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 Y: Frederick Douglass Forever Free
The Articulate Fugitive: A Civil Rights Tale
A fugitive named Arti becomes an advocate for civil rights through their newfound articulation skills and a memorable inaugural address.
Talk about it 1. What inspired Arti to become an advocate for civil rights? 2. How did the editor help Arti become articulate? 3. Why did the king sign the amendment into law? 4. What was Arti's role in the movement for civil rights?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Gems Treasures from the Earth
The Nacre's Sparkling Adventure
A nacre learns about a cultured organic gem and turns it into a beautiful necklace with the help of a gemologist and lapidary.
Talk about it 1. What was the nacre's biggest discovery in the ocean? 2. How did the gemologist explain how the crystal was formed? 3. Why did the nacre want to keep the crystal? 4. How did the lapidary turn the crystal into a beautiful necklace? 5. How did the sea creature react when he saw the asterism from the crystal?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Golf
Speedy's Simulator Adventure: From Amateur to Pro
A professional race car driver learns an important lesson about the importance of practice and preparation after training on a unique simulator.
Talk about it 1. Why did Speedy only race against other professionals at first? 2. How did the simulator help Speedy in his racing career? 3. What was the big lesson that Speedy learned from the tournament? 4. What did Speedy do to make sure he was prepared for future races? 5. Do you think Speedy would have been successful without the simulator? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Goliath Beetles Giant Insects
The Solitary Scarab's Metamorphosis: A Tale of an Elusive Species and a Determined Entomologist
A solitary scarab beetle's metamorphosis from larval stage to adulthood is observed and studied by a determined entomologist, becoming famous as the greatest naturalist of all time.
Talk about it - What was the entomologist trying to do in the jungle? - Why was the scarab beetle elusive? - How did the beetle change in the laboratory? - What made the entomologist famous? - What do you think happened to the scarab beetle after it transformed?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Hockey
Title: "Max the Safety Champion
Max, a passionate and proficient soccer player, becomes the hero of the game by using his skills to neutralize a safety issue on the field and impresses the referee.
Talk about it 1. How does Max feel about committing an infraction in the soccer game? 2. What does Max do when the safety facilities malfunction on the field? 3. Why is Max declared the hero of the game by the referee? 4. How does Max's passion for soccer help him during the situation? 5. Can you think of a situation where you could use your skills to help others?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Hungry Right Here
Lily's Mission: Fighting Hunger in Her Community
A young girl named Lily starts a campaign to raise awareness about poverty and the food stamp program in her town, successfully making a positive impact on families in need.
Talk about it 1. Why did Lily start her campaign to raise awareness about poverty and food assistance? 2. What did Lily do to educate people about the recent epidemic of poverty in her town? 3. How did Lily's efforts make a positive impact on families in need in her community? 4. What can we learn from Lily's story about making a difference in our own communities?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: In Hucks Shoes
The Brave Bow and the Betraying Stern
A bow named Bow protects the sandbar from a treacherous stern in "The Brave Bow and the Betraying Stern.
Talk about it 1. Why was Bow chosen for the responsibility of protecting the sandbar? 2. What did Bow see that was eerie? 3. How did Bow defeat the stern? 4. What did Bow learn about responsibility? 5. How do you think Bow felt when he was hailed as a hero?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: India
The Sacred Stream and the Silly Dance
Friends journey to find the source of a sacred river, causing the giant to stop crying and turn his tears into a symbol of friendship and joy for all creatures in the land.
Talk about it 1. What was the goal of the bird, monkey, and fish? 2. How did the friends make the giant stop crying? 3. Why was the river sacred before the friends' adventure? 4. What does the clear stream symbolize at the end of the story? 5. What message does this story convey about friendship and joy?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Jonas Salk
The Polio Strain Superhero: A Quarantine Tale
A little boy turns the idea of getting a vaccine against the Polio Strain into a quest to become a superhero.
Talk about it 1. What made the boy afraid of getting the vaccine? 2. How did the scientist react to the boy's fear? 3. What did the boy learn about being healthy and immune to diseases? 4. How is being healthy like being a superhero?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Kenya
Ellie the Elephant's Ivory Adventure: A Sanctuary Story
An elephant named Ellie leads a migration of elephants to a sanctuary but faces poachers, who are tricked into becoming protectors through a performance using ivory tusks.
Talk about it 1. What was Ellie's adventure about? 2. Where did Ellie and the other elephants go during their migration? 3. Why did the elephants have ivory tusks? 4. What was the problem they faced at the sanctuary? 5. How did Ellie help solve the problem?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Laura Ingalls Wilder A Pioneers Life
The Pioneer's Props: A Tale of Hardship and Prosperity.
A pioneer named Props turns a stroke of luck into a successful publishing career despite the hardships of prairie life.
Talk about it - What was Props' dream? - Why was life on the prairie full of hardships? - What happened when Props fished in the river? - How did Props use the golden coin to become a publisher? - What did Props build in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Leaving Home
The Chef's Secret Ingredient
A chef named Gloss finds the perfect ingredients for his dishes through a journey filled with laughter and friendship.
Talk about it 1. Why was Gloss always detached from his food? 2. What did Gloss find on his journey that made his dishes savory? 3. How did Gloss get the spices from the guarded tree? 4. What happened to Gloss after he found the secret ingredient? 5. Why did the dragon become friends with Gloss?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Marco Polo and the Silk Road
The King's Mysterious Memoir Quest
A king embarks on a quest to find the author of a mysterious memoir and learns a lesson in humility through encounters with a mischievous imp.
Talk about it 1. What was the king looking for on his quest? 2. Who did the king meet during his journey? 3. What did the king learn from the wise wizard? 4. Why was the story called "The King's Mysterious Memoir Quest"? 5. How did the king feel at the end of the story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Meegor and the Master
The Beanstalk Experiment: A Scientific Adventure for Kids
A group of curious kids use the scientific method to predict the height of a beanstalk and reach a conclusion based on their observations.
Talk about it 1. What was the hypothesis the kids formulated in the story? 2. How did the kids prove their hypothesis about the growth of the beanstalk? 3. What did the kids conclude based on their observations? 4. How does the scientific method help the kids in their experiment? 5. Can you think of another experiment you can conduct using the scientific method?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Mexico
Juan's Adventure in the Ring of Fire Basin
A conquistador discovers a ruin surrounded by a Ring of Fire and an aqueduct in a jungle with indigenous people, but when he falls into the basin he realizes it's an active volcano and flees.
Talk about it 1. Why did Juan slip and fall into the basin? 2. What did Juan discover about the Ring of Fire? 3. Why did Juan never go back to the ruin again? 4. What would you have done if you were Juan?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Miltie Mathhead Football Hero
The Perpendicular Quarterback: A Tale of Physics and Self-Confidence
A parallel universe quarterback, Tim, improves his skills using physics and self-confidence, leading his team to victory despite the odds.
Talk about it 1. How did Tim feel about his competitor's doubts? 2. How did Tim use physics to improve his football skills? 3. What happened in the game when the odds were against Tim? 4. What is the importance of self-confidence in this story? 5. What made Tim the greatest quarterback in the parallel universe?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Miltie Mathhead Takes the Mound
The Magic of Numbers: A Fun and Creative Adventure
A group of mathematicians find the solution to their problem with the help of a magical number fairy who transforms decimals into fun creatures.
Talk about it - What is a denominator in a fraction? - How did the mathematicians feel when they first encountered their problem? - How did the number fairy help the mathematicians solve their problem? - Why is it important to have fun with numbers? - Can you think of a time when you had to use math to solve a problem?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Neil deGrasse Tyson Star Man
Stella's Debris Debate: A Planetarium Adventure in Astronomy and Physics
The planets and stars come together for a debate about debris from a supernova explosion and learn to work together and enjoy their study of astronomy and physics.
Talk about it -What was the debate about in the planetarium? -What did the planets learn about the debris from the supernova? -Why did the planets and stars start to work together? -What is the importance of working together and having fun while learning about astronomy and physics?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Odysseus and the Bag of Winds
Timmy the Brave Sailor: A Masterpiece at the Helm
A young mortal named Timmy builds a masterpiece boat and endures treacherous seas to become a master of the helm.
Talk about it 1. What did Timmy do when his boat capsized? 2. How did Timmy feel when he completed his masterpiece boat? 3. What did the voice of the Captain of the Seas say to Timmy? 4. Why was Timmy proud and accomplished in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Plate Tectonics
The Mantle, Core, and Crust's Magma Adventure
The mantle, core, and crust work together to create new land through plate tectonics and magma.
Talk about it - What is plate tectonics and how does it relate to the story? - Why did the mantle let out a loud burp? - How did the core of the Earth contribute to the creation of new land in the story? - What was the role of magma in the story? - What happened when the plates started to grind against each other along a fault line?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Pocahontas at Jamestown
The Ransom of the Algonquian Symbol: A Tale of Negotiation and Settlement
A wealthy investor starts a colony with the help of a ransom but realizes the importance of rebuilding relationships with the local society to create a thriving settlement.
Talk about it 1. Why did the Algonquian Society not agree with the investor's plans at first? 2. Why did the investor ransom the society's symbol? 3. How did the investor rebuild his relationship with the Algonquian society? 4. What do you think the symbol in the story represents? 5. What lesson did the investor learn about starting a colony?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Prehistoric Giants Other Than Dinosaurs
Herbivores to the Rescue: A Prehistoric Era Adventure
Herbivores protect their habitat and prevent extinction of species in their era.
Talk about it - Why did the herbivores become sad? - How did they find out why the amphibian became extinct? - What did the herbivores decide to do? - Why is it important to protect habitats?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Protests and Uprisings
The Freedom Land Revolution
The people of Freedom Land overthrow a dictatorship and establish a new government based on communist principles and checks and balances.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people of Freedom Land protest? 2. Why was the dictatorship not listening to the people's voices? 3. What did the people of Freedom Land do to gain their independence? 4. How did the new government ensure no one person had too much power? 5. What happened in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Y: Robin Hood Wins the Sheriffs Golden Arrow
The Knave's Dire Deception
A mischievous knave's elaborate scheme to sell fake jewelry under the guise of a wealthy merchant leads to his downfall.
Talk about it 1. Why did the knave disguise himself as a wealthy merchant? 2. How did the townspeople react when they found out about the knave's scheme? 3. What is the moral of the story? 4. What could have happened if the real merchants didn't catch the knave? 5. How can you tell if someone is being truthful or hiding something?
Open reading