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: Wildlife Rescue
Tweet's Rescue Adventure: Saving the Wildlife Habitat
Tweet, a baby bird, leads a team of injured animals to save their wildlife habitat using their special contact powers and teamwork.
Talk about it 1. Why was Tweet feeling lonely? 2. How did the animals fix the equipment in the wildlife habitat? 3. What did Tweet learn about friendship and community? 4. How did Tweet help the other animals in the habitat?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Wonders of Nature
The Larva's Adventure at the Nature Party
A lonely larva named Larry attends a nature party with mammals, but becomes the life of the party after pretending to be a nut.
Talk about it 1. Why was Larry feeling left out at the nature party? 2. What did Larry do to make the best of the situation? 3. How did the other mammals react when they found out Larry was a larva? 4. Do you think it's important to be yourself, even if others don't understand you? 5. Can you think of a time when you felt like an outsider, but ended up having a good time anyway?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Wonders of Nature2
The Silk Adventure of Sally the Sea Dragon
Sally the Sea Dragon, her friends the Archerfish and Flying Dragon, and a Leaf Insect go on a journey to get silk from a Praying Mantis and make her laugh.
Talk about it 1. What was the leaf insect holding? 2. Who did Sally and her friends want to meet? 3. What was the condition to get the silk from the praying mantis? 4. How did Sally and her friends make the praying mantis laugh? 5. What does Sally and her friends do with the silk they got?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Woods of Wonder
The Endangered Adventure: Saving the Unique Creatures of the Region
A group of kids learn the definition of "endangered" and come up with creative solutions to save unique animals in their region while preserving the ecosystem's diversity.
Talk about it 1. What does the word "endangered" mean? 2. What were some of the unique features of the animals in the story? 3. Why was the ecosystem important to the animals in the region? 4. How did the kids help save the endangered animals? 5. What can we learn from the story about preserving our environment and its diversity?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary R: Woods of Wonder2
The Chipmunk's Forest Adventure
A curious chipmunk named Chuck leads a group of forest animals in cutting down some old-growth trees to balance the canopy and allow all species to flourish.
Talk about it 1. Why did Chuck and his friends cut down the old-growth trees? 2. What was the result of letting more sunlight into the forest? 3. What did Chuck learn about the importance of balancing different species in the forest? 4. Can you think of other ways that animals and plants work together in nature?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: A Big League for Little Players
The Great Village Game Tournament: A Fun and Eager Competition
A small village holds a fun and eager tournament across different divisions of games, with a rabbit, chicken and pig emerging as champions.
Talk about it 1. Who was the first competitor to win in the tournament? 2. Who won the game of dodgeball? 3. What made the game of tag so exciting? 4. Who was declared the champion of the village? 5. Why did everyone go home happy at the end of the tournament?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: A Selection From Alice in Wonderland
Pat the Patter and the Lucky Seashell
Pat the patter sets out on a mission to fetch a lucky seashell guarded by a crab and returns triumphantly, earning praise and becoming known as the resort's errand master.
Talk about it 1. Why was Pat asked to fetch the lucky seashell? 2. What obstacles did Pat face on his mission? 3. How did Pat succeed in his mission and earn praise from the resort master? 4. What did Pat become known as at the resort after his successful errand?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Animals Feel Emotions
The Loyal Amputator: A Tale of Devotion and Compassion
A rambunctious dog amputates one of his legs to save the kingdom from a malignant cat, demonstrating devotion, loyalty and compassion.
Talk about it 1. What does the dog do to show his loyalty and devotion to the kingdom? 2. How do the other animals react to the dog's amputation? 3. Why did the dog decide to sacrifice one of his legs? 4. What lesson do you think kids can learn from this story? 5. What does the word "malignant" mean in this story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Barack Obama
Lily and the Wizards of Injustice
A young girl named Lily sets out to break the spell of injustice and slavery cast by evil wizards, and becomes the hero who restores justice to her continent.
Talk about it 1. Why did Lily go on a journey to find the source of injustice? 2. How did Lily break the spell of the wizards? 3. What was the result of breaking the spell and restoring justice? 4. Why was Lily known as a hero after her journey? 5. How might things have turned out differently if Lily had given up her mission?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Bears
The Adventures of Sarah and Omni-Carni: A Tale of Conservation and Diversity
A conservationist named Sarah discovers a solitary animal that is both a carnivore and an omnivore, and with the help of a biologist friend, writes a book about its unique abilities to save it from extinction.
Talk about it 1. What is a conservationist and why was Sarah one? 2. What did Sarah find in the diverse forest? 3. What does it mean for an animal to be a carnivore and an omnivore? 4. Why did Sarah and her friend write a book about the animal they discovered? 5. What did Sarah learn about the diversity of life on our planet?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Bites and Stings
The Jolly Ant with a Funny Discoloration
Antvenom, a docile ant with a disorder, learns to spread joy and cure his inflammation through laughter.
Talk about it 1. What was Antvenom's disorder and what caused it? 2. Why did Antvenom start making jokes about his discoloration? 3. How did Antvenom's laughter help cure his disorder? 4. What did Antvenom teach the other ants in the colony? 5. How did Antvenom become known as the jolly ant with a funny discoloration?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Building Big Dreams
The Dwarf Engineer and the Skyscraper Dam
A distinctive dwarf engineer builds a controversial hydroelectric dam in the form of a skyscraper with an observation deck, which becomes a popular tourist attraction and lights up the kingdom.
Talk about it 1. What made Benny a distinctive engineer? 2. Why did some people in the kingdom not like the dam? 3. How did Benny make the dam special? 4. What happened on the anniversary of the dam's opening? 5. Why was everyone happy at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Butterflies and Moths
The Brave Butterfly: A Metamorphosis Tale
A scared insect transforms into a brave butterfly during migration and uses his newfound abilities to chase away a predator.
Talk about it 1. What was Itchy afraid of at the beginning of the story? 2. What happened to Itchy during migration? 3. How did Itchy feel when he changed into a butterfly? 4. What did the other insects think of Itchy after he defeated the predator? 5. Why is metamorphosis important for insects?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Code Talkers
The Great Symbol Misunderstanding
Friends on a camping trip mix up slang symbols, causing them to become the casualties of discrimination and leading them to create a new method of communication using animal noises.
Talk about it 1. What were the friends trying to do when they made a reservation for their camping trip? 2. Why did the friends become casualties in the story? 3. What did the friends learn from their experience? 4. Can you think of other ways they could have avoided the mix-up with the symbols?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Condors Giant Birds
The Vulture's Adventure: A Tale of Adaptation and Reflection
A vulture gets carried away from its refuge and uses its adaptation skills to glide its way back.
Talk about it 1. What did the vulture eat before it was carried away by the current? 2. How did the vulture adapt its wingspan to escape captivity? 3. Why do you think the vulture was sad in captivity? 4. How did the vulture eventually find its way back to its ecosystem? 5. Have you ever had to use your adaptation skills to solve a problem?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Finding the Tome
Mittens and the Thunderous Monster
A little cat named Mittens learns that things aren't always what they seem, and becomes friends with a thunderous monster in the woods.
Talk about it 1. What did Mittens first think of the monster? 2. Why do you think the monster was making a thunderous noise? 3. How did Mittens feel after she learned the truth about the monster? 4. Why was Mittens relieved when the monster spoke to her in a friendly voice? 5. What did Mittens and the monster do together?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: France
Gorge the Grapeless Cat: A Tale of Fashion and Fun in the Vineyards
A mischievous cat who steals grapes in a vineyard-surrounded village becomes a local legend and attracts more tourists, adding to the celebration of fashion during the annual carnival.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the tourists were attracted to the village? 2. What was the name of the mischievous cat in the story and why did he get that name? 3. How did the villagers feel about the cat stealing grapes from the vineyards? 4. Do you think it's appropriate for the tourists to laugh at the cat's actions? Why or why not? 5. What do you think the villagers will do next year during the carnival?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Frederick Douglass Forever Free
Electra's Electrifying Editorial: A Journey to Inspire Change and Abolish Injustice.
A young girl named Electra inspires change and fights for equality using her editorial writing skills.
Talk about it 1. What did Electra want to change in her town? 2. How did she use her writing to help others? 3. What did Electra do to inspire change in her community? 4. Who did Electra help with her writing? 5. How did Electra feel about her impact on the world?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Gems Treasures from the Earth
Atomos' Adventure in the Crystal Kingdom
A curious atom dissolves into a crystal, explores it, and learns a lesson before evaporating back to normal.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think Atomos wanted to explore the crystal? 2. What did Atomos learn from his adventure inside the crystal? 3. How did Atomos get out of the crystal? 4. Why is it important to be careful when exploring new things? 5. Do you think Atomos will go on another adventure in the future?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Ghosts in the House
The Lullaby Quilt Adventure
A lullaby-loving fugitive uses a quilt with hidden clues to escape slavery via the Underground Railroad.
Talk about it 1. What was the purpose of the quilt in the story? 2. Why was the fugitive annoyed at first with the quilt? 3. How did the lullaby help the fugitive on his journey? 4. What is the Underground Railroad? 5. What did the wise old grandmother do to help the fugitive escape?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Goliath Beetles Giant Insects
The Agile Larvae Hunters
An agile species of burrowing mammals adapts to catch fast-moving larvae and becomes known as the "Larvae Hunters.
Talk about it 1. What is unique about the agile species of mammals? 2. What do they discover as a new food source? 3. How do they use their agility and adaptability to catch the larvae? 4. What do they build to catch the larvae? 5. How does the story end for the "Larvae Hunters"?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: Harriet Tubman and Underground Railroad
The Abolitionists' Game of Freedom
A group of abolitionists play a mock game of the Underground Railroad to help end slavery, but it turns into a real mission to fight against injustice.
Talk about it 1. Why did the abolitionists play the mock game of the Underground Railroad? 2. What happened when the plantation owner found out about their game? 3. How did the abolitionists help other slaves escape to freedom? 4. What was the end result of their actions? 5. Why is it important to fight against injustice?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: he Titanic Lost and Found
The Magnificent Inventor and the Dire Contraption
A magnificent inventor saves a dire contraption from careening dangerously close to a cliff.
Talk about it 1. What do you think would have happened if the inventor didn't arrive in time to save the contraption? 2. Can you think of a different solution the villagers could have tried before asking the inventor for help? 3. Why do you think the inventor was able to fix the contraption when the villagers couldn't? 4. What lesson do you think the villagers learned from this experience?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary S: How Little John Joined Robin Hood
Sir Flail and the Corrupt Underling: A Tale of Agility and Triumph
A flailing knight named Sir Flail regains his kingdom from a corrupt underling through his agility and determination.
Talk about it 1. Why did Sir Flail's underling attack him? 2. How did Sir Flail regain his kingdom? 3. What was Sir Flail's vow? 4. How did Sir Flail defeat the underling in the duel? 5. Why did the subjects pledge their allegiance to Sir Flail?
Open reading