By:Maria Cristina Brusca On the Pampas By:Maria Cristina Brusca Genre: Autobiography Author’s Purpose: Inform, Entertain Skill: Generalizing

Summary   One summer, María goes by herself to her grandparents' ranch on the Argentine pampas.  The first thing she sees when she arrives is her cousin, Susanita, on her very own horse.  María gets her own horse, Pampita, and she and Susanita ride everywhere together.  María also learns how to lasso a calf, herd cattle, and separate the cows from the calves - just like a regular gaucho, or cowboy.

“I lived with my family. . .” Genre: Autobiography An autobiography tells about a real person’s life and is written by the person who lived it. It is written in the first person. “I lived with my family. . .” It can tell about a person’s whole life or only part of it.

Comprehension Skill: Generalizing Sometimes as you read, you are given ideas about several things or people. when you make a statement about all of them together, you are making a generalization. A valid generalization is accurate. A faulty generalization is not accurate.

Generalization Generalization Susanita and I did everything together that summer Susanita was always ready for an adventure. Supporting Fact She was the one who showed me how to take care of horses. She used to swim in the creek holding on to La Baya’s mane.

Comprehension Skill Review – Context Clues When you see unfamiliar words, use context clues, or words around the unfamiliar word, to figure out its meaning. The context may give a definition or an explanation. Example: Animals that eat other animals are called predators Sometimes a synonym is used as a context clue. Example: Komodo dragons are carnivores, or meat-eaters. You can also find the meaning of an unknown word by looking for information in picture clues, dictionaries, or explanations.

Practice Context Clues Sentence But she rode so well the gauchos called her La Gauchita-”The Little Gaucho.” Meaning The Little Gaucho How I Know The author explains the meaning right away. We would gallop to the general store. store that sells many different kinds of things The picture shows many things sold there. They would make carbonado, a thick stew made of corn and peaches. a thick stew made of corn and peaches The author defines the word in the same sentence.

Vocabulary Skill: Homophones Words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently are called homophones. reins and rains dear and deer Homophones also have different meanings. The understand the difference, look for clues in the surrounding words and sentences. Click on the title to practice this skill.

Weekly Fluency Check - Read with Appropriate Phrasing (pg. 297d) Students should read with appropriate phrasing, for example, using appositives to make reading clearer and more conversational. Often, appositives are used to define something in a story which is unfamiliar to readers, or unique to a story. It keeps the flow and focus of the story moving along. Go to pages 286-287, beginning with “I grew up. . .”

Say It! brand bridles calves corral initials manes reins herd

More Words to Know gauchos gourd vaccinate

gauchos cowboys of the South American pampas

gourd a fruit that grows on a vine and whose shell is used for cups, bowls, and so on

vaccinate to give medicine to protect from disease

More Good Stuff Reading Test Spelling Test

brand to mark by burning skin with a hot iron

bridle a part of a horse harness that fits on the horse's head

calves young cows or bulls

corral a structure in which horses are kept

herd a group of animals of one kind

initials first letters of names

manes long heavy hair on horses' necks

reins straps fastened to the bridle

I put the horse back in the corral.

I put the horse back in the corral.

She brushed the horse’s mane.

She brushed the horse’s mane.

I took one of the bridles and Put in on the horse’s head.

I took one of the bridles and put in on the horse’s head.

I hopped on the horse and grabbed the reins.

I hopped on the horse and grabbed the reins.

The herd of cattle was in my way.

The herd of cattle was in my way.

The cow had two calves.

The cow had two calves.

I got to help grandpa brand the horses.

I got to help grandpa brand the horses.

The cows had the owners’ initials.

The cows had the owners’ initials.

Spelling Words Adding -ed and -ing chased worried dried robbed slipped happened opened danced studied stopped

Spelling Words Adding -ed and -ing worrying drying robbing stopping slipping happening opening dancing studying chasing

This Week’s Word Wall Words Click and type your own words for this week:

Let’s review our spelling words Let’s review our spelling words. Watch carefully because they will flash on the screen for just a moment. We will clap as we spell the word..

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GREAT JOB!