LESSON 4 TEACHER’S GUIDE Nina Wows KWOW

Number of Words: 1,026

L E S S O N 4 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Nina Wows KWOW by Natalie Behar

Fountas-Pinnell Level NPlaySelection SummaryNina decides that she wants to be a TV reporter, but when she applies for a job, she’s told that she’s too young. After she and her friends report on a newsworthy event, Nina is taken more seriously.

Characteristics of the Text Genre • Play

Text Structure • First-person dialogue with stage directions • The story is told in three acts, with the second consisting of two scenes. The action takes

place over a period of a few days • The thoughts and actions of the characters help readers understand the theme of the play.

Content • Choosing a career; television news reporting• Determination and teamwork

Themes and Ideas • You’re never too young to set goals and try to achieve them.• Patience, perseverance, and effort can help overcome obstacles.• The support and efforts of friends can help one achieve a goal.

Language and Literary Features

• Conversational language• Figurative language: Billows of smoke

Sentence Complexity • A mix of descriptive stage directions and short dialogues• Stage directions appear in italics; all capital letters indicate speaker(s); exclamation

points, ellipses, quotations; italics for emphasisVocabulary • Words and phrases associated with television/media: cameraperson, regular feature

Words • Many multisyllable words, some of them challenging, such as enraptured, defl ated, apologetically

Illustrations • Realistic illustrations that support the text and add interest• Captions clarify sequence of events

Book and Print Features • Twelve pages of text, with illustrations on most pages© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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Nina Wows KWOW by Natalie Behar

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of having a goal or a dream to visualize the story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: Have you ever had a goal or a dream that seemed impossible to achieve? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Point out that the letters KWOW stand for the name of a television station. Tell students that the selection is written in the form of a play, or a story intended to be performed by actors. Each character’s name appears before the words he or she speaks.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Page 3–4: Point out and explain the features of the play, including the cast, stage directions, and format for dialogue on page 3. Explain that Act One takes place in the home of a girl, Nina, her grandmother, and brother, Alex. Then have students look at the illustration on page 4. Suggested language: Nina asks Gran to do her a favor. Nina has a class presentation to create. Ask: What kind of favor do you think Nina asks of Gran?

Pages 9: When Nina arrives at KWOW to apply for a job, reporter Blair Skylar says “Sadly, I’m afraid this job isn’t for children.” How do you think this makes Nina feel?

Pages 10–11: Have students look at the illustration on page 10 and read the caption. Then direct students to the highlighted stage direction. Why is Nina regretful? Point out that the caption on page 11 says a news story is developing. Ask: What do you think will happen next?

Now go back to the beginning of the play and read to fi nd out how Nina wows, or impresses, Blair and the people at KWOW.

assist – to help someone, p. 8burglaries – the act of breaking

into buildings and stealing things

favor – an act of kindness that someone does, even though he or she does not have to, p. 4

innocent – to have done nothing wrong

misjudged – to form an incorrect idea about something, p. 13

prior – taking place before something else

regretfully – done in a way that shows someone is sorry, p. 10

scheme – a plan to get something done

speculate – make a guess about a situation, p. 12

suspect – a person who people think might be guilty of a crime

Target Vocabulary

2 Lesson 4: Nina Wows KWOW Grade 4© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Analyze/Evaluate Strategy and to think about how Nina might achieve her goal of becoming a TV reporter.

Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: Have you ever helped a friend achieve a goal? How did Nina’s friends help her achieve her goal?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Nina decides that she wants to be a TV news reporter. However, she doesn’t want to wait until she grows up—she wants to be a reporter now.

• The reporter at KWOW tries to discourage Nina, telling her that she’s too young to handle the job.

• Nina’s friends brainstorm a way to help her. Then they discover an event that turns into a newsworthy story.

• Setting a goal is just the beginning. The next step is fi nding a way to achieve it.

• Don’t let others talk you out of pursuing your goals.

• Talking over a problem with friends can result in a solution.

• The stage directions help to describe the setting of each act, explain the action, and add liveliness to the play.

• The conversation between characters sounds realistic.

•The colorful illustrations help show how characters are feeling and the captions reinforce the sequence of events.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to act out. Remind them

to use the punctuation—question marks, exclamation points, dashes, quotations, and ellipses—as a guide to when and how they should pause during their reading. Encourage them to use the cues in parentheses to make their reading sound more interesting and realistic.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Explain that the prefi x mis (misjudged, p. 13) means not or wrong. When added to precede a noun or verb, the prefi x has a negating, or negative, effect. Encourage students to think of other verbs that begin with a mis prefi x (misunderstand, misplace, etc.).



Writing About ReadingCritical Thinking Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 4.7.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillTheme

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can use details about the thoughts and

actions of characters to recognize the theme of a story. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

Tory, one of Nina’s friends, suggests that they fi nd a way to show the adults that she can do it. Sean and Jake, other friends, help to come up with a plan. These details help support the theme that the help of friends can make dreams a reality.

Practice the SkillHave students share examples of other stories with the theme that friends and hard work help make dreams come true.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• What is the fi rst paragraph on page 7 mainly about?

• In Tory’s dialogue on page 10, why do you think the word show is in italics?

• In the last sentence on page 12, what does the word speculate mean?



Write About It

Text to Self Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something that you knew you could do? Write a paragraph describing a time when somebody didn’t think you could do something. Explain how you handled the situation.

Responding TARGET SKILL Theme What do the thoughts

and actions of the characters tell you about the theme of the play? What details support your conclusion? Copy and complete the chart below.

Detail?

Detail?

ThemeWith the help of friends, dreams are possible.

DetailNina tells the class she wants to be a reporter.

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Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What gives Nina the idea of becoming

a TV reporter?

2. Think within the text What happens when Nina tries to get a

job at KWOW?

3. Think beyond the text How does the author show that

becoming a TV reporter is very important to Nina?

4. Think about the text Why do you think that the author

chooses TV reporting as Nina’s dream job? How would the

story have to change if the author chose another job?

Making Connections Many young people have interests that they would love to turn into a career. What are yours? What kind of job do you think would make use of your interests and skills?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

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Nina Wows KWOWCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 4B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 7

Grade 4, Unit 1: Reaching Out

Name Date

her interest in speech and communication, and watching reporter Blair Skylar on

TV

She is told that she is too young.

Nina tells the class that she does not want to wait until she is an adult to become a

TV reporter. She then tries to get a job at KWOW.

It is possible for a fourth grader to do local TV reporting. The ending would have

to change somewhat if Nina had chosen work that only adults could do.

Possible responses shown.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the story softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that soon after Nina and her friends decide to cover the news, they fi nd their fi rst important story.

Vocabulary The stage directions include some verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that might be unfamiliar to students. Explain the meaning of words such as enraptured (page 5), stammers (page 8), defl ated (page 10), and apologetically (page 13).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is the story mostly about?

Speaker 2: Nina

Speaker 1: Where does Nina want to work?

Speaker 2: KWOW, a TV station

Speaker 1: What does Nina want to be?

Speaker 2: a TV news reporter

Speaker 1: How is Blair Skylar a role model for Nina?

Speaker 2: She is a TV news reporter, which is what Nina wants to do.

Speaker 1: How does Blair Skylar disappoint Nina?

Speaker 2: She tells her that she is too young to work in television news.

Speaker 1: The stage directions on page 10 describe Nina as “defl ated.” How does she appear?

Speaker 2: She appears discouraged and let down.

Speaker 1: How does Blair Skylar misjudge Nina?

Speaker 2: She doesn’t give her a chance to show that she has talent.



Nina Wows KWOWThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

On page 13, Nina asks “Are we going to get credit?” What does Nina mean by “getting credit?” Do you think that Nina and friends deserve to get credit for their efforts? Why or why not? Why is it important to Nina that she and her friends get credit?

Name Date



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What gives Nina the idea of becoming

a TV reporter?

2. Think within the text What happens when Nina tries to get a

job at KWOW?

3. Think beyond the text How does the author show that

becoming a TV reporter is very important to Nina?

4. Think about the text Why do you think that the author

chooses TV reporting as Nina’s dream job? How would the story

have to change if the author chose another job?

Making Connections Many young people have interests that they would love to turn into a career. What are yours? What kind of job do you think would make use of your interests and skills?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Nina Wows KWOWCritical Thinking

Lesson 4B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 7

Name Date

7 Lesson 4: Nina Wows KWOW Grade 4


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Student Date

Nina Wows KWOWRunning Record Form

Lesson 4B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 4 . 1 1

Nina Wows KWOW • LEVEL N

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

cat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

10 NINA sits on a bench, completely deflated. JAKE, TORY, and

SEAN approach.

TORY: What’s wrong, Nina?

JAKE: Didn’t get that job, eh?

TORY motions to him to be quiet.

NINA: (Regretfully) I’m too young, like everyone thought.

SEAN: I hate it when people assume you can’t do things just

because you’re young.

NINA: I know what you mean.

TORY: What if we found a way to show them that you could do

it? Like what if–

SEAN: We made our news!

JAKE: We’ll ask to use my dad’s video camera!

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/91 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections

8 Lesson 4: Nina Wows KWOW Grade 4


Documents

LESSON 4 TEACHER’S GUIDE Nina Wows KWOW