Mau Sets Sail
Great Minds® is the creator of Eureka Math® , Eureka Math2® , Wit & Wisdom® , Arts & Letters™ and PhD Science®
Published by Great Minds PBC greatminds.org
© 2025 Great Minds PBC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the copyright holder.
Printed in the USA
Portions of dictionary content used with permission of Merriam-Webster ©2025. A-Print
ISBN 979-8-89417-018-3
Word Ladder
Get to the top of the ladder! Start at the bottom. Write a new word to match each hint.
O C E A N
6. To travel in a boat
Take away the last 2 consonants Add a vowel and a consonant
5. On the ground at the beach
Take away the 2 vowels Add a vowel and a consonant
4. Will happen in a short time
Take away a consonant
3. What you use to eat soup
Take away the first letter Add 2 consonants
2. In the sky at night Change 2 vowels
1. Not nice
Take away the first 2 letters Add a consonant
Start here.
Word Study
Explore the meaning of the suffix –or. Then write responses to the questions.
–or = one who does something
Navigate means to “find your way when traveling ” What do you think navigator means?
How does adding the suffix –or change the meaning of a word?
Solve the riddles below. Respond with a word that ends with the suffix –or.
What is the name for a person who travels on boats?
What is the name for a person who treats sick people?
What is the name for a person who performs in a play?
What is the name for a person who lives next door?
Syllable Search
Write the number of syllables in each word. Then find words in the book that match the number of syllables listed.
Connect syllable parts to make a word from the book. Write the words on the lines below.
Syllable 1 Syllable 2 Syllable 3
nav age gate dle
les
mid voy teach neigh cur
rents sons i er bors
Note Catcher
Read chapter 2. Jot notes to describe how Mau used each of these things to help him navigate.
How did animals in the ocean and sky help Mau navigate?
• He used birds that return to land at night to help him find land.
How did Mau learn about the stars? How did the stars help him find his way?
Note Catcher
How did Mau use a boat to help him navigate?
What did Mau learn about water? How did this help him navigate?
Interview Questions
Pretend you get to interview Mau. Write the questions you would like to ask him.
Prepare to Discuss
Jot notes to prepare for a discussion with other readers.
What does Mau Sets Sail teach us about how people share knowledge?
Jot your big ideas here.
Draw a picture to remind you of your ideas.
Jot notes from the book to support your ideas.
Prepare to Write
Read chapter 4. Describe Mau’s first journey to Tahiti. Jot notes and draw pictures.
Read chapter 5. Describe Mau’s second journey to Tahiti. Jot notes and draw pictures.
Journal Prompt
Describe Mau’s two journeys to Tahiti. How and why were they different? Use your notes from Prepare to Write to answer the questions. How were the journeys different?
Journal Prompt
Why were the journeys different?
Glossary
Draw or write a sentence about each content word. Use the extra blank rows to add more words from the book.
complex (adj.) having parts that connect or go together in complicated ways
equipment (n.) supplies or tools needed for a special purpose
navigate (v.) to find the way to get to a place when you are traveling
ocean (n.)
the salt water that covers much of Earth’s surface
surface (n.)
the upper layer of an area of land or water
voyage (n.)
a long journey to a far away or unknown place
Fluency Practice
Practice reading aloud this part of the book. Perform for a family member or friend.
The boy felt the spray of waves crashing onto the sand nearby
He heard birds call as they flew past
He spotted clouds hanging in the sky
Everything he saw, heard, and felt was part of a complex system The boy would one day use this system to navigate, to find his way in the ocean Only a few people in the world knew how to sail long voyages without charts or equipment
This boy, Mau, was learning to be one of them (pages 2–4)
