Free SupplementalLesson Pack

Volume Two

Helpful advice

These are Imagine That! Stories that can be used with the Visualizing and Verbalizing program to develop imagery for language comprehension. Although these stories have been written at specific grade levels, you can use them with other grade levels as you feel is appropriate. Each story features a main idea or topic to be imaged, and then provides detailed imagery for the topic. While sentences or paragraphs may contain much concrete detail that can be imaged, others contain abstract concepts.

It is recommended that you start with the vocabulary to help students both with decoding and with imaging new words and concepts. While reading the story, be sure to ask imagery questions to elicit detailed imagery from the student. Some example imagery questions have been provided for you.

Once you have completed each story, move on to the imagery-stimulating questions. These are main idea, inference, conclusion, evaluation, and prediction questions. The order of the higher order thinking questions is such that they stimulate students’ thinking first about the gestalt, and then about the details of the story. Some questions may include contrast or introduce additional information, from which the students can extend their thinking about the story. It is not necessary to ask every question, but be sure you ask enough that your student has the gestalt of the story.

Additional activities are provided in the form of puzzles.

This sample is not intended for sale or resale.

© 2017 Nanci Bell

Produced by Valarie Jones and Cameron Cozza.

Visualizing and Verbalizing and V/V are registered trademarks of Nanci Bell. Published by Gander Publishing, P.O. Box 780, Avila Beach, CA 93424 US.

All rights reserved.

For more information on the Visualizing and Verbalizing program, Imagine That! Stories, and other Visualizing and Verbalizing products, go to GanderPublishing.com.

Preread words for each story:

12

3sharkfin

seafloorshrimp

4 dinosaurcanoeswamp

footprintscientist

dragonlizard

wild pigtail

Study and visualize the vocabulary:coral reef: a ridge near the surface of the sea where coral and other animals and plants live (n.)snatch: to quickly grab (v.)waddle: to walk with short, awkward, side-to-side steps (v.)

devour: to eat all of something quickly and completely (v.)eel: a slippery snake-like fish (n.)burrow: to dig a hole or tunnel in the ground (v.)

fierce: wild and strong (adj.)whip: to move quickly (v.)

Congo: a country in central Africa (n.)claim: to say something you think is true (v.)dinosaur: a scaly reptile that lived millions of years ago, like a T-rex! (n.)swamp: a wet muddy land with lots of plants (n.)

vocabulary practice

3

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tongueocean floor

4

A Walking Shark

One type of shark, instead of swimming, walks on her fins. The small, thin shark waddles slowly along the seafloor. She crawls up onto a coral reef, looking for food. When a shrimp pops out of a hole in the coral, the shark snatches it with her teeth.

From what you pictured…1. What is the main idea of this story?2. Why do you think the shark walks instead of swims?3. Why do you think the shark waddles slowly?4. Why do you think she hunts on the coral? Why not hunt in the open water?5. If the shark gets scared, she can swim away. Why do you think this is important?

Sentence by Sentence

Story from Imagine That! Stories, Grade 3, Wonders of the Natural World

A Real Sea Monster

The eel-shaped hagfish hides in the mud on the ocean floor, with only his head sticking out. When a large fish swims above him, he darts up and shoves his head through its gills. He uses the sharp teeth on his tongue to scrape at the fish’s soft flesh. After eating his way into the body, he devours his unlucky prey from the inside out. Then the hagfish burrows back into the mud with a full belly.

From what you pictured…1. What is the main idea of this story?2. Why do you think the hagfish hides in the mud on the ocean floor?3. Why do you think he shoves his head through the fish’s gills? 4. Do you think the fish can escape once the hagfish is inside its gills? Why or why not?5. Why do you think the title of this story is “A Real Sea Monster”?

Sentence by Sentence

5

Story from Imagine That! Stories, Grade 5, Wonders of the Natural World

6

A Real Dragon

The komodo dragon is a fierce lizard that grows up to ten feet long. He hides in tall grass and waits for a wild pig to pass. When a pig comes, he whips his thick tail at it and knocks it down. With a flash of speed, the dragon leaps on his meal.

From what you pictured...1. What is the main idea of this story?2. Why do you think the story calls the komodo dragon “fierce”?3. Why do you think the dragon hides in tall grass?4. Why do you think the dragon first knocks the pig down with his tail?5. Do you think the komodo dragon is like dragons in fairy tales? Explain.6. Would you like to see a komodo dragon in the wild? Why or why not?

Sentence by Sentence

Story from Imagine That! Stories, Grade 2, Wonders of the Natural World

The Congo Dinosaur

People who live in the Congo say they have seen a dinosaur in the swamps. They claim the dinosaur is as big as an elephant. He has a long neck, a large round body, and a long thick tail. He is a shy beast and spends most of his time in the swamp. One scientist found huge three-toed footprints in the mud near the swamp. Two other scientists floating in a canoe claim they saw the beast’s head rise out of the water. The locals in the Congo say they have seen the creature many times. But scientists have spent years searching the swamp and have not caught it.

From what you pictured...1. What is the main idea of this story?2. Why do you think scientists want to catch the dinosaur?3. Do you think the dinosaur made the huge footprints? Why or why not?4. How do you think the two scientists felt when they saw the beast’s head rise out

of the water?5. Why do you think the locals have seen the beast many times, but the scientists

have not?6. Why do you think the locals say the beast is shy?

Multiple Sentence

7

Story from Imagine That! Stories, Grade 3, Wonders of the Natural World

8

croSSword puzzle

Crossword Puzzle

Across

4. A slippery snake-like fish 5. To eat quickly and completely 7. The slits on the sides of a fish through which it breathes 9. The mark left by a bare foot or shoe in the dirt or sand11. To dig a hole or tunnel into the ground

Down

1. A narrow wooden boat 2. A meat-eating fish with tough skin and lots of sharp teeth 3. The dark bottom of the ocean 5. A mythical fire-breathing reptile with huge wings 6. A scaly reptile that lived millions of years ago, like a T-rex! 8. A wet muddy land with lots of plants and sometimes alligators 9. The flat wing-shaped part of a fish, used for swimming and balance10. A farm animal with a fat round body, curly tail, and hooves

Untitled PuzzleHeader Info 1Header Info 2

etc...

1

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5

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7 8

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11

Across4. A slippery snake-like fish5. To eat quickly and completely7. The slits on the sides of a fish through which it

breathes9. The mark left by a bare foot or shoe in the dirt or

sand11. To dig a hole or tunnel into the ground

Down1. A narrow wooden boat2. A meat-eating fish with tough skin and lots of

sharp teeth3. The dark bottom of the ocean5. A mythical fire-breathing reptile with huge wings6. A scaly reptile that lived millions of years ago,

like a T-rex!8. A wet muddy land with lots of plants and

sometimes alligators9. The flat wing-shaped part of a fish, used for

swimming and balance10. A farm animal with a fat round body, curly tail,

and hooves

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