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 R: Going to the Super Bowl
Rudy and the Civic Tree's Spectacular Dance
Rudy, a small root, becomes a spectacle when he merges with the Civic Tree and together they trounce the competition with their dance moves.
Talk about it - How did Rudy feel before he merged with the Civic Tree? - What did Rudy and the Civic Tree become after they merged together? - What did the other trees in the park do when they saw Rudy and the Civic Tree dancing? - How did Rudy's life change after he merged with the Civic Tree? - What does this story teach us about being an underdog?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: How the Robin Stole Fire
The Enraged Robin and the Berry Tradition
A Robin creates a new tradition by using his love of food and creativity to lead a berry-picking expedition, showing that sometimes a little bit of ingenuity can lead to something truly special.
Talk about it 1. Why was the Robin feeling enraged in the beginning of the story? 2. What did the Robin discover on his journey? 3. How did the Robin use his discovery to create a new tradition? 4. What lesson did the Robin teach the community?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Inventions
Chip's Super Duper Adventure: How an Inventor Became a Success".
An inventor named Chip turns his disappointment over a patented invention into success by creating a better engine with advanced software.
Talk about it 1. What was Chip's invention? 2. What did Chip have to do to turn his invention into a product? 3. How did Chip feel when he found out someone else had patented a similar invention? 4. What did Chip do to make his invention better? 5. How did Chip become famous in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Mozart
The Smitten Organ Prodigy: A Monastery Love Story
A young organ prodigy falls in love with a requiem singer and their shared love for music leads to a successful concerto career.
Talk about it 1. Why did the organist feel dreadful before the concerto? 2. How did the young woman's words change the organist's feelings about his music? 3. What was special about the organist and the young woman's concerts? 4. How did the organist and the young woman's love for each other affect their music? 5. Can you think of a time when something that seemed bad turned out to be good?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Murdochs Path
The Trustworthy Raccoon and the Treasure Hunt
A barge captain helps a trustworthy raccoon fetch buried treasure and is rewarded with the box of gold coins.
Talk about it 1. Why was the captain of the barge feeling exhausted? 2. What made the captain feel a tingle down his spine? 3. Who called for the help of the barge captain? 4. Why did the raccoon need the help of the barge captain? 5. What did the raccoon give to the barge captain as a reward?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Neighborhood Mystery
Miguel's Unexpected Serenade Adventure
A mariachi named Miguel and his folk band play with a ukulele and cihuela at a symphony concert and bring joy to the audience.
Talk about it 1. What was Miguel's instrument in the story? 2. What was the name of the stringed instrument that Miguel found? 3. How did the symphony orchestra react when they saw Miguel's instrument? 4. What happened to the villagers when Miguel played his instruments? 5. What did the conductor of the symphony orchestra do when he heard Miguel play?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Only One Aunt Maggie
The Sweet-Toothed Bear's Marathon Adventure
A trio of friends run in a marathon, but the bear's craving for honey leads to an unexpected and sweet surprise at the finish line.
Talk about it 1. What was the dictate in the kingdom? 2. What did the trio of friends decide to do? 3. Why did the bear stop running during the marathon? 4. How did the rabbit and the squirrel feel about the bear's stops? 5. What happened to the bear as he ran to catch up to his friends? 6. What was waiting for the bear at the finish line? 7. What did the trio of friends realize at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Pi Day
Robo's Pi Adventure
A robot named Robo discovers the magic of pi and becomes a math teacher in a town.
Talk about it 1. What is pi in the story and what is its significance? 2. How did Robo calculate the circumference of a circle? 3. What is the relationship between the circumference and diameter of a circle? 4. Why did Robo become the best math teacher in town? 5. Can you calculate the circumference of a circle using Robo's method?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Rattlers
Sneaky the Snake's Hilarious Hunting Adventure
A cold-blooded snake named Sneaky learns a surprising technique to catch his prey while hunting in his serpentine habitat.
Talk about it - What was the snake's name? - What was the snake's habitat like? - What did Sneaky do during winter? - Who did Sneaky meet while hunting? - What was the mouse immune to? - What did the mouse teach Sneaky? - How did Sneaky feel when he finally caught his prey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Robin Hood Wins the Sheriffs Golden Arrow
The Shaft of Kindness
A glum and cruel archer learns the value of kindness through the persistence of a monk.
Talk about it 1. Why was Glum always grumpy? 2. What did the monk do to help Glum become kind? 3. How did Glum's personality change? 4. Why do you think the story is called "The Shaft of Kindness"?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Sea Turtles
The Great Treasure Hunt of the Swamp Reptiles
A group of reptile friends go on an adventure to find treasure, but learn that friendship is the true riches.
Talk about it 1. What types of reptiles were Turtley, Al and Slinky? 2. What did they find in the secret passage? 3. Why was Slinky able to get through the false crawl? 4. What did Turtley and Al do to get through the false crawl? 5. What did they learn about the treasure at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Ships and Boats
The Adventures of S.S. Chuckles and the Plundering Pirate Bird
A kind-hearted submarine crew and a plundering pirate bird team up for adventures in the ocean.
Talk about it 1. What did the crew of S.S. Chuckles find on the deck? 2. How did the pirate bird become part of the submarine's crew? 3. What role did the bird play in their adventures? 4. Why was the ocean a funnier place with the bird and the crew together?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Skydiving
The Paratrooper's Arch Adventure
A paratrooper named Billy has an adventurous and funny experience with his birdman suit and altimeter while doing a free fall, thanks to his discipline and adrenaline rush.
Talk about it 1. What did Billy do when he realized his static line was tangled? 2. How did Billy feel after he safely landed on the ground? 3. Why is it important to check your equipment before a jump? 4. What lesson did Billy learn from his experience?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Speed
Larry the Lithograph: The Speed King of the Sky
Larry the Lithograph designs a machine to fly faster than the speed of sound, becoming known as the Speed King in the kingdom.
Talk about it 1. Why was Larry fascinated with speed and mechanical design? 2. How did Larry feel when he was flying at the speed of sound? 3. How did the other kids in the kingdom feel about Larry's invention? 4. Can you think of another character who could be added to the story? 5. What other types of machines can fly faster than the speed of sound?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Storm Chasers
Max the Tornado Tamer: A Tale of Courage and Teamwork in Tornado Alley
A meteorologist named Max and his team use their scientific knowledge to steer a tornado away from a town, becoming heroes in the process.
Talk about it 1. What is a tornado watch and what does it mean? 2. What is a supercell and how does it form a tornado? 3. What is the role of Doppler radar in predicting tornadoes? 4. Why is teamwork important in emergency situations like a tornado? 5. What does the F-rating on the Fujita scale measure in a tornado?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: The Genius of Tesla
The Spark of Joy: A Technology Tale
A scientist creates a machine that turns energy into a contract, bringing joy and laughter to everyone through a mischievous electric spark.
Talk about it 1. What was Professor Sparky's experiment about? 2. What happened when the Professor turned on his machine? 3. What did the electric spark do? 4. How did people react to the spark? 5. What did Professor Sparky become known as?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: The Hard Stuff All About Bones
Twang the Tendon and the Spinal Cord's Stumble
A silly tendon named Twang ties the spinal cord's ligaments together, causing him to stumble and fall in a quest for “bone marrow ice cream” in a kingdom of bones.
Talk about it 1. What was Twang's plan to play a prank on the spinal cord? 2. What happened when the spinal cord tried to reach for the "bone marrow ice cream"? 3. How did the other bones react to Twang's prank? 4. Why do you think Twang liked to play pranks on the other bones? 5. Can you think of a different ending for the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: The Hollow
The Brave Kid and the Haunted Halloween Potion
A brave kid helps a witch protect her Halloween potions in a haunted forest.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the witch needed help protecting her potions? 2. How did the brave kid's expression show he was determined? 3. What would you have done if you were in the brave kid's position? 4. Do you think the witch ended up having a happy Halloween? 5. Can you think of another story where someone helped someone else in a scary situation?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: The Stanley Cup Hockeys Greatest Prize
The Goalie and the Fair Playoff Game
A new player named Goalie joins a hockey playoff game and teaches both teams the importance of fair play and sportsmanship.
Talk about it 1. What did Goalie do that was different from the other players on the ice? 2. Why did Goalie let the other team score a goal? 3. How did the other team react to Goalie's gesture? 4. What did everyone learn from this game? 5. What is the importance of sportsmanship in games or competitions?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Turtle Tom
The Mischievous Scurrying Creature
A mischievous creature learns the importance of following rules in a village filled with amazing animals.
Talk about it 1. What was the creature in the story? 2. What did the villagers think about the creature at first? 3. Why did the villagers come up with a plan? 4. What did the creature learn by the end of the story? 5. How do you think the creature changed after it learned its lesson?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Two Artists Vermeers Forger
Pablo the Master Forger: A Story of Finding Your Own Style
A young artist finds confidence and success by embracing his unique style in forgery.
Talk about it 1. What did Pablo initially think of his own artwork? 2. How did Pablo become a master of forgery? 3. How did the critic react to Pablo's forgeries? 4. What did Pablo learn about himself and his art at the end of the story? 5. What is the message of the story for kids?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Weird Bird Beaks
The Shellfish Hunt: A Tale of Friendship and Food
A bearded barbet, hummingbird, and pelican form a club to hunt shellfish and ensure they never run out.
Talk about it - Why did the bearded barbet, hummingbird, and pelican want to start a club? - What was the purpose of the shellfish hunt? - How did the creatures feel about the outcome of the shellfish hunt? - What is the main lesson learned in the story? - Do you think it's important to work together to solve problems? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Were in Business
Finance Frenzy: The Game Show Adventure
A corporation holds a finance-themed game show to brainstorm new ideas and exceed their potential profits.
Talk about it 1. What was the name of the corporation in the story? 2. Why did the corporation hold a presentation? 3. What was the solution that exceeded all the others in the vote by ballot? 4. What was the first round of the finance-themed game show? 5. How did the participants feel at the end of the day?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Whale Sharks Giant Fish
The Suction-y Sidekick: A Tale of Friendship and Camouflage
A passive snail with a parasite friend learns to embrace his unique habit and migrate together with the help of the parasite's suction abilities.
Talk about it 1. Why did Slim try to camouflage himself? 2. Why did the predator run away? 3. How did Slim and the parasite become friends? 4. What did Slim learn at the end of the story? 5. What do you think would have happened if the parasite didn't save Slim from the predator?
Open reading