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: Lighter Than Air
Barney the Blimp's Density Experiment
A blimp named Barney experiments with gas density at a stadium, causing a molecule to grow and the blimp to fall down, resulting in a funny adventure.
Talk about it 1. What was Barney's experiment about? 2. How did the crowd react when Barney's blimp fell down? 3. What happened to the molecule of the gas? 4. Why do you think Barney laughed at the end of the story? 5. Can you think of another gas density experiment that Barney could try next time?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Mexico
The Brave Mestizo and the Mischievous Monkeys
A mestizo explorer sets out on a wild adventure to find a hidden canyon with treasure and befriends mischievous monkeys along the way.
Talk about it 1. What was Miguel's goal in the story? 2. What did Miguel have to do to prove himself to the monkeys? 3. Why did Miguel share his treasure with the colony? 4. Who were the mischievous monkeys in the story, and what was their role?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Money in the USA
The Mutilated Masterpiece: The Rise of a Coin Genius
A counterfeiter named Chuck accidentally mutilates a coin and is declared a coin-making genius by a numismatic expert.
Talk about it 1. What do you think was the Federal Reserve's role in the story? 2. Why did Chuck try to hide the mutilated coin? 3. How did the numismatic expert help Chuck? 4. What was the fate of Chuck in the end? 5. What message do you think the story is trying to convey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: My Secret Internet Friend
The Adventures of Billy the Cyberhero
A young boy named Billy becomes obsessed with stopping cyberbullying and turns into a Cyberhero protecting cyberspace.
Talk about it 1. What challenges did Billy face in cyberspace? 2. How did Billy become a Cyberhero? 3. Why was it important for Billy to stop the cyberbully? 4. What can we learn from Billy's story about being safe and kind online?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Remembering the Alamo
The Adventure of the Joyful Plantation: A Mission to Bring Happiness to Primus
A group of colonists from the Anglo colony arrive on a frontier planet ruled by a dictatorship and use their spare spaceship filled with joy to defeat the dictatorship and spread happiness.
Talk about it 1. Who ruled the planet Primus at the beginning of the story? 2. How did the colonists from the Anglo colony spread happiness on Primus? 3. Why was the dictatorship threatened by the plantation of joy? 4. What did the colonists use to defeat the dictatorship and spread happiness to other planets? 5. Was Primus a happy planet at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Ricardos Dilemma
Bella the Champion Dancer: A Tale of Grace and Laughter
A champion ballerina dances gracefully in clown shoes to become a famous dancer known for her grace and style.
Talk about it 1. What was the main problem Bella faced in the story? 2. How did Bella overcome this problem? 3. Why did the audience cheer for Bella even more after she started dancing in clown shoes? 4. How did Bella become known as a champion dancer? 5. Can you think of another solution to Bella's problem besides the clown shoes?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Running for Freedom
Max the Smelling Activist and the Fugitive's Great Adventure
Max the hound helps a fugitive escape shackles and flee to safety while attempting to discover the source of a mysterious scent.
Talk about it 1. Why did Max want to help the fugitive? 2. What was the source of the mysterious scent? 3. How did Max's sense of smell help him and the fugitive? 4. Why was the innkeeper suspicious at first? 5. What did Max and the fugitive do after they escaped?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Sallys Secret Ambition
The Jokester Surgeon: A Civil War Tale of Ambition and Laughter
A serious surgeon during the Civil War learns the value of humor in tending to patients and becomes known as the "Jokester Surgeon.
Talk about it 1. Why was Dr. Smith always serious before he met the enemy soldier? 2. How did the enemy soldier help Dr. Smith change his approach to treating patients? 3. What did Dr. Smith learn from the enemy soldier about using humor in the field hospital? 4. Why do you think the soldiers in the war loved the "Jokester Surgeon"?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Severe Weather
Snowville's Reflecting Solution
A town called Snowville uses mirrors to reflect hailstones during a blizzard to allow their plants to absorb the sun's warmth.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in Snowville when the blizzard hit? 2. How did Lucy come up with a solution to help the town? 3. What did the villagers do to solve the problem during blizzards? 4. Why was Snowville known for its unique way of dealing with severe precipitation?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Severe Weather2
Charlie the Cloud's Weather Woes
A mischievous cloud named Charlie creates a wild storm with air pressure, water and vapor, but realizes the consequences and stops playing pranks with the weather.
Talk about it 1. How did Charlie the cloud create the storm? 2. What did the animals do when they saw the dangerous weather? 3. Why did Charlie stop playing pranks with the weather? 4. What is a waterspout, and why was it formed in the story? 5. What do you think would happen if Charlie started playing pranks with the weather again?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Ships of Discovery
Captain Scurvy and the Streamlined Catamaran
A pirate wins back his catamaran from mischievous monkeys after a race around the world.
Talk about it 1. What was the name of the pirate in the story? 2. Why did the pirate challenge the monkey leader to a race? 3. What did the pirate learn about life on the sea? 4. What important lesson did Captain Scurvy learn during his adventure? 5. How did the pirate feel after he won the race and got his catamaran back?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Special Effects
Max's Miniature Magic
A model named Max creates illusions using special effects and props in a miniature world to bring life to his backdrops & sceneries.
Talk about it 1. How did Max make the props come alive? 2. What was Max's project about? 3. What was the audience's reaction to Max's creation? 4. What made Max famous? 5. Can you think of another object that Max could give movement to using his special effects?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: The Black Stones
The Legend of the Obsidian Stone and the Furious Volcano: A Hilarious Apache Adventure
A small Apache tribe embarks on a hilarious mission to retrieve a powerful obsidian stone from a furious volcano and restore peace.
Talk about it 1. Why did the volcano become furious? 2. What did the Apache tribe do to calm the volcano? 3. What was the legend about the obsidian stone? 4. What kind of adventures did the Apache tribe have while searching for the stone? 5. What did they learn from their journey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: The Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers: Horns of Opportunity
A buffalo named Buffalo joins a regiment of buffalo soldiers and uses their horns to stop discrimination and bring peace to the frontier.
Talk about it 1. Why did the buffalo soldiers go to the reservation? 2. How did the buffalo soldiers help the buffalo stop discrimination? 3. Why do you think it was important for the buffalo to be accepted by the other animals on the frontier? 4. What can you learn from the story about friendship and helping others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: The Red Baron
Tim the Noble Pilot: A Minor's Flight to Adventure
Tim, a minor aspiring to be a noble pilot, joins a combat training academy and becomes an officer in the cavalry with the help of an observer, successfully completing his first mission.
Talk about it 1. What did Tim want to be when he grew up? 2. Why was Tim nervous during his first mission? 3. How did the observer help Tim during the mission? 4. How did Tim become known as a daring pilot? 5. What kind of plane did Tim fly in?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: The Return to the Hollow Part II
The Compass' Adventure: Finding True North
A determined compass named Carl embarks on an adventure to find true north, becoming the most accurate compass in all the land.
Talk about it 1. Why did Carl leave the safety of the bank? 2. How did Carl become more accurate? 3. What was the name of the map that helped Carl on his journey? 4. How did Carl feel before he left on his adventure? 5. In the end, how did Carl feel about himself and his abilities as a compass?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: The Return to the Hollow Part III
The Calm-Bringer and the Magic Pendant
Max's pendant not only made him feel normal, but it also had the power to calm down others and he became known as the "Calm-Bringer".
Talk about it - What was the magic pendant's power? - How did Max help the multitude of animals? - Why did Max become known as the "Calm-Bringer"? - What other adventures do you think Max went on after discovering the magic pendant's power?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Thomas Jefferson
The Belief-Tree and the Birth of Democracy
A magical plant grants a government the belief in democracy and helps them establish a fair and just rule.
Talk about it 1. What was the Belief-Tree and what did it do? 2. Why did the government go to the plantation to consult the Belief-Tree? 3. What happened after the government touched the Belief-Tree? 4. What challenges did the government face as a democracy? 5. How did the Belief-Tree help the government and the land?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Titanic Treasure
The Submariner and the Bow Tie Adventure
Captain Bob saves his sinking ship by using an artifact shaped like a bow tie as a propulsion device.
Talk about it -What do you think would have happened if Captain Bob didn't find the artifact shaped like a bow tie? -Why do you think the sonar system malfunctioned? -What makes Captain Bob a hero in this story? -What did you learn from the story about problem solving and perseverance?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Vikings
The Berserker's Conversion: A Tale of Peace and Compassion
A berserker on a quest for ultimate power learns the true meaning of strength through kindness and compassion at a legendary monastery.
Talk about it 1. What was the berserker's original goal and how did it change throughout the story? 2. What did the sage teach Burt about peace and compassion? 3. Why did Burt vow to spread the message of peace after his visit to the monastery? 4. What do you think the secret to ultimate power was and why was it important in the story? 5. How does the story show that true strength comes from love and kindness?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Weave It
Waverly the Weaving Wonder: A Symmetrical Adventure!
A weaver named Waverly creates a unique pattern by alternating horizontal and vertical threads, but a mischievous fairy warps it into a funny creation that becomes famous in the land.
Talk about it 1. What did Waverly do to make her pattern unique? 2. Who came and distorted the pattern while Waverly was sleeping? 3. How did Waverly feel when she saw her creation was no longer symmetrical? 4. Why did all the creatures in the forest admire Waverly's new creation? 5. What kind of designs did Waverly start making after the mischievous fairy visited?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: What is Water Worth
The Shrinking Glacier: A Tale of Pollution and Protection
A glacier shrinks to protect itself from pollution and bacteria, leading a population to clean up and protect its ecosystem.
Talk about it 1. Why did the glacier shrink itself? 2. What did the population do after they realized their mistake? 3. How did the region rely on the glacier's meltwater before and after the story? 4. What can we learn from the story about taking care of our environment?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: What is Water Worth2
The King and the Wind Turbine Solution
A young boy named Timmy saves a kingdom from the effects of climate change by proposing the use of wind turbines as a clean, renewable source of energy.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the kingdom? 2. Why did the king call for the smartest people in the kingdom? 3. What was Timmy's solution to the problem? 4. How did the kingdom change after Timmy's solution was implemented? 5. What does this story teach us about climate change and finding solutions for it?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary T: Yee Haw The Real Lives of the Cowboys
Maverick and the Rustler: A Cattle Drive Adventure
A brave mustang named Maverick leads a cattle drive and outsmarts a rustler to save the day.
Talk about it 1. What did Maverick and the cowboys use to catch the rustler? 2. How did Maverick become an icon among the cowboys? 3. What was the outcome of the cattle drive after they caught the rustler? 4. Why did the rustler steal the cattle in the first place? 5. What did the cowboys do with the stolen cattle once they got it back?
Open reading