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 T: A Landforms Adventure
The Adventurers' Journey Through Different Landforms
A group of friends explore diverse landforms and create unique activities to enjoy at each location.
Talk about it 1. What were the different landforms the friends encountered on their journey? 2. How did the friends decide what to do when they came across a new landform? 3. Can you think of other fun activities that the friends could have done in each landform? 4. Why was it important for the friends to be creative and have different types of fun?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: A Trip to a Prehistoric Cave
The Polychromatic Adventure of Tim the Archaeologist
An archaeologist named Tim discovers a colorful larva inside a polychromatic rock and has a fun adventure while exploring it.
Talk about it 1. What does Tim do for a living? 2. What does Tim find while exploring an outcropping? 3. How does Tim get the larva out of the rock? 4. Why is Tim known as the "Polychromatic Archaeologist?" 5. How does Tim feel about his discovery of the larva?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Adventures with Abuela
The Adventure of the Puzzled Animals: Solving the Jungle's Legend Mystery
A group of adventurous animals solve a mystery to find a treasure guarded by a friendly dragon, discovering that the legend was just a misunderstood story.
Talk about it 1. What was the legend about? 2. What was the first clue the animals found? 3. Who was guarding the treasure? 4. What did the animals learn about the legend in the end? 5. Why did the animals go on an adventure?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
The Peddler's Sweet Traditions
A town trades goods and services with a new labor who sells delectable sweets, but his traditions of lighting incense and closing shutters during their weekly procession remains a mystery.
Talk about it 1. Why did the townspeople ask the peddler to join their procession? 2. What did the little girl see when she followed the procession? 3. Why did the townspeople want to know how the peddler made his treats? 4. Why did the peddler keep his secret? 5. How did the town feel about the sweet treats?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Alices Birthday Cake
Lily's Creative Sacrifice
A creative young girl sacrifices and scraps ingredients to cook a delicious meal for her family during a blackout.
Talk about it 1. What did the town's warden give each family? 2. How did Lily feel when she found out that all the good canned goods were shipped out? 3. What did Lily do to help her family during the blackout? 4. What did Lily learn from this experience? 5. What can you do when you feel limited or disappointed?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Ants in My Bed
Pippin's Tide Adventure: A Story of a Brave Pupa
A pupa named Pippin discovers a colony of insects near the shore and goes on exciting adventures with the tide, becoming known for his bravery and valuable finds.
Talk about it 1. Why was Pippin feeling dismayed at the beginning of the story? 2. How did Pippin feel after discovering the tide had carried in new creatures and treasures? 3. What happened to Pippin's thorax and abdomen during his adventure? 4. What made Pippin famous among the colony of insects? 5. What kind of adventures did Pippin go on with the tide?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Art Around Us
Clay's Magic Ceramics Adventure
A ceramic artist named Clay creates enchanted ceramics that come to life and bring joy in a magical mural.
Talk about it 1. What did Clay do to make his ceramics special? 2. Why did the ceramics disappear when they entered the kiln? 3. What happened to the ceramics when they were in the kiln? 4. What was the result of Clay's magic spell on his ceramics? 5. How did the people feel when they saw Clay's enchanted ceramics?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Bats in the Attic
Snout's Adventure in the Secluded Cove
Snout, a pup with a funny snout and dimple, regains his sense of echolocation and becomes popular in the secluded cove through a series of adventures involving bloodworms, driftwood, and the tide.
Talk about it 1. Why did Snout bump into the driftwood? 2. Who told Snout not to eat the bloodworms? 3. How did Snout regain his sense of echolocation? 4. Who were scared of Snout in the beginning of the story? 5. What happened when the tide ebbed?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Brazil
The Dictator and the Forbidden Sugarcane
A strict dictator in the Pantanal falls in love with forbidden sugarcane and becomes known as "The Sugar Thief".
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the dictator was so strict? 2. Why did the priest warn the dictator about the sugarcane? 3. How do you think the people of the town felt about the dictator's obsession with sugarcane? 4. Do you think the dictator made the right choice by ignoring the priest's warning? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: C Is for Canada
The Caribou Republic: A Tale of Inuit Democracy
An Inuit village forms a republic with a parliament, ultimately splitting into smaller confederations to preserve their heritage and embrace democracy.
Talk about it -What was the problem the Inuit village faced with their government? -Why did the villagers decide to split their republic into smaller confederations? -What does the Inuit heritage mean to the villagers? -What is the significance of forming a republic and embracing democracy for the Inuit people?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Cali and Wanda Lou
Obi's Adventure in Tokyo: The Quest for the Stolen Pagoda
Obi, a Japanese boy, goes on an adventure with a foreigner, who turns out to be an evil mastermind, in Tokyo and has to retrieve his stolen passport and return a stolen pagoda.
Talk about it 1. What did Obi do when he saw the spire? 2. Who did Obi meet when he explored the spire? 3. What did Obi and the foreigner do during their adventure? 4. What was the foreigner's true identity? 5. What did Obi have to retrieve to end his adventure? 6. How did Obi retrieve his stolen passport? 7. Why was the pagoda valuable?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Camouflage
The Forest's Colorful Defence: A Tale of Trickery and Triumph
A group of animals in the forest use different types of coloration to protect themselves from predators and stay safe.
Talk about it 1. How does each animal use different types of coloration to protect themselves from predators? 2. Who is the predator in the story? 3. What happens when the predator comes into the forest looking for prey? 4. How do Spotty's offspring help save the day? 5. Which type of coloration do you think was the most effective in protecting the animals from the predator?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Caribou Man
The Caribou and the Ptarmigan's Cozy Adventure
Friendship blossoms between a wanderlust Caribou and a shivering Ptarmigan in the tundra as they furnish the latter's meager home with warmth.
Talk about it 1. What made the Caribou offer to help the Ptarmigan? 2. How did they furnish the Ptarmigan's home? 3. Why was the Ptarmigan grateful to the Caribou? 4. What kind of adventures did they go on together? 5. What can we learn from the story about friendship and helping others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Carlos Puzzle
The Expert's Dilemma: A Masterpiece in Laughter
An expert artist creates a funny masterpiece by painting an impossible scene, solving his creative dilemma.
Talk about it 1. What was the main character's dilemma? 2. How did he come up with a solution? 3. What was the result of his solution? 4. What do you think was the most interesting part of the story? 5. Do you think you could come up with a funny masterpiece too? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Cathy Freeman
Bongo the Didgeridoo Celebrity: An Indigenous Adventure in Australia
A young Australian Aborigine named Bongo becomes a didgeridoo playing celebrity and learns about preserving his culture through a European celebrity friend.
Talk about it -What did Bongo dream of becoming? -How did Bongo meet the European celebrity? -What was the concert in Sydney about? -What did Bongo learn from the celebrity friend? -What is the main message of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Desert People
The Nomads and the Dung People: A Tale of Cooperation and Lush Vegetation
A nomadic tribe helps a drought-stricken community made of dung, restoring the land to its former lush vegetation through cooperation and resource sharing.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem faced by the dung people in the story? 2. How did the nomads help the dung people? 3. What did the nomads and the dung people learn from each other? 4. Why is rain important in the story? 5. What do you think would have happened if the nomads never came to the dung people's aid?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Deserts Dry
The Oasis Hero: A Nomad's Adventure in the Desert.
A nomad named Sam uses his knowledge of minerals and resources to fix an irrigation system, revive an oasis, and become the hero of the desert.
Talk about it 1. What did Sam do to help the oasis? 2. How did the other nomads react to Sam's help? 3. Why do you think Sam became known as the "Oasis Hero"? 4. If you were in Sam's place, what would you have done differently? 5. What was the main message of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Drums and Drumming
The Taiko Drum Manufacturer's Rhythm Adventure
A Taiko drum manufacturer creates a drum with the perfect rhythm and becomes famous throughout the ancient land.
Talk about it 1. Who is Tatsu? 2. What did Tatsu need to complete his drum? 3. What did the little bird tell Tatsu? 4. What happened when Tatsu played his drum for the rhythm gods? 5. How did the villagers react to Tatsu's drum? 6. What happened to Tatsu after he completed his drum?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Earthquakes Volcanoes and Tsunamis
The Mischievous Island: A Laughter-Filled Adventure
An island on a giant fault line causes earthquakes and eruptions for fun, leaving the other continents in stitches.
Talk about it 1. What caused the island to start erupting? 2. How strong was the earthquake measured on the Richter scale? 3. Why did the island cause the eruption? 4. What was the outcome of the eruption? 5. What did the scientists find out about the island?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Elizabeth Blackwell Americas FIrst Woman Doctor
The Determined Laughing Doctor
A determined young physician proves that laughter is the best medicine by using his knowledge of anatomy to make patients with a strange infection laugh and feel better.
Talk about it 1. Why did the physician think laughter was the best medicine? 2. How did the physician use his knowledge of anatomy to make people laugh? 3. Did everyone accept the physician's approach to healing? 4. Can you think of a time when you felt better after laughing? 5. How can you spread joy and laughter to others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Holidays Around the World
The Ornament's Resolution: A Celebration of Traditions
Ornaments on a Christmas tree resolve to celebrate Hanukkah as well, creating a festive, inclusive holiday celebration for all generations.
Talk about it 1. Why did the menorah ornament want to start a new tradition? 2. How did the other ornaments feel about celebrating Hanukkah? 3. What did the ornaments make to celebrate both holidays? 4. How did the tree change after the ornaments started celebrating Hanukkah?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Horseshoes Arent Just for Good Luck
The Adventures of Louie the Crab Cake Chef
A larva named Louie molt into a crab, sneaks into a kitchen to make crab cakes and becomes famous for making the best crab cakes in all the world.
Talk about it 1. What was Louie before he molted into a crab? 2. What was Louie's plan to get crab cakes? 3. Why did Louie become famous for making crab cakes? 4. How did Louie feel when he succeeded in making the best crab cakes?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: InFLUenza
Micro's Mischief: The Epic Tale of a Mutating Microbe
A mischievous microbe named Micro learns the consequences of playing with germs and becomes a superhero to protect the world of microorganisms.
Talk about it 1. What did Micro like to do in the world of microorganisms? 2. How did Micro's prank turn into a disaster? 3. Why did Micro feel guilty about his prank? 4. How did Micro use his powers to help others after the pandemic? 5. How does the story show the importance of responsible behavior?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Kid Inventors
The Miscommunication Device
A brilliant inventor creates a communication device, but realizes she needs to double check her work before sending messages.
Talk about it 1. What was Milly's latest creation? 2. Why did Milly patent her device? 3. What was the problem with the first version of Milly's device? 4. How did Milly fix the problem in her device? 5. What was the result of the message Milly sent to her friend?
Open reading