Christy Chen

April 28th, 2015

Interactive Read Aloud For: When Lightning Comes in a Jar
Common Core Standard: RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of
words and phrases as they are used in a text. Including
figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
W.5.3 Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to
convey experiences and events precisely.
Grade: 5th grade
Objective: The students will listen to the teacher as she reads aloud,
stopping to make inferences, predictions, questions and connections
with the text and their own narrative pieces.
Before Reading:
-Readers today we are going to be reading a book called When
Lightning Comes in a Jar by: Patricia Polacco. Boys and girls show me a
thumbs up if you have heard of this author before. She is an amazing
writer and her stories have a lot of good dialogue and descriptive
words and phrases that I want us to look at today. Lets look at the
cover and the title of this book together. What do you think it will be
about? There is a really big clue in text on this cover! What do you
think Patricia Polacco means by lightning in a jar?
-Let students predict and use evidence from the title and prior
knowledge to come up with predictions. Jot your predictions down into
your journal.
- Let 2 students state their predictions and have students give a
thumbs up if they agree with the predictions and inferences.
- Okay Readers! I love that you all are using good thinking skills
to figure out what this book is about. Now I want you all to be really
good listeners while I read When Lightning Comes in a Jar because I
want you all to be jotting down words that you hear Patricia Polacco
use in her text that you might want to use as well! Remember our
lesson on precise descriptive language? I want us to find that type of
language in this book as well!
During Reading:
- Stop reading occasionally and allow students to confirm or
make new predictions or connections. Make sure students are
engaged and if they are not stop to redirect them by asking
questions or discussing the text.
- Plan to stop

pg 3- Lightning in a jar- new prediction how does jar change

the
context of the lightning?
Pg 5- Our aunties and Gramma flitted around the tables like
butterflies going from flower to flower. They perked up the
lettuce, or rearranged the tomatoes and set slices of meatloaf
so they looked perfect. Flitted like butterflies, Perked up
Pg 9- Jump higher than a cows back what does this mean?
Pg 17- Rattlesnake story descriptive, words like Buzz and
rattle and shake and coil. Dialogue
Pg 20- Giant gradongflu, with two sets of wings, growling and
roaring, pitching and rolling, spewing foul smelling smoke
What is this machine?
Pg 24- Drifted, dashed, puffed, burst

After Reading:
I want my readers to turn and talk to their reading partner about
two things.
- What is lightning in a jar?
- And what words or phrases did you pick out from the story
that you really liked and want to use in some of your own
writing.
After a few minutes stop the children from talking and discuss as a
whole class words and phrases that they like and will use in their own
writing.
Students will be successful if they can come up with at least 2 words or
phrases and if they can make inferences using the text and their own
knowledge to come up with predictions throughout the book.