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.
-
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Eclipses
Title: "The Coincidence of Cosmic Proportions
An astronomer enlists the help of a group of kids to search for a comet obscured by clouds, leading to an unexpected discovery and the declaration of "a coincidence of cosmic proportions".
Talk about it 1. Why did the astronomer sneak into the kindergarten class? 2. How did the kids help find the comet? 3. What was the "coincidence of cosmic proportions"? 4. How did the Professor feel when he found the partial image of the comet? 5. What reward did the Professor promise to the kids?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Everest On Top of the World
Peck's Adventure: A Lesson in Safety and Heritage
A penguin named Peck learns the importance of safety and preserving his heritage during a strenuous mountain climb.
Talk about it 1. What did Peck want to do? 2. How did Peck's porter feel about the climb? 3. Why did Peck's foot have to be amputated? 4. What did Peck learn about his heritage? 5. What did Peck do after his accident?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Female Sports Stars
The Brave Bone Marrow: A Tennis Tale
A brave bone marrow named Marrow wins a tennis tournament and leaves a legacy of determination despite an injury.
Talk about it -What did Marrow do to overcome his injury in the tennis tournament? -What was Marrow's legacy in the land of Singles? -What would you have done if you were Marrow and had an injury during a tournament? -Do you think Marrow was brave or foolish for continuing to play with his injury? Why?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Floods-2
The Nutty Solution: A Story of Impact, Nutrients and Precipitation
A squirrel changes the impact of precipitation on his town by adding nuts to the water to make it full of nutrients.
Talk about it 1. What problem did the town face with the rising water? 2. How did the squirrel solve the problem? 3. Why did the other animals think the solution was amazing? 4. How did the town change after the solution was put into place? 5. Can you think of any other ways to make precipitation have a positive impact on the environment?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Floods
The Wise Owl and the Floodplain Adventure
A group of animals build a lake to protect their ecosystem during hurricanes instead of a dike, adding to the diversity and happiness of the floodplain.
Talk about it 1. What problem did the animals face in the beginning of the story? 2. Who came up with the idea to build a lake instead of a dike? 3. What was the benefit of building the lake? 4. How did the lake help the ecosystem? 5. What was the outcome for the animals after the lake was built?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Forests on Fire
The Adventures of the Adaptable Embers
The Adventures of the Adaptable Embers" tells the tale of how a group of embers learned to adapt to changing climate by finding a new source of heat and living in harmony with nature.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem faced by the embers in the beginning of the story? 2. How did the clever ember help the community? 3. What lesson did the embers learn from the wise old owl? 4. What did the embers do to protect the forest from devastation? 5. How did the embers adapt to the changing climate in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Frederick Douglass Forever Free
The Detective and the Fugitive: A Tale of Civil Rights and Justice
A detective helps a fugitive fight for civil rights and expose the truth, leading to a change in the law.
Talk about it 1. What was Detective Detail's job? 2. Why was the fugitive on the run from the law? 3. What did the fugitive write in his autobiography? 4. What was the outcome of their efforts to bring attention to the cause? 5. How did Detective Detail and the fugitive continue to work together after the amendment was passed?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Frederick Douglass Forever Free(1)
Lily and the Literacy Revolution
A girl named Lily leads a literacy program to teach both humans and animals in her village to read and write, inspiring them to embrace the power of literacy.
Talk about it 1. Why did Lily organize a literacy program? 2. How did Lily feel when the animals wanted to join the literacy program? 3. What was Lily's principle about literacy? 4. What was the outcome of Lily's program? 5. What can you learn from this story about the importance of literacy?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Fungus Among Us
Fruity's Funky Spore Solution
Fruity, a fruiting body with a tall stalk and a button on his cap, saves the infected mushroom forest by germinating spores from a special spore.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem in the mushroom forest? 2. What did Fruity have on his cap that could help solve the problem? 3. How did Fruity save the forest? 4. Why did the other fruiting bodies ask Fruity how he solved the problem? 5. What did Fruity say when they asked him how he solved the problem?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Fungus Among Us2
The Fungi Family's Dance Party
A group of mushrooms saves itself from a fungicide by entertaining a farmer with a dance party.
Talk about it 1. What was the problem the Fungi Family faced in the story? 2. How did they solve the problem? 3. What did the farmer forget to do because of the Fungi Family's dance party? 4. What do you think the Fungi Family looked like while they were dancing? 5. How do you think the Fungi Family felt after they successfully reproduced?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Gems Treasures from the Earth
The Flawed Crystal and the Adventure of a Grain
A grain of wheat goes on an adventure to become unique and learns to embrace its flaws after becoming a part of a beautiful, flawed crystal.
Talk about it 1. Why did the grain want to be special? 2. What happened when the grain dissolved into the chemical solution? 3. How did the grain feel about the crystal being flawed? 4. What did the grain learn from its journey? 5. How can we embrace our flaws and still be beautiful?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Gems Treasures from the Earth2
Nacre's Adventure: The Journey of a Unique and Valuable Organic Gem
Nacre, a valuable and brilliant organic gem, goes on an adventure to show off its unique qualities and becomes friends with a group of kids who appreciate it for who it is.
Talk about it 1. What made Nacre unique and valuable? 2. Why did Nacre have trouble showing off its brilliance to others? 3. Who finally appreciated Nacre for who it is? 4. What did Nacre learn about being unique and valuable? 5. How did Nacre's adventure change its life?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Giant Insects
The Magic Fossil Safari: A Tale of Evolution and Adaptation
A colony of creatures go on a safari and discover a magical fossil that teaches them about the wonders of evolution and adaptation.
Talk about it 1. What adaptations did the new species have that were different from the creatures in the colony? 2. Why was it important for the young creatures to find the fossil? 3. How did learning about the new species change the young creatures' perspective on evolution? 4. Can you think of any other ways that creatures might evolve and adapt to their environment?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: How Little John Joined Robin Hood
The Hath's Agile Allegiance: A Tale of Art and Triumph Over Corruption.
A Hath leads his knights on a quest to defeat a wicked witch exploiting their kingdom, using an ancient art to triumph over corruption.
Talk about it 1. What did the wicked witch do to the people of the kingdom? 2. How did the Hath overcome the obstacles on his quest to defeat the witch? 3. What was the ancient art used by the Hath to defeat the witch? 4. Why was the Hath hailed as a hero after defeating the witch? 5. What lesson does the story teach about exploiting the weak and corruption?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: In the Name of Discovery
The Enchanted Island Adventure of Captain Apprehension and the Prehistoric Mastodons.
Captain Apprehension and his crew discover a friendly and playful prehistoric mastodon community while searching for the ultimate treasure on an enchanted island.
Talk about it 1. Why did Captain Apprehension feel apprehensive about sailing to the enchanted island? 2. What did the crew expect to find on the island? 3. How did the mastodons behave when the pirates arrived? 4. What did the pirates discover on their adventure? 5. Why was the adventure with the mastodons so much fun for the pirates?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Jazz Greats
Benny the Innovator and the Plantation Jam Session
A little innovator named Benny and his friends use their creativity and spontaneity to make music on a plantation, with hilarious consequences.
Talk about it 1. What did Benny and his friends use to make music on the plantation? 2. How did Benny's friend, the rooster, contribute to the music? 3. What was the reaction of the other animals and plants to the music? 4. Why did Benny and his friends remember to bring quarters next time? 5. What do you think Benny and his friends will play next time they make music together?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Laura Ingalls Wilder A Pioneers Life
Prairie's Vivid Discovery: The Tale of the Rainbow Horses
Prairie discovers a magical land filled with vivid rainbow horses and becomes the pioneer of this new world.
Talk about it 1. What did Prairie discover on her prairie? 2. What was unusual about the horses she found? 3. How did Prairie feel when she saw the rainbow horses for the first time? 4. How did Prairie become known as a pioneer? 5. Can you think of any other adventures Prairie might have had in the vivid rainbow horse land?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Life in Space
Zero-Gravity Mishap: The Story of Yuri the Prepared Cosmonaut
A forgetful cosmonaut named Yuri learns to be prepared during a zero-gravity mishap on the space station.
Talk about it 1. Why was it important for Yuri to check his nozzle before his spacewalk? 2. Why was Mission Control unable to help Yuri with his nozzle problem? 3. How did Yuri feel about the other cosmonauts laughing at him? 4. What did Yuri learn from this experience? 5. Why is it important to be prepared for spacewalks?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Mexicos Fight for Independence
The Ant Republic: A Tale of Compromise and Unity
A group of ants from diverse backgrounds create a republic through compromise and celebrate their unity with a fiesta.
Talk about it 1. What do you think would have happened if the ants didn't reach a compromise? 2. Why was it important for the ants to celebrate their differences? 3. How does the story of the Ant Republic show the importance of unity and cooperation? 4. Can you think of other ways the ants could have solved their conflict without going to war?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Mirroring Miranda
The Enraptured Planet: A Science Fiction Cautionary Tale
A spacecraft named Endeavor lands on a strange planet and learns an allegory about the dangers of climate change.
Talk about it 1. What do you think the planet represents in the story? 2. Why did Endeavor become enraptured by the planet? 3. How does the weather on the planet symbolize something real-world? 4. What lesson did Endeavor learn about protecting the environment? 5. Can you think of any other cautionary tales about the environment that you know of?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Mysterious Caves
Sam's Adventure in the Lava Tube Chamber
A spelunker's adventure in an underground lava tube leads to a wild ride on a growing stalagmite.
Talk about it 1. What was the spelunker's name? 2. Why was he exploring the underground cave? 3. What happened when the drapery collapsed? 4. How did the stalagmite help Sam? 5. What did Sam learn from his adventure?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Natural Wonders of the World
The Summer Splash War
The Summer Splash War" follows geologist Dr. Rocks and Sherpa Tashi as they discover a playful polyp in a plunge pool and have a splash war with it every summer.
Talk about it - What is the role of Dr. Rocks in the story? - Who is Tashi and how does he help Dr. Rocks in the story? - What happened when Dr. Rocks tried to grab the polyp? - Why did Dr. Rocks and Tashi visit the plunge pool every summer after their first visit? - Can you think of another fun activity that Dr. Rocks and Tashi could do with the polyp?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Prehistoric Trade
The Trading of Tales: A Prehistoric Adventure
An archaeologist trades writing down a prehistoric tribe's oral history for some copper tools, leading to the passing down of their unique stories from generation to generation.
Talk about it 1. Why did the tribe agree to trade their stories with the archaeologist? 2. What did the tribe learn from the written stories? 3. How do you think the tribe's history changed after it was written down? 4. How do you think oral history is important to a community? 5. If you were part of the prehistoric tribe, what story would you want to be written down and shared with future generations?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary V: Razor and the Wolves
The Adventures of the Improvised Barrel
An improvised barrel and its contents signal for search and rescue using a GPS device and an igniter, leading to adventures in a far-off land of glaciers and gullies.
Talk about it 1. What was in the barrel when it fell into the gully? 2. How did the contents of the barrel signal for help? 3. What did the brave spotter think when he saw the barrel? 4. How did the contents of the barrel find their way home after being rescued? 5. Can you think of a different ending for the story?
Open reading