Yahaaa · Reading
Stories for the classroom
Short narratives that put vocabulary into a scene a learner can follow. 7,459 on the shelf, each with a discussion question.
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Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Gandhi
The Power of Nonviolence: A Story of Inspiration
A little girl named Sarah learns about the power of nonviolence and inspiring others through participating in a peaceful protest for a cause she believes in.
Talk about it 1. What did Sarah learn about nonviolence from the protest? 2. Why was Sarah inspired by the protesters and their cause? 3. How did Sarah's participation in the protest affect her family? 4. How can you support a cause you believe in without violence? 5. What is the message of the story for kids?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Good for Thurgood
Max and the Upholding of Equality and Justice in the South
A group of animals in the South upheld equality and justice, treating everyone fairly, after Max taught them the importance of these values.
Talk about it 1. What did Max teach the other animals about equality and justice? 2. How did the other animals treat Max when he first arrived in the South? 3. Why was it important for the animals to uphold equality and justice? 4. How did the animals change their behavior after Max spoke to them? 5. Can you think of a time when you stood up for what was right, like Max did?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Good for Thurgood
The Fight for Equal Rights: A Story of Inspiration
A group of brave people fought against segregation and inspired change through their fight for civil rights and a landmark Supreme Court decision.
Talk about it 1. Why was segregation a big problem in the story? 2. Who went to the Supreme Court to argue their case? 3. What was the important decision made by the Supreme Court? 4. How did the people's fight for rights inspire others? 5. Why is standing up for equal treatment important?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Grounded to Earth
The Brave Earthlings and the Alien Invasion
The Earthlings band together and teach a lesson to the invading alien Zog about bravery, teamwork and respect for other planets.
Talk about it 1. Why did the Earthlings huddle together? 2. What was the lesson that Zog learned? 3. How did the Earthlings show Zog their bravery? 4. What does the story teach us about teamwork and respect?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Introducing the Penny
Penny's Journey: The Story of a Traveling Cent and Her Coin Collection
A traveling cent named Penny discovers a mint and creates her own coins, eventually building a famous collection that inspires and educates future generations.
Talk about it 1. What did Penny find at the old mint? 2. What did the Mint Master teach Penny about coin making? 3. How did Penny make her own coin? 4. What was on Penny's coin obverse and reverse? 5. What did Penny do with her coins? 6. How did Penny's collection become famous? 7. What did children learn from Penny's collection?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Lets Make Snowflakes
Lily's Delicate Origami Snowflakes with a Crochet Twist
A young girl named Lily combines her love for origami and crochet to create delicate, intricate snowflakes that become popular among her friends.
Talk about it 1. Who is the main character in the story? 2. What are two things that Lily loves to do? 3. What does Lily create by combining origami and crochet? 4. How does Lily's creation become popular among her friends? 5. What does Lily become known as after creating her origami snowflakes with a crochet twist?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Luna Has Nothing to Wear
Orbit's Dazzling Dilemma
A figure named Orbit goes on a journey to fix his tuxedo after it becomes dim and elastic from being near a dazzling star.
Talk about it 1. What happened to Orbit's tuxedo? 2. What did Orbit learn about the dazzling star? 3. What did Orbit do to make his tuxedo fit again? 4. Why was Orbit careful when he was near shining stars after his journey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Making Rice
Lily's Stir-Fry Adventure.
A young girl named Lily learns to make a perfect stir-fry with her mother's help, using a measuring cup, strainer, spatula, and wok.
Talk about it 1. What did Lily have to measure out in the story? 2. Why was the strainer used when making rice? 3. What kitchen tool did Lily's mother use to stir the ingredients in the wok? 4. How did Lily feel about helping her mother in the kitchen? 5. What did Lily learn from her mother in this story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Memorial Day
Honoring Traditions: A Story of a Young Boy and a Cemetery
A young boy learns about the history and traditions of a cemetery and becomes an expert in honoring and remembering the heroes buried there.
Talk about it 1. What did Jack learn about the cemetery and its traditions? 2. Why was Jack fascinated by the headstones and grave markers? 3. How did Jack feel about the soldiers buried in the cemetery? 4. What did Jack promise to do after visiting the cemetery? 5. What did Jack become an expert in after visiting the cemetery often?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Mount Rushmore
Little Thunder's Climb: An Adventure in Overcoming Fear and Importance.
A young Sioux warrior named Little Thunder overcomes his fears and proves himself as a brave warrior by climbing the highest peak of the granite mountains.
Talk about it 1. Why was Little Thunder not afraid to climb the granite mountains? 2. What did Little Thunder learn from his journey to the top of the mountain? 3. How did Little Thunder's climb help him grow stronger and braver? 4. How did the villagers react to Little Thunder's accomplishment? 5. What is the importance of courage and determination in Little Thunder's story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Mount Rushmore
Memorial of Resilience: A Story of a Sculptor and a Town's Legacy
A sculptor creates a memorial of a town's ancestors who lived through the Great Depression, which withstands the threat of destruction and inspires future generations.
Talk about it 1. Why was the sculptor asked to create a memorial? 2. What happened when the vandals tried to destroy the statue? 3. Why is it important to preserve the memories of the town's ancestors? 4. What can we learn from the story about resilience and determination?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Owen and the Tortoise
Sisi's Swift Adventure in Kenya's Vast Ocean
Sisi, a swift bird in Kenya, goes on an adventure and discovers the beauty of the vast ocean while having fun with new friends on a boat afloat.
Talk about it 1. Where did Sisi live? 2. What did Sisi see during her flight? 3. Who were the kids Sisi met on the boat afloat? 4. What did Sisi learn from her adventure? 5. Have you ever gone on an adventure like Sisi?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Owen and the Tortoise
The Carefree Tortoise and the Tsunami
A carefree tortoise saves himself from a tsunami using his long nostrils.
Talk about it 1. How did the tortoise feel when he saw the tsunami approaching? 2. What did the tortoise do to escape the tsunami? 3. Was the tortoise scared or calm during the situation? 4. How did the tortoise use his nostrils to escape? 5. What do you think happens to the tortoise after the story ends?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Persephone A Greek Myth
The Pomegranate Gift: A Story of Grief and Bravery
A goddess grieves for her lost loved one and travels to the underworld with a pomegranate gift, finding her loved one and inspiring a tradition.
Talk about it 1. Why did the goddess go to the underworld? 2. What was the significance of the pomegranate gift? 3. How did the goddess find her loved one in the underworld? 4. What inspired the people below to give pomegranates as gifts? 5. What lesson can we learn from the goddess's bravery and determination?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Puppets
The Creative Puppeteer
A talented puppeteer reignites audience interest by breaking the fourth wall and performing directly with his puppet characters.
Talk about it 1. Why did the audience stop paying attention to the puppet show? 2. What did the puppeteer do to get the audience interested again? 3. How did the children react to the puppeteer's actions? 4. What is the lesson learned from the story? 5. If you were the puppeteer, what would you do differently to make your show even better?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Raven and the Flood
The Wise Tortoise and the Flood
The Wise Tortoise saves creatures from a flood and teaches them survival, wisdom, and respect.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the tortoise climbed to the highest point he could find? 2. How did the tortoise help all the creatures survive the flood? 3. What lesson did the tortoise teach the other creatures? 4. What did the creatures learn from the tortoise? 5. How was the land different after the flood?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Sams Fourth of July
The Patriotic Parade: A Veteran's Celebration on Independence Day
A veteran leads a patriotic parade and is honored during the Independence Day celebration in a small town, complete with barbecue and fireworks.
Talk about it 1. Why was the veteran chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the parade? 2. How did the town show their patriotism during the celebration? 3. Why did the kids feel proud to be a part of the parade? 4. How did the veteran feel during the fireworks show? 5. What did the kids promise themselves after the celebration ended?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Spare the Turkey
Lily's Thanksgiving Potluck Adventure
A vegetarian girl named Lily burns her dish for a Thanksgiving potluck but is saved by her friends who bring enough food.
Talk about it 1. What was Lily's special dish for the potluck? 2. Why did Lily forget about her dish? 3. How did Lily's friends help her at the potluck? 4. What did everyone do at the end of the story? 5. How did Lily feel about the potluck?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: Sparkys Mystery Fortune
The Fortune Cookie Mystery Adventure
A group of friends follow clues from a fortune cookie to solve a mystery and find a hidden treasure.
Talk about it 1. What was the young girl's name in the story? 2. What did they find inside the fortune cookie? 3. What was written on the piece of paper they found? 4. What did they learn from their journey to solve the mystery? 5. Where did they go to solve the mystery?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: The Buffalo Hunt
The Sacred Herd: A Story of Courage and Unity
A herd of buffalo protect their sacred group by cautiously facing a pack of wolves and showing bravery and unity.
Talk about it - What did the swiftest buffalo do to lead the herd during the stampede? - Why did the wolves back off after seeing the herd of buffalo gather together? - What is the lesson learned by the buffalo in this story? - How can you show courage and unity like the buffalo did in the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: The Day I Couldnt Breathe
Lily and the Paramedic: A Story of Overcoming Asthma Panic.
A little girl with asthma learns to overcome panic attacks and manage her condition with the help of a paramedic and her inhaler.
Talk about it 1. What did Lily learn about managing her asthma? 2. What did the paramedic teach Lily and her friends about triggers for asthma? 3. Why was it important for Lily to always have her inhaler with her? 4. How did Lily feel before she used her inhaler in the story? 5. Can you think of another way Lily could manage her asthma besides using her inhaler?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: The Fishing Derby
The Determined Fisherboy and the Enormous Prize
A determined young boy named Timmy participates in a secret fishing derby, patiently waits for the perfect catch, and wins the enormous prize with his determination and love of fishing.
Talk about it 1. What did Timmy win in the fishing derby? 2. Why was Timmy determined to win the prize? 3. Why was Timmy patiently waiting on his perch? 4. How did Timmy feel when he won the enormous prize? 5. What did Timmy do with the trophy after winning the derby?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: The Force of Water
The King and the Drought: A Story of Irrigation and Transport
A king saves his land from a great drought by ordering engineers to irrigate the land and transport water from distant mountains to the fields.
Talk about it 1. Why did the crops stop growing in the story? 2. How did the king help his people during the drought? 3. What was the transport system made of? 4. What happened after the transport system was built? 5. How did the people feel when the rain came back and the crops grew tall again?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary N: The Force of Water
The Clean-Up of the Delta Watershed
A small village in a delta region comes together to restore the contaminated river and watershed caused by upstream pollution.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the village? 2. How did the villagers discover the source of the problem? 3. Why was it important to clean up the river and the watershed? 4. Who solved the problem, and how did they do it? 5. What was the outcome of the clean-up?
Open reading