CHALLENGING WORDS

computer
engines
galaxies
heavily
hopsctoch
leapfrog
machine
salamander
shipshape
tongue

SUMMARY

Commander Toad is at it again! When Commander Salamander and his band of pirates capture the “Star Wars” spaceship, Commander Toad is forced to hop the plank! Will he jump ship or stay on board?

--- Conversation Questions---

(1) / Share with me what this story is about.
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Have you ever held a toad?
(2) / Pretend you are bored, what would you do?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Do you play hopscotch?
(3) / Suppose you are Doc Peeper, would you dress up as a mummy?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Have you ever been a mummy for Halloween?
(4) / How would you feel if someone took over your house?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / Has anybody ever taken something of yours without asking?
(5) / Define ‘heavily’.
(Answer) / To do something in a heavy way; sluggish or slow.
(Follow Up) / Use this word in a sentence.
(6) / The name of the ship was what?
(Answer) / Star Warts.
(Follow Up) / Does your home have a name?
(7) / Tell me how many times did the crew play hopscotch and croak-kay?
(Answer) / Thirty-five times.
(Follow Up) / Which game would you play thirty-five times?
(8) / Commander Toad was too busy with what to hear Lt. Lily?
(Answer) / Engines, buttons, levers, and pulleys.
(Follow Up) / Is it mean not to listen to someone when they are talking to you?
(9) / Name who was hiding behind boxes and bags.
(Answer) / Doc Peeper.
(Follow Up) / Share with me what was in them.
(10) / At the end of the story what happened?
(Answer) / The crews traded books and movies.
(Follow Up) / Have you ever traded something.
Activities
1. / Make a list of things you do when you are bored.
2. / Draw a picture of Commander Toad’s space ship.
3. / Write all the things the crew did and the number of times they did each of them.
4. / Create your own design of a space ship. Be creative!
Introductions
1. / Have a picture of a space ship and ask the child if they know anything about space. Discuss with them what they know. Say, “ Today we are going to read about some space pirats and how they try to make one of them walk the plank. Let’s read and see what happens.”
2. / On a piece of paper have the word ‘bored’ on it. Ask the child what they do when they are bored. Do they read, draw, or watch movies? Say, “Today we are going to read about Commander Toad and his bored crew. Let’s read and see what kinds of things they do when they are bored.”
3. / Ask the child if they have ever read a book or heard about pirates. Discuss what they heard. Would they walk the plank if pirates took over their ship? Say, “Today we are going to read about space pirates and how one toad might have to walk the plank. Let’s read and see what happens.

Book Title: Commander Toad and the Space Pirates

Author: Jame Yolen / Illustrator: Bruce Degen
ISBN: 0-698-11419-1 / # of Text Pages: 52 AR: 3.5 LEX: 560
Building Oral Vocabulary
8 / galaxies / 35 / wicked / 52 / Pantry
Prediction Questions
7 / Do you think he is alone?
17 / Tell me what you think happened.
55 / Will they find old Doc Peepers?

This resource is provided by THE LEARNING CORPS—Barren County Board of Education, an AmeriCorps project funded in part by the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.