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Book 2: Reading and Informational TextsGrade 9

1Standards Lesson File

CONTENTS

READING

Reading Strategies and Comprehension Tools1 Predicting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Determining Author’s Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 Recognizing Main Idea and Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 Distinguishing Fact from Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Recognizing Sequence and Chronological Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Recognizing Cause and Effect: Single and Multiple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618 Making Inferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719 Drawing Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

10 Making Generalizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9111 Following Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Critical Reading and Thinking Skills12 Comparing and Contrasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11113 Categorizing and Classifying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12114 Synthesizing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13315 Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14316 Decision Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15317 Author’s Credibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

Patterns of Organization1 Text Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 2 Sequence and Chronological Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1813 Spatial Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1894 Cause-and-Effect Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1975 Compare-and-Contrast Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2036 Problem-Solution Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2177 Proposition-and-Support Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2278 Logical Order: Inductive and Deductive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2379 Order of Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

10 Classification Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25511 Compare Treatment, Organization, and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Logic and Reasoning12 Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27913 Types of Faulty Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Persuasion and Argumentation14 Elements of an Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29915 Persuasive Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30916 Evaluating Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31717 Evaluating Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Book 2: Reading and Informational TextsGrade 9

2 Standards Lesson File

Consumer, Workplace, and Public Documents18 Workplace Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33719 Consumer Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34720 Reading Public and Legal Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Reading Graphic Aids21 Reading Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36522 Graphs and Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37123 Reading Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38324 Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393

LESSON

1TEACHER’S GUIDE

Predicting

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Make predictions and thenconfirm or revise them

RESOURCES AND PREPARATION

You will need photocopies for students of:

• Student Lesson Summary, p. 7

• Teaching Model, from “The Blue Hotel,” p. 8

• Practice Worksheets, Levels A and B, pp. 9–10

• Reteaching Worksheet, p. 11

Teach1. Predicting: Tell students that predicting what will happen in a story can be similar to

predicting the weather.

• Ask students to look out the window and, based on the sun, the clouds, and theirknowledge of the local climate, make a logical guess about what the day will belike.

• Ask them what clues, evidence, or prior knowledge from other days or years theyused to make their guess.

• Explain that when they read, they can examine clues in the narrative, as well astitles, chapter headings, illustrations, and so on. Then, based on their personalexperience—including their experience of literature—they can predict, or make alogical guess about what will happen.

2. Teaching Predicting: Distribute the Lesson Summary and guide students through theAcademic Vocabulary. Then review the Here’s How steps with students.

• Stress that when students read narratives, they should use the questions about plot,character, and setting, shown in Step 2, to help them find text clues and relate thestory to personal experience.

• Explain that after students consider the questions, they can make a good prediction.

• Explain that after predicting, students can continue reading to either confirm orrevise a prediction.

• Ask: How might predicting and rethinking predictions help you better understand astory? (Sample: As you make predictions you get involved in the story’s conflict,string story events together, and understand character motivations.)

3. Guided Practice: Distribute the Teaching Model, an excerpt from Stephen Crane’s“The Blue Hotel,” a story written in the 1890s. Explain that the characters are spendingthe night at a hotel in Nebraska. After students finish reading, ask them to use thequestions on the Lesson Summary to think about predictions they might make. Thenhave pairs or small groups discuss the following:

• Ask: What does the narrator imply about the Swede? (He is belligerent andthreatening.)

Standards Lesson Files Book 2: Reading and Informational Texts 3Grade 9

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PREDICTING, CONTINUED

• Ask: In your experience, how do people react when one person in a group behaveslike the Swede? (Sample: They give him what he wants for the sake of peace; theydistrust him; they shun him.)

• Ask: Which details create a mood of underlying violence? (The Swede curses; theSwede’s glance and Johnnie’s “cross like blades.”)

• Ask: Once the Swede accuses Johnnie of cheating, what do you think is likelyto happen? Why? (Sample: They will fight; perhaps one of them will be killed.Stories of the Old West or the frontier often contain violent fights. Cheating atcards was considered a serious offense in the story’s time and place. Johnnie andthe Swede clearly dislike one another even before the game starts. The Swedeis shaking his fist at Johnnie.)

QUICK CHECK. Read the following paragraph aloud and ask the questions that follow.

I waved goodbye to Tom as he drove away from the train station, then turned to climbaboard. I settled myself in my seat and dug in my wallet for my train pass. The conductorglanced at it, nodded, and moved on through the car. As I returned my wallet to my pocket, Irealized with horror that my keys were missing.

1. What are the likely consequences of the narrator’s discovery?(Sample: She won’t be able to get back into her house.)

2. What is she likely to do next?(Sample: She will try to get in touch with Tom to see if her keys are in his car.)

3. How did your personal experience help you make this prediction?(Accept all complete answers.)

Practice and Apply

Activities involving predicting appear on pp. 9–10.

• Assign Practice Worksheet A to students who need more structured activities.

• Assign Practice Worksheet B to grade-level and above-level students.

Sample Answers: Practice Worksheet B

1. She will make or buy a present for $1.87. She will find a way to make some more money.

2. Jim is very dear to her and she clearly wishes she had more than $1.87 to spend on him.She will not easily give up the idea of buying him something that costs more.

3. She has had an idea, and apparently it has something to do with her hair and it’s alittle upsetting. Maybe she will cut it off and sell it. Students may recall Jo Marchselling her hair in Little Women; like Della, Jo felt some regret about her decision butwanted the money.

4. It should now be clear to all students that Della is going to sell her hair.


1. The story’s title and past experience of Holmes indicate that he will go ahead asplanned. He has had an “honored career” thus far.

4 Book 2: Reading and Informational Texts Standards Lesson FilesGrade 9

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PREDICTING, CONTINUED

2. Holmes will probably let Watson go with him. He does not want to let his client down,and Watson, who does always shares his adventures, is strongly insistent about goingalong.

3. Students should assume that Holmes and Watson will succeed. Holmes is not known forlosing cases, and since he is a continuing character he will not be killed in the break-in.

Assess and ReteachUse these guidelines to determine if students need the Reteaching Worksheet.

• Practice Worksheet A: Students should give complete and reasonable answers, close tothe sample answers, for at least three of the four items.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should give complete and reasonable answers, close tothe sample answers, for all three items. If students have difficulty making reasonablepredictions, have them read on to find the answer.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary. Model the process ofmaking predictions, applying the Here’s How steps to the passage in Practice Worksheet A.Then have students complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 11.

Answer Key: Reteaching Worksheet

1. a 2. b 3. b 4. c


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LESSON

1STUDENT LESSON SUMMARY COPYMASTER

Predicting

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

predicting: the process of using text clues to make a reasonable guess about whathappens next in a story

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Keep asking yourself: What might happen next?

Step 2: Find clues in the text. Look for hints of things to come. Weigh the details ofplot, character, and setting against your own experiences and your knowledge of literature.Ask yourself questions such as the following:

Plot

• Which events hint at what is to come?

• Based on similar plots or your own experience, what do you expect to happen next?

Character

• What has the author told you about each character?

• What have the characters said about each other?

• What do each character’s dialogue, actions, and behavior toward others lead you toexpect?

• In your experience, how do real people or other literary characters in similarcircumstances usually behave?

Setting

• How does the author describe the setting?

• What mood does the description of the setting create?

• Based on your experience, what possible outcomes are likely in this setting?

Step 3: Predict what you think will happen next. Form an idea of what themost likely outcome is. You may wish to write it down your prediction or share it with afellow reader.

Step 4: Read on to confirm or revise your prediction. As you continuereading, see if your prediction happens. If it does, then predict the next outcome. If thingsbegin to turn out differently, use that new information to change the prediction. This willhelp you to keep track of how the story’s action develops.


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LESSON

1TEACHING MODEL COPYMASTER

Predicting

from “The Blue Hotel”by Stephen Crane

When they were gathered about the stove, the Swede insisted on another game ofhigh-five. Scully gently deprecated1 the plan at first, but the Swede turned a wolfish glareupon him. The old man subsided, and the Swede canvassed the others. In his tone there wasalways a great threat. The cowboy and the Easterner both remarked indifferently that theywould play. Scully said that he would presently have to go to meet the six fifty-eight train,and so the Swede turned menacingly upon Johnnie. For a moment their glances crossed likeblades, and then Johnnie smiled and said, “Yes, I’ll play.”

They formed a square, with the little board on their knees. The Easterner and theSwede were again partners. As the play went on, it was noticeable that the cowboy was notboard-whacking2 as usual. Meanwhile Scully, near the lamp, had put on his spectacles, andwith an appearance curiously like an old priest, was reading a newspaper. In time he wentout to meet the six fifty-eight train, and despite his precautions, a gust of polar wind whirledinto the room as he opened the door. Besides scattering the cards, it chilled the players tothe marrow. The Swede cursed frightfully. When Scully returned, his entrance disturbed acosy and friendly scene. The Swede again cursed. But presently they were once more intent,their heads bent forward and their hands moving swiftly. The Swede had adopted the fashionof board-whacking.

Scully took up his paper and for a long time remained immersed in matters which wereextraordinarily remote from him. The lamp burned badly, and once he stopped to adjust thewick. The newspaper, as he turned from page to page, rustled with a slow and comfortablesound. Then suddenly he heard three terrible words: “You are cheatin’!”

. . . Such scenes often prove that there can be little of dramatic import in environment.Any room can present a tragic front; any room can be comic. This little den was now hideousas a torture chamber. The new faces of the men themselves had changed it upon the instant.The Swede held a huge fist in front of Johnnie’s face, while the latter looked steadily over itinto the blazing orbs of his accuser.

1. deprecated: discouraged2. board-whacking: playing aggressively, confidently, and intensely


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LESSON

1PRACTICE WORKSHEET A COPYMASTER

Predicting

Directions: Read each boxed passage from “The Gift of the Magi,” a short story by O. Henry.Answer the questions by making predictions. Use the back of this sheet.

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was inpennies. . . . Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents.And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch andhowl . . . . Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag.She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fencein a gray backyard. . . . Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many ahappy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fineand rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honorof being owned by Jim.

1. How do you think Della will solve her problem?

2. Which clues helped you make this prediction?

Suddenly, she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyeswere shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds.Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in whichthey both took a mighty pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had been his father’sand his grandfather’s. The other was Della’s hair . . . . It reached below her kneeand made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervouslyand quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or twosplashed on the worn red carpet.

3. What do you think Della will do next? Why?

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl ofskirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door anddown the stairs to the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: “Mme. Sophronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds.”

4. Was your prediction in question 3 correct? If not, what new prediction can you make now?


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LESSON

1PRACTICE WORKSHEET B COPYMASTER

Predicting

Directions: Read each boxed passage from “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,”a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Answer the questions that follow by making predictions.

“Watson, I mean to burgle Milverton’s house tonight.”

I had a catching of the breath, and my skin went cold at the words, which wereslowly uttered in a tone of concentrated resolution. As a flash of lightning in thenight shows up in an instant every detail of a wide landscape, so at one glance Iseemed to see every possible result of such an action—the detection, the capture,the honored career ending in irreparable failure and disgrace, my friend himselflying at the mercy of the odious Milverton.

“For Heaven’s sake, Holmes, think what you are doing,” I cried.

1. How do you predict Sherlock Holmes will respond to his friend Watson’s concern?What makes you think so?

“Tomorrow is the last day of grace, and unless we can get the letters tonightthis villain will be as good as his word and will bring about her ruin. I must,therefore, abandon my client to her fate or I must play this last card. Betweenourselves, Watson, it’s a sporting duel between this fellow Milverton and me. . . .”

“Well, I don’t like it; but I suppose it must be,” said I. “When do we start?”

“You are not coming.”

“Then you are not going,” said I. “I give you my word of honor—and I neverbroke it in my life—that I will take a cab straight to the police station and give youaway unless you let me share this adventure with you.”

2. What do you predict will be the result of the conflict between Holmes and Watson?Why do you think so?

Holmes had looked annoyed, but his brow cleared, and he clapped me on theshoulder. . . . “We shall be at work before midnight. Milverton is a heavy sleeperand retires punctually at ten-thirty. With any luck we should be back here by two,with the Lady Eva’s letters in my pocket.”

3. On the back, predict what will happen during the break-in and why you think so.


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LESSON

1RETEACHING WORKSHEET COPYMASTER

Predicting

Review Predicting is the process of using text clues to make reasonable guesses aboutwhat happens next in a story.

Directions: First, read each paragraph. Then use the paragraph to answer the questionsthat follow.

Mei was late. It was a busy time of day and the spacious lobby of the hotelwas filled with people passing through the gleaming revolving doors and beingwhisked away to the upper floors in the elevators. I sank back in the overstuffedarmchair and looked at my watch again. I frowned. It was unlike Mei to be fifteenminutes late; she was as reliable and prompt as the sun. As I glanced around thelobby again, a hotel clerk stepped up to me and asked my name. He then told methat he had a message for me.

1. What do you predict has happened?

a. Mei has sent a message. b. Mei has stood up the narrator.

2. Which clue helped you predict that outcome?

a. The lobby is busy at this hour.

b. Mei is reliable and prompt.

c. The armchair is comfortable.

As Hallie was about to pick up her overdue library books and put them in herbag, the telephone rang. She found herself talking to one of her mother’s clients,having to listen carefully and take detailed notes about an upcoming costumefitting. Leaving the message where her mother would find it, she grabbed her bag,stooped to give the cat, Salamanca, a scratch behind the ears, and left the house.

3. What do you predict will happen?

a. Hallie will forget to give her mother the message.

b. Hallie will realize too late that she forgot her books.

4. which clue helped you predict that outcome?

a. Hallie listened carefully and took detailed notes.

b. Hallie said goodbye to the cat.

c. Hallie was distracted by a phone call.


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LESSON

2TEACHER’S GUIDE

Monitoring

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Use and modifyself-monitoring strategieswhile reading

• Increase readingcomprehension




• Teaching Model, “Introduction to the Southern Circle,” p. 18



Teach1. Monitoring: Ask students what kinds of texts might be challenging to read. (Sample:

longer passages; those with difficult vocabulary or long sentences; passages withtechnical or complex content) Explain that monitoring, or self-checking, is one waythat good readers approach a text to make it easier to understand. As they read, theycheck their understanding. If something is unclear they use a variety of strategies toclear up the confusion.

2. Teaching Monitoring: Pass out the Lesson Summary and guide students through theAcademic Vocabulary. Review the “Here’s How” steps.

• Emphasize that the first five steps are ways that good readers approach a new textto get the most out of it. They may be reading for enjoyment or for learning butthey stay alert for signals of confusion as well as signals of meaning.

• Tell students that confusion is not a reason to give up or panic. Explain thatnoticing confusion is the first step to clarifying it. Encourage students to be alert tosignals showing they have gone off course in their reading. Sometimes they maynot know the meaning of a key word, or they may forget who a character is, or theymay fail to unravel a sentence with difficult syntax.

• Tell students that when they aren’t understanding what they read they shouldstop and try an appropriate “fix-up” strategy. Use the chart below to discuss thestrategies in Step 6. For each strategy encourage students to describe their ownexperience of why it is useful:

Strategy Why It Is Useful

Adjust reading rate. If reading too quickly, you can change gears and slowdown to catch missed words or untangle complex ideas. Incomplex sentences, students should look for the subjectand the verb. Pausing after a sentence or phrase helps theidea settle in.

Read aloud, re-read, or readon.

Saying the words makes them register more clearly on thereader’s mind. Re-reading can get a reader back on course.Both techniques may help catch words that got skipped ormisread. Occasionally reading on in a text can also clarifyconfusions.


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MONITORING, CONTINUED

Strategy Why It Is Useful

Scan for key words, andcheck unfamiliar words.

Noticing and understanding the most important terms willhelp readers get the basic meaning of a passage. Urgestudents to us context clues or a dictionary when they areunsure of a word’s meaning.

Take notes, paraphrase, orsummarize key points.

Restating the basic ideas in your own words increases yourunderstanding of what you read.

Ask for help. It’s much better to ask for help than to stay lost.

3. Teaching Monitoring: Distribute the Teaching Model: “Introduction to the SouthernCircle.” Use it to review the “Here’s How” steps, as follows:

• Skim: Point out that skimming a passage before actually reading it takes the edgeoff an unfamiliar text. Readers can see how simple or complex the writing is. Inaddition, tell students to notice headings and other key terms, to get a sense ofsubject, tone, and topics. Have students skim the text in the Teaching Model, andask: What is the passage about? (Native American powwows)

• Visualize: Explain that picturing the people, places, and events in a passageimproves a reader’s understanding. Ask students to visualize as they read the“Locations” section. Have them describe what they see as if it were a photograph.(many visitors watching dancers in colorful robes, people singing, people talkinghappily, people eating Native American foods)

• Pause and Reflect: Point out that it is easier to take in meaning in small chunks.Ask what students have learned so far from the “Locations” section. (Powwows,formal Native American ceremonies held in the past, are now colorful eventsattracting Native Americans and others. They are held all across America. Somepeople come to enter dance contests, others to visit, and still others to have fun.)

• Question and Predict: Have students read the heading “History” in the TeachingModel. Then have volunteers make predictions about the content, share theirpredictions with the class, and then read on to see if they are correct. (Sampleanswers: The section will explain how powwows evolved through the years. Itmight also describe specific dances.) Ask each student to form a question aboutthe reading to share with the class. ( Samples: Who held the first powwow? Howhave powwows changed over the years?) Volunteers may wish to answer eachother’s questions.

QUICK CHECK. Ask students to name three strategies to improve reading and correctconfusion that they find most helpful or use most often. (Answers should include threeof the following: skim, visualize, pause, ask questions, make predictions, change readingrate, read aloud, re-read or read on, scan for key words, check word meanings, take notes,summarize, and ask for help.)


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MONITORING, CONTINUED

Practice and Apply

Activities involving monitoring appear on pp. 19–20.



Sample Answers: Practice Worksheet A

1. It established the National Park Service and park management policies.

2. People believed that the fires would damage the parks’ ecosystems.

3. c

4. The Organic Act of 1916 established the National Park Service and park managementpolicies. At that time, park experts believed that fire was bad for ecosystems and had tobe prevented at all cost. However, a 1958 study proved that fire was necessary to helppreserve specific areas. As a result, a new policy was instituted. That same year, rangersset the first fire to help a park. This occurred in the Everglades National Park.

5. Sources of confusion might include the fact that the first sentence deviates from strictchronological order to present the main idea. In addition, students may wonder aboutthe 180° change in policy regarding fire.


1. Americans need a passport to travel to and from most other countries.

2. You need two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form ofphoto ID such as a driver’s license.

3. You would likely need to present the expired passport and to complete a specific form.

4. The passport, a travel document recognized around the world, proves a person’s identityand citizenship. You need a passport to travel to and from most other countries. To geta passport for the first time, you needtwo photos of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship,and a valid form of photo ID such as a driver’s license. You must apply in person atone of the 7,000 passport offices, which include many courts and post offices, andsome libraries and public offices.

5. Rereading or note-taking may help students clarify their confusion about applicationprocedures. As for new information, students may now understand the reasons forgetting a passport and the importance of applying early, since clearly the process hasmany steps.


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly answer all five items.• Practice Worksheet B: Students should correctly answer all five items.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary and Here’s How steps, usingthe passage in Practice Worksheet A. Assign the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 21.


1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. c 6. b


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LESSON


Monitoring

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

monitoring: checking your comprehension as you read and modifying your strategiesto suit your needs

reading rate: the speed at which a reader reads a passage

skimming: reading quickly to get the general idea of a text

scanning: searching quickly through a text for a particular fact or piece of information

summarizing: a brief retelling, in your own words, of the main ideas and importantdetails

Step 1: Before you read, skim the passage. Look quickly through the text to getits general drift. Preparing this way will make it easier to you to take in what you read.

Step 2: Visualize what you are reading. As you read a passage for the firsttime, try to picture what the words are saying.

Step 3: Pause and reflect. Take time to stop at the end of each paragraph to think forjust a few seconds about what you have read.

Step 4: Ask questions and make predictions. Ask yourself questions aboutwhat you are reading, and read on to find the answers. Also predict what is going to happennext, and read on to see if you are right. Questioning and predicting helps you stay focused.

Step 5: Notice when something doesn’t make sense. Notice when somethingdoesn’t quite make sense or follow from what you’ve just read. You may have missed a fewimportant words or misunderstood something. Go back and find out where you went off track.

Step 6: Use strategies to correct misunderstandings. Try the following:

• Adjust your reading rate. Slow down if you’re having trouble comprehending.

• Read aloud, re-read, or read on. Hearing the words or reading them again can help. Ifsomething is still confusing, reading on may clarify the information.

• Scan for key words to locate particular information.

• Check the meanings of unfamiliar words using context clues or a dictionary.

• Take notes or summarize key points. Jot down main ideas and important details inyour own words to improve understanding.

• Ask for help. If you have questions you can’t answer, ask.


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LESSON


Monitoring

Introduction to the Southern Circleby Chris Glazner, Roxanne Solis, and Geoff Weinman

These ceremonies, commonly known as powwows, have evolved from a formalceremony of the past into a modern blend of dance, family reunion, and festival.Powwows, famous for their pageantry of colors and movement, have changedsince their beginnings into bright, fast, and exciting events geared towards NativeAmericans and visitors alike.

Locations

Powwows spread across the plains quickly and today serve as one of the maincultural activities of Native Americans. Now, powwows are held all across NorthAmerica, from small towns such as White Eagle, Oklahoma, to major cities such asLos Angeles, California. Powwows can take place anywhere from cow pastures toconvention centers, and occur year round. The festivals last only a weekend, butusually draw Native Americans and visitors from hundreds and even thousands ofmiles away. Some people come to these celebrations to “contest,” others to sing,some to see relatives and friends, and many to soak in the atmosphere.

History

The Poncas in 1804 were the first to hold powwows, which they called theHethuska. They passed the Hethuska to the Kaw, who in turn gave the dance tothe Osage, who named it the Inlonschka. The Omaha then acquired the ceremonyand spread it north to the Lakota (Sioux) tribe who popularized it on reservationsin the late 1890s. The Omaha or Grass dance, as it was then called, spread fasterthan the more famous Ghost Dance of the same era. Unlike ceremonial dancesof other tribes, the Grass dancers performed for the sake of dancing itself, notfor religious purposes.

In the 1920s, some powwows became intertribal, open to all tribes to attend,and “contesting” began. Contesting involves dance competitions that may lastall weekend. Dancers are judged according to how much they dance and howwell. Prizes range into thousands of dollars. World War II brought a revival to thepowwow world. Ever since, powwows have been changing and adapting to modernways while retaining their cultural roots. Brighter colors, more motion, and a newstyle of dance have developed.

—Source: Indian Health Services, www.ihs.gov


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LESSON


Monitoring

Directions: Read the boxed passage once. Answer items 1–4 as best you can, or leaveblanks. Reread the passage more slowly, using appropriate fix-up strategies. Revise yourearlier answers. Then complete item 5.

Everglades National Park was the first to use prescribed fire to maintainbiological diversity. The Organic Act of 1916 not only established the NationalPark Service, but also described the basic goals of the Service in managing parks.Officials interpreted the preservation objectives to mean that humans should notinterfere with protected land and should prevent fire, which might damage thenational resources. The preservation objectives led to the policy of fire exclusion,where all fires were actively suppressed. In 1958, however, a study concluded thatto preserve certain ecosystems, active fire management was necessary. As a result,the first prescribed fire ever in a U.S. national park was conducted in EvergladesNational Park. The Park Service’s goal was to reintroduce fire in a controlledmanner to minimize damaging effects and perpetuate the fire-adapted pine forestpark community.

1. What two goals did the Organic Act of 1916 achieve?

2. Why were all fires at national parks prevented at first?

3. To narrow down the meaning of exclusion, which term from the article does it relate to?

a. objectives b. actively c. suppressed d. ecosystems

4. Summarize the paragraph after your first reading.

5. Summarize the paragraph after your second reading. What confusions did you clear upor what new information did you notice?


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LESSON


Monitoring

Directions: Read the boxed passage once. Answer items 1–4 as best you can, or leaveblanks. Reread the passage more slowly, using appropriate fix-up strategies. Revise yourearlier answers. Then complete item 5.

A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies thebearer’s identity and nationality. A valid U.S. passport is required to enter andleave most countries. Only the U.S. Department of State can grant, issue, orverify U.S. passports.

New Application for a U.S. Passport To obtain a passport for the first time,you need to go in person to one of the 7,000 passport acceptance facilities locatedthroughout the U.S. with two photos of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and avalid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license. Acceptance facilitiesinclude many federal, state and probate courts, post offices, some public libraries,and a number of county and municipal offices. There are also 13 regional passportagencies, which serve customers who are traveling within the next 2 weeks (14days), or who need foreign visas for travel. You will need to apply in person if youare applying for a U.S. passport for the first time; if your expired U.S. passport isnot in your possession; if your previous U.S. passport has expired and was issuedmore than 15 years ago; if your previous U.S. passport was issued when you wereunder 16; or if your currently valid U.S. passport has been lost or stolen.

1. According to the passage, why would someone need a passport?

2. What must you bring when you apply for a passport for the first time?

3. U.S. passports are generally valid for ten years. Knowing how to apply for a new U.S.passport, how do you predict you might renew an expired U.S. passport?

4. Summarize the passage after your first reading.

5. On the back of this page, summarize the passage after your second reading. Whatconfusions did you clear up or what new information did you notice?


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LESSON


Monitoring

Review Monitoring involves keeping track of how well you are understanding what youread. As you monitor, “fix-up” strategies help increase your understanding.

• Steps to take: Skim a new text. As you read, visualize what you are reading. Pause andreflect now and then. Ask questions and make predictions about your reading. Noticewhen something doesn’t make sense, and use an appropriate “fix-up” strategy.

• Strategies to help you correct and reconnect your reading: Adjust your reading rateand read more slowly; read aloud or re-read; read on looking for an explanation; scanfor key words and unfamiliar words; use context clues; take notes; summarize keypoints; and ask for help.

Directions: Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. Why should you skim a passage before you read it?

a. to pause and reflect b. to get the main idea c. to get specific details

2. What do you do when you visualize a text?

a. make predictions b. summarize it c. picture it in your mind

3. What strategy might best help you define unfamiliar words to improve yourunderstanding?

a. try context clues b. summarize c. pause and reflect

4. Questioning and predicting helps increase comprehension by helping you

a. scan and skim b. stay focused c. adjust your reading rate

5. To pause and check your understanding, it is helpful to stop at the

a. every minute b. once an hour c. at the end of aparagraph or page

6. Which fix-up strategy would be most useful if you don’t know who a character in abook is?

a. look in a dictionary b. reread c. adjust reading rate


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LESSON

3TEACHER’S GUIDE

Determining Author’s Purpose

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Identify author’s purpose

• Use patterns of organizationto infer author’s purpose

• Link author’s purpose tostructure and tone




• Teaching Model, “Pets and the Elderly” and “The GettysburgAddress,” p. 28

• Practice Model, “Dear Myra” and “Dear Diary,” p. 29



Teach1. Author’s Purpose: Explain that while authors may have personal reasons (such as their

own enjoyment) for writing, each piece is at least partly written as a communicationwith readers. And every written work affects its readers. When students can identifythe effects of the writing, they may be able to infer the author’s purpose, or mainintentions for the work.

• Give the following examples: If a piece is full of informative facts that educatethe reader, the purpose of the writing is to inform; if the piece is full of urgentmessages, arguments, and opinions, the author’s purpose is to persuade; if thepiece is full of humor, cheerful anecdotes, and surprising twists, the author’spurpose may be to entertain.

• Lead a discussion of how students might adjust their style of reading to meet thepurpose or intentions expressed in each type of informational text—informative,persuasive, and entertaining. (Sample: informative—take notes, jot down questions,summarize, paraphrase, skim and scan; persuasive—read between the lines, askquestions, formulate counterarguments, weigh evidence; entertaining—sit backand relax, read for pleasure in a comfortable place.)

2. Teaching Author’s Purpose: Distribute the Lesson Summary and review theAcademic Vocabulary. Then guide students through the Here’s How steps as follows.

• Common Purposes: Write the four common author purposes on the board ascolumn headings. Ask students to come up with one or more examples of each typeof writing found in different sections of a daily newspaper. Write their answersunder each purpose. (Sample: Front-page newspaper articles and sports reportsare written to inform; op-ed columns and letters to the editor express emotions,thoughts, or ideas and can seek to persuade; humor columnists and cartoonistswrite to entertain.)

• Text Structure: Emphasize that patterns of organization can serve as clues toauthor’s purpose. Write on the board the following patterns of organization:


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DETERMINING AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, CONTINUED

cause-effect order chronological order classification order

compare-and-contrastorder

deductive order logical order

main idea and details order of importance problem-solution order

proposition and support sequential order spatial order

• Structure and Purpose: If necessary, remind students what each pattern lookslike or review the lessons. Then ask: Which of these patterns of organizationwould work well for each or the four major purposes? Record student responses ina chart such as the following.

Inform Persuade Entertain Express Emotion

sequence deductive/inductive chronological chronological

cause-effect problem-solution main idea order of degree

chronological proposition-support details spatial

classification spatial

main idea anddetails

• Effect and Purpose: Lead students to understand that there are no rules linkingpatterns to purposes. Explain that structure is just one clue that helps a readerinfer purpose, and that other clues are tone, titles and headings, direct statementsof purpose, and effects on the reader. Give the example that if a reader learns anew process or procedure, one might conclude that the purpose was to inform orinstruct. Ask: If you find yourself laughing as you read, what might you inferabout the author’s purpose? (Sample: The purpose is to entertain.)

3. Guided Practice: Distribute copies of the Teaching Model: “Pets and the Elderly”and “The Gettysburg Address.” Have a volunteer read aloud each example. Then helpstudents apply the Lesson Summary steps to the passages.

• Gather Clues: Ask: What is the subject of “Pets and the Elderly”? (the possiblehealth benefits of having pets, especially for senior citizens) Who might theaudience be? (health-care professionals) How would you describe the tone?(Sample: businesslike) What structure does the author use? (main idea anddetails) Why? (The author states the main idea—a positive relationship betweenpet ownership and health—then uses as evidence such details as the benefits ofwalking and lower serum triglyceride counts.) Remind students that the GettysburgAddress was a speech to the nation written by President Abraham Lincoln duringthe Civil War. Ask: What is the subject of the address? (honoring the sacrifices ofUnion soldiers) How would you describe the tone? (Sample: solemn, inspirational)


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What pattern of organization does Lincoln use? (cause and effect) Why? (Thecause for which soldiers died is linked to the nation’s potential “new birth offreedom.” In this way the structure reinforces Lincoln’s message.)

• Infer Purpose: Ask a volunteer to infer the author’s main purpose in “Pets andthe Elderly.” (to inform) Ask: Why can the other three purposes be ruled out?(Sample: There is no persuasive language, such as “Pets must be part of everynursing home,” or authorial opinions, such as “I believe pets play a key role insenior health,” and the dry, factual language rules out that the author’s purposeis to entertain.) Ask: What is the author’s main purpose in the “GettysburgAddress”? (to persuade) Why can the other three purposes be ruled out? (Sample:The passage does not focus on relaying facts; although Lincoln expresses ideas,they are linked to persuasion; and the somber language rules out that the author’spurpose is to entertain.)

• Use Author’s Purpose: Ask: How well or poorly does “Pets and the Elderly”achieve the author’s purpose? Explain. ( Many students will feel that the author didnot achieve the informative purpose well; although the passage tells how a medicalstudy was set up, it offers no details as to how it arrived at its conclusion.) Ask:How well or poorly does “The Gettysburg Address” achieve the author’s purpose?Explain. (Most students will feel that Lincoln achieved his persuasive purpose verywell, by using memorable language to make a powerful appeal to his audience’semotions on behalf of his cause.)

QUICK CHECK. Have students listen for author’s purpose as you read aloud the followingdiary entry. Then ask the questions that follow.

July 10 . . . The poor thing was left alone in a hot car that had its windows rolled up. Itbreaks my heart to see dogs treated that way.

1. What phrases provide clues to the author’s purpose? (“poor thing”/“ breaks my heart”)

2. How would you describe the tone of the passage? (sympathetic, emotional)

3. What is the author’s purpose? ( to express emotions and thoughts)

4. How well does the author achieve the purpose? (Most students will say fairly well, giventhat they probably share these feelings.)

Practice and Apply

Activities involving author’s purpose appear on pp. 30–31.



Answer Key: Practice Worksheet A

1. d

2. Sample: “the most fun I have had since the day my wisdom teeth were removed”; “Thefour-year-old darlings started whacking one another”

3. a

4. b


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5. c

6. b

7. c

8. a


1. “Dear Myra”—“the most fun I have had since the day my wisdom teeth were removed”;“The little darlings started whacking one another” “Dear Diary”—“That was a greatfeeling”; “It’s fantastic”

2. “Dear Myra”—to entertain; “Dear Diary”—to express emotion

3. “Dear Myra”—chronological order to tell a funny story; “Dear Diary”—order ofimportance to express the experiences she finds most exciting

4. “Dear Myra”—humorous; “Dear Diary”—heartfelt

5. The author achieves her purpose by making fun of the babysitting situation with a lighttouch; she supplies details that illustrate the comic difficulties she faced.

6. The author makes it clear to the reader that she has been having a good time; herpurpose might be clearer if she expressed her emotions in stronger terms.


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly answer at least six of the eight items.• Practice Worksheet B: Students should answer at least four of the six items with

answers similar to the samples.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary, including the variouspatterns of organization, and apply it to one of the passages on the Practice Model. Thenhave students complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 32.


1. d2. d3. b4. Sample: In a short space, the author sets up a well-documented, persuasive argument in

favor of longer lunch periods. However, the proposed solution to cut class time may beunrealistic if school officials are unlikely to approve it.


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LESSON



ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

author’s purpose: the reason(s) an author has for writing a particular work

tone: the attitude a writer takes toward the subject

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Learn common purposes. Keep the four common author purposes inmind as you read:

• to explain or inform

• to persuade

• to entertain

• to express emotion and ideas

Step 2: Identify clues to author’s purpose. As you read a text, look for clues inthe work’s title, subject, and tone; the choice of details and words; the context, or intendedaudience; the effects on you as a reader; and the pattern of organization, or structure.

• Tone is an especially helpful clue to the author’s purpose. For example, because apolitical speech is usually meant to persuade, the author may include words and phrasesthat establish a forceful or inspiring tone.

• There are some common match-ups between text structure and purpose (as in the boxedexamples), but be aware that there are no firm rules.

EXAMPLE Sequence, cause-effect, or main idea and details are often used to explainor to inform.Problem-solution, proposition-support, or compare-contrast order maysignal that the author’s purpose is to persuade.Chronological order is often used in dramatic histories or storytelling and maysignal that the purpose is to entertain.Order of degree or spatial order may be used to express emotion.

Step 3: Infer the author’s main purpose. Review the clues and recall the commonpurposes. Decide what is most likely the main purpose the author has for the writing. Checkyour answer by ruling out the other purposes.

Step 4: Use purpose to understand and evaluate work. Use the author’spurpose to guide how you read. Take notes on an informational piece, or jot down argumentsor opinions about a persuasive piece. Entertainment may come through better if you relax.Evaluate the piece in light of the author’s purpose: How well or poorly did the passageachieve the goal? How well were you entertained, informed, persuaded, or instructed?


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LESSON



“Pets and the Elderly”

The familiar adage “pets are good for your health” is an interesting but largely untested theory. A new model was developed, based on the idea that pet ownership leads to better self care, to show possible associations between pet ownership with eating, exercise, nutritional status, and specific cardiovascular1 risk factors. Seniors aged sixty and above were solicited2 mainly at senior [center] meals program sites in north-central Colorado to participate [in this study]. . . . Dog owners walked significantly longer than non-owners and pet owners had significantly lower serum triglycerides3 than non-owners. Results suggest that pets may be good for your health.

1. cardiovascular: involving the heart and blood vessels2. solicited: asked to take part 3. serum triglycerides: fat content in blood

“The Gettysburg Address”

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate1—we can not hallow2—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

1. consecrate: to set apart as sacred2. hallow: to set apart as holy


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LESSON

3PRACTICE MODEL COPYMASTER


“DEAR MYRA”

Dear Myra,

Let me put it this way: babysitting your twin cousins last Saturday was themost fun I have had since the day my wisdom teeth were removed.

The minute their parents were out the door, the four-year-old darlings startedwhacking one another on the head with pillows. I tried reading them a book,but they said they wanted popcorn. I handed Jared the bowl of popcorn, and hedumped it on Jason’s head. Then Jason started crying, and I picked him up. Hepinched my shoulder, so I put him down again. While I was rubbing my shoulder,Jared stomped on my foot. When I left the living room for a moment to get thewhisk broom, I came back to find that they had discovered a creative way to usecrayons: they were coloring the TV screen.

I would rather dig ditches with a teaspoon for a living than be left alone withthose twin terrors again. You have no idea how lucky you are to be on vacation.When you get home, give your cousins . . . oh, well. Never mind. Write back soon.

Your best friend,

Diana

“DEAR DIARY”

Dear Diary: I think this vacation is the best one I’ve ever had. The main thing isthat I actually have my own money to spend. I got to buy myself a new book, andpick up souvenirs for Diana and the twins, without having to ask for cash frommy parents. That was a great feeling.

Another great thing is that I’ve had a chance to practice driving. There aremostly dirt roads here with no traffic. I only got my learner’s permit two weeksago, so it’s a big thrill for me to take the wheel for a while. It’s fantastic.

And of course it has been great to see my cousins. My uncle Brandon was sohappy to see me again that he ran down the driveway to meet us.

I must admit that I miss my little twin cousins and my best friend Diana. But Ican’t say I’m in any big hurry to get home.

That’s all for now. — Myra


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Name Date

LESSON



A. Directions: Read “Dear Myra” on the Practice Model. Then answer the items thatfollow.

1. Which phrase provides the best clue to the author’s purpose?

a. “Let me put it this way . . .”

b. “I tried reading them a book . . .”

c. “When I left the living room . . .”

d. “I would rather dig ditches with ateaspoon . . .”

2. Write two other phrases that provide clues about the author’s purpose.

3. Review your answers for items 1 and 2. What is the author’s most likely purpose forwriting the letter?

a. to entertain

b. to express an opinion or emotion

c. to explain or inform

d. to persuade

4. Which word best describes the tone of the letter?

a. businesslike b. humorous c. hopeful d. inspirational

B. Directions: Read “Dear Diary” on the Practice Model. Then answer the items thatfollow.


a. “That’s all for now”

b. “I’ve had a chance to practice driving”

c. “That was a great feeling”

d. “I miss my little twin cousins”

6. What is the author’s most likely purpose for writing the entry?

a. to entertain



d. to persuade

7. How is the entry organized?

a. chronological order

b. sequential order

c. order of importance

d. compare-and-contrast order

8. Which word best describes the tone of the entry?

a. heartfelt b. amused c. annoyed d. wishful


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LESSON



Directions: Read the Practice Model. Then complete the graphic organizer and answerthe items that follow.

“Dear Myra” “Dear Diary”

1. Identify two phrasesthat provide clues to theauthor’s purpose.

2. What is the author’s mainpurpose?

3. How is this passagestructured? Why?

4. What is the tone? Howdoes it reflect the author’spurpose?

5. How well do you think “Dear Myra” achieves the author’s purpose? Explain.

6. How well do you think “Dear Diary” achieves the author’s purpose? Explain.


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Review Author’s purpose is the reason(s) an author has for writing a particular work. Thefour most common author purposes are to inform, to persuade, to express an opinion oremotion, and to entertain. The purpose often affects the tone—the author’s attitude towardthe subject. In addition, the purpose and structure of the work are often linked.

Directions: Read the boxed passage. Then answer the items that follow.

The problem is simple: Students at this school are not given enough timeto eat lunch.

A thirty-minute lunch period is fine for the students whose classrooms aredismissed first. They arrive at the cafeteria in time to get through the lunch line,get to their tables, and finish their meals.

Students who are dismissed later are in trouble. By the time they arrive,precious minutes are already lost. They must then stand in lines that are so longthat their time to “enjoy” a hot meal may as well be measured in seconds, notminutes.

The solution, like the problem, is simple: Cut an extra ten minutes out offourth period, an extra ten minutes out of fifth period, and make all four lunchperiods five minutes longer. I urge you to contact school administrators to let themknow you support this proposal. Students cannot learn on empty stomachs.

1. What is the author’s most likely purpose for writing this passage?

a. to entertain



d. to persuade


a. “Students at this school are not given enough time”

b. “A thirty-minute lunch period is fine”

c. “They must then stand in line”

d. “I urge you to contact school administrators”

3. How is the passage organized?

a. chronological order

b. problem-solution order

c. cause-effect order

d. spatial order

4. How well do you think the passage achieves the author’s purpose? Explain.


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LESSON

4TEACHER’S GUIDE

Recognizing Main Idea andDetails

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Identify the main idea of aparagraph

• Recognize types ofsupporting details




• Teaching Model, p. 38–39

• Graphic Organizer, “Main Ideas and Types of SupportingDetails,” p. 40



Teach1. Main Idea and Supporting Details: Explain that paragraphs usually develop a single

main idea, often expressed in a topic sentence. Ask students why a paragraph’s othersentences are often called supporting details. (because they support, or tell moreabout, the main idea)

2. Teaching Finding the Main Idea: Pass out the Lesson Summary and review theAcademic Vocabulary. Guide students through reading the Here’s How steps. Thendistribute the Teaching Model.

• Explain that, in each example, students should look for the one sentence that sumsup the author’s main point, main topic, or main message. This is the main-ideaor topic sentence.

• If no sentence jumps out, suggest that they eliminate sentences with words orphrases that signal events in a sequence (first, second), examples (for instance, infact), or additional proof (moreover, in addition). These often show that a sentencecontains a supporting detail, not a main point.

• Remind students that some paragraphs, especially in stories and descriptions, haveno topic sentence. Instead, readers looking for the main idea must figure out whatgeneral thread ties the sentences together.

3. Teaching Different Types of Supporting Details: Use the examples on the TeachingModel to review five types of supporting details. Have student volunteers read aloudeach paragraph. Then work with the class to answer these questions:

• Examples: What is the main idea of the paragraph? (Annie Oakley was asharp-shooting sensation.) What are some examples used to support the mainidea? (shot a dime out of her husband’s hand; used a mirror to aim a gun overher shoulder)

• Sensory Details: What are some sensory details used in the paragraph? (beautifulgreens and yellows; crunchiness; subtle flavor) Why were sensory details used inthe paragraph? (to help readers see and taste Bibb lettuce)

• Facts and Statistics: Which sentences in the paragraph include statistics? How doyou know? (the second, third, and fourth sentences; these include facts expressed


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RECOGNIZING MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS, CONTINUED

in numbers) How do the facts and statistics support the topic sentence? (They tellhow Eiffel built the tower methodically.)

• Reasons: What opinion is stated in the topic sentence? (Lawns areenergy-intensive, wasteful, and nonproductive.) Do all the supporting details givereasons to justify this opinion? (yes) Why were reasons used in the paragraph? (totry to persuade the reader to accept the opinion)

• Anecdotes: How do you know this paragraph relates an anecdote? (It tells a story.)What main idea does this anecdote support? (Twain was one of America’s funniestwriters.) How could the next paragraph use an anecdote to develop this main ideafurther? (It could use another anecdote showing Twain’s humor.)

4. Guided Practice: Explain that outlines are the most common way to organize aparagraph’s main ideas and details. Distribute the Graphic Organizer.

• Review its structure, pointing out that it divides supporting details into majorand minor categories.

• Ask a volunteer to read the example paragraph aloud, and elicit that the supportingdetails in this paragraph are examples.

• Guide students in filling in the organizer.

QUICK CHECK. Ask: What type of supporting details might you use in a paragraph that:

• gives the dimensions of the Great Pyramids (facts and statistics)

• describes an evening boat ride through a swamp (sensory details)

• explains why the country needs to build more nuclear power plants (reasons)

• tells about what a great batter baseball player Henry Aaron was (examples or anecdotes)

Sample: Graphic Organizer

Main Idea: Colonial medicine used a number of harmful practices.

I. Major Supporting Idea: Bloodletting was thought to remove the causes of disease.

A. Minor Supporting Idea: Some patients lost several pints of blood.

B. Minor Supporting Idea: Some died from blood loss.

II. Major Supporting Idea: Sweating was another harmful practice.

A. Minor Supporting Idea: Patient put in hot room covered with blankets.

B. Minor Supporting Idea: Sweatingcaused weakness and exhaustion.

III. Major Supporting Idea: Purging, or forced vomiting, was also harmful.

A. Minor Supporting Idea: Syrups caused excessive vomiting.

B. Minor Supporting Idea: Purging left patients more debilitated.

Practice and Apply

Activities involving main ideas and types of supporting details appear on pp. 41–42.




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RECOGNIZING MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS, CONTINUED


1. first sentence; c

2. first sentence; d

3. last sentence; b

Answer Key: Practice Worksheet B

1. examples

2. facts and statistics

3. anecdotes

4. reasons

5. sensory details

6. Sample: There are lots of simple ways to make your home a safer place. Additionalsupporting details should be examples of safety precautions.

7. Sample: Cigarette smoking is dangerous to a person’s health. Additional supportingdetails should be reasons against smoking.

8. Sample: The thunderstorm swept in suddenly. Additional supporting details should besensory details that describe aspects of the storm, perhaps the wind.


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly identify the type of supporting details.• Practice Worksheet B: Students should correctly answer at least four of items 1-5.

They should provide reasonable, complete sentences, close to the sample answers, forat least two of items 6-8.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary. Use the definitions and theHere’s How steps to go over the examples from Practice Worksheet A. Then have studentscomplete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 43.


1. last sentence2. facts3. Main Idea—Michael Jordan had a long history of winning4. Detail—he was the most valuable player on his high school basketball team5. Detail—he led the University of North Carolina to the NCAA title6. Detail—in 1984 College basketball named him Player of the Year7. Detail—in 1984 he also won Olympic gold


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Reading4

LESSON



ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

topic: what a piece of nonfiction writing is about; its subject matter

main idea: the most important idea in a paragraph

topic sentence: a sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph

supporting details: words, phrases, or sentences that tell more about the main idea ortopic sentence. Types of supporting details include:

reasons: details that tell why an opinion is valid or an event occurs

facts: statements that can be proved

statistics: facts expressed in numbers

examples: specific instances that explain or support a point

sensory details: details that appeal to one or more of the five senses

anecdotes: brief stories about a character or an event

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Identify the topic. Ask yourself: What is the paragraph about?

Step 2: Think about the main idea. Ask yourself: What important idea does thewriter want to express? Or, ask yourself: If I were a newspaper editor, what headline would Iwrite for this piece?

Step 3: Look for a topic sentence. The topic sentence is usually either the first orthe last sentence in a paragraph, although it can occur anywhere. In some paragraphs, themain idea is not stated directly, but a general thread is implied by the supporting details.

Step 4: Identify the supporting details. Writers use different types of details tosupport different kinds of topics. For example, reasons persuade, facts and statistics explain,examples illustrate, sensory details describe, and anecdotes may be used to make a point.

Step 5: Use a graphic organizer. A graphic organizer such as an outline can helpyou take notes on the main idea and supporting details in a paragraph.

Main Idea: The narrator enjoys playing sports.

I. Major Supporting Idea: At age seven she thinks football is a “fine sport.”

A. Minor Supporting Idea: She likes thinking up new strategies.

B. Minor Supporting Idea: She tackles "wholeheartedly" to stop the ball.

II. Major Supporting Idea: In winter, she makes snowballs and iceballs.


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LESSON



Supporting Details: ExamplesThe first sentence, the topic sentence, states the paragraph’s main idea.Supporting details give examples of Oakley’s sharp-shooting skills.

Annie Oakley toured the country as a sharp-shooting sensation. She could shoot a dime out of her husbandʼs hand. Sometimes, with her back to the target and her gun over her shoulder, she used a mirror to aim.

Supporting Details: Sensory DetailsThe topic is Bibb lettuce. Sensory details tell how this lettuce looks and tastes. The topic sentence comes last.

Heads of true Bibb lettuce are exquisitely small. The vivid green and yellow leaves are beautiful. Bibb crunchiness gently complements its subtle flavor. More than any other salad green, Bibb lettuce will refresh, beautify, and add texture to your menu.

Supporting Details: Facts and Statistics

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. This paragraph uses facts and statistics to support the main idea.

In the late 1880s, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel methodically built the Eiffel Tower. The French designer created 5,300 drawings to show his plan. Then he forged more than 18,000 wrought-iron components; work crews used 2.5 million rivets to fasten them.

Supporting Details: Reasons

The topic sentence states the writer’s opinion about lawns. The supporting details are reasons that support the writer’s opinion.

Although an American ideal, a lush green lawn is energy-intensive, wasteful, and non-productive. Fertilizers and pesticides pollute groundwater. Lawn owners exterminate insects and rodents that play a role in the balance of nature. Constant watering is another strain on resources.


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TEACHING MODEL, CONTINUED

Supporting Details: Anecdote

The topic sentence states the main idea.

The anecdote, or story, supports the main idea.

Mark Twain was one of America’s funniest writers. One day he visited a barbershop. The barber said that Mark Twain would be performing in town that night. Twain, not letting on who he was, asked if tickets were available. The barber said only standing room was left. “Just my luck,” sighed Twain. “I always have to stand whenever that fellow gives a lecture.”


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Reading4

LESSON

4GRAPHIC ORGANIZER COPYMASTER


For colonial-era Americans with illnesses, the cure could be worse than thedisease. Colonial doctors commonly relied on a number of harmful practices.Bloodletting, for example, involved cutting a patient’s skin and allowing him or herto bleed enough—sometimes several pints—to “remove the cause of the disease.”Instead, some patients died from loss of blood. Sweating was another potentiallyharmful colonial medical practice. A patient would be placed in a small, hot roomand covered with the heaviest clothing and blankets available. Extreme weaknessand heat exhaustion—not improved health—was a common result. Colonialdoctors also believed in purging patients of poisons believed to be in the body.Patients were forced to swallow syrups that made them vomit uncontrollably. Thispractice, too, could leave patients severely weakened.

Main Idea:

I. Major Supporting Idea:

A. Minor Supporting Idea:

B. Minor Supporting Idea:

II. Major Supporting Idea:



III. Major Supporting Idea:




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LESSON



Directions: Read each paragraph. Underline the topic sentence. Then circle the letter of thetype of supporting details the writer used.

1.Although short-lived, the craze for all things Davy Crockett was one of the

biggest fads of the 1950s. It began in December 1954, when 40 million Americanswatched an actor named Fess Parker portray the backwoods hero Davy Crocketton TV. Within weeks, a $100 million market boomed for coonskin caps and DavyCrockett lunchboxes and pajamas. A song called “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”sold 4 million copies in three weeks. One merchant, stuck with 100,000 pup tents,stenciled “Davy Crockett” on them and sold them out in a few days.

a. examples b. sensory details c. facts andstatistics

d. reasons

2.Walking 45 minutes a day is a better way to keep fit than running. Walking is

convenient and easy on the body; there is not the wear and tear on the joints thatcomes with running. Walking offers cardiovascular benefits to people of differentages and abilities, including many whose doctors tell them they should not run.What’s more, walking can be done at various times over the course of a day, butrunning should be done when you can change your clothes and shower afterward.So if you want to be more fit, you’d better start walking.


d. reasons

3.In-line skaters whirred by me in a blur, while children waved huge wads

of pink cotton candy. The organ from a carousel blared out “In the Good OldSummertime” while people on silver horses and purple kangaroos rose and fellin an endless circle. Bumper cars, filled with shrieking drivers, thumped andgroaned. “Beautiful balloons!” shouted a vendor with an armful of pastel-colored,helium-filled shapes. “Get your hot dogs!” screamed another. Whenever I walk onthe boardwalk at Ocean City, my senses are bombarded.


d. reasons


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A. Directions: Read each topic sentence. Then, on the line, write which type of supportingdetails would most effectively develop it.

1. Many “old wives’ tales” have recently been proven true by science.

2. The physical dimensions of the Titanic were impressive.

3. One of his soldiers recalled a remarkable moment in George Washington’s wartimeleadership.

4. In the interest of national health, the sale of cigarettes should be banned.

5. How shall I describe my simple meal of dandelion greens and acorn paste?

B. Directions: Read each incomplete paragraph. Then fill in a topic sentence to begin theparagraph and a supporting detail, of the same type as the others, to end the paragraph.

6. To avoid electrical shocks, keep electrical equipment a safe distance from sinks andbathtubs. To reduce the chance of fires, keep a chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen.Check entranceways and walkways for loose steps, slippery rugs, and stray extensioncords.

7. For one thing, smoking discolors the teeth, fouls the breath, and leads to chronichoarseness. Even worse, the nicotine in cigarettes speeds up the heart rate and causesblood pressure to rise. Over the long term, smokers can expect an increased likelihoodof heart disease.

8. The angry dark clouds rolled in, and the booming of thunder grew louder. Jagged slicesof yellow lightning crackled across the summer sky. The heavy scent of ozone filled theair, as darkness swallowed the sun. Then great sheets of rain pounded down, rattling thewindow panes.


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LESSON



Review The main idea is the most important idea in a paragraph. A topic sentence oftenstates the main idea. Supporting details tell more about the main idea. Types of supportingdetails include facts, examples, sensory details, anecdotes, and reasons.

Directions: First, read the boxed paragraph. Use the paragraph to answer each question.Then, complete the graphic organizer.

As a teenager, he was the most valuable player on his high school basketballteam. In 1982, he led the University of North Carolina to the NCAA title. Collegebasketball named him Player of the Year in 1984. That same year, he won anOlympic gold medal. Then, in 1985, this amazing athlete entered the pros andbecame Rookie of the Year. Michael Jordan, one of the world’s most successfulbasketball players, clearly had a long history of winning.

1. The topic sentence in the paragraph is:

2. The supporting details in this paragraph are mainly (CIRCLE ONE) facts / sensorydetails / reasons / examples / anecdotes.

3. Main Idea

4. Supporting Detail 5. Supporting Detail

6. Supporting Detail 7. Supporting Detail


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Reading4

LESSON

5TEACHER’S GUIDE

Distinguishing Fact fromOpinion

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Distinguish between fact andopinion

• Analyze verifiable facts,hypotheses, and opinions

• Evaluate facts, hypotheses,and opinions






Teach1. Fact and Opinion: Write the following statements on the board.

EXAMPLES Shakespeare was a playwright, poet, and actor.Shakespeare is the greatest writer ever.All of today’s playwrights have used material from Shakespeare’s work.

• Ask if students agree with the statements. Discuss how a statement everyoneagrees is true is not necessarily a fact. For example, everyone might agree thatShakespeare is a great writer, but because it is a statement about personal feelings orimpressions, the statement is an opinion, and can neither be proved true nor false.

• Have volunteers identify which statement is verifiable—that is it can be proventrue based on a piece of evidence, such as a test, document, experiment, ormeasurement. (first statement). Explain that because the truth of the statementrelies on documentation, it can be proven, which makes it a fact.

• For the third statement, ask how this statement can be proved true or false. (It canbe proven false if a playwright can document that a play includes no material fromShakespeare.) Explain that while facts are verifiable, hypotheses are falsifiable.Ask: Why can the hypothesis never conclusively be proved true? (New playsare always being written. Some plays never get read or performed.) Ask: Howcan the hypothesis be proved false? (One case where evidence contradicts thestatement can falsify it.)

2. Teaching Fact and Opinion: Distribute the Lesson Summary and preview theAcademic Vocabulary. Explain that a fact is a statement that can be proved true in avariety of ways, while a hypothesis is a statement that can be proved false. An opinion,in contrast, is a statement that can’t be proved true or false, because it expresses aperson’s beliefs or feelings.

• Discuss how students can use facts, hypotheses, and opinions in their writingand speech, and how distinguishing fact from opinion can help them to evaluateinformation and arguments effectively.

• Lead students through the Here’s How steps on the Lesson Summary. Thenwrite this statement on the board:

EXAMPLE Shakespeare’s most tragic play Hamlet is a Renaissance revenge tragedy. Everyhigh school student writes a paper about Hamlet at some time.


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DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION, CONTINUED

• Point out that the first part of the first sentence is an opinion, but the second part isa fact. Have the class explain why. (Sample: “most tragic” expresses a feeling orbelief, an opinion. But we can verify the drama’s storyline by reading the play.)Then ask: What sort of statement is the second sentence? (hypothesis) Ask: Howcan it be falsified? (Sample: Finding a graduating student who can prove throughcorroboration that he or she has not written such a paper in high school.)

3. Guided Practice: Direct students to the chart in Step 1 of the Lesson Summary.

• Have students read the key words and phrases for facts. Ask: What do the phraseshave in common? (All but one include the word fact or truth.)

• Write the following statements on the board and have students use the questionsfrom the chart to explain why each statement is either a fact or a hypothesis:

EXAMPLES

1. A samurai was a medieval Japanese warrior.

2. The ocean is salty.

3. A blend of seaweed and compost helps plants grow faster.

4. Medieval knights were willing to die rather than fail on a quest or mission.

Sample: 1. fact: can be verified in a reliable source; 2. fact: test the content ofwater from every ocean; 3: hypotheses: can be falsified or supported/confirmed bya controlled experiment but can not be conclusively proven true for ALL plants;4: can be confirmed/supported by an historian, or historic records, but can alsobe falsified; can never be conclusively proved for all medieval knights since somehave no such records, and none are now living.)

• Have students read the key words and phrases for opinions. Ask: How are thesephrases different from those that signal facts and hypotheses? (Sample: Theyshow personal beliefs, express judgments, qualify statements, or express duty orobligation.)

• Write the following statements on the board and have students use the questionsfrom the chart to explain why they are opinions:

EXAMPLES

1. Samurai were braver than knights of the Crusades.

2. It is easier to swim in a lake than the ocean.

3. Dreams foretell the future.

4. cleaning my room is not worth the trouble.

(Sample: 1. can be debated; 2. a reasonable person might disagree; 3. statementtoo broad to be verified, and most evidence contradicts this statement—can also beclassified as a hyopothesis, since it is falsifiable; 4: is a personal feeling or belief.)

QUICK CHECK. Ask : Why is it important to distinguish between facts, hypotheses, andopinions? (Sample: to evaluate issues and arguments)


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DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION, CONTINUED

Practice and Apply

Practice activities on distinguishing between facts and opinions appear on pp. 50–51.




1. Opinion: Can be debated; reasonable people can disagree.

2. Fact: Can be verified in two or more reliable sources


4. Hypothesis: Can be falsified if one microwave oven runs well using a different frequency.

5. Fact: Can be verified in two or more reliable sources


7. Yes; Hypothesis

8. No, Opinion.

9. Yes; Hypothesis

10. Yes; Fact


1. Fact; can be proved by experiment, can not be falsified once evidence has verified.

2. Opinion; uses judgment word annoying

3. Opinion; reasonable people could disagree

4. Fact; can be proved by checking authoritative source

5. Fact/Opinion; First part can be verified, but second lacks supporting evidence

6. Mixture: Hypotheses +Opinion; this idea may be confirmed by statistics and isfalsifiable by counterevidence, but the author lacks appropriate credentials

7. Fact; can be proved by checking etymology in dictionary

8. Hypothesis; can be confirmed by experiments and can be falsified by experiments


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly distinguish fact from opinion andprovide reasonable explanations for their answers in at least seven out of the ten items.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should correctly distinguish fact from opinion andprovide reasonable explanations for their answers in at least eight out of the ten items.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary, focusing on the chart.Brainstorm other examples. Assign the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 52.


1. fact 2. fact 3. hypothesis 4. opinion 5. fact


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Reading5

LESSON



ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

fact: statement that can be verified, or proved true by evidence

hypothesis: statement based on observation that can be confirmed or supported byevidence but not proved true, and can be falsified, or proved false by counterevidence

opinion: statement that cannot be proved because it expresses a person’s belief or feeling

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Distinguish facts from opinions by looking for clue words and phrasesand asking key questions, such as those shown on the chart.

Clue Words and Phrases Ask Yourself . . .

IdentifyingFacts

the fact that, in fact, indeed,the truth is, in point of fact,as a matter of fact, statisticsshow, it is proven (inclusionof numbers, measurements,or data)

Can the statement be verified by:• checking reliable sources?

• observing it myself?

• doing an experiment?

If YES, it is a fact.

IdentifyingHypotheses

trend, tend, all, every,everyone, decrease,increase, cause, make,because, if, then (inclusionof numbers, measurements,or data)

Can the statement be falsified by:• checking reliable sources?

• observing it myself?

• doing an experiment?

If YES, it is a hypothesis.

IdentifyingOpinions

believe, think, feel, argue,agree, support, in my opinion,as I see it, it’s likely that, I’msure that, it seems, should,must, ought to, good, best,worse, worst, may

• Can the statement be debated?

• Might reasonable people disagree?

If YES, it is an opinion.• Can the statement be tested or

verified?

If YES, it is not an opinion—it’s a fact.

Step 2: Analyze and evaluate statements. To check value and validity, checkagainst personal observations or eyewitness accounts; check a reliable source (encyclopedias,or government websites); ask an expert; conduct a test or survey; note credentials, author’sperspective, and author bias; and follow logic.


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Name Date

LESSON



A. Directions: Read each statement. Circle fact for facts, hypothesis, for hypotheses, andopinion for opinions, or both if appropriate. Then, write the reason for your answer.

1. The Nile is more important and noteworthy than the Mississippi River.

(fact / hypothesis / opinion)

2. The Nile, which flows through Egypt, is 4,145 miles long.


3. It’s likely that the microwave oven is the greatest innovation of the 20th century.


4. For microwave ovens, the radio wave frequency must be 2,500 megahertz.


5. Persons born in the U.S. or born to U.S. citizens in foreign countries are automaticallycitizens of the U.S.


6. As I see it, the citizenship test is very difficult to pass.


B. Directions: Read each statement. Complete the chart.

Statement Can it be verified or falsified? Fact, Hypothesis, or Opinion

7. Each snowflake isdifferent.

8. Snow is a nuisance.

9. Stratus clouds usuallycover most of the sky.

10. The National ZoologicalPark covers almost 200acres.


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LESSON



Directions: Read the statements. Complete the chart. Tell whether each item is a fact,opinion, hypothesis, or mixture. Write the reason why.

Statement Fact, Hypothesis,Opinion, or Mixture

Reason

1. Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxideand lactic acid up to 100 feet away.

2. Mosquitoes are without doubt the mostannoying summer insects of all.

3. According to a local farmer, “In myopinion, mosquitoes’ bites are verypainful.”

4. Over 2,700 species of mosquitoes havebeen documented.

5. Mosquitoes pass through differentdevelopmental stages, and peopleagree that the pupa stage is the mostfascinating one.

6. “Mosquitoes are statistically thegreatest public health hazard of the21st century,” says Ian Cotton, a9th-grade student.

7. The word mosquito is Spanish for“little fly.”

8. A solution of baking soda and watermakes mosquito stings heal morequickly.


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Name Date

LESSON



Review Facts are statements that can be proved true. Hypotheses are reasonableconclusions drawn from observation, that can be supported by evidence, falsified bycounterevidence, but never proven true. Opinions are statements that cannot be provedbecause they express a person’s feelings or belief. Use this chart to identify facts and opinions.

Key Words and Concepts Ask Yourself . . .

IdentifyingFacts

the fact that, in fact, indeed,the truth is, in point of fact,as a matter of fact, statistics(numbers)

Can this statement be verified by:

• checking reliable sources?• observing it myself?• doing an experiment?• asking an expert?

If YES, it’s a fact.

IdentifyingHypotheses

trend, tend, all, every,everyone, decrease,increase, cause, makebecause, if, then (inclusionof numbers, measurements,or data)

Can the statement be falsified by:

• checking reliable sources?• observing it myself?• doing an experiment?• asking an expert?

If YES, it is a hypothesis.

IdentifyingOpinions

belief: believe, think, feel,argue, agree, support, in myopinion, as I see it, likelythat,command: should, must,ought tojudgment: good, best,worst

Can this statement be debated?

• Might a reasonable person• disagree?• Does this statement express feelings, beliefs,

and / or bias?

If YES, it’s an opinion.

Directions: First read each statement. Then label it fact, hypothesis, or opinion on the line.

1. Loch Ness is a lake near Inverness, Scotland.

2. The modern legend of the Loch Ness monster began in 1934 whenDr. Robert Wilson produced a photograph that he claimed to have taken of the creature.

3. Tourists spend more money when there is a monster involved.

4. It is most likely the Loch Ness monster is fake.

5. Scientists have explored the lake in a submarine equipped withhigh-tech sensing devices.


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LESSON

6TEACHER’S GUIDE

Recognizing Sequence andChronological Order

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Recognize chronological andsequence order in text

• Understand howchronological and sequenceorder are used in organizinginformation




• Practice Worksheets, Levels A and B, pp. 58


Teach1. Introducing Chronological and Sequence Order: Brainstorm with students any

common systems for tracking and organizing information based on the timing of events.List ideas on the board. (timelines, calendars, clocks, appointment books, sundials,computer file storage, etc.) Explain that writing can also be used to keep track of eventsin time order. Tell students that both chronological order and sequence order arrangeideas according to their order in time.

2. Teaching Chronological and Sequence Order: Distribute the Lesson Summary, andgo over the definitions in the Academic Vocabulary. Point out the difference betweenchronological order which narrates or reports events as they happen or have happenedvs. sequence order, which describes how events unfold step by step. Go over the Here’sHow steps on the Lesson Summary. Have students apply the steps to the Example.

• Tracking Time: Point out to students that time references often appear at thebeginning of sentences, such as “On the first day of rehearsals” and “By the endof Week 6.”

• Timeline or Chart: Stress to that the best way to track chronological informationis to begin at the beginning. Notice how the time line begins with the earliest timereference: Day 1. Then ask students to suggest a title for the passage. (Sample:“42 Days to Opening Night”)

• Sequence and Pace: Tell students that as they read a chronological narrative theycan look for clue words that tell where events happen quickly or slowly. Alsoexplain that they will have the best grasp of the total time period covered once theyfinish the whole text. Similarly, point out that if there is a sequence of steps to befollowed, a text will include clue words such as before, meanwhile, at the same timeas. Have students brainstorm other sequence clue words and other ways of showingsequence. (Sample: first, second, last, finally, first; numbering or listing steps)

• Overlapping Methods: Remind students that text may be organized in morethan one way. The Student Lesson Summary gives one example. Have studentsbrainstorm others. (Sample: the use of both sequence order and spatial order ingiving instructions; the overlap of sequence order and spatial order when givingdirections)


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RECOGNIZING SEQUENCE AND CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, CONTINUED

• Author’s Purpose: Have students describe, in their own words, the author’spurpose in the example. (Sample: to describe the length of time and the detailsthat occurred as a theater group prepared for a play)

3. Guided Practice: Note the tendency to tell stories orally in chronological order. Askfor examples. Then write the following passage on the board or read it aloud. Havestudents take notes in a numbered list, naming each event and the order in which ithappened.

EXAMPLE

Since grade school I had always believed that I would go to college. When I was inmiddle school, my older sister left to go to a university back east. Her moving away mademe think about where I would like to go myself, one day. Then my parents and I visitedmy sister at her university last August, just before I started high school. I had a greattime touring the campus and hanging out with some of her friends. On our last day there,I actually went to one of her classes. Next summer, I plan to visit some other schools. Bythe time I apply to college in two years, I hope I have a few good schools to choose from.

• Explain that chronologies are easy to follow because they advance the same waywe all experience time: with one event following another.

• Read the following passage aloud. Then discuss the questions that follow.

EXAMPLE

Marie Curie, one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century, was born in Polandin 1867. She moved to France to study physics at the prestigious Sorbonne in 1891,becoming the first woman to teach there. In Paris she met Pierre Curie, also a physicist,and the two were married in 1895. They embarked on research into radioactivity,discovering the elements radium and polonium. In 1903, the Curies were awarded theNobel Prize for Physics. Three years later, Pierre died accidentally. Marie continued herwork, receiving the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. She died in 1934 of leukemiapossibly brought on by her years of close work with radioactive substances.

• Ask: How old was Marie Curie at the time of her marriage? (about 28)

• Ask: How long has the world known about the element radium? (just over 100years)

• Ask: What does this brief chronology tell you about Marie Curie? ( She was apioneering, exceptional woman and a brilliant scientist. She overcame tragedy,being widowed before she was 40 years old and going on to further acclaim. Sheworked hard and earned the honors that came to her.)

4. Modeling the Skill: Refer students back to the example on the Lesson Summary. Havethe class help you as you reword the Example passage as a sequence-order passage:“Tips for a Better Vacation.” Use the following example below as a guide. Use theevents in the passage as sequence of steps for ways to enjoy a lakeside vacation.

EXAMPLE

On the first day of rehearsals, the actors meet each other and read the play together. Week1 is spent in the rehearsal room, staging each scene. The next week should be devoted toworking the scenes, so that the actors can begin to act naturally. By the third week, theactors should have their lines memorized and really create their characters. They are


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now ready to move to the stage. In Week 4, add scenery. A week later, add costumes andlighting. By the end of Week 6, the play should be ready for its opening night.

• Tracking Timing: Notice that if steps are not actually numbered, often eachsentence will begin with an ordinal number word—first, second, third, and finally.But there are a variety of ways to signal sequence. Brainstorm less obvious signalwords and phrases, such as on, by, while, next, and later.

• Time Line or Chart: After rewriting the passage. Have a volunteer break up thesteps into a flow chart.

• Sequence and Pace: Point out that this particular sequence allows a lot offlexibility and options. Tell students that a tighter sequence-order text might addday-by-day, rather than week-by-week details.

QUICK CHECK. Ask students to briefly relate a personal anecdote, orally or in writing, inchronological order.

Practice and Apply

Activities for chronological and sequence order appear on pp. 58–59.




1. when his brother Arthur died in 1509

2. Anne of Cleves, less than a year

3. Sample: The Six Marriages of Henry VIII

4. Sample: Henry is born; Henry becomes king and marries for the first time; Henrydivorces his first wife and marries his second; Henry dies.

5–10. 6, 3, 5, 1, 4, 2


1. The author skips forward in time over the rest of Shakespeare’s life to mention his deathand then moves back again to give an account of his life.

2. on April 23, 1564; the same day 52 years later in 1616; Between . . . days; At the ageof 18; within three years; Shortly after his twin son and daughter were born in 1585;in 1592; in 1611; In 1623, seven years after his death

3. around the age of 47

4. Sample: Between Two Aprils

5. Sample: 1564: Shakespeare is born; 1585: Twins born, “lost years” begin; 1611:Shakespeare retires; 1616: Shakespeare dies


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• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly answer at least two of items 1–3,should give a complete answer, close to the samples, for items 4 and 5, and correctlyanswer item 6.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should correctly answer at least two of items 1–3, andshould give a complete answer, close to the samples, for items 4–6.

For students who need reteaching, review the Lesson Summary. Focus on the steps, usingthem to identify and analyze chronological order in the passage from Practice Worksheet A.Then have students complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 60.

Sample Answers: Reteaching Worksheet

1. chronological order2. seventy-five3. in 1876 when he called his assistant to help him after he spilled acid4. in 1878 in New Haven5. The Life of the Father of the Telephone6. Bell is born; Bell patents the telephone; first long-distance connection; Bell dies.


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LESSON



ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

chronological order: the organization of events according to when they occur; oftenused to tell a story that advances over time

sequence order: the order in which events should, may, or usually occur; often usedto give directions or to show steps or events in a process

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Keep track of time. Chronologies are often built around points on the calendaror clock. Words signaling sequence or chronology include first, earlier, next, then, last.

Step 2: Trace events or steps on a time line or flow chart. Take note of textclues that tell when events or steps take place. Make a time line that covers events in achronological order. Use a flow chart or numbered list to track events in a sequence order.

Step 3: Note pace and sequence. Stories may cover a lengthy or a limited period.Note how rapidly actions occur and how long they last.

Step 4: Note any overlapping methods of organization. Some writerscombine more than one pattern of organization. For example, an account of a house goingup could be organized both chronologically and spatially.

Step 5: Think about the author’s purpose. Often chronological order is used forreporting, storytelling, and history, while sequence order is used to instruct or to explain.

EXAMPLE: CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

On the first day of rehearsals, the actors met each other and read the play together. Week 1was spent in the rehearsal room, staging each scene. The next week was devoted to gettingused to the scenes. By the third week, the actors had memorized their lines and were reallycreating characters. In Week 4, the actors rehearsed on stage with scenery. A week later, theactors rehearsed wearing their costumes, now lit by stage lights. By the end of Week 6, just42 days after the cast had first met, an audience was added to the mix, and the play had itsopening night. The bare stage had turned into a beautiful drawing room and the group ofactors had been transformed into a witty British family.

Day 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

actors meet,read script

stagingscenes

gettingused to

lines learned,characters

movement created

sceneryonstage

lights,costumes,

openingnight,

audience


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Directions: Read the passage. Then use it to answer the questions.

King Henry VIII was born in 1491 and ruled Great Britain from 1509 until hisdeath in 1547. He married six times. His first wife, the Spanish princess Catherineof Aragon, had been married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur. When Arthur diedin 1509, Henry inherited both Catherine and the kingship. Catherine and Henryhad one daughter, Mary. In 1533 Henry divorced Catherine in order to marry AnneBoleyn, who gave birth to the girl who became Queen Elizabeth I. In 1536, Henryhad Anne beheaded. Weeks after the execution, Henry married Jane Seymour, whodied later that year giving birth to Henry’s only son, Edward.

In 1540, Henry fell in love with a portrait. When German princess Anne ofCleves seemed less attractive in person, Henry ended the marriage. Later thatyear, Henry married Catherine Howard, a relative of Anne Boleyn’s, but hadher too beheaded in 1542. Finally in 1543, Henry married and stayed marriedto Catherine Parr.

1. Henry became king and married for the first time when

2. To which one of his six wives was Henry married for the shortest time?

3. What would be a good title for this selection?

4. Below each date, briefly describe the appropriate major event in Henry’s life.

1491 1509 1533 1547


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Directions: Read the boxed passage. Then use it to answer the questions.

William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 and, according to officialrecords, died on the same day 52 years later. Between those two Aprils,Shakespeare wrote more than 30 plays and became the leading writer of his age.He grew up in the country town of Stratford, England. At the age of 18, he marriedand within three years was the father of three children.

His twins, son and daughter, were born in 1585, after which time Shakespearedisappeared for a period known as his “lost years.” It is believed (but not known forcertain) that he spent those years in London, with various theatre groups. He isfinally mentioned again in 1592, working with a prominent theatrical company, forwhich he wrote plays and acted.

His fame as a writer grew; his plays were performed for Queen Elizabeth I andKing James I. He left public life in 1611, retiring home to Stratford, a wealthy man.In 1623, seven years after his death, the first edition of his plays was published.

1. The author begins by dating Shakespeare’s birth and death. How does this depart fromstraight chronological order?

2. Identify the words and phrases in the first five sentences that signal chronology.

3. At about what age did Shakespeare retire?

4. What would be a good title for the selection?

5. Fill in the time line below with four key dates from Shakespeare’s life. Include a briefdescription of the events at each date.


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Review To keep track of sequence and pace as you read, use a time line, flow chart, ornumbered list to take notes. If you can sum up events from your notes, then you haveunderstood the passage.

• Chronological order arranges events according to when they occurred. Texts writtenas chronologies advance in the same way that we all experience time: with one eventor experience following another.

• Sequence order shows events as they should, may, or usually occur. It is most oftenused to give directions or to show steps or events in a process.

Directions: Read the boxed passage. Answer the questions that follow.

The great inventor Alexander Graham Bell was born in Scotland in 1847. As ayoung man, in 1870, Bell moved to Ontario, Canada, and then to Boston. He wasquite interested in developing technology to help people with impaired hearing.In 1876 he developed the invention we now know as the telephone. In a famousincident that year, a few days after receiving the patent for his invention, Bell wasplanning to test his new transmitter with his assistant, Thomas Watson. Watson wasin another room, and before they could do the test, Bell spilled acid on himself. Ina slight panic, he spoke into his transmitter, “Mr. Watson, come here—I want you.”Watson heard the words on his receiver and ran into Bell’s laboratory. The menrealized that the invention was successful. The first telephone exchange was set upin 1878 in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1884, the first long-distance connectionwas established between Boston and New York City. Bell continued to exploreother inventions and became interested in aviation later in his life. He died in 1922.

1. What pattern of organization is used in the passage?

2. For how many years did Alexander Graham Bell live?

3. Complete this sentence: Bell proved his invention worked when

4. Complete this sentence: The first telephone exchange

5. What would be a good title for this selection?

6. Below each date, briefly describe the event in the Bell’s history.

1847 1876 1884 1922


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LESSON

7TEACHER’S GUIDE

Recognizing Cause and Effect:Single and Multiple

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Recognize cause-and-effectrelationships in texts

• Recognize impliedcause-and-effect relationships

• Recognize cause-and-effectchains and cycles




• Teaching Model, from “What Really Happened at Three MileIsland,” p. 66



Teach1. Cause and Effect: Write the following quotation on the chalkboard and ask students

to identify the cause (failure to remember the past) and the effect (being condemnedto repeat the past it discusses).

EXAMPLE Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

• Point out that history texts and other nonfiction works often include real-lifecause-and-effect relationships, such as causes of the Great Depression or causesof the Civil War. Ask students to brainstorm some other cause-and-effect topicsin history.

• Explain that, similarly, the events in the plot of a story are usually related by causeand effect, and that recognizing causes and effects in a story sheds light on plotdevelopment, character development, character motivation, and the overall theme.

2. Teaching Cause and Effect: Distribute the Lesson Summary and guide studentsthrough the Academic Vocabulary. Call on volunteers to read each of the Here’s Howsteps and the examples that follow, then use the following points and questions.

• What Happens and Why: Ask: In the first example, What is the cause? (theleaders’ belief that government-controlled plots were more efficient) What is theeffect? (the seizure of private land and organization of collectives)

• Signal or Clue Words: Ask: In the second example, what is the signal word orphrase? (because) Elicit that it introduces the cause.

• Implied Causes and Effects: Explain that certain information may suggest otherinformation based on prior experience or knowledge. Tell students that in the thirdexample, the cause of forest regrowth in Vermont is implied, or suggested by otherdetails such as the fact that farming in the Midwest was far more profitable. Askvolunteers to infer what the cause is. (Sample: Large numbers of farms in Vermontwere abandoned, and the forests reestablished themselves.)

• Multiple Causes and Effects: Point out that the fourth example shows acause-and-effect chain. Elicit that the desire to prevent another invasion causedthe French to build the Maginot Line, which in turn caused the French economy toweaken.


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RECOGNIZING CAUSE AND EFFECT: SINGLE AND MULTIPLE, CONTINUED

3. Guided Practice: Distribute the Teaching Model, from “What Really Happened atThree Mile Island,” an excerpt from a magazine article about the 1979 accident at thenew nuclear reactor near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Call on a volunteer to read eachparagraph aloud. After each paragraph is read, ask the class a discussion question asfollows. At the same time, have another volunteer outline on the board the main eventsin the cause-and-effect chain.

• Paragraph 1: Ask: What is the dangerous effect of the sump pump’s drawingwater out of the containment until the tank is full? (Sample: Thousands of gallonsof radioactive water spill out onto the floor.)

• Paragraph 2: Ask: What will be the effect of the spillage of radioactive water?(Sample: Radioactive gas will start pouring from the ventilators.)

• Paragraph 3: Ask: What is the implied cause for the NRC’s beginning to monitorradiation levels around the plant? (Sample: Officials know radioactive gas ispouring through the ventilators.)

• Paragraph 4: Ask: What is the effect of trying to clean up the pump house?(Sample: Higher levels of poisonous gases are vented.)

• Paragraph 5: Ask: What effect does the higher levels of poison gas have on thegovernor? (Sample: The worsening situation forces the governor to act; he advisespeople to get ready to evacuate the area.)

QUICK CHECK. Read the following paragraph aloud to students. Then, pose thequestions that follow.

People who drink more water throughout the day often eat fewer snack foods and drink lesssugary soft drinks or caffeinated beverages. Because of this, they often maintain a healthierweight. Water also cleanses or flushes out the digestive system and other body systems. Itis also essential for cellular processes, and helps the body process several vitamins. So,over time, drinking more water, up to half a gallon per day, improves physical health andfitness overall.

1. What cause-and effect relationship is stated in the first sentence of the paragraph?(Sample: drinking water can lead to less snacking and less unhealthy eating ordrinking.)

2. What are the first effects mentioned? (Sample: fewer unhealthy snacks and beverages;healthier weight)

3. According to the paragraph, what are the lasting effects of drinking more water?(Sample: improved health and fitness)

Practice and Apply

Activities involving recognizing cause and effect appear on pp. 67–68.




1. With plenty of food available, the muskrats began to multiply.


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RECOGNIZING CAUSE AND EFFECT: SINGLE AND MULTIPLE, CONTINUED

2. Millions of muskrats tunneled into the country’s dikes.

3. The Dutch government spent millions repairing the dikes.

4. Fire turned the litter of the forest floor into nutrient-rich ash.

5. Grasses and small plants began to grow.

6. Elk, deer, and other animals moved in to graze on the plants.


1. Ford spent $250 million advertising its new Edsel without showing a picture of it.

2. Excitement about the revolutionary car mounted.

3. Would-be buyers were disappointed when they saw the car.

4. Only 60,000 cars were sold.

5. Ford discontinued the new model.

6. New Jersey soldiers are struck with a swine flu virus.

7. Officials conclude a serious epidemic is brewing.

8. Congress votes $135 million to vaccinate the population.

9. Many people have adverse reactions to the vaccine.

10. Hundreds of lawsuits are filed against the government.

11. The government discontinues the vaccination program.


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should correctly answer at least three items in eachcause-and-effect chain.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should correctly answer at least four items in the firstcause-and-effect chain, and five in the second.

For students who need reteaching, review the Student Lesson Summary. Focus on theHere’s How steps and relate them to the passages from Practice Worksheet A. Then assignthe Reteaching Worksheet, p. 69.


1. The canal levee collapsed.2. The farm had been abandoned.3. Heavy rains washed out the bridge.4. She doesn’t eat salty snacks anymore.5. We didn’t have enough money in our checking account.6. Uncle Arthur is jumping up and down shouting.7. The whole library is closed for renovations and repair.8. Dana had a bad case of food poisoning.9. I pretended not to be home when Bob called.

10. cause-and-effect chain


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ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

cause: an event or action that directly results in another event

effect: the direct outcome of an event or action

Step 1: As you read, ask yourself, “What happens and why?”

• The answer to “What happens?” is likely to be the effect in a cause-and effectrelationship.

• The answer to “Why is it happening?” is likely to be the cause.

EXAMPLE After 1949, the Communist leaders of China organized farmers into collectivesand seized all private land. They believed that larger, government-controlledplots could be worked more efficiently.

Step 2: Look for signal or clue words. Certain clue words and phrases signalcause and effect relationships.

• Words that signal a cause include: because, since, and due to.

• Words that signal an effect include: led to, as a result, consequently, and therefore.

EXAMPLE Your heart beats more slowly when you are lying down because it does not haveto pump blood uphill from your feet and legs.

Step 3: Look for more clues, and make an inference. If the cause-and-effectrelationship is not obvious, look deeper. Sometimes writers do not state cause or effectdirectly. Instead, the relationship is implied. As you try to figure out the implied causeor effect from other clues in the text, you are making inferences about cause and effectrelationships.

EXAMPLE By the 1850s, Vermont farmers had cleared 75 percent of the state’s hardwoodforests for agriculture. Farming in the rich soil of the Midwest, however, wasfar more profitable, and today mature forests again cover most of Vermont.

Step 4: Think about multiple causes and effects. More than one cause cancontribute to a single effect. More than one effect can stem from a single cause.

• In a cause-and-effect chain, one cause creates an effect, and that effect becomes thecause of another effect, and so on.

• In a cause-and-effect cycle, a series of causes and effects trace the changes in a processthat eventually returns to its starting point.

EXAMPLE After World War I, the French were determined to stop another invasion fromGermany. So France built the 200-mile Maginot Line, a series of steel andconcrete fortifications along its eastern border. This enormously costly defensefurther weakened the French economy.


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LESSON



from “What Really Happened at Three Mile Island?”by Mike Gray

But in the miles of complex interactive piping at Unit Two, the situation continues toworsen. With their hands full in the control room, the operators have failed to notice that thesump pump has been drawing water out of the containment since 4:06 this morning. And nowthe tank into which it is being pumped has filled. In a short time, thousands of gallons ofdeadly, radioactive water spills out onto the floor of the pump house.

This creates a new and serious problem. The pump house cannot be sealed from theoutside, so it’s a question of time before highly radioactive gas starts pouring out of theventilators. . . .

The NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) begins to monitor radiation levels aroundthe plant in the early afternoon. A 30-millirem-per-hour reading is taken south of the plant.Although the average American is only exposed to about 100 millirems per year, an NRCofficial says the reading taken near the plant is “not an indication of a serious problem. . . .”

On Friday morning an attempt is made to clean up the mess in the pump house. But as thewater on the floor is being pumped to a storage tank, the radiation in the tank drives up thetemperature and pressure. A safety valve vents the poisonous vapor up the stack. Overhead,the government helicopter peels off as the counter needle swings to 1.2 rem per hour, a figurewell over anybody’s idea of acceptability. . . .

The utility officials insist the gas release was not dangerous and that more dischargesare possible. But the governor has had enough. He advises the 900,000 people in the fourcounties surrounding Harrisburg to be ready to move. Then he closes the nearby schools andadvises pregnant women and small children within five miles of the plant to get out.


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Directions: Read each boxed passage. Then complete the cause-and-effect chain thatfollows.

Muskrats are not native to the Netherlands, but in 1906 Dutch fur tradersreleased six muskrats from the United States, hoping the small mammalswould multiply and provide fur for trappers. The traders and trappers were notdisappointed. With plenty of food in their new homeland, the muskrats quicklymultiplied. In just a few years, millions of muskrats were tunneling through theNetherlands’ earthen dikes. All those tunnels weakened the dikes, and soon thesea threatened to break through and flood the countryside. Eventually, the Dutchgovernment would spend millions repairing the muskrat damage, but the problemcontinues.

Dutch traders release six muskrats. >>

1. >>

2. >>

3.

The summer of 1988 was a time of drought in Yellowstone Park, and lightningsparked over 200 fires there. One fire, whipped by high winds, spread across150,000 acres in a single day! The charred forestland looked depressing, but foronly a while. The thick litter of pine needles on the forest floor was turned to ash,rich in calcium, phosphate, and other nutrients. This ash stimulated the growth ofgrasses and small plants. Attracted to this new food source, elk, deer, and otheranimals soon moved in and thrived.

Fire spreads across 150,000 acres in Yellowstone. >>

4. >>

5. >>

6.


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Directions: Read each boxed passage. Then complete the cause-and effect chain thatfollows.

Before the Ford Motor Company ever published a picture of its brand-new 1957automobile, the Edsel, it spent $250 million in advertising. Around the country,excitement about the secret and revolutionary new vehicle mounted. Perhaps thenthe disappointment that car buyers felt when they actually saw the not-so-differentEdsel was inevitable. That disappointment translated into sales of only 60,000Edsels the first year, when 200,000 had been projected. The lagging sales were anembarrassment to Ford, and the company soon discontinued the Edsel completely.

1. >>

2. >>

3. >>

4. >>

5.

When a virus feared to be swine flu appeared among a group of New Jerseysoldiers in 1976, government health officials concluded a serious epidemic wasbrewing. Congress voted $135 million to vaccinate the entire U.S. population, andvaccinations began even though no additional cases of the flu had occurred. Manypeople had adverse reactions to the vaccines, including heart attacks and paralysis,and 23 people died. As a result, hundreds of lawsuits were filed against the U.S.government for damages, and the government’s liability for these cases led to theend of the vaccination program.

6. >>

7. >>

8. >>

9. >>

10. >>

11.


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Review A cause is an event that makes something happen. An effect is what happens.An effect may have more than one cause, and a cause may produce several effects. In acause-and-effect chain, one cause creates an effect, and that effect becomes the cause ofanother effect. A cause-and-effect cycle is a chain of causes and effects that returns to itsstarting point.

A. Directions: Read each group of sentences. Underline the cause described.

1. The canal levee collapsed. The city was flooded with water.

2. The farm had been abandoned. Small trees were growing in the field.

3. Drivers had to take a 10-mile detour. Heavy rains washed out the bridge.

4. Mom’s blood pressure is lower now. She doesn’t eat salty snacks anymore.

5. The check to Dr. Gomez bounced. We didn’t have enough money in our checkingaccount.

B. Directions: Read each group of sentences. Underline the effect described.

6. Uncle Arthur is jumping up and down shouting. He won the lottery.

7. The whole library is closed for renovations and repair. An electrical fire broke out inthe basement.

8. Dana had a bad case of food poisoning. She had left her tuna sandwiches in the hot car.

9. I pretended not to be home when Bob called. I knew he wanted to borrow moneyfrom me.

C. Directions: Read the boxed passage. On the line below, identify it as either acause-and-effect chain or a cause-and-effect cycle.

Real-estate development destroys valuable wetlands. This destruction resultsin the erosion of coastal barriers. The erosion of coastal barriers reduces the bufferzone for hurricanes. The final result is more property damage due to storms.

10.


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LESSON

8TEACHER’S GUIDE

Making Inferences

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Make inferences

• Make inferences from text




• Teaching Model, from Night, p. 76



Teach1. Inferences: Distribute the Lesson Summary and go over the Academic Vocabulary

definitions. Explain that making an inference is the process of making a logical guessbased on evidence and one’s personal knowledge and experience.

2. Teaching Inferences: Explain that making inferences is detective work. If, for example,students see a stern expression on a math teacher’s face as she hands back midtermexams, they can infer that the class did not perform very well on the test. The expressionon the Teacher’s face is the clue. Past experience—memories of situations in whichstudents have seen that look before—is the knowledge that helps.

Review the Lesson Summary’s steps for making inferences, and discuss how theyapply to the following scenario.

• Clues: The bowl of cereal on the breakfast table is still hot, and the butter ismelting on the toast, but my brother is no longer in the kitchen.

• Past Experience: When have you seen a similar scenario? (Sample: when I had toleave my breakfast because I was late for the school bus; when I was too sick to eat)

• Links: Ask yourself if either of these situations is close enough to draw a parallel.(Sample: Yes, the first one is. My brother seemed fine this morning so it seemslikely he left for school.)

• Inference: You can infer that your brother had to run for the bus before finishinghis breakfast.

• Evaluate: If your brother is nowhere in the house, this inference is logical.

3. Inferences from Text: Point out to students that making inferences from a text is verysimilar to making everyday inferences. The only difference is that the “evidence” comesfrom details in the text. Readers can make inferences about characters, plots, settings,symbols, the tone or attitude of an author, or the author’s purpose.

4. Guided Practice: Pass out copies of the Teaching Model and have students read thepassage. Explain that the excerpt is taken from the author’s memoir of his experiences ina Nazi concentration camp. Remind them that a symbol is any person, place, or thingthat has meaning in itself but which is made to stand for something else as well. Askstudents what they can infer about the meaning of the violin in this passage.

• Focus on evidence. Just before dying, Juliek plays a beautiful violin concerto;later the violin is somehow smashed and described as a “corpse.”


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MAKING INFERENCES, CONTINUED

• Use knowledge and experience. The violin has a beautiful sound; violinists playin orchestras at concerts, operas, and other cultural events.

• Make the inference. The smashed violin symbolizes the general death of cultureand beauty during the Holocaust.

• Evaluate the inference. The inference is reasonable. It is justified by what I knowabout the results of the Holocaust, and all the evidence in the text supports it.

QUICK CHECK. To close this lesson, ask students to reread the excerpt from Night.Then pose the following questions.

• What does Weisel say about remembering Juliek?

(Sample: He states he will never forget Juliek.)

• What do you know about the book Night?

(Sample: It is a memoir about the Nazi concentration camps.)

• What inference can you make about Wiesel’s purpose in writing Night?

(Sample: to make sure the people killed in the Holocaust are never forgotten)

Practice and Apply

Practice activities for inferences appear on pp. 77–78.




1. Text Details— The bird is caged up, unable to enjoy the beauty of nature; the speakersympathizes with the bird’s plight.

Past Experience/Knowledge—Birds are meant to fly; some birds sicken and die incaptivity; people sometimes talk about life as being a cage or prison.

My Inference—The caged bird is a symbol for a person who feels imprisoned orenslaved by life’s circumstance.

2. The inference is supported by the text: By repeating that he knows why the caged birdsings, and that the reason is sorrowful, not joyful, the narrator identifies himself with thebird and implies that he feels the same way.


1. Text Details— Obviously the narrator knows he is blind. However, he points out thatpeople whisper around him and act as if they think he is unaware of the situation.

Past Experience/Knowledge—When someone points out patently absurd behavior, itoften makes people laugh.

My Inference— I can infer that the narrator is mocking people who behave foolishlyaround him. His tone is one of ironic amusement.

2. The inference is supported by the text: The tone is consistent throughout the passage.The absurd behavior continues to be described, as does the narrator’s sarcastic orgently mocking way of reacting to the behavior.


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MAKING INFERENCES, CONTINUED


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should provide mostly-complete and correct responsesfor every space in their charts for item 1.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should provide complete responses, close to thesample answers, for both items.

For students who need reteaching, review the Student Lesson Summary. Focus on theeveryday example given. Then brainstorm one or two literary examples with students.Finally, have them complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 79.


1. Past Experience/Knowledge: Institutions set rules about visits; sterile gowns are a wayto avoid spreading germs; My Inference: The speaker’s mom is in the hospital, probablyrecuperating from a serious operation.

2. Past Experience/Knowledge: People close the windows during storms; people holdthings over their heads to avoid getting wet in a downpour; thunderstorms start suddenlyin summer; My Inference: It is summertime, and Hatty and Jean are experiencingone of the first thunderstorms.


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LESSON


Making Inferences

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

making inferences: the process of making logical guesses based on evidence andone’s own personal knowledge and experience

making inferences from a text: the process of making logical guesses based onclues in a text and one’s own personal knowledge and experience

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Identify details in the text. Ask, “What is the evidence?”

Step 2: Identify similar past experiences. Ask: “What has happened in otherinstances like this one? When have I come across this before?”

Step 3: Connect past experience to what is known. Think about how aspectsof past experiences apply to the current situation. Ask: “How are these situations linked?”

Step 4: Evaluate similarities. Ask yourself: “Are these situations close enoughto justify an inference?”

Step 5: Make an inference. If the answer is yes, make an inference, using both thecurrent situation and your past experiences.

Step 6: Evaluate the inference. Ask yourself: “Is this inference reasonable? Is itjustified by what I know and supported by all the evidence in the text?”

EXAMPLE INFERENCE

What Is Known Past Experience/ Knowledge My Inference

Lifelike paintings of deer andhorses appear on cave walls inLascaux, France. The paintingsare 15,000 years old.

People don’t usually createlifelike paintings of creaturesthey haven’t seen.

Deer and horses lived in Francein prehistoric times.


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LESSON


Making Inferences

from Nightby Elie Wiesel

I was thinking of this when I heard the sound of a violin. The sound of a violin in thisdark shed where the dead were heaped on the living. What madman could be playing theviolin here, at the brink of his own grave? Or was it really an hallucination?

It must have been Juliek.

He played a fragment from Beethoven’s concerto. I had never heard sounds so pure.In such a silence . . .

It was pitch-dark. I could hear only the violin, and it was as though Juliek’s soul were thebow. He was playing his life. The whole of his life was gliding on the strings—his lost hopes,his charred past, his extinguished future. He played as he would never play again.

I shall never forget Juliek. How could I forget that concert, given to an audience ofdying and dead men! To this day, whenever I hear Beethoven played my eyes close and outof the dark rises the sad, pale face of my Polish friend, as he said farewell on his violin toan audience of dying men.

I do not know for how long he played. I was overcome by sleep. When I awoke, inthe daylight, I could see Juliek, opposite me, slumped over, dead. Near him lay his violin,smashed, trampled, a strange overwhelming little corpse.


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LESSON


Making Inferences

Directions: Read the following stanzas from “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.Combine details from the passage with your own knowledge to make inferences about thecentral symbol of the caged bird.

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!

When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;

When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass

And the river flows like a stream of glass;

5 When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,

and the faint perfume from its chalice steals—

I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,

10 When he beats his bars and would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—

I know why the caged bird sings!

1. Make an Inference about a Symbol

Text DetailsThe bird is caged.He sings; not joyful.He beats his bars.

Past Experience/Knowledge

My InferenceThe caged bird is a symbol for . . .

+ =

2. Evaluate the Inference: Does all the evidence in the poem excerpt support yourinference? Why or Why not?


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Name Date

LESSON


Making Inferences

Directions: Read the following passage from Darkness at Noon. Combine details from thetext with your own knowledge and experience to make inferences about the author’s tone, orattitude toward the people he is discussing.

Blind from birth, I have never had the opportunity to see myself and havebeen completely dependent on the image I create in the eye of the observer. Todate, it has not been narcissistic.

There are those who assume that since I can’t see, I obviously also cannot hear.Very often people will converse with me at the top of their lungs, enunciatingevery word very carefully.

Conversely, people will also often whisper, assuming that since my eyes don’twork, my ears don’t either.

For example, when I go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for assistance tothe plane, he or she will invariably pick up the phone, call a ground hostess andwhisper: “Hi, Jane, we’ve got a 76 here.” I have concluded that the word blind isnot used, for one of two reasons: Either they fear that if the dread word is spoken,the ticket agent’s retina will immediately detach, or they are reluctant to inform meof my condition, of which I may not have been previously aware.

On the other hand, others know that of course I can hear, but believe that I can’ttalk. Often, therefore, when my wife and I go out to dinner, a waiter or waitresswill ask Kit if “he would like a drink” to which I respond that “indeed he would.”

—Harold Krents

1. Make an Inference about the Author’s Tone:

Text Details + Past Experience/Knowledge = My InferenceThe tone of this paragraph is . . .

2. Evaluate the Inference: Does all the evidence in the excerpt support your inference?Why or why not? Explain.


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LESSON


Making Inferences

Review An inference is a logical guess based on evidence and your own knowledge andexperience. To make an inference from a text, identify what is known—the details and cluesin the text. Then connect them to what you already know or have experienced.

Directions: Complete each graphic organizer. Read the What Is Known box. Then listsome connections in the Past Experience/Knowledge box. Finally, write your inferencein the My Inference box.


1. The first two days,Mom couldn’t have anyvisitors. Now they let mevisit her for 15 minutes,but I have to put on asterile gown. We haveno idea when she’ll becoming home.


2. A loud clap made Hattyjump as she rushedto close the windows.Then Jean rushed in,a wet newspaper overher head. “Wow! Theysurely begin suddenlyin summertime,” sheexclaimed.


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LESSON

9TEACHER’S GUIDE

Drawing Conclusions

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Draw conclusions from text

• Draw conclusions aboutcharacter, narrator, andspeaker in literature




• Teaching Model, from “Through the Tunnel,” p. 86



You will also need:

• Transparency: Graphic Organizer, Drawing Conclusions,at the end of the book

Teach:1. Drawing Conclusions: Explain to students that they draw conclusions in everyday life

when they look at evidence and conclude what may be happening or have happened asa result.

• Ask students to discuss what they think the difference is between “drawing aconclusion” and “jumping to a conclusion.”

• Elicit that the first is more reliable than the second, and that the key difference isreviewing enough evidence—facts, and real sensory information such as sights andsounds.

2. Teaching How to Draw Conclusions: Distribute the Lesson Summary, and guidestudents through the Academic Vocabulary.

• Explain that drawing conclusions is the process of making judgments based onevidence, one’s own experience, and reasoning.

• Then read the following example:

EXAMPLE Suppose you hear a car stopping outside your home, followed by the openingand closing of the car door, and then the ringing of their doorbell, You mightput the evidence of these sounds together with past experience to conclude thatsomeone has driven to your home to visit.

• Next, write the process of drawing the conclusion on the board, as follows:

EXAMPLE One: You note the sounds and sights as evidence.Two: From each clue, you make an inference, or logical guess, about whatis happening.Three: You combine all the inferences and knowledge from past experienceto draw a conclusion.

3. Drawing Conclusions from a Text: Explain that, instead of telling readers what tothink about characters and events in a story, writers describe what the characters say,do, and think. In this way, writers offer clues and invite readers to draw their ownconclusions. Write on the board or read aloud the following description of the characterDella, a young married woman in “The Gift of the Magi:”


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DRAWING CONCLUSIONS, CONTINUED

EXAMPLE

Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

—O. Henry, from “The Gift of the Magi”

Discuss the following questions:

• What facts do you learn about the character Della in this passage? (She has only$1.87. She dreams of buying a special present for Jim.)

• What inferences can you make from these facts? (Sample: Della and Jim arevery poor. Della loves Jim very much.)

• What conclusion about how Della feels can you draw, based on these clues andyour own experience? (Sample: She feels sad.)

4. Guided Practice: Pass out copies of the Teaching Model, from “Through the Tunnel.”Explain that the story is about an 11-year-old boy named Jerry, an only child, whosefather is dead. Jerry is on vacation with his mother.

• Have students read the passage. Then show the Transparency: GraphicOrganizer: Drawing Conclusions.

• Have volunteers note details of what Jerry and his mother do, say, and think in thepassage. Ask what inferences they can make from these details.

• Fill in the organizer with the facts and inferences.

• Ask students to review the inferences they have made about Jerry and his motherand to connect them to their own experiences. Ask what conclusions they candraw about the relationship between Jerry and his mother. (Sample: Jerry and hismother are finding their way toward a more independent relationship.)

Sample Answers: Graphic Organizer

Facts—Jerry looks back and forth between the wild, rocky bay and the safe, crowdedbeach. There is a frown behind his eyes. His mother asks if he would rather not comewith her. She worries and blames herself for not knowing what he wants to do. Jerryregrets making his mother feel bad and runs after her. He stays at the “safe” beach butcan’t stop thinking about the wild, rocky place.

Inferences—Jerry wants to get away from his mother and explore the rocky beach onhis own. Jerry’s mother loves her son, but she is overprotective. Jerry wants to be freeof his mother, but doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. He feels torn between protectinghis mother and breaking away from her.

My Experience—Students might note their own experiences with struggling forindependence.

Conclusion—Jerry needs to break away from his mother. His mother needs toencourage him to be more independent.

QUICK CHECK. Ask students to describe situations in everyday life in which they drawconclusions about people or events. (Accept any answer that combines noting evidence,making inferences, and making judgments based on past experiences.)


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Practice and Apply

Practice activities for drawing conclusions appear on pp. 88–89.




1. Robert’s family might think that Amy’s family has no manners; Amy might beembarrassed because Robert does not understand that Chinese eating customs aredifferent from the ones he knows.

2. Robert thinks the whole fish looks disgusting; Amy is embarrassed because she wantsRobert to like her, and she wishes her family was serving “American” food that he likes.

3. Amy wants to disappear because she is embarrassed to be eating something that Robert’sfamily would never touch and because her father pointed out that it is her favorite food.

4. Amy is stunned into silence because she feels so embarrassed and ashamed of her family.

5. In Amy’s situation, most teenagers would be ashamed and angry at their family forembarrassing them.

6. At this moment, Amy is ashamed of her family and of being Chinese because she wantsto be “like everyone else” so that Robert will like her.


1. details: what does the speaker forget: He forgets dates of wars and deaths of kings.inferences: The speaker focuses more on memories than political issues.

2. details: what time in particular does the speaker recall: noon on the last day of Mayinferences: The speaker remembers some things very clearly.

3. details: how does the speaker view the wind: He views it as a person rippling the brookand carrying a load.

4. details: what does the wind do: It drops pine-scent and shakes down two wild-rosepetals. inferences: The speaker notices small details of nature.

5. Connect This Evidence to My Experience: Students should describe any occasions whenthey have found happiness in memories of nature.

6. Conclusions about the Poem’s Speaker: The speaker is remembering a happy memoryrather than world-shaking political events. He seems to be a sensitive and imaginativeperson.


• Practice Worksheet A: Students should answer at least 4 items correctly. Their answersin item 5 should express an understanding of why Amy feels embarrassed.

• Practice Worksheet B: Students should answer at least 4 items correctly. Their answersin item 6 should reflect that the speaker values the small details of nature.

For students who need reteaching, review the Student Lesson Summary. Focus on theexample, and relate it to the definitions in Academic Vocabulary. Brainstorm one or two


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new examples of real-life situations in which people draw conclusions. Then have studentscomplete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 90.

Sample Answers: Reteaching Worksheet

1. An immature, self-centered person gets angry about the things she cannot have.2. A vain, self-centered person wants everyone to admire her.3. A greedy, insecure person dreams of owning expensive things and of being envied.4. She is sad and angry because she envies her friend and resents what her friend has.5. Students might say they would grow impatient with such a friend and tell her to grow

up and stop wasting all her energy in envying other people and wishing for things shedoesn’t have.

6. The character is vain, romantic, greedy, shallow, childish, and unrealistic. Instead ofmaking the best of the life she has, she makes herself miserable by yearning for thingsshe cannot have.


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LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

drawing conclusions: the process of making judgments or statements of belief basedon evidence, one’s own experience, and reasoning

drawing conclusions from a text: the process of making judgments about a textafter noting details, making inferences, and evaluating the evidence according to one’s ownpersonal experiences and beliefs

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Look for facts, details, and clues. Ask: What is the evidence?

Step 2: Connect the evidence with your own experience to makeinferences. Ask: What does this evidence probably mean?

Step 3: Collect more evidence and make more inferences. Ask: What otherimportant details do I notice, and what do they probably mean?

Step 4: Draw a conclusion. Weigh all the facts, your inferences, and your personalevaluation of the evidence to make a final judgment. Ask: What is my overall belief about themeaning or importance of this evidence?

EXAMPLE CONCLUSION

Facts Inferences

My friend was supposed to meet me at the skatingrink, but she is half an hour late.

She either forgot about the meeting or somethinghappened to delay her.

When I call her cell phone, she doesn’t answer. She either turned off her cell phone or doesn’thave it with her.

When I call her house, her mother says she camehome late and rushed out the door ten minutesago, saying she was late.

My friend is on her way.

Connect This Evidence to My Experience: It takes about ten minutes to walk from my friend’s house tothe skating rink.

Conclusion: My friend should arrive at the skating rink any minute.


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LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

from “Through the Tunnel”by Doris Lessing

Going to the shore on the first morning of the vacation, the young English boy stopped ata turning of the path and looked down at a wild and rocky bay, and then over to the crowdedbeach he knew so well from other years. His mother walked on in front of him, carrying abright striped bag in one hand. Her other arm, swinging loose, was very white in the sun.The boy watched that white, naked arm, and turned his eyes, which had a frown behindthem, toward the bay and back again to his mother. When she felt he was not with her, sheswung around. “Oh, there you are, Jerry!” she said. She looked impatient, then smiled.“Why, darling, would you rather not come with me? Would you rather—” She frowned,conscientiously worrying over what amusements he might secretly be longing for, whichshe had been too busy or too careless to imagine. He was very familiar with that anxious,apologetic smile. Contrition sent him running after her. And yet, as he ran, he looked backover his shoulder at the wild bay; and all morning, as he played on the safe beach, he wasthinking of it.


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LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

Additional Effective Conclusions

Restatement of Main Idea

The glaring difference between Skull II and the original Skull is in tone. Theoriginal did not take itself seriously, managing to mix into the horror a pinch ofhumor. This clunky sequel, however fails to deliver anything witty or light. In theend, it comes off as dull and heavy. Mr. Spielglock should leave the heavy toneto movies that have heavy subject matter. The point bears repetition. A sequelshould keep the tone of its predecessor.

Call to Action

Now we seem to have stumbled through the death of Mr. Arafat, into anothermoment of opportunity. It would be criminally negligent if any of the principalleaders involved didn’t step up to the plate. Mr. Sharon, we await you, and we begthat you swing for the fences.

—The New York Times, “Mr. Sharon, You’re Up at Bat” (Newspaper Editorial)

Figurative Language

Outside the March wind blew into the rip in her dress. She held her headdown against the cold. But she could not hold it low enough to avoid seeing thesnowflakes falling and dying on the pavement.

—Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (Novel)


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Name Date

LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

Directions: Read the passage, and complete the table below. Connect to your experience todraw a conclusion about the narrator. The passage from Amy Tan’s Fish Cheeks tells whathappened when the family of a boy she liked came to Amy Tan’s house for dinner when shewas fourteen.

Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the ends of theirchopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates offood. Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. Myrelatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamedfish. Robert grimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fisheye and plucked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite,” he said, offering me thetender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.

At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thankingmy mother for her fine cooking. “It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you aresatisfied,” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking downat his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp.I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night.

Drawing Conclusions

Facts Inferences

1. Amy’s relatives reach across the table and diptheir chopsticks into the common plates. Robert’sfamily does not.

What might Robert’s family think about Amy’srelatives? How might Amy feel?

2. Robert grimaces when he sees the whole fish. How does Robert feel about the whole fish? Howmight Amy feel about his reaction?

3. Amy wants to disappear when her father offersher the fish cheeks.

Why does Amy want to disappear?

4. After Amy’s father belches, Robert turns redand Amy is stunned into silence for the rest of thenight.

Why is Amy stunned into silence?

5. Connect This Evidence to My Experience: How would you feel in Amy’s place?

6. Conclusion: How do you think Amy feels about her family and about her heritage at the momentdescribed in the passage? Give reasons for your answer.


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LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

Directions: Read the following poem and fill in the table. Draw a conclusion about thespeaker—the character who might speak the words in the poem.

MemoryMy mind lets go a thousand things

Like dates of wars and deaths of kings,

And yet recalls the very hour—

’Twas noon by yonder village tower,

5 And on the last blue noon in May—

The wind came briskly up this way,

Crisping the brook beside the road;

Then, pausing here, set down its load

Of pine-scent, and shook listlessly

10 Two petals from that wild-rose tree.

—Thomas Bailey Aldrich, 1836–1907

Details Inferences

1. What does the speaker forget?

2. What time in particular does the speakerrecall?

3. How does the speaker view the wind?

4. What does the wind do?

5. Connect This Evidence to MyExperience:

6. Conclusions about Poem’s Speaker:


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Name Date

LESSON


Drawing Conclusions

Review Drawing conclusions means making a judgment about the overall meaning andimportance of the details in a text. As you read, you make inferences, or guesses, about themeaning of story details. Then you evaluate all the evidence, based on your own experience,and make a judgment.

Directions: First, read the character details in the graphic organizer below. Then, makeinferences about the character. Connect with your experience to draw a conclusion aboutthe character.

Details About the Character Inferences About the Character

1. She hates her shabby apartment. She is angrythat she can’t live in a better place.

What kind of person gets angry about the thingsshe cannot have?

2. She dreams of going to fancy parties and beingadmired by rich people.

What kind of person wants everyone to admireher?

3. She wants fancy clothes and jewels. She wantspeople to envy her.

What kind of person dreams of owning expensivethings and wants to be envied?

4. After she visits her rich friend, she cries fordays because she is so sad and angry.

Why is she sad and angry?

5. Connect This Evidence to My Experience: How would you feel about this woman if she were yourfriend?

6. Conclusion: What is your overall judgment of the woman?


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LESSON

10TEACHER’S GUIDE

Making Generalizations

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Make generalizations

• Distinguish between validand faulty generalizations

• Identify stereotypes




• Teaching Model, Literacy, Life Expectancy, and GDP in TenNations, p. 96

• Practice Model, The World’s Ten Top-Grossing Movies, p. 97



Teach1. Generalization: Pass out the Lesson Summary and guide students through the

Academic Vocabulary. Explain that a generalization is broad statements about a classor category of people, things, or ideas based on a study of some of its members. Stressthat a generalization should be based on facts and/or valid observations.

2. Teaching Generalizations: Use the Lesson Summary to review the steps in making ageneralization and identifying a stereotype.

• Facts and Observations: Stress that a generalization must be based on facts whichcome from a reputable source.

EXAMPLE This statement is based on the numbers of automobiles registered by Manhattanresidents. Is the generalization based on a reputable source? (yes)Manhattan residents usually use public transportation to get around the city.

• Patterns or Connections: When gathering facts or observations, look at the data tofind patterns and connections. For example, in the above generalization, the writerlooked at a databank of the numbers of cars registered by Manhattan residents. Inthe data, the writer saw a pattern emerging—that few people in Manhattan owncars. Based on this pattern, the writer was able to make the above generalization.

• General Statement: Once you have collected data and seen a pattern, make ageneralization that reflects the pattern. Be sure to use a complete sentences.

• Validity: Stress that all generalizations should be checked to see if they arevalid. Ask, In the example generalization above, what would happen if the writersubstituted the word always for the word usually? (The generalization wouldbecome faulty and invalid.) What are some other words that signal a faultygeneralization? (all, none, never, greatest, worst) What are some words that signala valid generalization by qualifying or limiting the statement? (some, most, ingeneral, typically, usually)

• Stereotypes: Point out that a stereotype is a broad generalization about a groupof people based on gender, ethnicity, or religion. Stereotypes ignore individualdifferences and encourage prejudice. Why is the example in Step 5 a stereotype?(because it is a broad generalization, not based on fact; it implies a prejudiceagainst people with dark hair and uses the word always)


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MAKING GENERALIZATIONS, CONTINUED

3. Teaching Generalization About Literature: Explain that the ability to make validgeneralizations will also help students identify characteristics of literary genres. Writethese two sentences on the board. Explain that the sentences come from detective novelsby different writers. Remind students that literary genres, such as detective stories, shareelements and approaches. Then ask students the following questions:

1. All the dead men that I’d ever known came back to me in an instant.

2. People have been hanged for a lot less that what the police have on Wally.

• Based on these two sentences, what generalization can you make about the contentof detective stories? (They deal with murder and death.)

• Based on these two sentences, what generalization can you make about the writingstyle in detective stories? (plain, informal style)

4. Guided Practice: Distribute the Teaching Model. Explain that the table lists reliablefacts about the Literacy, Life Expectancy, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of tennations. Point out GDP refers to “the total market value of goods and service producedby a country in a given year.” Now, write the following general statements on the board.Ask the questions below.

1. Poorer nations usually have a lower literacy rate and life expectancy than richernations.

2. Nations with low GDPs always have low literacy rates.

3. Throughout the world, the higher the GDP, the higher the literacy rate is.

4. Statistics show that the people of Bangladesh are not as smart as the people ofother nations.

• Is the first statement a valid generalization? (Yes; The facts in the chart showthat relatively poor nations, such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, have lower lifeexpectancy and literacy rates than wealthier nations, such as Norway and the U.S.)

• Why is the second statement a faulty generalization? (The word always signalsthat this generalization is faulty. For instance, Belize has a fairly high literacy rate,although it is not, relatively speaking, a wealthy nation.)

• Why is the third statement not valid, given the information on the chart? (Only tennations are listed in the chart; the generalization makes a statement about nationsthroughout the world. Moreover, the table shows that the Dominican Republic hasa higher per capita, or per person, GDP than Belize but a lower literacy rate.)

• Why is the fourth statement a stereotype? (It is a broad generalization about agroup of people based on ethnicity; nothing in the chart supports this statement.)

QUICK CHECK. Have students use the Teaching Model to answer the question belowabout the following statement.

Hungarians have a lower life expectancy, relative to wealth, than the people of China or Belize.

• Is this a valid generalization? Why or why not? (The generalization is valid because itreflects information in the chart. The Chinese have the same life expectancy, and the


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MAKING GENERALIZATIONS, CONTINUED

people of Belize nearly the same as the Hungarians, despite the fact that Hungary ismuch wealthier per capita than those two nations.)

Practice and Apply

Two worksheets on making generalizations appear on pp. 98–99.

• Assign Practice Worksheet A to students who need more structured activities. Note thatthis exercise requires photocopies of the Practice Model.



1. d 2. a 3. d 4. Many 5. fewest


1. a; Sample of hardness: Mosley: “. . . so I decided to milk all those [rich] people forall the money they’d let go of.”

2. a; Sample of cynicism and sarcasm: Mosley: “He’s pathetic, Clio thought cynically,. . .”

3. b; Sample of informal language and a crisp, plain style: Komo:“Well, Mr. Burglar,ain’t you going to get the door?”

4. a; Sample of dark, matter-of-fact style: Leonard: “Tell me about it, Raylan thought,using his day off to look for a guy he wished would disappear from his life.”


Practice Worksheet A: Students should answer at least 4 out of the 5 items.Practice Worksheet B: Students should answer all a and b items correctly and providecorrect details for at least 2 out of the 4 items.

For students who need reteaching, review the Student Lesson Summary. Focus on theexamples and relate them to one or two new examples, brainstormed with students. Then,have students complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 100.


1. a2. c3. b4. Sample: Marsupials are mammals that have short gestation periods, carry their young

in a pouch, and are often nocturnal.


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ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

generalization: a broad statement about a class or category of people, things, or ideasbased on a study of some of its members; should be based on facts and/or observations

valid generalization: accurately reflects the facts or observations on which itis based; often contains limiting or qualifying signal words, such as many, few, some,generally, most, usually, and overall

faulty generalization: too broad or is not consistent with facts or observations; oftencontains absolute signal words, such as all, greatest, worst, every, always, best, and never

stereotype: a generalization about a group of people based on characteristics, such asgender, ethnicity, or religion; ignores individual differences and encourages prejudice

HERE’S HOW

Step 1: Focus on the facts and observations. Check that the facts are true. Arethey derived from a reputable source? Check that observations are relevant.

Step 2: Look for patterns or connections among the facts and observationsyou have gathered.

Step 3: Make a general statement that reflects these patterns orconnections. Be sure to use a complete sentence.

Step 4: Check that your generalization is valid. Ask, Did you:

• look at enough facts or instances to support the generalization? If not, gather morefacts or make more observations.

• find contradictory evidence? If so, change your generalization to reflect that evidence.

• look for words that signal faulty generalizations such as all, always, none, never,greatest, and worst. If so, replace these words with words that properly limit or qualify ageneralization, such as some, most, in general, typically, and usually.

Step 5: Watch out for stereotypes. A stereotype is a broad generalization abouta group of people based on gender, ethnicity, or religion. Stereotypes ignore individualdifferences and encourage prejudice.

EXAMPLE Why is the following generalization a stereotype? All people with blond hairare smarter than people with dark hair.


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Literacy, Life Expectancy, and GDP in Ten Nations

Nations (inalphabetical order)

Literacy Rate (percentof those aged 14–26who can read)

Life Expectancy (inyears)

Gross DomesticProduct (GDP, percapita, in U.S.Dollars)

Bangladesh 42.0 60.5 $1,900

Belize 96.0 71.2 $4,900

Cambodia 73.5 56.8 $1,900

China 95.3 71.6 $5,000

Dominican Republic 87.5 73.4 $6,000

Egypt 61.3 63.7 $4,000

Guatemala 73.4 66.5 $4,100

Hungary 99.7 71.6 $13,900

Norway 99.9 78.8 $37,800

United States 99.8 77.3 $37,800


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LESSON



The World’s Ten Top-Grossing Movies

The term “top-grossing” means total ticket sales, in U.S. dollars. The term “adjusted boxoffice” means the worth of total sales in today’s dollars. The movies are ranked by adjustedbox office.

Rank Movie Year ofRelease

Genre AdjustedBox Office(Millions)

Budget(Millions)

1 Gone with theWind

1939 Drama/Romance $1,187.7 $3

2 Star Wars 1977 Sci-Fi/Action $1,026.7 $11

3 The Sound ofMusic

1965 Musical $824.1 – –

4 E.T. 1982 Sci-Fi/Action $815.0 – –

5 The TenCommandments

1956 Drama $758.1 $14

6 Titanic 1997 Drama/Romance $747.4 $200

7 Jaws 1975 Horror/Thriller $741.4 $12

8 DoctorZhivago

1965 Drama/Romance $700.7 $11

9 The JungleBook

1967 Animated/Musical

$628.8 – –

10 Snow Whiteand the SevenDwarfs

1937 Animated/Musical

$615.2 $1


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A. Directions: Read the information about top-grossing movies in the Practice Model.Then circle the correct answer about information in the chart.

1. Which generalization or generalizations can you make about which characteristics ofthe most popular movies?

a. budget

b. genre

c. box office earnings

d. all of the above

2. Which is a valid generalization about the genres of the most successful movies of alltime?

a. Many of the top-grossing movies of all time are dramas.

b. Romantic movies earn their producers the highest profits.

c. Every successful animated movie was cheaply produced.

d. Comedies tend to dominate the top-grossing movies of all time.

3. Which is a valid generalization about certain years and time periods that gave rise to themost successful movies?

a. The most important year in movie making was 1956.

b. All the best top-grossing movies were made during the 1970s.

c. The majority of the most successful movies of all time were made in the 1930s.

d. The 1960s and 70s proved a fertile period for all-time top-grossing films.

B. Directions: In each exercise below, circle a word in parenthesis to create a validgeneralization based on the information in the Practice Model chart.

4. The budget of (most/many) of the two most successful movies at the box office was$12 million or less.

5. The (greatest/fewest) number of the ten most successful movies at the box office weremade after 1980.


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Directions: The detective story genre has conventions, including style, tone, and certaintypes of heroes. Read these excerpts from three detective novels. Then circle the validgeneralization and cite details from one of the passages to support your answer.

There was no way out but to run, and I couldn’t run, so I decided to milk allthose . . . people for all the money they’d let go of.

Money bought everything. Money paid the rent and fed the kitty. Money waswhy Coretta was dead and why Dewitt Albright was going to [get] me. I got theidea somehow that if I got enough money then maybe I could buy my own life back.

—Easy Rawlins, Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

He’s pathetic, Clio thought cynically, but at the same time his perplexed crieshad a ring of honesty about them . . . . She strained her ears and could justmake out the faint sound of sirens approaching. Suddenly they were louder andvery close. She heard the squeal of tires. A moment later, there was a poundingon the front door.

“Well, Mr. Burglar, ain’t you going to get the door?”—Clio Browne, Clio Browne: Private Investigator by Dolores Komo

“It was two days ago,” Joyce said. “Where is he? Raylan, he calls me everyday for something.”

Tell me about it, Raylan thought, using his day off to look for a guy he wishedwould disappear from his life. Joyce, at the same time, saying how much sheappreciated his help, sounding so polite, saying if anyone could find Harry . . . He[Raylan] might’ve said, What if I don’t want to find him?

—Raylan Givens, Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard

1. a. Many heroes of the detective genre are tough or hardened characters.b. The detective hero is usually a highly educated and cultivated character.

2. a. The detective hero often is cynical and has a sarcastic attitude.b. In general, the detective hero is likable and brave.

3. a. Detective stories never resort to poetic language or lighthearted moods.b. Detective stories typically use informal language and a crisp, plain style.

4. a. Writers of detective stories tend to use a dark, matter-of-fact tone.b. Writers of detective stories usually employ a humorous tone.


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Review A generalization is a broad statement about a category of people or things. A validgeneralization is based on facts. A faulty generalization is too broad or overstretches facts.A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people that ignores individual differences.

Directions: Read the nine facts about marsupials, a group of mammals in which the femalecarries her offspring in a pouch. Answer the questions that follow.

The Virginia opossum has a gestation period (the time a baby spends inside itsmother’s womb) of only 13 days. (Cats gestate for 61–65 days, dogs for 57–71.)

Wallabies and some kangaroos live in groups called mobs and are activeduring the day.

A red kangaroo weighs 0.3 ounces at birth.

Wombats have narrow snouts and eat grasses, barks, and roots.

Kangaroos and wallabies are grass-eaters.

Wombats bear one baby at a time for a gestation period of 21 days.

Virginia opossums have narrow snouts and eat berries and small mammals.

Opossums and wombats are nocturnal loners.

The red kangaroo and the wallaby have a gestation period of 30 days.

1. Which of the following is a faulty generalization about marsupials?

a. Marsupials are nocturnal animals that give birth to one baby at a time.

b. Marsupials are for the most part plant-eaters.

c. All marsupial mothers carry their newborn offspring in a pouch.

2. Which of the following is a valid generalization about marsupials?

a. All marsupials give birth to babies weighing 0.3 ounces or lighter.

b. Grass is the main food source for marsupials the world over.

c. Marsupials tend to give birth after short gestation periods.

3. Imagine that animals suffered from stereotypes. Which statement is not a stereotypeabout marsupials?

a. Marsupials have really narrow snouts compared to other animals.

b. Marsupials usually are nocturnal creatures, though some are active during the day.

c. Marsupial newborns need far more care than other animals do.

4. On the back of this sheet, write a valid generalization about marsupials that includes atleast three characteristics of the category.


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LESSON

11TEACHER’S GUIDE

Following Directions

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

• Read and interpret directionsaccurately and follow themeffectively




• Teaching Model, “Building Stage Scenery,” p. 106

• Practice Model, “Brewing Coffee with the CoffeematicBrewster,®” p. 107



Teach1. Following Directions: Pass out the Lesson Summary and guide students through the

Academic Vocabulary. Explain that this lesson will Teach students how to understandand follow written directions that include visuals and diagrams. Ask students forexample of projects that require diagrams or visuals. (putting together a bicycle, howto use a camera, building a tree house, putting together an appliance) Point out thatmost directions have a similar format. Therefore, students will be able to use the samemethods for following directions, no matter what the task.

2. Teaching Following Directions: Use the Lesson Summary and the Teaching Model,“Building Stage Scenery” to review the six steps in following directions. Explain thatthe Teaching Model presents directions for creating a piece of scenery for use in a play.

• Preview: Point out that previewing will tell students how simple or complicateda job is. Previewing will give them a chance to see if the directions include adiagram and an opportunity to spot definitions of unfamiliar terms. Have thempreview the directions in the Teaching Model, and ask the following items.

• How many steps are in the directions? (10)

• What is a flat? (a basic unit of stage scenery)

• What diagram is included in the directions? (a diagram of the back viewof a flat)

• Visuals and Diagrams: Explain to students that diagrams and pictures help makewritten directions clearer. Ask students to describe the diagram they see in theTeaching Model. (The diagram of the back view of a flat shows the rectangularframe of the flat, with a crosspiece halfway up the back, and small triangles at thepoints where the parts of the frame meet.)

• Materials and Tools: Point out that the Teaching Model, like many sets ofdirections, contains a list of materials. Some directions come with a kit or packagethat contains all the needed materials. However, for these directions, studentswould have to purchase, borrow, or make the materials. Ask the following itemsabout the materials.

• For what does the symbol ’ stand? (feet)

• For what does the symbol ’’ stand? (inches)


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FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS, CONTINUED

• How many eight-foot lengths of lumber are needed to build one standardpiece of stage scenery? (2)

• What is luan? (thin plywood)

• What tools or equipment are needed? (nail gun or staple gun; carpenter’ssquare; gloves; safety goggles)

• Read the steps: As noted on the Lesson Summary, the fourth step is to readthe steps, referring to the diagram. Ask students the following items about theconstruction steps in the Teaching Model.

• What is the first step in building a flat? (Lay the pieces of lumber into arectangle in the flat’s dimensions.)

• In Step 3, what piece of equipment is needed to make sure the 4 lengths meetat exact right angles? (carpenter’s square)

• What are the dimensions of the plywood that is placed over each spot wherethe sides of the rectangles join the top and bottom? (9 inches)

• Carry out the directions: Encourage students to look for key words that tellwhat is to be done and how. Ask items such as the following to assess students’understanding.

• Which comes first—(a) stapling the triangles to anchor the 4 lengths into arectangle rectangular frame, or (b) stapling the two triangles together wherethe crossbar meets each side of the frame? (a is Step 5 and b is Step 7)

• Why do the directions instruct you to turn the frame over? (so that thetriangles are on the underside)

• What might happen if you skipped Step 9? (The frame might show.)

• Clarify: Encourage volunteers to paraphrase, or express in their own words, moredifficult parts of the directions. Invite volunteers to tell how they might use one ofthese suggestions to better understand a step in “Building Stage Scenery.”

QUICK CHECK. To close this skill lesson, ask students to list the six steps for followingdirections given in the Lesson Summary. ( 1. Preview the directions. 2. Examine any visualswith the directions. 3. Identify required materials and tools. 4. Read all the steps throughonce. 5. Carry out the directions. 6. Clarify directions if they are not clear.)

Practice and Apply

Practice activities involving following directions appear on pp. 108–109.

• Assign Practice A to students who need more structured activities.

• Assign Practice B to grade-level and above-level students.


1. Use the cup markings on the side of carafe.

2. Coffee meant for automatic drip coffeemakers is recommended.

3. The part behind the basket is the water container.


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FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS, CONTINUED

4. To make 6 cups, use 4 1/2 tablespoons of ground coffee.

5. The coffee is brewed when the carafe stops filling with coffee.


1. The purpose of these steps is to get the fresh coffee grounds into the basket.

2. To fill the coffee maker with water, use the coffee maker’s carafe. It is best to use thecarafe because it has cup markings on its side. By using the cup markings, you can pourin the exact amount of water that you desire.

3. The warming base keeps the coffee hot.

4. Sample: Pouring from the carafe, add the appropriate amount of water to thecoffeemaker, using the gauge on the side of carafe to measure the correct amountof water.

5. For 8 cups, you need 6 tablespoons of ground coffee, which is 30 grams.


Practice Level A: Students should correctly answer all 5 items.Practice Level B: Students should correctly answer 4 out of 5 items.

For students who need reteaching, review the Student Lesson Summary. Focus on theexamples and relate them to one or two new examples, brainstormed with students. Then,have students complete the Reteaching Worksheet, p. 110.


1. a 2. b 3. b 4. a 5. b


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ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

directions: tell the steps to follow in performing a task; usually given in the order inwhich they should be performed

visuals: diagrams and pictures that come with written materials

diagrams: precisely drawn outlines showing the most important parts of structures andobjects, often with labels

HERE’S HOW

Step 1. Preview the directions. Scan directions for length and special features,such as diagrams and definitions.

Step 2. Examine visuals that come with the directions. Look at diagramsor pictures that come with the directions. Pictures and diagrams will give you a clear ideaabout what you are supposed to do.

Step 3. Identify the required materials and tools. Look for a list of items andtools needed to complete the task. Pay particular attention to the dimensions and amounts ofmaterials. Before you begin, check that you have all of the materials needed.

Step 4. Read all the steps through once, referring to any diagrams thatare included. Each step relates logically to the next one. As you read, try to see theconnections between steps. If there is a diagram, match the diagram with the text. Use thediagram to help you understand the instructions.

Step 5. Carry out the directions. Read each step carefully, and do exactly what itsays. Your preparation has made you familiar with the basics of the task. As you carry out thedirections, note verbs, such as insert, turn, add, mix, and apply. Most important, be sure tofollow the steps in sequence—1, 2, 3, or First, Second, and Third. Don’t skip a step!

Step 6. Clarify the directions if a step is confusing. Try these suggestions:

• Reread the directions slowly or aloud.

• Underline key words.

• Study any drawings or diagrams

• Picture in your mind what you are to do.

• Discuss the step with someone else.

• Write the directions in your own words.

• Create your own diagrams and drawings.


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Building Stage Scenery

Directions for building one flat, the basic unit of stage scenery.

Materials Needed• 8’ lengths of 1" x 4" medium-grade lumber (2)• 3’ 5" lengths of 1" x 4" medium-grade lumber (3)• plywood cut into right triangles, with a height and base of 9" (8)• 8" x 4" sheet of thin plywood called luan (1)• nail gun (or staple gun); heavy-duty staples• carpenter’s square• gloves; safety goggles

Construction Steps1. On a large, flat surface, lay out a rectangle made up of the two 8" lengths and two

of the 3' 5" lengths of lumber.2. The longer pieces will form the top and bottom of the rectangle, and the shorter pieces

will form the sides. Place the top and bottom pieces at the outer edges of the sides.3. Use a carpenter’s square to make sure the 4 lengths meet at exact right angles.4. Place a 9" plywood right triangle over each spot where the sides of the rectangle join

the top and bottom.5. Staple the triangles, making sure to use enough staples to anchor the 4 lengths together

firmly into a rectangular frame.6. Place the remaining 3' 5 " length of lumber from top to bottom, about midway across

the rectangle, to form a vertical crossbar.7. Staple the remaining 4 triangles over the places where the crossbar meets the top and

bottom of the frame.8. Turn the frame over, so that the triangles are on the underside.9. Place the sheet of luan over the frame and check to make sure that the frame does not

show.10. Staple the luan in place onto the frame. Use enough staples to anchor the luan securely.

Back View of a Flat

3’5” length

8’ length

Crossbar 9” right triangle

8’x4” sheet of luan on other side


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Brewing Coffee with the Coffeematic Brewster® For best results, use coffeeintended for automatic drip coffeemakers. (If grinding your own coffee beans, set the grinderto “fine.”)

1. Remove the carafe (A) and lift up the lid (B), exposing the brewing basket (C) andthe opening of the water container (D).

2. Swing the brewing basket out from the coffeemaker.3. Place a basket-style paper filter in the basket.4. Add the desired amount of ground coffee to the filter in the basket. (See the chart

showing suggested amounts of coffee to use.)5. Swing the basket back into place. Make sure that you hear it click.6. Fill the Coffeematic’s® carafe with the desired amount of water. Use the cup markings

on the side of the carafe as a guide.7. Pour the water from the carafe into the water container.8. Place the carafe on the Coffeematic’s® warming base (E). Close the lid.9. Make sure the Coffeematic® is plugged in. Push the “On” button (F). In a few minutes,

you will see coffee dripping into the carafe.10. When the carafe stops filling, the coffee is brewed.

A

E

F

B

C

D1210864

Coffeematic Brewster ®

1210864


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Directions: Read the directions on the Practice Model, “Brewing Coffee with theCoffeematic Brewster.®” The directions explain how to brew coffee with an automaticcoffeemaker. Then answer each item below.

1. How can you adequately measure how much water to pour into the coffee maker’swater container?

2. What kind of coffee is recommended for use in the coffeemaker?

3. According to the diagram, what part of the coffeemaker is behind the basket?

4. In order to make 6 cups of coffee, how many tablespoons of ground coffee are needed?

5. How does the user know when the coffee is brewed?


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Directions: Read the directions on the Practice Model, “Brewing Coffee with theCoffeematic Brewster.®” The directions explain how to brew coffee with an automaticcoffeemaker. Then answer each item below.

1. What is the basic purpose of Steps 1–5?

2. What do you use to fill the base unit’s opening that contains the water? Why do youthink it is best to use this equipment rather than another container that holds water?

3. Which is the purpose of the warming base?

4. Rephrase Step 6 in your own words.

5. A tablespoon is equal to 5 grams, or .17 ounces. How many grams of coffee are neededto brew 8 cups?


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Review In following directions, this procedure is helpful: First preview the directions,then look for diagrams and pictures and identify the materials and tools you will need. Readall the steps through once, checking against any diagrams, then carry out the directions,clarifying any steps that seem confusing.

Directions: In each of the numbered pairs, circle the letter of the step that should be donefirst.

1. a. In following directions for putting a bicycle together, you look for the diagramnumbering all the parts of the bike.

b. In following directions for putting a bicycle together, you reread the portion thatdescribes how to attach the handlebars.

2. a. In baking a layer cake, you sift the flour with the sugar and the other dry ingredients.b. In baking a layer cake, you find the cake pans that you will use for the batter.

3. a. In making a stuffed animal for a child, you place the pattern for the animal’s bodyon the fabric.

b. In making a stuffed animal for a child, you check how many steps are involvedin the process.

4. a. In building a birdhouse from a kit, you look for the diagram showing how thebirdhouse is constructed.

b. In building a birdhouse from a kit, you make sure that you have all the piecesthat are required.

5. a. In setting your new alarm clock, you reread the instructions to see how youdistinguish between “AM” and “PM” when setting the wake time.

b. In setting your new alarm clock, you scan the diagram to see all the features ofthe clock.


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