Master Reading Big Book Gr. 5-8 [1 ed.] 9781553199182, 9781553194873

Citation preview

MASTER READING – BIG BOOK Reading Skills Series .................. Written by Brenda Vance Rollins, Ed. D.

GRADES 5 - 8 Reading Levels 3 - 4

Classroom Complete Press P.O. Box 19729 San Diego, CA 92159 Tel: 1-800-663-3609 | Fax: 1-800-663-3608 Email: [email protected]

www.classroomcompletepress.com ISBN13: 978-1-55319-487-3 © 2010

Permission to Reproduce Permission is granted to the individual teacher who purchases one copy of this book to reproduce the student activity material for use in his or her classroom only. Reproduction of these materials for colleagues, an entire school or school system, or for commercial sale is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved.

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Critical Thinking Skills ..................

Master Reading – Big Book Chapters Skills For Critical Thinking

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LEVEL 1 Remembering LEVEL 2 Understanding

Classify, Describe, Discuss, Explain, Identify, Locate, Recognize

LEVEL 3 Applying

Choose, Demonstrate, Dramatize, Employ, Illustrate, Interpret, Operate, Write

LEVEL 4 Analysing

Appraise, Compare, Contrast, Criticize, Differentiate, Discriminate, Distinguish, Examine

LEVEL 5 Evaluating

Argue, Defend, Judge, Select, Support, Value, Decide, Evaluate

LEVEL 6 Creating



Define, Duplicate, List, Memorize, Recall, Repeat, Reproduce, State

Assemble, Construct, Create, Design, Develop, Formulate, Write.





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Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy 2

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Contents

.................. TEACHER GUIDE • Assessment Rubric ....................................................................................... • How Is Our Resource Organized? . ................................................................ • Bloom’s Taxonomy for Reading Comprehension............................................. • Vocabulary.....................................................................................................

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STUDENT HANDOUTS Reading Comprehension • Reading Comprehension Main Idea........................................................................................................ 9 Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Main Ideas......................................... 12 Context Clues............................................................................................... 15 Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Context Clues..................................... 18 Drawing Conclusions................................................................................... 21 Using Graphic Organizers to Draw Conclusions........................................... 24 Making Inferences......................................................................................... 27 Using Graphic Organizers to Make Inferences.............................................. 30 Fact and Opinion.......................................................................................... 33 Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Fact and Opinion............................... 36 Sequencing.................................................................................................... 39 Using Graphic Organizers for Sequencing..................................................... 42 • Writing Tasks................................................................................................ 45 • Crossword..................................................................................................... 48 • Word Search . ............................................................................................... 49 • Comprehension Quiz.................................................................................... 50 Literary Devices • Reading Comprehension Characterization . ...................................................................................... Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Characterization ............................. Setting......................................................................................................... Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Setting ............................................. Plot ............................................................................................................ Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Plot ................................................. Theme......................................................................................................... Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Theme.............................................. Point of View............................................................................................... Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Point of View.................................... Foreshadowing & Flashback....................................................................... Irony and Symbolism.................................................................................. • Writing Tasks............................................................................................... • Crossword.................................................................................................... • Word Search . .............................................................................................. • Comprehension Quiz................................................................................... 3

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Contents

.................. Critical Thinking • Reading Comprehension What are Critical Thinking Skills?............................................................... 95 Why Do I Need Better Critical Thinking Skills?............................................. 98 Keys to Independent Thinking..................................................................... 101 Keys to Organization.................................................................................. 104 Keys to Inferences....................................................................................... 107 Keys to Anticipating Consequences.............................................................. 110 Keys to Asking Questions (Part One)........................................................... 113 Keys to Asking Questions (Part Two)........................................................... 116 Keys to Problem Solving (Part One)............................................................ 119 Keys to Problem Solving (Part Two)............................................................ 122 Keys to Being a Critical Thinker................................................................. 125 Keys to Using Critical Thinking Skills to Have Fun..................................... 128 • Writing Tasks............................................................................................. 131 • Crossword.................................................................................................. 134 • Word Search . ............................................................................................ 135 • Comprehension Quiz................................................................................. 136 EZ

EASY MARKING™ ANSWER KEY . ......................................................... 138 OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCIES ............................................................ 153

FREE! 4 18 BONUS Activity Pages! Additional worksheets for your students NAME:

Student Worksheet

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Activity Six NAME:

Student Worksheet

On your classroom computer, go to www.harcourtschool.com/activity/book_buddy/ ................... rosie/skill_pre.html. Follow the directions on the main idea site.

Activity Five NAME:

On your classroom computer, go to www.quia.com/pages/sequencingfun.html. ................... www.fcatexplorer.com/parent/4gr/en/tipslister/question_tip_space.asp?src=tip105a.

• Go to our website: www.classroomcompletepress.com/bonus • Enter item CC1116 • Enter pass code CC1116D for Activity Pages.

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Choose and complete at least three other sequencing activities on this site: movie ends, click on “Hard Quiz” or “Easy Quiz” and complete the activity. www.quia.com/pages/sequencingfun.html

Activity Three

On the “Inferences” activity online, I got _________% of the answers correct! Yea! Me!

entitled, “Binky’s Facts and Opinions”. Click on the “play” arrow to begin. Record below the number of questions you answer correctly.

Other “inference” online activities are: www.quia.com/pop/43335.html www.quia.com/ba/41785.html

On the “Fact and Opinions” activity online, I got _________% On your classroom computer, go to www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/m/ of the answers correct! Yea! Me!

drawconclusionsl.cfm. There you will find a lesson about drawing conclusions titled, “What Happens Next?” Scroll down the page and read all the information printed in Other great “fact and opinion” online activities are: red. Then answer the questions. Finally, click where it says, “Click here to practice”. By www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/factoropinion.shtml completing these activities you’ll get a great review about drawing conclusions.

Activity One On your classroom computer, go to www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/ samoset/ccdirect.htm. There you will find a practice activity about context clues. Click on one of the words at the bottom of the page to begin the activity. Remember that context clues are words or phrases that can help you understand the meaning of a new or unfamiliar word. After you complete the activity, record the percentage you got correct in the space below:

On the “Drawing Conclusions” activity online, I got _________% of the answers correct! Yea! Me! Some other good drawing conclusions sites are: www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/inferences.cfm www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/inferencesp.cfm www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/e/drawconclusionsp.cfm

On the “Context Clues” activity online, I got _________% of the answers correct! Yea! Me!

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Some other good context clues sites are: www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=191 www.tv411.org/lessons/cfm/vocabulary.cfm?str=vocabulary&num=11&act=3&que=1

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swf&skill=Main%20Idea www.english-zone.com/reading/elefants.html

On the “Sequencing” activity online, I got _________% of the answers correct! Yea! Me!

Student Worksheet

On your classroom computer, go to www.brainpopjr.com/reading/comprehension/ ................... makeinferences/. Click on “Play Movie” to learn more about inferences. When the

Student Worksheet

................... On your classroom computer, go to http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/factsopinions/

Activity Two

Student Worksheet

Other main idea online activities are:

Choose at least one of the sequencing activities listed and click on it. Arrange the steps in the order that they happened.

Activity Four NAME:

NAME:

NAME:

On the “Main Idea” activity online, I got _________% of the answers correct! Yea! Me!

Student Worksheet

Reading Comprehension CC1116

Reading Comprehension CC1116

Reading Comprehension CC1116

Reading Comprehension CC1116

Reading Comprehension CC1116

Reading Comprehension CC1116

NAME:

Student Worksheet

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Activity Six NAME:

Student Worksheet

Student Worksheet

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Activity Four NAME:

• Go to our website: www.classroomcompletepress.com/bonus • Enter item CC1117 • Enter pass code CC1117D for Activity Pages.

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Activity One CHARACTERIZATION

MATERIALS: large sheets of butcher paper 5’ or 6’ long • construction paper • rulers • scissors • markers and crayons • glue sticks REVIEW: Five ways an author creates a character are: what the character says what the character does what the character thinks how the character looks what other characters say about the character

PROCEDURE: 1. Divide the class into groups with four members each. 2. Each group selects a character in a book or story that was recently read and discussed in class. 3. Number group members 1 to 4 and tell them to assume the following group roles: • Character’s Voice: Look for examples of the character’s speech that reveal important information about him or her. Record at least two direct quotes. Beneath each quote, record what you think the character’s words say about him or her. • Character’s Deeds: Search for passages that show something the character does. Write at least two examples of the character’s actions. Use direct quotes, or state what the 4. character does in your own words. Beneath each statement, record what you think the character’s actions reveal about him or her. • Character’s Looks: Find passages that describe the character’s appearance. If you 5. cannot find a direct quote, write what you think the character looks like and why you picture the character this way. Include information about the character’s hair color, eye color, age, height, and distinguishing features. Draw a sketch of the character. • Character’s Thoughts and Feelings: Find descriptions of the character’s thoughts and feelings. Record at least two passages that show what’s inside the character’s mind and 6. heart. Beneath each quote, record what you learn about the character by examining his or her thoughts or feelings. 4. Each group member records his or her findings on a piece of scrap paper. 5. A volunteer lies down in the middle of the butcher paper to be traced. After the tracing is completed, group members outline the shape in black marker and erase any pencil marks. 6. Students add clothes and facial features to the “body” to portray the character studied. 7. Each group member adds information about the character’s voice, deeds, looks, and/or © thoughts and feelings. 8. Each group takes turns presenting their life-size character study to the class.

1A

• design a theme park that represents their favorite story elements.

Student Worksheet

OBJECTIVES:

MATERIALS:

After completing this activity, the students will:

Pencils, paper, markers, crayons.

Activity Three

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ELEMENTS OF A STORY

OBJECTIVES: To create a visual representation of a character; to analyze a character.

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After a session of review about the elements of a story, the students will be able to:

Activity Two

Student Worksheet

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

OBJECTIVE:

• become familiar with the meaning and use of the literary elements: characters, setting, theme, and plot; PROCEDURE:

STORY ELEMENTS

Student Worksheet

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ROUND ROBIN WRITING

• use their knowledge of these literary elements to cooperatively write a shortstudents story OBJECTIVES: 1. Divide into groups of four. and present it to the class. After completing the “Story Element Starter” at http://mrsbrowersclass.googlepages. 2. Ask the group to choose their favorite type of book (i.e. fairy tales, mysteries, com/projects, students will be able to: historical fiction, etc.) SYMBOLISM AND THEME • identify all the literary elements in a book of their choosing; MATERIALS: 3. Now, ask the group members to choose two favorite books from the genre they • complete and print a Power Point project about the literary elements in their Pencils, writing paper, markers, crayons, poster board. selected. books; books OBJECTIVES: Students will investigate the overall theme of primary alphabet by observing the illustrations the authors used to symbolize the sounds madetheir by each • present completed projects to their class members. 4. List the titles and authors of the favorite books. letter of the alphabet. After completing this task, learners will write ABC books of their PROCEDURE: own centered around themes of their own choosing. 5. Describe the characters, settings, and details of the stories that were chosen. 1. The teacher will divide the class into groups of four students each. PROCEDURE: MATERIALS: Primary alphabet books from the school library, paper, crayons, 1. pencil, Choose one fiction book that you have read this year. This book will be the topic 6. Develop a theme park based on the story elements from the stories chosen. 2. Each member of each group will receive a blank index card. markers, scissors, and other creative supplies. OBJECTIVES: of your Power Point presentation. After completing this interactive story activity, students will bePROCEDURE: able to: 2. On your classroom computer, go to http://mrsbrowersclass.googlepages.com/ Share the Theme Park with classmates. 3. In each group, one student will be responsible for coming up with7.the characters projects. There you will find an example of a Power Point presentation. in the story. The second person will invent the setting. The third person will create • identify literary elements and plot components of a familiar tale; will read several primary ABC books, paying special attention 1. folk Students to the 3. Before you get started, please save your project. First click “Save As” the andtheme. add The fourth person will come up with the basic plot. theme used in the illustrations of each book. • describe the different literary elements of a story, including characters, setting, your name to the file name. and sequence of events; 2. After reading the ABC books, each student will decide on a theme for his or her 4. Asforget a group, 4. Highlight the “Title of Book” and replace it with your book’s title. (Don’t to students come together and write a story. After you have decided on ABCand book, such as animals (each letter will stand for an animal’s name) or • define literary plot components, including exposition, conflict,own climax, the four basic parts of story elements, you will each write one paragraph. Then, capitalize the first, last, and all important words in-between!) flowers or plants. resolution. continue and write as many paragraphs as the timer allows. 5. Next highlight “Author’s Name” and replace it with your author’s name. 3. Each student will then construct his or her own ABC book and share it with the 6. Now, add your name to the class. 5. When time is up, each group will share their story with all the members of the MATERIALS: “Created by” section. group. The following definitions will be reviewed and used during the7.construction of the picture with Computer, paper, and pencil. Finally, replace the books: either a picture of your book 6. The members then design a large poster illustrating the story elements. 6A Literary Devices CC1117 © cover may or something appropriate. PROCEDURE: THEME: is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme be may alsoitchange the 7. At a designated time, each group shares its story with the class. stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literaryYou work in that 1. On your classroom computer, go to http://www.learner.org/interactives/story. background design. involves aFollow statement There you will find an interactive version of the story, “Cinderella.” the or opinion about the topic. Not every literary work has a theme. 8. Add anytoother returns time pictures or directions on the web page and listen to the entire story.Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author captions that are you’d like to your and again. It becomes one of the most important ideas in the story. Minor themes project. ideas that may appear from time to time. 2. Complete the activities within the story about elements of a story. 5A Print your Power It is important to recognize the difference between the theme of9.a literary work and Point Story Literary Devices CC1117 © Elements Starter and assemble it. 3. When you have completed the interactive story, take thethe “Test Your Skills” section subject of a literary work. The subject is the topic on which an author has chosen

NAME:

NAME:

PROJECT THEME PARK

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Activity Five NAME:

of the activity.

to write. The theme, however, makes some statement about or expresses 10. Sharesome your project with your opinion on that topic. class. When you have finished with the “Test Your Skills,” print out a record of your SYMBOLISM: A person, place, or object that has a meaning in itself, but suggests answers and share it with your teacher. other meanings as well is a symbol. Things, characters and actions can be symbols. © a symbol. Anything Now use what you have learned about elements of a story to writethat andsuggests illustratea meaning beyond the obvious can be your own version of “Cinderella,” which takes place in a Some different setting than the symbols are conventional, generally meaning the same thing to all readers. For version presented in the interactive. How would the storyexample: change ifbright Cinderella’s sunshine symbolizes goodness, and water is a symbolic cleanser. glass slippers were cowboy boots? Or running shoes? Or flip-flops? Finally, ask your teacher to set up a time for you to present your version of “Cinderella” to the class. ©

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Literary Devices CC1117

Literary Devices CC1117

Literary Devices CC1117

Literary Devices CC1117

NAME:

Student Worksheet

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Activity Six NAME:

Student Worksheet

Student Worksheet

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Activity Four NAME:

NAME:

org/kids_games/index.html. There you will find a list of games that are designed to help you with your problem solving, logic, and memory skills. Choose at least two games and play them. Then, write at least a paragraph about each game. In each paragraph give the name of the game you chose, the skills you used in playing the game, and how well you like the game. Share these paragraphs with a classmate or with your teacher. This is an excellent way to exercise your “critical thinking” muscles.

Student Worksheet

Vocabulary Words: Line, Negative Space, Overlap, Abstract

Games for Critical Thinking Name: ______________________________________________

Activity Three

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Activity Two

Student Worksheet

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CATEGORICAL FUN

Activity One

Solution: 1. Your word 2. A promise 3. Silence 4. Footsteps 5. Your age 6. Tomorrow 7. An anchor 8. A goose 9. A candle 10. A shadow

Solution: 1. cauliflower 2. ginger ale 3. tomato 4. artichoke 5. champagne 6. asparagus 7. orange juice 8. tea 9. chocolate 10. peanut butter 11. spaghetti 12. peach 13. apricot

4.

This mystery number is one half of a billion. How many zeros are in this number? ______________________________________________________________________________________

5. The women with the same name as the Engineering major lives in San Jose. 6. Dana says he is smarter than the English major.

______________________________________________________________________________________ © ______________________________________________________________________________________

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PERSONALITY HANDS PROJECT

Try solving the following brain teasers. Solutions are written upside down at the bottom of the page. 1. Games that I chose to play: Materials: 1. What do you have to give before you can keep it? ______________________________________________________________________________________ 12x18” white paper, ______________________________________________________________________________________ PUZZLE CHOICE ______________________________________________________________________________________ sharpie, markers, 2. What can you break without touching it? ______________________________________________________________________________________ scissors, black paper Anagrams: an anagram is the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to ______________________________________________________________________________________ produce other words, using all the original letters exactly once. 2. Skills involved in playing each game: 3. What is so fragile that sound can destroy it? Can you work out the items of food or drink from the following anagrams? Word ______________________________________________________________________________________ lengths are shown in parentheses. Solutions are written upside down at the bottom ______________________________________________________________________________________ Directions: of the page. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? 1. Trace your hand 6 Introduction FOOD AND DRINK ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ The following are logical problems, or “brain-teasers,” which contain the information needed - 8 times on a sheet for their solutions, but present it in indirect but relational ways. Consider the following relational 1. AWFUL RECOIL (11) ____________________________________________ of 12x18” white paper. 5. What goes up but never comes down? 3. How well I like the game: statements: • The red book belongs to Ludmilla’s brother. ______________________________________________________________________________________ The following problem-solving activities will help you develop two important 2. IN REAL EGG (6, 3) ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Using a marker, draw patterns, symbols, shapes, etc. that reflect your personality. • Ivan is Ludmilla’s brother. elements of critical thinking in mathematics: recognizing patterns and logical 6. What’s always coming but yet never arrives? • Ludmilla has only one brother. reasoning. 3. A MOTTO (6) ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ From this, of course, we can conclude that the red book belongs to Ivan, but it takes three bits 3. Problem solving is part of this project so you should decide how to incorporate Place Value - Mystery Numbers ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. RICH EAT OK (9) ____________________________________________ of information to link “red book” and “Ivan.” Each statement establishes relationships by creating overlapping fingers. Color the negative space in between the fingers black, 7. What do you throw out when you want to use it, but take in when youthe don’t want ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. This mystery number has 4 digits. Every digit is an odd number. None of the digits is a 9. Every or limiting a category. “The red book belongs to Ludmilla’s brother,” for instance, shows that to use it? 5. CHANGE MAP (9) ____________________________________________ and anywhere it will be difficult to get to with scissors. digit in the number is different. The smallest digit is in the thousands place. The greatest digit the owner of the book falls into the category of “brothers of Ludmilla.” The second statement ______________________________________________________________________________________ category to that one ______________________________________________________________________________________ is in the ones place. The preceding describes two possible numbers. The mystery number is gives us one member of that category, and the third statement limits the 6. SUGAR SAP (9) ____________________________________________ member. This example is simple enough that you probably were not consciousAof the categorical 4. Cut out around the outside of the hands and glue on black paper. the greater of those two numbers. What is the mystery number? 8. What grows down while it grows up? thinking you employed in solving it, but the greater complexity of the following problems makes it 6A Critical Thinking CC1118 © 7. RE A JUG ON ICE (6, 5) ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ important to attack them step-by-step, category-by-category. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Study the overall effect of your project and come up with a great title! Try solving the problems below using relational statements. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 8. EAT (3) ____________________________________________ 9. When I was born I was big but the older I get the smaller I am. What am I? ______________________________________________________________________________________ A. The Flower Show 9. COOL CHEAT (9) ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Jasmine, Rose, and Lily each had an entry in the county fair’s flower competition. Coincidentally, — in fact, none of 2. This mystery number has 5 digits. There is a 4 in the ten thousands place. None of the other the flowers they entered were a jasmine, a rose, and a lily, but not in that order 10. I live where light is but die if light touches me. What am I? 10. PUB TUNE TREAT (6, 6) ____________________________________________ the three competitors entered their namesake flower. If, in addition, you know that Jasmine did 5A digits is a 4. What is the smallest number that this mystery number can be? Critical Thinking CC1118 © not enter a rose, can you figure out which flower each woman entered? ______________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PAST EIGHT (9) ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ B. The Dorms ______________________________________________________________________________________ Three women — named Dana, Alex, and Jean, all Business majors — signed 12.upCHEAP (5) ____________________________________________ for a critical ______________________________________________________________________________________ thinking class at San Jose State at the same time as three men — also named Dana, Alex, and Jean. The three men are majoring in English, Engineering, and Nursing, though necessarily 13. Anot TROPIC (7) in ____________________________________________ that order. Given the following information, can you assign the correct name to each of those 4A Critical Thinking CC1118 © 3. This mystery number has 6 digits. If you add one to this number it will be a 7 digit number. majors? What is the mystery number? 1. Jean lives in San Francisco with her mother. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The Engineering major lives on the peninsula, exactly halfway between San Jose and San Francisco. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Alex is joined in studying at San Jose State by both of her brothers. ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. The woman who lives nearest the Engineering major has three times as many brothers as he 3A Critical Thinking CC1118 © does.

NAME:

• Go to our website: www.classroomcompletepress.com/bonus • Enter item CC1118 • Enter pass code CC1118D for Activity Pages.

BRAIN TEASERS

Student Worksheet

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GAMES FOR CRITICAL THINKING

................... On your classroom or home computer, go to http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.

Activity Five NAME:

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Critical Thinking CC1118

Critical Thinking CC1118

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

A reader who feels comfortable with books. Is generally able to read silently and is developing confidence as a reader. Selects books independently, but still needs help with unfamiliar material. Uses some strategies to derive meaning.

4 Competent Reader

5 WEAKNESSES:

NEXT STEPS:

Enjoys being read to. Looks at pictures in books but does not yet make the connection to print. Watches and listens during shared reading rather than participates. Limited knowledge of letters and sounds. Has limited experience as a reader. Prior schooling may have been limited or interrupted.

1 Pre-Reader

STRENGTHS:

Chooses to read very easy and familiar material. Has difficulty with unfamiliar material, yet is usually able to read own writing. Gaining awareness of letters and their sounds. Needs a great deal of support with reading in all content areas. Beginning to use one or more strategies when reading. Enjoys being read to and participates in shared reading.

2 Emergent Reader

Is developing fluency as a reader and reads some books with confidence. Usually most comfortable with reading short books with simple narrative and/or with pictures. Relies on re-reading favorite or familiar books. Needs help with reading in the content areas, especially using reference and information books. Has growing ability to use a variety of strategies to derive meaning.

A self-motivated, confident reader who pursues own interests through reading. Capable of reading in all content areas and of locating and drawing on a variety of resources to research a topic independently. Uses multiple strategies (context clues, inferences, conclusions, main idea, fact & opinion, sequencing) to derive meaning. Begins to make predictions and draw inferences from books and stories read independently.

5 Strong Reader

3 Developing Reader

An enthusiastic and reflective reader who enjoys pursuing own reading interests independently, is capable of reading in all content areas, can read a wide range and variety of materials including advanced materials, able to evaluate evidence drawn from a variety of sources. Is developing critical awareness as a reader. Has control of a variety of reading strategies (context clues, inferences, conclusions, main idea, fact & opinion, sequencing) to derive meaning.

6 Exceptional Reader

Student’s Name: _______________________________ Assignment:_______________________ Level:____________

Assessment Rubric ..................

Master Reading – Big Book

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Before You Teach

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Teacher Guide Our resource has been created for ease of use by both TEACHERS and STUDENTS alike. Introduction

• The AFTER YOU READ activities check students’ comprehension of the concepts presented in the reading passage and extend their learning. Students are asked to give thoughtful consideration of the reading passage through creative and evaluative short-answer questions, research, and extension activities.

ur combined resource allows students to advance their reading skills through three major elements. Students begin by gaining an understanding of the written text with Reading Comprehension, designed to emphasize several reading skills, such as the main idea, context clues, drawing conclusions, making inferences, and sequencing. Students will then engage in the tools to understanding elementary-level literature with Literary Devices, through characterization, setting, plot, development, theme, point of view, symbolism, and irony. Finally, students will gain the ability to not only understand what they have read, but how to build upon that knowledge independently with Critical Thinking, by emphasizing qualities such as independent thinking, organization skills, inferences, asking questions, and problem-solving

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Writing Tasks are included to further develop students’ thinking skills and understanding of the concepts. The Assessment Rubric (page 5) is a useful tool for evaluating students’ responses to many of the activities in our resource. The Comprehension Quizzes (pages 50-51, 9394, and 136-137) can be used for either a follow-up review or assessment at the completion of each unit.

PICTURE CUES

This resource contains three main types of pages, each with a different purpose and use. A Picture Cue at the top of each page shows, at a glance, what the page is for.

Teacher Guide • Information and tools for the teacher

Our resource is designed to be user-friendly and easy to understand. Complete with vocabulary, reading passages, work sheets, overheads, crossword and word search puzzles, and a comprehension quiz, Master Reading is structured using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning to ensure educational appropriateness.



Student Handout • Reproducible worksheets and activities

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Easy Marking™ Answer Key • Answers for student activities

How Is Our Resource Organized?

EASY MARKING™ ANSWER KEY

STUDENT HANDOUTS

For each reading passage there are BEFORE YOU READ activities and AFTER YOU READ activities.

Marking students’ worksheets is fast and easy with this Answer Key. Answers are listed in columns – just line up the column with its corresponding worksheet, as shown, and see how every question matches up with its answer! Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Main Ideas 1. Put the letter of the correct term beside its definition: A

graphic organizer

1. information that defines, explains, proves or analyzes the main idea of a selection

1 1.

a) purpose for

B

main idea

C

supporting details

D

main idea chart

E

concept map

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fishbone map

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reading diagrams or drawings which help you b)paper main idea organize your ideas on

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d) reading a diagram showing the relationships comprehension among concepts or ideas skills

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SUPPORTING DETAILS ii) c

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C D

Reading Comprehension CC1116

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1. Main idea Even though Florida manatees are the elephant’s cousins, they are different from each other.

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Supporting Details

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A. Manatees live in water, not on land

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Main idea – Dolphins have many human traits. Supporting Details

B. Manatees have no outer ears at all C. Manatees’ tails are strong and useful

d) examples e) context clues

definitions or synonyms

2. c)

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4. b)

2. b)

3. a)

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b)

a) f)

B. Dolphins give birth to live babies

5. a)

4. a)

D. Dolphins feed and protect their young. 

1. b) general knowledge

A. Dolphins are warm-blooded

C. Dolphins like to be together in a group



1. a) antonyms & contrast

c) four types

4

2.

following graphic organizer.

Dolphins are amazing animals. They are mammals, not fish. They are warm-blooded like humans. They also give birth to live babies like humans do. They like to be 3. together. They swim in large groups called pods. Dolphins also feed and protect their young like humans. In dolphins, we can see many of our own traits. 4B MAIN IDEA

C A

6

2. Reread the following paragraph. Then use what you learn from it to fill in the

1.

1-6.

1 2

2

a fish-shaped graphicc)organizer reading with the spine representing the main idea of the comprehension selection and the ribs representing the supporting details

the most important point that a writer wishes to express 2. a drawing or diagram showing the main i) a idea and the supporting details of a selection

• The BEFORE YOU READ activities prepare students for reading by setting a purpose for reading. They stimulate background knowledge and experience, and guide students to make connections between what they know and what they will learn. Important concepts and vocabulary from the chapters are also presented.

Every question matches up with its answer!

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

EZ

Reading passages and activities (in the form of reproducible worksheets) make up the majority of our resource. The reading passages present important grade-appropriate information and concepts related to the topic. Embedded in each passage are one or more questions that ensure students understand what they have read.



6. c)

12

13

15

There is only one main idea in this paragraph and there are at least four supporting details. 12

6

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Before You Teach

.................. Bloom’s Taxonomy* for Reading Comprehension

LEVEL 6

Creating

The activities in this resource engage and build the full range of thinking skills that are essential for students’ reading comprehension. Based on the six levels of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy, assignments are given that challenge students to not only recall what they have read, but move beyond this to understand the text through higher-order thinking. By using higher-order skills of applying, analysing, evaluating, and creating, students become active readers, drawing more meaning from the text, and applying and extending their learning in more sophisticated ways.

LEVEL 5

Evaluating

LEVEL 4

Analysing

LEVEL 3

Applying

LEVEL 2

Understanding

LEVEL 1

Remembering

Our Master Reading Big Book is an effective tool for any Language Arts program. Whether it is used in whole or in part, or adapted to meet individual student needs, this resource provides teachers with the important questions to ask, interesting content, which promote creative and meaningful learning.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: 6 LEVELS OF THINKING *Bloom’s Taxonomy is a widely used tool by educators for classifying learning objectives, and is based on the work of Benjamin Bloom.

Vocabulary Reading Comprehension

READING COMPREHENSION - the ability to read and understand the meaning of a text MAIN IDEA - most important part of a reading selection; also what the author wants you to understand or remember about the selection. PURPOSE FOR READING - the reason you read a text READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS - Choosing the main idea, sequencing, recognizing inferences and conclusions, and using context clues SUPPORTING DETAILS - pieces of information that tell about the main idea GRAPHIC ORGANIZER - a diagram, chart, or drawing showing the relationships among concepts or ideas FISHBONE MAP - a fish-shaped graphic organizer with the spine representing the main idea of the selection and the ribs representing the supporting details CONTEXT CLUES - words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of a new word SYNONYMS - words that mean the same or about the same as another word ANTONYMS - words that mean the opposite of another word DRAWING CONCLUSIONS - a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article. EVIDENCE - the facts about something; proof INFERENCE - using clues from the text and your own knowledge and experience to figure out what the author is telling you “READING BETWEEN THE LINES” - making an inference FACT - something that is always true and can be proven OPINION - what someone believes or thinks. It cannot be proven true or false SEQUENCING - refers to putting events or actions in order CHRONOLOGICAL - the order in which something is done or happened TIMELINE - a graphic organizer that displays events or dates in the order they happened 7

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Before You Teach

..................

Vocabulary Literary Devices

LITERARY DEVICES - the building blocks of storytelling. CHARACTER - an imaginary person or creature in a work of fiction (play, film, or story). CHARACTERIZATION - the way the author gives his readers information about the characters. GRAPHIC ORGANIZER - a diagram or drawing which help you organize your ideas on paper. SETTING - the time and location in which a story takes place. NARRATIVE - any written work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, or a play. PLOT - plan of action for a story, play, or movie. INTRODUCTION OR OPENING OF A PLOT - describes the characters and the setting of the story. RISING ACTION OF A PLOT - when readers find out more about the main characters and conflicts are introduced. CLIMAX OF A PLOT - the “high point” of a story, when the major conflicts end up in some kind of final showdown (a fight, an argument, physical action, or a very tense emotional moment). FALLING ACTION OF A PLOT - deals with the results of the climax. RESOLUTION - a tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story. FIVE STAGES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT - introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. CONFLICT - the struggle between the opposing forces in a story.

THEME OF ANY STORY - the main idea or point that the author is trying to tell the audience. The theme refers to the entire message that the writer is trying to send through his story, through the use of characterization, action, and images. AESOP’S FABLES - short tales that were written long ago for the purpose of teaching morals or lessons about life. POINT OF VIEW - the way a story gets told and who tells it. FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW - a character in the story is the narrator. This character is telling the story. The narrator uses the pronouns I, me, and we. THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW - the story is being told by an outside observer (someone who is not in the story). The author uses the pronouns he, she, and they. FORESHADOWING - when an author mentions or hints at something that will happen later in the story. FLASHBACKS - when an author refers back to an event that has already taken place in the story. IRONY - an expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense. VERBAL IRONY - using words to be ironic. SITUATIONAL IRONY - when a set of circumstances or a result is the opposite of what might be expected. LITERARY SYMBOLISM - when an object in a story, play, or movie stands for a feeling, idea, or concept.

Critical Thinking THINKING - the process of using your mind to consider something carefully. CREATIVE THINKING - what happens when you are able to see and make things in a new or different way. CRITICAL THINKING - what happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem. VALUES - a collection of guiding, positive beliefs or rules that a person follows in life. FAIR-MINDED - just and free from favoritism. REASON - logical thinking. INDEPENDENT THINKING - feeling free to make choices. ORGANIZED - orderly and effective. INFERENCE - a conclusion you come to in your mind based on something else that you believe to be true. FACTS - clearly stated information that can be proven. OPINIONS - beliefs that are based on feelings that cannot be proven. ANTICIPATE - expect. CONSEQUENCES - the effects or results of a decision or an action. FOUR TYPES OF CRITICAL QUESTIONS - getting the facts, evaluating the facts, drawing a conclusion using logic, and evaluating the conclusion. PROBLEMS - states of difficulty that need to be settled or questions that need to be answered. FIVE TYPES OF CRITICAL PROBLEM SOLVING - define the problem and set a goal for change, brainstorm possible solutions or answers, evaluate all the possible solutions, choose a solution and make a plan of action, and evaluation and modification. MODIFICATIONS - changes. ATTRIBUTES - characteristics. MANIPULATED - controlled. 8

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Main Idea 1.

Complete each sentence with the correct term. reading comprehension main idea purpose for reading reading comprehension skills a) The reason you read a text is the __________________ _______ _________________. b) The _________ _________ refers to what is most important in a paragraph or story. c) The ability to read and understand the meaning of a text is called __________________ __________________________. d) Choosing the main idea, sequencing, recognizing inferences and conclusions, and using context clues are all __________________ ________________________ __________.

2.

Read each paragraph and put an X in front of the main idea of each one. i)

Chris loves to watch movies. When he is alone, he watches adventure movies because he likes the action in them. His favorite adventure movie of all time is “Star Wars”. Sometimes, his younger sister goes to the movie theater with him. When she is along, Chris likes to watch comedies because they make her laugh. a) Chris does not like scary movies.

c) Chris doesn’t want his sister to tag along with him.

b) Chris really enjoys watching movies.

d) Chris only likes adventure movies

ii) Abraham Lincoln only went to school for about eighteen months during his childhood. But young Abe loved to learn new things. He walked several miles to borrow books from a friend. Then he taught himself to read them by the light of the fire at night. He studied how things were made. He memorized poetry and recited it to his family. Learning was fun for Abraham. a) Abraham Lincoln easily remembered things.

c) Abraham Lincoln wanted to learn as much as he could.

b) Abe liked to walk for miles and miles.

d) Abe wasn’t a very good reader.



Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Main Idea There are many skills you can use to improve your reading comprehension (the ability to read and understand the meaning of a text). One of these skills is finding the main idea. The main idea of a reading selection is its most important part. The main idea is also what the author wants you to understand or remember about the selection. Other reading comprehension skills include: sequencing, recognizing inferences and conclusions, and using context clues. Sometimes the main idea is plainly stated in one or more sentences in the selection. At other times, you will have put all the details about the topic together and decide what the author wants you to understand about the text. Details are pieces of information that tell about the main idea. Details explain the main idea, telling who, what, when, where, why, or how. Details can describe a person, place, or thing. Details can tell the order in which events happen. And details can explain how to do something. There are several ways to find the main idea of a reading selection.

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Keys to Finding the Main Idea”

1. The first step in finding the main idea of a text is to read the title. Titles very often include important words that will give you clues to the main idea. 2. Sometimes the main idea is stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. 3. If the main idea is not clearly stated, pay special attention to the details. By reading them, you should be able to decide what the author thinks is most important about the text. 4. Look for a word or words that are repeated several times. They are clues to the main idea of the text. 5. Pay attention to pictures, captions under the pictures, words in dark print, or words and phrases in italics. Knowing how to find the main idea of a written text or a speech or story will be very helpful to you in the future. All reading tests will ask you questions about finding the main ideas of stories or reports. And listening for the main idea of a speaker’s presentation will help you remember its most important idea and the supporting details.

10

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Main Idea Read the paragraphs and answer the questions by placing a check mark (4) beside each correct choice.

1.

Dolphins are amazing animals. They are mammals, not fish. They are warm-blooded like humans. They also give birth to live babies like humans do. They like to be together. They swim in large groups called pods. Dolphins also feed and protect their young like humans. In dolphins, we can see many of our own traits. The main idea of this story is:

A Dolphins live in the ocean B All people like to study dolphins. C Dolphins have many human characteristics.

2.

If you asked her, J.K. Rowling might say that trains are her lucky charms. Her parents met for the first time on a train. Also, she remembers taking many fun train trips during her childhood. Perhaps, the most important reason the famous author considers trains to be good luck is easy to see. She planned the plots of the seven Harry Potter books while she was riding a train to London, England. The main idea of this story is:

A J.K. Rowling believes that trains are her good luck symbol. B Writing the Harry Potter books was very hard work. C J. K Rowling had a very happy childhood.

3.

The United States is filled with amazing places to visit. The Grand Canyon National Park has beautiful views, hot springs, and wildlife. Hawaii, our 50th state has an active volcano, thick, green forests, and the blue Pacific Ocean. Niagara Falls in New York is the second largest falls in the world. It carries millions of gallons of water from the Niagara River over the edge of the falls each day. There are thousands of other wonderful places to visit in the United States. The main idea of this story is:

A Niagara Falls is very large. B The United States is made up of many beautiful and exciting places. C Hawaii is our 50th state.

11

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Main Ideas 1. Put the letter of the correct term beside its definition: A

graphic organizer

B

main idea

C

supporting details

D

main idea chart

E F

information that defines, explains, proves or analyzes the main idea of a selection

1

diagrams or drawings which help you organize your ideas on paper

2 3

concept map

a fish-shaped graphic organizer with the spine representing the main idea of the selection and the ribs representing the supporting details

fishbone map

a diagram showing the relationships among concepts or ideas

4

the most important point that a writer wishes to express

5

a drawing or diagram showing the main idea and the supporting details of a selection

6

2. Reread the following paragraph. Then use what you learn from it to fill in the following graphic organizer.

Dolphins are amazing animals. They are mammals, not fish. They are warm-blooded like humans. They also give birth to live babies like humans do. They like to be together. They swim in large groups called pods. Dolphins also feed and protect their young like humans. In dolphins, we can see many of our own traits. MAIN IDEA

SUPPORTING DETAILS

1.

A B C D

There is only one main idea in this paragraph and there are at least four supporting details. 12

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Main Ideas You have learned that the main idea of a reading selection is the most important point that a writer wishes to express. The main idea can also be what the author wants you to understand or remember about the selection. It is very important for you to be able to identify the main idea of a text so that you can understand what the writer is trying to say to you. In addition to the main idea, you will find the author has included one or more supporting details in the selection. Supporting details are pieces of information that tell about the main idea. They define, explain, prove or analyze the main idea of a text. An excellent way of keeping your thoughts in order as you identify the main idea and supporting details is to use a graphic organizer. A graphic organizer is a diagram or drawing which helps you list your ideas on paper. There are many types of graphic organizers to use to identify the main idea and supporting details. Some of the best ones are a main idea chart, a concept map, and a fishbone map.

Graphic Organizers for the Main Idea A main idea chart is easy to make and use. The main idea is listed at the top of the paper in a large box. And there are three or more smaller boxes below it for the supporting details. A concept map is another good way to identify the main idea and supporting details. There are several ways to draw a concept map. The easiest is to draw one large circle in the middle of your paper for the main idea. Then draw three or more smaller circles around the large circle for your supporting details. A fishbone map can be more difficult to draw. Often your teacher will give you a blank organizer that looks like an outline of a fish. Inside the outline is the spinal column with several smaller ribs sticking out from it. Write the main idea on the spinal column and each supporting detail on a rib. All of these organizers will help you keep your thoughts about the main idea in order.

13

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Main Ideas 1.

Read the following selection. Then pick out the main idea and supporting details. Use them to complete the graphic organizer below. Florida manatees are the elephant’s cousins. But there are some huge differences between them. Like the elephant, manatees are mammals. They live in the water near the coast of Florida, not on land like elephants. They do have grayish skin like an elephant. Their front flippers help them steer in the water. Their tails are big and strong instead of small and weak like the elephant’s. Unlike the very large ears of an elephant, the manatee has no outer ears at all! Elephants and manatees may be cousins, but they are not very much alike.



Main Idea Chart MAIN IDEA

Supporting Detail

Supporting Detail

14

Supporting Detail

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Context Clues 1.

Fill in each blank with the correct term.



context clues four types examples synonyms and definitions antonyms and contrasts general knowledge

a) ___________________ ______ ______________________ are phrases or words that mean the opposite of the new or unknown word. b) ________________________ _________________________ are context clues that include information about the new word that is familiar to you. c) There are __________ _________________ of context clues. d) _________________ are phrases or words that define or explain the new word. e) Words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of the new word are called ________________ _______________, f)

A ________________ _______ ___________________ clue is another word or phrase with the same or a similar meaning as the new word.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

2. When Maria is happy, her face is ecstatic, or filled with joy.

In this statement, ecstatic probably means:





a) bored

b) joyful

c) unaware

3. Her absent-minded dad loses his keys and his glasses everyday!

In this statement, what does absent-minded probably mean?

a) forgetful

b) shy

c) intelligent

4. Tim has so many friends in his class because he is a gregarious person.



In this statement, gregarious probably means:



a) friendly

b) shy

c) rude

15

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Context Clues Using context clues is another reading comprehension skill that can help you become a better reader. Writers often use words that are new to their readers. When this happens, the writers may include other words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of the new word. These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. Context clues often appear in the sentences around the new word. By being aware of the words around unfamiliar words in your reading, you will be able to make logical guesses about the meanings of new words. There are four types of context clues. They are: 1. examples; 2. synonyms and definitions; 3. antonyms and contrasts; and 4. general knowledge. The following table explains each kind of context clue:

TYPE OF Context clue

Definition

signals

Examples

Antonym or Contrast Clue

Phrases or words that indicate opposite

but, in contrast, however, instead of, unlike, yet

Unlike his quiet and low key family, Brad is raucous.

Example Clue

Phrases or words that define or explain

is defined as, means, the term, [a term in boldface or italics] set off with commas

Sedentary individuals, people who are not very active, often have diminished health.

General Knowledge

The meaning is derived from the experience and background knowledge of the reader; “common sense” and logic.

the information may be something basically familiar to you

Billy is the class showoff. He likes to have everyone’s attention all the time.

Definition or Synonym Clue

Another word or phrase with the same or a similar meaning is used.

in other word, that is, also known as, sometimes called, or

The dromedary, commonly called a camel, stores fat in its hump.

16

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Context Clues Circle the correct answer for each question.

1. I abhor spinach! Its green color makes it taste horrible to me.



In this sentence, abhor probably means:





a) love

b) hate

c) sometimes like

2. The classroom was in chaos, a state of disorder.

In this sentence, chaos probably means:



a) a calm, peaceful state

b) time-out

c) confusion and mess

3. It is crucial to win today’s game if we want to be the series champions!



In this sentence, crucial probably means:



a) very important

b) not necessary

c) stupid

4. Please be careful! That race is filled with hazards.

In this sentence, hazards probably means:



a) helpful hints

b) dangers

c) cheaters

5. Skip’s parents are very prosperous. They own a huge house and two new cars.

In this sentence, prosperous probably means:



a) rich

b) poor

c) religious

Read the paragraph and then answer the question that follows. Jack and Kim were in a precarious situation. The rocks on the hillside next to them could fall at any time. Suddenly, they felt a tremor and the ground beneath them began to shake and move. The children knew that the rocks could pummel them at any second. Just as there seemed to be no hope, a savior arrived! Their dad was driving toward them in a huge military tank!

6. In this paragraph, precarious probably means:

a) secure

b) calm

c) dangerous 17

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Remember, context clues are key words and phrases that appear in the sentences around the new word.” Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Context Clues 1. Put the letter of the correct term beside its definition: A

graphic organizers

words that mean the opposite of the new word

1

B

context clues

diagrams or drawings which help you list your ideas on paper

2

C

Synonyms

words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of a new word.

3

D

Antonyms

words that mean the same as the new word

4

2. Use the information in the following paragraph to complete the graphic organizer. You may use a dictionary after you’ve tried to complete the organizers on your own.

During a storm at sea the water is treacherous. Ships are often broken apart by the strong waves. Others have simply vanished, never to be found again. Sometimes a simple fishing trip can be fatal to passengers if a storm forms while they are at sea. Sea captains must always take precautions to keep everyone safe.

Synonyms

ANTonyms

treacherous

18

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Context Clues You remember that graphic organizers are diagrams or drawings which help you list your ideas on paper. You can use graphic organizers to understand and use context clues, or words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of a new word. There are many kinds of graphic organizers that can help you recognize and use new words by looking at the context clues. The three that we will discuss are the Context Cluster graphic organizer, the Context Clue Chart, and the Concept Map graphic organizer. All three of these will help you figure out the meaning of the new words in your reading. The Context Cluster tells you to write the new word in the diamond in the middle of the page. Then you should write three synonyms, words that mean the same as the new word, in the three boxes on the left side of the diamond. Next, write three antonyms, words that mean the opposite of the new word, in the three circles on the right side of the diamond. Finally, you should write a sentence using the new word correctly on the line at the bottom of the page. Remember to use a dictionary only after you’ve tried to figure out the meaning of the new word on your own! The Context Clue Chart is a bit different from the Context Cluster organizer. You should write the new word in the rectangle in the middle of the page. From this rectangle there are arrows pointing to a box where you’ll write the sentence where you found the word in your reading, two boxes in which you should write the context clue(s) that gave you hints to the word’s meaning, a diamond shape where you’ll write which part of speech the word is, and a rectangle for writing your own sentence using the word. Again, use the dictionary last! Finally, the Concept Map features a square in the middle of the page for writing the new word. Underneath the square there are larger rectangles for listing synonyms of the word, the word in a sentence, and antonyms of the word. By using these graphic organizers you are able to see all the information you know about the new word. 19

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Graphic organizers are key diagrams or drawings which help you list your ideas on paper.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Context Clues 1. Read the following excerpt, or selection, from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

(http://www.alanbrown.com/JustForKids/Previews/Preview158.html). Then choose one of the words or phrases in italics and complete the graphic organizer with it. You may use a dictionary only after you’ve tried to figure out the meaning of the word by yourself. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. “Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.” “Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. “You mean kill it? Just because it’s smaller than the others?”

WORD

Synonyms

used in a sentence

20

ANTonyms

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Drawing Conclusions 1.

Fill each blank in the following statements with the correct term(s). details

drawing conclusions

conclusion

a) A _______________________________ is a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article. b) ________________________ are a series of bits of information about the main topic of a story or reading selection. c) _______________________________ _________________________________ is a very important reading comprehension skill.

Place a check mark (4) beside the best answer to each question.

2.

What conclusion can be made about the sentences below? When Evan’s turtle died, he had trouble eating and sleeping. He wanted his turtle again.

A B C D

3.

Evan Evan Evan Evan

was was was was

very happy. too full to eat. very upset because his turtle died. not sleepy.

The most important parts of the process of drawing conclusions are:

A main idea and details B facts and prior knowledge C practice and skill

21

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Drawing Conclusions Being able to draw conclusions from your reading is another very important reading comprehension skill to have. For instance, authors don’t always tell you the main idea of a selection. Sometimes, they suggest it through a series of small bits of information or details that add up to one main idea. They leave it to you to draw the right conclusion based on the hints you get from the story. A conclusion is a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article. There are four questions you can ask yourself that will help you draw conclusions as you read: Questions to Ask Before Drawing Conclusions 1. What facts have I learned about the subject from the story? 2. What facts do I know about the subject from real life? 3. How is the information I know from real life (prior knowledge) related to the story? 4. What is my conclusion (decision) when I add all these answers together? You can tell from the questions that the most important elements to have when you draw conclusions are the facts and prior knowledge. Read the following paragraph and ask yourself the four questions that help you draw conclusions: Keith threw his pencil on the table. He had been writing for two hours and he was tired! His teacher had assigned this report three weeks ago, but he had waited until tonight to start. It was due in the morning. He knew it was no use to complain to his mom and dad. They always stood up for his teacher! From this story you can tell that a. Keith’s parents liked his teacher more than they liked him. b. Keith’s teacher gave unfair assignments. c. Keith did not plan his work wisely. Now, use the four questions to help you draw the right conclusion. If you chose “C”, you came to the correct conclusion. The story does not say that Keith’s parents like his teacher best. It also does not say that the teacher was unfair. The story does give you the idea that Keith did not plan his work wisely. Why? He started too late! Perhaps, you know someone who failed to plan wisely like Keith did. 22

The Reading Watch Dog says, “The key elements to have when you draw conclusions are the facts and prior knowledge.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Drawing Conclusions Read the following selections and then place a check mark (4) by the correct answer.

1.

Jane sat nervously in the chair. She knew that it was almost her turn. As she looked at the lady in a white uniform coming toward her, she froze. She hoped that she had been using her toothbrush enough lately! Just then the lady called her name. From this story you can tell that:

A Jane is at the fair. B Jane is at the dentist’s office. C Jane is in a movie theater.

2.

The room was filled with suitcases, an ice chest, and some travel games. Ben and Linda ran in carrying some of their favorite books. When Dad said it was time to go, everyone was thrilled! They had looked forward to this day for a long time. From this story you can tell that:

A The family is going on a trip. B Ben and Linda had worked hard all day. C Mom is upset about the messy house.

3.

Forrest Mars was a great inventor. No, he didn’t invent a labor-saving machine or a better airplane or car. His invention was much tastier than that! Forrest noticed that soldiers were eating pieces of chocolate that had been rolled in a sugar coating to keep them from melting. He figured that kids would like the tasty treat. So his invention was born! Now it is one of the most popular kinds of candy in this country. From this story you can tell that:

A Forrest Mars wanted to make life easier for soldiers. B It took Forrest a long time to invent anything. C Forrest had a great idea for a kind of candy.

4.

Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin founded the Wham-O Toy Company in 1948. Their first toy was the Frisbee, a flying plastic disc. Next, they made the hula hoop which was copied from the famous Hawaiian dance. Both toys were huge successes. From this story you can tell that:

A Knerr and Melin became rich men. B Knerr and Melin should not have copied other people’s ideas. C Toys with lots of parts are more fun. 23

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Draw Conclusions 5. Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) A conclusion is a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article. True False b) Graphic organizers are not helpful when you are reading. True False c) All graphic organizers are exactly the same. True False d) The most important elements to have when you draw conclusions are the facts and prior knowledge. True False e) Previous knowledge does not mean the same thing as things you already know. True False

6.

Read the following selection and complete the graphic organizer. Millvina Dean passed away not long ago. She was 97 years old. Throughout her long life she was known as “the baby who survived the Titanic.” The Titanic was the largest passenger ship in the world when it first sailed in 1912. It was also known as “the unsinkable ship.” Millvina was a two-month-old baby when her family boarded the ship. On the night of April 14, 1912, the liner hit an iceberg and began to take on water. Millvina and her mother were placed on a lifeboat. Her dad stayed behind with the other men because there were not enough lifeboats for everyone. Millvina and her mom survived the long night in the little boat. But her dad drowned in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

Drawing Conclusions from Information

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

Conclusion

24

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

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Reading Passage

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Using Graphic Organizers to Draw Conclusions By now you know that graphic organizers are charts, diagrams, or drawings that help you put the information you’ve learned in order. The best graphic organizers to use to draw conclusions from your reading are the Drawing Conclusions graphic organizer, the Drawing Conclusions from Information organizers, and the Conclusions Chart. Each one asks you to identify what you already know (facts or evidence), the clues you have found in the text, and your conclusions. Keep in mind that a conclusion is a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article. And remember also that the most important elements to have when you draw conclusions are the facts and prior knowledge. The Drawing Conclusions organizer is arranged in three columns. Column # 1 asks you to list the clues you’ve gathered from your reading. Column # 2 asks you to list what you already know about the topic (prior knowledge), and Column # 3 asks you to list the conclusions you’ve reached. The Drawing Conclusions from Information organizer is arranged a little differently. It asks you to list from one to four facts about the reading selection and then to draw a conclusion from each fact. The spaces for each of the four facts are arranged in four columns with room for each conclusion that is drawn underneath each fact. Finally, the Conclusions Chart asks you to list up to four statements of evidence, or facts that you have found in your reading or your own experience.

The Reading Watch Dog says,

These examples of evidence are listed in four charts

“A conclusion is a sensible decision you reach based on details or facts in a story or article.”

with a large box for the conclusions that may be reached underneath the evidence columns.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

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After You Read

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Using Graphic Organizers to Draw Conclusions 1.

Read the following passage and complete each of the graphic organizers. Bison or buffalo are members of the cattle family. At one time, huge herds of buffalo roamed the Great Plains. They furnished the Plains Natives with food, clothes, and shelter. These Native Americans did not waste any part of the buffalo. They ate the meat and made clothes and tents from the hides and fur. They also carved buffalo horns into tools. The Natives of the Great Plains had great respect for the buffalo.

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

Conclusion

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Making Inferences 1.

Complete each statement with a word or phrase from the box. “reading between the lines” inference drawing a conclusion



imagination

a) When you make a sensible decision based on details or facts in a story or article you are _____________ _____ ____________________. b) Making an inference has also been called _________________ ______________ ________ _________. c) Choosing the most likely explanation from the facts and hints that the author has given you is making an ______________________. d) When you make inferences from the material an author has written you can sometimes use your own __________________________.

Circle the correct answer for each question.

2. Buddy and Duke are animals on Mr. Long’s farm. They spend their days eating grass and running in the pasture. Sometimes, people like to ride and gallop on them.



Which statement is probably true?





a) Buddy and Duke are horses.



b) Buddy and Duke are cows.



c) Buddy and Duke are sheep.

3. Shannon Miller was an active little girl. She loved to learn dance and gymnastic

routines at school. She became so good at gymnastics that her parents sent her to a special school. There she could practice her exercises all the time. She dreamed of winning medals in front of huge crowds.



Which statement is probably true?





a) Shannon became a teacher when she grew up.



b) Shannon won several Olympic gold medals when she was a teenager.



c) Shannon drove a school bus when she grew up. 27

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

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Reading Passage

...................

Making Inferences Sometimes a friend will try to tell you something without coming right out and saying it. He will imply what he wants you to know by giving you hints or clues. If you understand the meaning of his clues, you infer it. Writers do this, too. Often, a writer will give you hints about the meaning of the story. Then it’s up to you to infer or figure out what the clues mean. Making an inference also means choosing the most likely explanation from the facts and hints that the author has given you. It has also been called “reading between the lines”. For example, suppose you read the following sentences; “James licked the final square, posted it at the top corner of the envelope and dropped it in the large blue box. He hoped it would get there in time. Nobody likes a late birthday message.” What do you think James was doing? If you said mailing a birthday card, you’re correct! You used clues such as “licked the final square”, “posted it”, “envelope”, “large blue box”, and “birthday message” to infer that James was mailing a birthday card. In other words, making an inference is using clues from the text and your own knowledge and experience to figure out what the author is telling you. By putting all the clues together,you are making a judgment about the meaning of the text. Making inferences allows the reader to use his imagination by reading between the lines of an author’s work. It also allows the reader to create his own meaning from the reading selection. Making an inference can be more complicated than drawing a conclusion. When you draw a conclusion, you make a sensible decision based on details or facts in a story or article. When you make an inference you have to add your own knowledge and judgment to what you read. Both

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Making an inference also means choosing the most likely explanation from the facts and hints that the author has given you.”

skills are very valuable to you as you read.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Making Inferences Read the following selections and then place a check mark (4) by the correct answer.

1.

Mr. Smith took his glasses out of his pocket and cleaned them. Dr. Ross, the principal, looked around at the people in the room. A few of them were still eating and talking. Mr. Smith took out his notes and waited. Just then Dr. Ross stood and tapped her water glass with her spoon. Everyone got quiet. Which statement is probably true?

A Mr. Smith was going to leave. B Mr. Smith was going to give a speech. C Dr. Ross was going to read the group a story.

2.

Mrs. Garcia stood in front of the class with a frown on her face. She crossed her arms as she stared at them. None of the students made a sound. Which statement is probably true?

A Mrs. Garcia was happy with the students. B The students were crying. C Mrs. Garcia was upset with the students.

3.

Bike World was a store filled with bicycles for sale. Kim had saved up his allowance for months. As he walked down the aisles, he looked at all the different bikes. He knew that he had to pick one soon. Finally, he saw one for $99. He chose it quickly and left. Which statement is probably true

A Kim had plenty of money and could buy any bike he wanted. B Kim had about $100 to spend. C Kim’s bike was not a good one.

4.

The Holland children are gregarious. They often have parties for their friends. Sometimes, they invite people over to spend the night. At school, they are always surrounded by people. Which statement is probably true?

A the Holland children are lonely B the Holland children are not nice C the Holland children enjoy being around other people 29

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Make Inferences Place a check mark (4) beside the best answer to each question.

1.

When a writer infers the meaning of a story, he:

A plainly states the meaning. B gives you hints or clues about the meaning of the story. C hides the meaning of the story from you.

2.

An inference is:

A a prearranged meeting for exchange of information or a discussion. B something that interferes with or delays action or progress. C a judgment you make using clues from the text and your own knowledge

3.

and experience to figure out what the author is telling you.

Graphic organizers are not used to:

A show pictures in a story. B help you list your ideas on paper. C classify ideas and communicate more effectively.

4.

Read the following passage and complete the graphic organizer. Helen Keller had a bad fever when she was a small child. Afterward, she could not see or hear. Her world was dark and silent. Then a woman named Anne Sullivan came to her home. Anne taught Helen to understand an alphabet for blind people. She also taught Helen to spell with her fingers when she wanted to say something. Anne opened a whole new world for Helen. Surely, the day that Anne came into Helen’s life was a wonderful one! Question: How do you think Helen Keller felt about Anne Sullivan?

It Says… (What the text says)

I Say… (My thoughts)

So… (Inference)

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Reading Passage

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Using Graphic Organizers to Make Inferences Inferring or making inferences can be defined as making a logical guess or “reading between the lines.” You make inferences when you take your own experiences and combine them with information you’ve gained from your reading. Graphic organizers can help you list what you’ve learned from the reading and what you know from real life. The sum of both bits of information is an inference. Graphic organizers are tools that you can use to help yourself think more clearly. They may be charts or diagrams on which you list information about the reading selection. Graphic organizers are not worksheets or illustrations related to the story you’ve read. There are many kinds of graphic organizers with many different uses. The best graphic organizers to use to make inferences include the knowledge you’ve gained from your reading, what you know from your previous experiences, and the inference you can make when you add the two together. The Making Inferences organizer is good to use when you need to make inferences. It asks you to list what the text says in one column, what you say or think in a second column, and what you infer from both of these bits of information in a third column. Each column has an arrow that points to a box marked “Conclusions”. The Inference Equation organizer is another excellent tool to use for making inferences. It asks you to list the clues you’ve learned from the story. Then you should add what you know from your other reading or life experiences. Finally, the organizer provides a space for you to add both of these sets of information together to state the inference you have made. Reading Between the Lines is the last inference organizer. It has two columns which ask for details from the story and what you already know. The last column is for you to write the inference you’ve made.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

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After You Read

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Using Graphic Organizers to Make Inferences 1.

Read the following passage and complete the graphic organizer: Thomas Edison was a great inventor and a very smart man. When he was a boy, his teachers thought he was a slow learner. It took him a long time to figure out the answers to questions. What his teachers did not know was that Thomas was always trying to figure out how things worked! No matter how much trouble he got into as a boy, Thomas kept on asking questions. When he grew up everyone called him a genius!

Story Clues +

What I Know =

32

Inference

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Fact and Opinion Place a check mark (4) beside the correct answer to each question.

1.

A fact is:

A a sense of what is right B something that is always true and can be proven C something that somebody does

2.

An opinion is:

A how you or someone else feels about a particular topic

and may or may not be true B a plant of the lily family C to prevent a bird from flying

3.

Some clue words that signal a statement might be an opinion are:

A here, there, everywhere B today, tomorrow, now, C believe, feel, like

4.

Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an O in front of each OPINION. a) Tom is wearing a blue tie. b) Math is the easiest subject. c) Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States during the Civil War. d) I really enjoyed the baseball game last night. e) George Washington was the best President of the United States. f) Brazil is located on the continent of South America. g) Most people hate bees. h) That boy is the nicest person in the school.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

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Reading Passage

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Fact and Opinion Another good reading skill is being able to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion. A fact is something that is always true and can be proven. An opinion is how you or someone else feels about a particular topic and may or may not be true. For example, you might say that vanilla is the best-selling ice cream flavor in the United States. Is this a fact or an opinion? This statement is a fact because you can go to a reference source and prove it. Another person might say that chocolate is the best-tasting ice cream flavor in the U.S. Is this a fact or an opinion? It’s an opinion because taste is a personal decision and can change from one person to another. Knowing the difference between a fact and an opinion will make you a better reader. A writer may often tell you what he thinks or feels. But he may not always give you the facts. It is important to be able to figure out what the writer is saying so you can form your own opinions. As you read what an author says, you should ask yourself if he is stating a fact or a personal opinion. Since the two may even be in the same sentence, you have to be able to identify each one. A statement of fact can be proven TRUE or FALSE. A statement of opinion is what someone believes or thinks. It cannot be proven true or false. There may or may not be a good reason to think this way. You may agree or disagree with an opinion. There are many types of reference materials to use when you are trying to prove that a statement is a fact. Some of the most useful are: encyclopedias, atlases, The Reading Watch Dog says, dictionaries, textbooks, history “Fact and Opinion Key books, science books, and Words” calendars. Newspapers may be a mixture of fact and opinion. Some authors mix facts and opinions in their stories and books. If you see words such as “believe”, “like”, “most”, “least”, “best”, “worst”, “view”, “feeling”, and “belief”, they give you a clue that the statement might be an opinion rather than a fact.

feel

names

think Fact and Opinion Signal Words

places

dates

34

times

imagine advice

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Fact and Opinion Read the following story and answer the questions that follow it. The North American grizzly bear is also called a brown bear. Grizzlies live mostly in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Washington and Canada. Grizzly bears are the most dangerous wild animals in this country. The grizzly bear is very strong. He can kill a human with one swipe of his claw. A grizzly bear can weigh up to 1,800 pounds. That is about the weight of a big bull. The grizzly is able to stand on its hind feet. When he stands up he can be as tall as 12 feet high. He could reach the ceiling in your classroom. Grizzlies are certainly the most frightening animals in the forest! Grizzlies have humps on their backs. This bear got its name from its shaggy-looking fur. A grizzly bear’s fur is brown with silver tips. I think that grizzly bears are beautiful. Grizzly bears don’t see very well. They are attracted by the smell of an animal or object. Smelling is what the animal does the best. Most grizzly bears like to live alone. They are active during the morning and early evening hours. Dens or caves are where grizzlies like to live. They often use rock caves and hollow trees for shelter. Grizzly bears would be fun to play with. Grizzly bears eat insects, wild honey, grasses, roots, berries, fish, moose, elk, deer, sheep, and sometimes other bears. However, grizzly bears do not hunt humans for food.

Place a check mark (4) beside the correct answer to each question.

1.

How many opinions are there in the first paragraph?

A B C

2.

Which of the following is an opinion?

A B C

3.

The North American grizzly bear is also called a brown bear. The grizzly bear is very strong. Grizzly bears are the most dangerous wild animals in this country.

How many facts are there in the second paragraph?

A B C

4.

one two three

five four three

“Grizzlies are certainly the most frightening animals in the forest!” is:

A B C

a fact an opinion an exaggeration 35

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Fact and Opinion 1.

Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an O in front of each OPINION. a) Doctors recommend that you drink eight glasses of water everyday. b) He is the best basketball player of all time. c) Everyone needs to recycle newspapers and plastic bottles. d) Argentina is in South America. e) All people love to go to Disney World.

2. Read the following newspaper article and then complete the graphic organizer. A Narrow Miss Life was very exciting at Mills Elementary School yesterday morning. A car broke through the fence and ran into the brick wall at the front of the school. No one was injured, but all 300 of Mills School’s students had racing hearts. The accident happened at 8:25 a.m. A nearly new SUV driven by Mr. Ken Smith slammed into the school property after Mr. Smith fell asleep at the wheel. “I’m ashamed,” Mr. Smith said. “I don’t know why I was feeling so sleepy. I must be the dumbest driver in the world!” All the students and staff members heard the loud crashes when they happened. One student, Tim Harris, said that he thought a spaceship had crashed on the building. Others thought that a storm was coming. All is well at Mills Elementary today. However, many students believe that yesterday’s crash was the most exciting thing that’s happened at school in a long time! Text Details & Direct Quotes From the Text

Explain How You Know the Details are Facts or Opinions

Facts

Opinions

Directions: Understanding text often involves being able to tell the difference between fact and opinion. Often writers will mix fact and opinion, and it becomes the job of the reader to sort them out. Facts are objective (i.e., they can be proven); opinions are subjective (i.e., they express a preference or bias). Use the chart above to identify both facts and opinions in a text and be sure to explain how you know the details you write down are either facts or opinions.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Fact and Opinion You have learned that facts are statements that are always true and can be proven with evidence. They do not change from person to person or from one location to the next. On the other hand, opinions express an attitude, a belief, a judgment or a conclusion. They may or may not be true and cannot be proven with evidence. When you have to decide whether a statement is a fact or an opinion you may want to use a graphic organizer. Remember that a graphic organizer is a chart or diagram that helps you put the information you are learning in order. You can use graphic organizers to structure writing projects, to help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research and brainstorming. There are several kinds of graphic organizers that can be used when you are working with facts and opinions. The first one is called the Fact and Opinion T Chart. The Fact and Opinion T Chart is shaped somewhat like the capital letter “T”. It asks you to list the title of the reading selection you are working on. Then it asks you to list the facts and opinions you find in your reading and to explain why you believe each statement is a fact or an opinion. The next graphic organizer to use with fact and opinion is a bit different from the “T” chart. It is called the Fact and Opinion Tree Chart. This graphic organizer asks you to list the title of the selection you’re reading. Below the title you are asked to list at least two facts and two opinions that you found in the story in four separate boxes. Under each fact or opinion there is another box in which you are asked to tell why the statement is a fact or an opinion. The last graphic organizer to use with fact and opinion is the Fact and Opinion Organizer. The Fact and Opinion Organizer is a three-columned chart which asks you to list facts in your reading selection in one column, the opinions you found in your reading selection in the second column, and what you think about each one in the third column.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Fact and Opinion 1.

Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an O in front of each OPINION. a) Italian is an easier language to learn than Spanish. b) Smoke detectors can help save lives. c) Soccer is a rough and tumble sport. d) Next year, my dad should win an award for his cooking. e) We all love to watch TV on Saturday nights. f) Dr. Ross is the best principal in this school system. g) The club’s next meeting is on May 20th at 8:00 p.m. h) Her little brother has got to be the smartest kid in school. i) It was colder yesterday than it was last Tuesday. j) Everyone likes to get lots and lots of e-mail everyday.

2.

Choose five sentences from the list above that you labeled “opinions” and rewrite them so that they state facts only. a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

38

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Sequencing 1.

Sequence the following events by putting a “1” next to what happens first, a “2” next to what happens next, etc. a) Turn out the light and go to sleep b) Get on the school bus to go to school c) Turn the alarm clock off and get out of bed d) Take a math test and then eat lunch e) Eat breakfast f) Put on your pajamas g) Get dressed for school h) Eat dinner with the family i) Look around the classroom and see who’s come to class today

2. Read the following paragraph and list the events in the order that they happened.

Circle the three sequencing clue words you find.

Wilbur awoke in the mud and the muck of the barn floor. He looked around to find out who had spoken to him last night. First he asked the horse if he had said anything. The horse just shook his head and chewed his hay. Next Wilbur whispered to the geese, “Did you speak to me last night?” They just looked at him funny and wobbled away. Finally, he heard a very small voice say, “Salutations!” a) Wilbur woke up in the barn._____________________________________________ b) _ ______________________________________________________________________ c) _ ______________________________________________________________________ d) _ ______________________________________________________________________ e) _ ______________________________________________________________________ f) _ ______________________________________________________________________ g) _ ______________________________________________________________________ 39

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Sequencing The final reading comprehension skill that we will study is sequencing. Sequencing refers to putting events or actions in order. Words like before and after, or first and last, tell you the order, or sequence, in which things happen. A very common type of sequencing is putting events in chronological or time order – or the order in which they happened. Sequencing has been called the “key to successful reading” because it is a fairly easy and helpful skill to learn. Suppose someone asked you to put some scrambled letters of the alphabet in sequence. It would not be a hard task, would it? You’d only have to write the letters in the order that they’re arranged in the alphabet. Arranging scrambled numbers is also a simple job. The key is to remember the order that the numbers appear when you are counting. You can also sequence events or actions. Many times your teacher may ask you to put the actions of the main character in sequence. You can even sequence the major events of your own life! Events in history are also fun to sequence. You may also sequence the steps of a recipe. There are many words that signal sequence. They are shown in the graphic organizer below:

SIGNAL / TRANSITION WORDS FOR RECOGNIZING SEQUENCE

The Reading Watch Dog says, “These words are keys to sequencing!”

first, second, third, etc. finally afterwards while soon simultaneously then when now during the first/next/last thing last

40

at the beginning prior to shortly thereafter subsequently next at the same time following that later soon at (in) the end before after

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Sequencing 1.

List each sequencing clue words or phrases you find in the following paragraph. (You may use a dictionary if needed.) In the beginning, the children were just talking while they waited at the bus stop. Later, a truck pulled up and blew its horn loudly. Next, a man jumped out and looked around. At the same time, the driver put the truck in park and stepped into the street. Simultaneously, cars began stopping. Shortly thereafter, the bus arrived and joined the line of stopped cars. Following that, the police arrived. Soon they had the man calmed down. Then they asked the driver to move his truck out of the way. When the street was clear, the line of cars moved on. Subsequently, the children got on the bus. The last thing they saw was a happy dog jump into the arms of the man. a) ______________________________________

g) ______________________________________

b) _ _____________________________________

h) _ _____________________________________

c) _ _____________________________________

i) _ _____________________________________

d) _ _____________________________________

j) _ _____________________________________

e) _ _____________________________________

k) _ _____________________________________

f) _ _____________________________________

l) _ _____________________________________

2. Choose one of the activities below and write all the steps you would take to do it.

Be sure to put the steps in sequence. A. B. C. D. E.

Making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich Tying your shoes Dressing your baby brother Brushing your teeth Making a snowman

Title of Activity:

41

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers for Sequencing 1. Put the letter of the correct term beside its definition: A

graphic organizer

B

sequencing

C

timeline

D E

a listing of events or dates as they happened in time

1

main idea, context clues, drawing conclusions, inference, fact & opinion, and sequencing

2

chronological order

refers to putting events or actions in the order they occurred

3

reading comprehension skills

charts, diagrams, or drawings that help you put the information you’ve learned in order

4

a graphic organizer that displays events or dates in the order they happened

5

2. On the graphic organizer pictured below put the important events of your life in sequential order (the order in which they happened). Timeline

42

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers for Sequencing There are many kinds of graphic organizers to use when you sequence the events of a story or the steps in a process. By deciding to use a graphic organizer you will be able to arrange your thoughts more easily. One kind of organizer is called a Timeline. A timeline is defined as “a sequence of events arranged in chronological order (the order in which they happened) and displayed along a line.”

TIPS FOR USING A TIMELINE You can use a timeline to: 1. help write a story 2. plan an event 3. recall past memories

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Here are some Key Tips for Using a Timeline:”

You will need to choose the best way to organize the timeline, either by years, time of day, significant events, or some other unit of measure.

Another good graphic organizer to use for sequencing the events in a story is the Story Sequence Chart. The Story Sequence Chart looks like a set of stair-steps. You should write what happened first in the story on the bottom step, what happened next on the second step, etc. This organizer helps you see all the events in a story in the order they occurred. The last sequencing graphic organizer is also used to put the steps in a process in order. It is called the “How to Make a ____________”. This graphic organizer is a series of boxes, one underneath the other. Each box is labeled with a sequence clue word such as “first”, “second”, “then”, etc... You should put the first step in the process in the first box, etc. Using graphic organizers is a great way to improve your reading comprehension skills.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers for Sequencing 1.

Use the Timeline graphic organizer to arrange the following dates of Thomas Edison’s inventions in chronological order. Put the earliest date at the top.

A B C D E F G H I J

1881 – 1887: invented a system of wireless telegraphy 1868: invented an automatic vote recorder for legislatures. 1912: invented the talking motion picture. 1879: invented a direct current generator for incandescent electric lighting 1875: invented the electric pen, an early copying device 1907: invented the Universal Electric Motor 1915: invented the first synthetic form of carbolic acid 1871: made several improvements in stock ticker technology 1877: invented the phonograph 1891-1900: invented a giant roller machine for breaking large masses of rock and finely crushing them.

44

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task #

1

................... (Context Clues) Rewrite the following paragraph (on your own paper) using the context clues to help you figure out the nonsense words. Later you may like to write another paragraph describing the last day of school and include some nonsense words and their context clues. Your friend Mark has moved to a new country and is learning a new language. Read what he wrote to his friend, Joe, and see if you can figure out the meaning to the underlined words. Dear Joe, I slept too late this morning. I had to eat my bowl of junijips very fast, and I almost missed the coldort. When I got to school, I realized I had forgotten my bicpic. Luckily, Ms. Jones is very suzzi, and told me I could bring it tomorrow. After school, some friends and I played hickypidd. It’s a new game I am learning. We scored 7 points and they only scored 5 points, so we were the namitomes! Dad says that next weekend we’re going to the blidnat. I can’t wait! I love to swim and play in the sand. I hope I don’t get sunburn, though. Well, I better go to bed soon. I don’t want to wake up late again and miss the school coldort! Your friend, Mark

WritinG Task #

2

................... (Sequence Words) Revise this example using some or all of the sequence words listed in the box on page 38. The hints below will help you as you write. I opened the package. I poured out the cake mix. I cracked open an egg. I added water. I mixed the ingredients together. I poured the mix into a pan. I baked the cake. I prepared the icing. I took the cake out of the cake pan. I spread the icing on the cake. I decorated the cake with little icing flowers and letters that said, “Happy Birthday”.

• Have I used order words like first, next, then, and finally? • Did I use a variety of transition words like however, because, also, and for instance? • Have I shown how ideas connect from sentence to sentence? • Does my organization make sense from paragraph to paragraph? 45

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task # 3

................... (Fact or Opinion) Write at least two well-developed paragraphs about your favorite movie. Be sure to include at least five facts about the movie and three opinions about the movie. Underline the facts one time. Underline the opinions two times.

WritinG Task # 4

................... (Inferences) Imagine that you are the coach of a baseball team who has just lost a big game. Write a paragraph describing how some of the players feel about losing the game. Use inferences to show how they feel. Do NOT tell how they feel!

46

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task # 5

................... (Main Idea and Supporting Details) Use the following writing prompt to write an essay with one main idea and several supporting details in it. When I was lying in bed last night, I heard footsteps in the attic. I…

WritinG Task #

6

................... (Drawing Conclusions) Use the following writing prompt to write a paragraph about the time you arrived at home and found no one there. Include clues that helped you draw conclusions about where your family had gone. I knew something had happened as soon as I walked in the kitchen door yesterday afternoon. I looked around and there was nobody there!

47

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Crossword 1

2 3 4

5

6 7 8

9

10 11

13

12

14

15

16

Word List antonym chronological conclusions context evidence fact fishbone map graphic inference main idea opinion purpose reading sequencing supporting timeline

Across 1. 5. 7. 9. 10. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

The facts about something (proof) A graphic organizer that displays events or dates in the order that they happened. Drawing __________ Something that is always true The main reason you read a selection __________ details __________ Comprehension The most important part of a reading Selection A graphic organizer shaped like a fish (2 words) A word that means the opposite of another word

Down 2.

Using clues from the text and your own knowledge and experience to figure out what the author is trying to say. 3. Putting events or actions in the order they occurred. 4. The order in which something happens 6. ______ Organizers 8. ______Clues (a reading comprehension skill) 11. What someone thinks or believes

48

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Word Search Find the following key words from the story. The words are written horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards. antonym

context clues

fishbone map

opinion

synonym

chronological

details

graphic

organizer

timeline

comprehension

evidence

inference

reading

conclusions

fact

main idea

sequencing

a

g

t

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49

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz Circle the correct answer for each question.

22

1. Proof of something is called:

a) opinion

b) evidence

c) synonymous

2. The ability to read and understand the meaning of a text is called: a) reading comprehension

b) reading between the lines

c) purpose for reading

3. Words that mean the opposite of each other are called: a) antonyms

b) synonyms

c) participles

4. Pieces of information that tell about the main idea are called: a) timelines

b) fishbones

c) supporting details

5. Something that can always be proven is called a: a) fact

b) fib

c) fantasy

6. The most important part of a reading selection is called: a) an inference

b) conclusion

c) main idea

7. A diagram or chart that shows the relationships among concepts or ideas is called a: a) chronology

b) graphic organizer

8. The reason you read a text is called the: a) purpose for reading

c) scoreboard

b) homework assignment

c) directions

9. A word that means the same or about the same as another word is called: a) a simile

b) a synonym

10

c) a metaphor

10. Words or phrases that can help readers understand the meaning of a new word are: a) context clues

b) reading purposes

c) main ideas

Put a “T” in front of each true statement and put an “F” in front of each false statement.

11. A drawing can be a graphic organizer. 12. Evidence does not mean the same thing as proof. 13. A fishbone map is usually shaped like the skeleton of a fish. 14. Making an inference is the same thing as “reading between the lines”. 15. It is very important to have good reading comprehension skills. 50

SUBTOTAL:

5

5 /15

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz Read the passage to answer number 16.

7

On March 5, 1770, the trouble began. A group of men and boys threw snowballs at the British soldiers who were stationed in Boston. The snowballs made the soldiers angry. Finally, the soldiers began to fire their guns into the crowd. When it was over, three Americans were dead. Two others died later. The Boston Massacre became one of the reasons that Americans wanted independence from Britain.

16.

Which sentence is the main idea of the passage above?

A On March 5, 1770, the trouble began. B A group of men and boys threw snowballs at the British soldiers who were

stationed in Boston. C The Boston Massacre became one of the reasons that Americans wanted independence from Britain.

Tell whether statements 17 – 19 are FACTS or OPINIONS by circling the correct word.

17.

My laptop is the best computer in the world! FACT or OPINION?

18.

Judy Blume wrote Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. FACT or OPINION?

19. My mom makes the worst spaghetti ever! FACT or OPINION? Circle the correct answer for the following statements.

20.

The egret is in danger of becoming extinct because clothing makers use their long, beautiful tail feathers to make ladies’ hats. What is an egret?

21.

b) a small book

c) a large bird

My grandmother likes to add kohlrabi, beans, zucchini and other green vegetables to her soup recipe. What is kohlrabi?

22.

a) a child

a) a type of seasoning

b) a type of cabbage

c) a sweet fruit

Like their cousins, the raccoons and possums, lemurs have long tails and big eyes. What is a lemur?

a) a small fish

b) a fierce lion-like creature



c) a small forest animal that lives in trees and hunts at night

SUBTOTAL: 51

/7

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Characterization 1.

Match the meaning on the right with its term on the left.

A

literary devices

B

character

C

characterization

D

5 methods of characterization

E

major character

F

minor character

2.

1. the character’s physical appearance (how the character looks); 2. the character’s thoughts (what the character thinks); 3. the character’s actions (what the character does); 4. the character’s speech (what the character says); and 5. the character’s interactions with other characters in the story (how the other characters react to him or her).

1

undeveloped characters

2

well-developed characters

3

an imaginary person or creature in a work of fiction (play, film, or story)

4

the building blocks of storytelling

5

the way the author gives his readers information about the characters

6

Choose a well-developed character in a book you have read and answer the following questions about him or her. a) What is the character’s name?__________________________________________________ b) What is the character’s physical appearance? (how he or she looks)

c) What are some things the character does?

d) What are some things the character says?

e) How do other characters treat this character?

52

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Characterization Literary devices are the building blocks of storytelling. They help readers understand the meaning of a story. You will find that all stories have characters, a setting, a plot, a theme, and a point of view. In addition, many stories use flashbacks or foreshadowing to let the reader know what is happening. These are the literary devices we will study in this book. A character is an imaginary person or creature in a work of fiction (play, film, or story). Characterization is the way the author gives his readers information about the characters. Authors use five main ways to let readers get to know characters in a story. They are: 1. the character’s physical appearance (how the character looks); 2. the character’s thoughts (what the character thinks); 3. the character’s actions (what the character does); 4. the character’s speech (what the character says); and 5. the character’s interactions with other characters in the story (how the other characters react to him or her). You know from your own reading that authors can create many characters that you will remember well after you’ve finished the stories they were in. Wilbur the Pig, Charlotte the Spider, Harry Potter, and Luke Skywalker are just a few of the most famous characters of all time. These characters are easy to remember because their authors made them seem real to their readers. Authors create two kinds of characters. Major characters are well-developed. You as the reader know how they feel, think, look, and behave because the author has taken time to tell you. Minor characters are less developed. Readers may only know a little about them. However, minor characters are often very important to the story that is being told.

The Reading Watch Dog says, “As you read, you will be introduced to many characters. Here are some questions to answer about each of them:”

• • • • • •

What is this character like? What does this character say? What does this character do? What does this character look like? Would I want to meet him or her? What do other characters say about him or her?

53

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Characterization Read the following excerpt from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Then, answer the questions listed below. Charlotte’s Web: Chapter One Before Breakfast

Mr. Arable stopped walking. “Fern,” he said gently, “you will have to learn to control yourself.” “Control myself?” yelled Fern. “This is a matter of life and death, and you talk about controlling myself.” Tears ran down her cheeks and she took hold of the ax and tried to pull it out of her father’s hand. “Fern,” said Mr. Arable, “I know more about raising a litter of pigs than you do. A weakling makes trouble. Now run along!” “But it’s unfair,” cried Fern. “The pig couldn’t help being born small, could it? If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?” Mr. Arable smiled. “Certainly not,” he said, looking down at his daughter with love. “But this is different. A little girl is one thing, a little runty pig is another.” “I see no difference,” replied Fern, still hanging on to the ax. “This is the most terrible case of injustice I ever heard of.”

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. “Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.” “Do away with it?” shrieked Fern. “You mean kill it? Just because it’s smaller than the others?” Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table. “Don’t yell, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.” Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors. The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime. Fern’s sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father. “Please don’t kill it!” she sobbed. “It’s unfair.”

a) How many characters are introduced in this portion of Charlotte’s Web? b) List some things you know about Fern by reading this selection. c) Who is Mrs. Arable? d) Who is Mr. Arable? e) What do you think Mr. Arable does for a living? f) What do you think “injustice” means?

54

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Characterization 1.

Fill in each blank with the correct term.



graphic organizer characterization character minor characters minor character

a) A ______________________ is an imaginary person or creature in a work of fiction (play, film, or story). b) ______________________ is the way the author gives his readers information about the characters. c) A ______________________ ______________________ is a diagram or drawing which help you organize your ideas on paper. d) A ______________________ ______________________ is well-developed. You as the reader know how this character feels, thinks, looks, and behaves because the author has taken time to tell you. e) _____________________ ____________________ are less developed. You may only know a little about them.

2.

Choose one of the characters listed below and use his or her characteristics to complete the graphic organizer. Mickey Mouse

Garfield

Santa Claus

Sponge Bob

Character Analysis Words Actions Appearance Thoughts Effects on Other People 55

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Characterization One important tool you can use to help you learn about the characters in the books and plays that you read is the graphic organizer. A graphic organizer is a diagram or drawing, which help you organize your ideas on paper. Graphic organizers are very handy to help you put all the elements of a character’s personality into categories that are easy to remember. There are several graphic organizers that may be of use as you study characterization. One of the most important is the Character Chart. The Character Chart is divided into three columns. The first column provides space for the names of the characters in the book, movie, or play. The second column asks you to list each character’s relationship to the main character in the book, movie, or play. The last column asks you to list the characteristics or features of each character’s personality and appearance. Another important graphic organizer to use when you are studying characterization is the Character Study Graphic Organizer. The Character Study Graphic Organizer is a column of questions which ask you to tell the character’s name, describe what the character is like, and list some of the words and phrases used in the book, play, or movie to tell about the character. Using the Character Study Graphic Organizer can help you remember important details about each character. Finally, Characterization Graphic Organizer provides a very complete description of character traits. The Characterization Graphic Organizer is a series of six rectangles arranged like the spokes in a wheel. The rectangle in the middle is the place you will write the name of your character. In each rectangle that radiates from the center, one of these titles and questions are written: 1. Dialogue (What does the dialogue reveal about him or her?); 2. Physical description (What does he or she look like?); 3. Thoughts (What is he or she thinking?); 4. Actions (what do actions reveal about him or her? include gestures, motions); and 5. Reactions of others (What do others think of him or her?). We will use the Characterization Graphic Organizer on the following page to analyze a particular character’s traits.

56

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Characterization 1.

Choose one of the characters listed in the box below or choose a character from your own reading and analyze his or her character traits using the Characterization Graphic Organizer. Tom Sawyer Sleeping Beauty The Cat in the Hat Harry Potter Stuart Little Laura Ingalls or a main character of your choice



Characterization Graphic Organizer Dialogue

(What does the dialogue reveal about him or her?)

Physical Description

Thoughts

(What does he or she look like?)

(What is he or she thinking?)

Character Name:

Actions

Reactions of Others

(What do actions reveal about him or her? Include gestures, motions.)

(What do others think of him or her?)

57

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Setting 1.

Complete each sentence with a word or phrase from the box. time

setting

when

place



where

The (a) _________________________ of a story is the background of the story. It is the (b) _________________ where the story happens and the (c) _________________ when it happens. It answers the questions of (d) ____________________ and (e) __________________.

2.

Answer each question with a complete sentence. a) Describe what the setting of a story about two ten-year-old boys might look and sound like.

b) Describe the setting of a ghost story.

c) Describe the setting of a story about a jungle explorer.

d) Describe one of the settings for the fairytale, Cinderella.

e) Describe the setting for a story about a teacher.

58

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Setting Another important literary device is the setting of a story, play, or movie. The setting is the time and location in which a story takes place. For some stories, the setting is very important, while for others it is not. Many times, writers will tell you more than the time and location. Sometimes, an author will describe the: a) place - geographical location; b) time - when is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc); c) weather conditions - is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?; and d) social conditions - what is the daily life of the characters like? The setting of a story can be used for other reasons, such as to create mood or atmosphere. “A farm house nestled on a beautiful, grassy plain,” paints a picture of a peaceful, happy mood, while “a dark, ramshackle house,” describes a scary mood. Another use for the setting of a story is to inform readers about different ways of life. By providing details about clothing, customs, and speech patterns, the author gives the reader a sense of what it is really like living in that story. Sometimes, authors use the setting to make the action of the story seem more real. Lifelike details can take readers to imaginary and faraway times and places. Some writers use setting to add to the conflict or struggle in a story. For example, Arctic settings may include a character’s struggle to survive in very cold weather. Finally, setting may be used to stand for some idea that the writer wants to emphasize. For instance, a spring setting may stand for hopeful beginnings and growth, or winter may stand for death or loneliness.

59

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Remember, setting provides the first bricks of the foundation on which you will build the rest of the character you are creating. No matter what else may be missing, every single story ever written since the first writer wrote the first word has taken place somewhere.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Setting 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) The setting of a story, play, or movie is the time and place it happens. True False b) The setting of a story is always very important to its meaning. True False c) All writers tell only the time and place when they describe the settings of stories, plays or movies. True False d) Setting can be used to create a mood or atmosphere for a story. True False e) Informing readers about different ways of life is not a use for the setting of a story. True False f) Setting can be used to make the action of the story seem more real. True False g) Adding to the conflict or struggle in a story is another use for the setting of a story. True False

2.

Complete the following exercise: If I were a character in a story, here is the setting I’d use:

Place

why I chose this place

TIME

why I chose this TIME

60

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Setting 1.

Place a check mark (4) beside the correct answer to each question. i)

Which of the following is not a graphic organizer?

A B C D ii)

chart paragraph diagram map

Setting may include each of the following, except:

A B C D

2.

A A A A

Time Place Date Characters

Choose one of the following fairy tales from the box, and use its setting to complete the graphic organizer below. Little Red Riding Hood Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Hansel and Gretel Goldilocks and the Three Bears The Three Little Pigs Jack and the Beanstalk

Meaning of Setting Map Where does the story take place?

When does the story take place?

Changes in the setting during the story:

DETAILS!

DETAILS!

DETAILS!

61

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Setting The setting of a story is created by a writer’s use of words. The amount of details included is left entirely up to him or her. Many authors choose to let their readers come up with some of the details of the setting on their own. They must then use clues to guess the time and place. Graphic organizers are charts or drawings that can help you put all the elements of a story’s setting into categories that are easy to remember. There are many graphic organizers that may be helpful to you as you study setting. The three most helpful are the Analyzing the Setting in a Story Chart, the Three Elements of Setting Graphic Organizer, and the Meaning of Setting Map. The Analyzing the Setting in a Story Chart asks you to answer questions about the setting of a particular story, play, or movie. It is presented in a two-columned chart with the heading of the first column labeled, “Questions to Ask about Setting,” and the second column labeled, “Responses from the Story.” This graphic organizer asks questions such as: “What does the setting tell us about the characters?,” and “How would you describe the atmosphere or mood created by the setting?” We will work with this graphic organizer on the following page. The Three Elements of Setting Graphic Organizer is a setting map showing three rectangles labeled, “Place,” “Time,” and “Environment,” merging together to make the literary device, “Setting.” This graphic organizer also includes some tips for developing the setting of a story. The last graphic organizer to use for setting is the Meaning of Setting Map. It is a three-columned chart with the headings, “Where does the story take place?,” “When does the story take place?,” and “Changes in the setting during the story.” Underneath each heading is a space for details. You will find that using graphic organizers as you study the literary device of setting will be very helpful. 62

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Keys to a story’s setting” • date • location • weather • scenery • rooms • clothing • local customs • dialects

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Setting 1. Complete this graphic organizer using information from a book that you have read in the past.

ANALYZING SETTING IN A STORY Title of Book: ____________________________________________________________________ Author: _________________________________________________________________________

Questions to Ask About Setting

Responses from the Story

1. What is the setting? Historical period? Country or locale? Season of the year? Weather? Time of day? What are the sights? Sounds? Tastes? Smells? What other details establish a sense of place? 2. Are the characters in conflict with the setting? What do the characters want? Does the setting keep them from getting what they want?

3. What does the setting tell us about the characters? What feelings or attitudes do the characters reveal toward the setting? Fear? Pleasure? Challenge? Dislike? Respect? Other feelings or attitudes? 4. How would you describe the atmosphere or mood created by the setting? Is it gloomy? Cheerful? Mysterious? Threatening? Other descriptions?

63

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Plot 1.

Match the meaning on the right with its term on the left.

A

plot

B

narrative

C

introduction

D

rising action

E

climax

F

falling action

G

resolution

2.

describes the characters and the setting of the story.

1

a tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story.

2

refers to what happens and how it happens in a story, play, or movie.

3

the section of the plot when readers find out more about the main characters and conflicts are introduced.

4

any written work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, or a play.

5

the “high point” of a story, when the major conflicts end up in some kind of final showdown.

6

a time immediately following the climax.

7

Choose one of the fairy tales in the box below and write a summary of its plot. Little Red Riding Hood Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Hansel and Gretel Goldilocks and the Three Bears The Three Little Pigs Jack and the Beanstalk

64

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Plot Now it is time to discuss another very important literary device, plot. Plot refers to what happens and how it happens in a narrative. A narrative is any written work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, or a play. Plot can also be defined as a “plan of action for a story, play, or movie.” Plot is usually the most important element in a story. The plot of a story usually unfolds in a particular way. The introduction or opening describes the characters and the setting of the story. Next, the rising action happens. It is during this section of the plot that conflicts are introduced, and readers find out more about the main characters in the story. The third part of a plot is called the climax. The climax is the “high point” of a story, when the major conflicts end up in some kind of final showdown (a fight, an argument, physical action, or a very tense emotional moment). The climax is the point in the story where something CHANGES. Then, comes the falling action, a time immediately following the climax. The falling action deals with the results of the climax. Finally, the plot ends in a resolution, or a tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story. Most resolutions leave the readers with a sense of closure or completion. The five stages of plot development are illustrated in the diagram below.

Climax

The Reading Watch Dog says,

Rising Action

Falling Action

Introduction

Resolution

“Here is a Plot Diagram to help you understand the plot sequence of a story:”

65

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Plot 1.

Circle the word or phrase that correctly completes each statement. a) _________________ refers to what happens and how it happens in a narrative.



i) setting

ii) plot

iii) characterization.

b) A __________________ is any written work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, or a play.

i) science book

ii) narrative

iii) math book

c) The ____________________________ describes the characters and the setting of the story.

i) rising action

ii) climax iii) introduction

d) The ______________________ is during the section of the plot where conflicts are introduced and that readers find out more about the main characters in the story.

i) rising action

ii) climax iii) introduction

e) The _____________________ is the “high point” of a story, when the major conflicts end up in some kind of final showdown.

i) rising action

ii) climax iii) introduction

f) The __________________________ deals with the results of the climax.

i) resolution

ii) introduction

iii) falling action

g) A plot ends in a___________________, or a tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story.

i) resolution

ii) introduction

iii) falling action

h) There are ___________ stages of plot development.

i) five

ii) three

iii) seven

2. Label the following plot diagram. c) b)

d)

a)

e) 66

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Plot 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) The characters and setting of a story are described in the climax. True False b) The things that happen and how they happen in a narrative are called its resolution. True False c) In the rising action of a story’s plot, readers find out the conflicts and more about the main characters in the story. True False d) Plot can also be defined as a “plan of action for a story, play, or movie. True False e) The time immediately after the climax is called the falling action. True False f) Conflict is the struggle between the opposing forces in a story. True False

2.

Answer each question with a complete sentence. a) What is a graphic organizer?

b) Why would a writer use a graphic organizer?

c) Suppose you were writing a story and had only paper and pencil at your desk. Could you use a graphic organizer if your teacher had not printed one for you? What could you do to get a graphic organizer to use?

67

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Plot Graphic organizers are charts or drawings that can help you put your ideas in some kind of order. When you use a graphic organizer in plot development, its main purpose is to help you place the stages of the plot in the order that they happened in the story. There are several good graphic organizers to use for this purpose. Another part of plot development that you will need to know, is the kind of conflict that exists in a story. Conflict is the struggle between the opposing forces in a story. The action in the story depends on this conflict. There are four basic forms of conflict: 1) character against character, 2) character against self, 3) character against nature, and 4) character against society. Your teacher may ask you to tell which kind(s) of conflict(s) exist in the story you are reading. One very good graphic organizer to use in plot development is the Five Stages of Plot Development in a Story, Movie, or Play. The organizer is a large circle that has been divided into five parts. It looks like a pie that has been sliced into five pieces. Beginning at the top of the circle and continuing clockwise, each part is numbered and has a fill-out line with a description of a particular stage of plot development in parentheses. The numbers show what happens first in the plot of a story, what happens second, and so forth. Your job is to put the name of each stage on the correct line. Another graphic organizer to use for plot development is the Conflict Type Chart. This chart is made up of four columns labeled “character against character,” “character against self,” “character against nature,” and “character against society.” To complete this organizer, use a book, play, or movie that you’ve read or seen and identify the type(s) of conflict(s) that take place in it. The last graphic organizer to use for plot development is the Conflict Map. It is a chart with three columns. The first column’s heading is “What is the Conflict?” The second heading is “Why Does this Conflict Occur?,” and the third heading is “What are some ways the conflict could be resolved?” Completing this map will help you understand the types of conflicts that are in the stories you read. 68

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Graphic organizers are key writing tools. Unlike many others that just have one purpose, graphic organizers are flexible and can be used for many different purposes.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Plot 1.

Choose one of the following fairy tales from the box or choose one of your own and use the elements of its plot to complete the graphic organizer below. Little Red Riding Hood Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Hansel and Gretel Goldilocks and the Three Bears The Three Little Pigs Jack and the Beanstalk

The Five Stages of Plot Development in a Story, Play, or Movie

a) (Describes the characters and the setting of the story.)

e)

b)

(A tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story.)

(Conflicts are introduced, and readers find out more about the characters.)

d)

c) (Deals with the results of the climax.)

(The “high point” of a story.)

69

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Theme 1.

Complete each statement with a word or phrase from the box. Aesop’s Fables

setting

character

theme

literary devices

plot

a) _______________________ _____________________ are the building blocks of storytelling. b) An imaginary person or creature in a work of fiction (play, film, or story) is a

_________________.

c) The time and location in which a story takes place is its ________________________. d) _________________ _________________ are a collection of short stories that teach a life lesson or moral. e) The _____________________ of any story is the main idea or point that the author is trying to tell the audience. f)

2.

________________ refers to what happens and how it happens in a narrative.

Match the title of each fairy tale with its major theme by placing the correct letter in the blank before its matching theme. More than one fairy tale may have the same theme. A) Cinderella D) The Three Little Pigs

B) Snow White C) Hansel and Gretel E) Sleeping Beauty F) Jack and the Beanstalk

i)

One character is jealous of another character’s beauty and goodness.

ii)

Characters are put to a test.

iii)

Foolishness or evil is punished.

iv)

Characters get help from a magical creature.

v)

Characters marry royalty.

vi)

Honesty and cleverness are rewarded. 70

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Theme All narrative stories, plays, or movies have a literary device called, “theme.” The theme of any story is the main idea or point that the author is trying to tell the audience. The theme is also what the author wants you to remember most about the story. Sometimes, the theme of a story is the answer to the question, “What did you learn from reading this?”

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Here are some Key Themes in stories, plays, and movies:”

• Things are not always as they appear to be. • Love is blind. • Believe in yourself. • People are afraid of change. • Don’t judge a book by its cover.

It is important to remember that the theme of a story is not the same thing as the subject of a story. The theme refers to the entire message that the writer is trying to send with his story through the use of characterization, action, and images. The subject of a story is simply its main idea, or the topic the story is about. An author can express the theme(s) of a story in four ways: 1) by the feelings of the main characters, 2) through the thoughts of the main characters, 3) through events of the story, and 4) through the actions of the characters. A good place to start when learning how to identify theme, is to look at Aesop’s Fables. These are short tales that were written long ago for the purpose of teaching morals or lessons about life. In these tales, you can identify the theme of the story right away, because the author gives it to you with the tale. On the following page, you will find an example of one of Aesop’s Fables called, “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” Read the fable and see if you can guess the moral or theme that it is trying to communicate to you. 71

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Theme 1.

Answer each question with a short paragraph. a) Explain the difference between the theme and subject of a story, play, or movie.

b) Discuss the four ways that most authors express the theme of their narrative works.

2.

Read the following fable, “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” and then answer the questions. In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, wearily pushing a piece of corn he was taking to the nest. “Why not come and play with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of working so hard?” “I am helping to put up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and I think that you should do the same thing.” “Why worry about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food right now.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its working. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing corn and grain every day from the stores they had collected in the summer.

a) Which best states the theme of “The Ant and the Grasshopper?”

i) “Pretty is as pretty does.”



ii) “Saving today will help you tomorrow.”



iii) “Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.”

b) List the characters in “The Ant and the Grasshopper.”

72

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Theme 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) Graphic organizers are communication devices.



True

False

b) Graphic organizers do not show the relationships between two or more concepts.



True

False

c) Another name for a learning strategy is “tool for learning.”



True

False

d) There are no graphic organizers that make a story’s theme easier to understand.



True

False

2. Listed below are some common themes in young readers’ books, movies, and plays.

On the line next to each theme, write at least one story title with that particular theme. Believe in Yourself Accepting Others’ Differences Overcoming Challenges Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things Teamwork Honesty Always Be Kind to Others Be Happy with What You Have

73

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Theme Graphic organizers are communication devices. They show the structure or makeup of concepts as well as the relationships between concepts. By presenting information visually, graphic organizers make it easier for you to understand complex material. Another good reason to use graphic organizers is that they help you separate more important information from the less important. Finally, using graphic organizers gives you more strategies or tools for learning. The Theme Tree graphic organizer is very helpful when you are asked to identify the main theme and the parts of the story which relate to it. The Theme Tree is a line drawing of a big, leafless tree with several branches. Write the main theme on the trunk of the tree, then write each part of the story that relates to the theme on the individual branches. The Theme(s) Comparison Chart is another good graphic organizer to use when you identify theme. The chart is made up of four boxes arranged with one box labeled, “Theme” on the first line. The next line has two boxes side-by-side labeled, “Differences,” and “Similarities.” On the third line there is one box labeled, “Conclusions.” Identify the main theme(s) of the story on the first line, then write the differences between the themes in the boxes on the second line. Finally, you should write your conclusions about the themes in the box labeled “Conclusions.” The Theme Chart is an excellent organizer to use when you wish to discuss the major parts of the theme’s development. List the title of your book, play, or movie on the first line of the Theme Chart. Next, list the main characters in the story. Third, you should identify the major conflict(s) or the struggle(s) between the opposing forces in a story. Next, list the main theme of the story, then identify the Beginning of the Theme, the Development of the Theme, the Climax of the Theme, and the Resolution of the Theme. All three of these organizers will help you understand the theme of a story.

74

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Theme 1.

Choose a book, movie, or play that you have read recently. Put its title on the first line and complete the graphic organizer using information about its characters and theme.

Theme Chart Title Main Characters

Main Conflict

Main Theme

Beginning of Theme Development of Theme Climax of Theme

Resolution of Theme

75

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

................... ...................

Point of View 1.



Match the meaning on the right with its term on the left.

A

point of view of a story

I, me and we.

1

B

first person point of view

his own opinions, thoughts, and ideas.

2

C

third person point of view

a character in the story is the narrator.

3

D

first person pronouns

the way a story gets told and who tells it.

4

E

third person pronouns

he, she, and they.

5

F

storyteller’s point of view

the story is being told by an outside observer (someone who is not in the story).

6

2.

The following are parts of stories written by students. Below each part, circle its point of view. a) The first time Carlos saw the Martian, he thought it was the oddest looking creature he’d ever seen. However, the Martian thought Carlos was pretty funny looking, too.

First Person Point of View

Third Person Point of View

b) I pressed the large yellow button, and the spaceship started to rumble. Kristy looked at me and asked, “What are you doing?” I told her that I had no earthly idea what I was doing.

First Person Point of View

Third Person Point of View

c) When my brother got home, I was afraid to tell him that I’d peeked at his science fair project. But I knew I had to tell my brother. After all, the machine had made my left hand disappear!

First Person Point of View

Third Person Point of View

d) The astronauts wandered farther and farther away from their ship. Finally, they looked up and saw that this planet’s moon was purple.

First Person Point of View 76

Third Person Point of View Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Point of View Every book, movie, poem, and play that tells a story contains a literary device called point of view. The point of view is the way a story gets told and who tells it. When a writer begins a narrative or story, he or she must decide who will tell it. The majority of the time, storytelling is done by using a first person point of view or a third person point of view. We will discuss other types of point of view at a later time.

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Here are some Keys to Understanding Point of View:”

Third person point of view The story is being told by an outside observer (someone who is not in the story). The author uses the pronouns he, she, and they.

First person point of view A character in the story is the narrator. This character is telling the story. The narrator uses the pronouns I, me, and we.

In third-person point of view, the outside observer tells about the thoughts, actions, and feelings of the other characters.

In first-person point of view, readers learn about events at the same time as the narrator learns about them.

Examples of Third Person Point of View: Ted plays on a baseball team. He loves to play with his team. He has a game next week. His coach thinks he’s a good baseball player.

Examples of First Person Point of View: “I walked home from school today with my friends. We stopped for ice cream. I had vanilla. It’s my favorite.”

The princess was locked in the tower. She had no way to escape. She hoped that a prince would rescue her. Her wish came true. He came and took her to his castle.

“When I got up this morning I brushed my teeth. Then I got dressed and ate my breakfast.”

Generally, authors write books, plays, or movies to entertain, persuade, or inform his or her audience. This means that an author uses the storyteller’s point of view to express his own opinions, thoughts, and ideas. Remember, someone is always between the reader and the action of the story. That someone is telling the story from his or her own point of view. The point of view from which the people, events, and details of a story are seen is important to understand when you read a story. The tone and feel of the story, and even its meaning, can change depending on who is telling it. 77

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Point of View 1.

Circle the word or phrase that correctly completes each statement. a) When an author expresses his or her feelings, opinions, thoughts and ideas it is called _____.



i) entertainment

ii) point of view

iii) climax

b) The following are three main reasons why an author writes a story, EXCEPT to _______.

i) inform

ii) persuade

iii) entertain

iv) make sure the reader likes the story

c) The way a story gets told and who tells it is called its ______________.

i) point of view

ii) setting iii) characterization

d) The person who is telling a story is called the _______________.

i) talker

ii) listener iii) narrator

2. The fairy tale, “The Three Little Pigs,” is written in third person point of view. Use the

lines below to rewrite the story from the wolf’s point of view (first person). If you need a refresher of the story, go to http://216.36.206.143/Three_Little_Pigs/storybook/ storybook.htm on your classroom computer.

78

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Point of View 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) Graphic organizers give students visual pictures of how concepts fit together.



True

False

b) Every graphic organizer must be complicated to be useful.



True

False

c) Graphic organizers can be used in other subjects besides language arts.



True

False

d) A writer must decide his or her point of view before beginning to write a story.



True

False

e) All writers use the same point of view when they write.



True

False

f) There are only two points of view.



True

False

2. Read the following poem by Karma Wilson and then answer the questions. What Your Cat Might Be Thinking I’m the center of the universe. I’m all-out royalty. There really isn’t anyone who’s near as good as me. And everything that’s ever done is done just for my bidding. And I shall banish anyone

I do not deem befitting. Laps were made to be my throne, and hands were made to pet me. And anything I want to do, of course, you have to let me. And if you open up a book, then that’s to lay my head on. And if you put your sweater down,

well, that’s for me to shed on. And if you plant a pretty plant, well, that’s for me to chew. And if you bring a puppy home, well, that’s the end of you. (McElderry Books, 2009)

a) What is the title of this poem? _ __________________________________________________________ b) From whose point of view is this poem told?_ _____________________________________________ c) Is this first person or third person point of view? _ __________________________________________ d) How do you know? _____________________________________________________________________

79

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Point of View You have learned that the point of view of a book, movie, or play is the way a story gets told and who tells it. One of the first tasks a writer has to achieve after deciding to tell a story, is how information about the characters and plot will be told to the readers. Although there are others, the two most often used points of view are the first person and the third person points of view. Point of view is often shortened to the letters POV. In your reading, you may see these letters used to stand for point of view. Point of view is the way a writer communicates his or her purpose(s) or reasons for writing. The three most common purposes for writing a story are to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. You have also learned that graphic organizers are used to show the elements, or parts of a story, and how they fit together. Using a graphic organizer helps you visualize or see the process of story writing. There are two good graphic organizers that will help you understand point of view. The first one is called the Character’s Point of View Map. This graphic organizer is a series of five boxes that are arranged on top of each other. Write the title of the story, play, or movie that you are discussing in the first box. In the next box, write the name of the character from whose point of view the story is told, and whether this point of view is in the first or third person. In the next three boxes, give examples from the story that show the type of point of view the character has. The second graphic organizer to use is called the Literary Point of View Spider. This organizer is a diagram that resembles a spider, with place for the character’s name and point of view on the body. Each of the “legs” of the spider is a place to write examples of the author’s opinions, ideas, and thoughts that make up his or her point of view. We will use a Literary Point of View Spider on the following page.

80

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Using Graphic Organizers to Identify Point of View 1.

Read the following poem, “Thanksgiving from the Turkey’s Point of View,” and then complete the graphic organizer.

Thanksgiving from the Turkey’s Point of View Thank Goodness! It’s finally over And now I’ll get some rest… It’s been two weeks since I have dared To go back to the nest. I trust my mate is still around… My lovely hen, dear Mabel I hope she wasn’t dumb enough To grace some human’s table. I’ll never know why human folk Think it’s so much fun To hit the woods and murder We turkeys with those guns

I’m six years old, last hatching And friend that’s quite a feat… With open season on us birds… When we become…just MEAT! I’ll strut my stuff, and gobble loud For just awhile…again! I’ll hide deep in the forest… For it’s Christmas coming then! So why did I hen-scratch this out? And post it here for you? That you might see Thanksgiving From the turkey’s point of view. http://poetry-magazine.com/poetry/poetry006/03page.htm#Turkey

LITERARY POINT OF VIEW Examples of the Author’s Opinions, Ideas, and Thoughts

Character’s Name

Point of View

81

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Foreshadowing & Flashback 1.

Circle the word or phrase that correctly completes each statement. a) ________________________ happens when an author mentions or hints at something that will

happen later in the story.





i) flashback

ii) foreshadowing

iii) fortune telling

b) _______________________ occur when an author refers back to an event that has already taken place in the story.

i) flashbacks

ii) foreshadowing

iii) climaxes

c) ________________________ often serves two purposes.

i) a flashbacks

ii) foreshadowing

iii) a literary device

2. Identify each passage as foreshadowing or a flashback by circling the correct term. a) The school day began just like every other school day. Little did Mrs. Jones know that this would be her last day at school for a long while.



i) foreshadowing

ii) flashback

b) As he worked, Jim thought back to the time he helped his father paint the house.



i) foreshadowing

ii) flashback

c) When Julie saw that Ben had brought a knife to school, she knew that nothing good would come of it.



i) foreshadowing

ii) flashback

d) Kate’s grandmother said, “That’s nothing! When I was a little girl, I walked seven miles to school each day!”



i) foreshadowing

ii) flashback

e) Her fairy godmother told Cinderella that going to the ball might change her life.



i) foreshadowing

ii) flashback 82

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Foreshadowing & Flashback As you learn more about literary devices, you will become familiar with the terms, foreshadowing and flashbacks. Both elements are important because they can add depth to the characters in a story or suspense to its plot. Foreshadowing happens when an author mentions or hints at something that will happen later in the story. Here is a pointer that may help you remember the definition of foreshadowing. Try breaking the word “foreshadowing” into two parts. “Fore” means “ahead,” and a “shadow” is a glimpse of something without seeing its complete details. An example of foreshadowing occurs in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Ebenezer Scrooge how things might be at his death. Foreshadowing often serves two purposes. It builds suspense by raising questions that make the reader want to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing is also a way of making a story more believable by preparing the reader for events that will soon happen.

The Reading Watch Dog says,

Flashbacks occur when an author refers back to an event that has already taken place in the story. Flashbacks give us the ability to see into a character’s past in real time. They interrupt the current action of a story to show a scene from the past. Again, using A Christmas Carol, we can see that a flashback happens when the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge and takes him back to the time when he was a young man.

83

“The key reasons an author uses foreshadowing is to make readers wonder what will happen in the remainder of the book. Flashbacks can appear as a character’s memories or dreams, or can be included in the narrations of the story. Flashbacks allow readers to learn background information that is key to understanding the rest of the story.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Foreshadowing & Flashback 1.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences. a) What is foreshadowing?

b) What are the two purposes that foreshadowing serves?

c) What is a flashback?

2.

Read the following excerpts from “Little Red Riding Hood” and tell whether the underlined portion in each one is an example of a flashback or foreshadowing.



Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother. Her mother asked her to take her old and lonely grandmother some food one day. “Don’t stop along the way. Go straight to your Grandma’s house and back. Don’t talk to any strangers and watch out for the wolf in the woods! Now get along!”



a) flashback or



The wolf went up to Little Red Riding Hood and told her that he knew a shortcut. Little Red Riding Hood thought back to what her mother told her. “Don’t talk to any strangers and watch out for the wolf in the woods!” But it was too late, she had already listened to the wolf’s directions.



b) flashback or

foreshadowing?

foreshadowing?

( Circle the correct choice)

( Circle the correct choice) 84

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Irony and Symbolism 1. Put the letter of the meaning next to the correct term. A

irony

B

literary symbolism

C

symbol

D

verbal irony

E

situational irony

when a person says one thing and means another.

1

when a set of circumstances or a result is the opposite of what might be expected.

2

an expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense.

3

when an object in a story, play, or movie stands for a feeling, idea, or concept.

4

objects that stand for or represent other things or ideas.

5

2. Tell whether the following examples of irony are situational or verbal by circling the correct term. a) A little girl names her white cat “Midnight”.

Verbal irony

Situational irony

b) The son of the police chief is arrested for burglary.

Verbal irony

Situational irony

c) It is a dark, gloomy, rainy, day and someone says, “Wow, what a gorgeous day!”

Verbal irony

Situational irony

3. Sketch a symbol for each of the following qualities. a) Fear

b) Happiness

85

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Irony and Symbolism Irony and symbolism are two other literary devices that can make a story, play, or movie more interesting and meaningful. Both are used very often in children’s literature. Irony is an expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense. In other words, a phrase or sentence becomes ironic when a person says one thing and means another such as: “Tessa called Jim’s stupid plan ‘very clever’.” Using words to be ironic is called verbal irony. Another type of irony occurs when a set of circumstances or a result is the opposite of what might be expected. For example, it is ironic (and tragic) when a rescue helicopter crashes. This type of irony is called situational irony. Literary symbolism happens when an object in a story, play, or movie symbolizes or stands for a feeling, idea, or concept. We see examples of symbolism everywhere in our daily life. A cross standing for a place of worship, an American flag symbolizing the United States, and a heart suggesting true love are all examples of symbolism. Writers often use symbolism in their stories. Fairy tales, especially, are filled with symbols. The big, bad wolf stands for danger and evil, the king symbolizes the highest authority, and a beautiful red rose means true love. Try to think of other symbols in your favorite fairy and folk tales. You might be surprised at how many you come up with! • Irony is when what we say or write conveys the opposite of its literal meaning. For example, “Mother will be happy to hear what you have done now,” when you know that Mother will not be at all happy. Other examples: “Nice weather!” on a rainy day, or “Of course I believe you,” in a sarcastic manner.

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Tips to Understanding Irony and Symbolism”

• A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or in appearance. It can be a material object or a written sign used to represent something invisible. For example, a skull and crossbones stands for ‘Poison’ and a gold coin means ‘riches.’

86

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Irony and Symbolism Place a check mark (4) beside the best answer to each question.

1.

Which of the following is an example of situational irony?

A B C D

2.

Which of the following is an example of verbal irony?

A B C D

3.

The rabbit ran away from the boy. She told everyone what a dreary day it was. A carpenter’s roof caves in. Sally is beautiful.

A right handed person is called “Righty” A tall boy is called “Shorty” A smart robber gets caught. A best selling actor’s latest movie loses money at the box office.

The student with the highest grades in cooking class makes a terrible dessert. This is an example of:

A Verbal irony B Situational irony C Literary symbolism

4.

When a narrator or a character in a book, play, or movie says one thing and means another, it is an example of:

A Verbal irony B Situational irony C Literary symbolism

5.

When an object in a story, play, or movie stands for a feeling, idea, or concept, it is an example of:

A Verbal irony B Situational irony C Literary symbolism 87

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task # 1

................... (Characterization) On another sheet of paper, write down the names of two of your favorite characters you have encountered in books you have read. Make a list of specific reasons why you chose these characters as “favorites.” Make a list of what you remember about how the author developed each of the two characters. When you complete the above activities, list the ways the author makes the characters come to life, including each character’s: • physical characteristics (or lack thereof), • interaction with other characters, • interaction with his or her environment, • thoughts and/or outlook on life, • revelations about his or her past, and • dialect or way of speaking.

WritinG Task # 2

................... (Writing a Character Sketch) Write a character sketch about somebody you know well — for example, a parent, best friend, relative, or neighbor. A character sketch highlights several important characteristics or personality traits of a person — a real person, a person in literature, or an imagined person. A good character sketch provides support detail for each identified trait. Below is a sample character sketch for you to read. Try to tell about the good qualities your character has. Be sure to use complete sentences and correct paragraph form. My friend Liz is a true best friend. She always supports me in everything I want to do. When I wanted to go up North, she said she thought it would be a great experience and that it would help me develop my sense of adventure. Liz is not only a great supporter. She also trusts me to give her my honest opinion and to say what I feel. When she was upset with her sister one time, she asked what I thought about it and I said she should wait and then she would find out the real reason why her sister was mad at her. And it happened that way. She knew she could trust me. Liz can be a barrel of fun when she is in the mood. I really like when she does silly things. One night, we rented three movies and watched all three while we ate popcorn, cheese and crackers, and a whole box of chocolates. We gabbed about everything and even imagined what it would be like to live like some of the characters in the movies. Since my best friend is now living over 500 miles away, I miss all the laughter she brought to my life and the times I could ask her opinion on things that troubled me. But I can still hear the sound of her voice and ask her opinion on the telephone! 88

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task # 3

................... (Setting – A Childhood Place or Event) Think of an important place or event from your

childhood. On another sheet of paper, write a fictionalized children’s story about a child who goes to this place or this event for someone about the same age that you were when the place or event occured. Because you’re writing a fictionalized record of the place or event, your details don’t have to conform to actual truth. You can weave two or three (or more) memories about the place together in one story. You can make up things about the place that you’re not sure of or that you wish had occurred. Your story should show how you thought and felt about the place or event as a child. Your reader has never been to the place you are describing, so you will need to use specific, concrete details which make the place vivid and your perspectives clear.

WritinG Task #

4

................... (Plot) Remember that the plot of a story refers to what happens and how it happens in a narrative. Sometimes, a photo can make you wonder what happened and how it happened. Look at the photo below and then write a short story about the characters pictured in it.

Jessica Wanstall, an 11-year-old girl standing 4’10,” caught a record-size catfish. Photo: BNPS Pictures http://www.parentdish.com/category/weird-but-true 89

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

WritinG Task # 5

................... .

(Theme) The theme of any story is the main idea or point that the author is trying to tell the

audience. The theme is also what the author wants you to remember most about the story. Some themes can be expressed in only one or two words. Below you will find a list of several common literary themes. Choose one theme and on your own paper, write at least a five paragraph story about it.

Literary Themes • Ambition • Beauty • Betrayal • Courage • Duty • Fear • Freedom • Happiness • Jealousy • Loneliness • Love • Loyalty • Perseverance • Prejudice • Suffering • Truth

WritinG Task # 6

................... (Flashbacks) Many movies use the literary device, flashback, to tell their stories. Think of a movie you have seen in which the main character(s) flashback to something that has happened in the past. Now, write about this movie and the flashback(s) it included.

90

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Crossword 1

2

Word List action Aesops character climax

3

elements falling flashback graphic introduction

irony plot setting situation view

4 5 6

7

8 9

10

11

12

13

14

Across

Down

1.

A person in a story.

2.

Rising ______________.

5.

Point of ___________.

3.

Literary _____________.

6.

The time and location of a story.

4.

The “high point” of a story.

9.

Plan of action for a story.

7.

______________ irony.

8.

Refers back to an event that has already happened.

10. ______________ action. 12. The first stage of plot development.

11. An expression in which the meaning of the words are the opposite of their usual meaning.

13. ______________ organizer. 14. ______________ fables.

91

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Word Search Find the following key words from the reading. The words are written horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards. characters climax conflict fables falling action

flashbacks foreshadowing irony literary elements narrative

plot point of view resolution rising action setting

symbolism theme

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92

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz Put a “T” in front of each true statement and put an “F” in front of each false statement.

22

1. 2. 3.

Literary devices help readers understand the meaning of a story.

4.

A crossword puzzle is a diagram or drawing which help you organize your ideas on paper.

5.

Character Analysis Graphic Organizer asks the writer to describe the main character’s words, actions, appearance, thoughts, and effect on other people.

6. 7. 8.

The setting of a story is the time and location in which it takes place.

9.

Characters are usually the most important elements in a story.

A character is a simple line drawing of a person. In a book, play, or movie, major characters are well-developed and minor characters are less developed.

The setting of a story is never used to create mood or atmosphere. Weather, scenery, rooms, local customs, clothing, and dialects are keys to a story’s setting.

10. Plot refers to what happens and how it happens in a narrative.

10

Write the answers to the following questions.

11.

Draw a plot diagram. Be sure to include all five of the stages of plot development.

2 12.

What is the climax of a story, play, or movie?

2 93

SUBTOTAL:

/14

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz Choose the word or phrase that correctly completes each statement.

13.

__________________ refers to the entire message that the writer is trying to send through his story through the use of characterization, action, and images.

14.

a) setting

b) point of view

c) plot

a) first

b) second

c) third

a) first

b) second

c) third

a) Flashback

b) Foreshadowing

c) Irony

_______________________ is an expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense.

20.

c) Post offices

_______________________ happens when an author mentions or hints at something that will happen later in the story.

19.

a) Graphic organizers b) Telephone calls

In the ________________ person point of view, the story is being told by an outside observer (someone who is not in the story). The author uses the pronouns he, she, and they.

18.

c) Resolution

In the ___________________ person point of view, a character in the story is the narrator. This character is telling the story. The narrator uses the pronouns I, me, and we.

17.

b) Theme

The _______________________ of a story is the way a story gets told and who tells it.

16.

a) Setting

________________ ____________________ are communication devices.

15.

8

a) Flashback

b) Foreshadowing

c) Irony

_______________________ happens when an object in a story, play, or movie stands for a feeling, idea, or concept.

a) Symbolism

b) Foreshadowing

c) Irony

SUBTOTAL: 94

/8

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

What are Critical Thinking Skills? 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) b) c) d)

Everybody uses their brains in the same way. True False Learning about thinking is important. True False A person cannot become a better thinker by practicing critical thinking skills. True False There are several kinds of thinking. True False

2.

On your classroom computer, go to http://www.youtube.com/view_play_ list?p=AE062FAC5DAAF012. Click “Play all videos” and watch the following videos closely. After you’ve finished watching the videos, answer the following questions.



Place a check mark (4) beside the correct answer to each question. i)

Why is Fair-minded Fran good at thinking?

A She was born with a brilliant brain. B She practices thinking every day. C She only reads books about how to think. ii)

When Fran is confused she ________________.

A asks questions. B cries. C asks her mom for help every time. iii)

Selfish Sam ___________________________

A believes whatever he wants to believe. B believes what he can prove. C believes nothing. iv)

Naïve Nancy ____________________________________.

A never believes anyone. B believes most of what she sees and hears. C only believes what she wants to. 95

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

What are Critical Thinking Skills? Thinking is defined as “the process of using your mind to carefully consider something.” Thinking is something you do every minute that you are awake. Some people even believe that dreaming is another way that your mind thinks about things. There are many types of thinking. Two of the most important are creative thinking and critical thinking. Creative thinking is what happens when you are able to see and make things in a new or different way. Any time you write a poem or draw a picture you are using creative thinking. Critical thinking happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem. Whenever you must figure out what to believe or what to do, you are using critical thinking skills. One good way to understand critical thinking is to picture in your mind what a judge does at a trial. Judges are fair, open-minded, and respectful. They listen to both sides of an argument and look carefully at all of the evidence before they reach a decision or make a judgment. They also ask questions of the people involved in the trial and then use their critical thinking skills to come up with the best verdict (or decision) possible. You can be a critical thinker just like the judges that were described. Think about your classmates. Some of them decide to think just like their friends. Others may argue about everything without giving good reasons why something shouldn’t be done. Some may just stand back and do or say nothing. The critical thinkers in the crowd will think about the topic, ask questions, do some research if needed, and then make a fair decision based on facts. There are many skills involved in critical thinking. The ones we will study in this workbook are: (1) independent thinking, (2) organization, (3) making inferences, (4) anticipating consequences, (5) recognizing valid and invalid arguments, and (6) problem solving. You can learn to be a critical thinker. The goal of our resource is to teach you to use the skills listed above in order to make the best decisions possible in school and in your life.

96

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Critical thinking is the process of reasonably deciding what to believe or do.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

What are Critical Thinking Skills? 1.

Fill in each blank with the correct term.



a) Two important types of thinking are _____________ thinking and _____________ thinking. b) _______________ is defined as “the process of using your mind to consider something carefully.” c) _________________ thinking is what happens when you are able to see and make things in a new or different way. d) _________________ thinking happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem.

2.

In the chart below, decide whether or not each activity requires you to use critical thinking skills, then put a check in the correct box. Everyday Life Activities

Involves Critical Thinking

Does NOT Involve Critical Thinking

a) Buying a new bike b) Choosing the best lawnmower for the family c) Brushing your teeth d) Moving to a new house e) Talking on the phone with your best friend f) Spending your $10 allowance g) Jogging h) Planning a vacation for the family

97

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Why Do I Need Better Critical Thinking Skills? 1. A

values

B

fair-minded

C

reason

D E

2.

Match the meaning on the right with its term on the left. happens when you are able to see and make things in a new or different way.

1

happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem.

2

critical thinking

a collection of guiding, positive beliefs or rules that a person follows in life.

3

creative thinking

just and free from favoritism.

4

logical thinking.

5

Place a check mark (4) beside each of the skills a critical thinker should possess. a)

A critical thinker asks questions related to the topic being discussed.

b)

A critical thinker wants all the attention to be on him or herself.

c)

A critical thinker has a sense of curiosity.

d)

A critical thinker never looks for proof.

e)

A critical thinker listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback.

f)

A critical thinker does not examine problems closely.

g)

A critical thinker waits until he or she has all the facts before making a decision.

h)

A critical thinker never examines problems closely.

i)

A critical thinker is able to admit that he or she does not have all the facts about a situation.

j)

A critical thinker rejects information that is incorrect. 98

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Why Do I Need Better Critical Thinking Skills? There are many reasons why students should learn to use critical thinking skills. These reasons are called a set of values for critical thinkers. Values are a collection of guiding, positive beliefs or rules that a person follows in life. The first reason to be a critical thinker is to become able to think for yourself, instead of accepting what others want you to believe without question. In the before you read section from the first chapter, Naïve Nancy didn’t think for herself. She even stated that it’s easier to let someone else think for her. Naïve Nancy is definitely not a critical thinker! The next reason to learn critical thinking skills is because critical thinkers welcome the chance to explore new ideas and points of view. In the before you read section from the first chapter, Fair-minded Fran was happy to learn new things and to go to new places. Having an attitude like this makes life an exciting adventure. Another good reason to be a critical thinker is that critical thinkers use reason to find the answers to questions, judge ideas, and solve conflicts. In this case, reason is logical thinking. Critical thinkers don’t just make up answers to questions or decide they don’t like a person because of the clothes they wear or the way their voice sounds. They are fair and just to everyone. An excellent reason to develop critical thinking skills is to learn to include the opinions of many different people in your discussions. Good teachers try to follow this guideline in their classrooms. Think back to a time when your class was having a good discussion about an interesting subject. How would you have felt if your teacher had not let you express your own ideas and thoughts?

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Critical thinkers: • Distinguish between fact and opinion • Ask questions • Make detailed observations • Uncover assumptions and define their terms • Make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence”

Judging ideas based on how good they are and not on the person who thought of them is another reason to become a good critical thinker. And finally, the last reason for studying critical thinking is because critical thinkers achieve the best possible solution to problems, instead of wanting to win arguments just for the sake of winning them. All of these reasons show us that being a critical thinker is a very valuable tool to have. Now let’s see what we need to do in order to gain all these skills. 99

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Why Do I Need Better Critical Thinking Skills? 1.

Look carefully at the picture. How do you think this picture is related to the need for better critical thinking skills?



After looking at the picture, answer the following questions:

a)

What do you see in the picture?

b)

What do you think the picture represents?

c)

How does the picture relate to the need for better critical thinking skills?



100





Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Independent Thinking 1.



Are you an independent thinker? Take this quiz and find out! Place a check mark (4) beside the correct answer to each question. i)

If you found a dollar on the floor of the classroom you would:

A quietly give the money to your teacher because someone might

need it for lunch. B keep the money and spend it at the store on the way home from school. C give the money to your teacher and make sure that everyone knows that you did this good deed. ii)

When you are learning a new skill you try and fail the first few times you try. Then you:

A smile and keep on trying. B wait and practice at home where no one can see you. C lose interest and try something else that is easier. iii)

When something goes wrong in your life you:

A find a solution. B find someone to blame. C blame someone else and then try to find a solution. iv)

You tell things that are not true:

A almost never. B all the time. C about as much as the next kid. v)

When it comes to belonging to a group you:

A don’t worry if you’re not in the “popular” group. B worry just a little bit about being in the popular group. C worry tremendously if you’re not in the “in crowd.” vi)

You are honest with yourself:

A almost all the time. B sometimes. C never.

If you marked “A” 5 or 6 times, you are a very independent thinker. If you marked “A” 3 or 4 times, you are almost an independent thinker. If you marked “A” 2 or fewer times, you need to work on your independent thinking skills. 101

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Independent Thinking A critical thinker is an independent thinker. Critical thinkers make decisions for themselves, not because someone else tells them what to think. They know that independent thinking is a skill that can be learned by practicing making decisions. The key to thinking independently is the ability to make choices. If you learn to think critically and independently you’re far less likely to make poor choices that are harmful to yourself or to others. You should practice making decisions. The more decisions you make, the better decision-maker you’ll become. Independent thinkers share their ideas and opinions with others. By sharing ideas you will open a line of communication and encourage your friends to share their ideas and opinions with you. Being able to communicate is a skill that all critical thinkers must have. Independent thinkers are good listeners. Listening is a vital part of communication. You might talk for hours, but until someone listens to what you are saying there is no communication. Also, one of the best ways to learn is to listen. Independent thinkers are honest and fair-minded. After sharing their own ideas and opinions, independent thinkers gladly listen with an open mind to their friends’ ideas and opinions. If you want to become an independent thinker you must remember to be honest about what you tell others. There is no place for lying in the mind of a good independent thinker.

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Independent thinking means making sense of the world based on your own observations and experiences rather than just depending on the word of others. It means trusting your own ability to make judgments, even if they go against what others say. It means acting according to these judgments, even if you sometimes make mistakes. An independent thinker knows it’s better to make mistakes than to accept someone else’s opinions about everything in life.”

102

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Independent Thinking 1.

Reread the article on page 14 about “Keys to Independent Thinking” and then list at least four qualities that most independent thinkers have.



All independent thinkers: a) b) c) d)

2.

On your classroom or home computer, go to http://www.biography.com/ bio4kids/index.jsp. Choose one person from the list below. Click on “Meet the People” and find and read that person’s biography. Then list as many examples of that person’s critical or independent thinking as you can find. Albert Einstein Amelia Earhart Barack Obama Benjamin Franklin J.K. Rowling Frida Kahlo Davy Crockett Christa McAuliffe Babe Ruth Paul Revere

Person’s Name: Examples of his or her independent thinking: (Use complete sentences)

103

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Organization 1.

2.

Place a check mark (4) next to each sentence that describes an organized critical thinker. a)

At the beginning of each school year, Maria writes a list of the things she wants to achieve during the year. She checks this list often.

b)

In the morning, Raymond sleeps until it is almost time for the school bus. Then he has to run around his room to find his clothes, shoes, and books.

c)

Billy decides what he’s going to wear to school and lays it out on his dresser the night before.

d)

Chrissy’s room is filled with crumpled papers and old homework assignments. She never knows where anything is.

e)

Keith keeps a list of the things he has to do for school in his notebook.

f)

Kevin watches TV until late at night on school nights. Then he oversleeps and has to rush to get to school on time.

g)

Mario tries to eat three balanced meals each day. He wants to keep his body strong and healthy.

h)

Joe leaves his student planner at home most of the time and never seems to know when an assignment is due.

i)

Parker plays some type of sport every school night. He is always rushing to finish his homework and never spends time with his parents.

j)

Janice has a special place in her home to do her homework each night.

In the box opposite, design a poster that has at least one good hint for staying organized in it.

104

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Organization A critical thinker is an organized or “orderly and effective” thinker. Many students think in a very unorganized or confusing way. They might be listening to the teacher one second and wondering about what’s on TV the next. When unorganized thinkers sit down to do their homework, they have to hunt for the assignment sheet, find their pencils and paper, and then ask their parents what the directions mean. In other words, they don’t get much thinking done! A good critical thinker is just the opposite. A student who is organized has a system or routine in place that includes the following: • A way to make sure he or she has all the tools he or she needs for homework and schoolwork. • Places to keep supplies both at home and at school. • A way to transport his or her books and supplies between home and school when necessary. • A way to make sure parents receive papers and forms for signing. • A way to return those papers and forms to school. • A way to stay on top of test dates and due dates. Critical thinkers have a special place to study and work at home. It doesn’t have to be a whole room, a desk or table will do. The place needs to have a good light source and a quiet atmosphere. You should be ready to think when you go to your special study area. Critical thinkers need a system to keep track of important papers. Many students use a three ring binder with special folders in it. In this binder you can keep your homework sheets, notes that need to be signed, and other important material that you need to save. Critical thinkers need to have a calendar or datebook for assignments and due dates. A calendar will help you keep track of everything that needs to be returned to your teacher. Critical thinkers make sure that they understand their short-term and long-term assignments. You should listen carefully to your teacher and then ask questions if you don’t understand any part of the assignment. Being organized leaves you the time to get down to your real work — THINKING! 105

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein, Scientist.

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Organization 1. Use the space provided below to write at least three paragraphs about

“How to be an Organized Student.” You may use your dictionary if you need to.

106

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Inferences 1.

Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) An inference is a conclusion you come to in your mind based on something else that you believe to be true.



True



False

b) The things that you believe to be not true are called your assumptions.



True



False

c) Facts are clearly stated information that can be proven.



True



False

d) Beliefs that are only based on feelings are called hunches.



True



False

e) A sentence using the words, “probably” and “I think” is most likely a fact.



2.

True



False

Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an “O” in front of each OPINION. a)

My dad drives a red convertible.

b)

It’s the most beautiful car in our neighborhood.

c)

All the kids believe that I am the luckiest person in the world!

d)

The car is three years old.

e)

It cost $21,000.

107

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Inferences Making inferences is an important part of the critical thinking process. An inference is a conclusion you come to in your mind based on something else that you believe to be true. The things that you believe to be true are called your assumptions. For example, if I walk toward you smiling and with my right hand held out, you will probably infer that I am friendly and want to shake hands with you. You made that inference based on the fact that you have had experiences like this one in the past. You made the inference that I wanted to be friendly because others who acted the same way were friendly to you. You have learned that facts are clearly stated information that can be proven. Critical thinkers should base their assumptions on facts, not feelings. Beliefs that are based on feelings are called opinions. Opinions cannot be proven. If you said that the earth is round, the statement would be a fact. It can be proven. Astronauts have taken pictures from space that show that the earth is round. However, if you say that the picture of the earth from space is the most beautiful photograph ever taken, the statement is an opinion. It is based on your feelings about the photograph. There are many words that will give you a hint about a statement being a fact or an opinion. They are: Words that Signal Opinions Does the author use words that interpret or label, such as: pretty, ugly, safe, dangerous, evil, attractive, well-dressed, good, and so on? Are there words that clue you to statements of opinion, such as:

The Reading Watch Dog says,

probably, perhaps, usually, often, sometimes, on occasion, I believe, I think, in my opinion, I feel, I suggest?

“A fact is based on direct evidence, actual experience, or observation.”

108

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Inferences 1.

Read each sentence and choose the most logical inference. In the space provided, explain why that inference makes sense. i)

Bits of paper danced across the parking lot.

A B C D ii)

Why do you think so?

Joe Joe Joe Joe

is on his way to church. looks good in blue. is going to dig in the garden. needs to dress nicely.

Why do you think so?

The room must be pretty dark. It may be noon. It must be late at night. The room must be hot.

Why do you think so?

The kitten’s fur was fluffy and smelled good.

A B C D v)

a hot day. a windy day. a cold evening. snowing.

All the girls were asleep.

A B C D iv)

is is is is

Joe put on his suit and tie.

A B C D iii)

It It It It

The kitten just stepped in mud. Why do you think so? The kitten just ran into a skunk. The kitten just woke up from a nap. The kitten just had a bath.

The children just left for school.

A B C D

It’s midnight.

Why do you think so?

It’s morning. It’s bedtime. It’s late afternoon.

109

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Anticipating Consequences 1.

Circle the answer that correctly completes each statement. a) ______________ are the effects or results of a decision or an action.



i) Surprises

ii) Consequences

iii) Conditions

b) ______________ means “expect or look forward to.”



i) Suppose

ii) Worry

iii) Anticipate

c) Another way of saying “anticipate consequences” is ___________________.

i) “Look before you leap!”



ii) “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”





iii) “Two heads are better than one.”

d) ________________ is not a characteristic of a good critical thinker.

i) Planning ahead





ii) Jumping to conclusions





iii) Being honest with himself

e) Critical thinking is a(n) _______________ process.



i) active

ii) slow

iii) very difficult

2. Complete the following graphic organizer about “Anticipating Consequences.” Anticipating Consequences Action or Plan

Things that Could Happen

Changing the rules to a game while you and your friends are playing it. Driving without a driver’s license.

110

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Anticipating Consequences A critical thinker plans ahead and anticipates or expects consequences. Consequences are the effects or results of a decision or an action. Suppose that you are in the middle of a large park on a very hot day. Suddenly, you look to your left and see a shimmering blue swimming pool. Your first thought would be to run to it and jump in, but should you? Probably not before you stop and think about the consequences. You might ask yourself these kinds of questions: “Is there a locked fence all the way around the pool?”; “Has the water just been treated with chemicals?”; “Is there a ‘KEEP OUT’ sign on the gate?”; “Is the water deep enough to dive in?”; or “Is there a policeman guarding the pool?” Another way of saying “anticipate consequences” is “look before you leap!” Stop and think about what might happen if you make the decision you’d planned on or if you change the rules of a game or project. Will there be problems that you must solve because you didn’t anticipate the consequences? Good critical thinking means being careful, taking enough time to be thoughtful, and not jumping to conclusions. Failing to anticipate the consequences of your decisions can lead to bad results for you as the decision maker and for other people as well. What if your ball rolled off the sidewalk, between two parked cars and onto the street? Would you run from between the cars to rescue your ball? Hopefully, you would not! If you are a critical thinker you will stop and think about the consequences of running into the street to get a ball. You might just save your own or someone else’s life. Critical thinking is an active process. Stopping to anticipate the consequences of decisions or actions is something that most critical thinkers do throughout the day. Critical thinkers are honest with themselves. After you’ve thought about all the possible results or effects of your decision, you honestly make a decision about whether to go ahead. Finally, critical thinkers ask questions. By asking questions, it becomes easier to gather all the facts you need to make good decisions. A critical thinker is an informed thinker.

111

The Reading Watch Dog says, “The key to wisdom is the anticipation of consequences.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Anticipating Consequences LOST AT SEA

You have rented a big boat with three friends. You want to travel in the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia Beach, VA down to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. You have hired an experienced captain. Unfortunately, in the Atlantic a huge storm breaks out and the captain is knocked unconscious. Much of the boat is destroyed and is slowly sinking. Your location is unclear because your radio equipment has been damaged in the storm. Your best guess is that you are hundreds of miles from the nearest land. You and your friends have managed to save 15 items from the storm. Also, you have saved a four man rubber life raft and a box of matches. Your job is to rank the 15 items in terms of their importance for you, as you wait to be rescued. Place the number 1 by the most important item, the number 2 by the second most important, and so on through to number 15 for the least important.

MY RANKING

SALVAGED ITEMS A sextant (navigational instrument) A mirror Some mosquito netting A 25 liter container of water army rations (freeze-dried food) Maps of the Pacific Ocean A floating seat cushion A 10 liter can of gasoline mixture A small radio Black plastic sheeting A can of shark repellent One bottle of rum (alcoholic drink) 15 ft nylon rope 2 boxes of chocolate bars A fishing kit

TOTAL

+ or – Coast Guard Score

TOTAL

Your teacher will compare your score with the Coast Guard’s list of most important items. The lower your score is the better!_ ___ 0 - 25 Excellent. You demonstrated great survival skills. Rescued! 26 - 32 Good. Above average results. Good survival skills. Rescued! 33 - 45 Average. Seasick, hungry and tired. Rescued! 46 - 55 Fair. Dehydrated and barely alive. It was tough, but rescued! 56 - 70 Poor. Rescued, but only just in time! 71 - 112 Very poor. Oh dear, your empty raft is washed up on a beach, weeks after the search was called off. 112

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Asking Questions (Part One) 1.

Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an “O” in front of each OPINION. a)

The President’s tax package will solve all the government’s financial problems.

b)

Seatbelts can help prevent injuries and deaths.

c)

The jury found the man was guilty based on the evidence that was presented.

d)

The Governor’s mansion is the fanciest house in the state.

e)

Abraham Lincoln was the most intelligent president we have ever had.

f)

Paris is the most interesting city in Europe.

g)

Every statement printed in a newspaper is a fact.

h)

Fast-food restaurants should not give away toys to children.

i)

Most birds migrate in the winter.

j)

Apple’s iPhone is the best cell phone ever made.

2. Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) A big part of critical thinking is asking the right questions.



True



False

b) Critical thinkers should always let their emotions mix with their decisions.



True



False

c) Critical thinking happens when you say the first thing that comes to your mind.



True



False

d) A good critical thinker can always change the facts to suit his or her wishes.



True



False

e) There are four types of critical thinking questions.



True



False 113

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Asking Questions (Part One) A good critical thinker asks many questions. Questions are one of the driving forces of critical thinking. Learning to ask the right kinds of questions is one of the most important skills a critical thinker can have. Clear and exact questions lead to clear and exact answers. You may be thinking that you have always asked questions, so what’s the big deal? The “big deal” is that you may not have received as much information as you needed from the questions you asked. Remember that critical thinking happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem. Questions are the tools you use to do these things. There are four types of critical thinking questions. They are: (1) Getting the Facts, (2) Evaluating the Facts, (3) Drawing a Conclusion using Logic, and (4) Evaluating a Conclusion. The first type of critical thinking question is Getting the Facts. Tools for Getting the Facts include questions like “Who?”, “What?”, “Where?”, “When?”, and “How?” You should remember that facts are clearly stated information that can be proven. Make sure that you don’t let your emotions influence the facts that you gather. You may not like all the facts that you learn from the answers you get, but you must be honest in order to be a good critical thinker. The second type of critical thinking questions is Evaluating the Facts. Evaluation is “the process of examining pieces of information and rating them based on a given set of rules or beliefs. This means that a critical thinker takes the answers he or she receives and then decides if each one is truly a fact, if it is related to the problem being solved, and if it can be used to solve the problem. We will discuss the remaining two types of critical thinking questions in the next lesson.

114

The Reading Watch Dog says, “The key to a clear understanding is listening and asking the right questions.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

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Keys to Asking Questions (Part One) 1.

Use the graphic organizer below to write five “Getting the Facts” questions about the following article. Farmers Use Falcons to Protect Berries Rather than using chemicals or noise to keep birds from eating their ripe berries, some farmers are trying a new way to scare off hungry birds — bigger birds. Farmers in some parts of the U.S. have hired people who own falcons, which are large birds of prey, to guard their berries. Small birds called starlings love berries. They can destroy hundreds of thousands of dollars in berries each year. But starlings are afraid of falcons, so they fly off when they see one nearby. Farmers use falcons that are trained not to kill the starlings and to fly back to their owners. Keeping an eye on the falcons is hard work. One man and his eight trained falcons worked last summer at Rose’s Berry Farm in Glastonbury, Connecticut. They worked 11 hours a day, seven days a week, to chase starlings from the farm. In the past, the Roses tried chemicals and even small cannons to scare away the birds. But the chemical is no longer sold and the neighbors did not like the noise from the cannons. The Roses thought about covering their 40 acres of blueberries with nets to protect them, but the netting would have been very expensive. http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/newsforyou/pdfs/newsforyou101.pdf

Getting the Facts by Asking Questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

2.

Write three facts that you read in the news article above and write what you could do to prove each one. (Use complete sentences.) 1) 2) 3) 115

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Asking Questions (Part Two) 1. A

conclusion

B

relevance

C

significance

D

evaluate

E

logic

F

invalid

2.



Match the meaning on the right with its term on the left. a method that investigates arguments.

1

how facts are related to a question.

2

judge the facts and to decide which ones are important.

3

a statement that sums up all of the information collected in order to make a point or a decision.

4

unacceptable.

5

how important the facts are to the question.

6

Number the steps in the Critical Questioning Process from 1 to 4 in the correct order. a)

“Drawing a Conclusion Using Logic.”

b)

“Getting the Facts.”

c)

“Evaluating a Conclusion.”

d)

“Evaluating the Facts.”

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NAME:

Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Asking Questions (Part Two) You learned in the last chapter that there are four keys to asking critical questions. They are: (1) Getting the Facts, (2) Evaluating the Facts, (3) Drawing a Conclusion using Logic, and (4) Evaluating a Conclusion. “Getting the Facts” questions are those asking “the 5 Ws + H” — who, what, where, when, why, and how. 5 Ws + H questions help to make the facts more clear. “Evaluating the Facts” questions help you decide which facts you should use to draw a conclusion. Evaluating the Facts questions explore the relevance (how the facts are related to the question) and the significance (how important the facts are to the question) of the facts. The next critical thinking question is the “Drawing a Conclusion using Logic” type. A conclusion is a statement that sums up all of the information you have collected in order to make a point or a decision. Think of a police officer investigating a traffic accident. He or she first asks “Getting the facts” questions, such as, “Was the light green when you came to it?” or “Did you stop at the stop sign?” When all the facts have been gathered, the officer will then decide which ones are important by asking the “Evaluating the Facts” questions, such as, “Is this fact related to the question?” Next, it’s the officer’s job to evaluate or judge the facts and to decide which ones are important by asking “Drawing a Conclusion using Logic” questions. For example, one driver might not like people in red cars. This driver might want to say that it was not the missing stop sign that caused the accident, but that it was the man in the red car that caused it because “men in red cars always cause accidents.” Is this true, or is the driver making a mistake in logic? “Drawing a Conclusion” questions use logic (a method that investigates arguments) to help critical thinkers avoid making the wrong decision by deciding how true the driver’s explanation is. Do men in red cars always cause accidents? If not, the driver has reached an invalid (unacceptable) conclusion. The fourth kind of critical question is “Evaluating the Conclusion.” An excellent example of this type is, “Let me understand what you are saying. Are you saying (that all red cars cause accidents)?” Repeating the conclusion the person has reached often helps both parties decide if it is acceptable or unacceptable. Types of Critical Question

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Check out these examples of each of the four critical questioning tools:”

Examples

Getting the Facts Questions

“Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why?” and “How?”

Evaluating the Facts Questions

“Is this fact relevant or significant?” “Is this fact substantial, crucial, and applicable?” and “Does it support the conclusion?”

Drawing a Conclusion Using Logic Questions

“Is this valid and consistent with other information?” and “Are there any logical flaws in this conclusion?”

Evaluating a Conclusion Questions

“Is this fair and reasonable?” and “Does my conclusion have the necessary depth and breadth?”

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NAME:

After You Read

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Keys to Asking Questions (Part Two) 1.

Pretend that you are the attorney who is trying to prove that Alexander Wolf is guilty of murdering two of the three little pigs. Read his testimony below. Then make up at least one of each of the four kinds of critical thinking questions about it. Write your questions in the space provided below. Here is Wolf’s testimony: “Everybody thinks they know the story of the Three Little Pigs. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story. The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. THIS IS THE REAL STORY. A few weeks ago, I was making a birthday cake for my dear old granny. I had a terrible sneezing cold. I ran out of sugar. So I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar. Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn’t too bright either. He had built his whole house out of straw. Can you believe it? So of course the minute I knocked on the door, it fell right in. I didn’t want to just walk into someone else’s house. So I called, “Little Pig, Little Pig, are you in?” No answer. I was just about to go home without the cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s birthday cake. That’s when my nose started to itch. I felt a sneeze coming on. Well I huffed. And I snuffed. And I sneezed a great sneeze. And you know what? That straw house fell down. And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig — dead as a doornail. He had been home the whole time. It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up. I was feeling a little better. But I still didn’t have my cup of sugar. So I went to the next neighbor’s house. This neighbor was the First Little Pig’s brother. He was a little smarter, but not much. He had built his house of sticks. I rang the bell on the stick house. Nobody answered. I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?” He yelled back. “Go away wolf. You can’t come in. I’m shaving the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin.” I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on. I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed a great sneeze. And you are not going to believe this, but the pig’s house fell down just like his brother’s. When the dust cleared, there was the Second Little Pig — dead as a doornail. Wolf’s honor. Now you know food will spoil if you just leave it out in the open. So I did the only thing there was to do. I had dinner again. Think of it as a second helping. I was getting awfully full. But my cold was feeling a little better. And I still didn’t have that cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s birthday cake. I went to the next house. This pig was the First and Second Little Pig’s brother. He must have been the brains of the family. He had built his house of bricks. I knocked on the brick house. No answer. I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?” And do you know what that rude little porker answered? “Get out of here, Wolf. Don’t bother me again.” Talk about impolite! He probably had a whole sack full of sugar. And he wouldn’t give me even one little cup for my dear sweet old granny’s birthday cake. What a pig! I was just about to go home and maybe make a nice birthday card instead of a cake, when I felt my cold coming on. I huffed And I snuffed. And I sneezed once again. Then the Third Little Pig yelled, “And your old granny can sit on a pin!” Now I’m usually a pretty calm fellow. But when somebody talks about my granny like that, I go a little crazy. When the police drove up, of course I was trying to break down this Pig’s door. And the whole time I was huffing and puffing and sneezing and making a real scene. The rest as they say is history.

a) Getting the Facts question (5 Ws + H):___________________________________________________ b) Evaluating the Facts question (Are the facts related to the question?): ____________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

c) Drawing a Conclusion Using Logic question (Is the answer logical? Does it make sense?):

_______________________________________________________________________________________

d) Evaluating Conclusions question: _______________________________________________________ 118

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Before You Read

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Keys to Problem Solving (Part One) 1.

Answer each question with a complete sentence. a) What do you think the phrase, “problem solving” means?

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) Describe at least two kinds of problems that a student like you might need to solve.

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

c) A man is looking at a photograph of someone. His friend asks who it is. The man replies, “Brothers and sisters, I have none. But that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who was in the photograph?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

d) Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

e) Jimmy’s mother had 4 children. She named the first Monday. She named the second Tuesday. The third was named Wednesday. What is the name of the fourth child?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) Everyone has problems that need to be solved.



True



False

b) The best solution to a problem is to ask your mother or father what to do about it.



True



False

c) When there is a problem to be solved, using the first answer you think of is always the best solution.



True



False

d) Brainstorming means sitting down by yourself or with friends and coming up with as many possible solutions to the problem as you can.



True



False 119

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Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Problem Solving (Part One) Everyday life is filled with problems. You may have a disagreement with one of your friends. Or you may have a word problem to solve in math or science. Everyone has problems and everyone needs to learn problem-solving skills. Problems are defined as, “states of difficulty that need to be settled or questions that need to be answered.” Knowing how to solve problems is a very important critical thinking skill. Problem solving is a process with five steps. To be a better critical thinker you should learn and use this process anytime you have a problem. The first step in critical problem solving is: Define the problem and set a goal for change. You could have difficulty with a process or a problem and still be unsure about what is wrong. When this happens, you must stop and look at the situation. Ask questions like, “What is needed here?”, “What is not working?”, or “Why did this happen?”, and then “How should this be different?” The second step in critical problem solving is, “Brainstorm possible solutions or answers.” Brainstorming means sitting down by yourself or with friends and coming up with as many possible solutions to the problem as you can. During the brainstorming session, no answer is too silly or simple to list. The third step in critical problem solving is, “Evaluate all the possible solutions.” During this evaluation you should decide whether or not a given solution is possible. Other things to consider are what you will need to make a solution work and whether or not the solution is something that you can do by yourself.

The Reading Watch Dog says,

We will discuss the last two steps in the problem solving process in the next chapter.

120

“To live is to have problems, and to solve problems is to grow intellectually.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Problem Solving (Part One) 1.

Explain what the following steps in critical problem solving mean. (Use complete sentences.) a) Define the problem and set a goal for change.

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) Brainstorm possible solutions or answers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

c) Evaluate all the possible solutions.

2.



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

In complete sentences, explain how you would solve each of the following problems. Remember, your goal is to be as independent as possible, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. a) There are leaves all over your front yard. Dad left $20 and said that you should solve the problem. What will you do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) You are in the house alone and you have just cut your finger. The blood is dripping onto the floor. What will you do to solve the problem?

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

c) You are in your homeroom and you realize that you have ripped the seat out of your pants. What will you do to solve this problem?

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

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Before You Read

...................

Keys to Problem Solving (Part Two) 1.

Answer each question in complete sentences. a) What does the word, “problem” mean?

_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

b) Describe the first three steps in the critical problem solving process.

2.



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________

Use your problem solving skills to find the right answer in each of the following situations. a) Problem:

Luis, Maria, and Sandy, were all over at Keith’s house when a package was delivered. Each child guessed what was in the box, but only one of them was right. Using their guesses as clues, can you figure out what was in the box?



Maria said, “It’s a laptop computer.” Sandy said, “I’ll bet it’s a pizza.” Luis said, “I think a picture or a laptop computer is in the box.” “It’s a picture, for sure,” said Keith.



What’s in the Mystery Box? _____________________________________________________________

b) Problem:

Someone’s dog goes around the neighborhood every night getting into people’s garbage pails and making a mess. Some of the neighborhood kids say they know what the guilty dog looks like, but the culprit strikes at night, so it’s hard to see. Each of the four witnesses has one and only one detail right, and each detail is described correctly by only one witness.



Don says the dog is white, fluffy, wears a red collar, and has a long tail. Kathy says the dog is black, has short hair, wears a red collar, and has a long tail. Meno says the dog is brown, has long, silky hair, wears a blue collar, and has a long tail. Emily says the dog is spotted, fluffy, wears a red collar, and has a short tail.



What does the guilty dog look like? _____________________________________________________

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Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Problem Solving (Part Two) You have learned that a problem can be any task or assignment or project that you need to complete. Solving a problem involves five different steps or stages. You learned that the first three steps in critical problem solving are: (1) define the problem and set a goal for change; (2) brainstorm possible solutions or answers; and (3) evaluate all the possible solutions. You will learn about the remaining two steps in this chapter. After you have defined your problem, brainstormed possible solutions, and evaluated them, it is time for the fourth step in the critical problem-solving process. Step four is “Choose a solution and make a plan of action.” Suppose that you and a friend are trying to solve the problem of not having enough time to eat lunch at school. You and your friend have already defined the problem (not having enough time) and set a goal for change (having at least 25 minutes to eat). You have also brainstormed possible solutions (bring lunch from home, don’t eat, or get in the lunch line earlier). In Step four you must now choose one of the solutions and write a plan of action of how to carry it out. The final step in the critical problem solving process is Step five, “Evaluation and Modification.” This is the time when you stop and decide whether or not the solution you chose is working. Ask yourself questions such as: “Has the solution solved the problem?” or, “Are there still areas of concern in the situation?” If you can answer “yes” to the first question, and “no” to the second one, the problem-solving process is complete. On the other hand, if you must answer “no” to the first question, and “yes” to the second, you need to make modifications or changes in the solution. Making modifications in the solution will involve going back to Step 3 and reviewing all the possible solutions. You may need to choose a different possible solution. Or you may just need to make some changes in the solution you picked first. After you have done one of these actions, it is time to continue to steps four and five again.

123

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NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Problem Solving (Part Two) 1.

Choose one of the problems described below and use the graphic organizer to make a plan for finding a solution. Choose one: a) Jamie has just moved to a new town. School will start in ten days. Jamie doesn’t know anyone who will be going to her elementary school. She is beginning to feel like she doesn’t even want to go to school any more. What should she do? b) Basketball try-outs are in two weeks. Stanley has been practicing every night with his dad. Stanley is worried that his friend, Nick, will be chosen for the team and he won’t. Stanley’s dad tells him that everything will be okay, but he is still worried. What should he do? c) Trisha has a new baby brother. Now it seems that everyone pays attention to the baby and not to her. Trisha is feeling left out. She’s even thinking about running away to her grandma’s house. What should she do? Problem Solving



Describe the Problem



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________



Possible Solutions



1.______________________________________________________________________________________



2.______________________________________________________________________________________



3.______________________________________________________________________________________



Most Logical Solution



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________



Plan to Use the Solution



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________



Evaluation and Modification



_______________________________________________________________________________________



_______________________________________________________________________________________ 124

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Being a Critical Thinker 1.

2.

Place a check mark (4) next to each statement that best describes a critical thinker. a)

Another student just told Ken that their teacher, Mrs. Griffin, is moving next week. Ken did not say a word to anyone before he went to Mrs. Griffin to find out the facts about her move. Mrs. Griffin tells Ken that she has decided to move to a new house, but she is not going to change jobs.

b)

Beth is confused. Her teacher is explaining how to work a new type of math problem and Beth is having trouble understanding her. When the teacher asks if there are any questions, Beth just sits there and doesn’t raise her hand. She is too embarrassed to admit that she doesn’t understand.

c)

Julio and Armand love the New York Yankees. They like to tell people that the Yankees have won more games than any other Major League team. One day, Tina and Lori show them the web site, http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams, which says that the San Francisco Giants have won the most games in the Major League. The boys think about this fact and decide that even though they love the Yankees, they won’t brag about them being the “winning-est team” of all time again.

d)

Nancy’s little sister always asks Nancy’s opinion about what she wears. Today Nancy is studying for a big test in social studies and her sister runs into her room. She says, “How do I look?” Nancy tells her she looks just fine without raising her eyes from the book.

e)

Jack’s teacher just announced that space scientists have just discovered a new planet in the solar system. Jack just keeps reading his library book because he is not curious about new discoveries in science.

f)

Jenna is trying to persuade her friends to spend the night at her house. The girls are having trouble making up their minds because another friend is having a big skating party that night. Finally, Jenna tells them that her mom will buy them new outfits if they come to her sleep-over. The trouble is that Jenna’s mom doesn’t have enough money to buy clothes for all the girls.

Place a check mark (4) next to each quality that a good critical thinker should possess. a)

honesty

b)

beauty

c)

curiosity

d)

dependability

e)

quick-tempered

f)

fair-mindedness

g)

inattentive

h)

disorganized and messy 125

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Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Being a Critical Thinker You have studied many of the things you must do to be a critical thinker. Now it is time to talk about some of the attributes or characteristics that critical thinkers have: • A critical thinker is a “question asker.” • A critical thinker is able to admit when he or she does not understand something. • A critical thinker is curious (eager to know things) about life. • A critical thinker is interested in finding new solutions. • A critical thinker listens carefully to others and gives them feedback. • A critical thinker knows that critical thinking is a lifelong process. • A critical thinker waits to make a judgment until he or she has considered all the facts. • A critical thinker looks for evidence to support his or her theories and beliefs. • A critical thinker looks for proof. • A critical thinker changes his or her opinions when other facts are found. • A critical thinker recognizes when information is incorrect or not related to the problem at hand. There are many benefits or rewards for being a critical thinker. You will find that other students will begin to look to you as a leader. They will want to know what you think about situations and events. Your opinion will become important to them because they have learned that you take the time to consider the facts and then come to a decision. Your friends and classmates will soon learn that you are honest with them and yourself. They will also find that you are not the kind of person who can be manipulated or controlled by the actions of others. All in all, being a critical thinker is a very cool thing to be!

126

The Reading Watch Dog says, “Out of the questions of students come most of the world’s creative ideas and discoveries.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Being a Critical Thinker 1.

Write a paragraph of at least five sentences describing yourself as a critical thinker. Use the qualities we discussed on the previous page as a guide for thinking.

2. Circle the word True if the statement is true. Circle the word False if it’s false. a) A good critical thinker knows the difference between facts and opinions.



True



False

b) A good critical thinker does not take time to find out whether information is true or not.



True



False

c) A good critical thinker will try to predict the outcome or results of actions or plans.



True



False

d) A good critical thinker is always concerned with finding out the truth.



True



False

e) A good critical thinker does not take the time to give feedback to other people.



True



False

f) A good critical thinker compares the similarities and differences of concepts.



True



False 127

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

Before You Read

...................

Keys to Using Critical Thinking Skills to Have Fun Use your critical thinking skills to solve each of these easy puzzles.

1.

Answer quickly. Starting with an empty barrel, which happens first? a) 2/3 full c) 1/2 full

2.

3.



4.

5.

b) 1/4 empty d) 3/4 empty

QUESTION: I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I’m not alive. It is your strength which determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I’m never thrown. What am I? __________________________________________________________________________________________ This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing is wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching! __________________________________________________________________________________________ QUESTION: You are walking through a field, and you find something to eat. It doesn’t have bones, and it doesn’t have meat. You pick it up and put it into your pocket. You take it home and put it on a shelf, but 3 days later it walks away. What is it? __________________________________________________________________________________________ A man was outside taking a walk when it began to rain. He did not have an umbrella and he wasn’t wearing a hat. His clothes were soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got wet. How could this happen? __________________________________________________________________________________________

Translate these old proverbs (feel free to use your dictionary):

6.

7.

“A vessel under optical supervision never reaches the temperature of 212 degrees F (100 degrees C).” __________________________________________________________________________________________ “Taciturnity is aurous.” __________________________________________________________________________________________ 128

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Reading Passage

...................

Keys to Using Critical Thinking Skills to Have Fun You have learned that critical thinking skills are very helpful to you in your school work and daily life. The more often you think critically, the better your chances are to grow up to be an educated and useful citizen. However, have you ever thought that using critical thinking skills can be fun? There are many activities and professions that require you to use critical thinking skills. And they are still loads of fun. Do you like solving mysteries? Good detectives use critical thinking skills all the time. They look for evidence. They determine whether the witnesses are telling the truth. They have to be honest. They notice details and give feedback to other people. Do you like finding out new facts or discovering new places and things? Scientists, inventors, and archeologists do these kinds of things every day. If you study one of these subjects in college, you will be able to have fun and earn a good living at the same time. Do you like solving problems and making people feel better? Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and psychologists get to do these things in their work. Using your critical thinking skills can help you prepare to be the kind of person who helps other people. There are hundreds and hundreds of other kinds of jobs that require you to use your critical thinking skills. Remember that critical thinking happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem. The key to using your critical thinking skills is deciding what you want to be and then preparing yourself to be it! Throughout your life you will find games and activities that require you to think critically and are also fun to do. This chapter will give you some examples of these kinds of activities.

129

The Reading Watch Dog says, “It’s lots of fun to use your brain to accomplish the impossible.”

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Keys to Using Critical Thinking Skills to Have Fun Use your critical thinking skills to answer the following riddles:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5

What do you get when you cross an automobile with a household animal? __________________________________________________________________________________________ Where do fish keep their money? __________________________________________________________________________________________ What goes around and around the wood but never goes into the wood? __________________________________________________________________________________________ I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never seen out of darkness. __________________________________________________________________________________________ What word looks the same upside down and backwards? (hint: it is something a person or animal does in the water)



__________________________________________________________________________________________

6.

Follow the instructions carefully, ONE LINE AT A TIME. Be sure to do exactly what it says before moving to the next instruction. You can keep track of your answers by writing them into the spaces provided beside each instruction. 1) Write down the number of the month you were born: 2) Multiply it by 4: 3) Add 13: 4) Multiply the result by 25: 5) Subtract 200: 6) Add the day of the month on which you were born: 7) Multiply by 2: 8) Subtract 40: 9) Multiply the result by 50: 10) Add the last two digits of the year of your birth: 11) Finally, subtract 10,500:



Do you notice something odd about your answer? It should be the numbers representing your birth month, date, and the last two numbers of the year you were born! 130

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WritinG Task #

1

................... Sometimes people do things over and over again before they are successful. Dr. Seuss, for example, sent his first book to 27 publishers before it was accepted. Write about how you — or someone you know — succeeded because you or that person kept trying.

WritinG Task #

2

................... Now that you have studied about critical thinking, it is your turn to describe the kind of critical thinker you want to become. Feel free to look back over the chapters and your notes. Be sure to include as many characteristics of a good critical thinker as you can.

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WritinG Task # 3

................... Everyone loves a mystery and everyone will certainly love yours! Use all of your critical thinking and creative skills to turn the following story prompt into a spinechilling mystery. Good luck! The Case of the Holiday Party The house was quiet the night before our big holiday party. I went to check on the decorations when I saw that all the presents were gone.

WritinG Task # 4

................... Now it’s time to take yourself and all of your critical thinking and writing skills into a time machine! This time machine can travel forward or backward. Be sure to tell how you got the machine, the time and place to which you traveled, and what happened to you there.

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WritinG Task # 5

................... Look carefully at the photo below. Now write a story about how the bike got where it is. What happened? How did it happen? Let your critical thinking skills flow.

WritinG Task #

6

................... Looks may not be everything, but they are important! What would happen if you woke up one day and found that everyone in the world looked the same?

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After You Read

...................

Crossword

Word List anticipate attributes brainstorm conclusion consequences critical evaluate facts independent

1 2

3

4

5

6

7 8 9

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Word List inference logic modifications opinions problem reason solution thinking value

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Across 2. 6. 9. 11. 13. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Expect A state of difficulty that needs to be settled or a question that needs to be answered. A conclusion that you came to in your mind based on something else that you believe to be true. Characteristics Answers Free to make choices Changes The process of using your mind to consider things carefully The effects or results of a decision or action 134

Down 1.

A collection of guiding, positive beliefs or rules that a person follows in life. 3. Measure the quality of something 4. Write down all the answers to a problem that come to mind. 5. Clearly stated information that can be proven 7. The art of reasoning 8. Logical thinking 10. _______________ Thinking 12. Drawing a ___________________________ 14. Beliefs based on feelings Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Word Search Find the following key words from the story. The words are written horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards. anticipate attributes brainstorm consequences

creative critical thinking evaluate facts

fair-minded independent inference manipulated

modifications opinions organized problem

reason solution values

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135

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz

35

Put a “T” in front of each true statement and put an “F” in front of each false statement.

1.

Critical thinking is what happens when you judge, decide, or solve a problem.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Values are not important to a good critical thinker. Learning to think for yourself is important to being successful in life. Most critical thinkers do not like to explore new ideas. Reason is logical thinking. Critical thinkers are dependent thinkers. A good independent critical thinker is also a good listener. Honesty is not very important to good critical thinkers. An independent thinker knows it’s better to make mistakes than to accept someone else’s opinions about everything in life.

10

10. Organized means “orderly and effective.” Write the answers to the following questions.

11.

What is an inference?

12.

What is the difference between a fact and an opinion? Give an example of a fact and an example of an opinion.

1

4 13.

What does the following statement mean? “A good critical thinker anticipates consequences.”

2

14. What are three organization tips that good critical thinkers can use? 3 SUBTOTAL: 136

/20

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

NAME:

After You Read

...................

Comprehension Quiz Put an “F” in front of each FACT and put an “O” in front of each OPINION.

15.

People need to eat food in order to survive.

16.

The best foods to eat are green beans and corn on the cob.

17.

We saw the most exciting adventure movie in the world last night!

18.

The movie received excellent reviews from the critics.

19.

Everyone needs to read a good mystery book about once a month.

5

Circle the cause and underline the effect in each statement below.

20.

It was raining so I brought my red umbrella with me.

21.

Because the truck was out of gas it would not start when Tim tried the ignition.

22.

I get good grades in English because it is my favorite subject.

23.

Marie is a great pianist because she practices three hours a day!

24.

I had to reboot my computer because the screen froze.

5

Complete the following graphic organizer by filling in the five parts of the critical problem-solving process. THE CRITICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

25.

The five steps in the critical problem solving process are:



1:________________________________________________________________________________



2:________________________________________________________________________________





3:________________________________________________________________________________





4:________________________________________________________________________________





5:________________________________________________________________________________

SUBTOTAL: 137

5 /15

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

9

ii) c

i) a

2.

d) reading comprehension skills

c) reading comprehension

a) purpose for reading b) main idea

1.

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4 B

3.

4 A

2.

4 C

1.

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12

D. Dolphins feed and protect their young.

C. Dolphins like to be together in a group

15

a)

4.

a)

B. Dolphins give birth to live babies

b)

2.

f) definitions or synonyms

e) context clues

d) examples

c) four types

b) general knowledge

a) antonyms & contrast

1.

3.

14

C. Manatees’ tails are strong and useful

B. Manatees have no outer ears at all

A. Manatees live in water, not on land

Supporting Details

Even though Florida manatees are the elephant’s cousins, they are different from each other.

Main idea

1.

A. Dolphins are warm-blooded

Supporting Details

Main idea – Dolphins have many human traits.

B

5

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4

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1

2.

1-6.

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a)

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b)

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a)

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c)

2.

b)

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

B

C

3

4

18

Accept any reasonable response.

A

2

2.

D

1

1.

20

Accept any reasonable response.

1.

21

3. 4 C

2. 4 C

c) drawing conclusions

b) details

a) conclusion

1.

22

4. 4 A

3. 4 C

2. 4 A

1. 4 B

F

b)

T F

d) e)

24

Accept any reasonable reply.

F

c)

6.

T

a)

5.

26

Accept any reasonable reply.

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

27

b)

3.

a)

2.

d) imagination

c) inference

b) reading between the lines

a) drawing a conclusion

1.

29

4. 4 C

3. 4 B

2. 4 C

1. 4 B

30

Accept any reasonable response.

4.

3. 4 A

2. 4 C

1. 4 B

32

4 B

Accept any reasonable reply.

F c)

F 0 O

f) g) h)

33

O e)

0

O b)

d)

F a)

4.

4 C

3.

4 A

2.

1.

1.

35

4. 4 B

3. 4 A

2. 4 C

1. 4 A

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

f) g) h) i)

O F O F O

f)

36

Accept any reasonable answer.

2.

g) h) i) j)

38

Accept any reasonable response.

2.

2.

5

7

2

8

3

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4

9

1.

39

a) Wilbur woke up in the barn. b) Wilbur looked around to find who’d spoken to him the night before. c) Wilbur first asked the horse. d) The horse shook his head, “No”. e) Wilbur then asked the geese. f) The geese just looked at him. g) He heard a small voice say, “Salutations!”

e)

O

e)

O

e)

d)

O

d)

F

d)

c)

F

c)

O

c)

b)

F

b)

O

b)

a)

a)

F

O

1.

a)

1.

41

Accept any reasonable response.

2.

l) the last thing

k) subsequently

j) when

i) then

h) soon

g) following that

f) shortly thereafter

e) when

d) at the same time

c) next

b) later

a) beginning

1.

2.

C

A

B

E

D

42

Accept any reasonable response.

5

4

3

2

1

1.

44

Accept any reasonable response.

2.

G

C

F

J

A

D

I

E

H

B

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

n j m y t o r g a n i z e r

k a g p a m e n o b h s i f

10. purpose

12. supporting

13. reading

14. main idea

15. fishbone map

16. antonym



Down

2. inference

3. sequencing

4. chronological

6. Graphic

8. Context

48

11. opinion

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synonym

Reading Comprehension CC1116

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sequencing

reading

organizer

opinion

Word Search Answers

chronological

context clues

comprehension

antonym

9. fact

7. conclusions

5. timeline

1. evidence

Across

horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards.

50

T 51

c)

T

15.

22.

b)

21.

c)

20.

18. F 19. O

17. O

4 C

16.

14.

T

13.

F

12.

T

11.

a)

10.

a)

9.

a)

8.

b)

7.

c)

6.

a)

5.

c)

4.

a)

3.

a)

2.

b)

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

6

1

3

2

C

D

E

F

52

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

4

B

2.

5

A

1.

54

f) Something that is unfair.

e) He is a farmer.

d) Fern’s father, the farmer.

c) Fern’s mother, the farmer’s wife.

b) She’s a little girl, lives on a farm, concerned about animals, very emotional, not afraid to speak her mind.

a) Three

1.

55

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable answers.

2.

e) Minor character

d) Major character

c) Graphic organizer

b) Characterization

a) Character

1.

57

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

58

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable answers.

2.

d-e) Where & when, or when & where.

Time

Place

b) c)

Setting

a)

1.

2.

True

60

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

g)

True

False

e)

f)

True

False

False

True

d)

c)

b)

a)

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

4 D

ii)

2.

6

E

61

64

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

2.

i)

i)

iii)

ii)

i)

iii)

ii)

ii)

1.

66

e) Resolution

d) Falling Action

c) Climax

b) Rising Action

a) Introduction

h)

g)

e)

d)

c)

b)

a)

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

2

4

D

G

1

C

7

5

B

F

3

A

1.

f)

63

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

1.

2.



4 B

i)

1.

2.

True

True

True

True

False

False

67

c) Yes, you could draw a simple graphic organizer to use.

b) Graphic organizers’ main purpose is to help you place the stages of the plot in the order that they happened in the story.

a) Graphic organizers are charts or drawings that can help you put your ideas in some kind of order.

f)

e)

d)

c)

b)

a)

1.

69

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

2.

71

vi) A, C, D

v) A, B, E

iv) A, B, E, F

iii) A, B, C, D, E, F

ii) B, C, D, F

i) A, B

f) Plot

e) Theme

d) Aesop’s Fables

c) Setting



b) Character



a) Literary elements

1.

72

b) The Ant and the Grasshopper.

a) ii) “Saving today will help you tomorrow.”

2.

b) An author can express the theme(s) of a story in four ways: (1) by the feelings of the main characters, (2) through the thoughts of the main characters, (3) through events of the story, and (4) through the actions of the characters.

a) The theme of any story is the main idea or point that the author is trying to tell the audience. The subject of a story is simply its main idea or the topic that the story is about.

1.

2.

False

True

False

True

73

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

d)

c)

b)

a)

1.

75

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

d)

c)

b)

a)

F

2.

76

Third person

First person

First person

Third person

2

5

E

6

C 1

3

B

D

4

A

1.

78

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

2.

d) iii)

c) i)

b) iv)

a) ii)

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

False

True

True

False

False

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

79

d) The poem uses the pronoun “I.”

c) First person point of view.

b) The cat’s point of view.

a) What Your Cat Might Be Thinking

2.

True

a)

1.

81

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

82

e) i)

d) ii)

c) i)

b) ii)

a) i)

2.

c) ii)

b) i)

a) ii)

1.

84

b) Flashback

a) Foreshadowing

2.

c) Flashbacks occur when an author refers back to an event that has already taken place in the story.

b) Foreshadowing builds suspense by raising questions that make the reader want to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed, and it makes a story more believable by preparing the reader for events that will soon happen.

a) Foreshadowing happens when an author mentions or hints at something that will happen later in the story.

1.

4 5 1 2

B C D E

85

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

3.

c) Verbal irony

b) Situational irony

a) Verbal irony

3

A

2.

1.

87

4 C

5.

4 A

4.

4 B

3.

4 B

2.

4 C

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

91

11. Irony

8. Flashback

7. Situation

4. Climax

3. Elements

2. Action

Down



14. Aesops

13. Graphic

12. Introduction

10. Falling

9. Plot

6. Setting

5. View

1. Character

Across

o t l p i e d a u o r t r r t k

f s m n o i t c a g n i s i r s

flashbacks foreshadowing irony literary elements narrative

plot point of view resolution rising action setting

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Literary Devices CC1117

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symbolism theme

Word Search Answers

characters climax conflict fables falling action

horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards.

93

Climax is the “high point” of a story when the major conflicts end up in some kind of final showdown (a fight, an argument, physical action, or a very tense emotional moment). The climax is the point in the story where something CHANGES.

12.

Answers should include: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

11.

T

10.

F

9.

T

8.

F

7.

T

6.

T

5.

F

4.

T

3.

F

2.

T

1. b)

13.

94

a)

20.

c)

19.

b)

18.

c)

17.

a)

16.

b)

15.

a)

14.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

iv)

iii)

95

4 B

4 A

4 A

ii)



4 B

i)

2.

d) True

c) False

b) True

a) False

1.

97

h) Involves critical thinking

g) Does not involve critical thinking

f) Involves critical thinking

e) Does not involve critical thinking

d) Involves critical thinking

c) Does not involve critical thinking

b) Involves critical thinking

a) Involves critical thinking

2.

d) Critical

c) Creative

b) Thinking

a) creative and critical thinking

1.

2.

1

2

5

4

3

98

a, c, e, g, i, and j should be checked.

E

D

C

B

A

1.

100

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable responses.

1.

vi)

v)



iv)

iii)



ii)

i)

101

4 A

4 A

4 A

4 A

4 A

4 A

1.

103

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

2.

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

104

Accept any reasonable response.

Answers may vary.

106

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

a, c, e, g, and j should be checked.

2.

1.

1.

False

True

False

False

b)

c)

d)

e)

F

e)

107

F

d)

O

O

b) c)

F

a)

2.

True

a)

1.

4 B

4 D

4 C

4 A

4 B

109

Explanations may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

v)

iv)

iii)

ii)

i)

1.

2.

i)

110

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

e)

ii)

i)

c)

d)

iii)

ii)

b)

a)

1.

112

15 - Useless without the relevant tables and a chronometer. 1 - Critical for signaling. 14 - There are NO mosquitoes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. 3 - Vital to restore fluids lost through perspiration. 4 - This is your basic food intake. 13 - Worthless without navigation equipment. 9 - Useful as a life preserver if someone fell overboard. 2 - Critical for signaling. The mixture will float on water and could be ignited using the matches. 12 - You would be out of range of any radio station. 5 - Can be used to collect rain water and shelter from the wind and waves. 10 - To repel sharks. 11 - Contains 80% alcohol, which means it can be used as an antiseptic for any injuries. It would cause dehydration if drunk. 8 - Could be used to lash people or equipment together to prevent being washed overboard. 6 - Your reserve food supply. 7 - Ranked lower than the chocolate as there is no guarantee you will catch any fish.

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

113

e) True

d) False

c) False

b) False

a) True

2.

j) O

i) F

h) O

g) O

f) O

e) O

d) O

c) F

b) F

a) O

1.

115

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

2.

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

2.

2

d) 116

4

1

3

5

1

3

6

2

4

c)

b)

a)

F

E

D

C

B

A

1.

118

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

d)

c)

b)

a)

119

True

False

False

True

2.

e) Jimmy, of course!

d) Mt. Everest — it just had not been discovered yet.

c) The man.

b) Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

a) Problems are “states of difficulty that need to be settled or questions that need to be answered.” Problem solving is finding the answers to the problems.

1.

121

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

2.

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

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Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

122

To arrive at the answer, make a chart to display the children’s descriptions.

b) The dog is white, has short hair, wears a blue collar, and has a short tail.

a) A pizza was in the box. Sandy must be right because no one else said pizza.

2.

124

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

a) Any task or assignment or project that you need to complete.

b) Define the problem and set a goal for change; brainstorm possible solutions or answers; and evaluate all the possible solutions.

1.

1.

125

a), c), d), and f).

2.

a) and c).

1.

True

c)

f)

e)

127

True

False

True

False

b)

d)

True

a)

2.

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

1.

128

“Silence is golden.”

7.

“A watched pot never boils.”

6.

He was bald.

5.

An egg.

4.

The letter ‘e’, which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the paragraph.

3.

An arrow.

2.

d) ¾ empty: since ¾ empty means ¼ full.

1.

6.

SWIMS

5.

The letter ‘s’

4.

Tree bark

3.

130

The answer should be the student’s month, day, and last two numbers of his or her birth year.



In a river-bank

2.

A car-pet

1.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

t o

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134

14. opinions

12. conclusion

10. critical

8. reason

7. logic

5. facts

4. brainstorm

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3. evaluate

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16. modifications

15. independent d

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13. solution

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fair-minded independent inference manipulated

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Critical Thinking CC1118

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Word Search Answers

anticipate attributes brainstorm consequences

9. inference

6. problem

2. anticipate

Across

Find the following key words from the story. The words are written horizontally, vertically, diagonally and some are even backwards.

136

Answers may vary. Accept any reasonable response.

14.

A good critical thinker thinks about the results of a plan or action before he begins the plan or action.

13.

A fact can be proven. An opinion is based on beliefs and feelings and cannot be proven. Fact – This book is about critical thinking skills. Opinion – This is the best book about critical thinking skills I’ve ever read!

12.

Inference is a conclusion you come to in your mind based on something else that you believe to be true.

11.

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9.

F

8.

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7.

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6.

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5.

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3.

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2.

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1.

20-24.

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17.

137

1: Define the problem and set a goal for change; 2: brainstorm possible solutions or answers; 3: evaluate all the possible solutions; 4: choose a solution and make a plan of action; 5: evaluation and modification.

25.

the screen froze.

had to reboot

she practices three hours a day!

Marie is a great pianist

it is my favorite subject.

I get good grades

it would not start

the truck was out of gas

It was raining I brought my red umbrella

O

16.

F

15.

EZ

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Nine Event Sequence Chain ..................

©

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

153

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Time Line

..................

©

154

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Using Context Clues ..................

New Word

©

What I Think It Means

Definition or Synonym

1.

1.

1.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3.

4.

4.

4.

5.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6.

155

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Making Inferences: Reading Between the Lines ..................

Question: (from the book, our group, or my teacher)

What I know from the book:

What I know from my brain:

My Inference:

©

156

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Fact or Opinion? ..................

DIRECTIONS: Use the graphic organizer below to help you identify statements of fact and statements of opinion in your reading selections. Be sure to explain how you can tell whether the statement is a fact or an opinion.

STATEMENT

©

FACT OR OPINION?

157

HOW CAN YOU TELL?

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Drawing Conclusions ..................

Text Clues

©

What I Already Know

158

My Conclusion

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Character Analysis ..................

Selection Title_ _____________________________________________________________ Character:

Passages:

Words

Actions

Appearance

Thoughts

Effects on Other People

Direct Characterization

Analysis of Character

©

159

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Characterization .................. Dialogue

(What does the dialogue reveal about him or her?)

Physical Description

Thoughts

(What does he or she look like?)

(What is he or she thinking?)

Character Name:

Actions

Reactions of Others

(What do actions reveal about him or her? Include gestures, motions.)

©

(What do others think of him or her?)

160

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Five Stages of Plot Development ..................

1. (Describes the characters and the setting of the story.)

5.

2.

(A tying-up of all the loose ends left in the story.)

(Conflicts are introduced, and readers find out more about the characters.)

4.

3. (Deals with the results of the climax.)

©

(The “high point” of a story.)

161

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Theme Chart

.................. Title Main Characters

Main Conflict

Main Theme

Beginning of Theme

Development of Theme

Climax of Theme

Resolution of Theme

©

162

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Literary Point Of View ..................

Examples of the Author’s Opinions, Ideas, and Thoughts

CHARACTER’S NAME

POINT OF VIEW Person

©

163

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Foreshadowing Chart ..................

Event

©

Clue it would happen

164

Page # of clue

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Critical Thinkers ..................

Critical thinkers are: • curious about the world. • creative questioners. • frequently asking “why?” and seeking reasons to defend a position. • interested only in credible sources of information. • able to take into account the total situation or context when interpreting something. • relevant thinkers who stick to the main point. • always looking for alternative explanations, positions, or arguments. • open-minded and who seriously consider points of view other than their own. • willing to change a position when the evidence is sufficient to make them do so. • able to withhold judgment when the evidence is insufficient. • eager to seek precision. • able to realize the limits of knowing; hence they look for probability rather than proof. • able to realize the role of personal bias in the process of knowing something. • able to deal in an orderly manner with the parts of a complex whole and anticipate the next step in a process. • sensitive to the feelings, levels of knowledge, and degree of sophistication of others when presenting their findings. • able to apply critical thinking abilities to a wide variety of subjects.

©

165

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Making Decisions ..................

Name: _____________________________________

Date: ______________

Title/Topic: _______________________________________________________

My Problems

I Think That

I’ll Find Out By

I Found That

Conclusions

©

166

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Class Decision Chart ..................

Qualities

Decision to be made:

Possible Solutions

Score

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Final decision:

©

167

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Prediction With Evidence ..................

Name: _____________________________________

Date: ______________

I predict that:

Evidence #1 Source: Evidence #2 Source: Evidence #3 Source: Evidence #4 Source: Evidence #5 Source:

©

168

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Who, What, When, Where, Why & How ..................

Who

What

When

Where

Why

How

©

169

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119

Text & Subtext: Drawing Inferences ..................

Name: _____________________________________

Date: ______________

Title/Topic: _______________________________________________________

What the text says, in your own words

Quotation

What the subtext is What the text says, in your own words

Quotation

What the subtext is

©

170

Master Reading – Big Book CC1119