Chocolate vs. Vanilla

Introduce the Text and Preview Text Features

• Ask students to predict what this article will be about based on the title, subtitle, and artwork on page 19. Review the predictions after reading.

Set a Purpose for Reading

• Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 19 and the Think and Write box on page 21.
• Remind students to keep these prompts in mind while reading the story.

Introduce Featured Skill

• Build off the Think and Read prompt by explaining this story’s featured skill: Compare and Contrast. Encourage students to look for ways in which chocolate and vanilla are similar to and different from each other.

Introduce Vocabulary

• Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading. 

Reading and Unpacking the Text

• Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Read-Aloud.
• Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions.

Close-Reading Questions 

• Read the first section of “Rich, Tasty Chocolate.” What is chocolate made from?Chocolate is made from the seeds in the brown cacao fruits that grow on trees. (main idea) 

• Read “How old is it?” When and where was chocolate first made? Chocolate was first made about 3,000 years ago in Central and South America. (key detail)
• What did people mix bitter cacao powder with thousands of years ago, and what flavor did it create? What do people mix the powder with today, and what flavor does it create? Thousands of years ago, people mixed bitter powder with chili peppers and honey. It created a flavor like spicy dirt. Today people mix the powder with milk, sugar, and other sweeteners. It creates a rich, tasty flavor. (compare and contrast) 
• Read “How do people enjoy chocolate?” Which details from the section describe the different ways that people enjoy eating chocolate around the world? In America people enjoy milk chocolate, hot chocolate, and chocolate bars. In Mexico and Brazil, people eat chocolate-covered bugs. (supporting details)
• Read the first section of “Sweet, Creamy Vanilla.” What is vanilla made from? Vanilla is made from the tiny seeds inside vanilla fruits that grow on plants. (main idea)
• What are some areas in the world where vanilla plants grow? Where do the trees that chocolate comes from grow? Vanilla plants grow in hot, wet areas of countries such as Mexico and Madagascar. The trees that chocolate comes from grow especially well in the hot, wet forests of West Africa. (compare and contrast)
• Read “How is vanilla made?” What steps do people follow to make vanilla extract? First, people scoop out the vanilla fruits’ seeds and dry them in the sun. Then they crush the seeds to make a liquid vanilla extract. (summarizing)

Critical-Thinking Questions 

• Why do you think the author included the sidebar “Better Together!”? Answers may vary. Sample response: I think the author included the sidebar “Better Together!” to show that you don’t have to choose between these two flavors. In fact, some people prefer them combined, like in an Oreo cookie, on an ice cream cone, or in a birthday cake. (text features, author’s purpose)
• In “Rich, Tasty Chocolate,” the author describes chocolate powder that was made thousands of years ago in this way: “It tasted like spicy dirt!” How does this description help you imagine what the powder tasted like? Answers may vary. Sample response: This description helps me imagine a flavor that is both spicy and unpleasant. Dirt probably doesn’t taste very good. (figurative language) 

Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast

• Distribute or digitally assign the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder.

• Ask students to write a response to the prompt in the Think and Write box on page 21.