Storytown Grade 5 Lesson 6 - KCSD Staff Pages

CONTENTS Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Learn how authors include themes in stories.

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Read, write, and learn the meanings of new words.

“The Night of San Juan” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 by Lulu Delacre • illustrated by Josée Masse

• Learn the features of realistic fiction. • Learn how to ask questions about the author’s message.

“Tejano Conjunto Festival” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 by Kathleen D. Lindsey

Read about a music festival that happens every year in Texas.

Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 • Compare texts. • Review vocabulary. • Reread for fluency. • Write a short story.

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Genr e:

s t ic Re a li

Fic t ion

Genr e: Pho t o Ess ay

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Theme All stories have a theme, or message, that runs through them. A story’s theme is not usually stated directly. The reader may determine the theme of a story by looking at the characters’ qualities and motives and the way in which they respond to plot conflicts. Readers should look for the message about life that the author wants to give them.

Character’s Qualities

Character’s Motives

Character’s Actions

Theme

Look for the conflicts in the story. The characters’ reactions to problems may provide clues to the theme.

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Read the paragraph below. Then look at the graphic organizer. Note the ways in which Carolina’s personality, motives, and actions contribute to the theme of the paragraph. Carolina had never left San Juan, Puerto Rico, and now her family was packing up to move to the United States. Her parents assured Carolina that before long, she would feel right at home in Denver, Colorado. Carolina didn’t see how. Denver would be nothing like San Juan. There was no ocean nearby, and it snowed there. It never snowed in San Juan. Instead of starting to pack her things, Carolina went out for a walk.

Character’s Qualities worried, sad

Character’s Motives does not want to accept her new home, Colorado

Character’s Actions Carolina goes for a walk instead of packing her things.

Theme Moving to a new place can be scary.

Try This Look back at the paragraph. How would the theme be different if Carolina were excited about the move to Denver?

www.harcourtschool.com/storytown

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Build Robust Vocabulary

The Birthday Piñata wistful grateful irresistible revelers grim raspy swarmed

When Maria arrived at her friend Arturo’s birthday party, she noticed a colorful piñata hanging outside. “I wonder if I can stay long enough to help break it,” she told Arturo with a wistful sigh. “My mom is picking me up early.” “I’ll ask Dad if we can do it now,” said Arturo. “Oh, thank you!” Maria was grateful that her friend wasn’t going to let her miss the fun. She imagined the inside of the piñata, stuffed full of irresistible treats. Arturo went to talk to his dad, and soon Maria heard Arturo’s father calling the birthday revelers into the dining room.

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Juliana was the first to take a turn. She put on a blindfold and grasped the broom. With a grim and determined look on her face, Juliana swung. Whap! The broom hit the piñata squarely. Now it was Maria’s turn. The broom scraped the side of the piñata, making a raspy sound. No luck for her! Finally, after everyone had swung several times, the piñata spilled its contents. Cheering, the children swarmed toward the treats that lay scattered on the floor.


Word Scribe This week, your task is to use the Vocabulary Words in your writing. In your vocabulary journal, write sentences to show the meanings of the words. For example, you could write about something that was irresistible or about a time when you felt grateful for a friend’s help. Use as many of the Vocabulary Words in your writing as you can. Share your writing with your classmates.

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Re a lis t ic Fic t ion

Genre Study

Realistic fiction has characters and events that are like people and events in real life. As you read, look for • a setting that could be a real place. • challenges and problems that might happen in real life. Character’s Qualities



Theme

Comprehension Strategy

Ask questions about the author’s message in the text.

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L by

D u lu

e la c r e

i ll u s t r a t e d

by J

osé

eM

ass

e

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Back in the 1940s, in Puerto Rico’s walled city of Old San Juan, everybody knew everybody else. We neighborhood children played freely together on the narrow streets, while from windows and balconies adults kept a watchful eye on us. It was only my lonely friend José Manuel who was forbidden from joining us. “Look, Evelyn,” whispered Amalia. “He’s up there again, watching us play.” Aitza and I looked up. There he was, sitting on his balcony floor. He peered sadly down at us through the wrought iron railing, while his grandma’s soap opera blared from the radio inside. No matter how hard José Manuel tried, he could not convince his grandma to let him play out on the street. “Too many crazy drivers! Too hard, the cobblestones! ¡Muy peligroso!”1 His grandma would shake her head and say, “Too dangerous!” Besides her fear of danger on the street, José Manuel’s grandma kept to herself and never smiled, so most of us were afraid of her. That is, until my sisters and I changed all that. 1 muy peligroso (MWEE peh•lee•GROH•soh): too dangerous

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“One day,” Amalia suddenly announced, “I’m going to ask his grandma to let him come down and play.” If anyone would have the courage to do that, it was my little sister Amalia. Even though she was only seven, she was also the most daring of the three of us. We never knew what she would do next. In fact, at that very moment I could see a mischievous grin spreading across her freckled face as two elegant women turned the corner of Calle Sol. Once they strolled down the street in front of us, Amalia swiftly snuck up behind them and flipped their skirts up to expose their lace-trimmed slips. “¡Sinvergüenza!”2 the women cried out. “Little rascal!” We could hardly hold our laughter in. We all looked up to make sure none of the neighbors had seen her. If anyone had, we would surely have been scolded as soon as we got home. News traveled fast in our neighborhood. Luckily, only José Manuel was watching us with amusement in his wistful eyes. Grateful for an audience, Amalia smiled at him, curtsied, and ran down the street toward the old cathedral with us chasing after her. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my friend as we left him behind. There was hardly any sea breeze that day, and running in the humidity made us quite hot. “Let’s get some coconut sherbet,” said Amalia, peeling her damp red curls away from her sweaty neck. “¡Sí, sí!”3 we agreed, and we chattered excitedly about our plans for that night all the way to the ice cream vendor’s wooden cart by the harbor. 2 sinvergüenza (sin•vair•GWEHN•zah): little rascal 3 sí (SEE): yes

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It was June twenty-third, and that night was the Night of San Juan. For this holiday, the tradition was to go to the beach, and at exactly midnight, everyone would walk backward into the sea. People say that doing this three times on the Night of San Juan brings good luck. I thought of my friend José Manuel. Perhaps if he did this with us, his luck would change, and his grandma would allow him to play with us outside on the street. I thought about this as we bought our coconut sherbet and then ate it perched on the knobby roots of the ancient tree above the port. Excitement stirred in me while the distant ships disappeared over the horizon. “How can we get José Manuel to go to the beach tonight?” I asked my sisters. “Evelyn, you know very well his grandma will never let him go,” Aitza said. “You know what she will say—” “¡Muy peligroso!” Aitza and Amalia teased at once. “Too dangerous!”


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It was getting close to dinnertime, and we knew we had to be home soon if we wanted our parents to take us to the beach that night. So we took the shortcut back across the main square. In the plaza, groups of men played dominoes while the women sat by the fountain and gossiped. Back on the street we heard the vegetable vendor chanting: “¡Vendo yuca, plátanos, tomates!”4 He came around every evening to sell his fresh cassava, plantains, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. Leaning from her balcony, a big woman lowered a basket that was tied by a cord to the rail. In it was the money that the vendor replaced with two green plantains. As we approached our street I saw José Manuel and his grandma out on the second floor. She gave José Manuel money and went back inside. He was about to lower his basket when I had an idea. Maybe there was a way we could ask him to join us. “What if we send José Manuel a note in his grandma’s basket inviting him to go to the beach with us tonight?” I offered. “It will never work,” Aitza said. “His grandma will not like it. We could get into trouble.” “Then we could ask her personally,” I said. “But what excuse could we use to go up there?” said Aitza. “Nobody ever shows up uninvited at José Manuel’s house.” “Wait! I know what we can do,” Amalia said, jumping up and down. “We’ll tell him to drop something. Then we’ll go up to return it.” 4 vendo yuca, plátanos, tomates (VEN•doh YOO•kah PLAH•tah•nohs toh•MAH•tehs): I sell cassava, plantains, tomatoes

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Even though Aitza was very reluctant, we convinced her to try our plan. We wrote the note and asked the vegetable vendor to please place it in José Manuel’s basket next to the vegetables. We impatiently waited on the corner as we watched. When he opened the note, he looked puzzled. He took the tomatoes he had purchased in to his grandmother. Soon he returned with his little red ball. He had just sat down to play when suddenly the ball fell from the balcony. It bounced several times, rolled down the hill, and bumped into a wall. Amalia flew after it. “I got it!” she called triumphantly, offering me her find. With José Manuel’s ball in my hand we climbed up the worn stairs of his pink apartment house. And while Aitza and I stood nervously outside his apartment trying to catch our breath, Amalia knocked loudly on the wooden door. With a squeaking sound it slowly opened, and there stood José Manuel’s grandma wearing a frown as grim as her black widow’s dress.

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“¿Sí?” she said. “How can I help you?” Aitza and I looked at each other. She looked as afraid as I felt. But without hesitation, Amalia took the little ball from my hand and proudly showed it to José Manuel’s grandma. I wanted to run, but a glimpse of José Manuel’s hopeful expression made me stay. “This belongs to José Manuel,” Amalia declared. “We came to return it.” Amalia took a deep breath, then took a step forward. “We also wanted to know if he could come to the beach tonight with our family.” Aitza and I meekly stood behind Amalia. “The beach?” José Manuel’s grandma asked, surprised, as she took the little ball from Amalia’s palm. “Y-y-yes,” I stuttered. “Tonight is the Night of San Juan, and our parents take us to the beach every year.” José Manuel’s grandma scowled at us. How silly to think she would ever let him go. I suddenly felt embarrassed and turned to leave, pulling both sisters with me by their arms. “Wait,” we heard her raspy voice behind us. “Come inside for a surullito de maíz.”5 It was then that I smelled the aroma of the corn fritters that was escaping from the kitchen. José Manuel’s grandma was making surullitos for dinner. “Oh, yes!” Amalia followed her in without a thought. And before we knew it, we were all seated in the living room rocking chairs next to José Manuel, eating the most delicious corn fritters that we dipped in garlicky sauce. Somehow, sitting there with José Manuel, his grandma seemed less scary. After we finished, José Manuel’s grandma thanked us for our invitation and said she would let us know. José Manuel smiled. 5 surullito de maíz (soo•roo•LYEE•toh day mah•YEES): a cornmeal-and-cheese dish

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When we got home we found Mami waiting with her hands on her hips. She had just hung up the phone with José Manuel’s grandma. She had reason to be upset. Not only were we late for supper, but in our excitement we had forgotten to ask for permission before inviting José Manuel to the beach. We all looked down, not knowing what to do or say. “It wasn’t my fault. It was Evelyn and Amalia’s idea,” volunteered Aitza, the coward. “Bendito,6 Mami,” I said. “Don’t punish us, we forgot.” “Forgot?” Mami asked. “Sí, Mami,” we all said at once. “We are sorry.” “Actually it was very nice of you girls to invite him,” said Mami. “But please remember to ask me first next time.” 6 bendito (ben•DEE•toh): I’m sorry

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Late that night the whole family went to the beach as was our tradition on the Night of San Juan. But this time was special, for we had José Manuel with us. The full moon shone against the velvet sky. The tide was high, and the beach swarmed with young revelers who, like us, had waited all year for this night’s irresistible dip in the dark ocean. The moment we reached the water we all turned around, held hands, and jumped backward into the rushing waves. Amalia stumbled forward, Aitza joyfully splashed back, and so did I as I let go of my sister’s hand. But my other hand remained tightly clasped to José Manuel’s. When my friend and I took our third plunge into the sea, I wished good luck would come to him, and that from then on, his grandma would allow him to play with us out on the street. And as a wave lifted us high in the water, I suddenly knew this wish would come true.

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1 What theme about friendship do the character’s actions suggest?

THEME

2 The characters in “The Night of San Juan” look forward to this special event all year. What yearly celebration or event do you especially look forward to? MAKE CONNECTIONS

3 Explain how the adults in San Juan keep a careful watch over the children, despite the freedom the children enjoy.

SYNTHESIZE

4 How do you think José Manuel’s life will change after the Night of San Juan?

5

MAKE PREDICTIONS

WR ITE Why do you think José Manuel’s grandma seems

less scary when the girls sit down with her to eat corn fritters? Use details from the story to support your response. SHORT RESPONSE

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Lulu Delacre was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. She grew up hunting lizards and climbing tamarind trees. When she was young, she drew scenes from her homeland and wrote stories about her cultural heritage. Now Lulu Delacre is fulfilling her dream of writing books about the traditions and folklore of Latin America.


Josée Masse lives and works near Montreal, Canada, and has been drawing as long as she can remember. Josée Masse says that she feels complete freedom to use her imagination when she illustrates a children’s book. She advises readers to “let yourself be transported by the illustrations, because they have as much power as the words.”

www.harcourtschool.com

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Social Studies

Pho t o Ess ay

by Kathleen D. Lindsey May is a special time in San Antonio, Texas. It’s when musicians and fans gather for the Tejano Conjunto festival. This festival celebrates conjunto (kon•HOON•toe), a unique sound that began in Texas. Texans with Mexican heritages call themselves tejanos. (tay•HA•nohs) In the late 1800’s, tejanos developed a new style of music. They combined the sounds of the Mexican 12-string bass guitar with the sounds of the accordion. The new sound was conjunto. Conjunto means ensemble. Today, musicians still use the accordion and the Mexican guitar. They also add drums, saxophones, keyboards, and other instruments to make the sound unique to them.

German settlers brought the button accordion with them to Texas.

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Dancing is a big part of the celebration. Like the music, the dances are a mix of styles. Mexican Americans combined European waltzes and polkas with their own dances to create new ones.

At first, conjunto bands used only two instruments, the Mexican 12-string guitar for rhythm and the accordian for melody.

To appeal to larger audiences, conjunto bands started using microphones and adding new instruments, such as drums, electric basses, or saxophones.

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Comparing Texts 1. In “The Night of San Juan,” the sisters make a plan. Describe a time when you made a plan to achieve a goal.

2. What common characteristics of culture are expressed in both “The Night of San Juan” and the “Tejano Conjunto Festival”?

3. Evelyn and her sisters change their opinion of José Manuel’s grandmother. When have you changed your opinion of someone?

Vocabulary Review wistful

Rate a Situation With a partner, read aloud each sentence below. Point to a spot on the line to show how happy you would feel in each situation. Explain your choices. Least Happy

• • • •

Most Happy

You woke up with a raspy voice. A group of revelers made a lot of noise. Bees swarmed near your favorite lunch spot. Your mom cooked a meal you found irresistible.

grateful grim raspy swarmed revelers irresistible

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Fluency Practice Par tner Reading Work with a partner to reread aloud a portion of dialogue from “The Night of San Juan.” For example, you may read several lines of dialogue on page 156. Ask your partner for feedback on how well you read with expression. Then switch roles.

Writing Write a Shor t Stor y

✔ My writing is

Imagine the experience of a first-time visitor to the beach on the Night of San Juan. Write a short story about this character’s experience.

Character’s Qualities


one charac te

ac tions.

Ideas

focused on

r’s feelings an

d

✔ I used a grap

hic organizer to help me devel op my charac ter. ✔ My story has a beginning, middle, and en d.


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