WEEK Compare and Contrast

Students practice comparing and contrasting by looking at the similarities and

Weekly Teacher Page
9 differences between two or more people or things.
Make Inferences
Students practice making inferences by using clues in a passage to understand
what is being implied or inferred.
Weekly skills are explained at
Introduce the Compare and Contrast skill to students. Say: When we look at the similarities and
differences between two or more things, we are comparing and contrasting. To reinforce the
the top of each teacher page.
concept, you may want to draw a Venn diagram on the board and label the diagram french fries
and potato chips. Invite volunteers to list the similarities and differences between the snack foods.
DAY Then tell students they are going to read about different kinds of puddings from around the
1 world. Remind students of the Make Connections strategy (Week 2). Say: As you read, think
about whether you have eaten or would like to eat the kinds of pudding described. Have
students read the instructions at the top of the page and the passage. When students have finished
reading, direct them to complete the skill practice activity. Review the answers together. Have
students complete the strategy practice activity in pairs. Invite volunteers to share their responses.

Remind students of the Compare and Contrast skill. Then tell students they are going to read an
essay that compares mice and rats. Remind students of the Monitor Comprehension strategy
DAY (Week 1). Say: As you read, draw a plus sign (+) next to each detail that tells how the animals
are alike. Draw a minus sign (–) next to each detail that tells how the animals are different.
2 Have students read the instructions at the top of the page and the passage. When students have
finished reading, direct them to complete the skill practice activity. Review the answers together.
Have partners complete the strategy practice activity and share their responses.

Introduce the Make Inferences skill to students. Say: A writer doesn’t tell us everything that
happens, because doing so would make what we are reading boring, or because the extra The daily instruction path provides
information is not that important. Instead, the writer relies on us to make inferences as we
DAY read. When we infer, we use clues from the text and our prior knowledge to figure out the
information that is not included. Then tell students they are going to read a passage about a suggestions for modeling the skill
3 drawing that comes to life. Remind them of the Make Connections strategy. Say: Whenever you
make an inference, you have to make a connection with what you are reading. You can’t make
an inference without thinking about your prior experience. Direct students to read the passage and guiding students through the
and complete the skill and strategy practice activities. Review the answers together.

Remind students of the Make Inferences skill. Say: When we make inferences, we use our
passage and activities.
background knowledge and clues from the text to fill in information we haven’t been told
DAY directly. Then tell students they are going to read a passage about a boy who cooks for his tired
father. Remind students of the Monitor Comprehension strategy. Say: As you read, think about
4 the clues in the passage that help you make inferences about the food the boy makes. Then have
students read the passage. When students have finished reading, direct them to complete the skill
and strategy practice activities. Review the answers together.

Tell students they will practice comparing and contrasting and making inferences by reading about
DAY snow skiing and water-skiing. To build background, show pictures of the sports or invite students
who have skied to describe the experience. Direct students to read the instructions at the top of
5 the page and the passage. When students have finished reading, direct them to complete the skill
and strategy practice activities. Review the answers together.

58 Daily Reading Comprehension • EMC 3454 • © Evan-Moor Corp.

Name: WEEK 9
Make Inferences DAY 3
READ THE PASSAGE   Use clues from the passage to make inferences.

Name:
Carolina’s Strange Trip WEEK 9
Marcia woke up early on Saturday. Her twin sister, Carolina, was Compare
still asleepand in Contrast
her DAY 2
bed. Marcia tiptoed into the kitchen. The sun was barely peeking over the hills as Marcia
READ THE ESSAY   Think about the similarities and differences between mice and rats.
gazed out the window and ate her cereal.
After Marcia finished her breakfast, she found Mice her and
crayons
Rats and paper. She drew a
Daily Student Pages
picture of Carolina sailing WEEK 9
People use in a words
Name:
the small wooden
mouse and shiprat onwhen
a giant blue ocean.
talking about small, Just asfurryMarcia
animals with big
Compare and Contrast DAY 1
finished coloring
ears, aCarolina’s
pointy nose, red and
hair,aMarcia heard
long tail. her sister
However, there cryare
outmany
in surprise.
differentMarcia
kinds of rats and
raced up the
a tiny boat.common
stairs
mice, andasopened
such
The floorrat and
theREAD
the
that people
the
Norway
THE bedroom
rat, blackdoor
PASSAGE

rest ofusually
the room seehad
to see Carolina
house mouse, and
is from around the world.
disappeared.
the
sitting
Norway rat,Inwhile
deer
their the
in the
place
middle
mouse.
wasmouse
house
Theofmost
 rat,Think about the similarities and differences between kinds of puddings
a wide,is the most
Activity directions help students
blue ocean,common
“Get me out
just like mouse
If the
in the picture
of here!”
differences
that Marcia
that people
Carolina between
find in drew.
cried. “I’m
their homes.
a ratgetting
and mouse
A Pudding by Any Other Name
seasick!” Marcia
confuse you, raced
you aredownstairs
not alone. Norway
establish a purpose for reading.
When you think of pudding, do you picture a bowl of creamy chocolate or vanilla
again and looked
rats andathouse
her picture.
mice bothThe come
expression
from the on Carolina’s face which
same relative, in the lived
picture had of years ago.
millions
dessert? Most people in the United States probably think of pudding in the same way.
changed. She As awas no longer
result, they have smiling,
manyand herinskin
traits was a Both
common. little green.
Norway rats and house mice have
But there are many kinds of puddings, and not all of them are sweet.
Marcialong quickly drew
tails, a yellow
whiskers, andhelicopter
round ears. above TheyCarolina’s
can alsobed. She drew
be similar a friendly
colors, including gray,
firefighter helping
brown, Carolina
chocolate for Carolina
white, and
However,
aboard
tothere aresoon
many
In England, pudding can refer to desserts or to side dishes that are eaten with
black.the helicopter. She even drew a large mug of hot
sip. As
breakfast, lunch, or dinner. These puddings are usually not sweet. They can include
asdifferences
she finished drawing,
between Marciarats
Norway heard anda house
loud mice. The
Grade-appropriate text supports
whirring sound Norway upstairs. Marciabigger
rat is much
butter, flour, spices, and even meats, such as sausage. A blood pudding is a salty side
smiledthanandthe raced
house to her bedroom
mouse. once again.
A Norway rat can weigh over ten times
dish made with sheep’s or cow’s blood that is cooked until it is thick. Yorkshire pudding
as much as a house mouse and is usually three times as large. Also, a Norway rat has
comprehension.
is almost like a bread and is often served with roast beef. And Christmas pudding is a
big feet and small ears compared to the size of its body. But a house mouse has small
sweet bread pudding that is served during holidays. It is not creamy like the milk-based
SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
feet and big ears compared to the size of its body. And its tail is longer than its body, while
puddings most of us are used to, though.
 1.  What will Marcia likely find when she 
a Norway rat’s tail is shorter.  3.  You can infer that Marcia’s hair is  .
opens her bedroom door? Other countries have puddings, too. Rice pudding is a sweet dessert popular in
Now the next time you see something scurrying around the corner, you can tell
a yellow helicopter India and some parts of the United States. It is made with milk, sugar, rice, and spices
whether it’s a rat or a mouse before you yelp and scare it away.
a green submarine such as cinnamon. Noodle kugel (KOOH-gul) is a side dish that comes from Eastern
a silver rocket Europe. It is a baked mixture of noodles, eggs, butter, and cottage cheese.
SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
a purple sailboat Whether you like a creamy, sweet pudding or a salty, starchy pudding, you can
 4.  What might Marcia have found in her 
 1.  Which of these is a similarity between 
 2.  Based on her actions, you can infer that  travel almost anywhere and find a pudding to not
not a similarity between 
 3.  Which of these is not a similarity between 
bedroom if she had drawn a picture of  suit your tastes.
Marcia is  a Norway rat and a house mouse?
. house mice and Norway rats?
outer space instead of an ocean?
clever but Both are the same size.
A uncaring their pointy
Carolina asleep in her noses
bed
Both have small
caring but unable to help others
B
size of their bodies.
caring and creative
SKILL PRACTICE   Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
feet compared to the
 1.  Both English puddings and American 
the color of
Carolina stranded in a deserttheir fur
their  3. 
the shapeinofa spaceship
Carolina floating earsChristmas pudding is like rice pudding 
Each passage is followed by four
creative C
Both have a common
but easily distracted
D Both have large earsA
puddings 
relative.
can be desserts
compared to the
.

size of their bodies.B are eaten only during holidays

Carolina in thea size
cabin ofon
their bodiesbecause both are 
a mountain
A creamy
 4.  One difference between Norway rats and house 
.
multiple-choice items practicing
B made with flour

specific comprehension skills, as well

STRATEGY PRACTICE   Describe how you would have felt if you were Marcia. mice is that  .
C are made with bread or rice
 2.  House mice and Norway rats both  Norway rats can be gray C made with milk
have  . D are usually eaten after dinner D sweet seen
house mice are more commonly
A whiskers
B small ears
 2.  Which one is true about rice pudding and 
blood pudding?
© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension
Norway rats have  4. 
their bodies
tailsHow are noodle kugel and Yorkshire 
that are shorter than
pudding alike?
61
as an open-ended strategy-based
C large feet
D short tails
A Both puddings are sweet.
B Both puddings are common in India.
house mice can be brown or black
A Both are eaten as side dishes.
B Both are sweet.
activity. In weeks 1–6, the strategy
60
C Rice pudding is a dessert, but blood
STRATEGY PRACTICE   Tell a partner how writing plus and minus signs helped you stay focused.
pudding is a side dish.
D Blood pudding is popular inReading
Daily the United
C Both are made with bread.
D Both are chocolate flavored.
Comprehension • EMC 3454 • © Evan-Moor Corp.
activity precedes the skill activity.
States, but rice pudding is not.

STRATEGY PRACTICE   Tell a partner what kind of pudding you like to eat. If you do not like pudding, 

tell your partner why.
© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension 59

Student Record Sheet Student Record Sheet

9

Student:
Number of Questions Answered Correctly
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Notes:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
The record sheet allows you
to record students’ progress and
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8 identify areas in which individuals
need improvement.
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension

Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22
Week 23
Week 24
Week 25
Week 26
Week 27
Week 28
Week 29
Week 30

© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3454 • Daily Reading Comprehension 5

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