Special Days, Special Dances ❍ Options for Teacher-Led Sessions Options for Teacher-Led Special Days, Special Dances Special Days, Special

Special Days, Specialp_tab Dances p_tab I Informational p_tab Text/Interview Tabletop Minilessons: Reading Minilessons: Tabletop Idea Central Purpose Author’s Informational Text BACKGROUND & CULTURE & BACKGROUND Before reading, take children children take reading, Before the walk to preview on a picture to if they like book. Ask children dance. Ask when they have seen special dances performed. Have what they will predict children learn about dance in the text. Moderately Complex Moderately

(p. 12) (p. 11) (p. 14) (p. 15) (p. 10) 1 twirl ribbons Kwanzaa Karamu African Organizer Online Printables Network Vocabulary Reading Record Oral Quiz Comprehension (p. 5) TEXT X-RAY TEXT (p. 11) OVERALL RATING OVERALL 8 6 4 2 (p. 3) TEXT COMPLEXITY TEXT LANGUAGE (p. 4) (p. 8) Year Year I

Lantern Festival Lantern Festival Lion Dance Cinco de Mayo Idiomatic Expression full skirts

Key Vocabulary Key Chinese New

celebrate (v.), costume (n.), perform (v.) costume (n.), (v.), celebrate READING LEVEL READING Informational Text/Interview Informational

People celebrate special special celebrate People and days with food, family, sometimes special dances. has special Chinese New Year costumes and dances. wear special clothes People and dance during Cinco de Mayo. with African celebrate People music and dance during Kwanzaa.

Respond & Extend...... Author’s Purpose...... Author’s Central Idea...... Central Key Ideas & Details...... Key KEY IDEAS KEY • • • •

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY NETWORK VOCABULARY

WHY THIS TEXT? THIS WHY GENRE

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❍ Special Days, Special Dances ❍ Options for Teacher-Led Sessions Options for Teacher-Led Special Days, Special Dances Special Days, Special

About Special Days Words opportunities to discuss author’s purpose. author’s opportunities to discuss Cinco de Mayo, and Kwanzaa. The text includes questions, answers, and includes questions, answers, and The text Kwanzaa. Cinco de Mayo, and celebrate them. Photos provide an emphasis on dance during Chinese New Year, on dance during Chinese New Year, an emphasis them. Photos provide celebrate Written in an interview format, this text explores special holidays and ways to special holidays and explores in an interview format, this text Written © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. reserved. rights All Company. Publishing Harcourt Mifflin Houghton © Key Ideas & Details

GENERATE INTEREST BUILD VOCABULARY Prompt children to make predictions and share Use the Vocabulary Network Organizer to develop connections. vocabulary and explore language connections. • What does it mean when a day is special? • celebrate (v.), costume (n.), perform (v.) • Why is dancing sometimes a good way to celebrate a special day?

GUIDE INSTRUCTION Build comprehension of the text, using the prompts below as needed. 2–3 What does Tracy love to do? (dance) What special time of TEXT EVIDENCE year does she talk about? (Chinese New Year) • I love to dance! Create a Visual Ask children to talk about a special time of • My favorite special day is the Chinese New Year. the year that they enjoy. Using “Special Days” as the heading • PHOTO CLUES for a list, help children begin a list to keep track of children’s English Learner Support special days. Spanish cognate: especial (special)

5 What details in the photo tell you about the Lion Dance? TEXT EVIDENCE (The costumes are bright and colorful.) • PHOTO CLUES

Guide Explain that dancers are inside the bright, colorful English Learner Support costumes during the Lion Dance. Have children point to the ■ ■ ■ Point to the costumes. Do you see the people’s hands and faces they see inside costumes. hands inside? ■ ■ What costume is this? What are the people doing? ■ Describe the costumes you see. What are the people doing?

Special Days, Special Dances 2 reserved. rights All Mifflin Company. © Houghton Harcourt Publishing EL Support Key ■ ■ ■ Substantial ■ ■ Moderate ■ Light

9–11 Cinco de Mayo is a special day. What details support TEXT EVIDENCE this key idea? (People have big parties; people dress up in • It is a special day for Mexicans and Mexican nice clothes and dance.) Americans. People have big parties with their families and friends. Reread Have children reread pages 9–11 to find the word parties. Then have children evaluate how people • My children Marta and Lupe dance with their friends every Cinco de Mayo. in the photos are celebrating. Ask them to evaluate how photos help them understand the text. • PHOTO CLUES

13–15 When is Kwanzaa? (December) How do people TEXT EVIDENCE celebrate during Kwanzaa? (tell stories; give gifts; light • We tell stories and open gifts. We also light red, green, candles; listen to music and sing songs; dance) and black candles. Create a Visual Reinforce key ideas by creating a • I sang songs with my brother and sister. concept web. Label the center circle “Special Days.” • We also watched African dancers. Add three circles branching from the center: “Chinese English Learner Support New Year,” “Cinco de Mayo,” and “Kwanzaa.” Then have Include sketches or drawings in the concept web children discuss the ways people celebrate, such as by to reinforce meaning. wearing colorful clothing or giving gifts. Be sure children include dance as a way to celebrate each special day. Add Spanish cognate: historias (stories) children’s ideas to the web.

6–16 What is this book all about? (dances people do at TEXT EVIDENCE special times of the year) • I wanted to find out more about the dances people do on special days. Reread Mention that Tracy is interviewing Mrs. Ortiz and Greg. Have children reread pages 6–16 to find the • I asked my teacher, Mrs. Ortiz, and my friend, Greg, to questions Tracy asks. Then have children tell how the help me. people in the book answer Tracy’s questions. • I’ve learned so much from my friends. Maybe I can teach them some of my favorite dances!

INTRODUCE THE DRIVING QUESTION • How do a book’s beginning and end help you find the central idea?

GUIDE INSTRUCTION Use the prompts below to focus on the concept of Central Idea. For additional support on the concept, refer to the relevant Tabletop Minilesson. Cover What does the book’s title tell you about the central TEXT EVIDENCE idea? (The title tells readers that the book is about special • Special Days, Special Dances (title) days and dances.) What costume is on the cover? (a dragon) English Learner Support Spanish cognate: días (days) Guide Explain that the cover of the text shows a lion dance from China. Much like the costumes shown inside the book, performers stand inside these costumes to make them move.

2 How does Tracy learn special dances? (She goes to a TEXT EVIDENCE class.) Why does she want to learn the dances? (for • Hi! I’m Tracy. I love to dance! I go to a class where I special days) learn Chinese dances. Most of the dances I’ve done are for special days. Discuss Have children name a special day and then say what celebration takes place on that day. Explain English Learner Support that dancing is part of many celebrations. Have children Explain that the girl in the framed photo is Tracy, raise their hand if their holiday includes dance, and tally and that she is the one speaking. responses to find a total number.

5 What dance does the author show on page 5? (the TEXT EVIDENCE Lion Dance) How do you know? (The photo shows lion • One of the best things about the Chinese New Year costumes people wear as they dance.) is the Lion Dance. The dancers make the lions run through the crowd. Create a Visual Reinforce ideas about costumes by creating a “Because” chart. Title the chart “Costumes.” • PHOTO CLUES Then discuss the purpose and reasons for wearing English Learner Support costumes while performing. Have children use the word Provide sentence frames to help children because to think about these ideas: Why are costumes articulate their ideas for the “Because” chart. colorful? Why do all the people in a group wear the same costume?

Special Days, Special Dances 4 reserved. rights All Mifflin Company. © Houghton Harcourt Publishing EL Support Key ■ ■ ■ Substantial ■ ■ Moderate ■ Light

9–11 Why does the author show Mrs. Ortiz telling about TEXT EVIDENCE her children? (The author wants readers to know about • My children Marta and Lupe dance with their friends special dances and clothes for Cinco de Mayo.) every Cinco de Mayo. The girls twist and twirl. Discuss Have children describe the Cinco de Mayo • Their dresses have very full skirts. They wear pretty celebration in their own words. Encourage them to use ribbons in their hair. the photos to inform their descriptions. • PHOTO CLUES English Learner Support Idiomatic Expression: full skirts Explain that the phrase full skirts means the skirts have many folds and ruffles. Point to the folds and ruffles on the dresses in the photo on page 11.

13–15 How does the information about Kwanzaa support TEXT EVIDENCE the central idea of the book? (It includes the idea that • My family has a big party in December for Kwanzaa. people dance as part of Karamu.) • The last night of Kwanzaa is . . . Karamu. Guide Point out that Karamu is one day in the Kwanzaa • We also watched African dancers. They danced to the celebration. Guide children to locate the text on page 15 drum music. that contains the idea that dance is part of this special day.

16 What does Tracy mean when she says she has TEXT EVIDENCE learned from her friends? (She has learned about some • I’ve learned so much from my friends. special dances.) What is the central idea of this book? (People celebrate special times of the year with special English Learner Support dances.) To help children find similarities, provide this sentence frame: All of the celebrations include Reread Ask children to reread pages 2 and page 16. . Then ask them to list some things all the celebrations in the book have in common, using both the pictures and the text. Have children complete this sentence frame, based on their observations: The central idea of this text is .

INTRODUCE THE DRIVING QUESTION • Why do authors write about special days that some people might not know?

GUIDE INSTRUCTION Use the prompts below to focus on the concept of Author’s Purpose. For additional support on the concept, refer to the relevant Tabletop Minilesson. Cover What is this text about? (dances people do to celebrate TEXT EVIDENCE special days) Why did the author write about special • Special Days, Special Dances (title) dances? (to inform readers) Guide Explain that authors write for a reason, or purpose. In this case, the author wrote about dances and other ways to celebrate special days. Mention that the book teaches us cultural information.

2 Who is the narrator? (Tracy; the girl in the frame) Why TEXT EVIDENCE might the author want this text to have a narrator? • PHOTO CLUES (A narrator can tell information in a way that is different from the way the author might give it.) Guide Explain that the narrator often tells readers about a topic at the beginning of the text. Suggest that children pay attention to the narrator’s ideas at the beginning of this text.

3 What information about the timing of Chinese New TEXT EVIDENCE Year does the author present? (It starts in January or • It starts in January or February, and it lasts fifteen February; it lasts fifteen days; people eat special foods and days! We eat special food and visit friends. visit friends.) English Learner Support Create a Visual Have children look at January and Explain that the family is celebrating Chinese February on a calendar. Then have children count out New Year with a big meal. Have children name fifteen days and think about how many weeks it is. the foods they see. Mention that Chinese New Year is in winter.

6–7 What does Tracy want to learn about? (dances done TEXT EVIDENCE on other special days) What does she do? (She asks her • I wanted to find out more about the dances people do teacher and her friend, Greg, to tell about each special day.) on special days. Discuss Mention that Tracy is interviewing her teacher • I asked my teacher, Mrs. Ortiz, and my friend, Greg, to and her friend. Emphasize that an interview is one way help me. to get information about a topic. Have children practice English Learner Support asking and answering interview questions. ■ ■ ■ Point to Tracy. Point to Greg. Point to Mrs. Ortiz. ■ ■ Whom do you see in the photo? ■ Who is the narrator of the story?

8–15 What does Mrs. Ortiz tell Tracy about Cinco de Mayo TEXT EVIDENCE dances? (People twist and twirl; girls wear skirts and • The girls twist and twirl. ribbons.) What does Greg tell Tracy about African • Their dresses have very full skirts. They wear pretty dancers during Kwanzaa? (They dance to drum music ribbons in their hair. and move their feet fast.) • They danced to the drum music. They moved their feet Reread Have children reread pages 8–15 to look for so fast! the questions Tracy asks. Then have children look for English Learner Support information in the answers about each special day. Have children review pages 2–15 to name Emphasize that both special days have a special dance. the different dances and holidays in the book. Have children explain the author’s purpose for writing Provide this sentence frame: The author wrote this text. this text to .

GENERATE INTEREST • What special dance do people do during Chinese New Year? • How do people learn to do special dances?

GUIDE INSTRUCTION Explain that children will be using what they have read and their own opinions to respond to the text. Then assign and support one or more of the activities below.

Project Research Connection Response Writing

Make a Lion Dance Costume Read about Dances Write about Dances • Study the lion dance • Research a special dance by • Think about a dance you costumes on pages 4–5. searching online or reading would like to do. • Open a large paper bag. Cut nonfiction books. You can • Write and draw about your two holes where your eyes use this book to help you. dance. Include why the will be. • Take notes about what you dance is special. • Use markers, construction learn. • Share with the group. paper, glue, and crepe paper • Share with the group. to decorate the Chinese lion. • Give the lion a face, complete with teeth, a red Hands-On Activity tongue, and colored eyes. • Share your costume with the Interview a Friend group. • Choose a partner to interview. • Write five questions to ask Vocabulary & Language about how your partner celebrates special days. Use Interview Words • Write notes about your • Go through the book with partner’s answers. a partner to read how Tracy • Share with the group. interviews. Mark pages with sticky notes. • Make a list of the words and questions she uses. • Share with the group ways to interview someone.