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 U: All About Chocolate
The Cacao King of the Plantation.
A mole named Miguel saves a cacao plantation by fermenting the beans with his secret ingredient, laughter and joy, and becomes known as the "Cacao King of the Plantation.
Talk about it 1. What was Miguel's problem in the beginning of the story? 2. How did Miguel solve the problem? 3. What was Miguel's secret ingredient in fermenting the cacao beans? 4. Why did Miguel become known as the "Cacao King of the Plantation"? 5. Why was the farmer using a machete to chop down the cacao trees?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Animal Discoveries
The Juveniles' Mission to Save their Habitat
A group of curious creatures called Juveniles discover their population is decreasing and take action to protect their habitat and rare genes.
Talk about it 1. Why were the Juveniles' population decreasing? 2. What did the Juveniles do to protect their habitat? 3. How did the Juveniles convince other animals to help them? 4. What did the Juveniles learn from their efforts to protect their habitat? 5. Can we apply the lesson from the story to our own lives and environment?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Arrows
The Pharaoh's Hieroglyphic Dream
A young pharaoh discovers the secret to deciphering ancient hieroglyphics through a dream revealing the message "Have a great day!
Talk about it 1. What was the pharaoh's favorite hobby? 2. What did the scientist tell the pharaoh about the age of the hieroglyphics? 3. How did the pharaoh finally decipher the code of the hieroglyphics? 4. What was the message that the pharaoh translated from the hieroglyphics? 5. Why do you think the pharaoh had a dream about the hieroglyphics?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: China
The Emperor's Forbidden Treasure
A powerful emperor learns to respect the unique treasures of different cultures after trying to export a forbidden silk calligraphy from a wetland.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think the emperor was interested in the silk calligraphy? 2. Why was the calligraphy forbidden by the ethnic group? 3. What lesson did the emperor learn from his mistake? 4. How do you think the people in the wetland felt when the emperor took the calligraphy? 5. Do you think it's important to respect the traditions of different cultures? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Coral Reefs
The Polyp's Tsunami Adventure: Saving the Barrier Reef
A tiny polyp saves its home on a barrier reef by cooling the water after a tsunami with the help of its friends by dancing and splashing in the lagoon.
Talk about it 1. How did the polyp and its friends cool down the water in the lagoon? 2. What was the problem with the barrier reef after the tsunami? 3. Why did the crustaceans have to leave their home in the fringing reef? 4. What was the result of the polyp's plan to save its home? 5. What does the story teach us about taking care of our environment?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Dawn of the Doughnut2
The Magical Baker and the Profitable Pastry
A baker named Burt finds a magical recipe and becomes the most profitable baker in the village.
Talk about it 1. What was the secret ingredient in the recipe? 2. Who helped Burt find the magical sprinkles? 3. Why did the villagers love the pastry so much? 4. What was Burt's new nickname after he baked the profitable pastry? 5. What was the name of the pastry that became a staple in the village?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Deep Trouble The Gulf Coast Oil Spill
The Starfish's Adventure in the Contaminated Wetland
A young starfish learns an important lesson about the dangers of toxic water and the importance of taking precautions in a contaminated wetland.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the story? 2. Why did the starfish drink from the contaminated water? 3. How did the starfish feel after drinking the toxic water? 4. What did the starfish learn from his adventure? 5. Why is it important to take precautions and avoid contaminated water?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Dont Wake the Mummy
The Backwards Mummification Escapade
Anubis initiated a backwards mummification escapade to test the comprehension of all the mummies, who obediently showed their creativity and determination in following directions.
Talk about it - What did Anubis want the mummies to do in the story? - Why was it difficult for the mummies to mummify themselves backwards? - What happened at the end of the story? - Why did Anubis initiate this escapade? - What does "obediently" mean in the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Egypt
The Oasis of Laughter: A Tale of the Funny Nomads
A dynasty of nomads build a prosperous empire around an oasis, protect it with humor and wit instead of weapons, and become known as the funniest on the peninsula.
Talk about it 1. Why did the nomads choose to build their empire around the oasis? 2. How did the nomads protect their empire from bandits? 3. What made the Oasis of Islam famous? 4. What did the wise old nomad suggest to defeat the bandits? 5. Why was life in the Oasis of Islam not always easy?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Fabulous Faberge Eggs
The Czar's Miniature Masterpiece
A Czar in Russia during the Revolution wants a portrait painted of his Czarina for his coronation, but a miniature masterpiece surprises him.
Talk about it 1. Why did the Czar want a portrait of his Czarina? 2. What was the Czar's reaction when he saw the miniature portrait? 3. How did the artists turn the miniature portrait into an imperial-sized one? 4. What did the Czar do with the portrait in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Galapagos Wonder
The Feral Tortoise and the Naturalist's Promise
A naturalist befriends a feral tortoise and learns about its unique ecology in "The Feral Tortoise and the Naturalist's Promise".
Talk about it 1. Why did Mr. Green want to capture the feral tortoise? 2. How did the tortoise outsmart Mr. Green each time he tried to catch it? 3. What did the tortoise and Mr. Green promise each other? 4. What did Mr. Green learn about the diverse world of wildlife during his adventures with the tortoise? 5. Why was the tortoise's ecology unique?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Gandhi
The Joyful Leader: A Tale of Belief, Influence and Nonviolence
A group of friends in a politically-ruled land choose a new leader through unity and nonviolence, leading to a happier future.
Talk about it 1. What does the group of friends believe about their choice for a leader? 2. How did the friends show nonviolence during the election? 3. What was the outcome of the election? 4. What kind of leader did the friends choose and why? 5. How does the new leader spread peace and happiness in the land?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Get Moving All About Muscles
The Flexing Competition of the Muscles
A group of muscles have a flexing competition, but realize that having fun together is more important than who is the strongest.
Talk about it 1. Why did the muscles have a flexing competition? 2. Who was left out of the competition at first? 3. How did Voluntary Muscle trip during the competition? 4. Why did Achilles Tendon pull his own tendon? 5. What was the outcome of the flexing competition? 6. Why did Biceps become part of the group of best friends?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Growing Up Green
The Compost King: A Fanatical Farmer's Contribution to the Environment
A fanatical farmer uses food waste to produce compost, which he uses to power his hybrid car and help the environment.
Talk about it 1. Why did Frank buy a hybrid car? 2. How did Frank use compost to help the environment? 3. What was Frank's contribution to the village? 4. How did the other farmers in the village react to Frank's idea? 5. Do you think it's important to find creative ways to reduce waste and protect the environment? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: How Sound Works
Bella the Bat's Sonic Adventure
Bella the Bat's quest to make the loudest sound ever leads to a musical adventure and spreading joy.
Talk about it - What was Bella the Bat's goal in the story? - How did the owl react to Bella's sounds? - What happened to Bella's sounds when they reached the owl's ears? - Why do you think the owl wanted Bella to keep making loud sounds? - Can you think of any other animals that use sonar like Bella?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: How to Build a Greenhouse
The Adventures of Sprout: A Botanical Experiment
A little seed named Sprout learns about botany through a fun experiment in a garden where they classify plants based on their wavelength, climate, and humidity.
Talk about it - What did Sprout learn about botany in the class? - How did Sprout remember the information about photosynthesis? - What happened to the plants in Sprout's garden? - What did Sprout name their plants based on? - Why is photosynthesis important for the growth of plants?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Hubble An OutofThisWorld Telescope
The Fragile Black Hole Adventure of Professor Density
A complex astronomer named Professor Density discovers a fragile black hole while on a journey across the universe.
Talk about it 1. What did Professor Density study? 2. What did he discover while observing a distant planet? 3. How did the atmosphere around the black hole look? 4. Why did Professor Density return to Earth after his discovery? 5. What was the black hole known for after Professor Density's discovery?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Hubble An OutofThisWorld Telescope2
The Plume's Cosmic Adventure
A plume in a nebula uses infrared light and a spectrograph to travel through space and bring joy to the universe.
Talk about it 1) What does the plume use to explore space? 2) What does the plume discover on its journey? 3) How does the plume spread happiness throughout the universe?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Jupiters Secrets Revealed
The Adventures of Rocky and Hal: Explorers of the Universe
Asteroid Rocky and comet Hal embark on a fun-filled journey through the solar system to explore and learn about astronomy.
Talk about it 1. Who are the two main characters in the story? 2. What were they on a mission to do? 3. What did they encounter in the outer reaches of the solar system? 4. How did the helium gas affect their voices? 5. What did the master of astronomy give them as a gift? 6. Where did their journey take them next?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Kenya
The Great Acacia Adventure: A Safari Migration Story
A colony of animals embarks on a safari migration and discover a grove of acacia trees, leading to a playful adventure among the trees.
Talk about it 1. What was the colony of animals exploring? 2. Why did the animals follow the others on their migration? 3. What did they find in the reserve? 4. How did the animals react to seeing the acacia trees? 5. What did the animals do in the grove of acacia trees? 6. What became a new tradition for the colony of animals?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Microbes Friend or Foe
The Brave Kids and the Contagious Organism
The Brave Kids and the Contagious Organism is a funny and creative story about a group of kids who save a kingdom from an epidemic by creating a super-powered antibiotic.
Talk about it 1. What was the cause of the epidemic in the kingdom? 2. Why did the scientists decide to make an antibiotic? 3. How did the kids come up with the idea for a super-powered antibiotic? 4. What happened when the creatures were given the super-powered antibiotic? 5. Why were the kids considered heroes of the kingdom?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: More Valuable Than Gold
Sloopy and the Forest Rescue Adventure
A little sloth named Sloopy saves the rainforest from illegal mining that threatened the biodiversity and conservation.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the rainforest? 2. Why did Sloopy take action? 3. How did Sloopy and the animals in the forest solve the problem? 4. What is the importance of conservation and protecting biodiversity? 5. What would happen if the mining was not stopped in the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Mystery in the Moonlight
The Adventures of Twin Escapades
Two sets of twins go on an adventure and learn the importance of tolerance and embracing their differences.
Talk about it 1. Why did the identical twins go on an escapade? 2. How were the fraternal twins different from the identical twins? 3. What did the identical twins learn by the end of the story? 4. Why was it funny when the identical twins tried to do something sneaky? 5. What did the fraternal twins discover about themselves?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary U: Nonis Newspaper
Editor Max's Misadventure
A young editor named Max makes a silly mistake while editing an article and learns to double-check his assumptions before writing headlines.
Talk about it 1. Why did Max need the photographer, Tom? 2. What did Max write in the headline of the article? 3. What did Max learn from his mistake? 4. How can readers avoid making the same mistake as Max? 5. Who was listed on the masthead of the newspaper?
Open reading