HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 1-Lesson 2Jackson and Grandma were arriving at the town fair. A big yellow sign said, Welcome
to Our Town’s Two Hundredth Birthday Party! in bright red letters. People were talking and
laughing. The mayor of the town was shaking hands with people as they came through
the gate. Jackson couldn’t believe his eyes. He saw old houses, old cars, and even
horses and wagons.
“Let’s go see what our town was like two hundred years ago,” said Grandma.
They walked to a small house made of logs. It had a dirt fl oor and tiny windows. A man
was sitting beside the door. “Two hundred years ago our town was just a little village with
a few log cabins like this one,” he said.
“Where’s your TV?” asked Jackson.
“We didn’t have TV, or radio, or anything like that,” said the man.
“What did you do for fun?” Jackson asked.
“We had fun together,” said the man. “Everybody in the whole community got
together to sing or dance or cook or just to talk and laugh. People from every
generation got together—grandparents, parents, and children. We played games, too.”
“Like video games?” asked Jackson.
“No, we didn’t have video games. We played games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
That was lots of fun. If you were an older kid, you’d help the ones who were junior to
you—the younger ones, you know.”
Grandma and Jackson walked away. “Grandma, was the town a little village when
you were my age?” asked Jackson.
She laughed. “No, that was long before I was born,” she said. “But here’s something
I remember. Look at that old car!”
Jackson stared at the old car coming through the gate. It was popping and clanging
and puffi ng smoke.
“What fun! Let’s go see if we can get a ride,” said Grandma.
“OK!” said Jackson. “You can help me get in, because I’m junior. Right, Grandma?”
“Sure thing,” said Grandma, as she helped Jackson into the car.
COMPREHENSION How were people good neighbors to each other two
hundred years ago? What words tell about different places where people live?
What words tell about people in a family?
6
7
“Great Grandpa,” said Anita. “We’re moving tomorrow, and I’m afraid I
won’t make any friends in my new neighborhood.”
“I moved, too, when I was your age,” said Great Grandpa.
“I remember,” said Anita. “You moved from Spain to America. You sailed
across the Atlantic Ocean on a giant steamship.”
“I remember how surprised I felt when I saw how big it was,” said Great
Grandpa. “I couldn’t believe a boat that big could fl oat on top of the water
without sinking. And I also remember just how much I worried about making
new friends.”
“You worried about that, too?” asked Anita. “Just like me?”
“Yes, I sure did. I worried about making friends as we walked on board
the boat. I was scared. I didn’t speak English yet. How would I make friends
in America if I didn’t know the language? Then the ship’s loud whistle hooted,
and the ship began to move.
“Our trip took weeks. I was very lonely, but one day I met the captain,
the man who was in charge of the ship. He was an American. He showed me
how he steered the ship by turning a big wheel in the direction he wanted the
ship to go. He told me the front of the ship was called the bow. He taught
me more English words every day. As I learned more, he explained to me
that a steamship has that name because steam is what makes it go. Inside a
steamship, tanks called boilers heat water until it turns to steam. It’s like water
in a pot that turns to steam when it boils on the stove. The steam goes through
pipes to the ship’s engine. The steam turns the engine, and the engine makes
the ship go.
“When we reached America, it was time to say goodbye. The captain told
me he had one more English word to teach me. The word was friend. I still
remember my kind friend, the captain, to this day.”
COMPREHENSION How was Great Grandpa’s boat trip like moving
to a new neighborhood? What words did you learn that have to do
with boats?
8
9