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 Suddenly,
down below, there was a great noise.
"Honk! Honk!' Edward heard. 'Make way! Make way for the
Mighty Sebastian! Make way! Make way!'
In this part of the book Morris Lurie introduces the hippopotamus
of the chapter name, Sebastian. We will find out that he boasts
about himself but that it looks as though he might win the race
because he is huge.
In this sentence Sebastian makes sure everyone notices him by
tooting his car horn and shouting to everyone to get out of
the way.
Preformulation
The story changes with the word 'suddenly'
Question
Who can find the word that changes the story?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and 'suddenly' lets us know that this happened very quickly.
Preformulation
Then the author tells us where the noise came from. Remember
that Edward and Barney are up on a platform, so the noise was
down below.
Question
Who can read where the noise came from?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, so it would be where the crowd was standing to watch.
Preformulation
Then we know what Edward heard, that there was a great noise.
Question
Who can read the words that tell what Edward heard.
Reconceptualisation
Yes and Edward heard the noise before he saw anything.
Preformulation
First it was the honk honk noise of a car horn that Edward heard.
Question
Who can read what Edward heard first?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, good, and the driver of the car must think he's pretty
important to honk his horn when the numbers are being drawn.
Preformulation
Next we find out that the horn is honking because the driver
wants people to get out of his way - he says 'make way'. And
that he does think he is important because he calls himself
the Mighty Sebastian.
Question
Who can read everything Sebastian says?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and the capital letter for Mighty lets us know that Sebastian
thinks he is very important.
Now let's read that sentence together.
In later conversations you can bring
other things to the children's notice, for example, 'these things
are called exclamation marks, and they let us know that Sebastian
was shouting loudly', 'he says he is mighty, and we can work
out if that is true later', 'let's look at the letters of mighty,
of Sebastian'. Don't try to say everything in your first conversation.
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There came into view, travelling
fast, a sleek, low, shiny, bright red sports car, with flashing
silver wheels, and behind the steering wheel sat a huge hippopotamus.
He was the biggest hippopotamus Edward had ever seen, almost
black in colour, with bright white teeth fixed in a hard grin.
Preformulation
Edward has heard a noise and now Morris Lurie tells us that
he can see something. He uses the words There came into view.
Question
Who can find the words that tell us that something can be seen?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and by putting 'there came into view' at the beginning
of the sentence Morris Lurie keeps us waiting to find out what
it is that came into view.
Question
Now Morris Lurie keeps us waiting by telling us how the thing
is moving, that it is travelling fast.
Question
Who can read the words to tell us how it is moving?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and the driver wants to make a big impression on the crowd,
he wants to be noticed, to show off, so he is travelling fast.
In a later conversation, you could
add that a driver who would travel fast through a crowd does
not think about the safety of others.
Preformulation
Now we find out what came into view, that it was a sleek, low,
shiny, bright red sports car.
This is a special car and there are lots of words to describe
it. (Point to each word as you talk about it.) Sleek means that
the car was streamlined, a shape that would help it go fast.
Low - sports cars go faster if they're low. Shiny means that
Sebastian must keep it clean and polished - you can show off
better in a shiny car. Bright read is a colour that stands out.
A sports car is a car that can go fast and usually only holds
2 people.
Question
Who can read what came into view?
Reconceptualisation
Child: A movie star might drive a car like that.
Teacher: Yes, and someone who drove that kind of car would think
that he was very special.
Preformulation
Now we find out something else about the car, that it had flashing
silver wheels.
Question
Who can read about its wheels?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and look how the wheels flash in the picture to make the
car look very special.
Preformulation
We still don't know who is driving the car. 'And' tells us the
is more information coming -where the hippopotamus in the car
sat - behind the steering wheel.
Question
Who can read where the person in the car sat?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and if this person is behind the steering wheel we know
he must be the driver of the car.
Preformulation
We find out that the driver was a huge hippopotamus.
Question
Who can read the end of the sentence?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and being huge is important because it means he would have
a good chance of winning the race. Morris Lurie chose to put
'a huge hippopotamus' at the end of the sentence to make it
sound important. Listen while I read the sentence and you will
hear how those three words sound important. Teacher then reads
the sentence, pausing briefly before 'a huge hippopotamus'.
The class then reads with similar emphasis.
Teacher recaps that it's by putting
those words at the end of the sentence that Morris Lurie can
be sure we notice how important they are.
What the children remembered from
the low order book orientation:-
That,for example, a movie star would drive such a car.
New information that the teacher
has imparted:-
That Morris Lurie keeps us waiting to know what came into view.
That a driver travelling fast is showing off.
That a person driving a car like that is showing off.
That the person in the car was the driver.
That huge size might equate to swimming ability.
That huge size is emphasised by coming last in the sentence.
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He was wearing a bright red jacket
and a vivid green tie and white driving gloves, and, as Edward
and Barney watched, he drove right up to the Official Numbers
Given Here platform, brought his sleek red sports car to a sudden
stop with a squeal of brakes, and then, with an easy swaggering
air, climbed out of the seat.
Preformulation
This sentence tells us more about Sebastian. First it tells
us what he was wearing and the colours - a bright red jacket
and a vivid green tie - vivid means that it was really really
green
Question
Who can read about
the jacket and tie he was wearing?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and bright red and vivid green together would draw people's
attention to him
Preformulation
He was also wearing white driving gloves. Some sports car drivers
like to wear special gloves when they are driving.
Question
Who can read about the gloves he was wearing?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and white gloves would also draw people's attention to
him. His clothes show us that he likes people to notice him.
Preformulation
The next bit of the sentence tells us that Edward and Barney
watched
Question
Who can read about Edward and Barney watching?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, so Sebastian must be even more interesting than wondering
about the numbers
Preformulation
Now it tells about the three things that Edward and Barney watched
him do. First he drove right up to the Official Numbers Given
Here platform
Question
Who can read the first thing he did?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and that shows that he wanted to push in, to come right
up to the platform
Preformulation
The next thing was another show-off thing - he brought his sleek
red sports car to a sudden stop with a squeal of brakes
Question
Who can read the show-off thing he did next?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and making the brakes squeal would be another way to make
sure that everyone was watching him
Preformulation
Lurie is going to tell us that then he climbed out of the car,
but first he tells us how he did it - with an easy swaggering
air, then he tells us that he climbed out - he says he climbed
out of the seat
Question
Who can read how he climbed out of the seat and what he did?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and moving with an easy swaggering air is another way of
showing off.
Note that 'easy swaggering air'
was talked about in the low order book orientation.
This is a sentence for Transformations.
At that time you can cut to show how two actions are not directly
preceded by the word 'he'.
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'Who is that?' Edward whispered
to Barney.
'I don't know,' Barney whispered back. 'Isn't he huge?' Preformulation
Edward and Barney whisper to each other that they don't know
who this hippopotamus is but that he is huge.
Preformulation
Edward and Barney
whisper to each other that they don't know who this hippopotamus
is but that he is huge.
Question
Who can read what Edward and Barney whisper to each other?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and see how huge is in different printing, that is called
italics and it shows us how to read it to mean really, really
huge.
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'I'm the Mighty Sebastian!'
announced the huge, dark hippopotamus, coming up the steps,
two at a time, onto the platform. 'My name is Sebastian, and
I mean to win this race! I'm the best and strongest and fastest
hippopotamus in all Africa, and the race will be mine!'
Preformulation
Sebastian announced what he calls himself - the Mighty Sebastian
- while he was going up the stairs to the platform. 'announced'
means that he spoke loudly and clearly, like this - demonstrate.
And it says 'the huge dark hippopotamus because that is what
we already know about him.
Question
Who can read what the huge dark hippopotamus announced?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and he was showing off to call himself mighty instead of
just his name.
Preformulation
He announced this while he was coming up the steps, two at a
time, onto the platform.
Question
Who can read how he went up the steps and where he ended up?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and going up the steps two at a time and talking from the
platform was also showing off.
Preformulation
Next he repeats his name and he tells us why he has come - that
he means to win the race.
Question
Who can read how he tells his name and what he means to do?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and when he says he means to win the race, he means that
he is absolutely sure that he is going to do so.
Preformulation
He tells us why he is sure that he will win the race - he says
that he is the best and strongest and fastest hippopotamus in
all Africa
Question
Who can read the words that tell why he's sure he will win the
race?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and he says in all Africa, but he hasn't raced everyone
else yet, so if he wasn't such a show-off he wouldn't be so
certain.
Preformulation
Now he says 'the race will be mine'.
Question
Who can read the last thing he says?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and that is another way of saying he is absolutely sure
he is going to win the race.
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'He's an Official Entrant,' Edward
whispered to Barney.
Preformulation
Remember that Edward was told he was an Official Entrant when
he signed his name, so he knows that is what hippopotamuses
in the race are called. He whispered to Barney that that is
what Sebastian is.
Question
Who can read that?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and Edward and Barney only whisper, they don't let everyone
hear what they say like Sebastian does.
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Just then, an Official hippopotamus
in a white coat come up.
'Are you an Official Entrant?' he asked Sebastian.
'What if I am?' said Sebastian.
'If you want a number,' said the Official hippopotamus, 'you'll
have to join the end of the queue.
'Sebastian doesn't queue for anything!' bellowed the huge,
dark hippopotamus.
Preformulation
An official hippopotamus came up just then.
Question
Who can read about who came up just then?
Reconceptualisation
Yes and the white coat showed that he was official.
Preformulation
He asked Sebastian whether he was an Official Entrant.
Question
Who can read what the official asked?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and he asked an official, organising kind of question.
Preformulation
Sebastian answered What if I am? Which is a rude way to answer
- he would have said it like this - demonstrate.
Question
Who can read that like Sebastian?
Preformulation
The official tells Sebastian what he has to do - that he will
have to join the queue if he want a number. Let's have a look
at this word - this is the one that says 'queue'.
Question
Who can read what the official says?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and the official is telling Sebastian to do what all the
other entrants have to do.
Preformulation
Sebastian shows us how important he thinks he is by saying 'Sebastian
doesn't queue for anything' and we know he said it angrily,
because he bellowed.
Question
Who can read what Sebastian said and how he said it?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and bellowed is a loud angry way of talking.
Preformulation
Lurie is still calling Sebastian the huge dark hippopotamus.
Who can read the words that mean Sebastian?
Response
Yes, good.
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'Well,' said the Official hippopotamus,
'if you don't get in the queue, you won't get a number. And
if you don't get a number, then you can't compete in the race.'
'Who says?' said Sebastian.
'I do,' said the Official. 'It might interest you to know
that I'm the winner of last year's Annual African Hippopotamus
Boxing and Wrestling Competition.'
Preformulation
The official explained - quote -
Question
Who can read what the official said?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, the official is telling the rules.
Preformulation
Sebastian replies 'who says' which is a rude way to answer -
he would have said it like this - demonstrate
Question
Who can read that like Sebastian?
Preformulation
The official answers Sebastian's question, not by giving his
name but by telling what he won last year. He says that he won
the Annual African Hippopotamus Boxing and Wrestling competition.
Question
Who can read what the official said?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and by telling Sebastian that, the official is warning
him that he could beat Sebastian in a fight.
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'Oh,' mumbled
Sebastian, and started to go off to the end of the queue, but
just before going, he turned around, pounded his chest, and
shouted, 'The Mighty Sebastian will win!'
Preformulation
Sebastian stopped boasting for a bit, he mumbled 'Oh' and he
started to do what he was told - to go off the end of the queue.
Question
Who can read what Sebastian mumbled
and what he started to do?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, so he stops boasting when he meets someone really strong.
Preformulation
But he didn't do what he was told quietly - the word 'but' lets
us know that he won't do exactly what he's told - just before
going he turned around, pounded his chest and shouted the mighty
Sebastian will win.
Question
Who can read what he did and said just before going to the end
of the queue?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and Sebastian still shows off to the crowd.
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'Isn't he a boaster?' whispered
Edward.
'Even so,' said Barney, 'he is the biggest hippopotamus I
have ever seen.'
Preformulation
Edward whispered that he is a boaster which means a show-off.
Question
Who can read what Edward whispered?
Preformulation
Barney says 'even so' which is a way of saying that there's
something else to think about, then he says 'he is the biggest
hippopotamus I have ever seen' - see how is is printed differently
- that means we have to emphasise it when we read - like this
- demonstrate.
Question
Who can read what Barney said?
Reconceptualisation
Yes, and by saying that we know that Sebastian might win the
race because he is so very big.
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Establishing a routine
High Order Book Orientation begins
in the session subsequent to the first Low Order Book Orientation.
The second Low Order Book Orientation, in which the children
begin to take over more of the conversation, will constitute
the start of this session.
The High Order Book Orientation will take several sessions.
Each session begins with scaffolded conversation using knowledge
gained in the low order book orientation and previous sessions
of high order book orientation.
Transformations on a sentence already talked about in High
Order Book Orientation can begin on the day following the
high order book orientation on that section. You do not do
Transformations on all sentences. Choose those which are particularly
difficult to read, or which you wish to use for writing.
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