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: Women of the Supreme Court
The Latina's Fight for Justice
A Latina named Maria fights for justice and equality in a kingdom where discrimination is taking place, leading to a change in the constitution.
Talk about it 1. Why did Maria and her friends believe that the new leader was treating people unfairly? 2. What did Maria and her friends do to fight against discrimination in the kingdom? 3. How did the amendment to the constitution help the kingdom? 4. How did the new leader change his beliefs about equality and fairness? 5. What can we learn from Maria's story about standing up for what is right and fighting for justice?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: A Landforms Adventure
Title: "The Tectonic Plate Tour with Lily
A young girl named Lily goes on an adventure beneath the earth's surface with tectonic plates to learn how they create different landforms.
Talk about it 1. What did Lily discover on her adventure with the tectonic plates? 2. How did the tectonic plates create different landforms? 3. What was the main tectonic plate's message to Lily at the end of the story? 4. How did Lily feel about her adventure beneath the earth's surface? 5. Can you think of any other landforms that the tectonic plates may have created?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: A Visit to Kitt Peak
Max and the Astronomer: A Night of Stargazing Adventure
A young amateur astronomer joins forces with an astronomer to fix a windbreak and observe the stars with great clarity.
Talk about it 1. Who is Max in the story? 2. What was the problem Max faced while observing the stars? 3. What did Max do to get a better image of the stars? 4. Who did Max meet at the observatory? 5. What was the outcome of Max and the astronomer's collaboration?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Amelia Earhart A Legend in Flight1
Captain Cook: The Guitar-Playing Explorer Who Conquered the Equator
Captain Cook, a famous explorer from Australia, overcomes challenges and reaches the equator in a unique engine-powered boat, becoming a legend for his accomplishments and musical skills.
Talk about it 1. What was the challenge that Captain Cook accepted? 2. How did he overcome the obstacles during the expedition? 3. What was the accomplishment that made Captain Cook a legend? 4. Why was his instrument important to the story? 5. Can you think of other ways he could have used his design skills to complete the expedition?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Amelia Earhart A Legend in Flight2
Pam's Plummeting Pacific Adventure
A publicist named Pam turns a plummeting plane ride into a successful PR stunt by throwing plums and becoming famous for "Pam's Plummeting Pacific Adventure".
Talk about it 1. What did Pam do when the plane started to fall? 2. Why was everyone talking about Pam's stunt? 3. What was Pam trying to accomplish by throwing plums out of the plane? 4. Do you think Pam's stunt was a good idea? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Arthurs Bad News Day
Benny's Sweet and Sour Adventure
Benny learns a lesson in caution and taste-testing after trading syrup for a bundle of spicy sweets.
Talk about it 1. What did Benny think of the syrup when he first tried it? 2. Who offered to trade with Benny and what was the trade? 3. How did Benny feel after eating the sweets? 4. What lesson did Benny learn from his adventure?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Cesar Chavez Migrant Hero1
Juan the Immigrant: A Tale of Courage, Unity, and Cheating Rulers
Juan the immigrant leads a strike and inspires migrants to unite, overcoming a cheating ruler and winning their rights.
Talk about it 1. What did Juan want to protect the migrants from? 2. How did Juan inspire the migrants to fight for their rights? 3. Why was the ruler trying to cheat the migrants? 4. What did the migrants do to win their rights? 5. How did Juan become a hero in the eyes of the migrants?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Chili Pepper Powder Surprise
Hank the Cowboy Horse and the Wild Gallop Adventure
A horse named Hank becomes a cowboy for a day and goes on a wild gallop adventure with his farmer friend.
Talk about it 1. What did Hank do after he found the stirrup and saddle? 2. Why did Hank get tangled up in the reins? 3. What did the farmer friend do to help Hank? 4. How did Hank show his appreciation for the farmer friend? 5. What did the farmer friend shout at Hank when they were galloping?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: China
The Happy Utensils of the Paddy Field Civilization
A historian visits a civilization that believes in the power of happy utensils to take care of their porcelain mandarin trees.
Talk about it 1. How did the people of the paddy field feel about their utensils? 2. What did the historian think about the economy in the paddy field? 3. How did the porcelain mandarin trees grow? 4. Why did the historian believe in the power of happy utensils? 5. What was the culture of the people in the paddy field like?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Chinzaemon the Silent
The Jingly Scabbard: A Noble Armorer's Tale of Laughter and Adventure
A grumpy armorer discovers the power of laughter after being disturbed by a jingling scabbard during an appointment to advise the king.
Talk about it 1. Why was Sir Hammer grumpy? 2. How did Timmy try to make Sir Hammer happy? 3. What happened when Sir Hammer put on the jingling scabbard? 4. How did Sir Hammer feel about the scabbard at first? 5. Why was laughter the best armor in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Coral Reefs
The Reef Saviors: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure in the Deep Blue Sea
A crustacean and a plankton team up to save the bleached coral reef in a lagoon surrounded by a barrier reef, becoming known as the Reef Saviors.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem with the reef in the story? 2. Who were the main characters and what did they do to solve the problem? 3. How did the other creatures in the sea help to save the reef? 4. Why is it important to take care of our oceans and coral reefs? 5. Can you think of other ways to protect our oceans and marine life?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Dia de los Muertos
The Ancestor's Silly Procession
A new generation enlivens a traditional procession honoring ancestors by pretending to be their spirits, leading to a lively celebration of culture.
Talk about it 1. Why did the new generation want to change the procession? 2. Why did the grown-ups initially react to the kids' actions? 3. What does it mean to honor ancestors and preserve culture? 4. How did the procession change after the kids took part? 5. What can we learn from the story about keeping traditions alive?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Earthquakes Volcanoes and Tsunamis
The Great Wall of Safety: A Tale of Earthquakes and Mudslides
A group of animals build a wall to protect their village from earthquakes and mudslides, living happily ever after.
Talk about it 1. What was the cause of the earthquake in the story? 2. How did the animals protect their village from future earthquakes and mudslides? 3. Do you think a wall is a good solution to protect from earthquakes and mudslides? Why or why not? 4. Have you ever experienced an earthquake? Describe what you felt and what happened.
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Eleventeen
The Column Clan's Extraordinary Dilemma
The Column Clan learns to balance responsibility and humor to save their kingdom.
Talk about it 1. What was the dilemma faced by the Column Clan and how did they solve it? 2. How did Sassy's humor help the kingdom? 3. How does the Column Clan's sense of responsibility and humor reflect on teamwork and cooperation? 4. Can you think of a time when you had to balance responsibility with humor in a difficult situation?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Emily
The Race of the Ridiculous Runners
A tortoise teaches a hare the importance of slow and steady progress with a race in the countryside.
Talk about it 1. Who won the race and why? 2. What is the moral of the story? 3. How did the hare feel at the start of the race? 4. Why did the tortoise keep going even though he wasn't as fast as the hare? 5. What did the hare learn from the race?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Extreme Animals
Rex's High-Altitude Adventure: Learning to Stay Quiet and Extremely Brave
Rex, a high-altitude living reptile, learns to balance his extreme temperament and stay quiet while walking on transparent algae in a lake.
Talk about it 1. Why did Rex have to learn to stay quiet? 2. How did Rex feel when he was walking on the algae? 3. What did Rex learn from his adventure? 4. How would you handle a similar situation as Rex?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Famous First Ladies
The Influential Dragon's Mission: A Tale of Polio Immunization and Discrimination
Drogo, the influential dragon, embarks on a journey to find the cure for polio and protect his kingdom from discrimination.
Talk about it 1. What did Drogo do to help the other dragons in the kingdom? 2. Why were the other dragons afraid of Drogo? 3. What did Drogo have to do to find the cure for polio? 4. How did the other dragons feel after they got their immunizations? 5. What makes Drogo a good example of a humanitarian?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Fireworks
Zoltar's Spectacular Mishap: A Fireworks Adventure
A wizard's attempt at creating the most spectacular fireworks display leads to a funny and colorful mishap.
Talk about it 1. What was Zoltar trying to create? 2. What happened during the fireworks show that made it spectacular? 3. Do you think accidents can sometimes lead to something good? 4. What lesson do you think Zoltar learned from the mishap?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: First Day of School
Timmy's Energetic Recitation
A young boy transforms his nervous poem recitation into an energetic performance that wins over his classmates.
Talk about it 1. How did Timmy feel when he first walked to the front of the room? 2. What did his classmates do when he started to recite the poem? 3. How did Timmy react to his classmates' mocking? 4. What did Timmy do instead of reciting the poem? 5. How did Timmy's classmates respond to his performance?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Gandhi1
Max the Brave: A Tale of Nonviolence and Fairness
A Little Mouse named Max inspires peaceful protest and brings an end to conflict in the kingdom through respect and fairness.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people protest in a peaceful manner? 2. What did Max believe was important for the protest? 3. How did the King react to the protest? 4. What made Max a hero among the people? 5. What is the message of the story about resolving conflicts?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Good for Thurgood
Justice and the Movement for Equality
A young girl named Justice leads a movement to achieve equality and end discrimination in a land ruled by the Constitution, resulting in the protection of everyone's civil rights.
Talk about it 1. Why did Justice start a movement for equality? 2. How did the judge respond to Justice's argument for ending discrimination? 3. What did Justice and her friends achieve by marching to the courthouse? 4. How did the world change after the legal case was over? 5. What do you think is the most important thing about the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Horseshoes Arent Just for Good Luck
Harold the Horseshoe Crab Rodeo
A horseshoe crab named Harold saves his home from eroding tides by taming a mischievous larva through a rodeo.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the story? 2. What did Harold do to solve the problem? 3. Who helped Harold save the jetty? 4. What was the solution to stop the larva from digging? 5. Why was it important to take care of the jetty?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: How Glooskap Found Summer
The Fox's Magic Chant: A Tale of Friendship and Laughter
A group of mischievous animals play a game of hide and seek with a sly fox, who tries to become a powerful wizard, but the wise old owl reminds the fox that true power comes from being kind and making others happy.
Talk about it 1. What was the suggestion made by the sly fox in the story? 2. How did the wise old owl confront the sly fox about his powers? 3. What did the wise old owl suggest that the animals do to forget about the game? 4. What did the fox realize about true power at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Q: Komodo Dragons Giant Reptiles
Venny the Venomous and Mighty: A Tale of Adaptation and Conservation
Venny, a venomous and muscular reptile, adapts to outsmart a poacher and becomes the protector of the jungle through the powers of bacteria while promoting conservation.
Talk about it - Why was Venny important to the jungle? - How did Venny become more powerful? - What did Venny learn about conservation? - Why was it important for Venny to escape from the poacher? - How did Venny help the animals in the jungle?
Open reading