LESSON 23 TEACHER’S GUIDE

Hopping Henry
by Daniel Beebe

Fountas-Pinnell Level O
Fantasy
Selection Summary
Gordie wants to send his aunt in England something special for her
birthday. He sends her a ceramic frog, but not directly. Hopping Henry
travels from person to person all around the world. A disposable
camera goes with the frog, so each person can take pictures of Number of Words: 1,216
Hopping Henry’s adventures. The frog and camera arrive in England
just in time for Aunt Carmella’s birthday!

Characteristics of the Text

Genre • Fantasy
Text Structure • Problem introduced on the first page
• Episodic plot
• Third person narrative
Content • Birthday gifts
• Different places around the world
Themes and Ideas • Presents for special people take time and imagination.
• People like to help with intriguing projects.
Language and • Fantasy: unlikely events occur
Literary Features • Conversational language
Sentence Complexity • Many longer sentences, such as: The next morning, Gordie had Dad use the disposable
camera to take a photograph of Gordie and Hopping Henry in front of their house.
• Some short sentences for emphasis: Inside the package was a note.
Vocabulary • Place names: Mexico City, Tinwhistle-on-Cheddar, Iceland
• Proper names from many cultures: Juana, Ms. Tovarez, Mr. Naidoo, Andre
Words • Many multisyllable words: disposable, photograph, incredible
Illustrations • Lively, cartoon-like drawings support the text.
Book and Print Features • Thirteen pages of text; illustrations on most pages
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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 Hopping Henry by Daniel Beebe

Build Background
Help students think about special gifts for special people. Build interest by asking a
question such as the following: What makes a special gift? Read the title and author and
talk about the cover illustration. Point out that the story is a fantasy, and remind students
that unlikely things might happen.

Introduce the Text

Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and helping with unfamiliar
language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some
suggestions:
Page 2: Explain that this is a story about an amazing birthday present that travels
all around the world.
Suggested language: This is a story about a boy who wants to send his aunt an
extra-special birthday present, but he can’t think what to send her. It’s Gordie’s
Aunt Carmella’s birthday. He wants to send her something extra special. What can
you tell about Gordie?
Pages 4 and 5: Draw attention to the illustration. Aunt Carmella loves traveling
and gardening. So Gordie decides to send his aunt a traveling frog named Hopping
Henry. He’ll send Hopping Henry to a far-away friend and include a camera in the
package so his friend can take a picture of the frog in that distant place. Do you
think this is a good birthday present for Aunt Carmella? Why or
why not?
Page 7: Have students look at the illustration. What clues in the illustration tell you
where Hopping Henry went first?
Pages 8-9: Hopping Henry travels with a biologist who is going on a research trip
in Iceland. What is the scientist studying? Good thing Henry is packed well—he
has a very rough tumble down a steep slope! Do you think he will break? Why or
why not?
Now turn back to the beginning of the story and read to learn if Hopping Henry
gets to Aunt Carmella’s home in time for her birthday.

Expand Your Vocabulary

biologist – a person who studies detours – out-of-the-way trips territory – a geographic area, p. 8
plants and animals, p. 8 briefly replacing a regular slope – ground with a slant, p. 8
route, p. 13

Grade 3 2 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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 Read
Have students read Hopping Henry silently while you listen to individual students read.
Support their problem solving and fluency as needed.

Remind students to use the Analyze/Evaluate Strategy to think about

what they read and form an opinion about it.

Discuss and Revisit the Text

Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the story.
Suggested language: Which parts of this story seemed true to life? Which parts seemed
like fantasy? Why?

Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text
• For Aunt Carmella’s birthday, • Presents for special people take • The language sounds realistic,
Gordie sends her a traveling time and imagination. even though unlikely events take
garden frog. place.
• People like to help with intriguing
• At every stop, the frog is projects. • The use of details makes unlikely
photographed. events seem possible.
• Aunt Carmella loves the frog and
pictures, which arrive in time for
her birthday.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support

• Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Remind
them to read with expression by varying the tone and pitch of the text, so the meaning
of the story is clear.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples
from the text. Tell students that they can break multisyllable words into smaller units
to make them easier to decode. Have students make a list of multisyllable words from
the story (cam-er-a; con-ver-sa-tion) and ask them to break each one into manageable
units to help them read it.

Grade 3 3 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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 Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 23.9.

Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of the book. Use the instruction below as
needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension Skill

Sequence of Events Remind students that when they pay attention to the
time order in which events happen, they can understand a story better. Model the skill,
using this Think Aloud:

Think Aloud

It’s easier to follow a confusing part of a story if I think about the order
in which things happen. For example, when Ms. Tovares is in Iceland,
Henry’s box slips out of her backpack. Then, it tumbles down a slope.
Next, Ms. Tovares hikes down to get him. Once there, she checks and
finds Henry is fine. Finally, she takes a photo of Henry.

Practice the Skill

Have students list the sequence of events in another scene from Hopping Henry, using
signal words such as first, then, next, after, and finally.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text

Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use what they know to think about what the characters do and
why they act as they do.

Assessment Prompts
• Find a sentence on page 8 that shows that people care about Hopping Henry.
• Which words from the last paragraph on page 8 help the reader know the meaning of
the word slope?
• Finish this sentence: From this story, the reader can tell that

________________________________________________________________.

Grade 3 4 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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 English Language Development
Reading Support Provide more support for students by clarifying tricky vocabulary,
such as disposable (page 6) and terrain (page 8.)

Idioms Help students with challenging names from different countries and cultures: Ms.
Tovares; Tinwhistle-on-Cheddar; Mr. Naidoo; Brooklyn; Paris; Mexico City.

Oral Language Development

Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What kind of animal is Speaker 1: Where did Mr. Naidoo tie Speaker 1: Why did Gordie decide
Hopping Henry? Henry? to send his aunt a traveling
garden frog?
Speaker 2: a frog Speaker 2: He tied him to the hood of
his car. Speaker 2: It was her birthday.
Speaker 1: What did Gordie put in the
Gordie wanted to send her an
box with the frog? Speaker 1: How did Ms. Tovares carry
extra-special present, and she
Henry on her hike?
Speaker 2: a camera liked gardens and travel.
Speaker 2: She carried him in her
Speaker 1: What did Aunt Carmella
backpack.
send Gordie?
Speaker 2: pictures

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Lesson 23
BLACKLINE MASTER 23.9
Name Date

Critical Thinking Hopping Henry

Critical Thinking

Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown.

1. Think within the text Why did Gordie think Aunt
Carmella would enjoy photos of Henry’s trip?
Aunt Carmella loved to travel.

2. Think within the text How did Henry help someone in

Paris?
Sophie was inspired to name her newest dish after Henry, and her “Hopping Henry

Crepes” became an instant hit.

3. Think beyond the text If Gordie sent Henry to you,

where would you photograph him? Why?
Responses will vary.

4. Think about the text Where does Hopping Henry go

after he leaves Mexico City? Who takes him on this next
part of his journey?
Ms. Tovares takes Hopping Henry with her from Mexico City to Iceland.

Making Connections Think of another story you have read that

involved traveling to another country. Compare and contrast that
story to Hopping Henry.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Read directions to students.
Critical Thinking 11 Grade 3, Unit 5: Going Places
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Grade 3 5 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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 Name Date

Hopping Henry
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.

Gordie wanted to send his aunt an extra-special present for her birthday. Do
you think he succeeded in doing that? Why or why not? Use details from the
story to support your answer.

Grade 3 6 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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 Lesson 23
BLACKLINE MASTER 23.9
Name Date

Critical Thinking Hopping Henry

Critical Thinking

Read and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text Why did Gordie think Aunt
Carmella would enjoy photos of Henry’s trip?

2. Think within the text How did Henry help someone in

Paris?

3. Think beyond the text If Gordie sent Henry to you,

where would you photograph him? Why?

4. Think about the text Where does Hopping Henry go

after he leaves Mexico City? Who takes him on this next
part of his journey?

Making Connections Think of another story you have read that

involved traveling to another country. Compare and contrast that
story to Hopping Henry.
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 3 7 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry
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 Lesson 23
Student Date BLACKLINE MASTER 23.13

Hopping Henry • LEVEL O Hopping Henry

Running Record Form

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

2 Aunt Carmella loved two things—traveling and gardening. She

didn’t travel as much as she had when she was younger, but

she still kept a beautiful garden.

3 Gordie looked at a photo of Aunt Carmella’s garden, hoping it

would help him to think of a good gift. But the garden seemed

to have everything—flowers and trees and berry bushes, even

hummingbirds and bees. Then Gordie began to smile. He

remembered one thing that Aunt Carmella’s garden didn’t

have: a garden frog.

4 In one of their conversations, Aunt Carmella had mentioned

that she wanted a ceramic frog to put in her garden.

Comments: Accuracy Rate Total Self-

(# words read Corrections
correctly/102 ×
100)
%

Behavior Code Error Behavior Code Error

1414029

Substitution cut 1
Read word correctly ✓ 0 cat
cat
Self-corrects cut sc 0
cat
Repeated word, ® 0
sentence, or phrase cat Insertion the 1
cat
—
ˆ
Omission cat 1 Word told T 1
cat

Grade 3 8 Lesson 23: Hopping Henry

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