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 X: Money Money Money
The Circulation of Kindness: A Tale of Bartering and Counterfeit Currency.
A village replaces its counterfeit coin currency with the circulation of kindness and generosity, putting a stop to the counterfeiter's scheme.
Talk about it 1. What did the villagers use as currency before the counterfeiter came to town? 2. Why did the villagers start using their own abilities and skills as currency? 3. How did the villagers feel about the new currency of kindness and generosity? 4. What happened to the counterfeiter in the end? 5. Why do you think it's important to be kind and helpful to others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Ostriches Giant Birds
The Dominant Dino's Savanna Adventure
A dominant omnivore dinosaur learns to adapt and become the king of the savanna after being tricked into thinking it was too hostile for him to live in.
Talk about it 1. Why were the other dinosaurs afraid of the new dinosaur? 2. How did the other dinosaurs trick the new dinosaur into leaving the savanna? 3. What did the new dinosaur realize when he saw the other dinosaurs grazing on the savanna? 4. How did the new dinosaur show the other dinosaurs that he was not afraid of them? 5. What did the new dinosaur become after he returned to the savanna?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Roots of Rap
The Mouse and the Amplifier: A Story of Poverty, Culture, and the Power of Music".
A poor mouse's love of music and passion for spreading a message of hope through his music overcomes financial difficulties and the loss of an amplifier.
Talk about it 1. What was the main character's dream? 2. Why was the amplifier important to the mouse? 3. How did the mouse feel when the amplifier was defaced? 4. Why did the mouse continue to perform music even after the loss of the amplifier? 5. What message did the mouse spread through his music?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Rosalind Franklins Beautiful Twist
The Laughter Cure: A Tale of Complex Cells and Atoms
A complex cell named Celia discovers the cure to her cancer gene through laughter and fun with atoms.
Talk about it 1. How did Celia discover she had a cancer gene? 2. What was the cure for Celia's cancer gene? 3. Why did Celia go on a quest to find a cure? 4. Who did Celia meet on her quest? 5. What was the power of laughter and fun in curing problems?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Rosalind Franklins Beautiful Twist2
The Molecular Magician: A Virus Adventure
A young scientist's inadequate scholarship leads to a revolutionary discovery when a virus he created changes DNA structures and turns his lab into funny shapes.
Talk about it 1. What was the young scientist's name in the story? 2. What was the scientist's theory about a virus? 3. What happened in the scientist's lab when he conducted his experiment? 4. What did the industry think of the scientist's discovery? 5. What was the scientist's nickname after his discovery?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Saved by the Stars
The Brave Navigator: Exhausted's Night Vision Adventure
A lost horse named Exhausted discovers his night vision and becomes the Brave Navigator in the land of Shale.
Talk about it -How did Exhausted feel before he discovered his night vision? -Why was Exhausted proud of himself after discovering his night vision? -What was the name of the land where Exhausted lived? -What happened to Exhausted's reins in the forest?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Saving the Salmon
The Great Fish Migration Adventure
Young fish successfully migrate to a safer habitat and teach humans an important lesson through their adventurous journey.
Talk about it 1. Why did the fish have to migrate from their original stream? 2. How did the young fish save their species from the predator? 3. What did the humans learn from the fish? 4. What happened at the end of the story and how did the fish thrive in their new habitat? 5. Can you think of some other ways humans and animals can coexist and help each other?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Seeds of Revolution
The Mischievous Colonists and their Banned Allies
The colonists, in debt and facing banishment, team up with banned allies to cause mischief and live happily ever after.
Talk about it 1. Why did the delegate call for a big event? 2. Who joined forces with the colonists during the protest? 3. How did the colonists and their allies react to being banished? 4. What lesson can we learn from the story about debt and protests?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Seeds of Revolution(1)
The Tax-Dodging Revolution of Foxo and Friends
A group of animals led by a clever fox, Foxo, protests high taxes by pretending to be asleep and successfully avoiding them, leading to a tax-dodging revolution.
Talk about it 1. Why did the animals protest against paying taxes? 2. What was Foxo's plan to avoid paying taxes? 3. How did the animals celebrate their victory? 4. Do you think it is fair that the animals didn't have to pay taxes? 5. Can you think of another solution that the animals could have used to solve their problem with taxes?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Seeds of Revolution2
The Banishment to Allies: A Humorous Tale of Colonists, Militia and Parliament.
A group of colonists who were banished by a powerful militia become allies with them through the power of laughter and establish a prosperous new settlement.
Talk about it -What was the colonists' problem at the beginning of the story? -Why did the colonists send a delegate to Parliament? -How did the colonists and the militia become allies? -What was the result of the colonists and the militia becoming allies? -What do you think would have happened if the delegate didn't tell a funny joke?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Seeing the Evidence Forensic Scientists at Work
The Tiny Thief and the Detective's Discovery
A detective solves a robbery case with the help of fingerprints and an eyewitness, discovering the culprit to be a tiny thief mouse.
Talk about it 1. Who was the main character in the story? 2. What was the evidence that helped solve the crime? 3. Who testified at the trial? 4. What did the detective learn from this case? 5. Who was the suspect in the story? 6. Where did the detective discover the fingerprints?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Soccer
The Ant with the Formidable Endurance
A little ant named Avid sets a new standard for his colony by winning an endurance competition and fostering future generations with his exceptional performance.
Talk about it 1. What was the goal of the endurance competition in the story? 2. Who was Avid and what was special about him? 3. Why was Avid determined to win the competition? 4. How did Avid's performance impact the other ants in the colony? 5. Why was the colony administrator impressed with Avid's performance?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Takehitos Tango
Benny the Clumsy Bear’s Awkward Performance: A Tale of Talent and Rhythm
A clumsy bear named Benny overcomes his awkwardness to perform beautifully in a talent show, discovering that being awkward can lead to unexpected and funny moments.
Talk about it 1. Why did Benny feel nervous before his performance? 2. How did Benny find the rhythm during his performance? 3. What did Benny realize in the end about being awkward? 4. If you were a spectator, how would you have felt watching Benny's performance? 5. Can you think of a time when you were awkward and what happened?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: Talking to Each Other
The Adventures of Cammy the Camouflaged Caterpillar, The Sorry Grasshopper and The Wise Owl
A radioactive caterpillar, a disappointed grasshopper, and a wise owl journey together to bring peace to a village by using their unique abilities and wisdom.
Talk about it 1. Why was the grasshopper feeling disappointed? 2. How did the caterpillar help the grasshopper feel better? 3. What advice did the owl give the grasshopper? 4. How did the friends bring peace to the village? 5. What did you learn from the story about apologizing and solving problems?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Algonquins
Ally the Brave: The Adventures of an Anthropologist and Her Ancestral Musket
A young anthropologist named Ally uses an ancestral musket to defend an ancient stronghold from bandits and becomes a hero.
Talk about it 1. What did Ally learn about her ancestral heritage in the story? 2. What was the significance of the musket in the story? 3. Why did the bandits want to steal the musket? 4. How did Ally show bravery in the story? 5. Who told Ally stories about the stronghold and the musket?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Amazing Amazon
The Adventure of the Different Piranha Bird
A resident parrot helps a different species of bird, a piranha, find a place to call home in the jungle.
Talk about it 1. What did Polly discover in the jungle? 2. Why did the piranha bird need Polly's help? 3. How did Polly and the piranha bird find a place for it to live? 4. How did Polly feel about finding a new friend? 5. What did the story teach us about being different?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Amazing Amazon2
Max the Prehensile DJ: The Unsuspecting Jungle Entertainer
A prehensile monkey named Max becomes the life of the jungle party by using a megaphone he found to host dance parties every weekend.
Talk about it 1. What was the mysterious object Max found in the jungle? 2. How did Max become known as the 'Jungle DJ'? 3. Why were the jungle animals amazed by Max's voice? 4. What was Max's favorite thing to do with his megaphone? 5. What does prehensile mean?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Amazing Undersea Food Web
Phoebe the Fragile Anemone: A Tale of Embracing Differences in the Aphotic Zone
A fragile anemone in the aphotic zone learns to embrace her unique qualities and have a blast doing it through a dance party.
Talk about it 1. Why did Phoebe feel left out at first? 2. What did the wise old crab tell Phoebe? 3. How did Phoebe feel after she learned to embrace her differences? 4. Why is being different special? 5. What did the sea creatures do at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Amazing Undersea Food Web2
Phyto and the Zooplankton's Ocean Adventure
A tiny phytoplankton named Phyto and a group of zooplankton embark on a journey to explore the ocean depths, lighting up the water with their bioluminescence.
Talk about it - What is bioluminescence and how does Phyto use it? - Why did the zooplankton live in the disphotic zone instead of the euphotic zone? - How did Phyto produce chlorophyll and what was its purpose? - What happened when Phyto and the zooplankton reached the euphotic zone? - Do you think the zooplankton learned anything from Phyto on their journey?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Eruption of Mount Shasta
Aspire's Musical Adventure on the Mountain
A composer named Aspire gets lost on a mountain during an avalanche and uses his music to guide himself back to safety, becoming famous in the process.
Talk about it - What did Aspire do when he got lost on the mountain? - How did Aspire use his music to help him get back to safety? - How did Aspire become famous in the village? - Do you think you would have been as creative as Aspire if you were in his situation? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Eruption of Mount Shasta2
The Pumice-Bringing Dragon: A Story of Irony and Transformation
A young dragon learns to channel his destructive habit into a positive force through therapy and creates a surge cloud that rains pumice, becoming known as the "Pumice-Bringing Dragon.
Talk about it 1. How does Blaze feel about his habit of spewing fire? 2. What does the therapy dragon suggest Blaze do to help control his temper? 3. What does Blaze come up with to channel his energy into something positive? 4. How does Blaze become known in the faraway land? 5. What is the irony in Blaze's transformation from a destructive dragon to the "Pumice-Bringing Dragon"?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Genius of Tesla
Sparky the Electricity Balloon Man: A Tale of Energy, Experimentation, and Inventiveness
An engineer named Sparky creates an energy generator that produces too much electricity and finds a creative solution to release the excess energy by connecting it to a balloon.
Talk about it 1. What was Sparky's job? 2. How did Sparky's experiment with electricity go wrong? 3. How did Sparky solve the problem with his generator? 4. What happened to Sparky's invention after he solved the problem? 5. What lesson did Sparky learn from this experience?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Gettysburg Address
The Devoted Describer: A Story of Friendship and Laughter
A little bird named Tweet devotes a day to describing the good in their friends, leading to a hilarious and joyful event.
Talk about it 1. Why did Tweet want to plan an event? 2. How did Tweet feel before the event started? 3. What did Tweet do to show their devotion to their friends? 4. How did Tweet's friends react to the event? 5. What did Tweet become known for after the event?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary X: The Internet
Max the Modem's Internet Adventure
A modem named Max goes on an adventure to learn about the different parts of the Internet, and discovers the importance of each part along the way.
Talk about it 1. What was Max's job? 2. Who did Max meet on his adventure and what did he learn from him? 3. Why were the bits upset? 4. What did Max explain to the bits about their importance in the Internet? 5. How did Max feel about being a modem after his adventure?
Open reading