Wise Man Teacher Script
5th Grade SPED Replacement • Lesson 7
Wise Man Teacher Script & Key
Text: "The Wise Man" (Chinese Folktale) • Focus: Theme & Character Response
Economy of Language Active
High Wait-Time • Low Cognitive Load
[CHORAL] All speak together
[COLD CALL] Name after 4s pause
[POINT / SHOW] Visual / physical cue
[TROUBLE SPOT] Language / logic bump
Pre-Teach Anchors (Keep Definitions Under 4 Words) Teacher says word → Students echo → Hand gesture
condolences
"Saying 'I am sorry.'"
to no avail
"Did not work."
blessing
"A good gift."
foresee
"See before it happens."
Paragraph 1: Horse Runs Away Trouble Spot: Idioms & Friends' Grief
Teacher Script (Direct & Concise):
"Track paragraph 1. Finger on the first word. [Pause 2s] Read with me."
[Read paragraph 1 together aloud.]
"Stop. The horse ran away. Is having your only horse leave good or bad?"
[WHEN TO CALL - CHORAL]: Signal thumbs down. Ask: "Good or bad?" → Choral call: "BAD!"
Potential Problem:
Students confuse friends feeling sorry with the old man feeling sorry.
Prompt:
"Friends said: 'We are sorry.' Friends think it is bad."
Paragraph 2: The Old Man Responds Key Close Reading Target
Teacher Script (Direct & Concise):
"Finger on paragraph 2. Look at quotation marks. [Model gesture]"
"The old man speaks. Listen: 'What makes you think this is not a blessing?'"
"Did the old man cry? No. Did he get mad? No."
[WHEN TO CALL - COLD CALL]: Wait 4s. Call: "[Name], does the old man say it is ruined, or does he wait and see?" (Target: "Wait and see.")
Potential Problem:
Double negative: "What makes you think this is not a blessing?" Students read as: "It's bad."
Fix:
Translate: "He is asking: 'Maybe this is a good thing?'"
The Wise Man • SPED Replacement Instructional Script Page 1 of 4
Lesson 7 • Guided Practice
Teacher Script: Paragraphs 3–5 & Close Reading
Page 72 Text Execution
Para 3: Horse Returns with Stallion Repetition Pattern
Teacher Script:
"Track paragraph 3. Horse came back! Brought a wild stallion! Friends celebrate. What does the old man say?"
[CALL - CHORAL]: "All read: 'What makes you think this is a good thing?'"
Trouble Spot:
Students think a free horse is ALWAYS good. Cannot see his caution.
→ Cue: "He says: don't celebrate yet. We do not know what happens next."
Para 4: Son Breaks Leg The Pivot Event
Teacher Script:
"Track paragraph 4. Son rides stallion. Falls. Leg snaps! Friends say: 'We are sorry.' Old man repeats his same sentence."
[CALL - COLD CALL]: "[Name], what sentence does he repeat?" → "'What makes you think this is not a blessing?'"
Trouble Spot:
Empathy trap: Students fixate on pain of broken leg.
→ Cue: "Hold that thought. Keep broken leg in mind for paragraph 5."
Para 5: War & Conclusion Theme Revealed
Teacher Script:
"Track paragraph 5. War comes. Soldiers want young men. Did they take the son? No! Why? Broken leg! The broken leg saved his life!"
[CALL - TURN & POINT]: "Turn to partner. Say: 'Bad turned into good.' Point to paragraph 5."
Cognitive Link:
Connect chain: Horse lost → got horse → broke leg → saved from war.
✓ Page 72 Close Reading Student Directions & Answer Key Guided Annotation
Task 1: Underline Old Man's Words Prompt 1
Teacher Cue: "Pencils up. Underline what the old man says after each event."
• Para 2: "What makes you think this is not a blessing? All will be shown for its true worth in time."
• Para 3: "What makes you think this is a good thing? All will be shown for its true worth in time."
• Para 4: "What makes you think this is not a blessing? All will be shown for its true worth in time."
Task 2: Circle Neighbors' Lesson Prompt 2
Teacher Cue: "Find paragraph 5. Circle the sentence where neighbors state the wisdom."
Circle Target (Para 5):
"What wisdom you have, for you can foresee both good and bad incidences for what they truly are."
Student takeaway: Do not judge events right away.
The Wise Man • SPED Replacement Instructional Script Page 2 of 4
Page 73 Guided Practice
Questions 1 & 2 Scaffolding & Theme Anchor
Selected Response
1 What do the old man's friends think when the horse runs away?
CORRECT: A
Script & Call Prompt:
"Look at Question 1. Point to the word friends. Not the old man—the friends! Look at Hint 1. Go back to paragraph 1."
[COLD CALL]: "[Name], what did the friends say in paragraph 1?" → (Target: 'Sorry' = misfortune = bad luck)."
Distractor Trap Analysis:
B: Untrue; he used the horse on his farm.
C: That happens later, but friends don't know that yet!
D: Opposite of what friends felt.
2 How does the old man respond to events others view as good or bad?
CORRECT: B
Script & Call Prompt:
"Point to Question 2. What does the old man do every time? Does he jump for joy? No. Does he cry? No. He stays calm."
[CHORAL]: "Say it: He waits. He does not judge."
Distractor Trap Analysis:
A: He always disagrees with his friends.
C: Direct opposite; he never gets overly emotional.
D: Incomplete; doesn't capture his wise calm.
★ Pre-Writing Theme Anchor: "Plot vs. Theme" SPED Mental Model Cognitive Bridge
Teacher Verbal Cue: "Plot is what happened to the farmer. Theme is the big life lesson for YOU and ME."
✗ Plot (What Happened)
- A horse ran away.
- A boy broke his leg.
- Soldiers skipped his house.
← NOT the theme! Just facts.
✓ Theme (The Life Lesson)
- Do not judge events right away.
- Bad luck can turn into good luck.
- Wait and see what time shows.
← THIS IS THE THEME!
The Wise Man Chain Reaction (Draw on Board):
Horse runs away (Bad?) → Brings stallion (Good?) → Leg breaks (Bad?) → Safe from war (Good!)
The Wise Man • SPED Replacement Instructional Script Page 3 of 4
Page 73 Written Response Deep Dive
Question 3: Step-by-Step Writing Master Guide
Prompt: Theme + 2 Details
Explicit Writing Script (Sentence-by-Sentence Construction)
Sentence 1: The Theme Claim [CHORAL CHANT]
Teacher says: "Line 1 is the big lesson. What does the old man teach? Do we cry or wait and see?"
Call Prompt: "[CHORAL] Chant with me: 'The theme is do not judge events right away.' Now write it on Line 1."
Sentence 2: Detail 1 (The Horse) [COLD CALL]
Teacher says: "Question says: Include at least TWO details. Detail 1: What happened with the horse?"
Call Prompt: "[COLD CALL]: [Name], what did the lost horse bring back?" → (Target: "A wild stallion.")
Write Prompt: "Write: First, the lost horse came back with another horse."
Sentence 3: Detail 2 (The Leg / War) [TURN & TALK]
Teacher says: "Detail 2: What bad thing saved the son from war?"
Call Prompt: "[TURN & TALK]: Turn to partner. Whisper: 'The broken leg.' Now write: Second, the son broke his leg so he did not go to war."
3-Tier Differentiated Writing Tools for SPED Replacement
Tier 1: Sentence Frames
The theme is that [bad things can become good].
First, [the lost horse returned with a stallion].
Second, [the son's broken leg saved him from war].
• Provide frames on board.
Tier 2: Cloze & Word Bank
Bank: [good, horse, war, judge]
Do not judge events early.
The lost horse brought a friend.
The broken leg stopped the son from going to war .
• Copy directly to lines.
Tier 3: AAC / Cut & Paste
Provide 3 pre-typed strips:
[1] Theme: Wait and see.
[2] Horse brought back a stallion.
[3] Broken leg kept son safe.
• Glue strips directly onto lines.
Writing Trouble Spot 1: "The Retell Trap"
Student writes: "A horse ran away and a boy broke his leg." (Only plot).
Correction Script: "That is what happened. What does it teach? Say: 'Bad things can become good.'"
Writing Trouble Spot 2: "Stopping at 1 Detail"
Student writes: Only mentions the horse and stops.
Correction Script: "Circle the word two in question 3. You wrote the horse. Now write the son's leg!"
Scored Exemplars & Page 73 Physical Line Guide: Use highlighters on student page
Score 2 (Full Credit):
"The theme is bad events can turn into good things. First, the lost horse brought back a wild stallion. Second, the son's broken leg saved him from going to war."
Score 1 (Partial Credit):
"The theme is don't judge early because the horse came back with another horse."
→ Fix: Missing 2nd detail.
Line Color-Coding:
• Lines 1–3: Green highlighter (Theme)
• Lines 4–6: Yellow (Detail 1: Horse)
• Lines 7–10: Blue (Detail 2: Leg)
The Wise Man • SPED Replacement Instructional Script Page 4 of 4
