19 teacher’s guide saving the general

Number of Words: 2,740

L E S S O N 1 9 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Saving the General by Jane Shaffer

Fountas-Pinnell Level TRealistic FictionSelection SummaryIn their favorite weekly column, the students at Gardener Academy learn of plans to build a new auditorium. In a subsequent column, however, a mystery columnist points out that a historic tree, the General, would have to be sacrifi ced for the new building.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Realistic fi ction

Text Structure • Plot proceeds in sequence to the end Content • Students work to save a tree.

• Student journalism to promote opinions and debatesThemes and Ideas • Hearing different perspectives creates lively debate.

• Well-constructed arguments can persuade people to change their stances. Language and

Literary Features• Characters interact like fi fth-graders would, and use sarcasm: “The ecology club met this

morning and had a total meltdown.”• Personifi cation used to compare the General to a person

Sentence Complexity • The majority of the narrative is told through dialogue• Weekly newspaper column reproduced with title, byline, and text

Vocabulary • Words and phrases associated with construction: funding, groundbreaking, site, architectWords • Multisyllable words, such as auditorium, benefi t, divided

Illustrations • Illustrations/spot art on most pages to support narrative• Architect’s sketch shown to support text

Book and Print Features • Seventeen pages of text, with assigned dialogue • Dashes, ellipses, italics• Letter published as though printed in newspaper

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

dependent – relies on others, p. 8deteriorating – becoming worse,

p. 4effective – successful and

achieves desired results, p. 10

exception – does not fi t into a general rule, p. 8

granted – given in an offi cial way, p. 14

issue – a subject or problem that people think and talk about, p. 5

minimum – the very least, p. 15ordinance – a law or rule made

by authorities, p. 6urge – to recommend or argue

for strongly, p. 7violations – acts that break the

rules, p. 6

Saving the General by Jane Shaffer

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge about their school newspapers and school facilities to consider what the story might be about. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: Why might a student newspaper include a weekly opinion column? Do you think it is okay to tear down or add to an existing school building? Why or why not? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Ask students to describe what kinds of features they can expect to fi nd in realistic fi ction.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

: Suggested language Read the fi rst two sentence on the page and look at the illustration. Ask: What can you conclude about the popularity of the Gardener Gazette?

Page 3: Tell students that P. Pod is the anonymous, or unknown, author of the popular opinion column in the weekly student newspaper. Ask: Why do you think a writer might want to maintain a secret identity?

Page 4: Explain that Gardener Academy’s auditorium has been deteriorating for years. Ask: What happens to a building that deteriorates?

Page 6: The text says the General, a big old tree by the gym, is going to be cut down to make room for the new auditorium. However, the Ecology Club met this morning and had a total meltdown. Ask: Why are the members of the Ecology Club opposed to cutting down the tree?

Page 11: Have students look at the illustration. Explain that it shows a site plan with the proposed auditorium indicated at the left by a dotted line. Ask: What does the plan show building the auditorium is dependent on? How do you think the school will solve the problem?

Now go back to the beginning and read to discover what happens to the General and whether or not the new auditorium will be built.

2 Lesson 19: Saving the General Grade 5© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy as they read. Ask them to tell about each student’s argument for either building the auditorium or saving the tree as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text.Suggested language: Why do you think Elena used the name P. Pod to conceal her identity? Do you think her identity as P. Pod helped make her argument more credible? Why or why not?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Students at Gardener Academy are excited about a new auditorium.

• When students learn that the General, a historic tree, must be removed to build the new auditorium, some students disagree with the plan.

• A student, Elena, presents an alternative proposal at the school board meeting.

• A well-reasoned proposal can help two sides of a seemingly irresolvable situation reach a compromise.

• Controversial issues do not always have clear resolutions.

• How a person views an issue depends on his or her experience, beliefs, and interests.

• P. Pod’s columns offer opposing viewpoints about the same issue.

• The author’s use of personifi cation helps readers understand why the General is so important and more than just an old tree.

• The conversation between characters is realistic.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to participate in choral reading. Remind them to change their

expression when a character is making a point, such as when Elena becomes louder as she explains herself while speaking.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Have students identify the Greek root in the word “ecology” on page 5. Ask students if they can name another word with the Greek root “-ology” (biology).



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 19.8.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillPersuasion

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can identify the efforts used by

characters to persuade in a text. They can analyze the techniques a character uses to persuade, such as stated goals, reasons for action, author bias, or faulty logic. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

After reading P. Pod’s column on page 9, you know that P. Pod wants to preserve the General. In this column, P. Pod points out that the General was planted by a man whom the city is named after. This is an important detail that you did not learn until reading this column.

Practice the SkillHave students discuss other stories with characters who used persuasion to achieve a goal, and to discuss what tactics they used and whether the characters were successful.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• Why does the author begin the story by comparing the cafeteria to a library?

• What can the reader conclude about Elena from her actions and speech on pages 14 and 15?

• An important message in this story is

________________________________________________________________.



Goal to persuade people that the General should be saved

Reason 2 ?

Reason 1 The General has been part of school history for nearly 150 years.

RespondingTARGET SKILL Persuasion School newspaper

columnist P. Pod tries to persuade readers that the

General should be saved. What reasons does P. Pod

give? Copy and complete the chart below to answer

the question. Add additional boxes as necessary.

Write About It

Text to Text Think of something you have read in

which someone must persuade others to adopt his or

her viewpoint. Write a paragraph that describes how

the person persuades other people.

19

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Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What is the Ecology Club going to protest?

2. Think within the text What does Elena suggest?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think P. Pod keeps her

identity secret for so long? Should she have written the stories

anonymously? Why or why not?

4. Think about the text The author includes as many arguments for

building the auditorium as she does for saving the tree. Does this

make it more or less likely that the reader will be persuaded to agree

with Elena? Explain your answer.

Making Connections The Ecology Club was willing to protest in order to stop the tree from being cut down. What cause would you be willing to protest for? Why do you think that cause is important?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

10

Saving the GeneralCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 19B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 9 . 8

Grade 5, Unit 4: What’s Your Story?

Name Date

cutting down an old tree

building the auditorium on the other side

If people knew P. Pod’s secret identity, she may have gotten in

trouble and been forced to give up her column. She should have

used her real name from the beginning, however, because saying

what you really think is admirable and takes courage.

It is less likely that the reader will agree with Elena. All the given

reasons to build the auditorium make the project seem just as

worthwhile and important as saving the tree.

Possible responses shown.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Check regularly on students’ oral reading to determine accuracy, fl uency, and comprehension. Remind them that the tree, the General, is in danger of being cut down if the school builds a new auditorium.

Idioms The story includes some idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the double meaning of P. Pod and how this byline interplays with the column’s name, The Gardener’s Path.

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is “the General”?

Speaker 2: an old tree

Speaker 1: What does the school board want to build?

Speaker 2: a new auditorium

Speaker 1: Where does the action of the story occur?

Speaker 2: Gardener Academy

Speaker 1: What does the Ecology Club do in response to the idea to build a new auditorium?

Speaker 2: Members organize a petition.

Speaker 1: How does the school board involve students in the decision?

Speaker 2: It allows students to speak up.

Speaker 1: How does Elena appeal to both sides in her proposal?

Speaker 2: She preserves the General where it is, and she suggests that the auditorium be built on the other side of the school, which is more sensible for multiple reasons.



Name Date

Saving The GeneralThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Elena’s proposal at the end of the story shows that she put a lot of time and effort into finding an alternative to cutting down the General. Do you think Elena’s proposal is a good idea? Why or why not? Do you think the school board will change its plans based on Elena’s proposal? Why or why not? Be sure to cite details from the text to support your opinion.


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Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What is the Ecology Club going to protest?

2. Think within the text What does Elena suggest?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think P. Pod keeps her identity

secret for so long? Should she have written the stories anonymously?

Why or why not?

4. Think about the text The author includes as many arguments for

building the auditorium as she does for saving the tree. Does this

make it more or less likely that the reader will be persuaded to agree

with Elena? Explain your answer.

Making Connections The Ecology Club was willing to protest in order to stop the tree from being cut down. What cause would you be willing to protest for? Why do you think that cause is important?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Saving the GeneralCritical Thinking

Lesson 19B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 9 . 8

Name Date



1414

330

Student Date Lesson 19

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 9 . 1 2

Saving the GeneralRunning Record Form

Saving the General • LEVEL T

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

7 The Ecology Club protest was sure to make front-page news.

Club members had painted signs that said SAVE THE

GENERAL. Elena and other club members moved through the

crowd, collecting signatures on a petition to stop the building

project before it began.

Beth, carrying a sign, tugged Elena over to the edge of the

lawn where Wes and Heldie were standing. Elena was clutching

a handful of pens. “Wes, won’t you sign our petition to save

the General?” Beth urged.

“Sorry, but I don’t think so,” said Wes. “The auditorium seems

like a great idea, and it’s something that will benefit everyone.”

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/103 ×

100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



19 teacher’s guide saving the general

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