questions animals on the arctic...

NameMonday, May 28

Animals on the Arctic TundraBy Sheri Skelton

Many different kinds of animalslive on the arctic tundra. Onevery small animal is thelemming. Lemmings look likemice. They make their nests outof grass and moss. Lemmingslive in tunnels. The biggeranimals on the arctic tundra liketo eat lemmings.

Arctic foxes and snowy owlsboth like to eat lemmings.Snowy owls are hard to see inthe snow because their feathers are white. Lemmings can't see themcoming. Arctic foxes are hard to see in both the summer and thewinter. In the summer the foxes are brown. In winter the foxes arewhite.

Musk ox and caribou are two of the big animals on the arctic tundra.They have thick fur and layers of fat to keep them warm. They travelin herds and roam all over the tundra. Musk ox and caribou eat grass,moss, and tiny bushes. The Eskimo people who live on the arctictundra hunt musk ox and caribou.

Animals on the Arctic Tundra

Questions

1. Lemmings look like ______.

2. Where do lemmings live?

A. in the oceanB. on rocksC. in tunnelsD. in trees

3. Why are snowy owls hard to see in the snow?

A. because they are very tinyB. because their feathers are whiteC. because they hide in treesD. because they look like rocks

4. What color are arctic foxes in the summer?

A. blackB. whiteC. grayD. brown

5. How do musk ox and caribou keep warm during the winter?

A. They sleep in caves all winter.B. They dig tunnels in the snow.C. They go south for the winter.D. They have thick fur and layers of fat.

NameTuesday, May 29

Where's Robbie?, Chapter 3By Kathleen Redman

The next day, Marisa watched for Robbie as she walked to school.She did not see him, but maybe he would be in homeroom. Kenty wasa big middle school, and there were a lot of students waiting to goinside.

Josie saw Marisa and called to her.

"Hey! Marisa! I'm over here. What did you find out about Robbie?"

Marisa joined her friend and a couple of other people from theirhomeroom.

"Well, his parents thought he was at school yesterday. He hadn'tcome home, either, when my dad called them. I sure hope he is heretoday. I'm so worried about him."

Kevin, one of Robbie's chess partners, said that Robbie never came tochess club anymore. "He hasn't been to a match in a couple ofmonths," Kevin said. "The last time I asked him, he said that he justdidn't feel like playing chess."

"Keep positive thoughts," Josie said. "He will be in homeroom thismorning. I am sure he is okay."

The bell rang while she was talking, and they all walked into theschool together. Marisa and Kevin turned toward their homeroom.

"See you guys at lunch," Josie said.

"Sure," Marisa answered.

Robbie wasn't in homeroom, and no one had seen him for the last twodays. At lunchtime, Marisa got her tray and went over to sit withJosie. Kevin and Michele, another girl in their homeroom, werealready at the table.

"Well, from the look on your face, I guess Robbie didn't show up in

homeroom," Josie said.

"No, he hasn't been here all morning," Marisa answered. "I have beenso upset that I feel like I might get sick. Why isn't anyone telling usanything?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I asked Mr. Colter about Robbie this morning.He just looked worried and told me that he didn't know any more thanI did."

"Let's go ask your father," Michele suggested. "He will be straightwith us." Marisa's father was the Kenty school counselor.

"That's a good idea," Josie said. Kevin agreed.

Marisa went along, but she was afraid her father didn't know anymore than they did, either.

Mr. Adams' door was open and the students walked in. Mr. Adamslooked up at four very worried faces. He knew why they wereworried. He was worried, too.

"Hi, Mr. Adams," Kevin said. "Where is Robbie? Do you knowanything? Why won't anyone tell us where Robbie is?"

"Please sit down," Mr. Adams said. The students sat down andlooked at Mr. Adams.

"I wish I could tell you where he is," Mr. Adams said. "Robbie'smother and father have been looking for him all morning. We havebeen making phone calls to people he knows. So far, no one has foundhim."

"Well, can't the police do something?" Josie asked.

"They have been called, and they are searching as well. I'm sure hewill turn up soon."

As a matter of fact, Mr. Adams didn't feel sure at all that they wouldfind Robbie any time soon.

NameTuesday, May 29

Where's Robbie?, Chapter 3

Questions

1. How did Marisa get to school?

A. She rode the bus.B. Her father took her to school.C. She drove her car.D. She walked.

2. Which one of these students is not in Robbie's homeroom?

A. JosieB. MarisaC. MicheleD. Kevin

3. What interest do Kevin and Robbie share?

A. chessB. footballC. readingD. art

4. Who is Mr. Colter?

A. Robbie's fatherB. Marisa's fatherC. the principal of Kenty Middle SchoolD. one of their teachers

5. Who said they should ask Mr. Adams about Robbie?

A. KevinB. MarisaC. JosieD. Michele

6. Who is Mr. Adams?

A. Robbie's fatherB. the counselor at Kenty Middle SchoolC. Josie's fatherD. the principal of Kenty Middle School

7. Who asked Mr. Adams about Robbie?

A. KevinB. MicheleC. JosieD. Marisa

8. Josie asked if the ______ could help.

A. studentsB. EvansesC. teachersD. police

NameTuesday, May 29

Grandpa's FarmBy Mary L. Bushong

Jim opened his eyes and wasstartled for a moment. Thiswas not his bedroom! Then heremembered. His family hadarrived at his grandparents'home during the night. Hebounced out of bed andlooked out the upstairswindow which looked outover the sun-warmed farmyard. Jim loved being on hisgrandparents' farm. He wishedthey could be here more often.Then he remembered the reason for the visit. Grandpa Ruger was sick.

Grandma gave Jim a big hug when he went downstairs for breakfast."I'm so glad you were able to come and visit us," she said. "We havemissed you. Sit down while I get you a bite to eat."

Grandpa was already up and working outside in the equipment shedwhen Jim stepped outside. He followed the sounds of clinking andclanking to where the older man worked on one of the machines.

"Good morning, Grandpa!" said Jim.

"Hello yourself!" said Grandpa as he reached out to shake Jim's hand."It's good to see you. Is everyone else up?"

Jim shook his head. "I think Mom and Dad are still asleep."

"That's understandable. It's a long drive to make in one day," saidGrandpa.

Jim looked at his grandfather. Dad must be wrong. Grandpa didn'tlook or act sick. That thought made him feel a little better. He staredback in the darkened corner of the building. "Is that a tractor backthere?" he pointed.

Grandpa smiled. "Yes it is. My father bought it when he beganfarming this place, in 1928. I was about your age when he died. Myfour brothers and I farmed in his place for years afterward to keep thefamily together. They were tough years but good. That is only partlywhy this place is special to me. Let me show you something."

Grandpa led the way from the equipment shed to the large barn whichstood nearby. "Your father grew up here. When he was about yourage, he thought it would be fun to swing from one side of the haymow to the other."

"What happened?" asked Jim.

"The rope wasn't quite long enough and he couldn't quite reach theother side. He ended up getting stuck in the middle, shouting forhelp," laughed Grandpa.

Jim laughed. He could almost see the scene in his mind's eye as helooked toward the roof. Grandpa took a few minutes to tell him otherstories and time raced by. Jim was startled when he heard his fatherlaugh behind them.

"I had forgotten all about that pig story," said Dad with a big smile.He held out his hand to shake his father's. "Good to see you, Dad.Have you been filling Jim's mind with all the silly things I did as aboy?"

"Of course," said Grandpa with a grin. "Isn't that the duty of everygrandparent?"

They all laughed together.

Later that day, Jim and his Dad were sitting on the front porch,enjoying a cool drink. Jim remarked that Grandpa did not look sick. Ifhe was sick, why was he working?

"No, he doesn't look like it," said Dad. "But you must remember thatyour Grandfather has known nothing but work his whole life. He's nothappy doing nothing. He would even find little things to do onFather's Day when all the other dads were enjoying themselves. Ilearned how to work hard from him, but he also allowed me to learnto enjoy relaxing. He never had that opportunity. I used to get tired ofhearing him say, 'let's get back to work, a farm doesn't run itself,' butwe would talk about all kinds of things while we worked together."

NameTuesday, May 29

"I guess he was a pretty good dad then?" asked Jim.

Dad looked over at Jim and smiled. "He is a good dad. I learned a lotfrom him and wanted you to get to know him a little better while youstill could. That's what is making this Father's Day so special. It mightbe our last chance to celebrate with him." Dad drank the last of hislemonade. Then he winked at Jim. "Hurry up. We've got work to do.A farm doesn't run itself!"

Grandpa's Farm

Questions

1. Why was Jim disoriented when he woke up in hisgrandparent's house?

2. What kinds of things do you suppose Grandma Ruger wouldhave made for breakfast?

3. Which of these is not true? Jim's father was playing in the barnand he

A. fell and broke his legB. decided to swing on a ropeC. got stuck in the middleD. wanted to swing from one mow to the other

4. Jim's Dad heard Grandpa telling Jim stories about

A. what Grandpa did as a boyB. farming in 1928C. Jim's Dad when he was youngD. the farm dog

5. What were the two reasons for Jim's family to visit hisgrandparents?

6. Why did Grandpa tell Jim stories about his Dad?

A. to make his father look sillyB. so they could laugh at Jim's DadC. so Jim would understand his father betterD. to share good memories that Jim's Dad might have

forgottenE. both (c) and (d)

7. Why do you think Jim's Dad used his father's saying, "A farmdoesn't run itself," when he used to hate it?

NameTuesday, May 29

8. What historical event would have happened when Grandpawas young, and how would that have influenced why heworked so hard?

NameWednesday, May 30

Celine's Story: Gender Disparity in TogoBy Jennifer Kenny

Do you go to school? Areyou home-schooled? Do theboys and girls in yourclassroom learn the samethings? Do brothers andsisters in your home learnthe same kind of things?Should they? Perhaps theyare very silly questions toyou. However, boys and girls don't always receive an equal amount ofteaching in all places of the world.

Celine, for example, is a girl who lives in Togo. Togo is a country inAfrica. According to the CIA, around six million people lived in Togoin 2008. Many of the people are poor and hungry. Most people arefarmers. Only half of the people can get safe drinking water. Medicalcare is hard to get, too. There are only about four doctors for every100,000 people. The roads are in bad shape. The country owes a lot ofmoney to other countries.

To know more about Togo, it is important to know about some of itspast. In the 1960s, a person who shot the last leader became president.He stayed as president until 2005 when he died and his son took over.An election quickly followed that people felt wasn't fair. There weremany protests and many people died. In 2007, fair elections wereheld. The new government faces a lot of problems. However, help iscoming in from other places now that it looks like the governmentmay be a fair one.

What does all this mean to Celine and the others in Togo? Mostcommunities are very traditional in Togo. Since many are so poor,things have not changed too much. This includes the schooling of thechildren and the lives and jobs of adults. In general, there's a greatdeal of gender disparity even in modern days. That means boys aretaught more than girls, and men have more chances than women.

In Togo, boys were educated so they would be able to earn more

money. The girls didn't need the same. They would grow up and getmarried. Then they would raise children. With these beliefs, there'sgender disparity, or a big difference between the chances boys andgirls get. These include chances at an education, chances at jobs, andchances of earning money.

Another problem with schools is the old road system. Even if a girlmight be allowed to go to school, there may be no safe road to reachthere. In some of these places, parents have tried to create littleschools for teaching the basics. With all these troubles, half of thewomen can't read and write.

Organizations from many countries are trying to send help. Makingthings more equal for girls and boys is important. Volunteers try toreach families and teach them that both boys and girls need school.They try to offer programs for all girls and boys and all men andwomen.

The leaders of Togo say they can't afford to build schoolseverywhere. Volunteers from other countries are trying to help. Theyare also trying to train more people, especially women, to teach.

Around three out of four primary school-aged children go to school.That number goes way down at the older level. Many children need tohelp their families farm. There are even less chances at universities.Girls leave school much earlier than boys. Sixty-seven percent of boysgo, but only thirty-three percent of girls go on to the secondary level(after primary school). The education isn't great yet either. Only oneout of four students tested even passed the yearly tests.

In some places in Togo, volunteers have built and opened schools.Both girls and boys can now go to school. Celine, for example, neverwent to school before this UNICEF school was built. Her brothers hadgone before because they are boys. When Celine started school, shewas very shy. She did not want to talk in front of the other children.She was used to staying home and doing farm jobs for her family.Now she still helps her family after school. Teachers are trying hard tokeep the children, especially girls like Celine, in school. There arealso clubs and camps that help. Learning about health and work arealso done at school, so it is very important that all children, both boysand girls attend.

The hope is that changing the education the girls get will also helpwomen. Volunteers are teaching women important skills. Thesewomen learn new life skills such as saving at a "bank" with lots ofother women. There are new programs so the poor can borrow money.


This offers new chances. Even saving a small amount helps thewomen pay for children's schooling and health care. This money alsohelps women start up small businesses by buying things like pigs andgoats. Learning these important life skills about money is making abig change in lives in Togo.

Celine has been helped by school. Her mother has been helped by thesmall loans and saving. Her whole family was helped when volunteerstaught them to dig a well and latrine. Will all this help bring realchanges to Togo? Will girls and boys get an equal chance to learn atschool? Will girls still remain behind boys? Only time will tell.There's still a lot of work ahead.

Celine's Story: Gender Disparity in Togo

Questions

1. Togo is located in ______.

A. EuropeB. South AmericaC. AfricaD. Australia

2. The economy in Togo is mainly ______.

A. art-drivenB. farmingC. industrialD. tourism

3. ______ of the people in Togo have access to safe drinkingwater.

A. NoneB. One-quarterC. HalfD. All

4. The roads and buildings of Togo are in good shape.

A. FalseB. True

5. Who would have the best opportunity of a decent education inTogo?

A. CelineB. Celine's motherC. Celine's brotherD. none of the above

6. A girl in Togo would most likely ______.

A. complete secondary schoolB. travel abroadC. marry and have childrenD. complete university

7. Gender disparity in Togo refers to ______.

A. the similarities between boys' and girls' educationB. the differences between girls' and boys' chances at

education and in lifeC. the number of children in a familyD. having more girls than boys in a classroom


Please Water Me!By Beth Beutler

"I'm so dry!" Terry Tulipsaid to Doris Daffodil.

"I know what you mean,"Doris said. "Do you thinkshe forgot about us?"

"I sure hope not!"

The flowers were talkingabout their owner, Mrs.Waterman. She had lovinglyplanted them back in the fall,and they were so glad to be out from under the dirt for awhile. Terrywas a bright, rich red color with yellow stripes throughout. Doris wasa sunny yellow with a well-formed trumpet blossom. They'd triedtheir best to look lovely in spite of the dry spring.

"It's been a pretty dry season," Terry observed. "I'm really surprisedthat my colors came out so deep."

"Me, too," Doris agreed. "Maybe the extra snow this winter helped usstore some moisture."

"That could be," Terry said. "Even so, I'm feeling pretty dry now. If Idon't get some water soon, some of my petals may fall off sooner thanthey normally would."

"I may just wilt away myself," Doris said.

Both flowers began to droop, depressed that their already short lifeabove ground might be further shortened by lack of water.

"I wish we could call out for Mrs. Waterman's attention," Doris said.

"Hopefully she will notice our drooping. Hey, what's that?"

Doris lifted her face. "It looks like Mrs. Waterman is coming outhere."

"Lower your head, Doris," Terry said. "Make her notice how dry youare."

Doris and Terry both bowed their heads almost to the point oftouching the ground. Both hoped that Mrs. Waterman would finallynotice their thirst.

Mrs. Waterman whistled as she walked on the path between the rowsof flowers. "Oh, dear," she said to herself. "I really need to water.Some of these plants look awfully dry."

Mrs. Waterman continued walking, soon arriving at the section of thegarden where Doris and Terry were. She stooped down to finger theleaves and petals. Doris could feel Mrs. Waterman's soft hands gentlyrubbing her. "I'm so sorry, little flowers," Mrs. Waterman said. "I'venot been feeling well. This is the first day I've been out of the housesince last Friday."

Mrs. Waterman stood up and stretched. "I'll be right back," she said.

She headed over to the hose with the sprinkler head attached to it.She turned on the spigot, and soon cool water was spraying over thegarden.

Doris and Terry peeked at each other and smiled. "This feels sogood!" Terry said.

"It sure does," Doris answered with a sigh. She let the cool waterspray over her and sink into the ground by her roots. Then, as ifdrinking through a straw, she sucked up the nourishing moisture.Terry was doing the same thing.

Slowly, Doris and Terry both were able to stretch their stems andleaves, growing stronger as the water filled them. Their petals felt likethey could now hold on again for a little longer.

After about an hour, Mrs. Waterman came out and turned off thefaucet. She walked again among her treasured plants. "Now, doesn'tthat feel better?" she asked Doris and Terry.

Terry and Doris wished Mrs. Waterman could hear them say, "Yes!"


Please Water Me!

Questions

1. What type of flower was Terry?

2. Describe Terry.

3. True or false. Doris was a yellow daffodil.

A. FalseB. True

4. Why were the flowers drooping?

5. Can you assume that Mrs. Waterman was usually a goodgardener?

A. NoB. Yes

6. Why had Mrs. Waterman neglected the flowers?

7. For about how many minutes did the sprinkler run?

A. 60B. 30C. 90D. 45

8. Would Terry and Doris bloom for a long time?

NameThursday, May 31

The Best Vegetables in the WorldBy Kathleen W. Redman

"We are the best vegetablesin the whole world," thecarrots said. "We help yousee better at night."

"So what?" the garden peassaid. "Peas have Vitamin Kin them. Vitamin K helpsyou have strong bones andteeth. We are the best vegetables in the world."

The little boy scratched his head. "I like garden peas and carrots. Iwant to have strong bones and teeth. I want to have good eyes, too.Which one should I choose?"

"Those vegetables are okay," the tomatoes said, "but we are the bestvegetables in the world. We help prevent cancer. No one wants tohave cancer. Our job is very important."

"Don't forget about spinach," the spinach leaves said. "Spinach is anoutstanding vegetable. We have many talents. We contain iron,calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. We help you guys doyour jobs. We also help red blood cells form. Where would you bewithout red blood cells?" the spinach asked the little boy.

"I don't know," the little boy said. "All of you do very importantthings. All of you help me be strong and healthy. But which one ofyou is the best?"

"There is no question," the broccoli said. "Broccoli is the bestvegetable in the whole world. Dr. Koop said so. He used to beSurgeon General of the United States. He knows his vegetables."

All the vegetables started arguing.

"Please be quiet," the little boy said. "I want to ask the broccoli aquestion. Broccoli, why are you the best vegetable in the world?"

"Well, I help prevent cancer, especially lung cancer," the broccolisaid. "I have lots of fiber, iron, and potassium. I help just about everypart of your body. Besides that, I taste better than those othervegetables!"

All the vegetables started arguing again. The little boy did not knowwhat to do. He wanted to eat what was best for him. He just couldn'ttell what was best.

"Hello there," a small voice said. It sounded like it came from thesalad bowl.

"Are you talking to me, salad bowl?" the little boy asked.

"Yes, I am," the salad bowl said. "I'm just not as loud as thevegetables. I have an idea for you."

"Oh, good," the little boy said. "Can you tell me what the bestvegetable is?"

"No," the salad bowl said. "Here is a good idea, though. Why don'tyou make a salad? Put a lot of different vegetables in it. That way youwill get some of everything you need. All the vegetables are good foryou. You should eat a lot of vegetables every day."

"Oh," the little boy said. "I never thought of that. A salad. Hmmm . . .I will need some spinach, some tomatoes, some onions, somebroccoli, . . ."

The Best Vegetables in the World

Questions

1. Which vegetable was the first to talk?

A. lettuceB. spinachC. carrotD. pumpkin


2. Which vegetable claimed to have a lot of Vitamin K?

A. spinachB. lima beansC. carrotD. garden peas

3. Which vegetable claimed to help prevent lung cancer?

A. sweet potatoB. carrotC. broccoliD. eggplant

4. Who was Dr. Koop?

A. the Surgeon General of the United StatesB. the President of the United StatesC. the King of SpainD. the farmer

5. Which vegetable claimed to taste better than all the others?

A. tomatoB. onionC. broccoliD. celery

6. Which one of these vegetables is not mentioned in the story?

A. spinachB. carrotsC. garden peasD. lima beans

7. What did the salad bowl tell the little boy to do?

A. not to eat any vegetablesB. to make a salad and use many different vegetablesC. to stop talking to the vegetablesD. to eat a whole bunch of tomatoes

8. How often should we eat vegetables?

A. once a weekB. every dayC. two or three times a yearD. whenever there isn't anything else to eat

Have you ever grown any vegetables in a garden? Tell about it.


Jake and Jackie Learn about Healthy EatingBy Beth Beutler

Jackie stomped out of the house and floppedonto the chair on the front porch. She made asour face, crossed her arms, and sighed.

A few minutes later, Jake sailed by on hisskateboard, holding an apple. He hopped offand bounded up the porch steps to say hello.

"Why the pouty face?" Jake asked.

"I wish I could eat whatever I wanted," Jackiecomplained. "I just tried to have a snack, andMom wouldn't let me."

"What did you try to have?" Jake asked as he bit into the crispyapple.

"I was trying to have a toaster pastry. I love those! But Mom said I'vealready had enough sugar for the day and to have a piece of fruitinstead. I don't know what the big deal is. It was a strawberry toasterpastry!"

Jake laughed. "My parents are like that too. They keep telling me tohave only one sweet per day. That's why I'm eating an apple nowinstead of another piece of the leftover birthday cake from mycousin's party on Saturday."

"What does it matter?" Jackie asked, not noticing that her mom wasnow standing on the other side of the screen door.

Jake smiled at Jackie's mom as she stepped out onto the porch.

"Let me tell you a story," she said.

"Many years ago, there was a young girl who was allowed to eatanything she wanted. She had a sweet tooth, so every day she wouldhave cookies or cake. She rarely ate vegetables, fruit, or whole grain

bread or pasta. Over time, she gained so much weight that eventually,she was forty pounds past a healthy range for her age and height."

"Forty pounds!?" Jake exclaimed.

"Yes, and she was only 12. The extra weight made it harder for her tokeep up with her friends, and when she tried out for the soccer team,she only made it as a substitute. Worse yet, her doctor told her thatshe was coming close to developing a serious disease called diabetes.Diabetes can cause lots of major problems later in life, like troublewith circulation, heart disease, and kidney issues."

"Wow," Jackie said. "That's scary!"

"You're right. The girl was afraid, but she also became determined.She cut way down on sweets and instead drank water when she feltlike having a snack. She traded cake for carrot sticks, candy forbananas, and learned to like salads. It was hard at first, especiallywhen she saw her friends eating several pieces of pizza or a handful ofcookies, but she kept an eye on her weight. She began to walk everyday, first for 10 minutes a day, then 15, and finally, 30-40 minutesevery day. She lost more than the 40 pounds in two years, and haskept exercising and eating healthy ever since. Her doctorcomplimented her and told her she had greatly reduced her risk ofgetting diabetes."

Jackie began to think. "Is that why you won't let me eat certainsnacks?"

"That's right, Jackie. I don't want you to go through what I did."

Jake's eyes opened wide. "That story was about YOU?"

"It sure was," said Jackie's mom. "Now do you understand?"


Jake and Jackie Learn about Healthy Eating

Questions

1. At the beginning of the story, was Jackie alone?

2. Describe Jackie's feelings at the beginning of the story.

3. True or false. Jake was eating a pear when he stopped to talkwith Jackie.

A. falseB. True

4. Jackie had wanted to eat a ______ flavored toaster pastry.

A. watermelonB. cherryC. chocolateD. strawberry

5. Jackie's mother told a story about a girl who becameoverweight. When she began to watch what she ate, what itemis NOT mentioned in the list?

A. BananasB. SaladC. Carrot sticksD. Orange juice

6. What disease did Jackie's mother talk about?

7. What are some possible problems that can develop because ofdiabetes?

8. Jackie's mom surprised Jackie and Jake at the end of the story.How?

Name DateThursday, May 31

A Cry in the DarkWritten by Mary Lynn Bushong

Desmond checked his watch. He had three hours to place the cameras and get back to base camp. He glanced up at the sky. Therewere some heavy-looking clouds starting to pile up on the horizon. That would make it start getting dark earlier than he hadplanned. He started to hurry.

Normally, Desmond was at home in the wilderness. He was well trained in survival methods, so this jaunt shouldn't be achallenge. Even so, Desmond felt like he was being watched.

The wind was just starting to gust a little when Desmond had the last camera placed. The cameras were facing a bend in the trailfrom different angles.

Some hunters had reported seeing a tall ape-like creature there. They had even retrieved a few long brown hairs that had beencaught in a bush. Desmond's friends hoped to capture some images on the cameras. He wasn't sure he believed the story himself.It seemed pretty far-fetched.

He didn't waste any time leaving the area once the cameras were set up. They were equipped with motion sensors, and they couldrecord a digital image in low light.

Desmond had just arrived back at the base camp when he heard a long, echoing cry rise above the trees before it was snatchedaway by the wind.

"Did you hear that?" John asked Desmond from where he squatted next to the small campfire. "Was that a wolf or..."

"I hope it means we'll get some pictures," said Neil as he retrieved a drink from the cooler.

Desmond looked at his friends but said nothing. He just hoped nothing had followed him back to camp.

Name DateThursday, May 31 A Cry in the Dark

Answer the following questions before you finish the story.1. What did Desmond's actions indicate about his state of mind?

2. What kind of effect would the weather have on the three men?

3. What kind of creature could have made the loud cry?

4. Describe what kinds of pictures, if any, you think the cameras captured.


Using the ideas you wrote for the thinking questions, write an ending to the story. Be sure to include dialog in your ending. Write incomplete sentences, using correct punctuation. Be creative and use these two blank pages.

NameFriday, June 1

Marco Splashes in Acid RainBy Colleen Messina

Marco liked to play in the rain. He put on hisgaloshes. He splashed in puddles. He turned hisface up to the sky. He opened his mouth andcaught the rain! It tasted cold, fresh, and clean.

Marco lived in New Jersey. New Jersey is in thenortheastern United States. There are manyfactories near Marco's home. There are alsopower plants. A lot of smoke comes out of theseplaces. This smoke affected the rain that Marcoplayed in.

The rain still looked clean. But it wasn't. It waspolluted acid rain. The rain made Marco very sick. Marco had asthma.It affected his lungs. The acid rain made it worse. Marco could notbreathe. His throat hurt. Marco had to go to the emergency room.Acid rain hurt Marco. It hurts people with asthma and causes otherproblems.

Why does acid rain fall around Marco? Acid rain comes from thefactory smoke. This smoke had substances in it called oxides. Theoxides changed the rain. They mixed with the moisture in the air.Then, acid rain collected in the clouds. It fell to earth during thestorm. Most of the oxides came from factory smoke. Some naturalsources also make oxides. About 10% of them come from volcanoesand swamps.

Acid rain hurts plants. It burns their leaves. Then they can't get thefood that the need. Acid rain also takes nutrients and minerals out ofthe soil. It puts a metal called aluminum into the soil that is bad forplants. Farmers add limestone to the soil to help their crops. Thismakes the soil less acidic.

Acid rain also hurts buildings. It mixes with the minerals in the stone.Acid rain has even made some bridges collapse. It harms airplanes,cars, and pipes. It ruins pretty things like stained glass windows, too.

Acid rain causes problems all over the world. It is hurting childrenwho live near coal-burning factories in Poland. It is killing fish inBrazil. It is ruining ancient artifacts in Mexico. It is dissolving agolden roof on a chapel in Poland. Acid rain must go!

We can all help acid rain go away. We can drive our cars less. Wecan use less electricity. This will reduce oxides in the air that makeacid rain. Then, Marco can play in the fresh, falling rain and stay safe.

Marco Splashes in Acid Rain

Questions

1. What kind of weather was Marco playing in?

A. a foggy dayB. a snow stormC. a sunny dayD. a rain storm

2. What condition did Marco have that got worse from acid rain?

A. a stomachacheB. a broken armC. asthmaD. a rash

3. Volcanoes also release substances that cause acid rain.

A. FalseB. True

4. What part of plants is especially hurt by acid rain?

A. the flowersB. the leavesC. the stemsD. the roots

5. What do farmers add to the soil to help protect it from acidrain?

A. saltB. lemonadeC. limestoneD. plain water

NameFriday, June 1

6. What is the name of the substance that causes acid rain?

A. smokeB. carbonC. saltD. oxides

7. What did the article say that acid rain was killing in Brazil?

A. bugsB. dogsC. catsD. fish

8. What kind of metal does acid rain put into the soil?

A. copperB. aluminumC. goldD. silver

Car exhaust contributes to acid rain. Do you think that your familycould drive less? Write a list of three ways that your family might useyour car less.

NameFriday, June 1

Earth's RegionsBy Trista L. Pollard

Our rotating sphere changes everyday. Itsphysical features change when volcanoeserupt and earthquakes rumble. Peopleremove trees and soil to add new buildingsand structures. Geographers need to learnabout these changes. They also need to learnabout changes in Earth's past.

Earth is extremely large. Studying itsfeatures can be overwhelming. So to make iteasier, geographers divide the Earth intoregions. Regions are areas that sharecommon features. These features can belandforms, climate, economy, vegetation, or people. The states orcountries within these regions are also located in the same area.Geographers create these regions based on the information they wantto study.

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

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

landforms and vegetation in these regions.

Climate regions are located all around the world. Climate is theweather that occurs in a place over a long period of time.Rainforests and deserts are examples of climate regions. Theanimals and plants that live in these regions have to adapt to theclimate. The landforms in that region are also related to the climate.Mountain regions tend to have cooler climates because of theirhigher elevation. The trees, plants, and grass in this region survivein that cooler climate. That's right, climate, landforms, andvegetation are related. As you move from lowland to higher land,the climate becomes colder. Landforms like streams and lakes arefound in the mountains.

Regions can also be created based on the language and culture ofpeople. The West Indies or Caribbean Islands are a region. They arelocated between North America and South America. In this regionthere is a mixture of languages - English, Dutch, Spanish, andFrench. There are also regional dialects or languages spoken by thenative people of the islands. These are called patois or a languagethat mixes African and English languages. These native people haveNative American and African ancestors. When people from England,France, Spain, and Holland came to the Caribbean, they broughttheir languages. Geographers can study the languages and thecultures of the people in the Caribbean Islands. They can also learnabout the history of the islands and how people live today.

You will be studying the United States regions. These regionshave many features in common. They are also located in the samegeneral area. You will learn about their geography, economy,history, climate, and people.

NameFriday, June 1

Earth's Regions

Questions

1. Why do geographers create regions on Earth?

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

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

4. How is your school considered a region?

5. True/False: Geographers define regions using a few specifictopics.

A. TrueB. False

6. What information can geographers learn from climate regions?

Name Date

Reading MathBennie's Bakery made 230 chocolate donuts, 155 glazed donuts, 215plain donuts, and 183 filled donuts. Which kind of donuts was closestin number made to the filled donuts?

The third grade students at Jensen Elementary School ate 128hamburgers yesterday. The fourth grade students ate 156 hamburgers.How many more hamburgers did the fourth grade students eat than thethird grade students?

A roll of 1/2-inch wide masking tape costs $0.48 per yard. A roll of3/4-inch wide masking tape costs $0.94 per yard. How much moredoes a 60 yard roll of 3/4-inch wide masking tape cost than a roll of1/2-inch wide tape?

There are 7,843 eggs to be packed into cartons. What number is in thehundreds place?

When Julia packs candy in bags, she skip counts the pieces by fives.She has counted to 125 already. What are the next three numbers?

Carol's Candies made a certain number of pecan clusters for CandyMonth. The number of clusters is between 455 and 555. The tens digitis three more than the ones digit. The sum of the tens and ones digits is13. How many pecan clusters were made?

questions animals on the arctic...

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