Review your answers to the Reader’s Journal question on page 403. Then, share your answers with two or three other students. Imagine a tall tale being told about in which you have the trait or characteristic you named in the Reader’s Journal activity. Discuss ways for this trait to be presented and exaggerated. Jot down your ideas. Draw a cluster chart with three rows of circles into your notebook. In the center write “Annie Christmas.” As you read, you will fill in the second row of circles with the descriptions and actions of Annie Christmas and the third row of circles with character traits the actions represent. Keep in mind as you read that your purpose is to discover what kind of person Annie Christmas is.
1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads the first two paragraphs aloud. Work together as a class to fill in your cluster charts with descriptions and details about Annie Christmas. Why do you think that Annie Christmas and her sons are still remembered today?
2. Continue reading the remainder of the text with your group. Read one anecdote at a time. Then, stop and record information about Annie Christmas’s personality in your chart.
If you have difficulty identifying Annie Christmas’s character traits, use the Guided Reading Questions to focus your reading. First, read the questions on the page where you need help. Then, read the paragraphs near the questions. Write answers to the questions when you finish. If a question is not directly about Annie or her actions, consider how the answer relates to Annie, and record the information in your chart.
Share your chart with a group. Discuss the character traits of Annie Christmas. When you have finished your discussion, compose a paragraph that describes Annie and include information from the story that supports your conclusions about her.