NameWednesday, May 2

A Report on the National Day of PrayerBy Beth Beutler

Robert stood and cleared his throat. The oral partof his presentation was the final step in this largeproject. The teacher had assigned the students toresearch events of a religious or patriotic nature.Robert was nervous about speaking in front ofthe class. However, he knew it would be oversoon!

"Okay, Robert," said his teacher. "Go ahead."

"The National Day of Prayer is a yearlyobservance encouraging people of all religions tofocus on their faith and lift up the needs ofAmerica and its leaders. It involves everyone, regardless of religion,and asks them to think about their country and ask for guidance andprotection."

"A time of prayer has been part of our history since 1775. At thattime, the Continental Congress asked the colonists to pray for wisdomas a new nation was formed. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed aday of humiliation, fasting, and prayer."

"In 1952, Congress submitted a resolution which was signed bythen-President Harry Truman, marking an annual National Day ofPrayer. In 1988, the law was modified under Ronald Reagan'spresidency, when it was determined that the first Thursday of everyMay would be the day to observe a day of prayer."

"Since then, there have been yearly proclamations by the presidentand state governors to encourage people to pray. The event is listed onmany calendars along with other nationally-known holidays."

"Many events take place on that day, including assemblies in publicplaces and in local churches. Sometimes the events are pre-planned,such as a church service. Others are more informal, such as havingrooms available for quiet prayer. Suggestion lists for prayer are oftenprovided, which include names of leaders in our country."

"In conclusion, the National Day of Prayer provides a historicalreference and contemporary opportunity to seek guidance beyondourselves."

The class applauded as Robert went to his seat.

"Just a minute, Robert," said the teacher.

"Yes?" Robert asked.

"I have a question for you. What was the most interesting thing youlearned in doing this project?"

Robert thought for a moment. "I did not realize how long theNational Day of Prayer has been observed," he replied. "I thought itwas a fairly new holiday."

"You did a good job, Robert," the teacher said. "You may sit downnow."

Robert breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that it was over,although it truly hadn't been as hard as he had thought it would be.

"Maybe I should have prayed about this report!" he thought with agrin to himself. "Then I might not have been as nervous!"

A Report on the National Day of Prayer

Questions

1. Have you ever heard of the National Day of Prayer? Do youthink something like this is important?

NameWednesday, May 2

2. Of the dates Robert mentioned, which one is NOT included?

A. 1775B. 1988C. 1992D. 1863

3. Robert mentioned three presidents in his report. Which onewas mentioned first?

A. Harry TrumanB. Ronald ReaganC. George W. BushD. Abraham Lincoln

4. The National Day of Prayer encourages people of all ______to seek guidance for our country.

5. On what day is the National Day of Prayer observed?

6. What was the most interesting thing that Robert had learned?

If you were organizing an event for the National Day of Prayer, whatwould you plan?

Name DateThursday, May 3

The Pocket DoorWritten by Susan Radtke

Erin yawned and shut off the horror movie she had been watching. It wasn't half as scary as Pat said it would be. Sure, she hadfreaked out a few times, but she would never admit that to anyone. Only Smoochie, the Jennings' dog, knew that Erinfast-forwarded through a few of the really frightening parts of the movie. For a piece of pizza, the dog had promised not to tell asoul.

She picked up the toys Shawn and Don had played with earlier in the evening. Babysitting was such an easy gig, Erin thought toherself. I only had to play with the boys, feed them, and put them to bed, and now I have the rest of the evening to myself.

"I'll go get us both a slice of pizza from the kitchen now," Erin said to Smoochie. Smoochie barked twice and wagged her tailexcitedly at Erin.

"That's right, Smooch. I almost forgot. Mr. Jennings told me the last time I was here to enter the kitchen from the dining roombecause the pocket door in this room couldn't be opened. He said he needed to replace the rollers on that door as soon as hefinished renovating the upstairs of this nineteenth century home."

Smoochie followed Erin through the dining room and abruptly stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. She stared in disbelief at thenow wide-open pocket door.

"How did that door open?" Erin said aloud.

Erin's curiosity quickly turned to fear when Smoochie began to growl at something on the opposite side of the pocket door.

Answer the following questions before you finish the story.1. Do you think Erin was on edge from watching the scary movie? Explain how her imagination could be getting the best of her.

Name DateThursday, May 3 The Pocket Door

2. Do you think Smoochie could be growling for a reason other than the door being open? What made the dog growl?

3. Do you think Shawn and Don opened the door? Why are they awake and downstairs?

4. Could someone be playing a joke on Erin? Do you think one of her friends could be trying to scare her?

5. Do you think the door opened on its own? How could this be possible?

6. Do you think Mr. Jennings fixed the door? Why didn't he mention making the repair to Erin?

Name DateThursday, May 3 The Pocket Door

7. Do you think that Mr. and Mrs. Jennings have arrived home early for the evening and opened the door? Why or why not?

8. Do you think a supernatural force opened the door? Describe this force in detail.

Name DateThursday, May 3 The Pocket Door

Use any of the ideas you wrote for the thinking questions to write an ending for this story. Be sure to include some dialog in yourending. Always use complete sentences. When you have completed it, proofread your story and make sure you have used correctpunctuation. Write your creative ending for The Pocket Door on these two blank pages.

Name DateThursday, May 3 The Pocket Door

NameThursday, May 3

Earth's RegionsBy Trista L. Pollard

Our rotating sphere changes every day.People remove trees and soil to add newbuildings and structures. Earth's physicalfeatures change when volcanoes erupt andearthquakes rumble. Geographers need tolearn about these changes. They also need tolearn about changes in Earth's past.

Earth is extremely large. Studying itsfeatures can be overwhelming. So to make iteasier, geographers divide the Earth intoregions. Regions are areas that sharecommon features. These features can belandforms, climate, economy, vegetation, or people. Geographerscreate these regions based on the information they want to study.

If geographers want to learn about your state, they would divide itinto regions. They might look at your state's industry andagriculture. Industry is the manufacturing or making of goods. Itis also the supplying of services. Services are those duties that aredone for other people. The northern part of your state may havetechnology companies. These companies may sell computers orprovide Internet services. This area could be a separate region fromthe other areas in your state. Geographers would study why thecompanies moved to this area. They would study the naturalresources that are used in this region. They would also study thepeople who live and work in this region.

The vegetation, or trees and grass, in a state can vary. One part ofyour state may have thick forests and another part may have flat landand grass. Geographers could divide your state into regions basedon its vegetation. In addition to vegetation, there are also differentlandforms in your state. There may be a region of your state that hasmany mountains. You might even live in an area with coastal plains.Geographers can learn more about your state by focusing on thelandforms and vegetation in these regions.

Climate regions are located all around the world. Climate is theweather that occurs in a place over a long period of time. Rainforests and deserts are examples of climate regions. The animals andplants that live in these regions have to adapt to the climate. Thelandforms in that region are also related to the climate. Mountainregions tend to have cooler climates because of their higher elevation.The trees, plants, and grass in this region thrive in that cooler climate.That's right! Climate, landforms, and vegetation are related. As youmove from lowland to higher land, the climate becomes colder.

Regions can also be created based on the language and culture ofpeople. The West Indies or Caribbean Islands are a region. They arelocated between North America and South America. In this regionthere is a mixture of languages ï¿1/2 English, Dutch, Spanish, andFrench. These languages came from the European explorers thatcame and laid claim to the islands hundreds of years ago. There arealso regional dialects or languages spoken by the people of theislands. These are called patois. The native people of the Caribbeanhave Native American ancestors. When people from England,France, Spain, and Holland came to the Caribbean, they broughttheir languages. They also took over the islands and developedplantations. They brought slaves from Africa to work the fields. Asa result, African culture plays a strong role in modern Caribbeanculture. Geographers can study the languages and the cultures of thepeople in the Caribbean Islands. They can also learn about thehistory of the islands and how people live today.

Earth's Regions

Questions

1. Why do geographers create regions on Earth?

NameThursday, May 3

2. In an industry region, what information would geographersstudy?

3. Based on context clues, what does the word economy mean?

4. True or false? Geographers define regions using a few specifictopics.

A. falseB. true

5. What information can geographers learn from climate regions?

You are a geographer studying one of the regions in the world. Whatregion are you studying? What information are you learning about it?Write a journal entry to your fellow geographers about the region youhave studied.

NameFriday, May 4

What Is the Baha'i Faith?By Colleen Messina

Many religions have promoted unity forthousands of years. Religious peoplesometimes feel that their faith is the only onethat is right. The Baha'i faith is uniquebecause it honors all other religions. Eventhough Baha'i faith is not ancient, millions offollowers love its concept of unity andembrace these teachings.

Just as John the Baptist prepared the way forJesus, the Baha'i faith also had a man whoannounced that a Promised One would comeafter him. This man, who was known as theBab, lived in 19th-century Persia. The title, "Bab," means gate or doorin Arabic. At that time, Persian society had a lot of turmoil. Peoplewanted help. The Bab had a great surprise that opened the door ofhope for many Persians.

On May 23, 1844, the Bab announced that he had a DivineRevelation. He said that a Promised One would come. This manwould help them become closer to God. The Persians thought this wasa terrific present and were excited when this Promised One arrived.And, like many great teachers and prophets before him, the PromisedOne had to make sacrifices in order to fulfill his mission.

According to the Baha'i faith, the Promised One was a man namedBaha'u'llah. His name meant the "Glory of God." Baha'u'llah was borninto an affluent Persian family and could have easily followed in hisfather's footsteps at the Shah's court. Baha'u'llah decided to followGod instead. He announced that he was the Promised One in 1863. Hewas imprisoned for his beliefs in 1868. He wasted no time in stillpromoting his ideas. He wrote many letters to kings, presidents, andemperors asking them to work together for world peace.

Baha'u'llah had a remarkable appearance. One person who saw himand described him was Edward Brown. He described the PromisedOne like this: "The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget,

though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one'svery soul..." Baha'u'llah was persecuted for his beliefs and imprisonedfor nearly 40 years. His message of love and tolerance spread faranyway. His extensive writings and hundreds of recorded prayersbecame a central part of this faith.

Many people follow this faith because they believe that unity isimportant for bringing peace among the diverse people on this earth.Three aspects of unity are central to the Baha'i religion. Unity of God,unity of religion, and unity of mankind are the central elements ofBaha'i. God is believed to be the creator of everything in the universeand never had a beginning and will never end. Baha'i followersbelieve that the great teachers and prophets of the major worldreligions were all messengers of God to different kinds of people.They call these messengers Manifestations of God or divineeducators. Other Manifestations of God were Jesus Christ, Abraham,Muhammad, Krishna, and Buddha.

An important concept in the Baha'i faith is the unity of all religions.Each religion was founded for certain people at a certain time. Allreligions are meant to help people grow and learn. All religions,according to the Baha'i, faith, have been part of God's plan. Thisprocess of the emergence of different faiths was called progressiverevelation.

The Baha'i faith teaches that everyone has soul. The goal of life is toget closer to God. Followers fast and pray to get closer to God whilethey are on Earth. Fasting is a period when the person does not eat ordrink for a period of time. Adults fast each day from sunrise to sunsetduring their month of Ala. This period is from March 2 until March20 and comes after the Baha'i New Year. The soul prepares for theafterlife. After death, the soul goes on a journey to God through manyworlds. Some people don't fast. The elderly, the sick, and childrenunder 15 don't need to fast. If you were a follower of this faith, youcould still have meals and snacks at your age. Whew! Fasting can behard work.

Baha'is attend a meeting called a fireside, and it takes place at amember's home. The guests talk about a spiritual topic. Then, theyshare some snacks. It is a good time to get together with friends andhave fun. Another gathering is called a Feast. Feasts are held eachmonth. During a Feast, there is prayer, a business meeting, andrefreshments.

Today, there are about six million Baha'is in many countries aroundthe world. The Baha'i faith is unique in their acceptance of other

NameFriday, May 4

faiths. They also honor the great teachers and prophets of othertraditions. Even though it is not as old as other religions, the Baha'ifaith has made its mark on the world by promoting unity and peace.

What Is the Baha'i Faith?

Questions

1. Where did the Baha'i faith start?

A. ArabiaB. IndiaC. PersiaD. China

2. What does the word "Bab" mean in Arabic?

A. doorB. closetC. walkwayD. fountain

3. Which of the following is another name for the teachers in thisfaith?

A. divine educatorB. heavenly helperC. inspired oratorD. none of the above

4. What did the Promised One do in prison to continue topromote his ideas?

A. talked to the prison guardsB. wrote letters to important peopleC. gave radio broadcastsD. published newspaper articles

5. True or False: Baha'is honor all world religions.

A. FalseB. True

6. Which of the following is a synonym for the word "affluent" inparagraph 2?

A. poorB. wealthyC. scruffyD. watery

7. What is the name of a meeting in this faith?

A. firesideB. serviceC. rallyD. committee meeting

8. What did the Promised One give up in order to follow hismission?

A. his wealthB. his freedomC. his status at the Shah's courtD. all of the above

NameFriday, May 4

Barbeque or Cooking Out?By Beth Beutler

I let the door slam behind me."Hey, Mom! I'm home! Guesswhat!" I cried.

Mom turned from the sinkwhere she was soaking somedishes. She wiped her handson the dish towel that seemedto always hang from her waist(except, of course, when wewent out to a restaurant orsomething).

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"I got invited to Colin's house for a barbeque on Saturday!"

"That's wonderful," Mom replied with a wide grin. She knew howhard it had been for me to make friends since we moved. Dad hadbeen transferred from his company in New England to a state in theSoutheast. I was still making the adjustment to a new school and newacquaintances. Colin had a last name that began with the same letteras mine, so we often sat near each other. We had started chattingbetween classes, and our friendship was growing.

"He asked me to bring a dessert. Can we make those yummy peanutbutter chocolate chip cookies?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's do that on Saturday so they willbe fresh for the party."

Throughout the week, I was very excited and told Colin about it."Thanks for inviting me. I love barbeques. We had them all the timeup north."

Colin looked at me a bit suspiciously. "I'm glad you can come. I thinkyou will like our barbeque."

"I'm sure I will. We are making the cookies Saturday."

Finally, the weekend came. Mom and I baked the cookies first thingin the morning, while the day wasn't too hot. We were still gettingused to the warmer weather earlier in the year, and it had beenunseasonably warm this spring. Once the cookies cooled, we coveredthem tightly with plastic wrap, and I went out to play with my dog.

On Saturday afternoon Mom drove me over to Colin's house. I wasbubbling over with excitement.

"I wonder if they will serve hamburgers AND hot dogs," I said. "I'mso hungry; I could eat two of each!"

"Just make sure you don't make a pig of yourself," Mom teased."They may not invite you back!"

Once we got to Colin's house, the mothers talked for a few minutes.Colin brought the cookies (and me!) into the kitchen, and then wewent into the dining room.

"Here's your place," he said.

"Aren't we eating outside?"

"No. Mom's just about got the barbeque done," Colin answered.

I looked at him quizzically. I was about to ask what I thought was asilly question when Colin's mom walked in into the room.

"Your mother will pick you up around 4:30," she said, looking at me."Are you hungry?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I replied eagerly.

"Good. I've got plenty of barbeque."

She brought out a dish with foil on it. When she uncovered it, I wasshocked. It was a bunch of shredded meat with some kind of saucethrough it!

"What's that?" I whispered to Colin.

"That's barbeque," he said, looking at me as if I were now purple.

NameFriday, May 4

"It is?"

Colin grinned as he finally realized what was going on. "In the South,barbeque is shredded meat like pork, beef, or chicken that we put on abun to eat. Watch." Colin piled his bun high.

My eyes widened. "In the North," I replied, "a barbeque is a cookoutwhere you grill hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, or steak," I explained.

Colin laughed. "Sorry about that. Go ahead and try some."

I had to admit that it was pretty good.

Colin grinned. "Would you feel better if we ate it outside?" he askedplayfully.

I smacked him good-naturedly on the arm. "No, this is fine," I said."But I will have to invite you over for a real cookout barbeque!"

"It's a deal!" Colin answered, before stuffing his face with morebarbeque - the Southern kind.

Barbeque or Cooking Out?

Questions

1. Why was the writer excited at the beginning of the story?

2. How did Mom feel about the invitation from Colin?

A. sadB. lonelyC. afraidD. happy

3. Where had the family moved from?

A. MaineB. one of the New England statesC. GeorgiaD. Texas

4. "Just make sure you don't make a pig of yourself," Momteased. This is an example of ______.

A. a simileB. an idiomC. a synonymD. alliteration

5. In the North, barbeque referred to ______ ______.

6. In the South, barbeque is a type of shredded ______ with______.

NameFriday, May 4

7. How do you think the writer first felt when he/she saw thefood at Colin's house?

8. Which type of barbeque would you prefer - the Southern orNorthern version? Why?

I found out things are different in various parts of the country whenmy friends from _______ said...

NameFriday, May 4

Orange You Glad You Drink It?By Beth Beutler

"Drink all your juice,please," Mom said.

"Yes, Mom," Sally saidwith a sigh. She drained thelast of her orange juice outof the 8-ounce tumbler.Then, grabbing her oatmealbowl, she gathered up theglass and her spoon andplaced them by the sink.

"I'll take care of those," Mom said. "Just go get finished preparing forschool."

While Sally gathered her homework and sweater, she thought abouther morning routine. Every day, it was the same thing. She always hadoatmeal and a glass of orange juice. She hadn't really thought about itbefore, but she wondered why she didn't have some other type ofdrink in the morning.

Sally swung by the breakfast bar and grabbed her lunch bag. Hermom picked up her purse and keys, saying, "Let's get going!"

After piling into the mini-van, Mom began to back out of thedriveway. After she turned onto the street, Sally decided to ask her aquestion.

"Mom, why do I have to have orange juice every day?"

Sally's mom focused on the road and thought a moment.

"Well, I guess it has just become a habit," she answered. "But orangejuice is very good for you so it's a good one! Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sally replied. "It just occurred to me that I haveorange juice every single day. It gets kind of boring."

"I suppose it would," Sally's mom replied. "Then again, it's a goodthing to give your body healthy nutrients every day."

"I wonder how long orange juice has been around?" Sally questionedas she double-checked her backpack for her homework that was duelater today.

"Why don't you look it up in the library and see what you find out?"Mom replied.

Later that day during a free period for study, Sally went to the schoolmedia center. She took out an encyclopedia and began reading aboutoranges. She quickly learned that Spanish settlers and AmericanIndians picked oranges and discarded seeds on the ground as they atethem. This resulted in the unplanned planting of a number of orangetrees.

Sally also learned that orange juice contains vitamin C, which ishelpful to the body in fighting disease. One glass a day about the sizeof the tumbler Sally usually used, would provide her with 100% ofwhat she needed in vitamin C each day. As Sally continued toresearch, she realized that orange juice also helped meet her body'sneeds for fiber and potassium, both important nutrients in maintaininghealth.

When Sally's mother picked her up from school, Sally had a lot to tellher.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, sweetie. What's new?"

"Can I have a glass of orange juice when I get home?"

Mom, with a look of surprise, glanced at Sally through the rearviewmirror.

"You sure can. Hmmm...you must have learned something today,"Mom commented.

"Sure did," Sally replied with a grin, and began to share the value oforange juice. Of course, Mom already knew a lot of them, but shewisely listened rather than spoke.

NameFriday, May 4

Orange You Glad You Drink It?

Questions

1. What is the size of the tumbler Sally uses for her orange juice?

2. How much orange juice provides 100% of the daily value ofVitamin C?

A. 8 ouncesB. 16 ouncesC. 6 ounces

3. How did Sally feel about drinking orange juice?

4. While Sally rode in the mini-van, she checked for somethingin her backpack. What was it?

5. True or false. Sally used the Internet to find out more aboutorange juice.

A. falseB. true

6. Which of the following nutrients is NOT mentioned as beingpart of orange juice?

A. Vitamin CB. Vitamin AC. FiberD. Potassium

7. What happened first?

A. Sally gathered her homework and sweater.B. Sally finished her orange juice.C. Sally grabbed her lunch bag.

8. How did some orange trees begin to grow?

Name Date

Reading MathAnthony has some sea monkeys in a tank. He is counting them by 3s.Fill in the blanks: 3, ___, 9, 12, ___, ___, 21

Steven bought 10 sea monkeys for $12.67. To the nearest dollar, howmuch did his purchase cost?

Jasmine is showing her class how to do the Chicken Dance today. Sheeven bought a beak to wear while she does the dance! The beak cost$1.92. She gave the clerk $5. How much change did she get?

Ashley walked to the store in 15.5 minutes. She bought Band-Aids for$0.55, gauze for $1.29, and suntan lotion for $2.89. She gave the clerka $10 bill. She left the store at 3:45 a.m. It took her 18.4 minutes towalk home. How much longer did it take her to walk home than it tookto walk to the store?

Jacob was in charge of making posters for Youth Against ViolenceDay. He was given $25 to spend on supplies. He spent $10.51 forposter board and $7.69 for paints. How much money did he have left?

John weighs 82 pounds. Randy weighs 85 pounds. Kevin weighs 91pounds. Which boy's weight is an odd number?