Free Supplemental

Lesson Pack 3
Helpful advice

These are Imagine That! and Visualizing and Verbalizing® (V/V®) workbook stories that can be used
with any program of instruction to develop imagery for language comprehension, and can be used
with the Visualizing and Verbalizing program. Although these stories have been written at specific
grade levels, you can use them with other grade levels as you feel is appropriate. Each story
features a main idea or topic to be imaged, and then provides detailed imagery for the topic.
While sentences or paragraphs may contain much concrete detail that can be imaged, others
contain abstract concepts.

It is recommended that you start with the vocabulary to help students both with decoding and
with imaging new words and concepts. While reading the story, be sure to ask imagery questions
to elicit detailed imagery from the student. Some example imagery questions have been provided
for you.

Once you have completed each story, move on to the imagery-stimulating questions. These are
main idea, inference, conclusion, evaluation, and prediction questions. The order of the higher
order thinking questions is such that they stimulate students’ thinking first about the gestalt, and
then about the details of the story. Some questions may include contrast or introduce additional
information, from which the students can extend their thinking about the story. It is not necessary
to ask every question, but be sure you ask enough that your student has the gestalt of the story.

Additional activities are provided in the form of puzzles, pictures, and further exploration of the
subject or topic.

This is not intended for sale or resale.

© 2016 Nanci Bell

Produced by Valarie Jones, Daniel Scott, and Cameron Cozza. Illustration

on page 6 by Valarie Jones.
Visualizing and Verbalizing and V/V are registered trademarks of Nanci Bell.
Published by Gander Publishing, P.O. Box 780, Avila Beach, CA 93424 US.

All rights reserved.

For more information on the Visualizing and Verbalizing program, Imagine That! Stories, and other Visualizing and Verbalizing
products, go to GanderPublishing.com.
 Vocabulary Practice
Preread words for each story:

1 4
swamps layer guitar high fives
Asia propel ginger
outer knitted

2 5
roof slippery bear meowed
straw hissed climbed
curl chase

3
stunts tightrope
show clown
platform
Study and visualize the vocabulary:
swamps: wet, muddy, or flooded lands (n.)
Asia: a continent in the Eastern hemisphere (n.)
outer: outside, external (adj.)
layer: a sheet or thickness of material that covers something (n.)
propel: cause to move in a certain direction (v.)

roof: the top outer layer of a house or building (n.)

straw: thin, dried stalks of grain (n.)
curl: to move into a curved shape (v.)
slippery: easy to slip or slide on (adj.)

stunts: actions that are daring or very difficult, often as a performance (n.)
show: a public entertainment, such as a circus or play (n.)
platform: a raised level surface people can stand on, often for performances (n.)
tightrope: a rope or wire stretched tightly high above the ground (n.)
clown: a comic entertainer, usually in heavy makeup and wig (n.)

guitar: a stringed musical instrument (n.)

ginger: (of hair) orange in color (adj.)
knitted: made with interlocking loops of yarn (adj.)
high fives: the act of slapping open hands (or paws) in celebration (n.)

bear: a large furry animal with sharp claws and teeth (n.)
hissed: made an angry, warning noise, often done by an animal (v.)
chase: run after, try to catch (v.)
meowed: made the sound of a cat (v.)
climbed: went up something, like a hill or ladder (v.)
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Sentence by Sentence

The Fishing Cat

The fishing cat is a small wild cat that lives and hunts in the swamps of Southeast
Asia. Unlike most cats, this gray and black cat loves water and is a great swimmer.
Under her outer coat, the cat has a second layer of fur that is short, dense, and
waterproof. Her strong back legs propel her as she hunts for fish in the still pools
of water. She catches fish by scooping them out of the water with her front claws or
diving deep to bite them.

From what you pictured...

1. Do you think this cat is different from most cats? Why?
2. Why do you think this cat lives in swamps?
3. Why do you think the cat has a second layer of fur?
4. Why do you think the cat’s second layer of fur is waterproof?
5. Why do you think it is important for this cat to have strong back legs?

Story from Visualizing and Verbalizing Workbook Grade 5, Book B

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 Sentence by Sentence

Raining Cats and Dogs

Today people sometimes say, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” when there is heavy rain.
People may have started saying this in the 1800s, when homes in England had roofs
made of thick straw. In the winter, cats and dogs may have climbed onto the roof of a
house. They would curl up on the straw to keep warm. When a storm came, rain falling
on the straw would make it slippery. A cat or dog walking on the roof would slip on the
wet straw and fall to the ground.

From what you pictured...

1. Why might cats and dogs climb onto the roof in the winter?
2. Why would it be warm on the roofs?
3. Why might the cats and dogs slip off the roof?
4. Why might people have started saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs”?
5. Would you picture cats and dogs sleeping on the roofs of houses today? Why or
why not?

Story from Visulizing and Verbalizing Workbook, Set 2, Grade 3, Book C

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Sentence by Sentence

Amazing Cats
Cats perform stunts in a show called the Moscow Cats Theater. To begin the show,
an orange cat stands on top of a large ball and rolls it across the stage. Next a black
cat leaps onto a platform and walks on a long tightrope. Then a clown balances a
brown and white cat on her two front paws in the palm of his hand. The crowd
cheers as the clown pets the cat and gives her a treat.

From what you pictured...

1. What is the main idea of this story?
2. Do you think the cats train before the show? Why or why not?
3. Do you think the cats ever fall when they do these stunts? Why or why not?
4. Why do you think the crowd cheers?
5. Why do you think the clown gives the cat a treat?

Story from Imagine That! Stories, Grade 3,Wonders of the Natural World
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 Sentence by Sentence

An Entertaining Duo
James Bowen plays his guitar on the street for money, and his cat Bob is always with
him. Shoppers in London stop to listen to the music and to see the ginger cat. Bob sits
next to James on a knitted blue blanket and sometimes meows with the music. He likes
when people pet him, and he gives high fives to James, stretching out his orange paw.
The people love to hear James and meet Bob, and the money they earn keeps the pair
under a roof and fed.

From what you pictured...

1. What is the main idea of this story?
2. Do you think James would do as well without Bob?
3. Why do you think Bob sits with James? Why doesn’t he run away?
4. Do you think most guitar players performing on the street have a cat with them? Why or
why not?
5. People like to take pictures of Bob and James. Why do you think people take pictures of
the pair?

Story from Imagine That! Grade 6, Fascinating People

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Sentence By Sentence

Cat Versus Bear

A black bear walked out of the woods and into the backyard of a house. A cat in the
yard hissed at the bear and began to chase him. The bear climbed up a tree while
the cat meowed loudly below. At last the cat left and went into the house. The bear
climbed down the tree and ran back into the woods.

From what you pictured...

1. What is the main idea of this story?
2. Why did the cat chase the bear?
3. Was the bear afraid of the cat? Why or why not?
4. Why did the cat go back into the house?
5. What would you picture happening if the bear tried to climb back down the
tree while the cat was still there?

Story from Imagine That! Giant Books, Grade 2, Book A

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 Color The Cat

Color The Cat!

Cats come in all different patterns and colors.

What kind of cat do you picture?

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Crossword Puzzle

Crossword Puzzle

1 2 3

6 7

8 9 10

11 12 13

14 15 16 17

18

19 20

21

22

Across Down

2. The top outer layer of a house or building

Across Down
1. Actions that are daring or very difficult,
5.2.Went up something,
The top outer layer of like a hill ororladder
a house building often asthat
1. Actions a performance
are daring or very difficult, often as
5. Went up something, like
6. Made with interlocking loops of yarna hill or ladder a performance
3. Outside, external
6. A fabric made with interlocking loops of yarn 3. Outside, external
9.9.The
Theactactofofslapping
slappingopenopen hands
hands (or(or paws)
paws) in 4.4.Easy
Easytotoslip
slipororslide
slideon
on
incelebration
celebration 7.7.AArope
rope or wire stretchedtightly
or wire stretched tightlyhigh
highabove
abovethe
12. (of hair) orange in color ground
12.
14.(of hair) to
Cause orange
move in color
into a curved shape 8. Athe ground in Eastern hemisphere
continent
15. A raised level surface
14. To move into a curved shape people can stand on 10.8.AAstringed
continentmusical instrument
in the Eastern hemisphere
18. A large furry animal with sharp claws and teeth 11. Thin, dried stalks of grain
15.
19.AWet,
raised levelor
muddy surface
flooded people
lands can stand on, 10.AAcomic
13. stringed musical instrument
entertainer, usually in heavy makeup
often for performances and wig
11. Thin, dried stalks of grain
21. Made an angry, warning noise, often done by an 16. A sheet or thickness of material that covers
18. Aanimal
large furry animal with sharp claws and teeth 13.something
A comic entertainer, usually in heavy
22.Wet,
19. Run muddy,
after, tryortoflooded
catch lands 17. Made the crying
make-up and wig noise of a cat
20. A public entertainment, such as a circus or play
21. Made an angry, warning noise, often done 16. A sheet or thickness of material that
by an animal covers something
22. Run after, try to catch 17. Made the sound of a cat
20. A public entertainment, such as a circus
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 Word Search Puzzle

Word Search Puzzle

Y P H Z Y S A S R K R D I C U K L S U J P U M O M
L L S J W G H V T M A V H C I M X Y Y D G Z G Z J
G C E O M I C I V R S T U N T S L Q N J S H M L Z
O I L Z C Y Z H S W A P V Z N C K I E W N R V B A
H Y A O X I P I A S N W A F R B S I I F F H Y J F
O X J V W K L B L S E O C E S X F A J I H I I I O
F C P Q O N A U W X E D G G L G I N G E R G D N L
C W U P M I T U P F C M U W I U J S A I C H T L M
U G R L E T F G A Y S N I L P D Q A L C A F H W J
D O P I I T O K U X Y F T S P J H R M L L I G B W
U D J X O E R P P G I Q A H E A U F E I Y V T E B
K M X S I D M E H W E A R O R C O C O M G E P A Z
V W E A F I L F Q M O W S W Y O J T W B I S Q R C
E N W W N G V A H V U G L I R A S E E E Q Y T I G
A J C T J F R B Y V T H W G A P M I D D W N N Q R
U S W A M P S J I E E Z F Y Y P S G L V R O C E R
D O N F V W G X C Z R F R N T I G H T R O P E Y O

Asia Asia
swamps outer gingerlayer roof meowed
straw curl straw
slippery stunts
showbear platform tightrope
guitarclown guitar outer
ginger knitted high fives
stunts bear
hissed
chase chase meowed climbed
high fives platform swamps
climbed hissed roof tightrope
clown knitted show
curl layer slippery

11