LEVEL 6

Reading
LOG
Teacher’s Guide
Topics 4–6
 LEVEL 6

Reading
LOG
Teacher’s Guide
Topics 4–6
Viviane Kirmeliene
Susan Ford-Bennett
 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be
58 St Aldates reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
Oxford in any form or by any means without prior written
OX1 1ST permission from the Publisher.
United Kingdom
Richmond Publications may contain links to third
First Edition: 2018 party websites or apps. We have no control over the
ISBN: 978-607-06-1513-9 content of these websites or apps, which may change
frequently, and we are not responsible for the content
© Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V. 2018 or the way it may be used with our materials. Teachers
Compass Reading Log Teacherʼs Guide and students are advised to exercise discretion when
Level 6 Topics 4–6 accessing the links.

Publisher: Justine Piekarowicz
Project Manager: Amanda Guppy
Editor: Kimberly MacCurdy
Design: Orlando Llanas, Erika Martínez
Layout: Érika González
Cover Illustration: Fernando Rubio Monroy
The Publisher has made every effort to trace the owner
of copyright material; however, the Publisher will correct
any involuntary omission at the earliest opportunity.
Printed in Mexico by

Illustrations: José Luis Briseño Sánchez pp. T142-T147;

Carlos Fernández del Castillo pp. T178-T187; Pablo José
Amilcar Zamboni pp. T218-T227

Photographs: © AFP: NEILSON BARNARD / GETTY

IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP p. T162 (middle
right), SAMUEL ASHFIELD / SCIENCE PHOTO LI / SJA
/ SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY p. T163 (top right), CHRIS
BERNACCHI / AFP p. T241 (top right), JUSTIN K. ALLER /
GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP p. T242 (bottom
right); © Shutterstock.com: Stefano_Valeri p. T200
(bottom right), Anton_Ivanov p. T201 (middle right)

Images used under license from © Shutterstock.com

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. iv

Reading Strategies ........................................................................................................ vii

Topic Structure ................................................................................................................ ix

Topic Features .................................................................................................................... x

Scope and Sequence ................................................................................................. xiii

Teaching Notes

Topic 4 How is English changing? ............................................................ T131

Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang ........................................................... T132

The Language of Texting ............................................................................. T150

Topic 5 Am I a good detective? .................................................................... T167

The Imposter ........................................................................................................ T168

To Find a Thief .................................................................................................... T188

Topic 6 Are Superstitions Real? .................................................................. T207

Lagarto, Lagarto ................................................................................................ T208

Playing it Safe ...................................................................................................... T230

Glossary ................................................................................................................................... A1

iii
Introduction
Compass is a six-level English program for bilingual
primary schools. The Compass program includes five
interrelated modules for students.
Through its integrated English as a Foreign Language
and English Language Arts programs, Compass offers
a robust curriculum incorporating the rich authentic
content and scaffolded learning outcomes available
to English language learners in an immersive
English-speaking environment.
Compass topics are developed from big questions—
life’s essential questions—about students themselves,
about society and humankind, and about the natural
world. In each log, learners examine the same big
questions from different perspectives. These questions
arouse curiosity in the topics and encourage exploration,
personalization, explanation and elaboration.

Compass English Language Arts

Modules: Reading Log, Writing Log,
Phonics and Spelling Log
• All modules align to US Common Core Standards
• Early literacy support with the Reading Log and
Phonics and Spelling Log
• Comprehensive reading strategy development in the
Reading Log
• A scaffolded writing program in the Writing Log

Compass English as a Foreign Language

Modules: Language Log, Vocabulary and
Grammar Log
• Focus on communication
• Explicit vocabulary and grammar development
• Development of all four skills (reading, listening,
speaking, writing)
• Grammar, skills and assessments aligned to the
Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages (CEFR)

iv
The objective of reading instruction is to help learners
become fluent, analytical readers. The Compass
Reading Log presents students with engaging original
stories, extracts and adaptations—many contributed by
award-winning children’s book authors—with vibrant,
eye-catching illustrations. Young readers will encounter
a broad range of fiction and nonfiction genres, such
as short stories, fables, poems, graphic novels and
informative texts.
The Compass Reading Log prepares students for literacy
through a hybrid approach that combines English
Language Arts instruction with EFL support. Students
will acquire a sequential, scaffolded set of reading
strategies based on the US Common Core Standards
for Reading: Literature and Reading: Informational
Text. The Compass Reading Log combines these
standards—geared toward native speakers of English—
with extensive vocabulary and comprehension support
for English language learners. All texts are graded by
the Lexile® Framework and the CEFR so that students
encounter authentic, but level-appropriate language.
Students are guided to understand and apply these
reading strategies through dynamic and intuitive
age- and level-appropriate activities.
Grade Lexile® Range CEFR
1 230L to 420L A1
2 450L to 570L A1+
3 600L to 730L A2
4 640L to 780L A2+
5 730L to 850L B1
6 860L to 920 L B1+
Reading Log
Each level of the Compass Reading Log is divided
into nine topics. The titles of the topics are in the
form of Big Questions, which are shared across all
components. Each topic contains two texts, a fiction
story and a nonfiction text, each with six lessons of
class material. Genre entries in the Topic Openers
(Levels 3-6) provide easy-to-understand descriptions of
the text type for each story or text in the topic.
Every story and text has a Reading Strategy Focus and
a Literary or Author Technique. Key Words provide
students with support for unfamiliar vocabulary, so
that they are equipped to understand each story or text.
Flashcards (Levels 1-3) help students learn and review
the Key Words. A Glossary at the end of the book gives
the part of speech and the definition of each Key Word.
After each story or text, two pages of Comprehension
activities confirm students’ understanding of the story
or text. A Making Connections page at the end of each
topic helps students examine the Big Question.
Comprehension Activities
Comprehension activities are based on the PIRLS
(Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)
framework, which recommends four scaffolded
processes of comprehension that guide learners from
lower- to higher-order thinking by: understanding
explicitly-stated information, making straightforward
inferences, interpreting and integrating information
and examining and evaluating content, language and
textual elements. Within this framework, students
also continue developing the Reading Strategy Focus
and Literary or Author Technique skills. An Active
Reading activity (with Cutouts for selected stories
in Levels 1 and 2) increases student interest and
engagement with the story or text, and the final
activity requires students to analyze the theme or
Big Question and relate it to their own lives.
Making Connections
After reading a fiction story, students complete the
Connect to Me activity, which helps students examine
the theme of the story in a personalized way.
After reading a nonfiction text, students complete the
Connect to… task, which integrates topic content with
other academic subject areas such as Science, History
or Social Studies.
Reading Log Audio
Each story or text is accompanied by full audio so that
students can listen as they read.
v
 Teaching Notes
For each story or text in the Compass Reading Log,
there are two overview pages. A Lessons Preview chart
serves as a quick reference to identify the focus of each
lesson and any required resources. There is also a
Summary of the story or text, a description of the
Genre, a list of Key Words and their definitions and
explanations of the Reading Strategy Focus and
Literary or Author Technique.
Each lesson features a lesson overview that outlines
the required resources and lesson focus, including
descriptions of additional reading strategies. Each 50-60
minute lesson plan begins with a Lead in to the Lesson
activity to engage learners, followed by easy-to-read,
step-by-step instructions that guide students through
the reading process, with comprehension and reading
strategy development. Most lessons end with a Take
the Lesson Further activity to personalize learning and
confirm students’ understanding. Each story or text
lesson set also offers a cross-curricular Connection task
to extend learning opportunities to other subject areas.
Throughout the Teaching Notes, level-appropriate
teacher language is suggested in green text (for fiction
stories) or in orange (for nonfiction texts). In addition,
Know Your Students entries provide insight into
students’ abilities and offer suggestions for supporting
differentiated learning. Manage Your Class entries give
teaching or class management tips related to lesson
content. Answers for activities appear in the Teaching
Notes for each lesson.
vi
Reading Strategies
Literary / Author Techniques
The Compass Reading Log equips students to become
stronger readers through the development of reading
strategies, and by building students’ awareness of literary
and author techniques. These strategies and techniques,
based on US Common Core Standards, give students
a repertoire of skills that can be applied across a range
of text genres to increase overall comprehension and
promote critical thinking.
The Reading Strategy Focus is the principal reading
strategy for a story or text. Activities at the beginning
of the story or text and in the Comprehension sections
help to develop the Reading Strategy Focus. In addition
to the Reading Strategy Focus, other reading strategies
are developed in the Teaching Notes over the course
of six lessons. Recycling and repetition of reading
strategies across different texts help students internalize
these skills and become more proficient readers.
Each fiction text also highlights a Literary Technique,
such as Nemesis and Epiphany. Each nonfiction text
highlights an Author Technique, which helps students
notice text features, such as photo captions, section
headings and functional language, and extend their
understanding beyond basic comprehension.
Photocopiable Worksheets
Each story or text lesson set contains two photocopiable
worksheets that reinforce and confirm understanding
of Key Words and help students develop Reading
Strategies. Instructions and answers for Worksheet
activities are included in the Teaching Notes.
Audio Scripts
In Compass Reading Logs 3 and 4, each Comprehension
section contains an extra listening comprehension
activity. The audio scripts for these tracks are located at
the back of the teacher’s guides.
Compass Reading Log 6 Topics 4–6
Reading Strategies
Activating Prior Knowledge
When students activate prior knowledge, they make
connections between the information in the text and
what they already knew about the topic. Activating prior
knowledge supports reading comprehension and makes
the text more meaningful for readers.
Citing Textual Evidence
A story or text contains textual evidence, or information,
such as words, phrases and illustrations. A reader refers
to (cites) this information by quoting or paraphrasing
from the story or text. Citing textual evidence provides
support to the reader’s analysis of the story or text.
Comparing and Contrasting Authors’ Presentations
of an Event
The ability to compare and contrast different authors’
presentations of the same events is an important factor
in text analysis and higher-order thinking.
Comparing and Contrasting Topics in Different Texts
It is important for students to be able to compare and
contrast viewpoints of a topic across texts. It is also
important to understand how different genres, such as
stories and informational texts, approach a topic.
Developing a Story
Authors usually tell stories by listing events in the order
they happen. But they also develop the story in other
ways. For example, they may repeat a sentence or phrase
throughout a story. This ties the events together and
helps readers remember an important idea in the story.
Developing the Theme
The theme is the central message in a story. It is
often not explicitly stated, so readers must be able to
effectively analyze the setting, story events and dialogue
in order to identify the theme of a story and observe
how it develops.
Expanding on Details
Details are the facts that support the main ideas of
a text. Authors use examples and specific details to
provide more information, foster comprehension and
make texts more relatable and engaging for readers.
Five-finger Retell
The five-finger retell strategy helps students analyze
and summarize a story by organizing the elements and
sequence of a story. Students are able to make connections
to information they already know and understand.
Identifying the Author’s Purpose and
Intended Audience
All texts have a purpose: to persuade, to inform or to
entertain the reader. Identifying and understanding the
author’s purpose—combined with identifying the author’s
audience—contributes to reading comprehension.
Identifying Character Traits
Effective readers identify and analyze information about
a character—actions, words, feelings and thoughts—in
order to make inferences about a character and predict
how a character will behave later on in the story.
Identifying Examples
Key details are all the facts and information that support
the main ideas. Sometimes an author will use examples
as key details. Being able to identify the key details that
provide evidence or support the main ideas gives readers
a better understanding of the text.
Identifying Referents
A referent is a word that is used in place of the name of
a person, thing or idea that has already been mentioned
in a story or text. Authors often use referents, such as
pronouns and possessive adjectives, to avoid
needless repetition.
Identifying Story Sequence
The ability to identify the sequence events in a story
helps readers organize main ideas and supporting details
of a story so they are able to better understand the
chronological development of a story and its characters.
Making Inferences
Making inferences is the ability to use explicit
information from a story to support an educated guess
or conclusion about the characters and events. It is
critical to story analysis and is a prerequisite for higher-
order thinking.
Making Predictions
The strategy of making predictions actively engages
vii
 students and connects them to the story or text by
asking them what they think might happen in it.
Paraphrasing
Effective readers are able to paraphrase, or restate,
information from a story or text using different words.
It helps readers confirm their understanding and
integrate new information with prior knowledge.
Reader’s Theater
In Reader’s Theater, students perform a story or
play. Acting it out requires students to reflect on the
relevance of the setting as well as the characters’ words
and actions. In this way, students interact with the text
in a more personal and memorable way.
Scanning
Scanning is the ability to quickly look for and find
specific information in a story or text. Effective readers
can scan a text for specific words or text features that
help them answer questions about text content.
Skimming
Skimming is the ability to quickly read a text for
the main ideas. Effective readers can skim a text for
information that helps them answer general questions
about text content.
Summarizing
A text usually has two or three main ideas and key
details that support the topic. Identifying and retelling
the main ideas and key details concisely is called
summarizing.
Understanding Figurative Language and Slang
Figurative language is a common literary device, so it
is important students are able to distinguish between
figurative and literal language. Both figurative language
and slang are common in humorous fiction, movies
and songs.
Using Context Clues
When students read an unfamiliar word, they should
look for clues to its meaning in the words and phrases
around it. The author may give an example, a synonym
or antonym, a definition or another kind of description
to help readers understand what the word means.
viii
Compass Reading Log 6 Topics 4–6
Literary and Author Techniques
Author’s Purpose
All texts have a purpose: to persuade, to inform, or to
entertain the reader. The author’s purpose can affect
how the reader views events and information in a text.
Conveying Mood
Authors often show characters’ attitudes and how they
feel at particular moments of the story by saying how
they do things, rather than by stating directly how the
characters feel. In this way, the reader can imagine how
characters feel through their actions.
Creating Anticipation
An author creates anticipation by slowly provide
some—but not all—of the details of a story or text.
Readers then begin to guess or predict what is going to
happen next. It is important for students to be able to
identify sentences that create anticipation in order to
predict the upcoming events in a text.
Figurative Language
Authors use similes, metaphors and hyperbole to
make a story more vivid and to help readers picture
scenes in the story. Similes are comparisons using like
or as. Metaphors are comparisons not using like or as.
Hyperbole is exaggeration.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a way an author provides visual or
written hints (clues) about what might happen next.
Being able to identify these clues helps readers predict
events in a story.
Prefixes
Prefixes are letters added to the beginning of a root
word. These letters have their own meaning and modify
the meaning of the root word. Authors may use prefixes
as context clues to unfamiliar words. If students know
the root word, the prefix can help them understand the
meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Topic Opener

Fiction Story
Nonfiction Text

Comprehension

Making Connections

ix
 The Topic Opener visually
presents the Big Question
of the Topic.

Genre entries describe

the literary or text type.
Key Words help
students understand
the story or text.

The Reading Strategy Focus

entry describes the reading
strategy students will learn.

Colorful pictures
Students listen
help tell the story.
while they read.

Students complete a
pre-reading activity based
on the Reading Strategy
Focus in Activity 1.

x
 The Literary or Author
Students complete Technique entry describes
PIRLS-informed Students confirm features authors use in
Comprehension activities. their understanding their stories and texts.
of the Literary or
Author Technique.

A Reading Strategy Students have fun

Focus activity helps with a dynamic Active Students analyze
learners become more Reading activity. the story or text in a
proficient readers. personalized activity.

xi
 Making Connections
activities help students
answer the Big Question.

The Connect to Me section encourages

students to reflect on how the
Big Question relates to them.

Connect to… activities approach

the Big Question through other
academic subject areas.

All the Key Words and

their definitions are in
the Glossary.

xii
 Topic Story / Text Reading Strategies Key Words Connections

Rustam and Rakhsh • Developing a Story flick, gallop, hoof, mirage, neigh, Connect to Art
by Carole Wilkinson • Parts of a Plot nibble, prowl, rescue, stream, Page 30
Pages 10-21 tame, thirst, wind

Pages 9-30 Canine Legends • Analyzing Key People, ancient, bond, contagious,
by Suzanne Guerrero Events and Ideas dogsled, eager, frostbite,
Pages 22-29 • Anecdotes herding dog, hunt, relay, span,
warn, wilderness

Wall Talk • Summarizing boastful, caretaker, doodle, Connect to Art

by Debbie Thomas • Characterization grin, handsaw, mock, mumble, Page 50
Pages 32-43 rucksack, sketch, spike, stammer,
vandal

Pages 31-50 Street Art • Comparing and arrest, brand name, charge,
by Julia McKie Contrasting Viewpoints collector, critic, empathy, intent,
Pages 44-49 • Juxtaposition judge, public place, sentence,
scratch, vandalism

A Young Apple Tree • Developing a droop, drought, hover, hum, Connect to Science
by Julia McKie Point of View nectar, orchard, pollination, root, Page 70
Pages 52-61 • Personification rustle, shoot, sprout, zigzag

Pages 51-70 Thanks to Nature • Developing the Topic develop, fossil fuels, mental health,
by Dale Anderson • Expanding on Details mineral, mud bricks, natural
Pages 62-69 resources, nutrient, parasite,
raw material, rely, renewable, seep

Finn Tells a Story in • Understanding beam, burst, drawl, fist-bump, Connect to

Street Slang Figurative Language glare, grimace, high-five, perk up, Social Studies
by Annie Jeffrey and Slang roll your eyes, sigh, smack your Page 86
Pages 72-79 • Conveying Mood forehead

Pages 71-86
The Language of • Using Context Clues abbreviation, acronym,
Texting • Prefixes ampersand, erode, evolve, jarring,
by Jennifer Li linguist, reply, shorten, slang, text
Pages 80-85

The Imposter • Citing Textual Evidence butler, hurry, imposter, missing, Connect to History
by Suzanne Guerrero • Foreshadowing pretend, publicity, relief, robbery, Page 106
Pages 88-97 stake out, steal, telegram, thief
Pages 87-106

To Find a Thief • Citing Textual Evidence be up to, blueprints, bolt, clue,

by Patricia Hamill • Creating Anticipation evidence, fingerprints, hunch,
Pages 98-105 mastermind, ransom, theft,
unreliable, witness

xiii
 Topic Story / Text Reading Strategies Key Words Connections

Lagarto, Lagarto • Developing a Story barista, flick, incredulously, Connect to

by Dan Anthony • Figurative Language mutter, on the house, Social Studies
Pages 108-119 quizzically, shatter, shrug, Page 126
slam, squash, stroll,
upturned
Pages 107-126
Playing It Safe • Summarizing challenge, confidence, factor,
by Dale Anderson • Author’s Purpose habit, in a row, irrational,
Pages 120-125 psychologist, routine,
superstition, tournament

A Cozy, Cozy Hoose • Comparing and bagpipes, bun, carve, chime, Connect to Art
by Annie Jeffrey Contrasting Stories chirp, chuckle, gasp, groan, Page 144
Pages 130-137 and Poems grumble, haggis, kilt, tartan
Pages 127-144 • Hyperbaton

Tiny Homes • Identifying the afford, commute, container,

by Suzanne Guerrero Author’s Purpose debt, fold down, hay, income,
Pages 138-143 • Opinion loft, retiree, sod, storage,
trailer

The Storm • Reading and debris, flashlight, hurricane, Connect to Science

by Jennifer Li Watching a Play lantern, non-perishable, Page 164
Pages 146-157 • Imagery potable, power line,
sleeping bag, spoil, stand by,
step up, tarp
Pages 145-164

Life at Risk • Identifying Reasons and ash, burst, deposit,

by Sterling Montgomery Evidence emit, extinction, famine,
Pages 158-163 • Facts and Opinions magma chamber, starvation,
swell, wipe out

The Hungry Sea • Developing the Plot crumble, dangle, edge, Connect to Science
by Oisín McGann • Conflict embedded, exposed, flailing, Page 184
Pages 166-177 gutter, hazard, remains,
rubble, scattered, sheer

Pages 165-184

Disappearing Coastal • Integrating Information accelerated, ban, coastal,

Cities • Maps, Photos collapse, compact,
by Julia McKie and Diagrams extraction, groundwater,
Pages 178-183 peak, retreat, sediment,
sinking, well

Glossary Pages 185-188

xiv
 To p ic 4

Genre: Humor
by Annie Jeffrey Humorous fiction is fiction that
is comical and fun. The humor
in a story often comes from a
misunderstanding, or various
misunderstandings.
In “Finn Tells a Story in Street
Slang,” Finn tells his family
what happened to him that day.
However, Finn’s grandpa needs
a lot of help to understand what
really happened.

The Language
o f Tex t i ng
by Jennifer Li

Genre: Informational Text

In an informational text, an
author writes about facts or real
events. Sometimes the author
answers a question or discusses
an issue.
“The Language of Texting”
discusses whether text messages
are changing the way we write
and communicate.

71

U4COrl6.indd 71 10/10/17 09:41

T 131
 Finn Tells a Story in
Street Slang
Key Words
beam
burst
drawl
fist-bump
glare by Annie Jeffrey
grimace
high-five
perk up
roll your eyes
sigh
smack your forehead

Understanding
Figurative Language
and Slang
Figurative language is
language that has a
different meaning from its
literal meaning. Slang is
informal language that is not
standard and very informal.
Slang is often figurative.

Bella, Finn and Alex got home from the skate park just in time for dinner.
Finn and Bella burst into the house, dropping their bags and skateboards in
the hallway noisily. Finn’s best friend Alex followed closely behind.
“How was the skate park, kids?” Mom called from the living room.
“The skating was great,” said Finn. “But…uh…something really not good
happened. And we’re starving because we didn’t have any lunch. We’ll tell you
1 Scan the story to
all about it. Alex came for dinner. It’s OK, right?”
find the words in
Finn and Alex had been friends since first grade, and Alex often came
italics. Can you
guess what they over during the summer vacation. Finn ran upstairs to his room, jumping
mean? up two steps at a time, with Alex following more slowly. Bella put her head
around the kitchen door as she headed to the bathroom to wash up.
2 Listen and
“Yeah, what happened is really bad,” she grimaced, “I’m so starving,”
follow. 8
“Stir fry with shrimp and black beans,” said Mom, looking up from her computer. “Dad’s specialty.
Come say hi to your grandpa, kids. Remember, he was arriving today? He’s out on the patio.”
“Great, Grandpa’s here!” said Bella.
She ran into her room and then out onto the patio. She gave her grandpa a big hug and
a card she’d made to welcome him. Grandpa hugged her back hard.
“Finn, come downstairs!” shouted Mom.
Finn and Alex came down and went out onto the patio.
“Hey, Grandpa,” Finn said, “What’s up?”
He tried to fist-bump his grandpa, but Grandpa lifted his hand to high-five him.
“Nobody does that anymore, Grandpa!” laughed Finn. “I’ll show you all the best new ’shakes later.”
Then Grandpa greeted Alex. “Hello, Alex. How are you, buddy?”
“I’m…uh…OK, Mr. Wheeler,” Alex said.
He didn’t sound very convinced. Dad came out onto the patio to call them in for dinner.
“I want to sit next to Grandpa!” said Bella.

she said. “What is for dinner, anyway?” “I hope you like shrimp, Alex,” said Dad. “Let’s eat!”
72 Topic 4 Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang 73

U4COrl6.indd 72 10/10/17 09:42 U4COrl6.indd 73 10/10/17 09:42

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 72-77 Key Words • Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet page 140

Making Predictions

2 72-77 Understanding Figurative • Audio Track 8

Language and Slang • Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet page 140

3 72-75 Identifying Referents • Audio Track 8

• Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet pages 140 and 141

4 76 and 77 Identifying Story Sequence • Audio Track 8

Making Inferences • Strips of paper with the story events
Social Studies Connection

5 78 and 79 Comprehension • A dictionary

Understanding Figurative
Language and Slang
Conveying Mood

6 86 Five-finger Retell
Connect to Me

T 132 Topic 4
Summary
Key Words
Finn, his sister Bella and their friend Alex arrive home after playing at a skate park.
Finn and Bella’s grandpa has arrived for a visit. While they are having dinner, Finn tells beam (v.) to smile broadly
his parents and grandpa what happened at the skate park. He uses several slang words, burst (v.) to arrive quickly and loudly
which makes it difficult for his grandpa to follow the story. Finn says they got hungry, drawl (v.) to speak slowly and in an
so Alex used his cell phone to order pizza, later realizing he had accidentally called his exaggerated way
family in Korea. Alex is upset because the call will cost his parents sixty dollars, and
fist-bump (v.) to hit another person’s
his family is short of money. After dinner, Grandpa suggests a way to raise money for
closed hand with your closed hand
Alex: they can wash cars in the neighborhood. The next day, they go to their neighbors’
houses announcing the car wash service. Grandpa buys all the car wash supplies. glare (v.) to look at someone in an
Later, he teaches Finn, Bella and Alex how to wash and wax a car. The kids wash enough angry way
cars to raise the money to pay the phone bill. When Alex tells his parents about the call grimace (v.) to make a facial
and how he resolved the problem, Alex’s mom and dad are proud of him. At the end of expression that shows pain
the story, Finn and Bella’s mom shows them a picture of their grandpa in his youth. high-five (v.) to hit another person’s
His first job was at a car wash. Grandpa makes fun of Finn and Bella, using slang words open hand in the air with your
from the time he was young, while the kids teach their grandpa different handshakes. open hand

Genre: Humor perk up (v.) to become happier

suddenly
Humorous fiction is fiction that is comical and fun. The humor in a story often comes
from a misunderstanding, or various misunderstandings. In “Finn Tells a Story in Street roll your eyes (v.) to move your eyes
Slang,” Finn tells his family what happened to him that day. However, Finn’s grandpa needs around in a circle
a lot of help to understand what really happened. sigh (v.) breathe out slowly
and loudly
Reading Strategy Focus
smack your forehead (v.) to hit your
Understanding Figurative Language and Slang forehead with your hand
What is it? Figurative language is language that has a different meaning from its literal
meaning. Slang is informal language that is not standard and is very informal. Slang is
often figurative.
What will students do? Students will identify and learn the meanings of slang words
and figurative language used in the story.
Why is it important? It is important for students to learn how to identify figurative
use of language and distinguish it from the literal meaning of words because it is a
common literary device in fiction. Knowing slang words, which are highly figurative,
helps students have a better understanding of informal texts, such as humorous fiction,
movies and songs.
How will students build on previous knowledge? In Compass Reading Log 5, students
identify similes and metaphors, which are types of figurative language. They also learn
to use context clues to determine the meanings of words and phrases.
Compass Reading Log 6 students may be able to identify slang words in the story, but they
will probably need teacher support in identifying the context clues that help determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Literary Technique
Conveying Mood
What is it? Authors often show characters’ attitudes and how they feel at particular
moments of the story by saying how they do things, rather than by stating directly how
the characters feel. In this way, the reader can imagine how characters feel through
their actions.
What will students do? Students will identify actions and events in the story that
reveal the characters’ attitudes and feelings.
Why is it important? It is important for students to be able to correlate characters’
actions to their feelings in order to better understand the moods the author wants to
convey throughout the story. This skill is also an integral feature of making inferences.

Topic 4 T 133
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 72-77 Making Predictions
Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet page 140 The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the
story by asking them what they think might happen in it. Effective readers use pictures,
titles, headings, text and personal experiences to make predictions before they read.
Predicting also involves thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and
events in the story. After making predictions, students can read through the story and
revise and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (15 min.)

• Use gestures, mime and facial expressions to convey different
feelings. Have students guess the feelings. Write the students’
answers on the board.
• Ask: How did you know how I was feeling? Do we always need
to tell people how we are feeling? Explain that gestures and
facial expressions can be a very effective way to convey how
we are feeling without having to say anything.
• Form small groups. Have students take turns using gestures,
mime and facial expressions to convey feelings.

Teach the Key Words (25 min.)

• Use gestures and example sentences to elicit or teach the
Key Words. Write them on the board.
• Read the words to the class and have students repeat
them chorally.
• Have students complete activities 1 and 2 in
the worksheet.
• Form small groups. Tell students to mime or use gestures
to express the actions of the verbs.
Answers: Activity 1: 1. glare 2. burst 3. drawl 4. sigh 5. roll your
eyes 6. smack your forehead 7. perk up 8. fist-bump 9. high-five
10. beam 11. grimace
Activity 2: 1. roll your eyes 2. glare 3. beam 4. smack your forehead
5. burst 6. drawl 7. sigh 8. perk up 9. high-five 10. grimace 11. fist-bump

Reading Strategy (15 min.)

• Tell students they are going to predict what happens in
the story.
• Point to the cover on page 71. Ask: What are some things
we could do to predict what this story is about? (Look at
the title and pictures.)
• Tell students to answer the questions and write
their predictions in activity 3 in the worksheet.
• Encourage students to share them with the class.

Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)

• Say: In the story, they use two ways to congratulate someone.
What are they? (Fist-bump and high-five.)
• Form small groups. Have students talk about the gestures
they use to congratulate their friends.

T 134 Topic 4
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 72-77 Understanding Figurative Language and Slang
Audio Track 8
Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet page 140

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)
• Ask: Do you know what slang means?
Confirm understanding.
• Ask: Do you use slang words in (students’ first languages)?
How often do you use them? Do you use them in all
situations? Why? Why not?
• Elicit slang words and write them on the board.
Encourage students to explain their meanings. Have students
write the slang words in their notebooks.
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Point to the students’ list of slang words on the board. Ask: Is
it difficult for other people like your parents and grandparents
to understand these slang words? Have you ever had a
misunderstanding because of slang words? What happened?
Encourage students to share their experiences.

Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.)

• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 72. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Point to the students’ list of slang words on the board.
Ask: Do any of these words have two meanings—figurative
and literal?
• Explain that they will learn some slang words in English
as they read the story.

1 Scan the story to find the words in italics.

Can you guess what they mean? (10 min.)
• Have students scan the text for italicized words.
Tell students to underline them. (Squad, hangry, chow,
lettuce, pocket-dialed, busted, vexed, the bomb, sick, dude,
far out, dig it.)
• Form small groups. Have students guess what the words
mean. (Do not let students read the text yet.)
• Elicit ideas. Accept all ideas at this stage. Ask: What do
you think all these words have in common? (They are all
slang words.)

2 Listen and follow. 8 (25 min.)

• Play track 8. Have students listen to the story and follow

in their books.
• Pause the track every now and then, and ask general
comprehension questions about setting (Where are the
characters?), characters (Who are the characters? Who are
Finn and Bella? How are they related? How about Alex?
Does Grandpa live with them?), events (What happened
at the skate park? What did the kids at the skate park
order to eat? Who did Alex call? Why is he in trouble?) and
predictions (What do you think will happen next?).
• Have students refer to the notes they took in activity 3 in
the worksheet. Tell them to compare their predictions
to the actual story. Explain that if they are still not sure about
their predictions, they will have a chance to confirm or reject
them in future lessons.

Topic 4 T 135
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 72-75 Identifying Referents
Audio Track 8 A referent is a word that is used in place of the name of a person, thing or idea that has already
been mentioned in a story. Authors often use referents such as pronouns and possessive
Topic 4 Fiction Worksheet pages 140 and 141
adjectives to avoid needless repetition. The ability to identify referents in a story is an essential
reading comprehension skill.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.)
• Have students look at the pictures in the story.
• Ask: Who are these people? What are they doing?
What is Finn doing? Why is Grandpa confused?
Read and Discuss the Story
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Form small groups. Say: Imagine you were in a conversation
where you didn’t understand some of the words.
Have students discuss the questions: How would you feel?
What would you say to Finn?
8 (25 min.)

• Have students read the questions in activity 4 in the

worksheet. Confirm they understand the questions.
• Play track 8 from the beginning of the story to the end of
page 75. Have students listen and underline the passages
that answer the questions.
• Form pairs. Have students confirm answers and complete
activity 4 in the worksheet.
Answers: 1. Finn and Bella are brother and sister. Alex is their friend.
2. Their grandpa. 3. Bella does. 4. She asks him to avoid using street slang.
5. He thinks it is a breed of dog. 6. He says the word slowly, making sounds
longer. 7. Alex does. 8. He called his aunt in Korea. 9. The call is going to
be very expensive, and Alex and his family don’t have much money.
10. They are going to be very angry with him.

Reading Strategy (20 min.)

• Write the sentences on the board: Finn goes to the skate
park every day. He’s good at skateboarding. His friends like
him. Underline the words He’s, His and him.
• Say: Look at the underlined words. Who do they refer
to? (Finn.)
• Ask: Why do we use words such as “he’s,” “his” and “him”
when we write? Explain that authors use pronouns and
possessive adjectives to avoid repetition.
• Rewrite the sentences on the board replacing the referents
with “Finn” to help students see how repetitive (and boring)
sentences can be without the use of referents.
• Have students complete activity 5 in the worksheet.
Answers: 1. Finn and Bella 2. Finn, Bella and Alex 3. Grandpa 4. Bella
5. Finn 6. the story 7. Tutto Pizza 8. Alex

Manage Your Class

Some students may find this activity challenging.
Consider grouping similar level students together.
Guiding small groups of students can be more time effective
than working with individuals.

T 136 Topic 4
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategies
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 76 and 77 Identifying Story Sequence
Audio Track 8 The ability to identify the sequence of events
in a story helps students organize main ideas
Strips of paper with the story events (1 set
and supporting details of a story so they are
per group)
able to better understand the chronological
development of a story and its characters.
Making Inferences
Making inferences is the ability to use explicit
information from a story to support an educated
guess or conclusion about the characters and
events. It is critical to story analysis and is a
prerequisite for higher-order thinking.
Social Studies Connection
The purpose of social studies is to guide
young learners in developing the ability
to make informed decisions for the public
good as citizens of a culturally diverse
global community. Learning about common
practices in other countries is one way to
create connections between this story and
the world, and expand students’ awareness
of the world around them.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Reading Strategy (20 min.)

Reading Strategy
• Before class, write the story events from pages 72-75 on
strips of paper. Make one set for each group of students:
- Finn, Bella and Alex arrive home from a skate park.
- Finn tells his family what happened at the skate park.
- After skateboarding the whole morning, the kids get hungry.
- Alex calls a pizza place and orders pizza.
- Alex calls his aunt in Korea by accident.
- Alex realizes he has called his aunt in Korea.
- Alex thinks he is in trouble.
• Form small groups. Hand out the sets of story events.
(Confirm they are not in chronological order.)
• Have students put the story events in chronological order.
Read and Discuss the Story 8 (20 min.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students
read them before reading the second part of the story.
1 What does their mom think about Finn’s use of
slang words?
2 What is Grandpa’s idea to help Alex?
3 How do the neighbors react to having their cars washed
by the kids?
4 What washing supplies does Grandpa buy at the
supermarket?
5 How does Grandpa teach the kids to wash and wax a car?
6 How much money do the kids make by washing the cars?
Is that enough to pay the phone bill?
7 What is Alex’s parents’ first reaction to the accidental
phone call?
8 What was Grandpa’s first job?
• Play track 8 from page 76 to the end of the story.
Have students read along and underline passages
that answer the questions.
Answers: 1. She thinks it was mean. 2. He suggests they organize a
neighborhood car wash. 3. They are happy. 4. He buys sponges, cloths,
car shampoo and wax. 5. He washes and waxes his own car. 6. They make
60 dollars. Yes, it is. 7. They are worried. 8. He washed cars.
• Ask: Do you remember how many cars there are in the
neighbors’ driveways? Encourage students to scan this passage
of the story. Ask: Do you think the kids washed all the neighbors’
cars? Where can you find this information in the text?
• Students will probably be able to figure out that all the cars
were washed, but they will not find this information explicitly
stated in the text. Ask: If the information is not mentioned
in the text, how do you know that they washed all the cars?
Encourage students to point out clues in the text that helped
them to answer your question (There were twelve cars in the
driveways. Grandpa told the kids to charge five dollars per
car, which would make the total of 60 dollars Bella counted
when they were done.)
• Once they have identified the clues, say: When we draw
conclusions about information that is not explicit in the text,
we make inferences. We use clues in the text and what we
know about the world.
• Direct students’ attention to page 77 where Alex explains to
his parents what had happened.
• Ask: Why did his parents look worried? Why were they then
surprised? Why were they proud and happy? Have students
make inferences. (They were worried about the cost of the
phone call. Then surprised by Grandpa’s idea to wash cars to
raise money, and then they are happy and proud because Alex
worked hard to raise the money to pay the bill.)
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
Social Studies Connection
• Explain to students that in the United States, it is common
for kids and teens to do simple chores for a weekly sum of
money. It’s called an allowance.
• Ask: Is it common for kids and teens in (students’ countries)
to get an allowance for doing chores around the house? If so,
which chores do you do?
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the questions:
Would parents here be proud and happy if you did chores to
pay for something? What makes your parents proud of you?

Topic 4 T 137
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 78 and 79 Understanding Figurative Language and Slang
A dictionary Literary Technique
Conveying Mood

Comprehension (60 min.)
Lead in to the Lesson
• Form small groups. Have students retell the story.
Tell students to take turns telling it—they say one piece
of information, then the next person in the group adds
to the story and so on.
1 Number the events in the correct order.
• Have students read the events and number them.
Answers: 2, 4, 5, 7, 1, 3, 6
2 Understanding Figurative Language and Slang
Write the meanings of the slang words.
• Form pairs. Have students work together to figure out the
meaning of the slang words. Have students refer to the story,
if necessary.
Answers: 1. group of friends 2. so hungry that you’re angry 3. food
4. money 5. in serious trouble 6. the best 7. really good 8. to understand
5 Active Reading Act out the actions in activity 4 for a
classmate to guess.
• Form pairs. Encourage students to use gestures and mime to
convey the meanings of the actions in activity 4.
6 Think and write. Which slang words and expressions
do you know? Do your parents know them, too?
• Form small groups. Tell them to list the words they know.
• Have students discuss if their parents are familiar with
these words.
• Encourage students to share ideas with the class.
A Write some slang words you know in English.
Compare your list with a classmate’s. What do the
words mean?
• Have students write some English slang words.
• Form pairs. Have them compare their lists.
• Encourage students to share their lists with the class.

A Mark (✓) the words that also have a literal meaning.

• Form small groups. Have students look at the words and
mark the ones they think have a literal meaning. Tell students
to use a dictionary to confirm their answers, if necessary.
Answers: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

3 Answer the questions.

• Have students read the questions. Clarify meaning, if
necessary. Encourage students to refer to the story to confirm
answers if they have difficulty remembering the story events.
• Form pairs. Have students compare their answers.
Answers: 1. He high-fives Finn to greet him in the way he thinks most young
people greet each other. Finn laughs because young people don’t greet each
other like that anymore. 2. Because grandpa doesn’t understand, and it’s rude.
3. They felt happy and proud. 4. He washed cars. 5. “Dude,” “far out” and
“dig it.” The kids don’t know them because they were used at the time
Grandpa was young, but not anymore.

4 Conveying Mood Match the actions with their

meanings.
• Direct students’ attention to the Literary Technique entry.
Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Have students complete the activity.
Answers: 1. c 2. d 3. f 4. g 5. h 6. e 7. b 8. i 9. a

T 138 Topic 4
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 page 86 Five-finger Retell
The five-finger retell strategy helps students analyze and summarize a
story by organizing the elements and sequence of a story.
Students are able to make connections to information they already
know and understand.

Connect to Me (50 min.) Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)

Lead in to the Lesson • Write some slang words used during World War II on
Reading Strategy the board:
1 The food the soldiers ate in the battlefield was crummy.
• Draw a hand on the board and write the words characters,
2 The soldiers were all decked out for the dance.
setting, problem, events and solution, for each finger, starting
3 All the soldiers felt edgy before landing on Omaha Beach.
with the thumb.
4 The soldiers want to eat hen fruit and bacon for breakfast.
• Remind students that they can use five fingers to remember
5 My parents will give me some moolah for a new bike.
all the important parts of a story.
• Form pairs. Have students guess what the words mean.
• Hold up your hand. Point to your thumb and say: Identify
(1. bad, poor quality 2. wearing formal clothes 3. anxious,
the characters. Point to your index finger and say: Describe
nervous 4. eggs 5. money.)
the setting. Point to your middle finger and say: Identify the
problem. Point to your ring finger and say: Describe the events
in the story. Point to your pinky finger and say: Describe the
ending and how the problem is resolved.
• Say: Let’s retell “Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang.”
Guide students to use their fingers and retell the story and
events with you.
• Ask: What slang words did you learn from this story?

1 When is it OK to use slang words and expressions?

When is it not OK? Make two lists. Then compare.
• Form pairs. Have students create a short dialogue using
English slang words from the story and from activity 6 in
the Comprehension section.
• Form small groups (two or three pairs). Have students
present their dialogues.
• Ask: Do you think your parents and other adults would
understand these conversations? Why? Why not?
• Ask: Would it be OK to use these slang words when talking to
me? Or with the school principal? What about your parents?
• Direct students to the Connect to Me activity on page 86.
Have them complete the lists.
• Form pairs. Have students compare their lists.
• Encourage students to share their lists with the class.

Topic 4 T 139
 To p ic 4 Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang
1 Unscramble the words.
1 REGAL 7 PREKPU

2 TRUBS 8 T I F S-P U B M

3 LADRW 9 G I H H-E I F V

4 HISG 10 M A B E

5 LORLUOYRSEEY 11 M A G R E C I

6 CMAKS/ROYU/EEDOFARH

2 Complete the sentences with the correct words from Activity 1.

1 When you move your eyes around to show you are annoyed or impatient, you .

2 If you look at someone in a very angry way, you at him or her.

3 When you smile broadly, you .

4 You might if you realize you’ve forgotten something important.

5 If you are very late to class, you might into the classroom.

6 If you speak slowly, making the sounds in words longer than usual, you .

7 When you let air out of your mouth to show frustration, you .

8 You might , if you get good news.

9 When you score a goal on the soccer field, you might your teammates.

10 If you make a facial expression that shows pain, you .

11 If you hit someone’s closed hand with your own, as a way to say “hello,” you .

A Work with a classmate. Act out the words. Take turns.

3 Look at the story. Answer the questions.
1 What can I predict from the title?

2 What do the pictures tell me?

T 140 Fiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
4 Answer the questions.
1 What is the relationship between Finn, Bella and Alex?

2 Who has arrived at Finn and Bella’s house?

3 Who explains the meanings of the words to Grandpa?

4 What does Finn’s mom ask him to do?

5 What does Grandpa think “chow” means?

6 How does Finn try to help his grandpa understand the word “lettuce”?

7 Who orders pizza at the skate park?

8 What did Alex do by accident?

9 What is the problem with Alex’s call?

10 How are Alex’s parents going to react to the call?

5 Look at the underlined words. Who or what do they refer to? Mark (✓) the correct answers.
1 “Finn and Bella burst into the house, dropping their bags and skateboards in the hallway noisily.”

Finn Finn and Bella Alex

2 “We’ll tell you all about it. Alex came for dinner, it’s OK, right?”

Finn Finn and his grandpa Finn, Bella and Alex

3 “Dad’s specialty. Come say “hi” to your grandpa, kids. Remember, he was arriving today?”

Dad Grandpa Finn

4 “She gave her grandpa a big hug and a card she’d made to welcome him. Grandpa hugged her

back hard.”

Bella Bella’s mom Grandma

5 “He tried to fist-bump his grandpa, but Grandpa lifted his hand to high-five him.”

Alex Grandpa Finn

6 “‘Not everyone understands the latest skate park slang, Finn,’ said Mom. ‘Even your dad and me.

Keep it simple.’”

the story the slang the skate park

7 “Well, we waited and waited for our pizza and it never came. It was strange because they’re near and

usually so fast.”

Mom and Dad Bella and Alex Tutto Pizza

8 “That’s when I realized that I had accidentally pocket-dialed my aunt … in Korea.”

Finn Bella Alex

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Fiction Worksheet T 141
 Finn Tells a Story in
Street Slang
Key Words
beam
burst
drawl
fist-bump
glare by Annie Jeffrey
grimace
high-five
perk up
roll your eyes
sigh
smack your forehead

Understanding
Figurative Language
and Slang
Figurative language is
language that has a
different meaning from its
literal meaning. Slang is
informal language that is not
standard and very informal.
Slang is often figurative.

Bella, Finn and Alex got home from the skate park just in time for dinner.
Finn and Bella burst into the house, dropping their bags and skateboards in
the hallway noisily. Finn’s best friend Alex followed closely behind.
“How was the skate park, kids?” Mom called from the living room.
“The skating was great,” said Finn. “But…uh…something really not good
happened. And we’re starving because we didn’t have any lunch. We’ll tell you
1 Scan the story to
all about it. Alex came for dinner. It’s OK, right?”
find the words in
Finn and Alex had been friends since first grade, and Alex often came
italics. Can you
guess what they over during the summer vacation. Finn ran upstairs to his room, jumping
mean? up two steps at a time, with Alex following more slowly. Bella put her head
around the kitchen door as she headed to the bathroom to wash up.
2 Listen and
“Yeah, what happened is really bad,” she grimaced, “I’m so starving,”
follow. 8

she said. “What is for dinner, anyway?”

72 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 72 10/10/17 09:42

T 142
 “Stir fry with shrimp and black beans,” said Mom, looking up from her computer. “Dad’s specialty.
Come say hi to your grandpa, kids. Remember, he was arriving today? He’s out on the patio.”
“Great, Grandpa’s here!” said Bella.
She ran into her room and then out onto the patio. She gave her grandpa a big hug and
a card she’d made to welcome him. Grandpa hugged her back hard.
“Finn, come downstairs!” shouted Mom.
Finn and Alex came down and went out onto the patio.
“Hey, Grandpa,” Finn said, “What’s up?”
He tried to fist-bump his grandpa, but Grandpa lifted his hand to high-five him.
“Nobody does that anymore, Grandpa!” laughed Finn. “I’ll show you all the best new ’shakes later.”
Then Grandpa greeted Alex. “Hello, Alex. How are you, buddy?”
“I’m…uh…OK, Mr. Wheeler,” Alex said.
He didn’t sound very convinced. Dad came out onto the patio to call them in for dinner.
“I want to sit next to Grandpa!” said Bella.
“I hope you like shrimp, Alex,” said Dad. “Let’s eat!”
Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang 73

U4COrl6.indd 73 10/10/17 09:42

T 143
 At the dinner table, Finn started to tell everyone what had happened at the skate park. They all
listened, and Grandpa tried to follow. Bella had to help him…a lot.
“So we got to the skate park this morning. All the kids from the squad were there already.”
“The squad? So you’re all on a skateboarding team, Finn?” said Grandpa. “That’s fantastic!
When’s your next competition? I’d love to watch.”
“A squad is like a group of friends, Grandpa. Like a gang of friends,” said Bella. “Don’t worry,
Finn is just showing off the slang he’s learned at the skate park. He thinks he’s so cool. But he isn’t.”
Finn glared at Bella.
“Well, it’s true!” said Bella.
“Not everyone understands the latest skate park slang, Finn,” said Mom. “Even your dad and
me. Keep it simple.”
“OK, Mom, I’ll try, but just let me tell my story,” said Finn. “Anyway, we were boarding all
morning and trying out some new jumps and turns. So after a while we all got really hangry, and
we needed some chow, like right that minute.”
At this point, Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head. Mom and Dad’s eyes widened. They
had never heard the word hangry before either.
“So all that exercise made you hungry?” said Grandpa. “And chow, isn’t that one of those cute
fluffy dogs from China? I’ve always wanted one of those dogs. You were hungry enough to eat one?”
“No, Grandpa,” said Bella patiently. “Those Chinese dogs are called chow chows! Hangry is like
so hungry that you’re angry, all irritated. And chow is food. Finn, stop it, will you!”
“Yes, stop it, Finn,” said Dad firmly. “It’s not fair on your grandpa.”

74 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 74 10/10/17 09:42

T 144
 But Finn went on. “The only thing was that
Alex, well, he was the only one who had any
lettuce,” he drawled
drawled.
“Well, lettuce isn’t much good when you’re
hungry. It doesn’t fill you up much, does it?”
said Grandpa, looking surprised.
Bella sighed
sighed. Mom and Dad frowned at Finn.
“No, Grandpa, lettuce is money,” she said. “It’s
called that because, you know, dollar bills are
green and so they look a bit like lettuce leaves.”
“So I dialed Tutto Pizza and ordered a
margarita pizza,” said Alex.
“That’s our favorite pizza restaurant,
Grandpa,” said Finn. “Well, we waited and
waited for our pizza and it never came. It was
strange because they’re near and usually so
fast. After an hour we were desperate, so Alex
decided to call them again.”
“Well…” said Alex. “That’s when I realized
that I had accidentally pocket-dialed my aunt…in Korea.”
Grandpa looked at Bella with raised eyebrows. “That means he pressed the cell phone dial
button when the phone was in his pocket and he sat down on it!” she explained.
“And I guess my little cousin had answered,” said Alex “And he’s just three so I think he just left
the cell connected and went off to play.”
“So Alex had been on the phone to Korea for an hour!” said Bella.
“I am so busted now…” Alex looked miserable.
Grandpa looked confused again.
“Busted means he’s in trouble, Grandpa, with his mom and dad,” said Bella. “That was such an
expensive call.”
“Yeah, there’s no way I’ll be able to pay my parents back,” said Alex. “We have a special deal for
calling my family in Korea. But we checked the price and it’s still going to cost sixty dollars. My folks
don’t have much lettuce, I mean money right now, and they’re going to be vexed, I mean really mad.”
Grandpa looked at Alex, frowned and shook his head. After he had finished his dinner, he got
up and went out to the patio again to sit with Stan, the family’s Great Dane.

Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang 75

U4COrl6.indd 75 10/10/17 09:42

T 145
 “Finn,” said Mom sternly when Grandpa
had gone. “It was really pretty mean of you
to tell Grandpa Alex’s story using all those
words. It was clear that he didn’t know them.
We kept telling you, but you wouldn’t listen.
“Sorry, Mom,” said Finn. “You’re right, I
won’t do it again.”
The kids sat at the table, looking
miserable. They were worried about Alex.
Grandpa came back into the room.
“OK, kids, I have an idea,” he said.
“Tomorrow, let’s visit all the neighbors. Then
we’re going to the supermarket. We’ll need
to buy a few things.”
Bella perked up
up.
“What’s the idea, Grandpa?” she asked.
“We’re going to organize a neighborhood
car wash,” he announced. “We’ll charge
five dollars per car for a wash and wax. The
neighbors will think it’s a bargain!”
“And then we’ll give Alex the money to
pay for the phone call,” said Finn excitedly. “Yay, Grandpa! You’re the bomb, you know, the best!”
Alex beamed
beamed, looking happy for the first time since he arrived.
“If you do a good job, you kids have yourselves a good business!” said Grandpa.
The next day they visited their neighbors. Everyone was happy to have the kids wash their
cars. Alex had been doing the math in his head as they went from house to house. He had counted
twelve cars in the driveways.
Then they went to the supermarket. Grandpa bought sponges, cloths, car shampoo and wax.
At home they had a hose and buckets. Finn, Bella and Alex felt confident they were ready for business.
“Not quite,” said Grandpa. “Good car washing is an art.”
So Grandpa showed them how to wash and wax a car. “I’ll wash my car,” he said. “Watch and learn.”
He explained everything as he worked. When Grandpa finished, his old car shone in the
sunlight and they were ready to start.
“OK,” said Grandpa. “Let’s go!”

76 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 76 10/10/17 09:42

T 146
 For the rest of that day and most of the next day, the kids washed the neighbors’ cars just as
Grandpa had shown them. They washed new cars, older cars, cars that were just a bit dirty, and
cars that were really pretty filthy. One of the cars even had ‘Please wash me!’ written in the dust on
the windscreen!
When they had finished, the kids were exhausted. They lay down on the wall in front of their
house. They ate all the sandwiches Mom had prepared for them.
“Let’s count the lettuce,” said Grandpa.
They all laughed. Bella counted out sixty dollars.
“OK, let’s take this to your mom and dad,” she said.
Bella, Finn and Grandpa waited in the yard. Alex explained to his parents what had happened.
Then, he handed over the money to pay for the accidental phone call. From a distance, they
watched Alex’s parents’ faces change. First, they were worried. Then, they were surprised. Finally,
their expressions showed pure pride and happiness, and they hugged Alex.
Back at the house, Mom showed them an old photo from one of her albums. “This is Grandpa,”
she said. “Remember this, Dad?”
In the photo, a young Grandpa was cleaning a car. He had long hair and was wearing a
bandana and overalls.
“Hey, you look sick, Grandpa.” said Finn.
“No, I was really healthy!” said Grandpa. “That was my first job and I loved it. I got lots of
exercise and I met a lot of nice people—just like today.” Finn
smacked his forehead.
forehead “Sorry, Grandpa! Sick means
really good, like awesome!”
“Yeah, I was an awesome dude, really far
out. Can you dig it, man?” Grandpa said.
When the kids looked puzzled,
Grandpa laughed.
“That’s the way we spoke in
those days,” he said. And Grandpa
taught them how to say dude, far out
and dig it just as he had.
Then Finn, Bella and Alex
taught Grandpa five new ’shakes, as
they called them. It was the perfect
end to a really sick day!

Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang 77

U4COrl6.indd 77 10/10/17 09:42

T 147
 1 Number the events in the correct order.
Mom and Dad don’t understand the word hangry.

Grandpa shows the kids how to wash a car.

The kids lie on a wall and rest.

They teach Grandpa some cool handshakes.

Finn, Bella and Alex get home from the skate park.

Grandpa and the kids visit the neighbors.

Alex gives his parents the money they earned.

2 Understanding Figurative Language and Slang Write the meanings of the slang words.
1 squad 5 busted

2 hangry 6 the bomb

3 chow 7 sick

4 lettuce 8 dig it

A Mark (✓) the words that also have a literal meaning.

3 Answer the questions.
1 Why does Grandpa high-five Finn? Why does Finn laugh when he does this?

2 Why don’t Mom and Dad want Finn to tell the story using slang from the skate park?

3 How did Alex’s parents feel after he gave them the money?

4 What was Grandpa’s first job?

5 What slang expressions does Grandpa teach the kids? Why don’t they know these expressions before
he teaches them?

78 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 78 10/10/17 09:42

T 148
 4 Conveying Mood Match the actions with their meanings.
Conveying Mood
Action What does it mean?
Authors often show
1 burst a to hit your forehead with your hand characters’ attitudes
and how they feel at
2 grimace b to become happier suddenly
particular moments of
3 glare c to arrive quickly and loudly the story by saying how
they do things, rather
4 roll your eyes d to make a facial expression that shows pain than by stating directly
5 drawl e to breathe out slowly and loudly how the characters
feel. In this way, the
6 sigh f to look at someone in an angry way reader can imagine how
characters feel through
7 perk up g to move your eyes around in a circle
their actions.
8 beam h to speak slowly and in an exaggerated way

9 smack your forehead i to smile broadly

5 Active Reading Act out the actions in activity 4 for a classmate to guess.

6 Think and write. Which slang words and expressions do you know? Do your parents know them, too?

A Write some slang words you know in English. Compare your list with a classmate’s.
What do the words mean?

Finn Tells a Story in Street Slang 79

U4COrl6.indd 79 10/10/17 09:42

T 149
 Teachers worry even more when they see text-like language on actual schoolwork. Students
occasionally use an ampersand (&) instead of the word and, or they write shortened forms of
words, such as “ur” for you're. In the middle of a formal essay, this kind of language is jarring.
For example, read this sentence from a student’s paper about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

The Language
Do you notice the spelling and punctuation that belong in a text message, not in writing for school?

Key Words I think ppl enjoy reading Romeo & Juliet becuz it is a great love story btwn two characters.
abbreviation
acronym
o f Tex t i ng by Jennifer Li
ampersand Students say they’re just in a rush, and it doesn’t happen all the time. But some experts still
erode Suppose you’re at a restaurant with a group of friends for a birthday party. wonder if students’ writing ability is in decline.
evolve
Everyone is there and ready to eat—except the birthday girl. She’s always late,
jarring
linguist but it’s been half an hour already. You reach for your cell phone to text your Good News for Texters
reply Fortunately, recent research has good news for students
friend. Which message do you send?
shorten TRANSLATION
who text. Several studies have shown that texting doesn’t affect
slang
text im waiting here where r u????? I’m waiting here. Where are you? literacy. Your ability to read and write properly won’t disappear
ppl wondering when People are wondering when just because you use nonstandard spelling, punctuation and

Using Context Clues
When you read an unfamiliar
word, look for clues
to its meaning in the words
and phrases around it.
The author may give an
example, a synonym or
antonym, a definition or
another kind of description
to help you understand
what the word means.
1 Read the two
messages in the
bubbles on this
page. Which do
you think is a text
message? Why?
2 Listen and
follow. 9
u gonna show up. you’re going to show up.
If you’re like most people, your message will look a lot more like the text on
the left. You probably won’t use much capitalization. You might use excessive
punctuation—five question marks in a row—or leave it out entirely. You might
shorten a word by writing only the consonants. You might use a single letter or
number to represent an entire word. You might leave out forms of be, have and
do that should be part of a verb. Before you know it, you’ve broken nearly all
the conventions, or rules, for proper writing.
Writing Skills at Risk?
Using this kind of spelling, grammar and punctuation on your English
homework would almost guarantee you a low grade. For this reason, some
parents and teachers have been concerned about texting since it first became
popular in the early 2000s. They worry that texting will erode students’ writing
skills. They fear that the more students text, the less they will be able to write
properly when they need to. If students are used to typing “thx” instead of
thanks, will they eventually forget how to spell the word? If they text “u gonna
capitalization in your texts. One study in 2014 followed 243
students in the United Kingdom for a year. At the beginning of
the year, researchers asked permission to read all the texts the
students had sent for the past two days. As the researchers
expected, the texts contained many common errors.
TRANSLATION
hi how are you Hi! How are you?
am going out now. I’m going out now.
want to come? Do you want to come?
Then they tested the students’ literacy skills throughout the year. The results of the study
were surprising. When these students wrote papers or took grammar tests, their writing was just
as good as before. Their writing in formal settings didn’t seem to be affected by their texting at all.
The students were simply using different kinds of language in different situations. It’s a common
way that people use language. For example, you might talk to your friends using casual slang but
talk to your teacher in a more formal way.

stdy l8r,” will they give up on writing Are you going to study later?

80 Topic 4 The Language of Texting 81

U4COrl6.indd 80 10/19/17 13:15 U4COrl6.indd 81 5/24/18 16:12

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 80-83 Key Words • Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 158

Making Predictions • Note cards

2 80-83 Using Context Clues • Audio Track 9

• Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 158
• Students’ flashcards

3 80-82 Identifying Examples • Audio Track 9

Paraphrasing • Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 159

4 82 and 83 Using Context Clues • Audio Track 9 • A stopwatch or timer

Scanning • Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 159 • Students’ flashcards
Paraphrasing

5 84 and 85 Comprehension
Using Context Clues
Prefixes

6 86 Identifying the Author’s Purpose • Internet access

Connect to Social Studies

T 150 Topic 4
Summary
Key Words
“The Language of Texting” discusses whether text messages are changing the way we
write and communicate. When texting, people often break with formal writing abbreviation (n.) a shortened form
conventions; they skip capitalization and punctuation, shorten words, use single letters of a word
and numbers to represent a word and leave out verb forms. Parents and teachers worry acronym (n.) a word written with the
about texting; they fear it might reduce the quality of students’ writing skills. first letters of other words
However, several studies have demonstrated that texting doesn’t affect literacy. In fact, ampersand (n.) a symbol that means
researchers found that students who use shortened forms of words actually spell better “and;” (&)
than those who don’t. Linguist John McWhorter even views texting as a new form of
erode (v.) to take away from;
language called “fingered speech.” Although language evolves over time, it is unlikely
to weaken
that texting will considerably change formal writing, since rules for written language
keep it from changing quickly. Spoken language, however, is more dynamic. In texting, evolve (v.) to change over time
changes happen as fast as in speech, with new abbreviations being invented and jarring (adj.) disagreeable; out
abandoned all the time. of place
linguist (n.) a person who studies
Genre: Informational text
how people use language
In an informational text, an author writes about facts or real events. Sometimes the
reply (n.) to respond or answer to
author answers a question or discusses an issue.
shorten (v.) to make shorter
Reading Strategy Focus slang (n.) informal language
Using Context Clues text (v./n.) to send a short message
What is it? When you read an unfamiliar word, look for clues to its meaning in the on an electronic device; a short
words and phrases around it. The author may give an example, a synonym or antonym, message sent on a electronic device
a definition or another kind of description to help you understand what the word
means.
What will students do? Students will use context clues and previous knowledge to
infer the meaning of unknown words and phrases.
Why is it important? It is important that students become proficient at determining
the meaning of unknown words or phrases based on text context and on their prior
knowledge. It is an essential skill that effective readers use to understand a text better
and to expand their active vocabulary.
How will students build on previous knowledge? In Compass Reading Logs 4 and 5,
students learn to identify context clues such as definitions, examples, synonyms and
antonyms.
Compass Reading Log 6 students will continue practicing this strategy. They may need
teacher guidance in using context clues to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Author Technique
Prefixes
What is it? Prefixes are letters added to the beginning of a root word. These letters
have their own meaning and modify the meaning of the root word. The author of
this text uses prefixes as context clues to unfamiliar words. For example, the prefix
de- means down or worse. The prefixes in- and non- mean not. The prefix mis- means
incorrectly. If you know the root word, the prefix can help you understand
the meaning of the unfamiliar word.
What will students do? Students will identify prefixes added to root words and use
them as context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Why is it important? It is important for students to be able to identify prefixes in
order to decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words that have prefixes and become
more proficient readers.

Topic 4 T 151
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 80-83 Making Predictions
Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 158 The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the text
by asking them what they think it is about. Effective readers use pictures, titles, headings,
Note cards (11 per student)
text and personal experiences to make predictions before they read. Predicting also involves
thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and events in the text. After making
predictions, students can read through the text and revise and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.)

• Have students talk about cell phones. Ask: Do you have a Know Your Students
cell phone? If so, how do you use it? Do you make calls, access Most students will be able to identify the headings.
social media sites or send text messages? Some students may have difficulty predicting content.
• Brainstorm reasons why they (or members of their family) Be ready to ask guiding questions to help students
send text messages. Write their ideas on the board. complete the activity.
• Ask: Do you use formal or informal language when you
text? Why? Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
• Form small groups. Have students discuss texting habits.
Teach the Key Words (30 min.)
Ask: When do you text? Is it polite to text while someone is
• Use example sentences to elicit or teach Key Words. talking to you? Do you do that? How do you feel when you
Write the words on the board. Read the words to the class are talking to a friend and he or she starts texting?
and have students repeat them chorally.
• Hand out the note cards: eleven to each student. Tell them to
write a Key Word on each note card.
• Point to the word abbreviation. Repeat the example sentence
for it. Ask: What do you think abbreviation means? Write the
definition next to the word.
• Have students hold up their note cards with abbreviation
written on them. Tell them to write the definition on the
reverse side of the note card.
• Point to the next word on the list and continue the process
until all words have been defined. Tell students to keep their
flashcards. They will use them in future lessons.
• Have students complete activity 1 in the worksheet.
• Form pairs and have students answer the questions.
Answers: 1. reply 2. linguist 3. shorten 4. jarring, slang
5. ampersand 6. text 7. abbreviation 8. acronym 9. evolve 10. erode

Reading Strategy (20 min.)

• Point to page 80. Say: What are some things
we could do to predict the content of the text? (Look at the
title and the headings.)
• Say: Look at the title. Ask: What is the text about?
(The language of texting.)
• Have students look at the text and identify the headings.
(Writing Skills at Risk?, Good News for Texters, Playing
with Language, Wrong Writing or Natural Speech?,
Texting at the Speed of Speech, A New Meaning for “LOL”,
A Changing Language.)
• Have students write their predictions for each section
in activity 2 in the worksheet. Tell students to keep their
predictions for the next lesson.

T 152 Topic 4
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 80-83 Using Context Clues
Audio Track 9
Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 158
Students’ flashcards

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)

• Have students take out their flashcards.
• Form pairs. Tell students to quiz each other about the Key
Words: one student says a Key Word, and the other gives the
definition and uses it in a sentence.
• Ask: Do you use abbreviations or shorten words when texting?
If so, which ones? Write students’ ideas on the board.

Manage Your Class

A variation to the pairwork activity for higher-level students
is to form small groups, and have one student in the group
read a definition while the others try to be the first to
identify the Key Word.

Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.)

• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 80. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Explain that using context clues to determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words will help them become better readers. Point
out that using context clues is faster than looking words
up in a dictionary. Mention that there are also times when
dictionaries are not allowed, for example, in exams.

1 Read the two messages in the bubbles on this page.

Which do you think is a text message? Why? (10 min.)
• Have students read the text message and its translation.
Ask: Which one is the text message? How do you know?
(It’s informal—no capitalization or punctuation, omission
of verb forms, and the writer uses abbreviations and shortened
word or even just letters.)

2 Listen and follow. 9 (25 min.)

• Play track 9. Have students listen to the text and follow in

their books.
• Pause the track at the end of each section, and ask general
comprehension questions about the text: What are parents
and teachers worried about? What’s the good news for texters?
What’s the benefit of playing with language? What does the
linguist John McWhorter think about texting? How is texting
similar to speaking? How is the abbreviation LOL evolving?
How is language changing?

Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)

• Form small groups. Have students review and compare
the predictions they wrote in activity 2 in the worksheet.
• Encourage students to confirm or reject their predictions.

Topic 4 T 153
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources Reading Strategies
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 80-82 Identifying Examples
Audio Track 9 Key details are all the facts and information that support the main ideas. Sometimes an author
will use examples as key details. Being able to identify the key details that provide evidence or
Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 159
support to the main ideas gives readers a better understanding of the text.
Paraphrasing
Effective readers are able to paraphrase, or restate, information from a story or text using
different words. It helps readers confirm their understanding and integrate new information
with prior knowledge.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) • Tell students there are two more examples on page 81 that
• Write the abbreviations on the board before class: ppl, the author uses to support the main ideas. Encourage them
u, r, gr8, 1daful, doncha, LOL, brb, ttyl to identify the examples and circle them in the text.
• Form pairs. Have students identify the abbreviations from Ask: Which ideas do these examples illustrate? Have them
the text. relate the examples to the ideas. (The student’s paper
about Romeo and Juliet illustrates the idea that students
Read and Discuss the Text 9 (20 min.) use text-like language in schoolwork, which is inappropriate.
Reading Strategy The example of the study carried out in the United Kingdom
supports the idea that texting doesn’t affect literacy.)
• Direct students’ attention to activity 3 in the worksheet.
Have them read the questions before reading the text again. Take the Lesson Further (15 min.)
• Play track 9 from the beginning of the text to the end of the
• Brainstorm abbreviations, shortened words and acronyms.
“Playing with Language” section on page 82. Have students
• Form pairs. Have students write two or three text messages
read along and underline passages that answer the questions.
using “fingered speech” in their notebooks.
• Form pairs. Tell students to compare the passages
• Tell students to walk around and read their classmates’
they underlined.
text messages. Have students clarify any undecipherable
• Have students complete activity 3 in the worksheet.
messages.
Tell them to paraphrase (write the answers in their own
words) rather than copy directly from the text.
Answers: 1. (Any two of the following) Not much capitalization, a lot of
punctuation, shortened words, single letters instead of complete words, omit
verbs be, have and do. 2. Parents and teachers do. 3. Students say they’re in
a hurry. 4. Their writing skills hadn’t changed. 5. The shortened words are
written how they sound.

Reading Strategy (15 min.)

• Have students read the first paragraph of the text on page 80.
• Ask: How does the author of “The Language of Texting”
support her ideas in the text? Does she present facts right way?
(She presents a hypothetical situation (an example).)
• Ask: Is the hypothetical situation something you have
experienced? Explain that the author used this example as
her introduction to engage readers and to create interest in
the text.
• Ask: Which idea does the author want to support with the
example? Help students notice that the idea is that most
people their age use text-like language.

T 154 Topic 4
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 82 and 83 Using Context Clues
Audio Track 9 Reading Strategies
Topic 4 Nonfiction Worksheet page 159 Scanning
A stopwatch or timer Scanning is the ability to quickly look for and find specific information in a text.
Students’ flashcards Effective readers can scan a text for specific words or text features that help them answer
questions about text content.
Paraphrasing

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)
• Form pairs. Have students take out their flashcards.
• Tell students to create words they would use in text
messages for the Key Words in their notebooks.
• Have students exchange notebooks with another pair
and guess what the words are.
Reading Strategy (10 min.)
• Direct students’ attention to activity 4 in the worksheet.
Tell them they have five minutes to scan—quickly search for
specific information—the text and find the answers.
• Ask: Will you find the answers if you read the whole text
again? (No.) Have them look at the chart and tell you what
words they should look for to find the answers. (linguist,
want to, LOL, people, TTYL.)
• When students are ready, say: Go! Use a stopwatch or timer.
• Explain that the activity was a way to practice the reading
strategy known as “scanning.” Have students give examples
of situations in which it might be useful. (Looking for words in
a dictionary, trying to find the dessert section on a restaurant
menu, etc.)
Answers: 1. John McWhorter 2. Fingered speech 3. wanna 4. laughing
out loud 5. I know what you mean 6. ppl 7. Talk to you later
• Play track 9 from the “Wrong Writing or Natural Speech?”
section on page 82 to the end of the text. Have students read
along and underline passages that answer the questions.
• Form pairs. Have students answer the questions.
Remind them to paraphrase and not simply read underlined
passages from the text.
Answers: 1. They observe and describe the language that people use every
day, especially when they speak naturally. 2. He sees it as a new form of
language, called “fingered speech.” 3. People text the way they speak.
4. Because it reflects the way people speak. 5. He mentions how the meaning
of “LOL” has changed over time. 6. Because the rules for proper writing keep
written language from changing too quickly. 7. No, it is faster. 9. Yes, she
concludes the text saying that texting is a new kind of language.
Reading Strategy Focus (15 min.)
• Form pairs. Direct students’ attention to activity 5.
Review the concept of context clues as a strategy to
determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Elicit or give
examples of the different types of context clues.
Have students complete the activity.
Answers 1. Description (“But linguist John McWhorter, who has studied
the language of texing as a...”) 2. Inference (Students establish a relationship
between the context and their knowledge of the word—in this case, their
knowledge of how people interact.) 3. Definition (“just as spoken language
itself changes over time”) 4. Example (“LOL”) 5. Example (“such as “BRB” for
be right back and “TTYL” for talk to you later.”)

Read and Discuss the Text 9 (20 min.)

Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
Reading Strategy
• Form pairs. Have students reflect on the abbreviations and
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students acronyms mentioned in this text. Tell them to make a list of
read the questions before reading the text again. similar ones in their language.
1 What do linguists, such as John McWhorter, do?
2 What is McWhorter’s view on texting?
3 What example does McWhorter use to compare texting
to speaking?
4 According to McWhorter, why isn’t a short form of a word
such as doncha a mistake?
5 Which example does the author give of the evolution
of texting?
6 Why won’t texting change the way people write?
7 Does spoken language evolve in the same way as
written language?
8 Does the author agree with John McWhorter? How do
you know?

Topic 4 T 155
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 84 and 85
Comprehension (60 min.)
Lead in to the Lesson
• Form pairs. Have students recall the main ideas and key
details (examples) in the text.
1 Think and discuss.
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the questions.
Encourage students to share their ideas with the class.
Answers: 1. Because they worry that texting will erode students’ writing
skills. 2. Because the short forms reflect how the words sound in speech.
3. Its speed. 4. It used to mean “laughing out loud.” Now it means “I know
what you mean.” 5. Because the rules people learn for proper writing keep
the written word from changing too quickly.
2 Write the text messages in Standard English.
• Form pairs. Have students read the text messages and change
them to Standard English. Remind students to pay attention
to capitalization and punctuation.
Answers: 1. Are you going to the movies tonight? 2. I’ll be home in
30 minutes. 3. Sorry, I can’t go. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.
4. See you later at the hockey game!
3 Read and label.
• Elicit the meanings of the Key Words in the box.
• Have students label the examples.
Answers: 1. abbreviation 2. shortened form 3. ampersand 4. slang 5. acronym
4 Circle the correct options.
• Have students read the statements and circle the correct
options. Tell them to refer to the text and scan for the
answers, if necesssary.
Answers: 1. evolving 2. actually speak 3. erodes 4. reply to
Manage Your Class
After students have completed the first page of
comprehension activities, tell them to take a break and
“shake themselves out.” It helps students refresh and
stay focused.
5 Using Context Clues Find the words in the text.
Underline the context clues that help you understand
the meanings of the words.
• Review the types of context clues. (Definition, description,
example, synonym and antonym.)
• Have students scan the text for the words and underline the
context clues.
T 156 Topic 4
Reading Strategy Focus
Using Context Clues
Author Technique
Prefixes
A Match the context clues with the words.
• Have students match the words to the type of context clues.
Answers: 1. synonym (“or rules”) 2. definition (“Empathy means
understanding what someone else feels.”) 3. example (“five question marks
in a row”) 4. antonym (“or informal”) 5. description (“Your ability to read
and write properly won’t disappear…”)
A Complete the sentences.
• Have students complete the sentences using the words from
the first part of the activity.
Answers: 1. excessive 2. literacy 3. formal 4. conventions 5. empathy
6 Prefixes Match the words with the definitions.
Use the prefix of each word as a clue.
• Direct students’ attention to the Author Technique entry.
Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Have students circle the prefix of each word in the column
on the left. Explain that this will help them isolate the
root word.
• Tell them to complete the activity.
Answers: 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. b
7 Active Reading Choose a text message from the text.
Write the text message you chose. Then write a reply.
• Have students choose a text message from the text and
write it. Tell them to write a response.
• Form pairs. Have students read each other’s responses.
8 Think and discuss. Are abbreviated words the only
way to communicate quickly? What other ways do
you communicate with your friends? Do you use voice
or video messages? Pictures? Emojis?
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the questions.
• Encourage them to share their ideas with the class.
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 page 86 Identifying the Author’s Purpose
Internet access All texts have a purpose: to persuade, to inform or to entertain the reader. Identifying and
understanding the author’s purpose contributes to reading comprehension.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.) Connect to Social Studies (30 min.)

• Elicit the headings of the text and write them on the board, Lead in to the Lesson
numbered from 1 to 7. • Form small groups. Encourage students to create an
• Read random sentences from the text. Tell students to acronym, shortened word or combination of numbers and
identify the sections they come from. letters that could be used when texting.
• When they are finished, have groups share their ideas with
Reading Strategy (15 min.)
the whole class.
• Write the acronym PIE on the board. Say: These letters are an
acronym. They indicate the reasons why authors write texts. 1 Texting is a relatively new form of communication,
Can you guess what they stand for? Encourage students to but this form of language changes quickly.
call out ideas. Research these texting acronyms. What do they
• Write on the board: stand for? Which do people still use? Which are no
longer used?
P I E • Form pairs. Direct students’ attention to the acronyms and
e n n elicit their meanings. Accept all answers at this stage.
• Tell students to use their mobile devices or school computers
r f t to check their answers and research further information
s o e about them.
u r r • Encourage students to research other words in
“fingered speech.”
a m t
Answers: TXT: text, ROFL: rolling on the floor laughing, TTYL: talk to you
d a later, BRB: be right back, FOMO: fear of missing out, LMK: let me know
e i
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
n • Form small groups. Have students share what they learned
about other words in “fingered speech.”
• Elicit the meanings of the words.
• Ask: What do you think was the purpose of “The Language
of Texting”—persuading, informing or entertaining readers?
How do you know? (Informing. We know that because the
author presents facts and data, using research and examples
to support the main ideas.)

Topic 4 T 157
 To p ic 4 The Language of Texting
1 Complete the questions with the correct words.

abbreviation acronym ampersand erode evolve

jarring linguist reply shorten slang text

1 Do you always to texts you receive?

2 What does a do?

3 How do you the word “goodbye”?

4 Do your parents think it is to use with your grandparents?

5 Do you know what the symbol means?

6 Do your grandparents you or do they prefer to make calls?

7 What is the for “January”?

8 What is the for “Unidentified Flying Object”?

9 How do you think robots will ? Will they become smarter than humans?

10 Does reading comics and graphic novels your language skills? Why or why not?

2 Write your predictions. What is each section of the text about?

1 Writing Skills at Risk?:

2 Good News for Texters:

3 Playing with Language:

4 Wrong Writing, or Natural Speech?:

5 Texting at the Speed of Speech:

6 A New Meaning for “LOL”:

7 A Changing Language:

T 158 Nonfiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
 3 Answer the questions.
1 What are two characteristics of text messages?

2 Who thinks texting might erode writing skills?

3 What do students say about using text-like language in schoolwork?

4 What were the results of the literacy test?

5 Why might using shortened words help with spelling?

4 Complete the chart.

1 Linguist’s name

2 The name the linguist gave to texting

3 Shortened form of “want to”

4 Initial meaning of “LOL”

5 Current meaning of “LOL”

6 Shortened form of “people”

7 Meaning of “TTYL”

5 Find the words on pages 82 and 83. Mark (✓) the type of context clues used for the words.

Example Definition Synonym Antonym Description Inference

1 linguist

2 reply

3 evolve

4 abbreviation

5 acronym

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Nonfiction Worksheet T 159
 The Language
Key Words
abbreviation
acronym
o f Tex t i ng by Jennifer Li
ampersand
erode Suppose you’re at a restaurant with a group of friends for a birthday party.
evolve
Everyone is there and ready to eat—except the birthday girl. She’s always late,
jarring
linguist but it’s been half an hour already. You reach for your cell phone to text your
reply
friend. Which message do you send?
shorten TRANSLATION
slang
text im waiting here where r u????? I’m waiting here. Where are you?
ppl wondering when People are wondering when
u gonna show up. you’re going to show up.
Using Context Clues
When you read an unfamiliar
word, look for clues If you’re like most people, your message will look a lot more like the text on
to its meaning in the words the left. You probably won’t use much capitalization. You might use excessive
and phrases around it.
punctuation—five question marks in a row—or leave it out entirely. You might
The author may give an
example, a synonym or shorten a word by writing only the consonants. You might use a single letter or
antonym, a definition or
number to represent an entire word. You might leave out forms of be, have and
another kind of description
to help you understand do that should be part of a verb. Before you know it, you’ve broken nearly all
what the word means.
the conventions, or rules, for proper writing.

Writing Skills at Risk?

1 Read the two
Using this kind of spelling, grammar and punctuation on your English
messages in the
homework would almost guarantee you a low grade. For this reason, some
bubbles on this
parents and teachers have been concerned about texting since it first became
page. Which do
you think is a text popular in the early 2000s. They worry that texting will erode students’ writing

message? Why? skills. They fear that the more students text, the less they will be able to write
properly when they need to. If students are used to typing “thx” instead of
2 Listen and
thanks, will they eventually forget how to spell the word? If they text “u gonna
follow. 9

stdy l8r,” will they give up on writing Are you going to study later?

80 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 80 10/19/17 13:15

T 160
 Teachers worry even more when they see text-like language on actual schoolwork. Students
occasionally use an ampersand (&) instead of the word and, or they write shortened forms of
words, such as “ur” for you're. In the middle of a formal essay, this kind of language is jarring.
For example, read this sentence from a student’s paper about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Do you notice the spelling and punctuation that belong in a text message, not in writing for school?

I think ppl enjoy reading Romeo & Juliet becuz it is a great love story btwn two characters.

Students say they’re just in a rush, and it doesn’t happen all the time. But some experts still
wonder if students’ writing ability is in decline.

Good News for Texters

Fortunately, recent research has good news for students
who text. Several studies have shown that texting doesn’t affect
literacy. Your ability to read and write properly won’t disappear
just because you use nonstandard spelling, punctuation and
capitalization in your texts. One study in 2014 followed 243
students in the United Kingdom for a year. At the beginning of
the year, researchers asked permission to read all the texts the
students had sent for the past two days. As the researchers
expected, the texts contained many common errors.

TRANSLATION

hi how are you Hi! How are you?

am going out now. I’m going out now.
want to come? Do you want to come?

Then they tested the students’ literacy skills throughout the year. The results of the study
were surprising. When these students wrote papers or took grammar tests, their writing was just
as good as before. Their writing in formal settings didn’t seem to be affected by their texting at all.
The students were simply using different kinds of language in different situations. It’s a common
way that people use language. For example, you might talk to your friends using casual slang but
talk to your teacher in a more formal way.

The Language of Texting 81

U4COrl6.indd 81 5/24/18 16:12

T 161
 Playing with Language
The researchers also noticed something about students who played with the spellings of
words, creating shortened forms such as “gr8” for great or “1daful” for wonderful. You might
expect that these students would frequently misspell words in their regular writing. But in fact,
their spelling was often better than other students’. Why? The short forms reflect how the words
sound in speech. When they make and use these forms, students are thinking about how to sound
out the words. They play with different spellings to make similar sounds.

Wrong Writing, or Natural Speech?

Some might argue that these forms are still incorrect, so
John
they should be kept out of everyday language. But linguist McWhorter
John McWhorter, who has studied the language of texting
as a professor at Columbia University, has a different
perspective. Like many linguists, McWhorter doesn’t study
the rules for how people should use language. He observes
and describes the language that people use every day,
especially when they speak naturally. When McWhorter
studies texts in this way, he doesn’t see a series of errors
in writing. In fact, he doesn’t see texting as a kind of writing
at all. Instead, he views it as a new form of language that he
calls “fingered speech.”

Texting at the Speed of Speech

What makes texting so much like speech is its speed.
You type a message on your phone, and it instantly appears on a phone your friend is carrying.
Your friend can reply immediately. It’s also short. In face-to-face conversation, people speak in short
bursts of about seven to ten words. We don’t speak in paragraphs, the way we write. We speak a few
words at a time. Then we wait for a reply.
If we text at almost the speed of conversation, it makes sense that sometimes we text like
we talk, not like we write. For example, instead of “Don’t you want to go swimming?” many English
speakers say something that sounds like, “Doncha wanna go swimming?” In McWhorter’s view,
short forms like doncha and wanna in texts aren’t mistakes in grammar and spelling.
They reflect the way that people are speaking today.

82 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 82 10/10/17 09:42

T 162
 A New Meaning for “LOL”
McWhorter has also pointed out that the language used in
texting is evolving, just as spoken language itself changes over time.
For example, when the abbreviation “LOL” was first introduced, it
stood for laughing out loud. People used it to show that they were
laughing about a joke. But slowly people began to use it differently.

i have so much homework 2nite

lol I’m home
writing a paper
lol good luck

You can see that “LOL” has lost its capital letters over the years, but the difference is greater
than that. In this conversation, no one is really making a joke. So what does “lol” mean? McWhorter
describes it as a way to show empathy. Empathy means understanding what someone else feels. The
two people texting in this conversation use “lol” to show that they understand each other. “LOL” used
to mean laughing out loud. But now, its meaning is something closer to I know what you mean.

A Changing Language
If language can change over time, does that mean
that someday we might all be writing people as “ppl”
or too as “2”? Can texting actually change our formal
written language? The most likely answer is “not
much.” The rules we learn for proper writing keep
the written word from changing too quickly. But in
spoken language, we use words differently, invent new
words and use words in different ways. The language
changes as we use it.
Texting appears to change at the speed of speech.
For example, texters have already mostly forgotten about acronyms such as “BRB” for be right back
and “TTYL” for talk to you later. New abbreviations and forms of language have already sprung up.
When we text, we experiment with the language in the same way we do when we’re speaking casually.
We try new forms, new words and new abbreviations. And that’s more proof that texting is not just
“bad” writing. Instead, it’s a new kind of language—one that lets us use our fingers to speak.

The Language of Texting 83

U4COrl6.indd 83 10/10/17 09:42

T 163
 1 Think and discuss.
1 Why were some teachers and parents worried about texting?
2 According to the study, how did texting help students’ spelling?
3 What is the main reason texting is similar to speech?
4 What did “LOL” use to mean? What does it mean now?
5 Why doesn’t writing change as quickly as spoken language?

2 Write the text messages in Standard English.

1 r u going 2 movies 2nite?

2 ill be home in 30min

3 sorry, can’t go, dr appt 2moro

4 c u l8r @ hockey game!!!!!

3 Read and label.

abbreviation acronym ampersand shortened form slang

1 doctor Æ dr

2 great Æ gr8

3 and Æ &

4 Hello! Æ What’s up?

5 United States of America Æ USA

4 Circle the correct options.

1 Language is always evolving / jarring, or changing over time.

2 A linguist studies how people should speak / actually speak.

3 John McWhorter does not believe that texting erodes / improves language.

4 Texting is as fast as speech because you can correct / reply to a text right away.

84 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 84 10/10/17 09:42

T 164
 5 Using Context Clues Find the words in the text. Underline the context clues that help you
understand the meanings of the words.

1 conventions 4 formal

2 empathy 5 literacy

3 excessive

A Match the context clues with the words.

a antonym b definition c description d example e synonym

A Complete the sentences.

1 When you have an amount, you have too much of something.

2 Reading and writing are important life skills, so everyone should have basic .

3 They hosted a dinner at their wedding.

4 He is so rude that he ignores all the of polite behavior.

5 She had so much that as she heard the sad story, she began to cry.

6 Prefixes Match the words with the definitions. Use the prefix of each
word as a clue. Prefixes
The author of this text uses
1 decline a not the right answer or statement
prefixes as context clues
2 incorrect b not the same as the normal or usual way to unfamiliar words. For
example, the prefix de- means
3 misspell c to become worse or to go down “down” or “worse.” The
4 nonstandard d to put the letters in a word in the wrong order prefixes in- and non- mean
“not.” The prefix mis- means
7 Active Reading Choose a text message from the text. Write the text “incorrectly.” If you know the
root word, the prefix can help
message you chose. Then write a reply.
you understand the meaning
of the unfamiliar word.

8 Think and discuss. Are abbreviated words the only way to communicate quickly? What other ways do
you communicate with your friends? Do you use voice or video messages? Pictures? Emojis?

The Language of Texting 85

U4COrl6.indd 85 10/10/17 09:42

T 165
 Connect to Me
1 When is it OK to use slang words and expressions? When is it not OK? Make two lists. Then compare.

OK Not OK

Connect to Social Studies

1 Texting is a relatively new form of communication, but this form of language changes quickly.
Research these texting acronyms. What do they stand for? Which do people still use? Which are no
longer used?

TXT BRB

ROFL FOMO

TTYL LMK

86 Topic 4

U4COrl6.indd 86 10/10/17 09:42

T 166
 To p ic 5

Genre: Graphic Novel

by Suzanne Guerrero
A graphic novel is a story or
text. It is similar to a comic: it
contains a series of illustrations
and dialogue that, together, tell
a story.
“The Imposter” is about a
mysterious robbery.

Genre: True Crime

In a true crime text, the author
writes about real-life crimes.
Some of these crimes cause the by Patricia Hamill
police to be puzzled or confused.
“To Find a Thief” is about some
crimes that took a long time
to solve.

87

U5COrl6.indd 87 10/10/17 13:08

T 167
 It’s alright, Harold. Should
Key Words
we call the police, Dodds?
butler
hurry
imposter
missing
pretend
publicity
relief by Suzanne Guerrero Not yet. I’ll send a telegram
robbery to your parents. They may
stake out not want the publicity.
steal MISS VERONICA FONTAINE, THE YOUNG DAUGHTER OF A
telegram WEALTHY ART COLLECTOR, ARRIVES HOME FROM A SHOPPING
thief EXCURSION WITH THE FAMILY BUTLER
BUTLER, MR. DODDS. HER
FATHER AND MOTHER ARE AWAY FOR THE WEEK, TRAVELING.

Hello, Harold!? Maybe we can

Citing Textual SQUAAAWWWK! solve the crime!
Evidence SQUAAAWWWK!!
A story contains textual
evidence, or information,
such as words, phrases and
illustrations. A reader refers
to (cites) this information
by quoting or paraphrasing
from the story. Citing textual
evidence provides support MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY, MISS
to the reader’s analysis of Don’t be scared, FONTAINE’S COUSIN FRANK WAS FINISHING DINNER.
the story. silly! It’s just me—
Young sir, a telephone call.

Oh, my! What is it,

Miss Fontaine?

1 Look at pages 88
and 89. What can
you determine Frank! You must come over.
about the setting There’s been a robbery!

and the characters?

How do you know?

2 Listen and
follow. 10
The Picasso is gone!

88 Topic 5 The Imposter 89

U5COrl6.indd 88 10/10/17 13:08 U5COrl6.indd 89 10/10/17 13:08

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 87-95 Key Words • Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 176

Making Predictions

2 88-95 Citing Textual Evidence • Audio Track 10

Art Connection • Note cards with Key Words
• Copy of the painting Dora Maar in an Armchair
• Sheets of paper
• Old magazines, scissors and glue

3 88-91 Making Inferences • Audio Track 10

• Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 177

4 92-95 Citing Textual Evidence • Audio Track 10

Identifying Character Traits • Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 176
• Strips of paper with questions

5 96 and 97 Comprehension
Citing Textual Evidence
Foreshadowing

6 88-95, 106 Reader ’s Theater

Connect to Me

T 168 Topic 5
Summary
Key Words
Veronica Fontaine, the young daughter of a wealthy art collector, arrives home with her
butler, Mr. Dodds, to find that a valuable painting has been stolen. She wants to report the butler (n.) a male servant
robbery right away, but Dodds suggests they inform her parents first. Veronica wonders hurry (v.) to move or go quickly
if they can’t solve the crime themselves, so she calls her cousin, Frank, and asks him to imposter (n.) a person who pretends
come over. Frank arrives the following morning, and Veronica tells him about the robbery. to be someone else
Frank thinks the police should investigate, but Veronica says they’re waiting to hear
missing (adj.) something that is not
from her parents. She says she now has a plan to solve the crime, and Frank agrees to help.
there; something that is stolen
They interview Jimmy, the doorman. He claims that only Dodds returned to the building
and then left again. Later that day, another painting is stolen while Dodds and Veronica pretend (v.) to act in a way that
are at the library. Frank decides to watch the apartment building from a café across is not true
the street. He sees a man who looks like Dodds, but knows no one has left the publicity (n.) public attention caused
apartment building. He quickly deduces that the man is an imposter. Frank approaches by information in a newspaper or
the man and asks about Veronica. At that moment, Veronica and Dodds approach the magazine
café. The imposter tries to escape, but Frank’s butler catches him. They then realize that relief (n.) a feeling when a worry or
the imposter and thief is Mr. Dodds’ brother, William. It was William who had concern has been taken away
pretended to be the butler in order to enter the apartment and steal the paintings.
robbery (n.) the crime of stealing;
He still has the paintings, so Veronica decides to forgive him. When her parents arrive,
theft
she tells them it was all a misunderstanding.
stake out (v.) to hide in order to
Genre: Graphic Novel watch or spy on someone
A graphic novel is a story or text. It is similar to a comic: it contains a series of illustrations steal (v.) to take another’s property
and dialogue that, together, tell a story. “The Imposter” is about a mysterious robbery. illegally
telegram (n.) a brief message sent
Reading Strategy Focus
by an electric telegraphic cable
Citing Textual Evidence
thief (n.) a person who steals
What is it? A story contains textual evidence, or information, such as words,
phrases and illustrations. A reader refers to (cites) this information by quoting or
paraphrasing from the story. Citing textual evidence provides support to the reader’s
analysis of the story.
What will students do? Students will identify words, phrases and illustrations that
support their claims about (and serve as evidence for) the story.
Why is it important? It is important for students to develop the ability to cite textual
evidence as it is essential to supporting story analysis and making inferences.
How will students build on previous knowledge? In Compass Reading Logs 4 and 5,
students learn to identify facts and opinions as well as key details. They also practice
making inferences in both fiction and nonfiction texts.
Most Compass Reading Log 6 students will be able to follow the story of the graphic novel
and identify the main idea and key details. Some students may need teacher guidance to
use the key details as evidence to support their claims and make inferences.

Literary Technique
Foreshadowing
What is it? Foreshadowing is a way an author provides visual or written hints (clues)
about what might happen next.
What will students do? Students will identify different clues in the story that
foreshadow upcoming events.
Why is it important? It is important for students to be able to identify these clues
and use them to predict events in the story. Students also learn how these clues create
suspense, which keeps readers interested in the story.

Topic 5 T 169
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 87 and 88 Making Predictions
Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 176 The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the
story by asking them what they think might happen in it. Effective readers use
pictures, titles, headings, text and personal experiences to make predictions before they
read. Predicting also involves thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information
and events in the story. After making predictions, students can read through the story and
revise and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Write the word detective on the board. Elicit its meaning. • Form small groups.
(A person who finds information about crimes.) • Tell students to mime or give definitions of the Key Words,
• Ask: What are characteristics of a good detective? Elicit ideas. and have their classmates guess the words.
• Tell students they are going to read a graphic novel about
a crime.
• Ask: Do you read graphic novels or comics? If so, what are
your favorite stories? What are some characteristics of graphic
novels? How are they different from other stories?
(Graphic novels and comics have more illustrations that are
organized into panels and frames. Text is reduced to speech
balloons, thought bubbles, captions and sound effects.)
Write students’ ideas about the features of graphic novels
and comics on the board. Include the words speech balloon,
thought bubble, caption and sound effects if students do not
mention them.
• Tell students to look at page 88. Have them point out
the features.

Teach the Key Words (20 min.)

• Use example sentences to elicit or teach the Key Words.
Write the words on the board. Read the words to the class
and have students repeat them chorally.
• Have students complete activity 1 in the worksheet.
Answers: 1. butler 2. pretend 3. imposter 4. publicity 5. missing
6. telegrams 7. thief, steal 8. stake out 9. robbery 10. hurry 11. relief

Reading Strategy (20 min.)

• Tell students they are going to predict what happens in
the story.
• Point to the cover on page 87. Ask: What are some things we
could do to predict what this story is about? (Look at the title
and pictures.)
• Tell students to complete the “My Predictions” column
in activity 2 in the worksheet.
• Form pairs. Have students share their predictions.
• Explain to students that they will confirm or reject their
predictions as they read the graphic novel.

Know Your Students

Note-taking is a fundamental skill students will use
throughout their academic lives. Remind students to take
clear, organized notes when predicting content. Tell them to
write important ideas, not complete sentences.

T 170 Topic 5
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 88-95 Citing Textual Evidence
Audio Track 10
Note cards with Key Words
Copy of the painting Dora Maar in an Armchair
(Possible source:
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/
search/487039)
Sheets of paper (1 per student)
Old magazines, scissors and glue
Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)
• Display the note cards with the Key Words around
the classroom.
• Have students stand up and read the words aloud.
• Say: I’m going to read the definition for one of the words on
the cards. Stand close to the word I define.
• Read a definition, and have students stand next to the note
card with the Key Word on it.
• Continue the activity until students have correctly identified
all the Key Words.
Manage Your Class
If you have a large class, consider forming groups of four
or five students. Hand out sets of note cards with Key
Words. Students can sit in a circle in their groups with
the cards in the middle. When you read the definition,
they can point to the correct Key Word.
Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.)
• Direct students’ attention to the illustrations on page 88,
but tell them not to read the story.
• Ask: Look at the girl. What is she doing? (She’s arriving home.)
Where was she? (She was shopping.) How do you know?
(She’s wearing a hat and gloves and carrying a purse.
The man is carrying packages.)
• Say: The pictures give you information about the story.
This information is “textual evidence.” It supports
your answers.
• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 88. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
1 Look at pages 88 and 89. What can you determine
about the setting and the characters? How do you
know? (10 min.)
• Read the instructions with the class. Confirm understanding
of setting. (The place and time when story events happen.)
• Direct students’ attention to the illustrations. Have them
focus on the setting first. Ask: Where and when does the story
take place? How do you know? Encourage students to point
out elements in the illustrations that support their answers.
Art Connection
Learning about art movements that are
mentioned in a story expands students’
knowledge of the world and fosters visual
literacy. Having them make artwork in the
same style creates a multisensory connection
to the story. It also serves to further
engage students and make the story
more memorable.
• Ask: Now look at the characters. Who do you think they are?
How are they related? What are they doing?
Encourage students to point out elements in the illustrations
that support their ideas. (Possible answers: Setting:
The scenes take place in two different houses. We know that
because of the phone calls—one of the characters is calling
another. The story probably takes place in the 1940s—the girl
is wearing a hat and gloves and the telephones look old.
Characters: There are four characters—a teenage girl,
a teenage boy and two older men. The teenagers are probably
the owners of the houses because the girl takes off her hat and
gloves and places them on an armchair, and the boy is eating
alone while a man hands him the phone. The older men are
probably butlers.)
2 Listen and follow. 10 (15 min.)
• Play track 10. Have students listen to the story and follow
in their books.
• Pause the track at the end of each page, and ask general
comprehension questions about setting (Where are the
characters?), characters (Who are the characters? Who are
Veronica and Mr. Dodds? What about Harold? How are
Veronica and Frank related?), events (What’s happening
now?) and predictions (What do you think will happen next?).
Take the Lesson Further (20 min.)
Art Connection
• Form small groups. Show students a copy of Picasso’s
painting Dora Maar in an Armchair.
• Talk about the characteristics of Cubism and point them
out in the painting. Say: Pablo Picasso was a well-known
artist. He was one of the pioneers of Cubism, which was an art
movement that showed three-dimensions and many angles of
a subject in a painting.
• Tell students they are going to make a Cubist portrait.
• Hand out the sheets of paper, old magazines, scissors and
glue. Have students look for parts of the face (eyes, nose,
mouth, ears and hair) and lay out a portrait made of parts of
different people’s faces. Then have them paste the elements
on the sheets of paper to create the portraits.
• Display students’ work around the classroom.
Encourage students to walk around and appreciate their
classmates’ work.
Topic 5 T 171
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 88-91 Making inferences
Audio Track 10 Making inferences is the ability to use explicit information (textual evidence) from a story
to support an educated guess or conclusion about the characters and events. It is critical to
Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 177
story analysis and is a prerequisite for higher-order thinking.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.) • Form pairs. Have students complete activity 4 in
• Create a T-chart on the board. Write the names of the the worksheet.
characters on the left and information about who they are Possible answers:
on the right.
Question Story Clues What I Know Inference
Veronica Fontaine Veronica’s cousin
Frank Veronica’s parrot Page 88 – There’s an Picasso was a It must be
Mr. Dodds The young daughter of a rich art collector Was the empty space painter. a painting.
stolen on the wall. Veronica
Harold The Fontaines’ butler Picasso’s looks at the
• Have students match the columns. Encourage them to work of art a empty space
add any other information about the characters they painting or a on the wall
sculpture? while saying,
can remember. “Oh, my! The
Picasso!”
Read and Discuss the Story 10 (20 min.)
Page 89 – The table is Families The man must
• Have students read the questions in activity 3 in the Is the man set for one eat meals be the butler,
worksheet before reading the story again. who answers person only. together. not his father.
• Play track 10 from the beginning of the story to the end of the phone The man Fathers don’t
Frank’s father? addresses address
page 91. Have students read and underline passages of the Frank as their sons as
story that answer the questions. “young sir.” “young sir.”
• Tell students to complete activity 3 in the worksheet. Page 91 – Frank Coats are He’s
Answers: 1. A painting by Picasso was stolen from the apartment. Who is Frank says, “Hmm…” long enough suspicious of
2. Veronica’s parents might not want the publicity. 3. Her cousin, Frank. suspicious of? when he to disguise a Mr. Dodds,
4. No, nobody entered the building while they were away. 5. She wants to How could he learns that painting. the butler. He
interview anyone who might have useful information about the robbery. or she have Mr. Dodds could have
6. No, she doesn’t because he has been a friend of the family for a long time. stolen the returned to hidden the
7. Mr. Dodds did. Picasso? the apartment Picasso under
to pick up Veronica’s
Veronica’s coat.
Reading Strategy (25 min.) coat.
• Form pairs. Direct students’ attention to the chart in
activity 4. Read the title of each column with the students. Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
Say: When we make inferences, we draw conclusions about
a story based on what we know and on clues or evidence in
• Ask: What are the characteristics of telegrams?
the story. (Telegrams are short because people paid for each word on
• Point out the questions in the first column. Have students them. The recipient’s name and address are at the top of the
look for clues in the story to answer the questions. message, while the sender’s information is at the bottom.)
Tell them they can leave the “What I know” column blank
• Have students mention what they know about telegrams.
if they don’t have any prior knowledge that helps them
• Write a telegram on the board:
answer the question(s). MR. AND MRS. FONTAINE PARIS, FRANCE
PLEASE COME HOME STOP THE PICASSO WAS STOLEN STOP
VERONICA FONTAINE NEW YORK NY
• Say: Dodds sent a telegram to Veronica’s parents.
• Point to the word “STOP” and ask What does it refer to?
If students don’t know, say it is the word for the punctuation
mark: full stop or period.
• Have students write a telegram to their parents in their
notebooks. Remind them to be concise.
• Form pairs. Have students share their telegrams.

T 172 Topic 5
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 92-95 Citing Textual Evidence
Audio Track 10 Reading Strategy
Topic 5 Fiction Worksheet page 176 Identifying Character Traits
Strips of paper with questions ( 1 per group) The ability to identify character traits in a story is an essential comprehension strategy.
Effective readers analyze textual evidence about a character—actions, words, feelings and
thoughts—in order to make inferences about a character and predict how he or she will
behave later on in the story.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.)
• Form pairs. Tell students you’re going to say some words.
Have them say which character or event in the story it
reminds them of.
• Say: parrot, telegram, doorman, a painting and gloves.
Give students time to discuss each word. Encourage them
to share their ideas with the class.
Read and Discuss the Story 10 (20 min.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students
read them before reading the story again.
1 What happens while Veronica and Dodds are at
the library?
2 Is Mr. Dodds the thief?
3 What does Veronica suggest?
4 Is the man outside the café Dodds?
5 What does the imposter try to do when he sees Dodds?
6 How did William steal the paintings?
7 Why is Harold afraid of Dodds?
8 What does Veronica tell William?
9 What does Veronica tell her parents about the robbery?
• Play track 10 from page 92 to the end of the story.
Encourage students to underline the passages of the story
that answer their questions.
• Form pairs. Have students compare underlined passages and
agree on answers to the questions.
Answers: 1. Another painting is stolen. 2. No, he isn’t. 3. She suggests
they stake out the building. 4. No, he isn’t. 5. He tries to run away.
6. He pretended to be Dodds and entered the apartment. 7. Because Harold
confused Dodds for William. 8. She won’t call the police if William returns
the paintings. 9. She says it was a misunderstanding.
• Say: You’re going to discuss these questions. Circle evidence in
the text to support your answers. Have students look through
the story and circle the evidence. Encourage students to share
their answers with the class.
Answers: 1. Mr. Dodds was with Veronica at the library when the second
painting was stolen, so he couldn’t have stolen it. (Students can circle Frank’s
line: “So Dodds isn’t the thief…”) 2. He knows that because Mr. Dodds is
with Veronica, at the Fontaines’ apartment. Frank didn’t see anyone leaving
the building. (Students can circle Frank’s line: “But no one left the building!
This must be an imposter!”) 3. He pretended to be Mr. Dodds and entered
the apartment. (Students can circle Frank’s line: “Jimmy said he saw Dodds
return for your coat…”) 4. No, he isn’t. He hesitates a lot. (Students can circle
William’s line: “Oh, uh… .”)
Reading Strategy (15 min.)
• Elicit the names of the characters.
• Form small groups. Ask: How would you describe each
character? Have students brainstorm character traits for
each in their notebooks and cite textual evidence to support
their ideas.
• Encourage students to share the character traits with the
class. Write students’ ideas on the board.
• Ask: Which character do you admire? Why? Which one are
you like? How? Have students discuss the questions in
their groups.
Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
• Form pairs. Have students refer to their predictions in
activity 2 in the worksheet. Tell them to confirm or reject
their predictions and write Yes or No.
• Encourage students to share their information the class.

Reading Strategy Focus (15 min.)

• Form small groups and distribute the strips of paper with
the questions.
1 How does Frank realize that Mr. Dodds is not the thief?
2 How does Frank know that the man outside the café can’t be
Mr. Dodds?
3 How did William steal the first painting?
4 Is William comfortable talking with Frank? How do we
know?

Topic 5 T 173
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 96 and 97 Citing Textual Evidence

Literary Technique
Foreshadowing

Comprehension (60 min.) 5 Foreshadowing Mark (✓) the examples of

Lead in to the Lesson foreshadowing. Think and discuss. What do the
images foreshadow?
• Form pairs. Have groups create three questions about
the story. • Direct students’ attention to the Literary Technique entry.
• Form small groups (two pairs). Tell students to ask and Read it to the class and have students follow along.
answer the questions. • Have students look at the pictures in the activity and
describe them.
1 Match the characters with their pictures. • Ask: Are the clues about the story given in the activity visual
• Have students work individually to match the characters’ or textual? Can you find them in the story? Have students
names to their faces. locate the illustrations in the story.
• Ask: How can you tell the difference between Dodds and • Form pairs. Have students mark (✓) only the illustrations
William? (Dodds looks a little older and is more that provide clues about what might happen next.
formally dressed.) Answers: 1. Harold’s reaction to Dodds foreshadows that Dodds is somehow
central to the plot. 3. The illustration foreshadows the fact that there are two
2 Write the names of the characters. “butlers” in the story.

• Direct students’ attention to the statements. Know Your Students

• Have students complete the activity. Some students may find this activity too challenging.
Answers: 1. Frank 2. Harold 3. Jimmy 4. Miss Fontaine 5. Wilson Be ready with questions that will guide students to
6. Dodds 7. William the answers.
3 Label the pictures.
6 Active Reading Work in groups. Act out the story.
• Direct students’ attention to the words in the box and elicit
definitions for them. • Form groups of five students. Have students choose a
• Have students complete the activity and compare answers character. Remind them of the importance of reading the
with a classmate. story in a way that expresses the characters’ feeling.
• Have students act out the story.
Answers: 1. telegram 2. thief 3. butler 4. publicity 5. steal 6. missing

7 Imagine something valuable is stolen from you.

4 Citing Textual Evidence Scan the graphic novel.
Now imagine you want to investigate this yourself.
Answer the questions.
What would you do? Share your ideas.
• Elicit examples of textual evidence. (Pictures, words
• Ask: Was Veronica’s idea to investigate the robbery a good
and phrases.)
idea? Why? Why not?
• Form pairs. Direct students’ attention to the questions in
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the questions.
the activity. Have students find evidence in the story to
Encourage them to say what they would do.
answer the questions.
• Elicit ideas and write them on the board. Have students
Answers: 1. The parrot squawks every time it sees Dodds. choose the best ideas.
2. When William is caught, he tells everyone that Dodds didn’t even know
he was in the city. 3. Veronica tells her parents that the telegram was a
misunderstanding.

T 174 Topic 5
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 88-95, 106 Reader’s Theater
In Reader’s Theater, students perform a story or play. Acting it out requires students to reflect
on the relevance of the setting as well as the characters’ words and actions. In this way,
students interact with the text in a more personal and memorable way.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Connect to Me (30 min.)

• Form small groups. Have students choose a line from the Lead in to the Lesson
story. Tell them to say their lines and have their classmates • Ask: What kind of story is “The Imposter”? (A detective story.)
guess which characters they are. • Write the word detective on the board, vertically.
Invite students to come to the board and write a word related
Reading Strategy (20 min.)
to this type of story, using one of the letters of the word
• Elicit the names of all the characters and write them on the already written on the board. Encourage them to give reasons
board. (Veronica, Dodds, Harold, Frank, Mr. Wilson, Jimmy, for their choice of words. See suggestion below:
William, Mr. Fontaine and Mrs. Fontaine.)
• Form groups of eight or nine students.
• Say: You’re going to act out the story. Have students decide M R D O D D S
who is going to play each role in the story. If there are fewer R O B B E R Y
students in the groups than characters in the story, have
students play more than one character. M Y S T E R Y
• Elicit the feelings different characters express in the story. S T A K E O U T
Remind students it is important they convey these feelings
when they read their lines. V E R O N I C A
• Select a passage from the story. First, read it in monotone. T H I E F
Then, read it again, this time conveying mood and feeling.
Have students comment on the differences between P A I N T I N G
the readings. V A L U A B L E
• Have students practice reading and acting out the story.
P R E T E N D

1 Think and write. What are the characteristics of a

good detective?
• Have students recall the character traits in Lesson 4 and
write them on the board. Encourage students to add more
traits to the list.
• Have students write a short essay, answering the question.
• Form pairs. Have students share their essays.

A Share your ideas.

• Encourage three or four students to share their essays with
the class. Ask: Do you agree with the characteristics?
Why? Why not? What characteristics can you add?

Topic 5 T 175
 To p ic 5 The Imposter
1 Complete the sentences with the correct words.

butler hurry imposter missing pretend publicity

relief robbery stake out steal telegrams thief

1 Mr. Wilkins is the at the mansion. He supervises the valets and housecleaners.

2 Young children sometimes to be superheroes.

3 There was a news story about an . He had told people he was a successful

businessman, but he wasn’t.

4 Actors like good . It can make them more popular.

5 A piece of the jigsaw puzzle is , so we can’t finish it.

6 Before telephones were invented, people used to write letters or send .

7 According to the police, the was caught when he tried to a

painting.

8 The police decided to the building to find out who was breaking into it at night.

9 There was a at a jewelry store. Many beautiful necklaces were stolen.

10 We need to ! The movie is about to start and I don’t want to be late.

11 We all passed the exam. What a !

2 Complete the chart.

Title and Illustrations My Predictions Yes or No

1 Title

2 Pages 88 and 89

3 Pages 90 and 91

4 Pages 92 and 93

5 Pages 94 and 95

T 176 Fiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
 3 Answer the questions.
1 What happened while Veronica and Mr. Dodds were away?

2 Why does Mr. Dodds advise against calling the police?

3 Who does Veronica call to tell about the robbery?

4 According to the doorman, has anyone entered the building while Veronica was away?

5 What is Veronica’s plan to solve the robbery?

6 Does Veronica consider the doorman to be a suspect? Why (not)?

7 Who returned to pick up Veronica’s coat in the apartment?

4 Complete the chart.

Question Story Clues What I Know Inference

Page 88 – Was the stolen

Picasso work of art a
painting or a sculpture?

Page 89 – Is the man who

answers the phone Frank’s
father?

Page 91 – Who is Frank

suspicious of? How could
he or she have stolen the
Picasso?

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Fiction Worksheet T 177
 Key Words
butler
hurry
imposter
missing
pretend
publicity
relief by Suzanne Guerrero
robbery
stake out
steal MISS VERONICA FONTAINE, THE YOUNG DAUGHTER OF A
telegram WEALTHY ART COLLECTOR, ARRIVES HOME FROM A SHOPPING
thief EXCURSION WITH THE FAMILY BUTLER
BUTLER, MR. DODDS. HER
FATHER AND MOTHER ARE AWAY FOR THE WEEK, TRAVELING.

Hello, Harold!?
Citing Textual SQUAAAWWWK!
Evidence SQUAAAWWWK!!
A story contains textual
evidence, or information,
such as words, phrases and
illustrations. A reader refers
to (cites) this information
by quoting or paraphrasing
from the story. Citing textual
evidence provides support
to the reader’s analysis of Don’t be scared,
the story. silly! It’s just me—

Oh, my! What is it,

Miss Fontaine?

1 Look at pages 88
and 89. What can
you determine
about the setting
and the characters?
How do you know?

2 Listen and
follow. 10
The Picasso is gone!

88 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 88 10/10/17 13:08

T 178
 It’s alright, Harold. Should
we call the police, Dodds?

Not yet. I’ll send a telegram

to your parents. They may
not want the publicity.

Maybe we can
solve the crime!

MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY, MISS

FONTAINE’S COUSIN FRANK WAS FINISHING DINNER.

Young sir, a telephone call.

Frank! You must come over.

There’s been a robbery!

The Imposter 89

U5COrl6.indd 89 10/10/17 13:08

T 179
 Welcome, young sir. Miss Fontaine
THE NEXT MORNING, FRANK
will see you in the sitting room.
COMES TO VISIT HIS COUSIN.

Thank you.

Please sit down, Frank! I

have so much to tell you!
SQUAAAWWWK!
SQUAAAWWWK!!

Dodds? Has
Frank arrived?

Yes, miss.

As you can see, young sir, the

missing painting was—

SQUAAAAWK!
WK!
K!
SQUAAAWK!

Poor Harold. He’s been

through so much. The
robbery has frightened him.

90 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 90 10/10/17 13:08

T 180
 Veronica, shouldn’t
VERONICA TELLS HER the police handle this?
COUSIN ABOUT THE ROBBERY.

We returned to the apartment around

5:30. Jimmy, the doorman, says no one
entered the building while we were out. We’re waiting to hear from my
Nothing in the apartment is missing parents. But in the meantime,
except for the painting—a Picasso. I’m sure we can solve it!

OK. What’s your plan?

But perhaps he
First, we need saw something.
to interview I’ll talk to him.
anyone
who might
have useful
information.

What about your

Oh, Jimmy? He’s been
doorman?
a friend of the family
forever. He would
never steal from us.

A LITTLE LATER... I didn’t see anything

unusual, sir. In the
afternoon, Miss Fontaine
went out shopping. She
forgot her coat, I think.
Dodds returned to get it
and left again. Then they
returned around 5:30.

Hmm…

The Imposter 91

U5COrl6.indd 91 5/24/18 16:15

T 181
 So another painting
LATER THAT DAY… has disappeared? Yes, while we were
at the library.
The telephone, sir.
It’s Miss Fontaine.

Perhaps we should
stake out the
So Dodds isn’t the thief… building…
I’ll watch the
building to see if
the thief appears. Wilson, look!
There's Dodds.

But no one left the building!

This must be an imposter!

Uh... Dodds! I’m

so glad to see you!

92 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 92 5/24/18 16:16

T 182
 ...Where is
We aren’t late for the
Miss Fontaine?
show, I hope.
Oh, uh…in the
building. I was just— No, miss. I’ll
get the car— Oh, no!

On your way back?

Excellent! I need to
talk with her!

I’ve got him, sir.

Good job, Wilson!

Stop! Thief!

What’s going
on here?

The Imposter 93

U5COrl6.indd 93 10/10/17 13:08

T 183
 Miss Fontaine, I swear, I Why did you do
had nothing to do with this. this, William?

I’m sorry, Robert.

I lost my job. I
needed the money.
It’s true, miss. My
brother didn’t even
know I was in town.

So… William pretended to be

your butler, Veronica. Jimmy said Oh, my! The
he saw Dodds return for your whole time?!?
coat, but it wasn’t your Dodds—It
was his brother, William!

He watched from the café, like I did!

He watched from the café, waiting for
you to leave. And he was going to do
it again this afternoon!

THAT explains why

Harold was afraid
of you, Dodds!

94 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 94 10/10/17 13:08

T 184
 Harold? You mean that parrot?! Shall I call the police
He didn’t like me at all! now, Miss Fontaine?

Wait!

Do you still have We hurried back when we

the paintings? received Dodds’ telegram, but
I see that the painting is here.

I do.

If you return them, Yes, dear. What

we will forget the happened?
whole thing.
I’m afraid it was only
Thank you, miss. a misunderstanding,
Mother. We were…

…playing a detective game.

SQUAWWWK!

Oh, what a relief!

The Imposter 95

U5COrl6.indd 95 10/10/17 13:08

T 185
 1 Match the characters with their pictures.
1 Dodds

2 Frank

3 Harold

4 Miss Fontaine

5 William

6 Wilson

2 Write the names of the characters.

1 This character acted like a detective.

2 This character didn’t like William.

3 This character was the doorman.

4 This character’s family was traveling.

5 This character caught the imposter.

6 This character has a brother named William.

7 This character stole the paintings.

3 Label the pictures.

butler missing publicity steal telegram thief

1 2 3

4 5 6

96 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 96 10/19/17 13:18

T 186
 4 Citing Textual Evidence Scan the graphic novel. Answer the questions.
How do we know that…

1 …Harold is afraid of Dodds?

2 …Dodds didn’t know his brother was the thief?

3 …William didn’t go to jail?

5 Foreshadowing Mark (✓) the examples of foreshadowing.

Think and discuss. What do the images foreshadow? Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a way an
author provides visual or
written hints (clues) about
what might happen next.

1 2

3 4 5

6 Active Reading Work in groups. Act out the story.

7 Imagine something valuable is stolen from you. Now imagine you want to investigate
this yourself. What would you do? Share your ideas.

The Imposter 97

U5COrl6.indd 97 10/10/17 13:08

T 187
 Key Words
Planning a Robbery
be up to
blueprints Some of the most famous crimes involve the theft
bolt
of great works of art or expensive jewelry. Thieves may not
clue
evidence actually want these objects, but both famous artwork and jewelry
fingerprints
hunch can be sold for a lot of money. The problem for thieves is figuring out
mastermind how to steal precious art and jewels and then how to sell them.
ransom Blueprints
theft So, how do thieves do it? Like the police, they have to do research and
unreliable
investigate. For instance, they have to learn everything about the place where
witness
the jewelry or art is. Is it in a house? Is it in a museum? Is it in a bank vault?
Nowadays, many places have video cameras. Doors and windows are also
Citing Textual
frequently locked with heavy bolts and have sensors and alarms. If it is a
Evidence by Patricia Hamill
A text contains textual museum or bank, security guards could be on duty at all times. They might need
evidence, or information, Mysteries are all around us. Some, like guessing the blueprints to see if there are other ways to get into and out of a building.
such as words, phrases and
illustrations. A reader refers games or riddles, are fun to solve. Other mysteries, like Once they have stolen the objects, thieves have to think about the next step.
to (cites) this information the ones involving robberies, are much more serious.
by quoting or paraphrasing How can they hide themselves and the stolen property after they commit the
from the text. Citing textual Police detectives and private investigators work quickly crime? Who will buy the stolen property? They have to plan it all. But regardless
evidence provides support
to solve crimes and catch the criminals. of how well they plan the theft and how many people help, things can
to the reader’s analysis of
the text.
always go wrong!

Collecting Evidence
Not all crimes are easy to solve. The police might find
the stolen objects, but that does not mean they will find the
thieves. They need evidence like fingerprints or witnesses to
help them solve the crime.
Fingerprints are clues that could lead to catching the criminal.
Police have to be careful, though. The fingerprints could also belong to A fingerprint

an innocent person. There may also be witnesses to the crime, but witnesses can

1 Work in a small group. Talk sometimes be unreliable. A witness could be afraid to name the criminal, or they
about a true crime. could lie to protect the criminal. It is up to the police to collect all the clues and

2 Listen and follow. 11

evidence, find the criminal and prove that he or she committed the crime.

98 Topic 5 To Find a Thief 99

U5COrl6.indd 98 10/19/17 16:11 U5COrl6.indd 99 10/10/17 13:08

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 98 Key Words • Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 196

Making Predictions • Pictures of a magnifying glass and a balaclava
• Sheets of paper

2 98-103 Citing Textual Evidence • Audio Track 11

• Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 196
• Note cards with Key Words

3 98-101 Citing Textual Evidence • Audio Track 11

Identifying Author’s Purpose • Sheets of paper with text headings
and Intended Audience

4 101-103 Comparing and Contrasting • Audio Track 11

Authors’ Presentations of • Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 197
an Event

5 104 and Comprehension

105 Citing Textual Evidence
Creating Anticipation

6 106 Scanning • Large sheets of butcher paper

Connect to History • Colored pencils
Art Connection • Internet access
• A picture of a spy pen

T 188 Topic 5
Summary
Key Words
“To Find a Thief ” is about crimes that took a long time to solve. Two famous crimes
involve the theft of works of art and jewelry. The painting Lady Writing a Letter with her be up to (v.) to have the
Maid was stolen in 1986 from a private collection, and even though the painting was responsibility for something
recovered, the thieves were never caught. Another crime involved the robbery of a jewelry blueprints (n.) the construction
store in Paris. Jewelry worth $108 million was taken. However, in this case, the thieves plans that show how a building will
were eventually caught and sent to jail. Solving a crime requires good observation and be made
investigative skills and a little bit of luck. bolt (n.) a metal object used to hold
something together
Genre: True Crime
clue (n.) a fact that helps explain
In a true crime text, the author writes about real-life crimes. Some of these crimes cause
something
the police to be puzzled or confused.
evidence (n.) proof that shows that
Reading Strategy Focus something is true
Citing Textual Evidence fingerprints (n.) the marks made
What is it? A text contains textual evidence, or information, such as words, where fingers touch a surface
phrases and illustrations. A reader refers to (cites) this information by quoting hunch (n.) a feeling or intuition that
or paraphrasing from the text. Citing textual evidence provides support to the something is true
reader’s analysis of the text.
mastermind (v.) to plan or organize a
What will students do? Students will identify words and phrases that support their
complex crime
claims about (and serve as evidence for) the text.
ransom (n.) money that is requested
Why is it important? It is important for students to cite textual evidence as it is
to return a valuable object
essential to supporting text analysis and making inferences.
theft (n.) a robbery
How will students build on previous knowledge? In Compass Reading Logs 4 and 5,
students learn to identify facts and opinions as well as key details. They also practice unreliable (adj.) someone that
making inferences in both fiction and nonfiction texts. cannot be trusted

Most Compass 6 Reading Log students will be able to read and understand true crime witness (n.) someone who saw
texts and other informational texts, but they may need help identifying evidence in the a crime
text that supports their claims.

Author Technique
Creating Anticipation
What is it? An author creates anticipation by slowly providing some—but not all—of
the details of a story or text. Readers then begin to guess or predict what is going to
happen next.
What will students do? Students will identify sentences in the story that the author
uses to create anticipation.
Why is it important? It is important for students to be able to identify sentences that
create anticipation in order to predict the upcoming events in a text.

Topic 5 T 189
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 page 98 Making Predictions
Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 196 The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the text
by asking them what they think it is about. Effective readers use pictures, titles, headings,
Pictures of a magnifying glass and a balaclava
text and personal experiences to make predictions before they read. Predicting also involves
Sheets of paper (1 per pair) thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and events in the text. After making
predictions, students can read through the text and revise and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)

• Show students a picture of a magnifying glass and of a
balaclava. Elicit their names.
• Ask: Who uses a magnifying glass? What about the
balaclava? Elicit the words detective and thief.
• Ask: Do you think all the detectives use a magnifying glass?
Do all thieves wear balaclavas? Why do they use/wear these
items? Encourage students to share their ideas with the class.
• Brainstorm other items associated with detectives
and thieves.

Teach the Key Words (20 min.)

• Use example sentences to elicit or teach the Key Words.
Write the words on the board. Have students repeat
the words chorally.
• Form pairs. Have students complete the grid and find
the mystery word in activity 1 in the worksheet.
Answers: 1. theft 2. witness 3. unreliable 4. clue 5. ransom
6. blueprints 7. mastermind 8. evidence 9. hunch 10. be up to
Mystery word: fingerprint

Reading Strategy (15 min.)

• Point to page 98. Say: What are some things we could
do to predict the content of the text? (Look at the title and
the headings.)
• Say: Look at the title. Ask: What is the text about?
(Finding a thief.)
• Have students look at the text and identify the headings.
(Planning a Robbery, Collecting Evidence, How Do the Police
Figure It All Out?, The Painting, The Suspect, The Detective,
The Jewelry, The Investigation, Are You a Good Detective?)
• Have students write their predictions about the text
in activity 2 in the worksheet. Tell students to keep their
predictions for the next lesson.

Take the Lesson Further (15 min.)

• Form pairs. Have students create a puzzle grid and clues
similar to activity 1 in the worksheet. Tell students they
can use words (Key Words and headings) from the text.
• Have students exchange puzzle grids and solve them.

T 190 Topic 5
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 98-103 Citing Textual Evidence
Audio Track 11
Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 196
Note cards with Key Words

Lead in to the Lesson (15 min.)
• Post note cards with Key Words on the board.
• Form two teams. Have the teams form two lines facing the
board but not close to it.
• Tell students you are going to read a definition or explanation
and they have to run to the board and touch the Key Word
it corresponds to. Encourage the team that touches the Key
Word first to use the word in a sentence.
• Continue the game until students have correctly identified all
the Key Words.
Know Your Students
Many students enjoy competitive activities. Some students
(often the ones with lower language skills) do not. If you
have students who do not enjoy competitive activities,
consider forming pairs or small groups. You would read
the definition or explanation, and the groups would then
decide what the correct Key Word is. This could help boost
students’ self-confidence as well as foster collaboration.
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Form small groups. Say: You are going to be language
detectives now. Solve the riddles.
• Write the riddles on the board:
1 What has a hand but can’t scratch itself?
2 What is always full when it is being used and empty when
it is not?
3 What becomes higher when the head is off?
4 What is the only thing you can break when you say
its name?
5 What is the end of everything?
6 What can you find in the middle of water?
• Have students solve the riddles.
Answers: 1. a clock 2. a shoe 3. a pillow 4. silence 5. the letter “G”
6. the letter “T”

Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.)

• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 98. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Have students recall this strategy in the graphic novel “The
Imposter.” Remind them that when we cite textual evidence,
we use information in the text to support our ideas and
inferences about the text.

1 Work in a small group. Talk about a true crime. (10 min.)

• Have students brainstorm some nonviolent crimes such as
thefts and robberies.
• Form small groups. If they know about any famous theft
stories, have them discuss them. If they don’t, they can talk
about movies or stories about crime.

2 Listen and follow. 11 (20 min.)

• Play track 11. Have students listen to the text and follow
in their books.
• Pause the audio after each section, and ask general
comprehension questions: What did you learn in this
section? What did you already know? What more do you
want to know?
• Have students refer to their predictions in activity 2 in
the worksheet. Ask: Which predictions were accurate?
Encourage students to share their predictions.

Topic 5 T 191
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 98-101 Citing Textual Evidence
Audio track 11 Reading Strategy
Sheets of paper with text headings Identifying the Author’s Purpose and Intended Audience
All texts have a purpose: to persuade, to inform or to entertain the reader. Identifying and
understanding the author’s purpose—combined with identifying the author’s intended
audience—contributes to reading comprehension. Proficient readers, particularly ones doing
research or investigating topics, use this skill to help them decide if the content in a text is
suitable or adequate for their needs.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Reading Strategy (10 min.)

• Display the sheets of paper with text headings—in the order • Ask: Who is the author of “To Find a Thief?” Have students
they appear in the text—on the board. locate the name of the author on page 98. Explain that when
• Form pairs. Have students use the headings to help them an author writes a text, he or she thinks of the people who
recall the main ideas of the sections in the text. will read it—the audience.
• Encourage students to share their ideas with the class. • Ask: What kind of text is it? (A true crime text.)
• Ask: What is the purpose of the text, to persuade, to inform
Reading Strategy Focus 11 (25 min.)
or to entertain? (To inform and to entertain.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students • Ask: What kind of language is used in the text? Is it formal
read the questions before they read the text again. or informal? (Informal.)
1 Who works to solve mysteries such as robberies? • Elicit ideas. Ask: Who is the author’s intended audience? Is it
2 How do thieves plan a robbery? people interested in true crime? Is it police investigators and
3 What are two types of evidence the police need? private detectives? (People interested in true crime—a general
4 What do the police have to do, besides collecting evidence? audience—but not specialists.) Ask: How do you know the text
5 What is solving a crime like? isn’t for specialists or people who work in crime investigation?
6 Where was the painting Lady Writing a Letter with her (The language in the text would be more technical.)
Maid when it was stolen?
7 What strategy did the criminals use to steal the painting? Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
8 Who was the main suspect? • Form groups. Have students discuss the questions:
9 What was the rumor about Cahill and the stolen painting? What do you find interesting about investigative work?
10 How long was the painting missing? What do you want to learn more about? Encourage groups
• Play track 11 from the beginning of the text to the end of the to share their ideas.
first section on page 101. Have students read and underline
passages of the text that answer the questions.
• Form pairs. Have students compare underlined passages
and agree on the answers.
• Encourage students to cite evidence from the text when
checking answers.
Answers: 1. Police detectives and private investigators. 2. They have to learn
about the place and the security system. 3. Fingerprints and witnesses.
4. They have to find the criminal and prove that he or she committed the
crime. 5. It is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. 6. It was in a private
collection, at Russborough House. 7. They set off the alarm twice. The security
guard thought there was a problem with the alarm system. 8. Martin Cahill.
9. The rumor was that he was holding the painting for a ransom of 20 million
pounds. 10. It was missing for sixteen years.

T 192 Topic 5
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 101-103 Comparing and Contrasting Authors’ Presentations of an Event
Audio Track 11 The ability to compare and contrast different authors’ presentations of the same events is
an important factor in text analysis and higher-order thinking. Proficient readers are able to
Topic 5 Nonfiction Worksheet page 197
identify and differentiate fact from opinion in a text and recognize how the differing viewpoints
of authors can impact the presentation of the same event.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Reading Strategy (20 min.)

• Form pairs. Tell students you are going to read some riddles.
Have students try to solve them.
1 I have teeth, but I can’t eat. What am I? (A comb.)
2 I never ask any questions, but I demand many answers.
What am I? (A doorbell.)
3 People can see me, but they can’t feel me. What am I?
(A shadow.)
4 People drink me all over the world. My name has three
letters, but when two letters are taken away, I still have
the same name. What am I? (Tea.)
Read and Discuss the Text 11 (20 min.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students
read the questions before they read the text again.
1 Who did Charley Hill pretend to be?
2 Was Martin Cahill arrested for the theft? Why? Why not?
3 Why is stealing jewels more complicated than stealing
artwork, such as paintings?
4 What strategy did the thieves use to steal jewels from the
Harry Winston store?
5 Were the clues the detectives had about the theft reliable?
Why? Why not?
6 What kind of scientific evidence did the police find that
led to the capture of the thieves?
7 What does it take to solve a crime?
• Play track 11 from “The Detective” section on page 101 to
the end of the text. Have students listen and underline
passages of the text that answer the questions.
• Form pairs. Have students compare underlined passages and
agree on the answers.
Answers: 1. He pretended to be an art buyer. 2. No, he wasn’t. The police
were never able to prove he was one of the criminals. 3. It is more difficult to
find buyers for stolen jewels. 4. They were disguised as women. 5. No, they
weren’t. The information the witnesses gave was contradictory. 6. The police
found DNA. 7. It takes a lot of research and good observation skills.
• Say: Two authors may write about the same event in different
ways. They might write their texts for different audiences or
have different purposes for writing their texts.
• Have students recall the author’s purpose and intended
audience for the text (To inform and entertain, a general
audience interested in true crime.)
• Say: Read the excerpt in activity 3. Ask: What is the
author’s purpose? Who is the author’s intended audience?
• Form pairs. Have students retell the main ideas and key
details from the newspaper article.
• Direct students’ attention to the Venn diagram in
activity 4 in the worksheet. Have students complete the
Venn diagram. Encourage students to share their answers.
Answers: True crime text: Author’s purpose is to inform and entertain.
Intended audience is people interested in crime stories but not specialists.
Text language creates interest and engages readers. Newspaper article:
Author’s purpose is to inform. Intended audience is people interested in
reading crime news. The newspaper article presents several facts and details
about the theft. Its language is concise and objective. Both: The true crime
text and the newspaper article present the same basic facts about how the
robbery happened.
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Form small groups. Explain to students that they are going
to prepare and give a 30-second news report informing their
audience about the theft at Harry Winston.
• Ask: How different is a news report from a newspaper article?
Elicit ideas from students.
• Have students plan and practice their news reports.
• Encourage students to perform their news report for another
group or the whole class.

Topic 5 T 193
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 104 and 105 Citing Textual Evidence

Author Technique
Creating Anticipation

Comprehension (60 min.) 6 Creating Anticipation Read the sentences. Continue

Lead in to the Lesson
• Draw a T-chart on the board. Write The Painting in the left
column and The Jewelry in the right column.
• Elicit information about the robberies. Write students’ ideas
on the board.
1 Read the sentences. Which robbery do they refer to?
Write P (paintings) or J ( jewelry).
• Have students complete the activity individually.
Answers 1. P 2. J 3. J 4. P 5. J 6. J
2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.
• Elicit definitions and example sentences for the Key Words
in the box.
• Have students complete the sentences.
Answers: 1. robbery 2. witness; unreliable 3. blueprints 4. ransom
5. is up to
3 Number the sentences in the correct order.
• Form pairs. Have students read the sentences and put them
in the correct order.
Answers: 5, 4, 3, 2, 6, 1
4 Citing Textual Evidence Cite the text that supports
each statement.
• Elicit the meaning and examples of textual evidence.
• Form pairs. Have students read the statements.
• Tell students to scan the text for textual evidence.
Answers: 1. “A witness could be afraid to name the criminal, or they could
lie to protect the criminal.” 2. “The thieves might have accidentally dropped
something—like a candy wrapper. These small details are also clues, and an
observant detective will decide if it is a clue.” 3. “Each clue is like a piece to
the puzzle. But how do the police put all of the pieces of the puzzle together?
Sometimes they cannot, and that is how a crime stays a mystery.” “…the police
might know who committed the crime but not have the evidence to prove
it.” 4. “…it takes very determined detectives years of investigation to solve a
crime.”
the stories to create anticipation.
• Have students read the first sentences to the stories and then
continue writing them.
• When they have finished, tell students to share their ideas
in small groups. Encourage students to explain how they
created anticipation.
Manage Your Class
Students could also work in pairs to continue the stories.
Doing so serves as a confidence-building technique and also
fosters collaboration.
7 Active Reading Work with a classmate. Choose one
of the crimes. Imagine what the people involved said.
Write a dialogue.
• Brainstorm some of the people involved in the crime stories.
(For the painting: the owner of the painting, the security
guard, the police detectives, Martin Cahill, the other thieves
and Charley Hill. For the jewelry robbery: the salespeople at
the store, the clients, the thieves and the police detectives.)
• Form pairs. Have students choose two characters and write
a short dialogue in their notebooks.
• Encourage students to present their dialogues to other pairs
or the whole class.
8 Think and discuss. What might you have done
differently if you were the security guard or the owner
of the jewelry store?
• Have a class discussion about the different ways they might
have acted if they were one of the characters.

5 Creating Anticipation Mark (✓) the sentences that

create anticipation.
• Direct students’ attention to the Author Technique entry.
Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Form pairs. Have students read the sentences and decide if
the sentences try to persuade them to keep reading.
Answers: 1, 2, 4, 5

T 194 Topic 5
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Art Connection
Compass Reading Log 6 page 106 Scanning Drawing pictures about the theme or
Large sheets of butcher paper (1 per student) Scanning is the ability to quickly look for main ideas of a text is a way to create a
and find specific information in a text. multisensory connection to the text. It also
Colored pencils
Effective readers can scan a text for specific serves to further engage students and make
Internet access words or text features that help them answer the text more memorable.
A picture of a spy pen questions about text content.

Connect to Histor y (30 min.)

Lead in to the Lesson
• Show students the picture of the spy pen. Ask: What is this?
How could it be useful to a detective? Elicit ideas from the
class. Tell them how the spy pen is used.

1 Nowadays detectives have advanced technology to

help them solve crimes. What did they have in the
early 1900s? What did they have in the 1950s?
Do research and take notes.
Reading Strategy
• Say: The spy pen is an example of modern technology police
and private detectives can use to solve crimes Explain that the
pen is a recent invention.
• Form pairs. Have students use their mobile devices or school
computers to research investigative techniques and tools
from the early 1900s and 1950s. Tell them to scan articles and
take notes.
• Form small groups. Have students compare findings.
Encourage them to add information to their notes.

Art Connection (25 min.)

• Tell students that they are going to design security systems
for their homes.
• Hand out sheets of butcher paper and colored pencils.
Tell them to draw a basic blueprint of their homes.
Then add the security features. Encourage them to use
their imagination and create new security gadgets.
• Form small groups. Have students share their ideas.

Topic 5 T 195
 To p ic 5 To Find a Thief
1 Complete the puzzle. Write the mystery word.

be up to blueprints clue evidence hunch

mastermind ransom theft unreliable witness

1
2
3

4
5
6
7
8
9
10

1 a robbery 6 construction plans

2 someone who saw a crime 7 to plan a complex crime
3 not to be trusted 8 proof
4 a fact that helps explain something 9 a feeling or intuition that something is true
5 money that is requested to return a valuable object 10 to have the responsibility for something

The mystery word is .

2 Write your predictions. What is the text about?

T 196 Nonfiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
 3 Read an extract from a newspaper article about the jewelry theft at Harry Winston.

Armed Men Disguised as Women Steal $108 Million in Jewels from Paris Store
Jennifer March – Paris Dec 6, 2008

A bold band of armed thieves wore wigs and women’s

clothes to perform one of the world’s biggest jewelry
thefts in Paris yesterday, confirms French police.
The thieves arrived at the store at 5:30 p.m., as ordinary
clients. Once inside the boutique, they used handguns
to threaten salespeople and clients and quickly stuffed
The exclusive Harry Winston store in Paris was robbed bags with diamond rings, necklaces, broaches and luxury
by four men disguised as women, who took almost every watches. Apparently, they knew the store very well—they
jewel displayed at the store, and emptied two cases kept even addressed sales staff by their first names. After just a
in a back room. few minutes, the thieves left the store.
According to the police, the stolen jewels are worth
US$108 million dollars. “This is certainly a record,” said
Doron Levy, a spokesman for the French union of jewelers.

4 Compare and contrast the newspaper article in activity 3 with the true crime event in the text.
Think about the author’s purpose and intended audience.

True Crime Text Both Newspaper

Article

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Nonfiction Worksheet T 197
 Key Words
be up to
blueprints
bolt
clue
evidence
fingerprints
hunch
mastermind
ransom
theft
unreliable
witness

Citing Textual
Evidence by Patricia Hamill
A text contains textual
evidence, or information, Mysteries are all around us. Some, like guessing
such as words, phrases and
illustrations. A reader refers games or riddles, are fun to solve. Other mysteries, like
to (cites) this information the ones involving robberies, are much more serious.
by quoting or paraphrasing
from the text. Citing textual Police detectives and private investigators work quickly
evidence provides support
to solve crimes and catch the criminals.
to the reader’s analysis of
the text.

1 Work in a small group. Talk

about a true crime.

2 Listen and follow. 11

98 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 98 10/19/17 16:11

T 198
 Planning a Robbery
Some of the most famous crimes involve the theft
of great works of art or expensive jewelry. Thieves may not
actually want these objects, but both famous artwork and jewelry
can be sold for a lot of money. The problem for thieves is figuring out
how to steal precious art and jewels and then how to sell them.
Blueprints
So, how do thieves do it? Like the police, they have to do research and
investigate. For instance, they have to learn everything about the place where
the jewelry or art is. Is it in a house? Is it in a museum? Is it in a bank vault?
Nowadays, many places have video cameras. Doors and windows are also
frequently locked with heavy bolts and have sensors and alarms. If it is a
museum or bank, security guards could be on duty at all times. They might need
the blueprints to see if there are other ways to get into and out of a building.
Once they have stolen the objects, thieves have to think about the next step.
How can they hide themselves and the stolen property after they commit the
crime? Who will buy the stolen property? They have to plan it all. But regardless
of how well they plan the theft and how many people help, things can
always go wrong!

Collecting Evidence
Not all crimes are easy to solve. The police might find
the stolen objects, but that does not mean they will find the
thieves. They need evidence like fingerprints or witnesses to
help them solve the crime.
Fingerprints are clues that could lead to catching the criminal.
Police have to be careful, though. The fingerprints could also belong to A fingerprint

an innocent person. There may also be witnesses to the crime, but witnesses can
sometimes be unreliable. A witness could be afraid to name the criminal, or they
could lie to protect the criminal. It is up to the police to collect all the clues and
evidence, find the criminal and prove that he or she committed the crime.

To Find a Thief 99

U5COrl6.indd 99 10/10/17 13:08

T 199
 How Do the Police Figure It All Out?
Detectives need to think about every possibility. They cannot miss any clues in the
crime area. The thieves might have accidentally dropped something—like a candy
wrapper. These small details are also clues, and an observant detective will decide if it is
a clue. Each clue is like a piece to the puzzle. But how do the police put all of the pieces of
the puzzle together? Sometimes they cannot, and that is how a crime stays a mystery.
In other cases, it takes very determined detectives years of investigation to solve a crime.

The Painting
One such crime was the theft of a famous
painting, Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid, by the
renowned Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. Many of
his paintings are in museums around the world, but
this particular painting was in a private collection
at Russborough House in Ireland. The owner was
careful about security because this painting had
actually been stolen once before! The second time
it was stolen, the police thought the thieves were
her Maid the same people. However, they were wrong. It was
dy Writing a Letter with
La
another group of criminals with a very different plan.
In May 1986, thieves intentionally set off an alarm. But instead of running away, they hid
in the bushes. The security guard could not find any evidence of an attempted robbery, so he
decided it was a false alarm. He also decided there had to be something wrong with the alarm
system. That’s why, when the police arrived,
House
Russborough
he sent them away. Later, at about two in the
morning, the thieves left their hiding spot, broke
into the mansion and stole eighteen paintings!
The security guard’s mistake actually helped the
thieves because he thought it was another false
alarm when it went off again.

100 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 100 10/10/17 13:08

T 200
 The Suspect
Even after the robbery, the owner was
confident the police would solve the crime.
They had a suspect—the well-known
criminal named Martin Cahill. His nickname
was “The General” because he was as
bold and fearless as a military leader. The
problem was they could not prove he had
Cahill ’s disguise: a
hoodie and mask
committed the crime! Very few people could
identify him—he normally wore a mask when he wentt out.
ou
ut And
And
d no
no one
on
ne would
w ulld talk
wo ttaaalk
lkk to
to
the police. They were all afraid. The rumor was that Cahill was holding the Vermeer
painting for a ransom of 20 million pounds. But the money was never paid and Cahill
was never seen with the painting. Some of
the other paintings were found in a hole near
the mansion and other places. However, the
Vermeer was not found until sixteen years
later, in Antwerp, Belgium!

The Detective
A detective named Charley Hill had been
investigating the robbery. His research led him
lgium
Antwerp, Be
to the people who might have the painting.
Then he posed as an art buyer and said he wanted to buy the painting. It worked, and
they agreed to meet him. The Vermeer painting was wrapped in big plastic bags in the
trunk of a car. Detective Hill recovered the painting and the people trying to sell it were
arrested. Yet no one could prove Martin Cahill was part of this group of thieves. Cahill
might have masterminded the plot, but he never went to jail for it. The painting is now in
a museum, but the thieves who originally stole the painting were never caught.

To Find a Thief 101

U5COrl6.indd 101 10/10/17 13:09

T 201
 The Jewelry
Jewels are smaller than
paintings, so you might think
they are easier to steal. Perhaps
they are, but finding someone to
buy stolen jewels is as difficult
as finding a buyer for stolen
paintings. The owner of stolen
jewels cannot wear them in public
or even talk about them. Police Paris
re in
Harry Winston Sto
also alert all jewel dealers about
stolen gems. Even so, some thieves will do whatever it takes to get the jewels they want.
In December 2008, three women walked into a famous jewelry store on the Avenue Montaigne in
Paris. The store, named after its owner, Harry Winston, had some of the most famous and expensive
diamonds in the world. The women were dressed in expensive clothing.
However, they weren’t women. They were men disguised as women! No one outside noticed them
leave the store. They looked like any other customers, and they were gone before the police arrived.
The total value of the jewelry taken was worth about $108 million dollars!

102 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 102 10/10/17 13:09

T 202
 The Investigation
When police detectives began their investigation, the clues were contradictory. Some
witnesses in the store said the men were French. Others said they spoke French with a
Yugoslavian accent, so maybe they were not French after all. However, their possible
accent and bold behavior was the only information the police had. It was enough. Police
had a hunch the robbery was the work of a group of criminals known as “The Pink
Panthers.” These criminals had stolen diamonds and other jewels before. Now the police
had to work very quickly, but they did not work quickly enough. It was three years before
the police found some of the jewels from the robbery dumped on the side of a road. That
led police to believe the thieves were in the area.
Then they found some witnesses. Later on, the
police remembered that a purse had been left
behind at the store. And that purse had some
evidence—DNA! With this new information and
evidence, eight people were eventually arrested
and sent to prison for the
robbery.

Are You a Good Detective?

Are you observant? Do you like to investigate and
do research? It might be to figure out how a crime was committed and
how the criminals escaped. The more professional the thieves, the better they are at
escaping or avoiding jail time. It might be about how to catch the thieves and recover the
stolen items. With clues like DNA and witnesses, some crimes can be solved easily. In other
cases, the police might know who committed the crime but not have the evidence to prove
it. It takes a lot of research and good observation skills if someone wants to solve a crime.

To Find a Thief 103

U5COrl6.indd 103 10/19/17 16:12

T 203
 1 Read the sentences. Which robbery do they refer to? Write P (paintings) or J ( jewelry).
1 The thieves hid in the bushes. 4 The thieves were never caught.

2 The thieves were disguised as women. 5 The thieves were arrested.

3 Some of stolen property was found 6 Some of the stolen property was found
next to a road. in a hole.

2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.

blueprints is up to ransom robbery unreliable witness

1 There was a at our neighbor’s house last night.

2 The was ; he couldn’t describe the thief.

3 Architects use when building a house.

4 The thieves asked for a million dollars in .

5 It investigators to collect all the clues and decide what is important.

3 Number the sentences in the correct order.

The thieves must have hidden some of the paintings in a hole near the mansion.

The owner must have called the police when he found the paintings had been stolen.

The security guard must have felt bad after the paintings were stolen.

The thieves might have chosen their hiding spot using blueprints.

The detective must have been very happy when he recovered the Vermeer painting.

The thieves might have spent months planning the robbery.

4 Citing Textual Evidence Cite the text that supports each statement.
1 Police cannot always believe what a witness says.

2 Detectives must evaluate every clue at a crime scene.

3 Not every crime is solved.

4 You must be patient to be a good detective.

104 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 104 10/10/17 13:09

T 204
 5 Creating Anticipation Mark (✓) the sentences that create anticipation.
Creating Anticipation
1 But regardless of how well they plan the theft and how many
An author creates
people help, things can always go wrong!
anticipation by slowly
2 The second time it was stolen, the police thought the thieves were providing some—but not all—
the details of a story or text.
the same people. However, they were wrong. It was another group
Readers then begin to guess
of criminals with a very different plan. or predict what is going to
3 The security guard could not find any evidence of an attempted happen next. If an author
writes about a young boy
robbery, so he decided it was a false alarm. He also decided there opening the front door of
had to be something wrong with the alarm system. an old, abandoned house,
readers will begin to guess
4 Even so, some thieves will do whatever it takes to get
what might happen to next in
the jewels they want. the story.
5 Then they found some witnesses. Later on, the police remembered
that a purse had been left behind at the store. And that purse had
some evidence—DNA!

6 The total value of the jewelry taken was worth about

$108 million dollars!

6 Creating Anticipation Read the sentences. Continue the stories to create anticipation.
1 The detective looked at the crime scene.

2 The security guard walked through the empty museum.

7 Active Reading Work with a classmate. Choose one of the crimes. Imagine what
the people involved said. Write a dialogue.

A Present the dialogue to your classmates.

8 Think and discuss. What might you have done differently if you were the security guard or the owner
of the jewelry store?
If I were the security guard, I would…

To Find a Thief 105

U5COrl6.indd 105 10/10/17 13:09

T 205
 Connect to Me
1 Think and write. What are the characteristics of a good detective?

A Share your ideas.

Connect to History
1 Nowadays detectives have advanced technology to help them solve crimes. What did they have
in the early 1900s? What did they have in the 1950s? Do research and take notes.

A Compare your information.

106 Topic 5

U5COrl6.indd 106 10/10/17 13:09

T 206
 To p ic 6

Lagarto, Lagarto
by Dan Anthony Genre: Tall Tale
A tall tale is a story with
exaggeration. When you
exaggerate, you say something
is bigger or grander than it
actually is. Some parts of a tall
tale are realistic. Other parts
are exaggerations—they cannot
possibly be true.
“Lagarto, Lagarto” is about a boy
and the unluckiest day of his life.

Playing
It Safe
by Dale Anderson

Genre: Informational Text

In an informational text, an
author writes about facts or real
events.
“Playing It Safe” is about top
athletes around the world and
their superstitious behavior.

107

U6COrl6.indd 107 10/10/17 10:28

T 207
 Key Words
barista
Lagarto, Lagarto
flick
incredulously
by Dan Anthony
mutter
on the house
quizzically
shatter
shrug
slam
squash
stroll
upturned

Developing a Story
Authors usually tell stories
by listing events in the order
they happen. But they also
develop the story in other
ways. For example, they may
repeat a sentence or phrase
throughout a story. This ties
the events together and
helps readers remember an
important idea in the story.

Lexi squashed his nose up against the glass, trying to make out the palm
trees on the square. The rain was so heavy it was like staring into an aquarium.
He expected to see a jellyfish float by any second.
1 Read the first three
paragraphs of the story. “Lagarto, lagarto,” he muttered.

Why do you think Lexi says But nothing changed. This was still the unluckiest day of his life.
“lagarto, lagarto?” Scan Outside the little café, the rain lightened up a little. Lexi could see the square
the story and underline now. The metal covers on the drains popped up and geysers of foaming water
this phrase each time it is spluttered upwards. Lexi’s eyes widened as he looked for the streets that led up to
repeated. Why do you think
the castle. There were no streets that Lexi could see. They had all become
characters in the story repeat
fast-moving rivers.
this phrase?
If we weren’t on a hill, thought Lexi, as he gazed at a partially submerged bus,
2 Listen and follow. 12
the square really would have filled up with water. And we’d all have been washed away.

108 Topic 6 Lagarto, Lagarto 109

U6COrl6.indd 108 10/10/17 10:28 U6COrl6.indd 109 10/19/17 13:20

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 107-117 Activating Prior Knowledge • Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet page 216

Making Predictions • Pictures of good-luck items

2 108-117 Developing a Story • Audio Track 12

3 108-114 Developing the Theme • Audio Track 12

Scanning • Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet pages 216 and 217
• Pictures of bad-luck items

4 114-117 Identifying Story Sequence • Audio Track 12

Scanning • Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet pages 216 and 217

5 118 and 119 Comprehension • Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet page 216

Developing a Story • Colored pencils
Five-finger Retell
Figurative Language

6 126 Social Studies Connection • Internet access

Connect to Me

T 208 Topic 6
Summary
Key Words
“Lagarto, Lagarto” is about a 12-year-old boy named Lexi and the unluckiest day of his
life. The story begins in a small café during a heavy rainstorm. Only Pepe, the barista, barista (n.) someone who makes
and Lexi are in the café. Lexi keeps repeating “Lagarto, lagarto” to avoid bad luck, but coffee in a coffee shop
it may be too late. He tells Pepe about the advice and instructions Karl-Heinz, a flick (v.) to change quickly
beggar who gives good advice, has given him over the years. That morning was no incredulously (adv.) unbelieving;
different: Karl-Heinz told him to be careful at his new school and made an unlikely thinking something is untrue
prediction designed to help Lexi be more popular. Lexi shared the prediction with his
mutter (v.) to speak quietly
new classmates who only believed him because it had come from Karl-Heinz. Lexi,
and unclearly
however, is now scared. He didn’t follow his good-luck rituals the night before so he
thinks bad luck is sure to come. Pepe suggests they consult Karl-Heinz again to see if the on the house (phrase) without a
beggar can help. Karl-Heinz tells the boys they have to go to the middle of the city square, charge; free
hop on one leg and say “lagarto, lagarto” a hundred times so that Lexi can get his good quizzically (adv.) with an expression
luck back. They follow the beggar’s advice. of curiosity
shatter (v.) to break something
Genre: Tall Tale
(usually glass) into many
A tall tale is a story with exaggeration. When you exaggerate, you say something is small pieces
bigger or grander than it actually is. Some parts of a tall tale are realistic. Other parts
shrug (v.) to move one’s shoulders
are exaggerations—they cannot possibly be true.
up and down, often to indicate you
Reading Strategy Focus don’t know something

Developing a Story slam (v.) to hit something against

What is it? Authors usually tell stories by listing events in the order they happen. a surface
But they also develop the story in other ways. For example, they may repeat a sentence squash (v.) to press against
or phrase throughout a story. This ties the events together and helps readers remember something
an important idea in the story. stroll (v.) to walk in a relaxed manner
What will students do? Students will identify how the plot of the story unfolds, upturned (adj.) upside-down
organize its events in chronological order and analyze how the events are related to
each other.
Why is it important? It is important for students to develop the ability to recognize
the different ways a plot can be organized. It expands students’ critical thinking and
reading comprehension skills.
How will students build on previous knowledge? In previous Compass Reading
Logs, students identify the events in a story in terms of sequence or cause and effect.
They also learn to identify and analyze the elements of a plot.
Most Compass Reading Log 6 students will be able to identify the story events.
Some students may need support sequencing the events or identifying the elements
of the plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

Literary Technique
Figurative Language
What is it? The author of this story uses similes, metaphors and hyperbole to make
the story more vivid and help readers picture scenes in the story. Similes are
comparisons using like or as. Metaphors are comparisons not using like or as.
Hyperbole is exaggeration.
What will students do? Students will identify and categorize figurative language
devices as similes, metaphors or hyperboles.
Why is it important? It is important for students to be able to identify and understand
figurative language as it is a common literary device in fiction.

Topic 6 T 209
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 107-117
Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet page 216
Pictures of good-luck items: a horseshoe,
a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a ladybug, etc.
Reading Strategies
Activating Prior Knowledge
When students activate prior knowledge, they make connections between the information
in a story and what they already knew about the topic. Activating prior knowledge supports
reading comprehension and makes the story more meaningful for readers. There are three
types of connections students may make: text to self, text to text and text to world. A text-to-self
connection is when readers make a very personal connection between text content and their
own experiences and feelings. Text-to-text connections occur when readers link ideas in a story
to those of other stories they have read. Text-to-world connections occur when readers link
main ideas in the story to world views or events.
Making Predictions
The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the story
by asking them what they think might happen in it. Effective readers use pictures,
titles, headings, text and personal experiences to make predictions before they read.
Predicting also involves thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and
events in the story. After making predictions, students can read through the story and revise
and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Reading Strategy (20 min.)

Reading Strategy
• Ask: What is superstition? (A belief or practice that comes
from fear of the unknown or trust in magic.)
Which superstitions do you know? Write students’ ideas about
different superstitions on the board.
• Say: Some superstitions are related to good luck, while others
are related to bad luck. Show the pictures of the items and
situations related to superstitions. Encourage students to
identify them.
• Ask: Are these items related to good or bad luck? (Good luck.)
Encourage students to identify the superstition each item
is related to as well. Explain that items that bring good luck
are called “lucky charms.”
Possible answers: Horseshoe: hanging it over a door brings good luck.
Four-leaf clover: finding one means you will have good luck.
Rabbit’s foot: having a rabbit’s foot brings good luck.
Ladybug: if a ladybug lands on you, it will bring you good luck.
Teach the Key Words (25 min.)
• Use gestures, simple definitions and example sentences
to elicit or teach the Key Words. Write them on the board.
Have students repeat the words chorally.
• Have students complete activity 1 in the worksheet.
• Form pairs. Have students take turns acting out and guessing
the Key Words.
Answers: 1. barista 2. flick 3. incredulously 4. mutter 5. on the house
6. quizzically 7. shatter 8. shrug 9. slam 10. squash 11. stroll 12. upturned
• Tell students they are going to predict what happens in
the story.
• Point to the cover on page 107. Ask: What are some things we
could do to predict what this story is about? (Look at the title
and pictures.)
• Tell students to complete activity 2 in the worksheet.
Remind them that they are making notes about their
impressions of the pictures and story predictions—they
don’t need to write in complete sentences, just the most
important ideas.
• Form pairs. Have students share their predictions.
• Tell students they will confirm or reject their predictions as
they read the story.
Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
• Form small groups. Have students discuss their opinions
about superstitions. Ask: Do you believe in good luck or lucky
charms? Do you know people who do? Do you know people
who have lucky charms? What are they?

T 210 Topic 6
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 108-117 Developing a Story
Audio Track 12

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.) Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Have students stand. Explain that you’re going to say some • Write the sentence on the board:
actions, and they have to act them out. The most interesting character in “Lagarto, Lagarto” is
• Say the actions: because .
1 Slam a book on the desk. • Have students complete the sentence in their notebooks.
2 Flick your book. • Form pairs. Have them share their sentences.
3 Mutter some words to yourself.
4 Look at me quizzically.
5 Stroll around the classroom.
6 Shrug your shoulders.
7 Look at a classmate incredulously.
8 Squash your nose against your book.

Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.)

• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 108. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Explain that they will do different activities to help them
understand how the author develops the story.

1 Read the first three paragraphs of the story.

Why do you think Lexi says “lagarto, lagarto?”
Scan and underline this phrase each time it is
repeated. Why do you think characters in the story
repeat this phrase? (15 min.)
• Read the instructions with the class. Have students read
the first three paragraphs (first five lines) of the story
on page 109.
• Ask: Why do you think Lexi says “lagarto, lagarto?”
• Have students scan the story and underline “lagarto, lagarto.”
• Ask: How many times does the phrase appear in the story?
(Eight times.) Ask: Why do you think he says it so often? (It is
an important part of the story.) Encourage students to share
their ideas.

2 Listen and follow. 12 (25 min.)

• Play track 12. Have students listen to the story and follow in
their books.
• Pause the audio every now and then, and ask general
comprehension questions about setting (Where are the
characters?), characters (Who are the characters? Who
is the boy? What about the teenager working at the café?
Who’s Karl-Heinz?), events (What’s happening now?) and
predictions (What do you think will happen next?).

Topic 6 T 211
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 108-114
Audio Track 12
Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet pages 216 and 217
Pictures of bad-luck items: a ladder leaning against
a wall, a calendar page showing “Friday 13,”
a black cat and a broken mirror
Reading Strategies
Developing the Theme
The theme is the central message in a story. It is often not explicitly stated, so readers must be
able to effectively analyze the setting, story events and dialogue in order to identify the theme
of a story and observe how it develops.
Scanning
Scanning is the ability to quickly look for and find specific information in a story.
Effective readers can scan a story for specific words or text features to help them answer
questions about story content.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)
• Have students recall the pictures you showed them in the
previous lesson. Ask: Did they represent good luck or back
luck? (Good luck.)
• Show the pictures of “bad luck.” Place the pictures behind
your book and reveal them slowly. Encourage students to
guess what the pictures are.
• Ask: What do all of these pictures represent to many people?
(Bad luck: seven years of bad luck if you break a mirror, bad
luck if you walk under a ladder or a black cat walks in front
of you, Friday the 13th is considered by many people to be an
unlucky day.)
Read and Discuss the Story. 12 (25 min.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students
read the questions before they read the story again.
1 What is the weather like?
2 Why did Lexi go to the café?
3 Who is Pepe?
4 Who is Karl-Heinz?
5 Why has Karl-Heinz become a “lucky charm?”
6 What did Karl-Heinz say about Lexi?
7 What does Karl-Heinz tell Lexi to do to improve his luck?
8 What does Karl-Heinz tell Lexi to say if he sees an accident
or has bad luck?
9 What happens when Pepe says “Lagarto, lagarto?”
• Play track 12 from the beginning of the story through the
line “ ‘Lagarto, lagarto,’ muttered Lexi as Pepe grabbed
the dustpan and broom and began sweeping up the mess.”
on page 114. Have students read and underline passages of
the story that answer the questions.
• Form pairs. Tell students to compare the passages they
underlined and agree on the answers.
Answers: 1. It is rainy: “The rain was so heavy it was like staring into an
aquarium.” 2. To watch a soccer game: “‘I had to come here,’ said Lexi.
‘To see the game.’” 3. He’s a 17-year-old who works at the café: “Standing
next to him was Pepe—a tall boy of about seventeen.” / “ ‘What?’ said Pepe,
strolling back to his coffee machine behind the counter.” 4. He is a beggar
from Germany: “…he’d come on holiday from Germany years ago. He liked
the warm weather so much he never went back. Karl-Heinz sat on the
pavement between the bank and the café, begging for money behind his
upturned hat.” 5. Because he gives good advice to the people in the city:
“His advice was so accurate, he had become something of a lucky charm
to the people in the town.” 6. He told him he was unlucky: “ ‘He said
I was unlucky. He said I’d lost my mum and dad because of bad luck.
He also said I could improve my luck.’” 7. “Don’t step on a crack in the
pavement. Don’t walk under ladders. Always walk up the last two stairs
on any staircase backwards. Never eat the last chip on a plate. Count to
nine before you go to sleep. And if you see a dog, never move until you find
another one.” 8. He should say “lagarto, lagarto”: “Oh…and if you see an
accident, or some bad luck,” added Lexi, “‘say ‘lagarto, lagarto.’” 9. A glass falls
and breaks: “Just then a glass fell off the rack on the back of the counter and
it shattered on the floor.”
Reading Strategies (20 min.)
• Ask: Based on the first part of the story, what can we say
about Lexi?
• Direct students’ attention to activity 3 in the worksheet.
• Have students read the directions and the
incomplete sentences.
• Elicit the definition of scanning. (Look quickly through a story
for specific information.) Tell students to scan the first part of
the story and find the lines to complete the sentences.
• Form pairs. Have students compare answers.
• Tell students to read the sentences again and answer the
question in the second part of the activity.
(Bad luck. / Lexi’s unlucky.)
• Say: Lexi’s bad luck is one of the main themes of the story.
The story and pictures illustrate or say how unlucky Lexi is.
Repeating the idea that Lexi is unlucky is one way to develop
the theme.
Answers: 1. Lagarto, lagarto / unluckiest 2. rat / water / dripped / steamed
3. run out / bring / gone / trouble 4. unlucky / bad luck / improve / luck
5. accident / bad luck / lagarto, lagarto

Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)

• Form small groups. Have students review the predictions
they made in activity 2 in the worksheet. Tell them to
confirm or reject the predictions they made.

T 212 Topic 6
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategies
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 114-117 Identifying Story Sequence
Audio Track 12 The ability to sequence the events in a story is a critical comprehension strategy. It helps
readers organize main ideas and supporting details of a story so they are able to better
Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet pages 216 and 217
understand the development of a story and its characters. In some stories, the author employs
flashbacks to provide essential backstory and to further develop the characters and the plot.
Scanning

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) • Ask: What happens next? (Pepe asks Lexi if he wants a soda.)
Reading Strategy • Continue eliciting story events and writing them on the
board, until they mention the first flashback. (Lexi telling
• Write the following words on the board:
Pepe about his first meeting with Karl-Heinz.)
football, telly, primary school, holiday, pavement, chips
• Ask: Did this event—meeting Karl-Heinz for the first
• Ask: What do these words mean? (Answers may vary between
time—happen before or after Lexi entered the café? (Before.)
meanings in American and British English.)
Explain that this is a flashback moment, a writing strategy
• Have students scan the story and circle the words.
that authors use to provide essential backstory and to help
• Say: The author of the story is British, and the meanings of
develop the plot.
these words in the story are, too. Ask: What do they mean in
• Form pairs. Have students scan the story and find other
American English? (Soccer, TV / television, elementary school,
flashback (backstory) scenes. Tell them to complete activity 4
vacation, sidewalk, french fries.)
in the worksheet.
Read and Discuss the Story (20 min.) Answers: 1. Page 112: backstory about Karl-Heinz 2. Karl-Heinz told Pepe’s
uncle to open the café. 3. Karl-Heinz told Lexi he was unlucky, but explained
• Write the questions on the board before class. how to improve his luck. 4. Karl-Heinz told Lexi to watch out at school and
Have students read them before reading the story again. made a prediction about a football game. 5. Lexi told his classmates about
Make sure they understand the questions. Karl-Hienz’s prediction. 6. Lexi forgot to follow all the good luck advice the
night before.
1 Did Lexi follow Karl-Heinz’s advice?
2 What did Karl-Heinz tell Lexi in the morning? Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
3 What did Lexi do with the information Karl-Heinz
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the question.
gave him?
Say: Lexi told his classmates about the prediction because
4 Why does Lexi think he’s lost his good luck?
he thought it would protect him from mean kids. Ask: What
5 What is Pepe’s suggestion to help Lexi?
would you do if you were Lexi?
6 Does Karl-Heinz know about Lexi’s bad luck?
• Encourage students to share their ideas.
7 What does Karl-Heinz tell Lexi and Pepe to do?
• Play track 12 from “So what did you do?” on page 114,
to the end of the story. Encourage students to underline
the passages in the book that answer their questions.
• Form pairs. Have students compare the passages they
underlined and agree on the answers.
Answers: 1. Yes, he did. 2. He told Lexi to watch out at the new school,
and he shared the unlikely result of a soccer match with the boy.
3. He shared it with his classmates. 4. Because he didn’t follow some
of the advice for good luck the night before. 5. He suggests they talk
to Karl-Heinz. 6. Yes, he does. 7. They need to hop on one leg and say
“lagarto, lagarto” a hundred times in the middle of the square.

Reading Strategy (20 min.)

• Draw a long horizontal line on the board. Explain to students
that they are going to put the story events in
chronological order.
• Refer students to the beginning of the story, on page 109.
Ask: What is the first event depicted in the story?
(Lexi is in a café, watching the rain.)
• Draw a vertical line in the middle of the line on the board and
write the event below it.

Topic 6 T 213
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 118 and 119
Topic 6 Fiction Worksheet page 217
Colored pencils
Comprehension (60 min.)
Lead in to the Lesson
Reading Strategy
• Say: You’re going to retell the story.
• Remind students that they can use five fingers to remember
all the important parts of a story.
• Hold up your hand and, starting with your thumb, elicit what
each finger represents. (Characters, setting, problem, events
and solution.)
• Hold up your hand. Point to your thumb and say: Identify
the characters. Point to your index finger and say: Describe
the setting. Point to your middle finger and say: Identify the
problem. Point to your ring finger and say: Describe the events
in the story. Point to your pinky finger and say: Describe the
ending and how the problem is resolved.
• Form pairs. Have students use the five-finger retell strategy to
summarize the story.
1 Circle the correct answers.
• Have students read the questions and circle the correct
answers. Tell them to refer to the story if they are unsure
about the answers.
Answers: 1. b 2. b 3. c 4. a
2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.
• Form pairs. Have students define or act out the Key Words
in the box.
• Tell students to complete the activity.
Answers: 1. quizzically 2. barista 3. on the house 4. incredulously
5. upturned 6. shrug
3 Think and write. Do you think following Karl-Heinz’s
advice will change Lexi’s luck? Why or why not?
• Ask: What was Karl-Heinz’s last piece of advice to Lexi?
(Hop on one leg and say “lagarto, lagarto” a hundred times
in the middle of the square.)
• Have students answer the questions. Remind them to give
reasons for their answers.
• Form small groups. Have students discuss their ideas.
T 214 Topic 6
Reading Strategy Focus
Developing the Story
Reading Strategy
Five-finger Retell
The five-finger retell strategy helps students analyze and summarize a story by organizing the
elements and sequence of a story. Students are able to make connections to information they
already know and understand.
Literary Technique
Figurative Language
4 Developing the Story Match the parts of the
sentences.
• Refer students to the Reading Strategy entry on page 108, and
read it to the class again.
• Have students recall the flashback (backstory) scenes.
Tell them to refer to their answers to activity 4 in the
worksheet, if necessary.
• Tell students to complete the activity.
Answers: 1. b 2. d 3. a 4. c
5 Figurative Language Read each example of
figurative language from the story. Write S (simile),
M (metaphor) or H (hyperbole).
• Direct students’ attention to the Literary Technique entry.
Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Complete item 1 in the activity as a class.
• Form pairs. Have students discuss the type of figurative
devices used in the sentences.
Answers: 1. S 2. H 3. M 4. S 5. H 6. H
6 Active Reading Interview one character from the
story: Lexi, Pepe or Karl-Heinz. Take the role of the
interviewer or the character. Ask, “Are you lucky or
unlucky? Why? What lucky or unlucky experiences
have you had?”
• Form pairs. Have students take turns being the interviewer
or a character and ask and answer the questions.
Encourage students to take notes in their notebooks.
• Form small groups (two pairs). Have students share their
answers. Have students choose the most interesting answers
in their group.
• Encourage students to share the most interesting answers
with the class.
7 Think and draw. What superstition is popular in
your country?
• Hand out colored pencils. Have students draw a superstition
that is popular in their country.
A Share your ideas.
• Form small groups. Have students share their drawings and
describe the superstitions.
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Social Studies Connection
Compass Reading Log 6 page 126 The purpose of social studies is to guide young learners in developing the ability to make
Internet access informed decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse global community.
Superstitions vary from country to country. Conducting research about country-specific
superstitions is one way to create connections between this text and the world, and expand
students’ awareness of the world around them.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.)

• Form small groups. Have students take turns acting out the
pieces of advice Karl-Heinz gave Lexi to have good luck.

Social Studies Connection (20 min.)

• Form pairs. Have students use their mobile devices or school
computers to research superstitions in their country.
Tell them to take notes.
• Form small groups (two or three pairs). Have students share
their findings.

Manage Your Class

It is important students only access reliable and safe
sites. Investigate sites before class and have options ready
for students. This will ensure safe and time-effective
Internet research.

Connect to Me (30 min.)

1 Write a short story about a character who has a
very unlucky day. Use at least three of the
superstitions below. How does the character improve
his or her luck?
• Have students read the instructions and look at the pictures.
Confirm understanding of the superstitions.
• Tell students to write the short story in their notebooks.
• Form pairs. Have students exchange stories and read them.
Encourage students to ask questions or comment on each
other’s stories.

Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)

• Form pairs. Ask: What do you think happened to Lexi and
Pepe? Did Karl-Heinz’s advice improve their luck?
Encourage students to share their ideas.

Topic 6 T 215
 To p ic 6 Lagarto, Lagarto
1 Complete the words.
1 Ab r st prepares coffee at a café.

2 When people f l c k through a magazine, they look quickly at its pages.

3 If you look ncr d l s l y at someone or something, you look in a way that

shows disbelief.

4 They sometimes m tt r, but I can’t understand what they are saying.

5 Some restaurants will give you dessert n th h s e when it’s your birthday.

6 When people look at you q zz c l l y, they may be confused or surprised

about something you said or did.

7 Mirrors and glasses s h tt r easily.

8 When you s h r g your shoulders, it may mean, “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.”

9 If you s l m a door, it makes a loud banging sound.

10 When you s q s h something, you press it so that you change its shape.

11 My grandparents like to s t r l l around the park on Sunday afternoons.

12 If an object is pt rn d, you place it upside-down.

A Work with a classmate. Act out the Key Words. Take turns.
2 Look at the pictures in the story. Complete the chart. What do you predict?

Pages Picture Prediction

108 and 109

110 and 111

112 and 113

114 and 115

116 and 117

T 216 Fiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
 3 Find the lines in the story. Complete the sentences.
1 Page 109: “‘ ,’ he muttered. But nothing changed. This was still

the day of his life.”

2 Page 110: “He looked like a drowned . Pools of spread out from

around his shoes. … His hair . His nose .”

3 Page 111: “‘My luck’s . No matter how hard I try to

it back—it’s , and now I’m in real .’”

4 Page 113: “‘Karl-Heinz told me I was . He said I’d lost my mum and dad because

of . He also said I could my .’”

5 Page 114: “‘Oh…and if you see an or some ,” added Lexi,

“say .’”

A Work with a classmate. Read the sentences. What do the sentences have in common?
4 Scan the story. Summarize the flashback scenes.
1

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Fiction Worksheet T 217
 Key Words
barista
Lagarto, Lagarto
flick
incredulously
by Dan Anthony
mutter
on the house
quizzically
shatter
shrug
slam
squash
stroll
upturned

Developing a Story
Authors usually tell stories
by listing events in the order
they happen. But they also
develop the story in other
ways. For example, they may
repeat a sentence or phrase
throughout a story. This ties
the events together and
helps readers remember an
important idea in the story.

1 Read the first three

paragraphs of the story.
Why do you think Lexi says
“lagarto, lagarto?” Scan
the story and underline
this phrase each time it is
repeated. Why do you think
characters in the story repeat
this phrase?

2 Listen and follow. 12

108 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 108 10/10/17 10:28

T 218
 Lexi squashed his nose up against the glass, trying to make out the palm
trees on the square. The rain was so heavy it was like staring into an aquarium.
He expected to see a jellyfish float by any second.
“Lagarto, lagarto,” he muttered.
But nothing changed. This was still the unluckiest day of his life.
Outside the little café, the rain lightened up a little. Lexi could see the square
now. The metal covers on the drains popped up and geysers of foaming water
spluttered upwards. Lexi’s eyes widened as he looked for the streets that led up to
the castle. There were no streets that Lexi could see. They had all become
fast-moving rivers.
If we weren’t on a hill, thought Lexi, as he gazed at a partially submerged bus,
the square really would have filled up with water. And we’d all have been washed away.

Lagarto, Lagarto 109

U6COrl6.indd 109 10/19/17 13:20

T 219
 He looked like a drowned rat. Pools of water spread out from around his shoes. His new high
school uniform stuck to his skin. His hair dripped. His nose steamed.
“Soda?” a voice asked.
Lexi turned. He looked up. Standing next to him was Pepe—a tall boy of about seventeen.
Lexi was only twelve, and still very short.
“I had to come here,” said Lexi. “To see the game.”
“What?” said Pepe, strolling back to his coffee machine behind the counter. “Nobody’s going
to be watching football tonight. The only customers I’m going to get will be fish.”
Lexi moved away from the window and sat on one of the big stools opposite Pepe.
“Can we share the soda?” asked Lexi.
Pepe looked at Lexi, then at the empty tables, then at the fifty cents Lexi was holding out.
It was dripping wet, too. Usually the café was packed with people. But thanks to the rain, all he
had was one customer who couldn’t even buy a drink.

110 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 110 10/10/17 10:28

T 220
 Pepe opened a can. He slammed it on the counter.
“It’s on the house. Don’t tell the boss. And get dry.”
Pepe handed Lexi some of the towels he used to dry the dishes. Lexi’s eyes moved up toward the
television. They were playing music videos.
“I had to come in. Can you get the football on the telly? At home my aunt says ‘it’s homework
or nothing’ on weekdays.”
Pepe shrugged and started flicking through the channels. He doesn’t pay, he wants to watch
TV and he makes the floor slippy—what’s up?
Lexi knew Pepe. His aunt and Pepe’s uncle had once been on a date. But it didn’t work out.
According to Lexi’s aunt, there was no spark.
“Can I tell you a secret?” asked Lexi, sipping his soda.
Pepe stopped chewing. He took the damp towels back and hung them on the hooks on his side
of the counter.
“Of course,” said Pepe. “I’m a barista now, I get to keep a lot of secrets.”
“My luck’s run out. No matter how hard I try to bring it back—it’s gone, and now I’m in real
trouble,” said Lexi.

Lagarto, Lagarto 111

U6COrl6.indd 111 10/10/17 10:29

T 221
 “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been so
careful…” Lexi mumbled.
Pepe looked quizzically at his
penniless young customer, in his damp
high school uniform, with his brand new
short haircut.
“You are a kid,” sighed Pepe.
Lexi ignored Pepe. “When I was a
kid, I used to walk to the square to catch
the primary school bus,” he explained.
“One day, as I was walking past the bank,
someone called out to me. Do you know
who that someone was?”
Pepe’s eyes widened a little.
“Karl-Heinz???” he asked.
Everybody knew Karl-Heinz. Though
no one could remember exactly when he
arrived on the square. The story was that
he’d come on holiday from Germany years
ago. He liked the warm weather so much
he never went back. Karl-Heinz sat on the
pavement between the bank and the café,
begging for money behind his upturned
hat. He watched people come and go in the
square. After a few years, people realized
that Karl-Heinz knew more about people
in the town than even the bank manager.
Recently, he’d put on a little weight and
he even looked a bit like a bank manager.
Karl-Heinz called the space behind his hat
“his office” because so many people went
there for advice. His advice was so accurate,
he had become something of a lucky
charm to the people in the town.

112 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 112 10/10/17 10:29

T 222
 “My uncle told me to give Karl-Heinz a coffee in
the morning and one in the afternoon, and not to
charge him,” said Pepe, “for good luck.”
“My aunt always drops a euro in his hat,” said
Lexi, “for good luck.”
“It was Karl-Heinz who told my uncle to open
this café,” added Pepe. “He said that the people
who go to the bank, who wait at the bus stops on
the square and who shop in the supermarket all
need a coffee. Karl-Heinz was right. This place is a
success—that’s why my uncle gave me a job.”
Lexi shivered as he thought about what Karl-
Heinz had told him. “That day I went to catch
the bus,” he whispered, “Karl-Heinz told me I
was unlucky. He said I’d lost my mum and dad
because of bad luck. He also said I could improve
my luck.”
Pepe bit into some fresh gum and turned the
volume down on the TV. He could see the football
program from the stadium. The ground was only
a couple of kilometers from the café. That evening
Alicante CF of the second division were due to take
on the mighty Real Madrid. It was going to be
a bloodbath. Alicante didn’t stand a chance.
“This is what Karl-Heinz told me to do when I
was a kid,” continued Lexi, ‘”to have good luck—
so I didn’t lose anyone else.”
Pepe chewed.
Lexi took a deep breath, “Don’t step on a
crack in the pavement. Don’t walk under ladders.
Always walk up the last two stairs on any staircase
backwards. Never eat the last chip on a plate.
Count to nine before you go to sleep. And if you
see a dog, never move until you find another one.”

Lagarto, Lagarto 113

U6COrl6.indd 113 5/24/18 16:21

T 223
 Pepe interrupted. “He didn’t tell me to do those things. All he said to me was ‘if you can make a
good cup of coffee, you’ll be a rich man.’”
“Oh…and if you see an accident, or some bad luck,” added Lexi, “say ‘lagarto, lagarto.’”
Pepe laughed, “Who’s ever heard of ‘lagarto, lagarto’?”
Just then a glass fell off the rack on the back of the counter and it shattered on the floor.
Never doubt anything Karl-Heinz says, thought Lexi.
“Lagarto, lagarto,” muttered Lexi as Pepe grabbed the dustpan and broom and began sweeping
up the mess.
“So what did you do?” asked Pepe, spitting his gum into the bin as he shook the glass from the
dustpan.
“Before last night, I always said ‘lagarto, lagarto’, I never once stepped on a crack in the
pavement, walked under ladders or ate the last chip on a plate. I always walked up the last two stairs
backwards and I always counted to nine before I went to sleep. I was the most cautious person in
town!” said Lexi. “Look how Karl-Heinz’s advice worked for us both—you’ve got a job and I haven’t
lost anyone else. But now something’s gone seriously wrong.”
“Oh, yeah?” asked Pepe. “If you’ve been so careful, what’s happened to change your luck?”
“This morning Karl-Heinz told me to watch out at the new high school. He said some of the other
kids were mean. He said he’d give me something so they wouldn’t push me around.” Lexi responded.

114 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 114 10/10/17 10:29

T 224
 Pepe thought for a minute. “He’s right. When I was in high school, they pushed me around. I spent
my first year in goals fetching the ball back for the big kids.”
Lexi looked directly at Pepe and sighed, “Karl-Heinz told me to tell them Alicante would beat Real,
7 to 0.”
“In tonight’s game? Are you serious?!? There’s NO WAY Alicante can beat Real Madrid! I know
Karl-Heinz said it, but…you didn’t actually tell anyone that, did you?” asked Pepe, incredulously.
“You know what it’s like,” moaned Lexi. “The school is massive. I don’t know anyone in my class.
Everyone and everything is strange there. The teacher introduced himself. Then he asked us all to say
out loud who we were and to say one interesting thing about ourselves. Most people said how old they
were, or where they lived or what pets they had. When it came to me, you can guess what I said.”
Pepe shook his head and started to speak, “You didn’t…”
Lexi interrupted, “I told them that my name was Alexis Juan Jose Morales, and that I knew Real
Madrid would lose to Alicante by 7 goals to 0.”
Lexi hung his head, remembering what had happened earlier in the day.
Pepe looked at Lexi in sympathy and said quietly, “They laughed at you, didn’t they?”
“Yeah,” said Lexi miserably, “But then I told them it was Karl-Heinz who told me.”
“Well,” said Pepe slowly, “if Karl-Heinz said it, maybe Alicante will win. And if that’s the case,
why are you so worried?”

Lagarto, Lagarto 115

U6COrl6.indd 115 10/10/17 10:29

T 225
 “Because!” Lexi yelled, “Last night I didn’t walk up the last two stairs backwards, I ate all the
chips on my plate and I forgot to count to nine before going to bed!!”
Pepe looked at him in shock.
“Now everyone in school wants to be my friend. They think I’m cool because Karl-Heinz gives
me advice!” Lexi said angrily. “And on my way here, I ran into two classmates. They said their
mums and dads, their friends, their relations…they’re all betting on my scores. Karl-Heinz’s scores!”
Pepe shook his head. “Man. You are NOT going to be very popular tomorrow. Maybe you
should stop going to school.”
Lexi looked up with a gleam of hope in his eyes, “Maybe I should. Maybe I should quit school
and get a job. I’m only twelve but there’s got to be something I can do.”
“C’mon, Lexi! I was only joking!” said Pepe. “You can’t quit school.”
“But I have to do something! Kids at school are going to hate me!” Lexi cried.
Pepe thought for a moment and said, “Well, there’s only one thing I can think of…”
“What?” said Lexi excitedly.
“We have to go see Karl-Heinz. He’ll know what to do.” Pepe said confidently. “Let me get a
coffee for him and we’ll go.”

116 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 116 10/10/17 10:29

T 226
 The rain had all but stopped. The streets were still wet but they no longer looked like raging
rivers. And Karl-Heinz had taken up his position again between the café and the bank.
Lexi waited as Pepe locked the café and pocketed the keys. Then they walked toward the town’s
lucky charm.
“I’ve been expecting you,” Karl-Heinz called out to the boys. “You didn’t follow my advice for
Lexi.”
improving your luck last night, Lexi.
Lexi looked at his shoes, too embarrassed to say anything.
Pepe handed him the coffee without saying a word.
“Well,” said Karl-Heinz, “there may still be something we can do.”
The man thought for a moment. Then he thought some more.
“Lagarto, lagarto,” muttered Lexi, praying for the bad
luck to end.
Karl-Heinz laughed, “That’s a start, but it’s not enough.
You need to go to the middle of the square, hop on one
leg and say ‘lagarto, lagarto’ a hundred times.”
Pepe laughed.
Karl-Heinz looked closely at Pepe and said,
“And you have to do it, too.”
Pepe’s mouth fell open, but no words appeared.
Lexi looked up at Pepe, his eyes begging him to
do as Karl-Heinz said. Pepe only sighed and
nodded. The boys then silently turned
and walked toward the center of
the square.
Lagarto, lagarto.

Lagarto, Lagarto 117

U6COrl6.indd 117 10/10/17 10:29

T 227
 1 Circle the correct answers.
1 Why is Lexi in the café where Pepe works?

a He hopes Pepe will give him advice.

b He wants to watch a football game on TV.

c He needs a dry place to wait during the rainstorm.

2 Who is Karl-Heinz?

a the richest man in town

b a beggar who gives lucky advice

c a bank manager who can see the future

3 Why is it the unluckiest day of Lexi’s life?

a He meets Karl-Heinz for the first time.

b He doesn’t have money for a soda at the café.

c He has told everyone Alicante will beat Real Madrid 7-0.

4 What advice does Karl-Heinz give him?

a Hop while saying “lagarto, lagarto” a hundred times.

b Sit between the café and the bank and ask for money.

c Step on cracks in the pavement and walk under ladders.

2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.

barista incredulously on the house quizzically shrug upturned

1 The dog looked at me , as if it wanted to ask me a question.

2 A makes and serves coffee at a café or coffee shop.

3 Since it was her birthday, the waiter gave her a free dessert .

4 I looked at him . I couldn’t believe what he was saying!

5 If your hat is , it may be upside down.

6 You your shoulders to show that you don’t know or don’t care.

3 Think and write. Do you think following Karl-Heinz’s advice will change Lexi’s luck? Why or why not?

118 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 118 10/10/17 10:29

T 228
 4 Developing a Story Match the parts of the sentences.
1 At the beginning of the story, Lexi says a he hopes Karl-Heinz will help end his
“lagarto, lagarto” because… bad luck.

2 When a glass falls and breaks, Lexi b he wants to change his unlucky day to
says “lagarto, lagarto” because… a lucky one.

3 When Lexi and Pepe visit Karl-Heinz, c the boys are going to hop in the square
Lexi says “lagarto, lagarto” because… while saying it to end their bad luck.

4 The story ends with the words “lagarto, d he thinks Pepe caused the bad luck by
lagarto” because… laughing about “lagarto, lagarto.”

5 Figurative Language Read each example of figurative language

from the story. Write S (simile), M (metaphor) or H (hyperbole). Figurative Language
1 “The rain was so heavy it was like staring into an aquarium.” The author of this story uses
similes, metaphors and
2 “He expected to see a jellyfish float by any second.” hyperbole to make the story
more vivid and help readers
3 “There were no streets that Lexi could see.
picture scenes in the story.
They had all become fast-moving rivers.” Similes are comparisons
4 “He looked like a drowned rat.” using like or as. Metaphors
are comparisons that don’t
5 “The only customers I’m going to get will be fish.” use like or as. Hyperbole is
exaggeration.
6 “Maybe you should stop going to school.”

6 Active Reading Interview one

character from the story: Lexi,
Pepe or Karl-Heinz. Take the role
of the interviewer or the character.
Ask, “Are you lucky or unlucky?
Why? What lucky or unlucky
experiences have you had?”

7 Think and draw. What superstition

is popular in your country?

A Share your ideas.

Lagarto, Lagarto 119

U6COrl6.indd 119 10/19/17 16:46

T 229
 Michael’s Shorts and Rafa’s Feet
Key Words Playing It Safe Serena is not the only athlete to have a superstition based on
challenge by Dale Anderson
confidence special clothing. When he played for the Chicago Bulls, basketball
factor
What is the secret to tennis star Serena Williams's success on the court? Do you star Michael Jordan always wore a pair of shorts from his college
habit
in a row think it's the hours she spends practicing tennis? Is it all the time she spends lifting team under his Bulls uniform. It's hard to argue with a guy who
irrational
psychologist weights? Is it her intense concentration? All those factors certainly play their role. won six NBA championships, though.
routine But could the key to her championship play be her stinky socks? However, clothing is not the only way athletes try to capture
superstition
tournament Serena Williams is like many top athletes. She has a superstition, or an good luck. Athletes follow a wide range of habits, or repeated
irrational belief in the near-magical power of doing a certain thing in a certain way. actions, that show their superstitious side. Spain’s Rafael Nadal
Deep down, these athletes probably do not really believe that their unusual actions might be the champion of superstitions as well as tennis. He
Summarizing
actually produce success, but they don't take any chances, either. After all, whatever has nineteen different routines that he follows when playing a
A text usually has
two or three main they did before worked! They seem to follow a simple rule: if you find something match. They start with how he carries his racket and bag when he
ideas and key details
that support the that works, keep doing it. Play it safe if you play to win. arrives on the court. Every time Nadal goes onto to the court, he
Michael Jordan
topic. Identifying and
makes sure he crosses the line with his right foot first.
retelling the main Serena's Socks
ideas and key details Is Nadal crazy? Perhaps—but he’s also a winner. He’s the
concisely is called
As a tennis player, Serena
summarizing.
first tennis player to win at least one of the four Grand Slam
Williams competes in tournaments
Serena Williams tournaments each year for ten years in a row. So if you’re
around the world. The rules of a
thinking of becoming a tennis pro, you might want to add
tournament are simple. Win and
crossing lines with your right foot to your training!
you go to the next round. Lose
and you go home. Keep winning Other Superstitions
and you go all the way to the final Do you think eating chicken has nothing to do with hitting
round, and the victor of that match a baseball? Don't tell retired star Wade Boggs that! Boggs made
is the champion. sure he ate chicken before every ballgame. He thought it brought
Williams follows her own simple him luck. Had he lost touch with reality? Could be, but Boggs was
rule: Whatever socks she is wearing definitely in touch with how to hit a baseball. He believed that
when she wins her first round match eating that chicken helped him collect more than 3,000 hits in his
1 Read the first two becomes her footwear for the duration. As long as she keeps winning, she keeps eighteen-year career and put him in his sport's hall of fame.
paragraphs. What’s
putting the same pair of socks on her feet. It doesn't matter how worn or smelly Wade Boggs didn’t limit himself to food superstitions. He also
the topic of the text? Rafael Nadal
they get in a match. She will put them back on for the next match. counted on following a fixed routine before each game. He took
2 Listen and
Once she loses, the socks are history. Then she looks through her dresser batting practice at exactly the same time before every game.
follow. 13
drawer to find the next pair of lucky socks. He ran sprints to warm up precisely two hours after that practice.
120 Topic 6 Playing It Safe 121

U6COrl6.indd 120 10/19/17 16:34 U6COrl6.indd 121 10/10/17 10:29

Lessons Preview
Pages Lesson Focus Teaching Resources

1 120-123 Key Words • Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet page 238

Making Predictions • Pictures of Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo
• Note cards

2 120-123 Summarizing • Audio Track 13

3 120-122 Scanning • Audio Track 13

• Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet pages 238 and 239
• Students’ flashcards
• A stopwatch or timer

4 122 and 123 Expanding on Details • Audio Track 13

Skimming • Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet pages 238 and 239

5 124 and 125 Comprehension

Summarizing
Author’s Purpose

6 126 Comparing and Contrasting • Internet access

Topics in Different Texts • Sheets of paper
Art Connection • Colored pencils

T 230 Topic 6
Summary
Key Words
“Playing It Safe” is about top athletes around the world and their superstitious behavior.
Serena Williams wears the same pair of socks throughout a tournament as long as she is challenge (n.) a difficulty
winning. Michael Jordan used to wear a pair of shorts from his college team under the confidence (n.) the feeling of
Chicago Bulls uniform. Rafael Nadal follows nineteen different routines when playing a being able to do well or succeed
tennis match. Baseball player Wade Boggs made sure he ate chicken before every game. at something
Hockey player Sidney Crosby tapes his hockey sticks himself and goes to the center of factor (n.) something that influences
the ice rink five minutes before the beginning of the game, where he then proceeds to a specific outcome
tie the laces of his skates. Daniel Leyva once had a bad performance when he forgot his
habit (n.) an action that is repeated
lucky towel. In the 2016 Olympics, however, he won two silver medals—and he had
regularly
his lucky charm with him. Some athletes adopt old superstitions, for example, Cristiano
Ronaldo always steps onto the field right foot first. Sometimes, entire teams will follow in a row (adv.) one after the other,
superstitious actions. Growing beards, for example, was popular among several teams. without interruption
According to psychologists, superstitions help athletes have a sense of control and boost irrational (adj.) without reasoning;
their confidence. illogical
psychologist (n.) a person who
Genre: Informational Text
studies people’s behavior
In an informational text, an author writes about facts or real events.
routine (n.) an action or a behavior
Reading Strategy Focus that you do regularly

Summarizing superstition (n.) a belief that certain

What is it? A text usually has two or three main ideas and key details that support things cause good or bad luck
the topic. Identifying and retelling the main ideas and key details concisely is tournament (n.) a competition in a
called summarizing. series of sports or other events that
What will students do? Students will identify main ideas and key details for each results in the naming of a champion
section of the text in order to create a concise summary of the text.
Why is it important? It is important for students to learn how to summarize a text
as this skill requires them to distinguish main ideas and key details from nonessential
information. It also improves recall of the most salient ideas in a text.
How will students build on previous knowledge? In Compass Reading Log 5, students
learn to identify main ideas and key details in a story and summarize a nonfiction text.
Most Compass Reading Log 6 students will be able to identify the main ideas of a text,
but they may need teacher guidance in distinguishing key details from nonessential
information. Teachers can help students summarize by asking:
• What is the topic of the text?
• What are the main ideas?
• What are the key details that support the main ideas?
• Is this information essential to understanding the text?

Author Technique
Author’s Purpose
What is it? All texts have a purpose: to persuade, to inform or to entertain the reader.
The author’s purpose can affect how the reader views events and information in
the text.
What will students do? Students will identify the author’s purpose in the text and find
evidence to support their claims.
Why is it important? It is important for students to learn how to identify author’s
purpose in a text because it contributes to general comprehension and text analysis.

Topic 6 T 231
 Lesson 1
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 120-123 Making Predictions
Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet page 238 The strategy of making predictions actively engages students and connects them to the text
by asking them what they think it is about. Effective readers use pictures, titles, headings,
Pictures of Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Rafael
text and personal experiences to make predictions before they read. Predicting also involves
Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo
thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and events in the text. After making
Note cards (10 per student) predictions, students can read through the text and revise and verify their predictions.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.) Reading Strategy (15 min.)

• Display the pictures of Serena Williams, Michael Jordan,
Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo on the board.
• Ask: Who are these people? What do they have in common?
(They’re famous athletes.) Have students share their ideas.
• Say: Besides being athletes, they have something else in
common. They all have superstitious habits.
Teach the Key Words (25 min.)
• Use example sentences to elicit or teach the Key Words.
Write the words on the board. Have students repeat the
words chorally.
• Hand out the note cards: ten to each student. Tell them
to write one Key Word on each note card.
• Point to the word challenge. Repeat the example sentence
for it. Ask: What do you think challenge means?
Write the definition next to the word.
• Have students hold up their note cards with challenge written
on it. Tell them to write the definition on the reverse side of
the note card.
• Point to the next word on the list, and continue the process
until all words have been defined. Tell students to keep their
flashcards. They will use them in future lessons.
• Form pairs. Have students complete activity 1 in
the worksheet.
Answers: 1. routine 2. factor 3. tournament 4. confidence 5. habit
6. superstition 7. in a row 8. psychologist 9. irrational 10. challenge
• Point to page 120. Say: What are some things we could
do to predict the content of the text? (Look at the title and
the headings.)
• Read the title (“Playing It Safe”) to the class. Say: This is
an expression in English. Ask: Do you know what it means?
Elicit a few ideas.
• Explain that playing it safe means to be careful and not
take risks.
• Ask: What can you predict about the text from the title?
Accept all ideas at this stage.
• Have students look at the text and identify the headings.
(Serena’s Socks, Michael’s Shorts and Rafa’s Feet,
Other Superstitions, Hairy Times, Are They Serious?,
Still a Doubter?)
• Have students write their predictions for the sections
in the text in activity 2 in the worksheet. Tell students to keep
their predictions for the next lesson.
Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Form pairs. Have students take out their flashcards.
Tell them to take turns giving definitions
or explanations and guessing the Key Words.

T 232 Topic 6
Lesson 2
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy Focus
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 120-123 Summarizing
Audio Track 13

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Take the Lesson Further (10 min.)
• Elicit students’ opinions about sports superstitions. • Form small groups. Remind students about Karl-Heinz, the
Ask: Do you have a sports superstition? If so, what is it? German beggar who gave people advice on how to keep their
Do you know people who have sports superstitions? good luck in the story “Lagarto, Lagarto.” Ask: What kind of
What do they do? Write students’ ideas on the board. advice do you think he would give to an athlete who asked him
for help?
Reading Strategy Focus (5 min.) • Encourage students to share their ideas.
• Direct students’ attention to the Reading Strategy entry on
page 120. Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Explain to students that when they summarize a text,
they state the topic, the main ideas and the key details that
support them. They do not mention nonessential information
such as examples, anecdotes or analogies.

1 Read the first two paragraphs. What’s the topic of

the text? 13 (10 min.)

• Direct students’ attention to the first two paragraphs of

the text on page 120.
• Play track 13 for the introduction on page 120. Have students
listen and follow in their books.
• Ask: What is the topic of the text? (Many athletes have
superstitions. Even though they might not believe in the
superstitions, the athletes continue following certain actions
or routines because they worked once.)

2 Listen and follow. 13 (25 min.)

• Play track 13. Have students listen to the text and follow in
their books.
• Pause the track at the end of each section, and ask general
comprehension questions: What is the main idea in this
section? What are the key details that support the main idea?

Topic 6 T 233
 Lesson 3
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 120-122 Scanning
Audio Track 13 Scanning is the ability to quickly look for and find specific information in
a text. Effective readers can scan a text for specific words or text features
Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet pages 238 and 239
that help them answer questions about text content.
Students’ flashcards
A stopwatch or timer

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.) Read and Discuss the Text 13 (25 min.)

• Form pairs. Have students take out their flashcards. Tell them • Direct students’ attention to the questions in activity 4 in
they have a few mintues to review the Key Words. the worksheet. Have students read them before they read the
• Say: I’m going to read the definition for one of the Key Words. text again.
Listen to the definition and identify the Key Word and hold up • Play track 13 from the beginning of the text up to “Hairy
the correct flashcard. Times” on page 122. Have students listen and underline the
• Read the definitions (see Lesson Overview) and have passages in the text that answer the questions.
students hold up the correct flashcards. Answers: 1. No, he doesn’t. 2. If you find something that works, keep doing it.
• Continue with the activity until students have correctly Play it safe if you play to win. 3. No, she doesn’t. She keeps wearing the same
identified all the Key Words. socks throughout a tournament. 4. His college shorts. 5. They are not related
to clothes. 6. He went to batting practice at exactly the same time before every
game. He ran sprints to warm up precisely two hours after that practice.
Reading Strategy (15 min.) 7. They are very successful and famous athletes. 8. He removes the tape and
• Review the strategy of scanning. Ask: What do you do when does it again, because taping the sticks himself is part of his superstitious
routine. 9. He ties the right skate first, because it is a superstition.
you scan a text? Should you read the whole text slowly and
carefully? (Quickly look for specific information in a text. Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
No, you shouldn’t.)
• Form pairs. Have students review the predictions in
• Have students give examples of other situations in which
activity 2 in the worksheet to confirm or reject their ideas.
scanning might be useful. (Looking for words in a dictionary,
Tell them to write Yes or No for each prediction.
trying to find the desserts on a restaurant menu, etc.)
• Have students read the questions in activity 3 in the
worksheet. Tell them they have three minutes to scan the
text and circle passages in the text that answer the questions.
• Start the stopwatch or timer.
• After the three minutes are up, have students complete the
chart in activity 3 in the worksheet.
Answers: 1. Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal 2. Chicago Bulls 3. Nineteen
4. Baseball 5. Chicken 6. Ice hockey 7. Tie the laces of his skates

Know Your Students

It is important to set a challenging yet feasible time limit
for a scanning task. One way to calculate the time limit is to
read the text yourself and time how long it takes you to scan
and find the information. Then, allow students twice the
time it took you to complete the task.

T 234 Topic 6
Lesson 4
Teaching Resources Reading Strategies
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 122 and 123 Expanding on Details
Audio Track 13 Details are facts that support the main ideas of a text. Authors use examples and specific
details to provide more information, foster comprehension and make texts more relatable
Topic 6 Nonfiction Worksheet pages 238 and 239
and engaging for readers.
Skimming
Skimming is the ability to quickly read a text for the main ideas. Effective readers can skim
a text for information that helps them answer general questions about text content.

Lead in to the Lesson (10 min.)
• Write 3-2-1 on the board.
• Say: In your notebooks, write three things you learned from
the first part of the text, two things you found interesting and
one question you have.
• Form small groups. Have students share their information.
• Encourage students to share their questions with the class.
Discuss ways to find answers to the questions.
Read and Discuss the Text (20 min.)
• Write the questions on the board before class. Have students
read them before they read the second part of the text again.
1 What did the players on the Pittsburgh Penguins do
in 2016?
2 Why did this superstitious behavior become popular among
hockey teams?
3 Which team of another sport adopted lucky beards?
4 According to psychologists, why are some athletes
superstitious?
5 What are three examples of challenges athletes face?
6 What are two sports superstitions Cristiano Ronaldo has?
7 What is Daniel Leyva’s lucky charm?
8 How did Daniel’s lucky charm help him at the Olympics?
• Play track 13 from “Hairy Times” on page 122 to the end
of the text. Have students listen and follow in their books.
Encourage them to underline passages of the text that answer
the questions.
Answers: 1. They grew beards. 2. Because a hockey team whose players grew
beards won four tournaments in a row in the 1980s. 3. The Boston Red Sox,
a baseball team. 4. Because superstitions give them a sense of control, which
help them build confidence. 5. The weather, a delay in starting time and
the opponent. 6. He steps onto the field right foot first, and he changes his
hairstyle during the halftime break. 7. A towel. 8. He won two silver medals.
• Say: Now look at the rest of the section. Ask: Are there any
examples of why athletes need to feel a sense of control?
(Yes. Athletes face challenges such as the weather, delays
and opponents that can hurt their mental focus.)
Ask: Are there any anecdotes or true stories that exemplify
this? (Yes: Cristiano Ronaldo’s superstitions.)
• Form pairs. Confirm understanding of skimming.
(Reading quickly for main ideas.)
• Say: Skim the text and find the main ideas. Then identify the
examples and anecdotes that expand on the main ideas.
Answers: 1. Idea: Successful athletes have superstitious behaviors.
Examples: Michael Jordan’s and Rafael Nadal’s superstitions
2. Idea: Superstitions can vary. Examples: Wade Boggs’ and Sidney Crosby’s
superstitions 3. Idea: Whole teams can adopt a superstition. Examples:
bearded players in hockey and baseball teams 4. Idea: If you think
superstitions are crazy, you should reconsider your opinion. Example: Daniel
Leyva’s failure when he forgot his lucky towel, followed by success in the 2016
Olympics when he had his lucky charm.
Take the Lesson Further (5 min.)
• Form small groups. Have students discuss the question.
Ask: Do you think too much importance is placed on
superstitious behaviors? Encourage students to share
their ideas.

Reading Strategies (20 min.)

• Say: Authors sometimes include examples in a text. They may
not be key details, but they give more information and make
the text more interesting and relatable.
• Direct students’ attention to the section “Are They Serious?”
on page 123. Ask: What is the main idea for this section?
(Psychologists say superstitions serve an important function.)
Ask: What are the key details that support this main idea?
(Superstitions give athletes a sense of control, which helps
them build confidence.)

Topic 6 T 235
 Lesson 5
Teaching Resources
Compass Reading Log 6 pages 124 and 125
Comprehension (60 min.)
Lead in to the Lesson
• Form small groups. Have each student choose a sports
celebrity. Tell students not to say the names of the
athletes they have chosen.
• Have students take turns asking yes/no questions to guess
the celebrities.
1 Match the athletes with the superstitious behaviors.
• Have students complete the activity. Encourage students to
match the athletes to their superstitious behaviors without
referring back to the text.
Answers: 1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. f 6. e 7. g 8. h
2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.
• Form pairs. Have students confirm definitions for the Key
Words in the box.
• Tell students to complete the activity.
Answers: 1. habits 2. irrational 3. confidence 4. challenges 5. superstition
3 Answer the questions.
• Have students read the questions.
• Form pairs. Tell students to discuss the questions and agree
on their answers.
Answers: 1. Because the habits have helped them win once, so they want to
keep doing them to play it safe. 2. Superstitions are irrational beliefs in the
near-magical power of doing certain things in certain ways. 3. They give
athletes a sense of control, which contributes to building their confidence.
4. (Possible answer) They might get too attached to superstitious behavior
and lose confidence if they forget to do one thing, for example.
4 Author’s Purpose Work with a classmate. Scan the
text. What is the author’s purpose? Cite evidence.
• Direct students’ attention to the Author Technique entry.
Read it to the class and have students follow along.
• Read the instructions of the activity with the class.
• Form pairs. Have them decide what the author’s purpose is.
(To persuade readers.)
• Have students scan the text to find evidence that supports
their answer.
Answers: 1. (Page 120) “Deep down, these athletes probably do not really
believe that their unusual actions actually produce success, but they don’t take
any chances, either. After all, whatever they did before worked! They seem
to follow a simple rule: if you find something that works, keep doing it.
Play it safe if you play to win.” 2. (Page 123) “Psychologists say that
superstitions serve an important function. They help athletes believe that
they can control events that are actually beyond their control. That sense
of control gives the athletes some peace of mind. They gain the all-important
T 236 Topic 6
Reading Strategy Focus
Summarizing
Reading Strategy
Scanning
Author Technique
Author’s Purpose
confidence, or belief in themselves, that allows them to compete at the
highest level.” 3. (Page 123) “Still think all these superstitions are crazy?
Think about American gymnast Daniel Leyva before you decide. He carries
a lucky towel to every competition and drapes it over his head when he’s
waiting his turn. At one 2016 event, he forgot his towel. He had one of his
worst performances ever and even fell off the parallel bars. Not surprisingly,
Leyva remembered the towel when he went to Brazil for the Olympics later
in 2016. The towel lucky charm worked. He took two silver medals, including
one in the parallel bars.”
5 Summarizing Scan the text again. Note the main
ideas and key details for each section.
• Direct students’ attention to the example in the first item.
• Have them work individually to identify the main idea and
key details in each section.
Answers: 2. (a) Both Michael Jordan and Rafael Nadal have superstitions.
(b) Jordan used to wear his college shorts under the Chicago Bulls’ uniform.
Nadal follows nineteen different routines when playing a match.
3. (a) Athletes Wade Boggs and Sidney Crosby also had superstitions.
(b) Boggs used to eat chicken and have a fixed routine before each game.
Crosby also has a fixed routine. 4. (a) Some sports superstitions are related
to growing beards. (b) Among hockey players, the habit started in the
1980s, after a team with bearded players won four tournaments in sequence.
Players from a baseball team also adopted the habit. 5. (a) Psychologists
say superstitions give athletes a sense of control and help to build their
confidence. (b) Athletes have to face many challenges. 6 (a) If you think sports
superstitions are silly, you should reconsider your views. (b) Gymnast Daniel
Leyva had a terrible performance when he participated in an event without
his lucky towel. In the 2016 Olympics, he had his lucky charm and won two
silver medals.
6 Active Reading Act out different athletes’
superstitions. Have classmates guess who the
athlete is.
• Form small groups. Have students take turns acting out
different superstitions.
7 Think and discuss. What sports superstitions do you
know? Do you believe any of them?
• Conduct a class discussion about the questions.
Write students’ ideas on the board.
Lesson 6
Teaching Resources Reading Strategy
Compass Reading Log 6 page 126 Comparing and Contrasting Topics in Different Texts
Internet access It is important for students to be able to compare and contrast viewpoints of a topic across
texts. It is also important to understand how different genres, such as stories and informational
Sheets of paper (1 per pair of students)
texts, approach a topic.
Colored pencils
Art Connection
Drawing pictures about the theme or main ideas of a text is a way to create a multisensory
connection to the text. It also serves to further engage students and make the text
more memorable.

Lead in to the Lesson (5 min.) Take the Lesson Further (20 min.)
• Write the headings of the text “Playing It Safe” on the board. Art Connection
Number them from 1 to 6. • Hand out sheets of paper and colored pencils.
• Tell students that you are going to read random sentences • Tell students to draw a picture of one of the more interesting
from the text and that they should match the sentences to the superstitions they learned about during their
correct section. online investigation.
• Form small groups. Have students present their drawings and
Reading Strategy (15 min.)
describe the superstitions.
• Elicit the main events of the story “Lagarto, Lagarto.”
• Ask: What do the story “Lagarto, Lagarto” and the
informational text “Playing It Safe” have in common?
(They are both about superstitions. In the story, Lexi believes
he has to do certain things or he won’t have good luck. Athletes
in the text also do certain things to win, or have good luck.)
• Ask: Do the story and the text present superstitions in the
same way? (No, they don’t. The story is a tall tale while the
other is an informational text). Which text presents facts
about superstitions? Which one presents a positive view
of superstitions? What about the other text? (“Playing It
Safe” presents facts and a positive view of superstitions: the
author supports the athletes’ decisions to follow superstitious
behaviors because it builds their confidence. In the story,
Lexi’s routines seem more ridiculous and less likely to bring
him good luck.)

Connect to Social Studies (20 min.)

1 Work with a classmate. Choose a country.
Research common superstitions in that country.
Share your information.
• Form pairs. Direct students’ attention to the instructions.
Have students choose a country they would like to research.
Confirm that no pairs are investigating the same country.
• Have students use their mobile devices or the school
computers to research superstitions in different countries.
Remind students to take notes. They should also decide
on how they are going to share their findings with their
classmates: Are they going to prepare a poster? Will they act
out the superstitions?
• Form small groups (two pairs). Have students share their
findings. Encourage them to ask questions.
• Monitor and help as needed.

Topic 6 T 237
 To p ic 6 Playing It Safe
1 Complete the sentences with the correct words.

challenge confidence factor habit in a row irrational

psychologist routine superstition tournament

1 My brother follows the same every night before he goes to bed.

He has dinner, takes a shower and brushes his teeth.

2 In outdoor tennis games, the weather can be a in an athlete’s performance.

3 Our school soccer team will participate in a state for the first time.

They will compete against teams from different cities.

4 Daniel’s lack of was obvious—he didn’t like to participate in games

because he thought he would lose.

5 Mr. Thomson has a of scratching his head while he reads.

6 There’s an old in my family about mirrors. My grandmother covers them

every time it rains so that the lightning doesn’t steal our souls.

7 My sister made twenty-five baskets last night. I was really surprised!

8 Ariana has been seeing a to deal with the trauma after the accident.

9 My uncle has an fear of flying.

10 The gymnast knows that the next Olympics will be the toughest she has

faced so far in her career.

2 Complete the chart.

Sections My Predictions Yes or No?

Serena’s Socks

Michael’s Shorts and Rafa’s Feet

Other Superstitions

Hairy Times

Are They Serious?

Still a Doubter?

T 238 Nonfiction Worksheet Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable
 3 Scan the text. Complete the chart.

1 Which tennis players are mentioned in the text?

2 What was Michael Jordan’s team?

3 How many routines does Rafael Nadal follow

when he’s playing a match?

4 What sport did Wade Boggs play?

5 What food did Boggs eat before each game?

6 What sport does Sidney Crosby play?

7 What does Crosby do at center ice before a game?

4 Answer the questions.

1 Does the author of the text think that all athletes who have superstitions believe in them?

2 What is the “rule” superstitious athletes follow?

3 Does Serena Williams wear a new pair of socks at the final game of a tournament? Why (not)?

4 What did Michael Jordan wear under his team’s uniform?

5 How are Rafael Nadal’s superstitions different from Williams’ and Jordan’s?

6 What two habits were part of Wade Boggs’ superstitious routine?

7 Besides superstitions, what do Williams, Jordan, Nadal and Boggs have in common?

8 What does Sidney Crosby do if someone else tapes his hockey sticks? Why?

9 Which skate does he tie first? Why?

Compass 6 D.R. © Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2018 Photocopiable Nonfiction Worksheet T 239
 Key Words Playing It Safe
challenge by Dale Anderson
confidence
factor
What is the secret to tennis star Serena Williams's success on the court? Do you
habit
in a row think it's the hours she spends practicing tennis? Is it all the time she spends lifting
irrational
psychologist weights? Is it her intense concentration? All those factors certainly play their role.
routine But could the key to her championship play be her stinky socks?
superstition
tournament Serena Williams is like many top athletes. She has a superstition, or an
irrational belief in the near-magical power of doing a certain thing in a certain way.
Deep down, these athletes probably do not really believe that their unusual actions
Summarizing
actually produce success, but they don't take any chances, either. After all, whatever
A text usually has
two or three main they did before worked! They seem to follow a simple rule: if you find something
ideas and key details
that support the that works, keep doing it. Play it safe if you play to win.
topic. Identifying and
retelling the main Serena's Socks
ideas and key details
concisely is called
As a tennis player, Serena
summarizing. Williams competes in tournaments
Serena Williams around the world. The rules of a
tournament are simple. Win and
you go to the next round. Lose
and you go home. Keep winning
and you go all the way to the final
round, and the victor of that match
is the champion.
Williams follows her own simple
rule: Whatever socks she is wearing
when she wins her first round match
1 Read the first two becomes her footwear for the duration. As long as she keeps winning, she keeps
paragraphs. What’s
putting the same pair of socks on her feet. It doesn't matter how worn or smelly
the topic of the text?
they get in a match. She will put them back on for the next match.
2 Listen and
Once she loses, the socks are history. Then she looks through her dresser
follow. 13
drawer to find the next pair of lucky socks.
120 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 120 10/19/17 16:34

T 240
 Michael’s Shorts and Rafa’s Feet
Serena is not the only athlete to have a superstition based on
special clothing. When he played for the Chicago Bulls, basketball
star Michael Jordan always wore a pair of shorts from his college
team under his Bulls uniform. It's hard to argue with a guy who
won six NBA championships, though.
However, clothing is not the only way athletes try to capture
good luck. Athletes follow a wide range of habits, or repeated
actions, that show their superstitious side. Spain’s Rafael Nadal
might be the champion of superstitions as well as tennis. He
has nineteen different routines that he follows when playing a
match. They start with how he carries his racket and bag when he
arrives on the court. Every time Nadal goes onto to the court, he
Michael Jordan
makes sure he crosses the line with his right foot first.
Is Nadal crazy? Perhaps—but he’s also a winner. He’s the
first tennis player to win at least one of the four Grand Slam
tournaments each year for ten years in a row. So if you’re
thinking of becoming a tennis pro, you might want to add
crossing lines with your right foot to your training!

Other Superstitions
Do you think eating chicken has nothing to do with hitting
a baseball? Don't tell retired star Wade Boggs that! Boggs made
sure he ate chicken before every ballgame. He thought it brought
him luck. Had he lost touch with reality? Could be, but Boggs was
definitely in touch with how to hit a baseball. He believed that
eating that chicken helped him collect more than 3,000 hits in his
eighteen-year career and put him in his sport's hall of fame.
Wade Boggs didn’t limit himself to food superstitions. He also
Rafael Nadal
counted on following a fixed routine before each game. He took
batting practice at exactly the same time before every game.
He ran sprints to warm up precisely two hours after that practice.
Playing It Safe 121

U6COrl6.indd 121 10/10/17 10:29

T 241
 Hockey star Sidney Crosby has a different approach
to performing at his peak. Crosby is the only person
allowed to tape his hockey sticks. If anyone else does it,
he removes the tape and does it again. He also comes to
center ice exactly five minutes before the beginning of
each game and stops to tie the laces on his skates. Not
surprisingly in someone so fixed in his habits, he always
ties them the same way. Every single time, he ties the
right skate first and then the left.

Hairy Times
Sometimes whole teams give way to superstition. All
the Pittsburgh Penguins—Crosby's teammates—grew
beards when the team began its 2016 playoff run for the
Sidney Crosby
Stanley Cup. Every single one of them. Playoff beards
have been around in hockey since the early 1980s. That’s
when the New York Islanders wore their beards proudly
on the way to win four straight Stanley Cups. With that
kind of success, it’s little wonder that several teams
follow the tradition each year. The beards are lucky
Superstitious Pittsburgh Penguins Fans
charms, something that is supposed to bring good luck
and winning ways.
Hockey playoff beards have also sprouted up outside
the National Hockey League and even beyond the sport.
College and high school hockey teams have been known
to grow good-luck beards. A couple of baseball players
on the Boston Red Sox team let their beards grow in the
spring of 2013. As the team kept winning, more players
grew beards. By the time the Sox were in the World
Series, only one player was without a beard. They won
the World Series in spite of his risky behavior.

122 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 122 5/24/18 16:22

T 242
 Are They Serious?
Why do these athletes have these superstitions? What purpose do these habits and
routines serve? Psychologists say that superstitions serve an important function. They
help athletes believe that they can control events that are actually beyond their control.
That sense of control gives the athletes some piece of mind. They gain the all-important
confidence, or belief in themselves, that allows them to compete at the highest level.
On the other hand, athletes who doubt themselves generally don't perform at their best.
Confident athletes, though, are ready to take on anything.
That sense of control is important. Athletes confront many challenges. Weather can change the
flight of a ball if the game is played outdoors. A delay to your starting time can hurt your mental focus.
And there’s always the biggest challenge—you’re competing against another top athlete.
So along with everything they do to prepare for a match, athletes also try to make sure they’re lucky.
Even if that means following centuries-old superstitions. Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo makes
sure he steps onto the field right foot first. That’s not all—Ronaldo has a special way to ensure good luck in
the second half of a game. After the halftime break, he returns to
Danell Leyva
the field with a different hairstyle than he had in the first half.

Still a Doubter?
Still think all these superstitions are crazy? Think about American
gymnast Danell Leyva before you decide. He carries a lucky towel
to every competition and drapes it over his head when he’s waiting
for his turn. At one 2016 event, he forgot his towel. He had one of
his worst performances ever and even fell off the parallel bars. Not
surprisingly, Leyva remembered the towel when he went to Brazil for
the Olympics later in 2016. The towel lucky charm worked. He took
two silver medals—including one in the parallel bars.
So Serena Williams's lucky footwear might not be the thing that
makes her so good after all. Still, older sister Venus—also a tennis
champion—might want to look for the socks she wore when she last
defeated Serena, in 2014. After all, Serena has won sixteen of the
other twenty-six times the sisters played each other. Maybe there's
something to those socks after all!
Playing It Safe 123

U6COrl6.indd 123 5/24/18 16:23

T 243
 1 Match the athletes with the superstitious behaviors.
1 Serena Williams a to eat chicken

2 Michael Jordan b to enter with the right foot

3 Rafael Nadal c to wear the same socks

4 Wade Boggs d to wear shorts from college team

5 Sidney Crosby e to stop shaving beard

6 The Pittsburgh Penguins f to tape own hockey sticks

7 Cristiano Ronaldo g to have a different hairstyle after halftime

8 Daniel Leyva h to carry a lucky towel

2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.

challenges confidence habits irrational superstition

1 Many people have daily like getting up at the same time every morning.

2 A belief that does not make any sense is .

3 People who have in themselves are ready to perform at their best.

4 We all face many and have to find ways to overcome them.

5 The fear of walking under a ladder is a common .

3 Answer the questions.

1 Why do some athletes have certain habits?

2 What are superstitions?

3 How do superstitions help athletes?

4 How might superstitions harm athletes?

124 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 124 10/10/17 10:29

T 244
 4 Author's Purpose Work with a classmate. Scan the text. What is
the author’s purpose? Cite evidence. Author’s Purpose
All texts have a purpose:
5 Summarizing Scan the text again. Note the main ideas and key details to persuade, to inform or
for each section. to entertain the reader.
The author’s purpose can
1 Section: Serena’s Socks affect how the reader views
a Main Idea: Serena Williams has a superstition. events and information in
the text.
b Key Detail: She will continue to win as long as she wears “winning” socks.

2 Section: Michael’s Shorts and Rafa’s Feet

a Main Idea:

b Key Details:

3 Section: Other Superstitions

a Main Idea:

b Key Details:

4 Section: Hairy Times

a Main Idea:

b Key Details:

5 Are They Serious?

a Main Idea:

b Key Details:

6 Still a Doubter?

a Main Idea:

b Key Details:

6 Active Reading Act out different athletes’ superstitions. Have classmates guess who the athlete is.

7 Think and discuss. What sports superstitions do you know? Do you believe any of them?

Playing It Safe 125

U6COrl6.indd 125 10/19/17 13:25

T 245
 Connect to Me
1 Write a short story about a character who has a very unlucky day. Use at least three of the
superstitions below. How does the character improve his or her luck?

It’s bad luck to...

step on a crack in the pavement walk under a ladder eat the last chip on a plate

let a black cat cross your path break a mirror open an umbrella indoors

Connect to Social Studies

1 Work with a classmate. Choose a country. Research common superstitions in that country.
Share your information.

126 Topic 6

U6COrl6.indd 126 10/10/17 10:29

T 246
 abbreviation (n.) a shortened form of a word (Topic 4)
accelerated (adj.) moving or developing faster (Topic 9)
acronym (n.) a word written with the first letters
of other words (Topic 4)
afford (v.) to be able to pay for something (Topic 7)
ampersand (n.) a symbol that means and; (&) (Topic 4)
ancient (adj.) very old (Topic 1)
arrest (v.) to capture and imprison (Topic 2)
ash (n.) the fine gray powder that is left when
something burns (Topic 8)
bagpipes (n.) a musical instrument (Topic 7)
ban (v.) to prohibit by law (Topic 9)
barista (n.) someone who makes coffee in a
coffee shop (Topic 6)
be up to (v.) to have the responsibility for
something (Topic 5)
beam (v.) to smile broadly (Topic 4)
blueprints (n.) the construction plans that show how
a building will be made (Topic 5)
boastful (adj.) talking about your achievements and
abilities in a proud way (Topic 2)
bolt (n.) a metal object used to hold something
together (Topic 5)
bond (v.) a special relationship (Topic 1)
brand name (n.) the name of a specific company
or product (Topic 2)
bun (n.) hair wrapped in a ball shape on
the head (Topic 7)
burst (v.) to arrive quickly and loudly (Topic 4)
burst (n.) an explosion (Topic 8)
butler (n.) a male servant (Topic 5)
caretaker (n.) a person who has the job of cleaning
and doing repairs in a building; a janitor (Topic 2)
carve (v.) to cut and serve meat (Topic 7)
challenge (n.) a difficulty (Topic 6)
charge (v.) to pursue legal action against a person
who may have committed a crime (Topic 2)
chime (v.) to make the sound of a bell (Topic 7)
chirp (v.) to make a short, high-pitched sound like
a bird (Topic 7)
chuckle (v.) to laugh quietly (Topic 7)
GlossaryCOrl6.indd 185
clue (n.) a fact that helps explain something (Topic 5)
coastal (adj.) near the ocean (Topic 9)
collapse (v.) to cave in (Topic 9)
collector (n.) a person who finds or buys specific items
to keep in a collection (Topic 2)
commute (v.) to travel to and from a place
regularly (Topic 7)
compact (adj.) closely packed together (Topic 9)
confidence (n.) the feeling of being able to do well
or succeed at something (Topic 6)
contagious (adj.) able to be passed from an infected
person to other people (Topic 1)
container (n.) an object with space inside it for holding
something else (Topic 7)
critic (n.) commentator, reviewer or analyzer (Topic 2)
crumble (v.) to fall into pieces (Topic 9)
dangle (v.) to hang down, swinging freely (Topic 9)
debris (n.) broken pieces left behind after something
is destroyed (Topic 8)
debt (n.) money you owe to a person or
company (Topic 7)
deposit (v.) to cause a substance to cover
something else (Topic 8)
develop (v.) to become more advanced or mature;
to become something (Topic 3)
dogsled (n.) a form of transportation where dogs pull a
platform with runners, often on snow or ice (Topic 1)
doodle (n.) a drawing made without thinking
about it (Topic 2)
drawl (v.) to speak slowly and in an
exaggerated way (Topic 4)
droop (v.) to hang lower from sadness or
weakness (Topic 3)
drought (n.) an extended period of time with little
or no rain (Topic 3)
eager (adj.) enthusiastic (Topic 1)
edge (n.) the end of a surface (Topic 9)
embedded (adj.) partially or completely buried in
a substance (Topic 9)
emit (v.) to send out (Topic 8)
empathy (n.) compassion or sympathy (Topic 2)
Glossary 185
10/10/17 12:28
A1
 erode (v.) to take away from; to weaken (Topic 4)
evidence (n.) proof that shows that something
is true (Topic 5)
evolve (v.) to change over time (Topic 4)
exposed (v.) visible or uncovered (Topic 9)
extinction (n.) when a plant or animal species no
longer exists (Topic 8)
extraction (n.) the process of removing
something (Topic 9)
factor (n.) something that influences a specific
outcome (Topic 6)
famine (n.) a situation where there is a lack of
food (Topic 8)
fingerprints (n.) the marks made where fingers
touch a surface (Topic 5)
fist-bump (v.) to hit another person’s closed hand
with your closed hand (Topic 4)
flailing (adj.) moving in an uncontrolled way (Topic 9)
flashlight (n.) a small handheld, battery-powered
light (Topic 8)
flick (v.) to hit with a quick movement (Topic 1)
flick (v.) to change quickly (Topic 6)
fold down (v.) to open something using a
downward motion (Topic 7)
fossil fuels (n.) energy-rich substances made from
organisms that lived millions of years ago (Topic 3)
frostbite (n.) a dangerous medical condition that occurs
when part of the body freezes (Topic 1)
gallop (v.) to run (the fast movement of a horse) (Topic 1)
gasp (v.) to breathe in suddenly (Topic 7)
glare (v.) to look at someone in an angry way (Topic 4)
grimace (v.) to make a facial expression that
shows pain (Topic 4)
grin (v./n.) to have a big smile; a big smile (Topic 2)
groan (v.) to make a deep sound to show pain or
discomfort (Topic 7)
groundwater (n.) water that is in the ground (Topic 9)
grumble (v.) to complain quietly (Topic 7)
gutter (n.) an open pipe on the edge of a roof that
collects rain water (Topic 9)
habit (n.) an action that is repeated regularly (Topic 6)
haggis (n.) a traditional Scottish dish (Topic 7)
handsaw (n.) a tool with sharp metal teeth for
cutting wood (Topic 2)
186 Glossary
GlossaryCOrl6.indd 186
A2
hay (n.) dried grass that is usually used to feed
animals (Topic 7)
hazard (n.) a danger (Topic 9)
herding dog (n.) a dog that can work to control the
movement of herd animals such as sheep and
cattle (Topic 1)
high-five (v.) to hit another person’s open hand in the
air with your open hand (Topic 4)
hoof (n.) the hard foot of some animals, such as horses
and cows (Topic 1)
hover (v.) to fly above something, often without
moving (Topic 3)
hum (v.) to make a low, steady voiced sound (Topic 3)
hunch (n.) a feeling or intuition that something
is true (Topic 5)
hunt (v.) to find and kill animals for food (Topic 1)
hurricane (n.) a violent tropical storm with high winds
and heavy rain (Topic 8)
hurry (v.) to move or go quickly (Topic 5)
imposter (n.) a person who pretends to be
someone else (Topic 5)
in a row (adv.) one after the other, without
interruption (Topic 6)
income (n.) the money you earn from a job (Topic 7)
incredulously (adv.) unbelieving; thinking something
is untrue (Topic 6)
intent (n.) purpose, objective or goal (Topic 2)
irrational (adj.) without reasoning; illogical (Topic 6)
jarring (adj.) disagreeable; out of place (Topic 4)
judge (n.) a legal authority who presides over a
court, who sometimes decides the outcome
of a trial (Topic 2)
kilt (n.) a skirt traditionally worn by men
in Scotland (Topic 7)
lantern (n.) a light inside of a glass and metal
container (Topic 8)
linguist (n.) a person who studies how people use
language (Topic 4)
loft (n.) a living space just below a roof (Topic 7)
magma chamber (n.) an underground space filled with
liquid rock before a volcanic eruption (Topic 8)
mastermind (v.) to plan or organize a
complex crime (Topic 5)
mental health (n.) a sense of well-being (Topic 3)
10/19/17 17:00
 mineral (n.) a natural substance formed in the ground,
often important for nutrition (Topic 3)
mirage (n.) something you think you can see,
which isn’t really there; an optical illusion or
hallucination (Topic 1)
missing (adj.) something that is not there; something
that is stolen (Topic 5)
mock (v.) to make fun of someone or
something (Topic 2)
mud bricks (n.) rectangular blocks made from soil or
clay, used for building primitive structures (Topic 3)
mumble (v.) to speak quietly and in a way that is
unclear (Topic 2)
mutter (v.) to speak quietly and unclearly (Topic 6)
natural resources (n.) things that exist in nature and
are useful to humans (Topic 3)
nectar (n.) a liquid in flowers that some insects and
animals collect as food (Topic 3)
neigh (v.) to make the sound of a horse (Topic 1)
nibble (v.) to take small bites of something (Topic 1)
non-perishable (adj.) when a food item can be kept
in good condition for a long time (Topic 8)
nutrient (n.) a substance that the body needs to work
in a healthy way (Topic 3)
on the house (adj.) without a charge; free (Topic 6)
orchard (n.) a group of fruit trees (Topic 3)
parasite (n.) an organism, such as a worm or an insect,
that lives on or in another organism (Topic 3)
peak (v.) to reach the maximum level (Topic 9)
perk up (v.) to become happier suddenly (Topic 4)
pollination (n.) the act of moving pollen from
flower to flower, usually done by insects such
as bees (Topic 3)
potable (adj.) safe for drinking (Topic 8)
power line (n.) a thick cable that provides
electricity (Topic 8)
pretend (v.) to act in a way that is not true (Topic 5)
prowl (v.) to move in a secretive way in order to hide
from something (Topic 1)
psychologist (n.) a person who studies people’s
behavior (Topic 6)
public place (n.) a space that is open for use by all
people, such as a park or a city street (Topic 2)
GlossaryCOrl6.indd 187
publicity (n.) public attention caused by information
in a newspaper or magazine (Topic 5)
quizzically (adv.) with an expression of
curiosity (Topic 6)
ransom (n.) money that is requested to return
a valuable object (Topic 5)
raw material (n.) a basic substance needed to make
something (Topic 3)
relay (n.) a way of transporting something, where parts
of the journey are divided up into sections and
different runners (Topic 1)
relief (n.) a feeling when a worry or concern has been
taken away (Topic 5)
rely (v.) to depend on someone or something (Topic 3)
remains (n.) parts of things that are left (Topic 9)
renewable (adj.) able to grow or be produced at the
same rate as it is used (Topic 3)
reply (v.) to respond or answer to (Topic 4)
rescue (v.) to save someone from danger or
harm (Topic 1)
retiree (n.) a person who stops working because of
his or her age (Topic 7)
retreat (v.) to move backwards (Topic 9)
robbery (n.) the crime of stealing; theft (Topic 5)
roll your eyes (v.) to move your eyes around in
a circle (Topic 4)
root (n.) the part of a tree that is in the ground and
gathers nutrients from the soil (Topic 3)
routine (n.) an action or behavior that you do
regularly (Topic 6)
rubble (n.) broken pieces of rock (Topic 9)
rucksack (n.) backpack (Topic 2)
rustle (v.) to make a noise by moving leaves or
papers (Topic 3)
scattered (adj.) placed or found far apart (Topic 9)
scratch (v.) to cut or scrape with something sharp,
such as fingernails or claws (Topic 2)
sediment (n.) small bits of rock or sand that sink to the
bottom of water (Topic 9)
seep (v.) to move slowly through a substance, such as
water through soil (Topic 3)
sentence (v.) to judge formally; punish (Topic 2)
shatter (v.) to break something (usually glass) into many
small pieces (Topic 6)
Glossary 187
10/10/17 12:28
A3
 sheer (adj.) vertical (Topic 9)
shoot (n.) a plant in an early stage of growth (Topic 3)
shorten (v.) to make shorter (Topic 4)
shrug (v.) to move one’s shoulders up and down, often
to indicate you don’t know something (Topic 6)
sigh (v.) to breathe out slowly and loudly (Topic 4)
sinking (adj.) falling below a particular level (Topic 9)
sketch (v.) to draw quickly (Topic 2)
slam (v.) to hit something against a surface (Topic 6)
slang (n.) informal language (Topic 4)
sleeping bag (n.) a long cloth bag that can be used
for sleeping outdoors or in cold weather (Topic 8)
smack your forehead (v.) to hit your forehead with
your hand (Topic 4)
sod (n.) the top layer of soil that usually
has grass (Topic 7)
span (v.) to extend across a space or over a period
of time (Topic 1)
spike (n.) a bar or rod with a point at one end (Topic 2)
spoil (v.) to become bad or decay (Topic 8)
sprout (v.) to start to grow out of a seed (Topic 3)
squash (v.) to press against something (Topic 6)
stake out (v.) to hide in order to watch or spy on
someone (Topic 5)
stammer (n./v.) speech with a lot of hesitation, often
repeating sounds or words; to speak with a lot of
hesitation and repetition of sounds or words (Topic 2)
stand by (v.) to wait and pay attention because
something is going to happen (Topic 8)
starvation (n.) death caused from a lack of food;
severe hunger (Topic 8)
steal (v.) to take another’s property illegally (Topic 5)
step up (v.) to improve yourself in order to contribute
to something (Topic 8)
storage (n.) a place to put things away when they
are not being used (Topic 7)
stream (n.) a very small river (Topic 1)
stroll (v.) to walk in a relaxed manner (Topic 6)
superstition (n.) a belief that certain things cause good
or bad luck (Topic 6)
swell (v.) to expand or increase in size (Topic 8)
tame (v.) to train a wild animal to follow
commands (Topic 1)
188 Glossary
GlossaryCOrl6.indd 188
A4
tarp (n.) a large sheet of waterproof cloth or
plastic (Topic 8)
tartan (n.) a plaid pattern on a wool cloth that identifies
a Scottish family or clan (Topic 7)
telegram (n.) a brief message sent by an electric
telegraphic cable (Topic 5)
text (v./n.) to send a short message on an electronic
device; a short message sent on an electronic
device (Topic 4)
theft (n.) a robbery (Topic 5)
thief (n.) a person who steals (Topic 5)
thirst (n.) the need for water to drink (Topic 1)
tournament (n.) a competition in a series of sports
or other events that results in the naming of a
champion (Topic 6)
trailer (n.) a metal house on wheels that can be pulled
by a car or truck (Topic 7)
unreliable (adj.) someone that cannot be
trusted (Topic 5)
upturned (n.) upside-down (Topic 6)
vandal (n.) a person who intentionally damages
or destroys something (Topic 2)
vandalism (n.) destruction or damage (Topic 2)
warn (v.) to tell someone about a possible
danger (Topic 1)
well (n.) a deep hole made in the ground to extract
water (Topic 9)
wilderness (n.) a natural, uninhabited area (Topic 1)
wind (v.) to follow a path that is not straight; to change
directions frequently as a path or river (Topic 1)
wipe out (v.) to kill completely or destroy (Topic 8)
witness (n.) someone who saw a crime (Topic 5)
zigzag (v.) to move with sharp changes in
direction (Topic 3)
10/10/17 12:28
• What makes a good friend?
• What kind of artist am I?
• What does nature do for us?
• How is English changing?
• Am I a good detective?
• Are superstitions real?
• Where do people live?
• Can humans survive anything?
• How is our planet changing?

7 506402 101817