Article
Art by Courtney Lovett
Fiction,

Disaster Squad: Blizzard Rescue

By Rekha S. Rajan
From the December 2025/January 2026 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will understand and discuss the sequence of events of a fiction story.

Lexiles: 470L
Featured Skill: Main Idea, Key Details,

Standards

Magazine View
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Let’s go! My name is Jaden Jackson, and this is my family! We are not like other families.

We are the Disaster Squad. We travel around and help when there is a natural disaster, like a tornado or a forest fire.

(left to right) Dad: He’s a doctor. He helps people who get hurt.; Mom: She takes pictures for newspapers.; Leela and me, Jaden!: We rescue animals.


Our RV

Today there is a blizzard. There is ice on the road. 

We have to drive slowly in our RV.

Mom gets a call from a school.

“Oh no!” she says as she hangs up her phone. “A snow rabbit is trapped! The class can see it through their window.”


PAUSE AND THINK: What is the Disaster Squad?

The Disaster Squad is ready to help!” Dad says.
He drives to the school.

Outside, snow is still falling. Inside the school, kids and teachers are watching from a window. 

I point in front of me. The rabbit is trapped there!

PAUSE AND THINK: What is the problem in the story?

We need to dig the rabbit out. But we have to be careful. The ice could break and hurt it.

First, we take out our shovels.

Then, we slowly start to dig in the snow.

Next, we poke at the ice. It is starting to break!

PAUSE AND THINK: Why do they need to be careful as they dig?

“Jaden, use your hands to move the ice!” Dad says. 

I slowly move the block of ice to the side. 

The snow rabbit jumps out of the small hole and shakes its fur. 

It looks at me. I think it smiled!

PAUSE AND THINK: How do you think the rabbit feels now?

Leela and I wave as the snow rabbit hops away.
Everyone cheers. 

Hooray! The Disaster Squad helped again! 

Are you ready for our next adventure?

Based on the Disaster Squad book series

video (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

About the Story

English Language Arts Focus

Story sequence

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group

Pairings and Text Connections

Suggested Reading Focus

Story sequence (20 minutes)

  • Read the story aloud while students follow along in their magazines. Ask the comprehension questions at each Pause and Think, and model summarizing each section.
  • When you’re done reading, hold up your hand to show all five fingers. Lead the children in telling the five major plot points in the story: The family gets a call that there’s an emergency; they go to the school; they dig with shovels; they dig with their hands; they save the rabbit. As you say each plot point, point to each finger in order and use sequencing words: first, then, next, then, last.
  • Last, have students turn and talk to a partner to practice retelling the story’s five plot points in sequence to one another.

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: comparing texts; story sequence (15 minutes)

Text-to-Speech