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Night of the Spadefoot Toad by Bill Harley
Ben Moroney moved to Edenboro, Massachusetts. He's new and misses his friends. He misses the desert around his old home in Tucson, Arizona.
Things start to change when he meets a strange new science teacher in muddy hiking boots who likes having frogs in her classroom Her name is Mrs. Tibbets. Soon Ben learns a lot from Mrs. Tibbets in school, but also by spending time with her in the woods. When Ben makes a huge mistake, he has to act to save his friendship with his teacher and his new classmates, as well as find a way to save the endangered habitat of a little group of Eastern Spadefoot toads. Night of the Spadefoot Toads is a book about nature and friends, school, bullies, and finding a new home. |
Night of the Spadefoot Toad Modified Text: Ch 1-17 |
Chapter 1
What's so special about a spadefoot toad? Watch the video to find out.
Beginners Chapter Summaries PageChapters 1-4Character Emotions: Feeling (情绪/ Qíngxù)"Ben feels _____________because..." |
From Arizona to MassachusettsChapter 1 VocabularyDirections:
As you read the story, do you notice how Ben feels (情绪/ Qíngxù)? Why does he feel this way? Discuss with your partner or group.
(Good activity to use Ipads with, 1 per group) |
Use the pictures to tell a friend what happened in chapter 1.
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Authors write in the present tense to make the reader feel like it's happening right now.
The mouse leaps off Ryan's arm, lands on the floor, and skitters under the desks, looking for a safe place to hide. But there's no safe place. Get it! Get!" Frankie shouts in his old woman's voice. "Killer mouse on the loose!" Three or four kids squeal and run to the opposite side of the the room. Practice recognizing present tense verbs here. Then pretend you're a student on the first day of class in Ben's classroom. Tell me what happens in the story in the present tense. |
Chapters 2 and 3
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Listen to what Ben hears in the woods.
Chapter 2 Vocabulary |
Chapter 2 / pg. 13: Directions: Read the paragraph. Pay attention to the subject and choose the correct ending for the verb in the present tense.
Mrs. Kutcher give_ the first person in each row a stack of information pages to pass back Ben stare_ at Jenny's long black hair while he wait_. It's always straight and neat, like she brush__ it a thousand times every morning. Jenny take_ a sheet, then turn_ to hand the stack to Ben with a smile. She has a gap between her two front teeth that make_ her smile_ relaxed and friendly, which seem_ different from her neat, combined hair.
Verbs: Present Tense and Past Tense:
give/ gave, wait/ waited, brush/brushed, take/took, turn/ turned, has/ had, make/ made, seem/ seemed
Chapters 4 and 5
(Page 40)Ben feels sick to his stomach. He knows he’s in hot water, but he’s more worried about the frog. He never should have brought it to school. |
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Chapter 6
Use the pictures to summarize the chapter in conversation.
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Chapter 1-
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Chapter 7
Use the Picture Summary to Discuss What Happened in Chapter 7.
Chapter 7 Modified Text
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How do we transition between sentences?Grammar Lesson: Subject and Object Pronouns |
Chapter 8-9
Chapters 8-9 Modified Text
Chapter 8 Cause & Effect Graphic OrganizerWhat does Ben think will most likely happen if he confesses?
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Confess means to tell the truth about something you did wrong? (坦白/ Tǎnbái)
Descriptive Words for Your Narrative
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Chapter 10
Watch what happens. Eastern Spade Foot Toads come out to lay their eggs in the vernal pools.Click here for interactive Venn Diagram |
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Chapter 11-12
Sensory Details: Use the sounds to help you describe your scene.
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Where do spadefoot toads get their name?
Watch and listen to spadefoot toads when they come out at night in the vernal pools.
How Do We Transition Between Sentences to Organize Ideas? |
Spadefoot Toads Chapters 13 , 14, and 15
Adapted Text for Chapters 13-15
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Chapter 13 Listening activity pg. 163-169
Plot summary exercise fill in the blank (for Entering, Emerging, and Transitioning Students)
On page 161-162, notice how the narrator shows feelings in third person limited perspective. |
showing_feelings_in_dialogue.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Spadefoot Toads Chapter 16
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Ecosystems Ben can choose for his report.
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Spadefoot Toads Chapter 17
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Question: What animals did Ben, Jennie, and Ryan find living by the vernal pool?
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