skillstutor · 2019-10-29 · lesson components ... comprehension skill lessons ... rect portion of...

ReadingComprehension

SkillsTutor

Classroom GuideA

Getting Started ............................................................................................................................................ 1

Command Buttons ................................................................................................................................1

Content-Area Reading Lessons .................................................................................................................. 2

Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 2

Lesson Components ..............................................................................................................................2

Comprehension Skill Lessons ......................................................................................................................5

The Quiz ......................................................................................................................................................6

Tests ..............................................................................................................................................................6

Skill Correlations ........................................................................................................................................7

Lesson Summaries......................................................................................................................................10

Worksheets..................................................................................................................................................18

Assignment Sheets ....................................................................................................................................34

Table of Contents

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S k i l l s Tutor Reading Comprehension A p r ovides ex t e n s ive coverage of the skills students need toi m p r ove reading comprehension. This coverage is provided through a variety of engaging activ i t i e s .Built on a framework of five units, S k i l l s Tu t o r Reading Comprehension A p r ovides students withcontent-area lessons, skill lessons, quizzes, tests, and wo r k s h e e t s .

The SkillsTutor management system (OTS) provides several important features:

● Tests students’ skills, providing both pretests and posttests to make initial assessments andgauge student progress

● Makes assignments, based on students’ pretest results

● Monitors student scores and completion of activities

● Produces reports for individual students

● Provides online documentation

This guide outlines the content and activities of S k i l l s Tutor Reading Comprehension A.I n f o rmation on the management system (OTS) is provided in the online S k i l l s Tu t o r U s e r ’s Guide.

Command Buttons

Listed below are descriptions of the command buttons that will be used throughout the S k i l l s Tu t o rReading Comprehension A lessons. These buttons (except the Check button) appear along the bottom ofthe screen.

Click Help to see instructions for using the current screen.

Click Glossary to read definitions for the bolded words in the article.

Click Article to read the article.

Click the More and Back arrows to page through an article.

Click Check to see if your answer is correct once you place all of the words in a pas-sage or after you answer a question.

Click Go On to move to the next instruction or question screen.

Getting Started

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OverviewIn S k i l l s Tutor Reading Comprehension A, each content-area reading lesson is built around ani n f o rm a t ive article. Each lesson has an introductory screen which includes a map and/or timelineto help frame the lesson topic for students. Fo l l owing the introduction are several short activ i t i e swhich encourage students to begin thinking about the lesson topic. The magazine article may becontained within a single lesson or delivered in two parts, depending upon the art i c l e ’s length, sothat lessons cover comparable amounts of material and take approx i m a t e ly the same amount oftime to complete. While reading an article, students perform several activities designed to pacetheir reading and encourage comprehension. Upon completion of the article, students reinforcecomprehension through a variety of engaging interactions.

Lesson Components

Interaction CategoriesThree categories of interactions are used in every content-area reading lesson. The categories are(1) before-reading interactions, (2) during-reading interactions, and (3) after-reading interac-tions. A general description of each category is provided below.

Before-Reading Interactions. Students encounter several before-reading interactions.These interactions include a prediction, either an idea web or a cloze passage, and apresentation of the purpose for reading. Before- reading interactions are designed toactivate students’ prior knowledge and to build their readiness for reading.

During-Reading Interactions. Following the presentation of the purpose for reading, stu-dents begin reading the article. Three to six pages of illustrated text are interspersedwith during-reading interactions. These interactions are designed to help students pacetheir reading and ask themselves questions as they read, to ensure they are understand-ing the text.

After-Reading Interactions. Students complete five to seven after-reading interactionsfor each article they read. These interactions check the students’ comprehension of thereading material. The interactions also reinforce knowledge of the six critical compre-hension skills targeted in SkillsTutor Reading Comprehension A: main idea, importantdetails, author’s purpose, cause and effect, sequencing, and inference. After-readinginteractions also give students the opportunity to review the prediction made earlier inthe lesson and to answer basic recall questions.

Content-AreaReading Lessons

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Interaction TypesStudents encounter a variety of activities in the before-, during-, and after-reading interactions.These activities are described below

Idea Web. In this activity, students are presented with a content-related question. Theyanswer the question by creating an idea web (a graphic that helps them organize theirideas). To make the web, students select four items from a list of answers and drag theitems to branches of the web. For the fifth branch of the web, students create and typean answer of their own, thus completing the web. Students encounter this activity for allarticles they read; however, two-part lessons contain only one idea web.

Cloze Passage. This activity is used in all two-part lessons. To help students rememberthe material covered in Part 1 of a lesson, a summary passage is presented at the begin-ning of Part 2. The passage contains several blanks which students fill from a list ofwords. Using context clues, students select an appropriate word for each blank and dragthe word to its position in the passage.

Prediction. In this activity, students make predictions about the article they are reading,based on prior knowledge or information they discern from the title of the article.Students select a prediction from several possible answers. Feedback is not given imme-diately after the prediction is made. Later in the lesson, after reading the article, studentsare given the opportunity to change their answer or keep their original prediction.Feedback is given for their answer at that time.

Purpose for Reading. In this activity, students are presented with the purpose or objec-tives in reading the immediate story or article. When students find and click on the cor-rect portion of an illustration, an animation occurs, and the purpose for reading is dis-played. The intention is to help students focus on the reading objectives and to then findinformation in the article that helps them meet those objectives.

C l i ck on Te x t . In this activ i t y, students are presented with a question and asked to locatethe sentence or text that specifi c a l ly answers the question. Students scan and/or reread thea rticle, and click to highlight the portion of the article that directly relates to the question.

Multiple-Choice Question with Single Correct Answer. In this activity, students answer amultiple-choice question by selecting a single correct answer. Students have the oppor-tunity to reread the article before answering the question.

Multiple-Choice Question with Several Correct Answers. In this activity, students answermultiple-choice questions by selecting several correct answers. Students have the oppor-tunity to review the article before answering.

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Evaluation Questions. In this activity, students make a decision about what they haveread. After they make their initial decision, they choose one or more reasons to supporttheir choice.

Main Idea Chart. In this activity, students use a familiar graphic organizer to identify amain idea after being given three supporting details.

Supporting Details Chart. In this activity, students use a familiar graphic organizer tochoose three details that support a given main idea.

Picture Sequencing. In this activity, students see three pictures representing a sequencefrom the article. They drag the pictures into the correct order.

Text Sequencing. In this activity, three to six details from the article are displayed out oforder. Students rearrange the details by dragging them into the correct order.

Comic Strip. In this activity, students see three panels from a comic strip. The finalpanel is missing text. From three options, students choose the text that best completesthe story line.

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In addition to the broad, content-area lessons prev i o u s ly discussed, S k i l l s Tutor ReadingC o m p rehension A p r ovides six lessons that focus on a single comprehension skill. The six skillsare (1) main idea, (2) important details, (3) author’s purpose, (4) cause and effect, (5) sequencing,and (6) inference. Each of the six comprehension skill lessons has an idea web and a predictionquestion to prepare students for learning about a targeted skill. Students then see a short tutorialon the basics of that skill. After reading an ex c e rpt from a social studies article, students answe rquestions related to the target skill. The lesson contains several ex c e rpts and 10 scored questions.Questions and feedback are designed to give explicit instruction on that lesson’s comprehensionskill. The interactions in the comprehension skill lessons are similar to those in the content-areareading lessons.

ComprehensionSkill Lessons

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The QuizA quiz is provided at the end of each unit. The quiz contains 12 questions—two questions foreach of the six critical comprehension skills. Each quiz question refers to an excerpt from anarticle in the unit just completed, so the text is familiar to students. Unlike the interactive lessonquestions, the quiz questions are presented in a multiple-choice format to give students practicein answering the kinds of questions encountered on standardized tests. After the quiz, studentshave the opportunity to review the questions they missed. During the review, feedback is provid-ed for each missed question.

TestsSkillsTutor Reading Comprehension A has one pretest and one posttest. Each test contains 12questions—two questions for each of the six critical comprehension skills. Tests are based on anarticle the students have not seen in any of the lessons, so that students may be tested on unfamiliar text. Like the questions for quizzes, the test questions are presented in multiple-choice format to give students practice in answering standardized-test questions. Aftereach test, students have the opportunity to review the questions they missed. Feedback is provided for each missed question.

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This section provides a list of all content-area reading lessons in SkillsTutor ReadingComprehension A. Unlike comprehension skill lessons, which focus on a single skill throughoutone lesson, content-area reading lessons cover several skills. Each content-area reading lessonprovides practice in answering questions in essential reading skills as well as basic recall. Thesix reading skills that are the focus of SkillsTutor Reading Comprehension A are main idea,important details, cause and effect, sequencing, author’s purpose, and inference. The list that fol-lows displays the content-area lesson names and the targeted skills for each lesson.

Skill Correlations

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Lesson Summaries

In this section you will find lesson summaries for each of the articles in SkillsTutor ReadingComprehension A. The summaries are meant to provide, at a glance, a description of the articleand an example of the type of questions students encounter for that article.

Level A includes lessons that are targeted for grades 3 to 4.

Lessons are grouped into units that reflect the general social studies themes expressed in thearticles. The units appear in this order:

● Communities

● Native Americans

● Customs and Traditions

● People Who Made a Difference

● Science and Technology

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L e s s o nN u m b e r

S

S

1-2

3

Lesson Summary

This lesson helps students understand andprovides practice in identifying the mainidea of passages and articles.

This lesson helps students understand andmake sound inferences.

This article describes the work of AnneCarroll Moore, who started the New YorkPublic Library’s Children’s Rooms in 1906.

This article is about the street cleaning leagueso rganized by George Waring in the late 1800s.Wa r i n g ’s motivation led children to vo l u n t a r i lyclean the streets of New York City.

Sample Question

What is the main idea of thisarticle?

“When a baby is more than onemonth old, many Chinese fami-lies have a special party called‘full month’ to celebrate.”

Which details from the passagehelp you make the inferencethat Einstein did not considerhimself better than anyone else?

Einstein invited the chauf-feur to sit next to him duringdinner.

Einstein did not want afuneral, a grave, or a monu-ment.

Einstein ate Sunday dinnerwith friends.

Einstein died at the age ofseventy-six.

Einstein did not want hishouse turned into a museum.

This article was probablywritten to ___________.

1 show that one person canmake a difference in manypeople's lives

2 encourage librarians to writebooks

3 get adults to go to the library4 teach children how to behave

at the library

What happened when theleagues worked with schoolsand settlement houses?

“the leagues became more pop-ular and were seen as a kind ofafter-school activity”

Lesson Title

Skill Lesson:Main Idea

Skill Lesson:Inference

A Place forChildren

Juvenile StreetCleaningLeagues

Communities

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LessonN u m b e r

4-5

S

S

Lesson Summary

This article describes the problems associat-ed with having too much trash. Recycling isfocused on as a solution to the probl e m s .

This lesson helps students understandsequence of events and practice placingevents in correct time order.

This lesson helps students understand andp r ovides practice in identifying import a n td e t a i l s .

Sample Question

On pages 1 and 2, the authorg ives reasons for recycling. Howdid the author write the reasonsso they could be easily under-s t o o d ?

1 She numbered the reasonsand put each one in its ownparagraph.

2 She made the reasons darkerthan the other text.

3 She used a chart to organizethe reasons.

4 She indented the reasons to“catch the reader's eye.”

Put the following events fromthe article in order.

1 Abraham Lincoln was run-ning for President.

2 Grace Bedell suggestedLincoln grow a beard.

3 Lincoln won the election.4 Lincoln grew a beard.5 Lincoln stopped to meet

Grace.

Which detail could be includedin this passage?

1 Einstein liked to read.2 Einstein was good at science.3 Einstein knew that he would

be successful.4 Einstein did not have many

friends as a child.

Lesson Title

Fo l l owing thePath of Yo u rTr a s h

Skill Lesson:S e q u e n c i n g

Skill Lesson:I m p o rt a n tD e t a i l s

Communities (Cont.)

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LessonN u m b e r

1-2

3

4-5

S

Lesson Summary

This article describes cultural influences ofseveral traditional Native American games.

This article is about the traditional drumceremony of the Passamaquoddy, a north-eastern Native American tribe.

This article describes the homes, fa m i ly life,and celebrations of the Cherokees from the1500s to the 1800s.

This lesson helps the student understand andp r ovides practice in identifying cause ande ff e c t .

Sample Question

When Helma Ward wasdescribing the feather game,why did she say, “…That’s all Ican tell you”?

“Family members keep thegames secret and carefullyprotect them.”

Which details describe theimportance of the drum cere-mony to the Passamaquoddy?

Men, women, and childrencan participate.

Everyone sits quietly whenthe drumming begins.

Sacred songs are sung. Drumsticks are covered with

deerskin or fur. Each tribe has a particular

way of making drums.

Why did the Cherokees hangmats on the outside walls oftheir homes?

“…to protect them from rainand insulate them.”

What caused Jeanie Low to cre-ate her inve n t i o n s ?

1 She saw a problem thatneeded to be solved.

2 She wanted to enter herinventions in a contest.

3 She wanted to become thefirst female inventor.

4 She wanted to change theworld.

Lesson Title

Games ofFamily, Gamesof Fun

PassamaquoddyDrum Ceremony

Questions andA n swers A b o u tthe Cheroke e s

Skill Lesson:Cause and Eff e c t

Native Americans

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S

Lesson Summary

This lesson helps the student understand andp r ovides practice in identifying the author’sp u rpose in passages and art i c l e s .

Sample Question

What is the author’s purpose forwriting this paragr a p h ?

1 To describe the way HelenKeller looked

2 To introduce the reader toHelen Keller’s family

3 To explain the illness thatHelen Keller had

4 To explain how Helen Kellerlearned as a child

Lesson Title

Skill Lesson:A u t h o r ’sP u rp o s e

Native Americans

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1

2-3

4

Lesson Summary

This article explains the Chinese tradition ofthe Full Month party, a celebration duringwhich friends and relatives are introduced toa newborn baby.

This article describes the arrival of bread inJapan and the influence of foreign food onJapanese cuisine.

This article is about games, such as stick-ball, that are played by children in the city.Rules are adapted and play is changed toaccommodate the city env i r o n m e n t .

Sample Question

The Full Month party is a cele-bration occurring one monthafter a baby is born. Why doyou think the Chinese wait amonth to celebrate the birth ofa baby?

1 They need time to prepare forthe party.

2 The mother and baby needtime to rest.

3 No one but the mother cansee the baby for the firstmonth.

4 Many Chinese babies stay inthe hospital for a month afterbirth.

To what does the author com-pare a Japanese anpan?

“…a jelly doughnut”

W hy did stickball become astreet ga m e ?

“…there were few ball fields inthe increasingly crowded urbanneighborhoods.…”

Lesson Title

China: The FullMonth Party

Japan:Something Old,Something New

City Games

Customs and Traditions

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1-2

3

4-5

Lesson Summary

This article is about Helen Keller and herteacher, Annie Sullivan, who helped Helensurmount the difficulties of being both deafand blind.

This article describes how a young girl’s let-ter influenced a change in the appearance ofone of our most famous presidents.

This article gives some little-known fa c t sabout A l b e rt Einstein, one of the wo r l d ’smost talented phy s i c i s t s .

Sample Question

Put these events from HelenKeller’s childhood in the cor-rect order.

1 Helen was born in 1880, inTuscumbia, Alabama.

2 Helen was a normally devel-oping, healthy baby.

3 Helen became seriously ill.4 Helen could no longer see,

hear, or speak.5 Helen had to learn using her

remaining senses.

Based on the author’s descrip-tion, how do you think Gracefelt when President Lincolntold the crowd he wanted tomeet her?

1 Sad2 Silly3 Embarrassed4 Angry

W hy did Einstein’s parents fearsomething was wrong with himwhen he was yo u n g ?

He didn’t speak well. He thought for a long time

before answering questions. He spent a lot of time won-

dering about the universe. He did not like to play. He didn't wear socks.

Lesson Title

Growing Up atIvy Green

Why LincolnGrew a Beard

Fa s c i n a t i n gFacts A b o u tE i n s t e i n

People Who Made a Difference

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1-2

3

4-5

Lesson Summary

This article is about the inventor RobertGoddard, “the father of modern rocketry.”

This article is about Jeanie Low who, in1992, became the youngest female evergranted a U.S. patent for an invention.

This article describes the inventions ofG a rrett Morgan, the man responsible forsuch creations as the fire safety hood and ane a r ly traffic signal.

Sample Question

What do you think the “hugesteel cylinder” in Goddard’simagination was?

1 A rocket2 An asteroid3 An airplane4 An alien spaceship

Why were people shockedwhen they saw Jeanie at theannual Inventors Expo?

“No one expected a child to bethere.”

Which of the following eve n t sgave Morgan an idea that led toan inve n t i o n ?

Morgan saw a car collidewith a horse and carriage.

Morgan wiped his polish-covered hands on a piece ofpony fur cloth.

Morgan founded a weeklynewspaper.

Morgan was diagnosed withglaucoma.

Morgan patented a traffic signal for use at four-wayintersections.

Lesson Title

The Story of aDaydreamer

The YoungestFemale Inventor:Jeanie Low

Big ChiefM a s o n

Science and Technology

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This section contains reproducible worksheets* for each content-area reading lesson in S k i l l s Tu t o rReading Comprehension A. Worksheets may be used by students to extend the computer activity oras a homework assignment.

The worksheets begin with a synopsis of the article students encountered in the lesson. In general,worksheet activities serve to test the students’ comprehension of the article. T h ey also prov i d esuggestions for creative writing, drawing, craft, or performance activities related to the art i c l e .

CommunitiesA Place for ChildrenThe Juvenile Street Cleaning LeaguesFollowing the Path of Your Trash

Native AmericansGames of Family, Games of FunPassamaquoddy Drum CeremonyQuestions and Answers About the Cherokees

Customs and TraditionsChina: The Full Month PartyJapan: Something Old, Something NewCity Games

People Who Made a DifferenceGrowing Up at Ivy GreenWhy Lincoln Grew a BeardFascinating Facts About Einstein

Science and TechnologyThe Story of a DaydreamerThe Youngest Female Inventor: Jeanie LowBig Chief Mason

* These worksheets are provided with the online documentation and may be printed from your computer.

Worksheets

Name Date

Reading Comprehension A © 2004 Achievement Technologies, Inc.

Communities Lessons 1 & 2

A Place for Children

This article is about Anne Carroll Moore, a woman who helped libraries become more open and fun for children. Moore worked for the New York Public Library System in the early 1900s. At that time, children were not encouraged to use the library. Moore made many changes. She filled bright and colorful rooms with children’s books. She made comfortable places to sit, and she put pictures on the walls. She brought in authors and illustrators to share their stories and pictures with young readers. Children today enjoy using libraries because of the efforts of Anne Carroll Moore.

What do you like most about your school library or other libraries you have visited? What features would you include if you were designing the perfect library? Make a list of those important features.

In the exercise above, you listed the features for a perfect library. Draw a plan for that library. Be sure to include the most important features from your list.

Name Date


Communities Lesson 3

The Juvenile Street Cleaning Leagues

This article tells about the Juvenile Street Cleaning Leagues organized by George Waring in the 1890s. George Waring was the Street Cleaning Commissioner of New York City. He organized leagues of children to clean up trash in the city streets as an after-school activity. “Colonel” Waring formed these clubs to teach children the importance of cleanliness and community support. In the early 1900s, thousands of children in New York and many other cities helped keep the cities clean.

The children in the street cleaning leagues helped solve a community problem. Think of a problem in your community that children could help solve. Write a paragraph that might persuade people to improve your school, neighborhood, or town.

Create a poster for a community project. Use a special phrase or title to attract people’s attention. Use magazine cutouts or a drawing to finish your poster.

Name Date


Communities Lessons 4 & 5

Following the Path of Your Trash

This article is about the large amounts of trash we have in the United States. The average American produces 160 million tons of trash each year. Disposing of that much trash is a major problem. Landfills, the places where trash is dumped, are not the perfect answer. Landfills are filling up, and many of them can’t hold any more trash. Burning trash is not a good solution either—it puts poisonous gases into the air and water. Recycling is one solution that saves energy, trees, and money. Recycling helps keep garbage out of the landfills, too. However, many people do not recycle. It is important for us to learn the reasons for recycling and the many ways we can practice it.

Recycling is one way to reduce trash. What other ways might work? Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. In your letter, encourage people to recycle, and give other ideas for reducing trash.

Write a radio announcement. In your announcement, ask people to help solve the trash problem. Be creative! Use your words, reasons, and voice to convince people to help. Practice your radio announcement with a friend or relative.

Name Date


Native Americans Lessons 1 & 2

Games of Family, Games of Fun

In this article, we learned that games are an important part of the Makah’s tradition and family heritage. Each family has their own special game that is passed from one generation to the next. Game pieces, such as dice and bones, are also passed from parents to children, and then to grandchildren. A custom of the tribe is that one family’s game can be played by another family only when they are invited to play it. The bone game, shinny, and the beaver-tooth dice game are popular games of the Makah tribe.

What games do you like to play? Fill in the chart to describe the games you like best.

Games I likePerson who taught

me the gamePeople who play

the game with meWhere we play

the gameWhat we need to

play the game

What do you think makes a game fun for a family to play? Make a list of features your family should consider when they choose a game to play. Remember to choose features the whole family can enjoy.

Name Date


Native Americans Lesson 3

Passamaquoddy Drum Ceremony

The Passamaquoddies are a Native American tribe from Maine and nearby Canada. This article is about the drum ceremony, an important part of their community life. The ceremony begins with someone carrying an herb, such as sweetgrass, that is burning. The fragrant smoke from the herb is meant to carry away negative feelings. Later in the ceremony, drums are played and sacred songs are sung. At this time, people say prayers and think about their ancestors, the people who lived before them. When the drumming is over, many people feel more loving toward each other and their community. Many young people want to continue or preserve their tribe’s traditions. They are learning drumming methods, traditional songs, and tribal dances from their elders.

The author of the article is a member of the Passamaquoddy tribe. Make a list of the advantages this gave her in writing about the drum ceremony.

What instrument do you play or would you like to play? Draw a picture of the instrument. Write a short description of the instrument, telling why you like it.

Name Date


Native Americans Lessons 4 & 5

Questions and Answers About the Cherokees

This article describes the life of the Cherokees in the 1500s, before the Europeans came to America. The Cherokees — one of the oldest Native American tribes — lived in the area that is now the southeastern United States. The Cherokee Nation consisted of seven neighboring clans. They made their living by farming and hunting. Cherokee beliefs centered around the sun, which was considered the most powerful force in the universe. The Cherokees celebrated special holidays, including a New Year festival called “The Busk.” One of their favorite sports was a game similar to the modern game of lacrosse. Their lives were changed forever by the arrival of the Europeans in America.

Fill in the chart. List the facts you already knew about the Cherokees. Then list some new facts you learned. In the last column, list any questions you have about the Cherokees.

Already knew Learned from article Would like to learn

The Cherokees celebrated the New Year with a festival called “The Busk.” How do people in your family or community celebrate the New Year? Create an invitation to a New Year’s party or celebration. Use a drawing, poem, photograph, or some other clue on the invitation to let people know what the celebration will include.

Name Date


Customs and Traditions Lesson 1

China: The Full Month Party

This article explains the Full Month party, a Chinese tradition for celebrating the birth of a baby. The party is held a full month after the baby is born, rather than immediately after the birth. This gives the mother and baby time to rest and build their strength. At the party, friends and relatives welcome the baby. A delicious dinner is served. Chinese families in New York celebrate by giving the baby new clothes and “lucky money.” At the party, the baby may also be bathed and given a haircut. The party is a way of showing how happy and proud the family is that the baby was born.

How do people in your family or community celebrate the birth of a baby? Talk to your parents, grandparents, or another older person about it. Make a list of their traditions or the ways they welcome a new baby into their family.

Pretend that someone you know just had a baby. The mother and baby will be coming home from the hospital soon. Design a banner or sign to welcome them home.

Name Date


Customs and Traditions Lessons 2 & 3

Japan: Something Old, Something New

This article is about the history of bread in Japan. In 1543, Portuguese traders introduced bread, or “pan,” to the people of Japan. At first, pan was not popular there. Over the years, the Japanese changed the recipe by adding more familiar ingredients. Bread then became more popular in Japan. “Anpan,” for example, is a Japanese bun that is made from flour and filled with sweet bean paste. Today, many kinds of bread are sold in bakeries in Japan. Multigrain breads, pizza toast, and other breads that are popular in Europe and America are also popular in Japan.

Make a list of the kinds of bread you would sell if you owned a bakery. Which breads do you think would be the most popular? Why? Which is your favorite?

A variety of ingredients may be added to bread for flavor. Fruit, nuts, cheese, chocolate, and vegetables are just a few examples. Make up a recipe for your own special bread. Include the ingredients and directions for making the bread.

Name Date


Customs and Traditions Lesson 4

City Games

This article tells about games that were created by children living in New York City in the 1800s and early 1900s. Stickball, a game similar to baseball, was very popular. A stick was used for a bat. The bases were fire hydrants, parked cars, or other objects found on city streets. Stoopball was another popular game. It was played by bouncing a ball off the front steps of a city building. Skelly was played by shooting bottle caps around a board drawn with chalk on the sidewalk. Marbles, hopscotch, and jacks were also played on many city sidewalks and streets.

People like different games for different reasons. Think of two of your favorite games, and fill in this chart.

Compare the two charts. What is different about the games you like and the games you don’t like?

Games I likeTeam or

individual?Indoor or outdoor?

Ball or no ball?

Active or quiet?

Games I don’t like

Team or individual?

Indoor or outdoor?

Ball or no ball?

Active or quiet?

Choose one of the games you like. Write instructions to teach the game to someone else. Include a list of game pieces or other materials used in the game. Make drawings or diagrams to help explain how the game is played.

Then think of two games you don’t like, and fill in this chart.

Name Date


People Who Made a Difference Lessons 1 & 2

Growing Up at Ivy Green

This article is about Helen Keller, a girl who could not see, speak, or hear. Helen lost her sight and her hearing during an illness when she was just a baby. When Helen was seven, her parents asked Anne Sullivan to teach her how to communicate. At first, Helen did not understand the sign language Anne tried to teach her. One day, at the water pump, Anne showed Helen the hand signal for “water.” Then she let Helen feel the water. Helen made the connection and began to learn sign language. After that, Helen learned to speak and to read and write in Braille, a special language for the blind. She graduated from college and went on to help other people with disabilities all over the world.

Pretend you are interviewing Helen Keller for a TV show. Make a list of questions to ask her. Have someone else pretend to be Helen. Use the questions and answers to teach your audience about Helen’s accomplishments. Perform the interview.

Two words that tell who Anne was:

Three words that describe Anne:

Two words that tell what Anne did:

Create a similar chart for Helen.

Anne Sullivan

Anne Sullivan

What do you think of Anne Sullivan? Fill in the chart below to describe the role Anne played in Helen Keller’s life.

Name Date


People Who Made a Difference Lesson 3

Why Lincoln Grew a Beard

This article tells about the letter Grace Bedell wrote to Abraham Lincoln when she was eleven years old. In her letter, Grace suggested that Mr. Lincoln grow a beard. She thought he would look better and that more people would vote for him if he wore “whiskers.” Lincoln liked her advice but waited until after the election to grow his beard. Shortly after he was elected President, Lincoln traveled by train from Illinois to Washington. He stopped briefly in Grace’s hometown. Wearing his newly grown beard, he asked to meet Grace Bedell. There, in front of hundreds of people, he thanked her for her kind letter. His new image was a popular one—one that was inspired by a young girl’s letter.

Abraham Lincoln liked Grace’s idea, but he waited until he was elected to grow his beard. Why do you think Lincoln decided to wait? What do you think of his decision? Answer these questions in a brief paragraph.

What advice would you give to someone who is running for office? Pretend that you are writing to someone who wants to be President of the United States. In your letter, make suggestions that might help the person win the election.

Name Date


People Who Made a Difference Lessons 4 & 5

Fascinating Facts About Einstein

This article gives facts about the life of Albert Einstein, a famous scientist. A surprising fact is that Einstein did not do well in school. He did not enjoy most sports and games, but he loved sailing and playing the violin. He did not use many machines. He barely learned to use a typewriter, and he never drove a car. He loved animals. He lived a simple life and spent a lot of time at work. He was a humble man who did not seek fame, even though he became one of the world’s most famous scientists.

Were you surprised by what you learned about Einstein in the article? What were the three most interesting facts you learned?

Facts I learned aboutAlbert Einstein

Why this fact was interesting to me

Design a cover for a book about Albert Einstein. Create a title and picture for the front. On the back, list a few facts about Einstein. Make the cover as interesting as possible so people will want to buy your book!

Name Date


Science and Technology Lessons 1 & 2

The Story of a Daydreamer

This article is about the life of Robert Goddard, the “Father of Modern Rocketry.” Robert was born in 1882, long before the beginnings of our modern space program. As a young boy, he dreamed of traveling in space. He studied science and learned as much as he could about space. He worked hard in college to learn all he could to make his dreams come true. After college, his experiments with rockets attracted the attention of Charles Lindbergh. Mr. Lindbergh convinced a foundation to support Robert’s work. Robert Goddard spent the rest of his life inventing new and better ways to send man to the stars.

For a long time, people laughed at Robert Goddard and called him “Moon Man.” Newspaper articles made fun of his experiments. Write a newspaper article with a different point of view —one that supports Robert’s experiments.

Robert Goddard dreamed of space flight. He died in 1945 before he could see his dreams come true. Write a letter to Robert telling him about the space travel that is possible today.

Name Date


Science and Technology Lesson 3

The Youngest Female Inventor: Jeanie Low

This article is about Jeanie Low. Jeanie is the youngest female to receive a U.S. patent for an invention. She received a patent for the Kiddie Stool she invented. The Kiddie Stool folds onto a cabinet door and allows children to safely reach a sink. Jeanie also invented an alarm that sounds when a bathtub is ready to overflow. Another invention—the arthritis gripper—fits over a doorknob and makes it easier for people to open a door. Jeanie Low has appeared on various television shows to talk about her inventions. She plans to be an archaeologist when she grows up.

Jeanie’s inventions began when she saw a problem and thought of a solution. Look at the example and solution below. Then think of two other problems and possible solutions.

Problem Solution

Example:Jeanie couldn’t reach the sink.

Example:The solution is the Kiddie Stool! The Kiddie Stool lifted her to the level of the sink and did not break.

Describe a problem you know about. Imagine an invention that would solve the problem. Draw a diagram and explain how your invention would work.

Name Date


Science and Technology Lessons 4 & 5

Big Chief Mason

This article tells about Garrett Augustus Morgan, the African American inventor of the safety hood. The safety hood was an early version of the gas mask. Morgan called himself “Big Chief Mason” when he demonstrated the safety hood to a crowd in 1914. He used that name to disguise himself as a Native American, because he knew at that time some people would not buy a product invented by an African American. Morgan and his brother later saved the lives of 32 people by using the safety hoods Morgan had invented. Garrett Morgan had two other successful inventions — a hair-straightening cream and a traffic signal.

Garrett Morgan’s traffic signal was an important invention. It helped prevent accidents at busy intersections. Some inventors, like Morgan, help make life safer with their inventions. List several inventions that have made life safer for people. List several inventions that have made life more fun!

If you were selling Morgan’s safety hood, how would you describe it? Draw a magazine advertisement. In the ad, try to convince fire departments to buy safety hoods for their firefighters.

Safety Inventions Fun Inventions

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The following are assignment sheets for SkillsTutor Reading Comprehension A, which list theavailable activities. The SkillsTutor management system (OTS) will monitor your lesson assign-ments and the activities your students complete. However, it may be helpful to photocopy theassignment sheets to help you plan lesson assignments or to help your students keep track of theactivities they complete.

Assignment Sheets

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Assignment Sheets

A c t i v i t y Date A s s i g n e d Date Completed S c o re / P ro g re s s

• Level A Pretest

Native Americans

1 Games of Family, Games of Fun, Part 1

2 Games of Family, Games of Fun, Part 2

3 Passamaquoddy Drum Ceremony

4 Questions and Answers About the Cherokees, Part 1

5 Questions and Answers About the Cherokees, Part 2

Q Native Americans Quiz

Customs and Traditions

1 China: The Full Month Party

2 Japan: Something Old, Something New; Part 1

3 Japan: Something Old, Something New; Part 2

4 City Games

Q Customs and Traditions Quiz

Communities

1 A Place for Children, Part 1

2 A Place for Children, Part 2

3 The Juvenile Street Cleaning Leagues

4 Following the Path of Your Trash, Part 1

5 Following the Path of Your Trash, Part 2

Q Communities Quiz

S Skill Lesson: Sequencing

S Skill Lesson: Important Details

S Skill Lesson: Main Idea

S Skill Lesson: Inference

S Skill Lesson: Cause & Effect

S Skill Lesson: Author’s Purpose

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Assignment Sheets

A c t i v i t y Date A s s i g n e d Date Completed S c o re / P ro g re s s

Science and Technology

1 The Story of a Daydreamer, Part 1

2 The Story of a Daydreamer, Part 2

3 The Youngest Female Inventor: Jeanie Low

4 Big Chief Mason, Part 1

5 Big Chief Mason, Part 2

Q Science and Technology Quiz

People Who Made a Difference

1 Growing Up at Ivy Green, Part 1

2 Growing Up at Ivy Green, Part 2

3 Why Lincoln Grew a Beard

4 Fascinating Facts About Einstein, Part 1

5 Fascinating Facts About Einstein, Part 2

Q People Who Make a Difference Quiz

• Level A Posttest

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