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A Lesson on The Cloud Export Lesson as PDF | Save As Favorite

A Lesson on The Cloud Grade: Grade 5
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Christian Allen
Lesson Length: 2 hours
Keywords/Tags: language arts, grade 5, reading comprehension
Lesson Description: During this lesson students will learn enhanced vocabulary, deduce the story message, and analyze the effects of literary techniques presented in the short story, The Cloud.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4a: Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a: Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

The Cloud

One hot summer morning a little Cloud rose out of the sea and floated lightly and  happily across the blue sky. Far below lay the earth: brown, dry, and desolate, from drought. The little Cloud could see the poor people of the earth working and suffering in the hot fields, while she herself floated on the morning breeze, hither and thither, without a care. 

"Oh, if I could only help the poor people down there!" she thought. "If I could but make their work easier, or give the hungry ones food or the thirsty a drink!" And, as the day passed, and the Cloud became larger, this wish to do something for the people of earth was ever greater in her heart. 

On earth it grew hotter and hotter; the sun burned down so fiercely that the people were fainting in its rays. It seemed as if they must die of heat, and yet they were obliged to go on with their work, for they were very poor. Sometimes they stood and looked up at the Cloud, as if they were praying, and saying, "Ah, if you could help us!" 

"I will help you; I will!" said the Cloud. And she began to sink softly down toward the earth. 

But suddenly, as she floated down, she remembered something that had been told to her when she was a tiny Cloud-child, in the lap of Mother Ocean: it had been whispered that if the Clouds go too near the earth, they die. When she remembered this, she held herself from sinking, and swayed here and there on the breeze, thinking,—thinking. At last, she stood quite still, and spoke boldly and proudly. She said, "Men of earth, I will help you, come what may!" 

The thought made her suddenly marvelously big, strong, and powerful. Never had she dreamed that she could be so big. Like a mighty angel of blessing, she stood above the earth, and lifted her head and spread her wings far over the fields and woods. She was so great, so majestic, that men and animals were awe-struck at the sight; the trees and the grasses bowed 
before her; yet all the earth-creatures felt that she meant them well. 

"Yes, I will help you," cried the Cloud once more. "I will give my life for you!" 

As she said the words a wonderful light glowed from her heart, the sound of thunder rolled through the sky, and a love greater than words can tell filled the Cloud; down, down, 
close to the earth she swept, and gave up her life in a blessed, healing shower of rain. 

That rain was the Cloud's great deed. People cheered. Over the whole countryside, as far as the rain fell, a lovely rainbow crossed the sky. 

Soon that, too, was gone. But long, long afterward the men and animals the Cloud saved kept her blessing in their hearts. They remembered it every time they saw a rainbow.

 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.

Vocabulary Questions

Word/Phrase: desolate | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1 The author in this story says, "Far below lay the earth: brown, dry, and desolate, from drought". What does the word "desolate" mean in this sentence?
A. hot
B. buried
C. dark
D. empty *

Which one of the sentences below uses the word "desolate" correctly?
A. I could see just how desolate she felt from the bounce in her step and the twinkle in her eyes.
B. The large, abandoned stretch of desert felt desolate and unwelcoming. *
C. After everyone finally left I felt relaxed and desolated.
D. The garden was full of freshly sprouted roses, buzzing bees, and a warm feeling of desolation.

Word/Phrase: fiercely | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2 The author in this story says,"On earth it grew hotter and hotter; the sun burned down so fiercely that the people were fainting in its rays." What does the word "fiercely" mean in this sentence?
A. hard
B. unpleasant
C. annoying
D. strong *

Which one of the following sentences uses the word "fiercely" correctly?
A. The tiny mouse fiercely scurried away.
B. He thought fiercely about the day\'s events.
C. The great dragon fiercely ravaged the small village. *
D. Not even able to lift his own head up, the dying ant was quite a fierce sight.

Word/Phrase: drought | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3 The author in this story says, "Far below lay the earth: brown, dry, and desolate, from drought." What does the word "drought" mean in this sentence?
A. no rainfall *
B. wildfires
C. flooding
D. wet soil

Which one of the following sentences uses the word "drought" correctly?
A. During the drought, the water and food was plentiful.
B. The flames from the drought spread quickly.
C. The blizzard was only made worse by the drought.
D. The drought finally ended when a large group of storms suddenly came upon the land and offered themselves as much-needed sources of water. *

Word/Phrase: Rays | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4 The author in this story says, "On earth it grew hotter and hotter; the sun burned down so fiercely that the people were fainting in its rays". What does the word "rays" mean in this sentence?
A. shadow
B. light beams *
C. heat
D. glow

Which one of the following sentences uses the word "rays" correctly?
A. The rays of wind were keeping us cool on an otherwise hot, sunny day.
B. The rays of sand kept sticking in-between my toes.
C. The moon was so full and enormous tonight that it's rays lit up the night sky. *
D. I felt cool and comfortable sitting under the rays of the large oak tree.

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4a,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.

  Topic Title Replies

Message A mighty angel of blessing
In the story the author says that the cloud was, "Like a mighty angel of blessing". What figure of speech did the author use in this description? What was the purpose of this description? How did it make you, as the reader, feel about the cloud?
Sent on: Oct 13, 2013 by: Christian Allen
0

Message Thinking,—thinking
After the cloud remembers that she will have to give up her life if she wants to help the people of Earth the author says that she, "...held herself from sinking, and swayed here and there on the breeze, thinking,—thinking." Explain why the author repeats the word "thinking". What is the effect of this repetition? What is the effect of the hyphen before the second " —thinking"?
Sent on: Oct 13, 2013 by: Christian Allen
0

Message The Message
What is the overall message or moral of the story? How do you know what this message is?  How did the author convey this message?
Sent on: Oct 13, 2013 by: Christian Allen
0

Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: Now, pretend that you are the cloud in this story. What would you have done? Would you have helped the people of Earth? Why or Why not? Explain and discuss the possible consequences of your actions. Your answer should be 2-3 paragraphs.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4,
 
     

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