Before Reading
Gather Information
Read the Prereading page carefully. Preview the selection by examining the title and any artwork in the selection. What do you think the "sensible thing" is? Using the information you have gathered, make one or more preliminary predictions about the selection.
During Reading
Continue Making Predictions
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first three paragraphs. Did anything in the opening paragraphs fit your previous prediction? Did anything make you change your ideas? What do you think will happen next? Write down your new predictions in your notebook.
2. Read the rest of the story on your own. Stop occasionally to assess your predictions, make new predictions, and write your predictions in your notebook.
Fix-Up Idea: Read Short Sections
If you have trouble staying focused while reading this story, try reading smaller sections at a time. First, use the natural breaks in the selection, marked by Roman numerals. If you need to, stop more frequently, for example after every paragraph. When you stop, answer any Guided Reading Questions about the section you have just read. Try to summarize the paragraph or section. Then move on to the next paragraph or section. Continue reading and summarizing in this way until you finish the selection.
After Reading
Analyze and Verify Predictions
Go through your list of predictions. Put a star next to every prediction that you were right about. Put a check next to every prediction where you changed your ideas from a previous prediction. Share your predictions with a partner. Talk about what clues in the story led you to make the predictions.