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 Z: Influenza
The Germs' Misadventures in the Host's Body
A group of germs mutate into a virus to cause harm to their host, but fail, and turn their attention to other microorganisms.
Talk about it 1. What did the germs want to do when they first lived in the host's body? 2. Why did the germs mutate into a virus? 3. Did the germs succeed in causing harm to the host after they mutated? 4. What did the germs do when they realized they couldn't harm the host? 5. Who did the germs start causing trouble for after they couldn't harm the host?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Japan
Shogun's Journey to Enlightenment
A Shogun learns the power of Buddhism after surviving a tsunami and typhoon, leading him to become a monk and live a peaceful life.
Talk about it - What does the Shogun learn about Buddhism? - Why did the Shogun decide to become a monk? - How was the shrine protected during the typhoon and tsunami? - Who lived a happy life after the typhoon and tsunami?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Lacrosse
The Agile Spirit's Maneuver
A young member of an indigenous tribe uses his agility and spiritual abilities to maneuver his way back to preserving his heritage, saving the tribe's traditions.
Talk about it 1. Can you describe the young member's journey in the story? 2. What was the significance of the cradle made of feathers? 3. Why did the young member gravitate towards the mainstream way of life? 4. How did the young member preserve the tribe's traditions?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: M Is for Mexico
The Conquistador and the Colony of the Century
A brave conquistador named Juan conquers a lost civilization ruled by mischievous monkeys and becomes the ruler of the empire.
Talk about it 1. What is the name of the conquistador in the story? 2. What was the name of the ancient civilization that Juan discovered? 3. Who ruled the Colony of the Century before Juan? 4. How did Juan become the ruler of the empire? 5. What happened to the monkeys who used to rule the Colony of the Century?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Microbes Friend or Foe
The Adventures of Microbe: A Tale of Immunity and Resistance
A tiny organism named Microbe fights off a disease with the help of his immune system after learning to stay active and eat healthy.
Talk about it 1. What was Microbe’s disease caused by? 2. What was the solution to Microbe's illness? 3. How did Microbe recover from his illness? 4. What did Microbe learn about staying healthy? 5. Why did the virus never mess with Microbe again?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Native Americans of the Great Plains
The Adventures of Buffalo Bill: A Bison's Bounty Hunt
Buffalo Bill, a cheerful and adventurous bison, outwits a tribe of nomadic Indians to escape with a bounty of gold found on a reservation and becomes the richest and most legendary bison in the prairies.
Talk about it 1. What was Buffalo Bill's mission in the prairies? 2. How did Buffalo Bill and the prospector find the gold? 3. Why did the nomadic Indians let Buffalo Bill go with the bounty? 4. How did Buffalo Bill become famous in the prairies? 5. What would you have done if you were in Buffalo Bill's place?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Prairies Alive
The Drought-Proof Ecosystem
A community of diverse species come together to overcome a drought and thrive in their ecosystem by sharing food and resources.
Talk about it -What did the herbivores and carnivores do to help each other during the drought? -What was the impact of their interactions on the ecosystem? -What did Ratty suggest that helped improve the situation for all the animals? -Why is it important for different species to work together?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Private Spaceships
Robby the Robotic King of the Candy Planets
Robby, a robotic dreamer, builds a satellite to fly into orbit, eventually becoming the king of a candy planet kingdom.
Talk about it 1. What was Robby's dream? 2. What did Robby forget when he flew to his destination? 3. What did Robby find in the end? 4. Why did Robby stay on the candy planet forever? 5. What did Robby become known as?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Robin Hood and the King
The Brave Friar Fortune and the Benevolent Sovereign King
A corrupt king is outsmarted by a brave friar who steals bounty for the people and becomes a hero, leading the king to realize the importance of honesty and fairness.
Talk about it 1. What was Friar Fortune's conviction? 2. Why did the king let Friar Fortune go after he was caught stealing the bounty? 3. What did the king learn from his encounter with Friar Fortune? 4. Do you think the king's actions were fair or not fair before he met Friar Fortune? Why? 5. What do you think is the most important lesson from this story?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Satellites
The Satellite Squad's Galactic Adventure
Three satellites, Comm-Sat, Astro-Sat, and Weather-Sat, team up on a mission to explore the galaxy and overcome a challenge with gravity.
Talk about it 1. Who were the three satellites in the story and what were their names? 2. What was the challenge the satellites faced on their journey? 3. How did Comm-Sat, Astro-Sat, and Weather-Sat overcome the challenge of gravity? 4. What do you think the satellites will discover on their next adventure?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Sergeant Stubby
Sargent the Brave: A Canine Hero of World War I
Sargent, the small but brave dog mascot of a World War I regiment, shows bravery during battle and becomes a hero honored with a statue.
Talk about it 1. Why was Sargent important to the soldiers in the trench? 2. How did Sargent help during the battle? 3. How did the soldiers pay tribute to Sargent? 4. What makes Sargent a hero?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: So You Want To Go To Mars
The Gravity-Defying Hydroponic Adventure
Aliens embark on a journey to find a new habitat, stumble upon a planet with strong gravity and hydroponic plants, and ultimately successfully adapt and create a colony.
Talk about it 1. Why did the aliens leave their original planet? 2. What was special about the new planet with strong gravity? 3. What did the aliens do to make sure they could eat the hydroponic plants? 4. What is hydroponic technology and how does it work? 5. Why was it a feat for the aliens to adapt to the gravity on the new planet?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Success Stories
The Legacy of Kindness in the Ghetto
A group of humanitarian workers help inspire a community in a ghetto to emigrate, leaving behind a legacy of kindness that even a dictator can learn from.
Talk about it 1. What did the humanitarian workers bring to the ghetto? 2. Why did the dictator become angry with the workers? 3. Why did the people of the ghetto emigrate? 4. What was the legacy the people wanted to leave behind? 5. Did the dictator change his ways in the end? Why or why not? 6. Do you think kindness is a powerful weapon? Why or why not?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Symbiotic Wildlife
Buzz the Brave: The Adventure to Save the Jungle
A tiny insect named Buzz saves the jungle by finding a refuge for vulnerable plants and defeating a mean parasite.
Talk about it 1. Why did Buzz decide to find a solution to the problem in the jungle? 2. How did Buzz help the vulnerable plants in the jungle? 3. What does "interdependent" mean in the story? 4. Why was Buzz considered the hero of the jungle? 5. How did the plants benefit from Buzz's actions in the end?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: Telescopes Eyes on Space
Emit's Adventure in the Sky: A Tale of a Radio Telescope and an Optical Telescope
Emit, a radio telescope, gets help from an optical telescope to fix its concave receiver with an amplifier and hears the stars loud and clear.
Talk about it 1. Why did Emit have trouble hearing the stars? 2. What did the optical telescope notice about Emit's receiver? 3. What did the optical telescope do to help Emit hear the stars better? 4. How did Emit feel after getting help from the optical telescope?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Black Stones
The Magic of the Obsidian Talisman
Two siblings discover the power of a mysterious obsidian talisman and learn about seeing the world from different perspectives.
Talk about it 1. What did Max and Lily learn from their experience with the obsidian talisman? 2. How did their perspective change after using the talisman? 3. What do you think would have happened if Max never found the talisman? 4. What would you have wished for if you had the magic talisman?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Cheyennes
Solstice Magic: The Shaman's Ordeal
A shaman saves a destitute tribe by performing a solstice dance that brings balance back to their land.
Talk about it - Why did the tribe face an ordeal? - What did the shaman do to help the tribe? - How did the tribe feel when they saw the herd of animals and the rain started to fall? - Do you think the shaman's magic was real or just a coincidence?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Ides of March
The Aristocrat's Tickle Plan: A Tale of Tyranny and Liberation
A daring plan to overthrow a cruel dictator by tickling him leads to the liberation of a kingdom and the rise of a new ruler.
Talk about it 1. Why did the people need to be liberated? 2. How did the omen predict the fall of the tyrant? 3. What was the aristocrat's plan to defeat the dictator? 4. Why did the people choose the aristocrat as their new ruler? 5. Do you think tickling can be a powerful tool for change?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Message
The Pungent Prankster: The Tale of Stinky's Alias
A skunk named Stinky who wanted to be famous for his pungent smell, fabricated a story about his abilities, but was caught by the other animals and revealed his true identity as the prankster Sneaky.
Talk about it 1. Why do you think Stinky wanted to be famous for his pungent smell? 2. What did the other animals do when they found out Stinky's story was fabricated? 3. What was Stinky's real name, and why did he use an alias? 4. Have you ever tried to fabricate a story to impress others? 5. How do you think Stinky felt when he was caught as Sneaky?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Mystery of King Tut
The Pharoah's Protruding Nose: A Mummy's Tale
A pharaoh wants to be depicted beautifully in his mummification, but his protruding nose leads to a surprising story about his beliefs and dynasty.
Talk about it 1. Why did the pharaoh want to be mummified? 2. How did the embalmer depict the pharaoh? 3. What did the archaeologist find in the pharaoh's tomb? 4. Why was the pharaoh's protruding nose important to him? 5. What did the archaeologist learn about the pharaoh's dynasty?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Nobel Prize
The Engineer Who Changed the Taliban's Minds
A brilliant engineer uses his knowledge of physiology to convince the Taliban to support education and builds the greatest school with a combination of physics, economics, and physiology.
Talk about it 1. Why was Billy invited to join the committee? 2. What was the controversy about and who was against education? 3. How did Billy convince the Taliban to support education? 4. What subjects were taught at the school that Billy built? 5. Why is it important to learn about physics, economics, and physiology?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Olympics Past and Present
The Archaeologist's Daring Procession
A determined archaeologist proves his worth in a symbolic procession despite false accusations of cheating and interference from Nazis.
Talk about it 1. Why did the Nazis show up at the procession? 2. What was Dr. Dig's motto after passing the steroid test? 3. What lesson did Dr. Dig teach the competitors and the Nazis? 4. What does the story teach us about determination and hard work?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Queens Loss Part II
The Laughter of the Formidable Bird
A group of animals on a small island learn the importance of laughter in times of trouble, thanks to the gesture of a formidable bird.
Talk about it - Why did the animals need to escape from the island? - How did the giant bird help the animals? - What lesson did the animals learn from the giant bird's gesture? - Why was laughter important on the island? - What would you do if you were in the same situation as the animals?
Open reading -
Story RAZ Vocabulary Z: The Zoo of Extinct Animals
The Silly Adventures of Biggie Bunny: A Conservation Story
The Silly Adventures of Biggie Bunny: A Conservation Story" is about a group of conservationists who work to save the extinct Funny Bunnies and turn their silly antics into a popular media sensation through captive breeding and monitoring.
Talk about it 1. What is the main problem in the story? 2. How did the conservationists help save the Funny Bunnies? 3. Who is Biggie Bunny and why is he special? 4. How did the Funny Bunnies become famous? 5. Why was it important to save the Funny Bunnies from becoming extinct?
Open reading