Transcript Letters Home from Yosemite

Written and Illustrated by:
Lisa Halvorsen
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Vocabulary Definitions
Vocabulary Sentences
Additional Resources
Study Skills
Narrative Nonfiction
 Comprehension Skill: Main Idea
 Comprehension Strategy: Graphic Organizers
 Comprehension Review Skill: Fact and Opinion
 Vocabulary: Suffixes
 Genre:
Genre:
Narrative Nonfiction
 Narrative nonfiction tells the story of real
people, places, or events. The narrator, or
teller of the story, presents information in
sequence. Notice this sequence as you read
about Yosemite National Park.
Summary
Yosemite National
Park is an amazing
place. In one visit, you
can see giant trees,
towering mountains,
and interesting
wildlife.
Comprehension Skill Review –
A fact is a statement that can be
proved true or false.
Statements of opinion tell about a
person’s beliefs, feelings, or way of
thinking that cannot be proved.
DAY 1- Question of the Week
How does Yosemite
reflect the unique
qualities of the
West?
Vocabulary- Say It!
glacier
impressive
naturalist
preserve
slopes
species
wilderness
More Words to Know
altitudes
formations
reservoir
earthquake
eruptions
volcano
Listen to the Story
Main Idea
1. As we approached the
waterfall. We slipped on the
smoothe rocks.
2. What a amazing waterfall
this is?
Review: Clauses
Remember: an independent clause is
a fancy name for a sentence.
A dependent clause is a group of
words that has a subject and
predicate, but cannot stand alone (it
doesn’t express a complete thought).
Subordinating Conjunctions
After
Although
As
in order that
At least
now that
wherever
While
Before
even though
how
if
in as much
When
Whenever
whereas
as though
because
even if
though
Until
Unless
as if
as long as
as much as
soon
Since
so that
That
Day 2 - Question of the Day
Why did Congress
establish Yosemite as a
national park?
Suffixes –ist and -ive
You can use suffixes to help figure out
the meaning of words.
The suffix –ist can make a word mean
“one who is an expert in____,” as a
biologist, an expert in biology.
Suffixes –ist and -ive
The suffix -ive can make a word
mean “’tending or inclined
to_____,” as in active, which
means tending to act.”
 a great mass of ice moving very
slowly down a mountain
or along a valley
able to have a strong
effect on the mind or
feelings
a person who studies
living things
to keep from harm or
change; protect
and that goes up
and down at an angle
a set of related living things
that share certain characteristic
and that can be interbred
a wild region with few
or no people living in it
heights about Earth’s
surface
formations
The formation of the mountain
range.
a place where water is
collected and stored for
use
a shaking or shifting motion of
Earth’s surface. It is caused by
the sudden breaking of masses
of rock along a fault.
acts or processes of
bursting or throwing
forth
opening in Earth’s crust through
which steam, ashes, and lava are
forced out in periods of activity
a place where water is
collected and stored for use
3. Winter’s in the park can be
crool.
4. I want to go winter
camping but Dad says its too
cold.
What is a SIMPLE Sentence?
A
simple sentence
is a stand-alone
independent clause
without any
dependent clauses.
Sample SIMPLE Sentences
My sister’s cat really annoys me.
My brother and I are tired.
The trees bent and swayed in the wind.
A small, furry squirrel ran up a pole.
(Notice how sentence #2 has compound subjects and
sentence #3 has compound predicates.)
What is a COMPLEX Sentence?
A
complex sentence
is a sentence with an
independent clause
AND one or more
dependent clauses.
Sample COMPLEX Sentences
Independent Clause:
My sister’s cat really annoys me.
+
Dependent Clause:
when it bites my feet
=
Complex Sentence:
My sister’s cat really annoys me when it bites my
feet.
OR
When it bites my feet, my sister’s cat really
annoys me.
Sample COMPLEX Sentences
Independent Clause:
My brother and I are tired.
+
Dependent Clause:
after football practice ends
=
Complex Sentence:
My brother and I are tired after football practice
ends.
OR
After football practice ends, my brother and I are
tired.
Sample COMPLEX Sentences
Independent Clause:
The trees bent and swayed in the wind.
+
Dependent Clause:
while the rain poured down
=
Complex Sentence:
The trees bent and swayed in the wind while
the rain poured down.
OR
While the rain poured down, the trees bent and
swayed in the wind.
Group Work
 Readers & WB 44
 Spelling Day 2
 Language Day 2
 Tri-Fold Section 2
 SmartBoard -
Day 3 - Question of the Day
How does the
author support her
opinion that
Yosemite is “one of
the most awesome
places on Earth?
Review Questions
1. How can you tell this
was written to inform?
2. What is one way Yosemite
is a unique place?
3. What are some impressive
wonders in Yosemite?
Review Questions
1. What is the “time” setting of
this story?
2. How did the author organize
this story? Why do you think
she did that?
3. What attraction did the she go
see right after Glacier Point?
Denali Nation
Park in Alaska has
more than 6
million miles of
wilderness.
Denali Nation Park
in Alaska has more
than 6 million miles
of wilderness.
More than 650
species of flowering
plants live in
Denali!.
More than 650
species of flowering
plants live in
Denali!.
The park was
established to
preserve the land
and the plants and
animals.
The park was
established to
preserve the land
and the plants and
animals.
That’s what the
naturalist on the
guided tour told
us about this park.
That’s what the
naturalist on the
guided tour told
us about this park.
We skied up the
lower slopes of
Mt. McKinley.
We skied up the
lower slopes of
Mt. McKinley.
The glacier was a very
impressive sight.
The glacier was a very
impressive sight.
We could see a giant
glacier looking like
a huge field of ice.
We could see a giant
glacier looking like
a huge field of ice.
The sequoia tree is the
largest species of tree
in the world.
The sequoia tree is the
largest species of tree
in the world.
There is less oxygen as
you go up in altitude.
There is less oxygen as
you go up in altitude.
The river provides
water to San
Francisco by way
of a reservoir.
The river provides
water to San
Francisco by way
of a reservoir.
The rock formations
were beautiful in the
sunlight.
The rock formations
were beautiful in the
sunlight.
5. You will see lots of
wildlife. If your patient.
6. It’s unusual to see a
Bobcat, but you might be
lucky?
Group Work
 Partner Read & WB 47-48
 Spelling Day 3
 Language Day 3
 Tri-Fold Section 3
 SmartBoard-
Day 4 - Question of the Day
What might
prompt someone
to write a song like
“This Land is your
Land?
7. If the weather’s nice we’ll
spent the afternoon hiking.
8. Some of the
thunderstorms here is very
severe
Complex Sentence Practice
1. a. I would like my fresh salad before my sirloin steak.
b. Jenny must clean her room before she goes.
2. a. After the news is over, let’s play a game.
b. Patrick will line up after Susan, Terri, and Robert.
3. a. He will do his homework because it’s due tomorrow.
b. The final game was postponed because of the rain.
4. a. When will you come to my house to play air hockey?
b. When the moon is full, strange things happen.
Remember: A dependent clause must have a subject AND predicate!
Compound-Complex
Sentences
 A compound-complex sentence is a
sentence that has at least two
independent clauses and at least one
dependent clause.
 The same subordinating conjunctions are
used to introduce the dependent clauses.
 The same coordinating conjunctions
(FANBOYS) are used for joining the
independent clauses.
Sample Compound-Complex Sentences.
 After the two adversaries had spent years playing
this “cat and mouse” game, they were joined by
their children, and the fun continued.
 Even though it seems the two were bent on the
other’s destruction, the cat and mouse were
rather fond of one another, and neither wanted
the other’s defeat.
 This game was begun thousands of years ago,
and it will continue far into the future as other
cats and mice revel in hide-and-seek.
Test Yourself – Simple, Compound,
Complex, or Compound-Complex?
1. The teacher walked into the classroom, greeted the students, and
took attendance.
2. Juan played football while Jane went shopping.
3. Juan played football, yet Jim went shopping.
4. Although Mexico has a better team, they lost the tournament,
and their more aggressive style did not pay off.
5. The island was filled with many trails winding through the thick
underbrush, a small lake, and dangerous wild animals.
6. Naoki passed the test because he studied hard, but Stacy did not
understand the material.
Group Work
 Reading Computer Test
 Essay Questions
 Language Arts Day 4
 Tri-Fold Section 4
Essay Questions
 What is one theme in this selection?
 What is one detail that supports the
main idea that Yosemite is located in a
unique place?
 How can you tell that the author’s main
purpose for writing this selection was
to inform?
DAY 5 - Question of the Week
How does Yosemite
reflect the unique
qualities of the West?
Research/Study Skill – Print Sources
Print sources include textbooks, trade
books, encyclopedias, dictionaries,
almanacs, atlases, magazines,
newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets
and other printed sources.
Think about the purpose of each
source when doing research.
Research/Study Skill – Print Sources
To find information in a print
source, think about its organization.
The table of contents, index, or
headings show what information the
sources includes and how it is
organized.
Postcard
A postcard is a brief message, with a
picture on one side, sent by mail to
friends or family.
Often a post card gives detail about a
place you are visiting on vacation and
describes your feelings about being
there.
9. Did you took any good
photographs!
10. Take a picture of Jim
and I?
Group Work
 Reading WB 49-50
 Language Day 5
 Tri-Fold Section 5
 SmartBoard Writing Assignment- Make a postcard
of your dream vacation
Additional Resources
 Comma Quiz
 Vocabulary Quiz
 Vocabulary Games
 Yosemite Videos
 Yosemite Classroom
 Complex Sentences
 Clauses
 Fact & Opinion
 Main Idea Quiz
 Internet 4 Classrooms Suffixes
 BrainPop: Point of View
 What is an Encyclopedia? Study Zone
•Main Idea Online Quizzes
•BrainPop: Main Idea
•Internet4Classrooms Main Idea
•Problem/Solution Flow Chart
•Rhyme Practice
•Quia: Sentence or Fragment Game
•Quia: Sentence Types
•Quia: Kinds of Sentences/Subjects &
Predicates
•Capitalization Study ZoneSequence
Words Study Zone
•BrainPop: Writing Process
•Quia: Writing Process
•BrainPop: Poetry