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 O: Woods of Wonder
The Fungi's Forest Adventure: Saving the Endangered Species
The Fungi's Forest Adventure" is a story about a group of fungi who use scat to help endangered species thrive in a complex ecosystem.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the forest? 2. How did the fungi help solve the problem? 3. What was the role of scat in the story? 4. Why were the fungi considered heroes of the forest? 5. Can you think of other ways the fungi could have helped the endangered species?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: You're a Jellyfish
The Frilly Marine Invertebrate's Adventure: Saving the Medusas from Clones
Planula, a frilly marine invertebrate, leads the charge to save the medusas from cloning masterminds and becomes a hero among the sea creatures.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think Planula was surprised to see the medusas with tentacles? 2. What did Planula do to save the medusas? 3. How did Planula feel after she succeeded in freeing the real medusas? 4. Do you think it was brave of Planula to fight against the cloning masterminds? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: A Golden Tragedy
The Fretful Pheasant and the Bewildered Bear
A fretful pheasant and a bewildered bear team up to retrieve the pheasant's precious feather and become the best of friends.
Talk about it 1. Why was Peep fretful at the beginning of the story? 2. What did Peep do to help the bewildered bear? 3. How did Peep and the bear retrieve the precious feather? 4. Why did Peep become friends with the bear? 5. How did Peep's personality change throughout the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: A Late Night Chat With a Parakeet
Benny the Parakeet's Lesson in Laughter
A parakeet learns the difference between using his talent for ventriloquism for good or evil after being warned by an angel.
Talk about it 1. What was Benny the parakeet's talent? 2. Why did Benny want to blackmail the king? 3. Who stopped Benny and why? 4. How did Benny change after the angel's warning? 5. What is the moral of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: A Nation on Wheels
The Inventor's Distance-Defying Automobile
A man named Mr. Inventor creates a cheap, efficient car and becomes a successful automobile manufacturer.
Talk about it 1. Why did Mr. Inventor want to make a car that traveled great distances? 2. What was special about the engine that Mr. Inventor created? 3. How did he feel when he saw all the expensive foreign cars at the automobile show? 4. How did Mr. Inventor become a successful automobile manufacturer?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: About Trees1
Timmy the Trickster Tree
A conifer tree named Timmy plays a trick on his friends by making a toy tree from his bark and seeds.
Talk about it - What was Timmy's trick all about? - What did Timmy's friends think about the new tree? - How did Timmy's friends react when they found out it was a toy? - Why did Timmy play the trick?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: About Trees2
Sappy's Shield: A Tale of Traffic, Chlorophyll, and Protection".
Sappy uses chlorophyll to create a shield to protect seedlings from traffic on the highway, becoming a hero in the process.
Talk about it 1. What was Sappy's problem in the beginning of the story? 2. How did Sappy solve the problem? 3. What happened when a car crashed into the shield? 4. Why did Sappy become known as the hero of the forest? 5. How do you think the seedlings felt about the shield? 6. What would you have done if you were in Sappy's place?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Acropolis Adventure
Kiki's Climb to the Acropolis: A Greek Comedy Adventure
A Greek comedian named Kiki struggles to climb the Acropolis but makes his journey a comedy act, earning him fame and admiration.
Talk about it 1. What was Kiki's dream? 2. What was the problem with Kiki's dream? 3. How did Kiki turn his struggle into a comedy act? 4. How did the audience react to Kiki's performance? 5. What did Kiki become famous for?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Alia and the Furniture Troll
Slobber the Troll and the Magic Wand
A troll named Slobber learns to live a simple life after transforming everything in sight with a magic wand, including a swallow that flies down his throat.
Talk about it 1. What did Slobber transform with the magic wand? 2. How did the swallow get stuck in Slobber's throat? 3. What advice did the swallow give to Slobber? 4. Why did Slobber stop transforming things after that day? 5. Can you think of a different ending for the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Art Around Us
The Dancing Loom: A Clayville Adventure
A loom used for a ceramic mural project comes to life and leads the townspeople on a joyful dance adventure.
Talk about it 1. What did the people of Clayville want to create with their mosaics? 2. How did the loom come to life? 3. What happened to the loom after the dance adventure? 4. Why did the town become known for its lively installations and joyful spirit? 5. Can you think of a different ending for the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Beckys Puzzle Problem
Bolt the Trickster Learns a Lesson
An energetic robot named Bolt learns the importance of patience and appreciating differences in others when playing a trick on a defective array of robots.
Talk about it 1. Why did Bolt play a trick on the defective array of robots? 2. How did the robots feel after comparing themselves to each other? 3. What did Bolt learn from this experience? 4. What do you think Bolt should have done instead of playing a trick on the robots? 5. How do you think the robots felt in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Breeds of Dogs
Max and Tilly: Beyond Breeds
Max, a mixed-breed dog, learns to embrace his unique talents and becomes best friends with Tilly, a purebred toy dog, proving that breed doesn't define who you are.
Talk about it - What is the moral of the story? - How does Max feel about being a mixed-breed dog? - What does Max learn about breeds by the end of the story? - Why is Tilly considered a purebred toy dog? - Why do Max and Tilly become best friends?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Daniel Boone
The Silly Pioneer and the Purifying Water
A silly settler named Sam purifies contaminated water and cures sickness with laughter and creativity, becoming known as the "The Silly Pioneer.
Talk about it 1. Why did Sam decide to purify the water? 2. What did Sam use his goods and ammunition for? 3. How did Sam make the townspeople laugh? 4. Was Sam successful in purifying the water and curing the sickness? 5. How did Sam become known as the "Silly Pioneer"?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Deep Inside a Copper Mine
The Hard Hat Hero and the Humongous Copper Vein
A hard hat named Harry sets off on a adventure to discover a humongous vein of copper in a mountain, but ends up becoming a hero.
Talk about it 1. Why did Harry go into the mountain? 2. How did Harry feel when he found the humongous vein of copper? 3. Did Harry have a plan before setting off dynamite in the mountain? 4. How did Harry get out of the mountain after setting off all of his dynamite at once? 5. What do you think Harry learned from his adventure?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Desert People
The Dung-Covered Delight of the Atacama Desert
A Bushman named Billy discovers a new food source in the Atacama Desert, but later realizes it was a mistake when he eats cactus covered in dung.
Talk about it 1. What did Billy learn from his mistake of eating the dung-covered cactus? 2. Why is it important to be adaptable when traveling through the desert? 3. Can you think of other ways Billy could have found out what kind of plant he was eating? 4. Why do you think Billy was able to eat the cactus even though it was covered in dung?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Dictionary Dave
The Confident Vocabulary Reviewer
A boy who loves learning new words becomes embarrassed in a vocabulary review, but learns to not be afraid of making mistakes and to always have fun with his vocabulary.
Talk about it - What was Timmy's favorite thing to do? - Why was Timmy excited for the vocabulary review? - How did Timmy feel when he forgot the definition of the word "embarrassed"? - What did Timmy learn from his mistake during the vocabulary review?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Fantastic Flying Machines1
Space Adventures of the Hot-Air Balloon Squad
A hot-air balloon, blimp, hang glider, military helicopter, and astronaut work together to save a passenger helicopter and its cargo in a fun and creative space adventure.
Talk about it 1. Who were the characters in the story? 2. What was the mission of the hot-air balloon and its friends? 3. How did the astronaut help the hot-air balloon and its friends? 4. Why was the passenger helicopter in trouble? 5. How did the characters work together to save the passenger helicopter and its cargo? 6. What kind of adventures do you think the hot-air balloon and its friends will go on next?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Friends Around the World
The Barbecue and Boomerang Adventure of the Arctic Circle Inuits
An Inuit family goes on a journey to Australia and Russia, learning new barbecue and boomerang skills, which they bring back and share with their community, becoming known as the "barbecue and boomerang generation".
Talk about it - Why did the Inuit family go to Australia and Russia? - What did they learn in Australia and Russia? - How did they share what they learned with their community? - What makes the Inuit family special in the story? - Can you think of any other adventures that the Inuit family might go on in the future?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Giant Pandas
The Bamboo Forest's Nutrient Adventure
A group of animals in a bamboo forest work together to protect their habitat and make friends with an endangered predator by adding more nutrients to its food.
Talk about it 1. Why did the animals in the bamboo forest need to preserve their habitat? 2. What was the name of the club formed by the animals to protect their home? 3. How did the animals stop the endangered predator from eating bamboo shoots? 4. Was the solution to the problem creative or ordinary? Why?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Goldilocks and the Other Three Bears
Rocky's Lava Adventure
A curious granite rock named Rocky discovers the joy of swimming in lava and shares the experience with his friends on a volcanic island.
Talk about it 1. What did Rocky discover when he fell into the lava? 2. How did Rocky's friends react when he showed them how to swim in the lava? 3. Why do you think the other granite rocks were so curious about swimming in the lava? 4. What do you think would happen if a different type of rock tried to swim in the lava? 5. Why do you think Rocky and his friends always returned to the lava for their daily swims?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Guardian Dogs Penguin Protectors
Pick the Penguin's Colorful Adventure
Pick the penguin becomes a monitor for a research project, saves his population from a predator using a colorful plan, and becomes famous among all penguins.
Talk about it 1. What kind of research was Pick the penguin doing? 2. How did Pick the penguin save his population from the predator? 3. What did Pick the penguin become famous for among the penguins? 4. Why was the polar bear scared when it saw the colorful army of penguins? 5. Do you think Pick will continue to monitor the burrows and the population of penguins in the future?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: Helen Keller
Lily's Adventure: Overcoming Disabilities with Braille, Sign Language, and Determination
A blind girl named Lily discovers Braille and sign language, uses her skills to survive a camping trip and becomes an inspiration to her friends.
Talk about it 1. What is Braille? 2. How did Lily feel when she first discovered Braille and sign language? 3. Why do you think Lily was able to help her friends during their camping trip? 4. What can we learn from Lily's determination to overcome her challenges? 5. How do you think you would have felt in Lily's situation?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: History to Chew On
The Tacky Wax Adventure of the Latex Balloons
A group of latex balloons turn tacky paraffin wax into a fun trampoline using a mesh.
Talk about it 1. What did the latex balloons do when they first found the tacky paraffin wax in their vat? 2. How did the balloons get rid of the tacky wax? 3. What did the balloons use the transformed tacky wax for? 4. Why were the balloons never bored again after transforming the wax?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary O: I Am the Hope Diamond
The Diamond Detective Adventure: Solving the Mystery of the Missing Pendant
Denny the diamond and his friends solve the mystery of the missing museum pendant and donate the auction money to charity, becoming heroes.
Talk about it 1. What was special about Denny the diamond? 2. Why did Denny and his friends go to the museum? 3. How did they solve the mystery of the missing pendant? 4. What did they do with the money from the auction? 5. Why were Denny and his friends called the Diamond Detective team?
Open reading