Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander

1. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Slippery Salamander • Compiled by: • Terry Sams PES Written by Donald J. Sobol and Illustrated by Brett Helquist

2. Study Skills • Genre: Realistic Fiction • Comprehension Skill: Plot • Comprehension Strategy: Prior Knowledge • Comprehension Review Skill: Compare/Contrast • Vocabulary: Word Structure – Synonyms and Antonyms

3. Summary A salamander has been stolen from the Den of Darkness in the town aquarium. Encyclopedia Brown, the police chief’s son, solves the mystery that has his dad stumped.

4. Genre: Realistic Fiction (Different PowerPoint on Genre) Realistic Fiction tells about events that could really happen. As you read, think about how the events in this story are similar to events in real life.

5. Comprehension Skill - Plot TE 488 • A story’s plot is the important parts of the story. • A plot, or underlying story structure, is found only in fiction • The parts of a plot are the conflict, or problem, the rising action, the climax, and the resolution, or outcome.

6. Comprehension Skill review – Plot and Character PB193 Cory was trying out for a dance group. Cory danced. Cory made it into group. Cory cheered.

7. Comprehension Strategy – Prior Knowledge • Good readers use what they know to help them understand what they read. They try to connect it to what they already know. They think about whether they have ever seen or experienced what they are reading about. This helps understand the new information.

8. Comprehension Skill Review: Compare andContrast – TE499 • A Comparison tells how two or more things are alike. • A Contrast tells how they are different • Clue words such as like or as show comparisons • Clue words such as but or unlike show contrasts.

9. Vocabulary Skill:Synonyms and AntonymsTE 490 • When you read, you may come across a word you don’t know. • Sometimes the author will use a synonym or an antonym as a clue to the meaning of the word. • Synonyms are words that mean almost the same thing. • Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Click on the title to practice this skill.

10. Research and Study Skill:Card Catalog TE 507L • Card catalogs and databases provide information you need to find a book in the library. • The card catalog has drawers with cards in them. The cards proved information including the author, title, subject, and call number of the book. • You can search a card catalog by any of this information. • A library data bases is the online version of a card catalog.

11. Weekly Fluency Check -Dialogue TE 507a • Your should read dialogue to express each character’s personality and emotions and to make the dialogue should the way real people speak. • Read pg. 496, paragraphs 5-9, and notice how we use our voice to reflect Encyclopedia's feelings of excitement and triumph.

12. Grammar Review – Pronouns • Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. • Pronouns that take place of a singular noun are singular pronouns • I, me, he, she him, her and it • Pronouns that take the place of plural nouns are plural pronouns. • we, us, they, them

13. Grammar Review – Subject and Object Pronouns • A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence. I, you, he, she, it, we and they • Object pronouns is used in the predicate of the sentence after an action verb or with a preposition. me, you, him her, it, us and them • Using pronouns makes writing less wordy by avoiding repeated nouns.

14. Grammar Review – Possessive Pronouns • Possessive pronouns show who or what possesses something. The possessive pronouns my, your, her, our, andtheirare used before nouns • The possessive pronouns mine, yours, hers, ours,andtheirs are used alone.. • Possessive pronouns his and its are used before nouns and alone.

15. Other Things • Other Books • Encyclopedia Brown Trivia Game • Salamander Information Sheet • More on Salamanders • Plot PowerPoint • Plot quiz

16. Question of the WeekTE 488L • How can attention to detail help solve a problem?

17. Day 2-Question of the Day • What talents and strategies does Encyclopedia use to solve cases?

18. Day 3 - Question of the Day • How is the Encyclopedia Brown story like and unlike a puzzle?

19. Day 4-Question of the Day - Review • Should all schools offer a crime lab class like the one in Potterville? Why or why not?

20. Review Questions • Besides working at the aquarium, what do Dr. O’Donnell, Mrs. Brown, and Sam Maine have in common? • What is an important lesson in this story? • What is the setting of the story? • Why did the author write this story? • What was Encyclopedia’s clue that helped him solve the crime?

21. Review Questions • Why would Sam Maine have lied about his experience with animals? • What was Mrs. King doing while Dr. O’Donnell was examining the crocodile? • How are frogs and salamanders alike? • What might Sam have done with the Salamander if he had not been caught? • What did Encyclopedia need before he could solve the crime?

22. Vocabulary - Say It • reference • reptiles • stumped • Salamanders • amphibians • lizards • exhibit • crime • baffled

23. More Words to Know specimen frustration confided case damage court

24. amphibians cold-blooded animals with backbones and moist scale-less skin. Their young usually have gills and live in water until they develop lungs for living on land.

25. crime activity of criminals; breaking of the law

26. exhibit act of displaying; public showing

27. reptiles with long bodies and tails, moveable eyelids, and usually 4 legs. Some lizards have no legs and look much like snakes. lizards

28. reference used for information or help

29. reptiles cold-blooded animals with backbones and lungs, usually covered with horny plates for scales

30. salamanders animals shaped like lizards, but related to frogs and toads. They have smooth skin and live in water or in damp places.

31. stumped • puzzled

32. confided told as a secret

33. frustration a feeling of anger and helplessness

34. specimen one of a group taken to show what the others are like

35. case matter for a court of law to decide

36. damage harm or injury that lessons the value or usefulness

37. court an assembly of persons (judges) who are chosen to administer justice

38. baffled bewildered; hindered someone by being too hard to understand

39. Leroy is called Encyclopedia because his brain was filled with more facts than a reference book.

40. Leroy is called Encyclopedia because his brain was filled with more facts than a reference book.

41. A salamander looks like a lizard.

42. A salamander looks like a lizard.

43. A zoo exhibit has live animals on display that you can see up close.

44. A zoo exhibit has live animals on display that you can see up close.

45. It would be a crime to steal an animal from the zoo.

46. It would be a crime to steal an animal from the zoo.

47. Whenever the chief was stumped, Encyclopedia would crack the case for him.

48. Whenever the chief was stumped, Encyclopedia would crack the case for him.

49. Snakes, turtles, and lizards are all reptiles.

50. Snakes, turtles, and lizards are all reptiles.