This lesson provides teachers with support for using text-dependent questions to help students derive big ideas and key understandings while developing vocabulary from the series of poems, Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Danitra and Zuri are two city-girls and best friends, and Danitra goes away to her auntĺ䁥_s house for the summer. These poems tell a story about how the girls stayed in touch by writing letters to each other, and how they discovered that they could have fun apart from one another while still remaining friends.

The students at Riverside Elementary School are excited about a visit from a real author. The class has been reading books by the author to get ready for her visit. No one was as excited as Eddie.

ŕHow Animals TalkĚŇ is an informational, nonfiction selection describing how various animals communicate or send messages. Animals communicate with each other to warn of danger, to share feelings, to attract a mate, and even prove dominance.

Ruby wants to fit in with her new class, so she imitates everything her friend Angela does. The teacher, Miss Hart, encourages Ruby to just be herself. At first, Ruby struggles with this idea, but then discovers that she has a special gift to share.

This informational, nonfiction selection describes how schools are different in various parts of the world and includes ŕamazing factsĚŇ about these schools. Even though schools are different there is one common thread: school is a place to learn.