus not recognize Henry Ford? Model the thinking process by saying: Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492. The Ogs lived before people even started keeping track of time. Because the car was invented in the 1900s, neither Columbus nor the Ogs would have any idea who Henry Ford is. They were before his time.



Make Inferences

airplanes



Ask students to reread or skim and scan the text to locate information to complete the graphic organizer. Encourage them to start thinking about the themes of the play. Explain that stories often have more than one theme. Ask: What themes, or messages, does the author want to convey? If students have trouble, help them get started with the following prompts: What did the Ogs learn at the end of the story? What do the Ogs know about teamwork?

definition

vehicles of transportation that travel through the atmosphere

Then tell students to apply this strategy to other compound words. These might include: something, p. 25 highway, p. 27 breakthroughs, p. 30 anyone, p. 30 everything, p. 32

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The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

AFTER READING SYNTHESIZE AND ASSESS Retell and Summarize

As a group, generate an oral or written retelling of the book. Identify story elements and select key points to create a summary of the characters, setting, plot, and theme.

Respond

Ask students what they found most interesting about the book. What they did not like and why. What questions they still have. What additional information they might have included if they had been the author.

Draw Conclusions

Ask students to formulate statements based on their reading and the information they charted. Record these ideas.

Make Judgments

Challenge students to make judgments about the importance of the discoveries and inventions made by the Ogs and the famous people they met.

The completed graphic organizer below can serve as a model for assessing students’ ability to analyze story elements.

Analyzing Story Elements Title:

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

Author: Alan Kramer Setting: prehistoric caves somewhere on Earth



exact location and time

Characters: Ogs: Fog, Mog, Cog, Tog, Gog, Zog, Jog, and Bog

are unknown

Problem: the Ogs weren’t very developed

Lesson 1 Event: they develop spoken language, discover fire, and plant seeds for growing food

Lesson 2 Event:

meet Columbus and learn Earth is round, invent cave drawing, alphabet, and the wheel

Lesson 3 Event: meet Henry Ford and learn about cars, meet pilots Lindbergh and Earhart, astronaut Sally Ride, and inventors Orville and Wilbur Wright

Theme/Author’s Message: teamwork makes the job easier

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

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writing workshop

TEA CHI N G TI PS Process WrItINg Steps

1. Have students brainstorm character traits of another character in the play and then make a web.

mini-lesson Writing Focus: Analyzing Story Elements

2. Have students independently write a first draft.

Start the lesson by asking students to discuss their completed Analyzing Story Elements graphic organizer for The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff. Invite students to share their ideas about the characters, setting, events, and themes.

3. After students complete their first draft, they should revise and edit it.

Ask students to identify the main characters in the play and think about important details that describe each character’s traits. On chart paper or the board, create a character web like the one below listing important details about the Ogs.

like to solve problems

are discoverers

prehistoric people very curious

ogs

4. Conference with each student following the first revision and editing. 5. Have students make any additional changes and create a final copy of their paragraph. 6. Finally, invite students to share their paragraph with a group of other students.

undeveloped

are inventors

live in caves work as a team

wear clothes inside out

Use the reproducible Writing Model to demonstrate how information in the character web can be used to write a paragraph analyzing a character in the play.

writing ASSigNmeNt Write a paragraph analyzing the character traits of one of the characters in the play.

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The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Writing Model: Analyzing Story Elements

The Ogs

The Ogs in The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff are a

character traits

prehistoric people who are very curious. At the beginning of the play, the group is quite undeveloped. They live in caves and wear their clothes inside out. But as they make breakthroughs in communication, they become inventive people who discover ways to talk, write, cook food, and grow crops. They can accomplish these things because they like to work as a team to solve problems.

writing tip Start your paragraph with a sentence that introduces the characters and makes a statement about their most interesting traits. Then use details from your character web to support your statement. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

Name:_ ________________________________________

Date:_ _________________

Analyzing Story Elements Title: Author: Setting:

Characters:

Problem:

Lesson 1 Event:

Lesson 2 Event:

Lesson 3 Event:

Theme/Author’s Message:

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name:_ ________________________________________

Date:_ _________________

Discovery Time Line Below is a list of the discoveries the Ogs made and the famous discoverers and inventors they met in the play. Put the events on the time line. You can give approximate dates for the Ogs, but you will need to research the dates of the famous people and their accomplishments.

• Ogs and their discoveries • Columbus discovered the Americas • Henry Ford’s Model T • Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic • Amelia Earhart started her around-the-world flight • Wright brothers made their first flight • Sally Ride flew on the space shuttle

bc

ad

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

Name:_ ________________________________________

Date:____________________

My Life in Cave Drawings Write your life story with a series of cave drawings. Create a picture for each milestone and accomplishment that make up your life. If you need additional space, use another sheet of paper.

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name:_ ________________________________________

Date:_ _________________

Set the Stage! Draw your interpretation of the setting for the play The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff on the stage below.

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

Name:_ ____________________________________________

Date:______________

Know Your Stage Directions Placement of actors and props on the stage is planned by the writer, set designer, or director of the production. Label the stage diagram below with the stage direction terms listed here. Then pick your favorite part of the play and stage the actors and props.

• Apron: the front edge of the stage • Center stage: the middle area of the stage • Down stage: the area of the stage closest to the audience

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

• Pit: area in front of the • Stage right: the side of stage where the orchestra the stage to your right if plays you are on stage facing • Stage left: the side of the the audience stage to your left if you • Up stage: the area of the are on stage facing the stage farthest from the audience audience

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

A n swer

My Life in Cave Drawings

Discovery Time Line bc

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1903

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1927

1937

1983

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Set the Stage!

Sample answers

Know Your Stage Directions

Students’ drawings should reflect an understanding of the setting for the play, as well as a creative/artistic effort. Up stage Stage right

Center stage

Stage left

Down stage Apron

Pit

© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff

The Ogs Discover Fire and Other Stuff Navigators Teaching Guides provide flexible options to meet a variety of instructional needs…

Lesson-at-a-Glance

Sample Lesson Planning Guides

Before Reading (p. 3)

Introduce the Book Set a Purpose for Reading √ Introduce the Graphic Organizer: Analyzing Story Elements*

5-Day Lesson Day for Assessed Skills & Strategies

During Reading (pp. 4–6)

Read the Text: Lesson 1 Focus on Comprehension Mini-Lessons: √ Discuss Story Elements: Genre* √ Begin the Graphic Organizer* √ Make Inferences* Use Text Features to Locate Information

1

Read the Text: Lesson 1 Focus on Comprehension: √ Discuss Story Elements √ Begin the Graphic Organizer √ Make Inferences

Read the Text: Lesson 2 Focus on Comprehension Mini-Lessons: √ Discuss Story Elements: Mood* √ Continue the Graphic Organizer* √ Make Inferences* Interpret Figurative Language: Alliteration* Read the Text: Lesson 3 Focus on Comprehension Mini-Lessons: Discuss Making Predictions* √ Complete the Graphic Organizer* √ Make Inferences* Analyze Compound Words*

2

After Reading (p. 7)

Synthesize and Assess Activities: Retell and Summarize* Respond Draw Conclusions* Make Judgments*

Writing Workshop (pp. 8–9) Mini-Lesson √ Assignment: Analyzing Story Elements* Content-Area Extension Activities on Blackline Masters (pp. 11–14) Discovery Time Line My Life in Cave Drawings Set the Stage! Know Your Stage Directions

Copyright © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-59000-531-6

Introduce the Book Set a Purpose for Reading √ Introduce the Graphic Organizer

3

5-Day Flexible Lesson Introduce the Book Read the Text: Lesson 1 Select or create mini-lessons by using the comprehension pre-assessments to determine student needs.*

Read the Text: Lesson 2 Focus on Comprehension: √ Discuss Story Elements √ Continue the Graphic Organizer √ Make Inferences

Read the Text: Lesson 2

Read the Text: Lesson 3 Focus on Comprehension: √ Complete the Graphic Organizer √ Make Inferences

Read the Text: Lesson 3 Select or create mini-lessons.*

Select or create mini-lessons.*

Accelerated 3-Day Lesson Introduce the Book Read the Text: Lesson 1

Read the Text: Lesson 2

Read the Text: Lesson 3 Synthesize and Assess

Synthesize and Assess

4 5

√

Writing Mini-Lesson Writing Assignment

Writing Mini-Lesson Writing Assignment

Writing Assignment

Writing Assignment

Content-Area Extension Activities (BLMs)

Content-Area Extension Activities (BLMs)

Checkmarked skills may be assessed by using the tests provided in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook. Preassessments are available in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook. *