Unit 5 Lesson 9

Understanding Characterization

Rebecca: Calvin Coolidge’s Raccoon

Narrative Nonfiction

Heads UP

While you are reading “Rebecca: Calvin Coolidge’s Raccoon,” you will be focusing on the main character, President Calvin Coolidge. A good author helps you get to know the characters of the story. This is called characterization. The author may tell you how the characters look, act, or feel and what others think about them. To practice characterization, make a character map of yourself. In each box, put a word or phrase about how you look, act or feel.

The author of this story will tell you many things about President Coolidge. You will even know what others think of him. While you are reading, focus on characterization and ask yourself questions. That is what good readers do. The Think-AlongQuestions will help you read actively. Also, as you read highlight any words you don’t know.

Rebecca:

Calvin Coolidge’s Raccoon

by Kathleen Muldoon

  1. Calvin Coolidge was the thirtieth president of the United States. Some people thought he was shy. That’s because he did not talk or smile very much. People nicknamed his Silent Cal.
  2. But President Coolidge was not shy around animals. He and his family probably had more animals than any other first family.

3. Coolidge had several dogs. Rob Roy, a white collie, was his favorite. Mrs. Coolidge often dressed their dogs in dresses and hats.

4. President Coolidge also had cats. He liked Tiger best. Tiger was a stray that just showed up one day at the White House elevator.

5. The Coolidges also had a mynah bird and two canaries, Nip and Tuck.

6. People around the world knew of the president’s love of animals. They sent him a baby bear and two lion cubs. He also received a hippo, a bobcat, and an antelope. Coolidge gave these big animals to zoos.

7. But one day, he received a special gift from some friends in Mississippi. They sent him a furry raccoon. The president named her Rebecca. She became his favorite pet of all.

8. Rebecca was allowed to roam free. Sometimes visitors thought a wild animal had sneaked into the White House. They were surprised to learn that the raccoon was the president’s pet!

9. At night, Rebecca slept outside. The president had a little house built just for her.

10. When he had time, Coolidge took Rebecca on walks. He kept her on a leash. Even on his busiest days, the president found time for Rebecca.

  1. Rebecca loved playing in water. Coolidge made sure she always had water in her pen. He liked watching her splash. Sometimes he gave her a bar of soap. Rebecca played and made soapsuds.
  2. Once President Coolidge and his family had to move from the White House. Workers needed to make some repairs. The animals stayed in their outside pens and houses.
  3. But Coolidge worried about Rebecca. He was afraid she would be lonely without him. She was used to her daily walks and playtime. He also worried that she might not have enough soap to make suds. The president could not rest. Finally he called his driver and went to the White House. The president got out and went to Rebecca’s pen. He picked her up and brought her to the car.
  4. Coolidge took Rebecca to the zoo. He left her there to play with other raccoons until they could be together again at the White House.
  5. When they moved back. Coolidge bought another raccoon. He named him Horace. And Horace did not like Rebecca.
  6. One night Horace ran away. That was all right with Rebecca. She liked being the only raccoon in the White House.

When you come across a word that is unknown

TRY: Re-reading the sentence and using context clues. This means to pay attention to the other words in sentence.

TRY: breaking the word into parts. Do you see a base word? Do you recognize a prefix or suffix?

TRY: Use a dictionary or ask someone else.

1.In paragraph 5, locate the phrase mynah bird.

  1. Look up mynah bird in the dictionary. Write the definition.

Write a sentence about a mynah bird.

2. In paragraph 8, find the word roam.

a. “Rebecca was allowed to roam free.” What do you think roam means in this sentence?

b. Look up roam in the dictionary and write the definition.

c. Make a list of synonyms for roam. Remember, synonyms are words with the same or nearly the same meaning.

My Synonyms for Roam

d. Fill in the space with a synonym for roam.

“Rebecca was allowed to free.”

Now look back at any words that you highlighted in the story. Could you use any of these techniques for figure out what those words mean?

As you read “Rebecca: Calvin Coolidge’s Raccoon,” you should have noticed the many ways the author described President Coolidge. A sometimes author describe how a character looks, acts, or feels. Many times you are also told how others feel about the character.

Below are four sentences from the story. Highlight the sentence that describes how President Coolidge acted.

  1. President Coolidge was afraid Rebecca would be lonely without him.
  1. Rebecca loved playing in the water.
  1. President Coolidge gave these big animals to zoos.
  1. Some people thought President Coolidge was shy.

To help you better understand President Coolidge’s character, create a character map for him. It will be like the one you created for yourself in the Heads Up section. Write statements about what President Coolidge did, felt and thought in the story. You can even include what others said about him.

Write a paragraph about Calvin Coolidge as a boy. Use your character map of President Coolidge and your imagination.