1. How to Use the Theme Slideshow
The Theme Slideshow is a useful and engaging tool to introduce your class to the unit. The slideshow touches on the Big Idea questions for the unit. It can be used to prepare students for the unit by building background and academic language on topics that they will read about.
Before you begin a new unit, show the Theme Slideshow to the class. Direct students to listen carefully to the audio as they look at each slide. (Note: if you click while the audio is playing, the audio will stop. Simply click the audio icon in the upper left corner to start the audio again.) Pause the slideshow as needed to allow students to comment or ask questions about what they are seeing. Provide sentence starters containing the academic words listed to engage students in conversations about the visuals and audio. Explain to students that they will learn more about these topics as they read the stories in the unit.
As you begin each week of the unit, you may wish to show the Theme Slideshow again as a means of reviewing the weeks you have completed, and of preparing for the week to come. This is a great opportunity to add new learning and research findings to the Big Question Boards. The Theme Slideshow can also be used at the end of the unit to sum up learning and as a prompt for writing about the unit.
For additional video clips related to the theme, go to Select the California Treasures site, then in the Teacher area click the “Student Activities” button and select the Big Question Multimedia link.
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What kinds of adventures can we have on any day?
In this unit we’ll think about adventures, especially the kind of adventures we can have in our daily lives. Learning new things, visiting new places and using our imaginations can all be adventures. We will read about a boy who learns to whistle, and two mice detectives out to solve a mystery. We will also read about some exciting jobs that make going to work every day a true adventure. What kinds of adventures have you had?

2. What fun places have you visited? What did you do there?

3. inquisitive adventurous
In Olivia, you will meet an inquisitive and adventurous little pig named Olivia who wants to do everything. Olivia loves to paint, dance, make sandcastles, get dressed up, boss her little brother around and much more. By the end of the day, Olivia has worn everyone out around her, including herself!

4. What is something hard that you have learned to do? How did you learn?

5. solution
In Whistle for Willie, you will meet a boy named Peter and his dog Willie. More than anything, Peter wants to be able to whistle and have Willie come running! But whistling is not as easy as it looks. Peter tries everything but still no whistle. Will Peter find a solution to his problem? Sometimes things are not as hard as they seem.

6. What jobs do you know about? What jobs would you like to do?

7. equipment professions
Have you ever wondered what equipment a zoo dentist needs to take care of a tiger’s teeth or who made your cereal taste like a bowl of cherries? Cool Jobs tells about being a zoo dentist, a flavor maker, and some other very unusual professions.

8. What topic do you want to know about? How would you find out about it?

9. understand
dull
In Dot and Jabber and the Big Bug Mystery we meet two mouse detectives who are looking for some missing bugs. As Dot and Jabber untangle the mystery, they come to understand something very interesting about the bugs. There is never a dull moment with these two mouse detectives!

10. What is a special day that you have had? What made it special?

11. fantastic
plentiful
Super Oscar tells about a boy named Oscar who has to prepare a picnic for the whole neighborhood all by himself. Fortunately Oscar is just about the fastest, cleverest, and strongest kid you’ll ever meet. With some effort and a few tricks, he manages to get together a fantastic and plentiful feast just in the nick of time.

12. What is an adventure? What kinds of adventures would you like to have?