This Week's Story

In the West, we use the Reading Street program (published by Scott Foresman.)  Each week we focus on a strategy that will help the fourth graders become strong, thoughtful readers.  Then we practice applying that strategy in our class-wide reading and independent reading.

This week we are focusing on Author's Purpose.  As a reader, it's important to think about the reason the author is writing a certain piece because it guides how we're going to be thinking as we read.

Remembering the three most common Author's Purposes is as easy as PIE!

P = persuade - the author is trying to convince you of something

I = inform - the author is giving you facts and info on a topic

E = entertain - the author is telling you an enjoyable story

The tricky thing is that sometimes author's have more than one purpose when they write.  We read a ZooBook article where the author was trying to inform us about wild dogs, but also trying to persuade us that they aren't as bad as they seem from fairy tales always talking about the "big, bad wolf."

Our main story this week in Reading Street is called Lewis and Clark and Me by Laurie Myers  It is the story of Lewis and Clark's expedition told from a very different point of view - the dog!  Meriwether Lewis brought a Newfoundland with them on the journey and he, Seaman, is the narrator of this story.  

After seeing this picture I really understand why they call Seaman "Beardog!"

If you want to learn more about Lewis and Clark's expedition, you can go to

• http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/
• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/index.html
• http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-channel.asp?ChannelID=54

Bring in a fact you learned about their trip for a point of extra credit!