reading passages: grade 3 - rp...

Reading Passages: Grade 3

Passage Type Description

“A Fishing Trip” Literary: Fiction/Drama Two cousins encounter a bear while fishing.

“A Place to Grow” Literary: Poetry Poem about Tommy planting seeds.

“A Record of Events” Literary: Fiction/Drama Friends use their skills to find a friend's birth date.

“A Silent Flight” Literary: Poetry Life in the desert.

“A Trip Back in Time” Literary: Fiction/Drama Mark thinks he is visiting a tourist attraction until he finds himself aboard an adventure in time!

“Afternoon on a Hill” Literary: Poetry A person sits on a hill outside of town. Millay, Edna St. Vincent. “Afternoon on a hill.” Project Gutenberg. Last updated June 19, 2008. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/109/109-h/109-h.htm

“Alien Squirrel” Literary: Fiction/Drama Encountering an alien squirrel.

“Caves” Informational: Instructive/Exp All about caves, stalactites and stalagmites!

“Donita’s New Sister” Literary: Fiction/Drama Donita adjusts to her new little sister.

“Everything Is Broken Today!”

Literary: Fiction/Drama Everything seems to be going wrong when Marigold tries to find a way to school.

“Field Trip Permission Slip”

Informational: Instructive/Exp A permission slip to visit the museum and see fossils!

“Galaxies” Informational: Instructive/Exp Exploring the Milky Way.

“Goodbye, Bedroom” Literary: Fiction/Drama Gina is sad about moving until she realizes what makes a home and room so very special.

“Jill’s Trip” Literary: Fiction/Drama Jill is excited about the long journey across the country. She is all set with her camera and her diary.

“Just Like Grandfather” Literary: Fiction/Drama Greg enjoys watching Grandpa carve. One day, Grandpa teaches Greg how to carve.

“Ladybugs” Informational: Instructive/Exp All about Ladybugs. Ladybugs love to eat aphids!

“Little Ant’s Lesson” Literary: Fiction/Drama Ant learning to stay calm

“Many Kinds of Clay” Informational: Instructive/Exp Explains the different types of clay and how they are made.

“Mars” Informational: Instructive/Exp Water and life on Mars.

“My Days on the Ranch Journal”

Literary: Fiction/Drama Francisca writes in her journal about her summer on the ranch.

“My Favorite Chore” Literary: Fiction/Drama Sweeping—the author's favorite chore—is described

“Pet City News” Informational: Instructive/Exp Tips on how to choose a pet.

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STAR Custom—Reading Passages: Grade 3

A Fishing Trip

Gary and his cousin Mark liked camping. They usually camped in the woods beside ponds or rivers. They would fish for hours and listen to the radio. One day, they found a great place to fish beside a pond next to a big river. They started fishing. Just then, they heard someone walking in the woods. Both boys looked around and called out, but there was no answer. “Maybe it was just the wind in the leaves,” Gary said. They turned off the radio and listened.

A moment later, Mark heard the sound again! The boys slowly put down their fishing poles and turned toward the river. Sitting at the edge of the forest was a large black bear. Gary put out his hand to make Mark stay still. The bear looked calmly at them across the big river. The boys thought he was just waiting his turn at the fishing pond. Gary and Mark moved quietly away from the edge of the pond. They never took their eyes off the bear. When the boys were far away, the bear slowly got up. He swam across the river, then strolled around the pond. He stared deep into the water. In one quick

“Picturing a Wild Foal” Literary: Fiction/Drama Taking pictures of horses.

“Planting a Windowsill Garden”

Informational: Instructive/Exp Instructions on how to plant a windowsill garden.

“Quiet Things” Literary: Poetry Poem about quiet things.

“Rainbow Soup” Informational: Instructive/Exp Rainbow soup recipe.

“Sky Pioneers” Informational: Instructive/Exp Building the first airplane.

“Small Skater” Literary: Fiction/Drama A girl gets new skates and learns how to skate.

“Sock Puppets” Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make sock puppets.

“Sugar Gliders” Informational: Instructive/Exp Facts about sugar gliders.

“Table of Contents” Informational: Instructive/Exp All about sailing.

“The Art of Drawing” Informational: Instructive/Exp Types of drawing.

“The Hike” Literary: Fiction/Drama Encountering a deer.

“The Sun’s Hope” Literary: Poetry The sun says good morning and goodnight.

“The Walrus—A Tool Kit on His Face”

Informational: Instructive/Exp A walrus hunts and protects itself.

“To the Moon!” Informational: Instructive/Exp Landing on the moon.

“Two Fables” Literary: Fiction/Drama Fables about hard work.

“Why the Raccoon Wears a Mask”

Literary: Fiction/Drama Raccoon learns a lesson.

“Windy Canyon Middle School Bulletin for December 17”

Literary: Fiction/Drama Middle school bulletin.

Passage Type Description



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motion, he reached in with his huge paws and grabbed a fish. Then the bear took the fish in his mouth and walked back into the forest.

When the boys caught their breath, they moved as fast as they could! They packed all their camping stuff, and then they ran straight for home. Meeting a hungry bear was enough adventure for one camping trip!

A Place to Grow

Sacks of seedsAre what Tommy needs,For today he plants his flowers.

The dirt is spread,Covering the flower bed.Tommy has worked for hours.

Knees fall to the ground.Tommy forms a dirt mound.He completes the first long row.

With a pat, pat, pat,The mound goes flat.Now Tommy’s seeds have a place to grow.

A Record of Events

Justine leaned against a tall tree in her backyard, and wrote in a small notebook. She liked to write in the notebook every day. She would write down funny stories or things she heard people say. She would also write what she did and how she felt.

Justine wrote, “I hope my friend Emalda comes over this afternoon.” Justine liked to make notes about everything. The notebook was her diary, or journal. Justine kept her old notebooks on a shelf in her room. She had been writing in notebooks for over a year. She carefully labeled each one.

Justine was still in the yard writing when Emalda came into the yard. Emalda ran up to Justine saying, “Justine! Guess what!”

Justine closed her notebook. She said, “What is it, Emalda?”

Emalda said, “I think it’s Stacy’s birthday next week, but she hasn’t said anything yet.”



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Stacy, Emalda, and Justine were close friends. Stacy had given Justine a beautiful set of stationary on her birthday. On Emalda’s birthday, Stacy had given Emalda a bracelet. Now they couldn’t miss Stacy’s birthday!

Emalda said, “I know it’s her birthday soon. Do you remember which day?”

Justine said, “I know how we can figure it out.”

They went to Justine’s room. Justine found her notebook from the year before marked “Summer.” Soon she found a page where she’d written “Stacy’s Birthday Party” across the top. Justine had dated every page, and she could see that Stacy’s birthday had been on June 16.

“It’s one week from today,” Justine said. Then Justine laughed. She said, “Remember last year when we all went bowling, and I accidentally threw my ball into the next lane?” She had written about it in her journal.

Emalda laughed, too. She remembered the story. Emalda said, “I’m so glad you wrote everything down! And, we still have time to find a present for Stacy!”

A Silent Flight

The desert owl flies Through the deep blue sky. Its wide wings make a shadow On the rocky desert floor.

The desert is alive. Last night held a pleasing rain. And now flowers fill the desert floor. Still the owl searches for a bite to eat.

The fox, mouse, and snake take inThe storm’s gift of rain and cool breeze. But the owl flies in silent flight, No time for sweet smells, only food.

A Trip Back in Time

The sun burned high in the sky. Mark felt sweat run down his neck. He was glad he had put on shorts and a T-shirt. He and his parents were walking on a dirt road in Grandville. This was a place where visitors came to see the Old West. No cars were allowed, only horses. People left their cars behind to enter the past. Mark had been to a ghost town fun park before, but this place seemed different. It seemed real. Mark was excited because he wanted to know what it was really like in the Wild West. He didn’t know he was actually going to get the chance.



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In town, dust blew through the air. Wagons went by. Wooden buildings faced each other like gunfighters. There were people in town who Mark thought must be actors. They were dressed up to fit their old-time roles. Women wore big dresses. Men wore cowboy boots and hats. One man nodded at Mark and said, “Howdy, partner.” Mark was sure the man must be an actor too.

Then from a distance, Mark heard the sound of a train. The sound was a low rumble at first. It got closer with each blow of the whistle. With a final puff of steam, the train slowed to a stop at the station. Mark ran up to it. He had always dreamt of riding on an old train.

Stepping from the train, a man called out, “All aboard!” Mark and his parents climbed onto the train. The man smiled at Mark and said, “Now is your chance.” Mark thought this was strange. Once inside, the steam whistle blew and people jumped. The train lurched forward. People grabbed for the seats so they wouldn’t fall. It was then that Mark realized what had happened.

His clothes had changed. He now had a cowboy hat on his head and boots on his feet. Everyone else looked different too. They stood there looking like the actors from town. His mom wore a big dress. His dad wore cowboy boots and a hat. Mark knew at once that the train had brought them back in time.

Afternoon on a Hill

1 I will be the gladdest thing

2 Under the sun!

3 I will touch a hundred flowers

4 And not pick one.

5 I will look at cliffs and clouds

6 With quiet eyes,

7 Watch the wind bow down the grass,

8 And the grass rise.

9 And when lights begin to show

10 Up from the town,

11 I will mark which must be mine,

12 And then start down!

—Millay, Edna St. Vincent. “Afternoon on a Hill.” Project Gutenberg.



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Alien Squirrel

A family was driving in the mountains one day. They stopped the car at the highway rest stop to stretch their legs and get a drink of water. There were some trees at the rest stop. Jerome asked if he could go look at them.

“Sure,” said his mother. “Just stay where I can see you.” Jerome dashed off to the other side of the rest stop to see what he could find in the trees.

Suddenly, he screeched to a stop and held his breath. Ahead of him, in the middle of the trail stood the most fantastic animal he had ever seen. It was a squirrel. But what a squirrel! As it stood on its hind legs, it was almost a foot tall, not a giant, but it was the biggest squirrel Jerome had ever seen. Even stranger was the squirrel’s amazing appearance. Unlike other squirrels, it was neither red nor gray. It was totally black and had long, pointed ears that made it look like the aliens Jerome had seen on TV.

Jerome had seen plenty of squirrels back home in Phoenix, but they never looked like this one. His brother called squirrels “fuzzy rats,” to keep them straight from pigeons, which he called “the flying rats.” Jerome thought his brother was pretty silly. Maybe city animals weren’t as exciting as lions or bears, but it was still fun to watch them. The chance to see animals made trips to the park a lot more interesting.

Now here was a totally different kind of squirrel. At least, Jerome hoped it was a squirrel. He looked again at the animal’s long, alien-looking ears.

“I know what you must be,” Jerome smiled. “A squirrel from Mars. A real Martian squirrel!” The squirrel just looked at him. It didn’t say anything. Jerome held up his hand, making a “V” sign, which means “peace,” with his fingers. He wished the squirrel would say something in a Martian language.

“Take me to your leader,” he joked. Then he heard his mother calling. Jerome sighed. Time to get back in the car. Running back to the car, Jerome thought he would draw a picture of the strange squirrel. Drawing would make the rest of the drive more interesting for him. It would also help him remember what the squirrel looked like. Of course, he would have to add some antennae to the squirrel’s head, and maybe draw it stepping out of a spaceship so people would know where it really came from.

Caves

A cave is a hollow area in the earth. Some caves are large enough for a person to enter. The inside of a cave is dark and damp. Some caves have just one room, others have many rooms and passages.

Scientists who study caves have found underground lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. They have also found rocks called “stalactites” and “stalagmites.”



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Stalactites look like icicles, only they are made of rock. They hang from the ceiling of a cave, just like icicles hang from rooftops. Stalagmites are rocky points that rise from the floor of a cave.

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed by water that comes in through cracks in the cave. Each drop of water contains bits of rock. As the water seeps into the cave, the water dries up, leaving the rock behind. Over thousands of years, the rock builds up to form stalactites and stalagmites. It is important when scientists study caves to be very careful. If a scientist breaks a stalactite or stalagmite, it cannot be fixed.

Donita’s New Sister

Donita wasn’t sure how she felt about having her new baby sister, Christie, in the house. The baby was very cute when she was sleeping. When the baby woke up, she smiled at Donita. When Christie was sleeping, though, Donita had to be quiet so she wouldn’t wake her little sister by accident.

“Turn down the television a little bit,” Donita’s mother would say if Christie was asleep. Donita watched only one hour of television a day, after eating dinner and finishing her homework.

Other times Christie would cry for no reason at all, and then she was very loud.

“Could you turn down the crying?” Donita said once, but her mother didn’t answer. Her mother was holding Christie, making soft noises and rocking the baby so she would stop crying.

One morning before school, Donita was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the side of the cereal box. Donita’s father had to go to work earlier than usual.

He said, “Have a nice day, Donita. Help your mom out and put your dishes in the dishwasher before you go.”

Donita always put her dishes in the dishwasher. She tried to help her mother and father in any way that she could.

Her mother carried Christie into the kitchen. She said, “Could you hold your sister while I get dressed?” Christie was only a little over one month old. She was still small and easy to hold. “Be careful with her,” her mom said.

Donita was very careful when she held the baby. She supported Christie’s head with one arm and kept her other arm under the baby. Christie was awake and looking around. Donita looked at Christie, and Christie looked back. Donita noticed how small Christie’s nose was and how serious her expression was. Christie was only a baby, but she was paying close attention to the world.

Their mother came back into the room and said, “Your little sister will always look up to you, you know. She’s known you from the very first day of her life. You’ll always set an example for her.”



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Donita could tell that Christie was already looking at her as an example. Donita smiled. She decided it would be fun to have a little sister. She could hardly wait until Christie could talk to her. Now when they went to visit relatives, Donita wouldn’t be the only child. Donita was nine years older, but she knew that she and Christie could soon have fun together like friends and sisters do.

Everything Is Broken Today!

A Three-Act Play by Ned Fuster

Act I, Scene 1

(On one side of the stage there is a small bench. On the other is a house and a bicycle. The door to the house opens. A girl, MARIGOLD, walks out and closes the door. She walks over to the bench.)

MARIGOLD: (looking at watch) The bus should be here any minute. Maybe I have time to finish my homework.

(MARIGOLD takes out her schoolbook and begins reading. A boy, TONY, runs up to the bench.)

TONY: Hey Marigold!

MARIGOLD: Hi, Tony.

TONY: Why are you waiting for the bus? Didn’t you hear? The bus broke down. We have to have our parents drive us to school.

MARIGOLD: Where did you hear that?

TONY: The school called my house. Didn’t they call your house?

MARIGOLD: I don’t know. My mom didn’t say anything.

TONY: Well, I have to go! See you at school!

(TONY runs off stage. MARIGOLD puts her book back in her bag and walks back to her house. Just then, Marigold’s MOTHER comes out of the house.)

MOTHER: Honey, why aren’t you waiting for the bus?

MARIGOLD: Mom, did the school call us?

MOTHER: I don’t know. I was in the garage working on the car. For some reason it won’t start this morning.

MARIGOLD: Then you can’t drive me to school? The bus is broken. I think the school called us.



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MOTHER: Well, I hope your bicycle works today. You’ve got to hurry!

(MARIGOLD gets on her bicycle and begins to pedal across the stage. Just then the stage brightens with a warm light. MARIGOLD looks up.)

MARIGOLD: Well, at least it’s going to be a nice day!

End of Act 1.

Field Trip Permission Slip

Dear Parent,

On Tuesday, our class will visit the Museum of Natural History. We are going to see the dinosaur exhibit. This is a rare chance to see dinosaur fossils. The exhibit will only be in town for a few weeks.

We leave the school at 10:00 a.m. and return at 1:00 p.m. The museum sells box lunches for five dollars. Students may bring their own lunches instead.

Please sign this form and have your child bring it back to school before Tuesday. Then we will know how many children are going on the field trip.

If you do not want your child to go on the trip, let us know. Your child may stay at school, where we are showing a film about dinosaurs.

Thank you, Nina Panyarikan

I, ______________ (parent’s name), give my child ____________ (student’s name) permission to visit the Museum of Natural History and see the dinosaur exhibit.

____ My child will be buying lunch at the museum.

____ My child will be bringing a lunch.

____ Yes, I want to help plan this trip. My phone number is: _________.

Signature: _____________________ Date: _______________



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Galaxies

Have you ever looked up in the night sky when you were far away from any city lights? Did you see a band of light across the sky? This band of light is called the Milky Way. It is Earth’s neighborhood in the universe. The Milky Way is made up of billions of stars like our sun. We cannot see each star because they are too far away. But because there are so many, we see them as a white band in the sky.

A force called gravity keeps the stars in place. Gravity is a force that pulls objects together. Stars and planets that are about the same size and are close to each other are held together by gravity.

Galaxies can be classified by their shapes. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. It is shaped like a flat disk with a bump in the center. From the top, the disk looks like a pinwheel. It has bright arms that curl out from the center. Other galaxies are much rounder and do not have arms. Some have no clear shape at all.

You might be surprised by the size of the universe. Our planet is just one of eight planets that orbit the sun. The sun is just one star of billions in our galaxy. Our galaxy is only one of billions of galaxies in the universe. So the next time you are away from the city lights at night, look up at the lights of our galaxy. What an amazing universe we live in!

Goodbye, Bedroom

Gina was sad. She slowly put her toys and games into moving boxes. Gina didn't want to pack up her things, but her mother finally put her foot down. Gina had to pack. Gina's mother had a new job in another town. It was good news, but the family had to move. Everyone had to pack up to get ready for the move.

Gina liked the idea of living in a new town. She didn't like the idea of moving into a new house. Her bedroom was pretty, and she loved it. She and her brother had a tree house in the backyard. What if she didn't like her bedroom in the new house? What if there was no tree house? Her parents said the new house was wonderful. They said there was a TV room just for Gina and her brother. They also said there were trees in the backyard. They said the neighborhood was great for riding bikes. Still, Gina was sad.

Gina's brother came in to see if she needed help. He said he would miss the old house, too. As they talked, they packed up more of Gina's things. Soon, the room started to look empty. Gina knew that the special thing about her room was — Gina! It was special because it was her room, and she could make her new room special, too. She would hang her favorite posters and line up her stuffed animals on the shelves.

They left the empty bedroom. Gina and her brother both said their old house would always be special. Today, Gina is happy about making her new house special, too.



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Jill’s Trip

Jill was counting the days until school was out for the summer. She and her family would be going on a cross-country trip. Jill could hardly wait. She had been on trips with her family before, but this trip was special. They were renting a large motor home and driving all the way to Arizona. That seemed like a million miles from her home in New Jersey. Jill was thrilled to begin the trip.

Finally school was out. It was time to pack for their journey. Jill had a list of things she wanted to see in each state. Her dad bought her a camera for the trip. She had a special notebook in which she could write interesting facts about places she visited. Jill wanted to use the information to write a great report about her trip for school next year.

Jill hopped into the motor home and settled into a seat near the front. Her dad was taking the first shift driving. He turned the key and they were on their way! Jill’s mom suggested that she make her notebook into a diary. Then she could easily remember what happened in the places that they visited. Jill smiled happily and made the first entry in her diary. She wrote, “Today, we began our journey into the unknown. I can hardly wait for tomorrow!”

Just Like Grandfather

Greg loved to watch his grandfather carve. It amazed Greg to see how quickly the carving knife moved in his grandfather’s fingers. Sometimes it seemed like the carving was taking shape right before Greg’s eyes. With a carving knife, his grandfather could breathe life into a piece of wood. Greg wished that he could learn to make beautiful carvings, too.

One day, Greg’s grandfather looked at Greg and said, “It is time you learned how to carve.” It was just what Greg had wished for. Greg listened carefully as his grandfather named the tools he used and explained what each tool was used for. There were so many new names that it made Greg’s head spin.

Greg’s grandfather handed him a piece of wood. Greg loved the rough feel of the wood in his hands. Greg followed his grandfather’s instructions. It was difficult, but his grandfather was patient. When Greg finished his carving, he showed it to his grandfather. His grandfather examined Greg’s work and smiled. “I have just the spot for it,” said his grandfather. He placed Greg’s carving on the shelf with some of his own carvings. Greg smiled proudly. He knew that it would take him a long time to carve as well as his grandfather, but Greg also knew that he would enjoy every minute of it!

Ladybugs

Have you ever seen a small red beetle with black dots on its back? It was most likely a ladybug. Ladybugs do not bite or sting humans. They do not harm plants or carry diseases. In fact, they are very helpful. Farmers like to see ladybugs on their plants. Why is that? It is because of what ladybugs eat.



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Ladybugs eat tiny insects called aphids. Aphids are harmful to plants. Aphids suck the juices from plant leaves. This causes the leaves to shrivel up and die. But, a ladybug’s favorite food is an aphid. A ladybug can eat 50 aphids in one day. Some people buy ladybugs to set free in their gardens.

Ladybugs are a natural way to stop aphids. If you have ladybugs, you do not have to use bug spray on plants. Many people think it is better not to use bug spray.

So when you see a ladybug, think how helpful it can be. It might save your favorite plant one day!

Little Ant’s Lesson

Little Ant looked out from her anthill. It was a winter morning. Little Ant could see her breath in the freezing air. “I am going to make Grandma a gift,” Little Ant said to herself. “I am going to make her tortillas. The tortillas will keep her warm on this cold day.”

Little Ant made five tortillas and set off to see her grandma. She walked quickly down the path. Suddenly, Little Ant slipped on ice! Her tortillas flew into the air.

Getting up, Little Ant looked for her gift. She couldn’t find the tortillas. When she heard laughing, she looked up. Crow was in the tree, his wings behind his back. Little Ant was mad.

She stamped her feet and shouted, “Who do you think you are? You took my tortillas.”

“I didn’t take them,” said Crow. “I think Anteater took them.” Crow smiled, hiding the tortillas behind his back. “Everyone knows that Anteater loves tortillas.”

Because she wanted her gift back, Little Ant set out to find Anteater. As she walked, Little Ant called out, “Anteater, don’t eat my tortillas!”

Ladybug heard Little Ant yelling.

“Be quiet, Little Ant,” warned Ladybug. “Stop and think. Remember Anteater eats ants. Speak calmly and don’t make Anteater mad.”

“What about my tortillas?” Little Ant whispered. “Crow said Anteater took them when I slipped.”

“That is too bad. But, do you think Anteater will stop to listen to your story? Do you really think Crow told the truth?”

“What about my grandma’s gift?” Little Ant asked.

“Go home and cook more tortillas. Be happy you are not stuck on Anteater’s tongue. Learn to be calm when things go wrong,” said Ladybug.

That is just what Little Ant did. This time she made ten tortillas just in case the path was icy.



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Many Kinds of Clay

Clay has been used to make pottery and sculptures for hundreds of years. Early types of clay were dug from the earth. But not all earth can be used like clay. Clay is a special kind of earth that is good for making pottery. It holds together and dries completely. Baking clay in a very hot oven makes it hard. Once they have been baked, or “fired,” clay objects are called “ceramics.”

Ceramic artists today still use clay to make bowls and cups. But there are many other types of clay that artists can use. Several types of clay for hobby projects can be made from common things around the house. For example, clay can be made by mixing baking soda, cornstarch, and warm water. The mixture is cooked over low heat until it looks like oatmeal or mashed potatoes. After it has cooled, it can be handled like bread dough. This clay will be white, but it can be made any color by adding food coloring. It can also be painted after it has been shaped and dried.

One interesting form of modeling clay is actually made with lint from a clothes dryer! For this recipe, lint is put in a saucepan and covered with water. Then flour and a few drops of wintergreen mint flavoring are added. The ingredients are stirred together and cooked over low heat until the mixture becomes stiff. When it has cooled, this clay can be used to create small animal sculptures. It can even be shaped around a balloon and left to dry to make a clay ball!

Many kinds of hobby clay are sold in craft stores. Some are very colorful. Some dry to become as hard as a rock. Others shouldn’t be allowed to dry.

The best thing about clay is that it has so many uses. With clay, artists can create many kinds of things. They can make tiny decorations. They can make huge statues for museums. They can even make pots and cups that will last many years. With clay, the possibilities are endless!

Mars

Scientists are discovering that the planet Mars is similar to our planet. There might even be life on Mars!

Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth. It is even close enough for us to see without a telescope. Because the rocks and soil of Mars are red, Mars looks like a bright red star in the night sky. For this reason, Mars is sometimes called the “red planet.”

Mars is like Earth because both planets have water. All life needs water, but water is very rare in the universe. Scientists looking for life in outer space study places with water like Mars. Today, all the water on Mars is frozen into ice. However, there are valleys on Mars that look like they were shaped by water. Because water might have flowed on Mars, scientists think Mars might once have had life like we see on Earth. For now, nobody knows if there was ever life on Mars.

We will keep exploring Mars for a long time to come. In the future, we might discover life there. Until then, we can look up into the night sky and wonder what else we will find someday on the “red planet.”



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My Days on the Ranch Journal

March 24, 1882

Dear Journal,

I have just a few minutes before the sun sets. I want to write down everything before I forget. Most days on our little ranch are the same. Not much happens except all the work we do, but things have been different the last few days!

Mamá, Papá, Juanito, and I have been busy planting corn. It is hard work. Each day we get up with the sun. We spend our days digging up the hard soil. Then the seeds have a place to grow. We hope to have enough corn to feed ourselves. We will trade extra corn for supplies at Carillo’s Market.

Papá has been worried about our water. Our well has been getting very low. Papá didn’t think we would have enough water to last the summer, but yesterday the well filled with water! Papá thinks an underground stream changed its course. It ran straight into our well!

We were celebrating when the Velasco family stopped on their way home. Carlos gave me a copy of El Mundo. It’s old news by the time I read it, but I love to find out what goes on in the towns.

Today two miners stopped here. They were on their way to the silver mines. The oxen pulling the miners’ cart looked so tired. The cart looked tired too! Thanks to that stream, we had plenty of water for them. Papá helped the miners fix their cart.

Well, I must go to bed. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow and still more corn to plant.

Adiós,

Francisca

My Favorite Chore

I like the way a broomCan whisk across a roomAnd make its own small breezeOf dust to make me sneeze.It turns work into playThough I will never sayThis to my brother Neil.Instead, I let him feelThat sweeping is a boreAnd not my favorite chore.



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Paper Plate Desert Owl



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Pet City News

Picturing a Wild Foal

Betty reached slowly into her backpack for her camera. The herd of wild horses stood in the clearing just ahead. They were sniffing the air and stamping their feet. Betty and her father had traveled hundreds of miles just to take pictures of the wild horses. Betty’s father was a photographer. He had been teaching Betty how to take pictures of wild animals.

“Move very slowly,” her father cautioned. Betty was moving forward to get the best shot. “If you make a noise, you might scare them off.”

Betty nodded and smiled back at her father. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She wasn’t about to make any mistakes now. She looked through the camera at the nervous herd in front of her. There was a spotted mare at the edge of the herd. She had a small, black foal by her side. His coat shined in the sunlight as his mother gently nuzzled him. He turned his head to gaze right at Betty. Betty’s legs were like wet noodles as she looked into the foal’s large, brown eyes. She had never seen anything so beautiful. She was amazed by the small horse. Trying not to scare the mare and foal, Betty snapped a picture. At that moment, the mare’s head snapped up. She whinnied a warning to the rest of the herd. As if they were one animal, the horses turned around and galloped off. Betty lowered her camera, and turned to her father with a tear in her eye.



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“I will never forget this moment,” she sighed. Her father hugged her then helped her pick up the camera equipment. Betty couldn’t wait to develop the film so that she could see the beautiful wild foal again.

Planting a Windowsill Garden

If you have a window, you can grow a garden—a windowsill garden!

A windowsill garden is planted in small pots and grows right on the ledge of your window. In a windowsill garden, you can grow vegetables like lettuce or colorful flowers like marigolds.

When choosing vegetables and flowers for your garden, think about these questions:

How big will the plants grow?

How much sun and water will they need?

You can find these answers on the backs of seed packages. After you choose your seeds, you are ready to begin. You will need the following:

flower or vegetable seeds

potting soil

gardening gloves

a pencil

small planting pots that will fit on the ledge of your window

a watering can

Planting Instructions:

STEP 1. Put on the gardening gloves. Fill the planting pot almost to the top with soil. Then pat the soil down.

STEP 2. Read the chart on the seed package to find out how deep and how far apart to plant the seeds.

STEP 3. Following the directions on the chart, use the pencil to make holes in the soil.

STEP 4. Place one seed in each hole and cover each seed with soil. Pat it down a little.

STEP 5. Sprinkle the water from the watering can to dampen the soil.

STEP 6. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill.

STEP 7. Check your windowsill garden every day. Do not let the soil dry out. The seeds need water to grow. Sprinkle the soil with a little water when it is needed. Before long, you will be watching your garden grow!



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Quiet Things

Big and small and in between:Whisper a list of quiet things,Some we watch and some unseen.Quiet as sky, quiet as dirt,Quiet as sewing buttons backOn wild colors of a loud shirt.Quiet as dust, quiet as flowers,Quiet as blinking, quiet as the earthTurning through its sky-blue hours.

Rainbow Soup

Sky Pioneers

When they were young, Orville and Wilbur Wright liked bicycles. They built their own bicycles. They also fixed their friends’ bicycles. After they grew up, Orville and Wilbur opened a bicycle shop. They learned a lot about machines by working on bicycles. Later in this shop, they built the first airplane.

In 1896, Orville got very sick. His brother stayed home to take care of him. This gave Wilbur a lot of spare time. He read a story about gliders. Gliders do not have engines. Gliders fly on the wind. People



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wanted gliders with engines so they could go faster and farther. No one knew how to build one, but many people were trying. It was like a race to build the first one.

After reading the glider story, the brothers got excited about flying. They decided to build a glider with an engine. Wilbur wrote to a museum for information about flying machines. He read everything he could find about them.

Wilbur studied hard. He found out that early flying machines crashed when the wind changed. He solved this problem. Wilbur made a plan for a glider with wings that could move. When the wind changed, Wilbur’s new glider would tip its wings the right way. This would keep it in the air.

The next year, the brothers built their first glider. Then, they built a wind tunnel. In the tunnel, they tested the glider in different winds. When the glider had trouble moving in the wind, they rebuilt it to work better. The brothers built two more gliders. They tested them both in the wind tunnel. They also tested them outside. Then they were ready. They built a glider with an engine. This was the world’s first airplane.

On December 17, 1903, the brothers flipped a coin. The winner would fly the plane. Orville won. That day he made the world’s first engine-powered flight. The flight lasted 12 seconds. The airplane traveled 120 feet. This short flight changed the world forever.

Small Skater

There once was a tiny, short-legged girl named Annie who just loved to roller-skate. She did not have skates of her own, so Annie would take the skates of her older sister, which were much too big for her, and tie them to her feet with pieces of cloth. The buckles that held the skates on were much, much too big. Her grandfather would try to talk her out of skating, but she was really determined.

One day, her grandfather appeared with some shiny new skates that actually fit the feet of little Annie. He helped her buckle them on, and she took off, skating down the street. Annie loved the feel of the wind on her face as she raced along the street! Annie always wore her helmet and kneepads so that she wouldn’t get hurt if she fell.

It was safe to skate all over the small town where Annie and her grandfather lived. Many of the neighborhood children, including Annie, got together on Saturday afternoons to skate. The bigger kids would stride along well ahead of her, but Annie tried her best to keep up. The new skates helped Annie to close the gap between her and the bigger kids. She only hoped that someday her short legs would grow a little longer!



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Sock Puppets

Puppets are fun to make and play with. Here is an easy way to make a hand puppet.

Ask your parents for an old sock that you can use to make the puppet. If you can get a pair of socks, you can make two puppets and put on your own puppet shows!

What You Will Need:

One or more socks (knee-high socks are best) Felt-tip Marker Scissors Buttons Needle and Thread Felt Yarn

What to Do:

Step 1: Put the sock on your hand so that the toe area hangs down loosely from your fingers. Push the loose part into the palm of your hand, making a “mouth” for the puppet. (When you move your fingers and thumb, you can make the mouth move.)

Step 2: Figure out where you want to place the eyes and nose on the puppet and mark each spot using the felt-tip marker. (Be sure that the mark is clear enough to see when you take the sock off your hand.)

Step 3: Remove the sock from your hand and sew buttons on the spots you marked for the eyes.

Step 4: Cut a nose out of felt and sew it to the spot you marked for the nose. (You might want to cut out eyebrows and add them as well.)

Step 5: Cut strings of yarn to use for hair. The length of the strings depends on how long you want your puppet’s hair to be. Sew the strings of yarn onto the puppet.

Now you are ready to put the puppet on your hand and play with it. Think of what type of characters the puppet can be. Think of different ways you can make it act. You could make your puppet talk with a funny voice. You can have your puppet sing. You could even make your puppet dance. Get together with your friends and write some puppet plays to perform. You can even put puppets on both of your hands and play two characters at the same time!



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Sugar Gliders

Have you ever heard of a tiny animal called a sugar glider? It looks like a small squirrel or a hamster. Many people in the United States have never seen a sugar glider. Those who have seen them often fall in love with the creatures and keep them as pets. Sugar gliders are related to flying squirrels. They are friendlier than the squirrels we see in parks around town. Sugar gliders are social animals, and can even be trained to ride in a shirt pocket!

Sugar gliders are about the size of a mouse, and they have a long tail. They have soft gray fur and a black stripe that runs from their nose, over their head, and down their back. They have very large eyes and bare pink ears. They have hands that look like human hands, but they are tiny and pink. Sugar gliders’ hands are good for grabbing the bits of fruit and nuts they like to eat.

Originally, sugar gliders lived only in Australia. Like the kangaroo, sugar gliders are marsupials. This means the mother sugar glider carries her babies in a pouch on her stomach.

Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals. They like to sleep during the day and then come out to play and eat at night. This can be a problem for some sugar glider owners because the animals often have fun and make noise at night. They chatter in their cages and play with each other. They climb from one perch to another and eat food. Sugar gliders make very interesting sounds. Sometimes they sound happy and they chirp. Other times they seem to argue and cluck at one another.

One thing that is very important to know about keeping sugar gliders as pets is that they need company. The best idea is to always have more than one sugar glider. Human company is one kind of friendship for a sugar glider, but they usually do best when they have friends of their own species, other sugar gliders, to live with and to chatter with every day.

Table of Contents

The Art of Drawing

Some people consider drawing as nothing more than a practice step before creating something else. An artist might draw on paper to do preliminary studies of a subject. Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci, for example, made numerous drawings to study human anatomy. A painter might sketch outlines and main lines on the canvas before starting a painting. Da Vinci used drawing as a tool to



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draft his masterpiece paintings. An artist might make drawings as a first step in creating a sculpture, a block print, or an etching. Da Vinci drew architectural plans and the plans for inventions he did not have the technology to actually create. Da Vinci also drew to help himself understand his own ideas about science. Drawing, however, can also be a way to create a piece of art in its own right. Some museums have highly treasured collections of drawings by famous artists, such as da Vinci.

There is more than one approach to creating a drawing. When an artist begins to draw a picture, the first thing the artist must decide is what type of drawing to create or what style of drawing is most suitable for the purpose. Three categories of drawing styles might be defined as rendering, caricature, and gesture drawing.

Rendering means trying to draw a picture of a person or an object as realistically as possible. When working on a rendering, the artist will pay careful attention to detail to be able to duplicate precisely all the elements. Each part of the drawing will be an effort to represent the true perspective and scale of the object. The final product of rendering is very much like a photograph, except that it is created in pencil, charcoal, or ink.

A caricature is very different from a rendering. In this type of drawing, an artist emphasizes selected qualities of the subject. For example, if an artist is drawing a caricature of a man who has a slightly large nose, the artist might make the nose extremely large. If the person has long eyelashes, in the caricature the subject’s eyelashes will be very dark and overly long. The goal of this type of drawing is to make the subject recognizable, but not realistic. A caricature calls attention to specific aspects of a subject’s nature through exaggeration. Caricatures can be humorous, satirical, or malicious in nature, and their intent can range from entertainment to ridicule or scorn about social or political institutions and moral attitudes.

Gesture drawing is very different from rendering and caricature drawing. Gesture drawing is often done very quickly, like a child scribbling on a piece of paper. In some ways this type of drawing can be related to abstract art. When an artist is working on a gesture drawing, the artist may use various types of lines to create certain effects. For example, the artist may use a very soft pencil to draw wide, dark lines or a very sharp and hard pencil to make thin lines. A gesture drawing will often leave out many details. The artist will focus instead on the lines most important to create a crude, indistinct impression of the subject.

Each type of drawing can be interesting. The intent of each method is very different. An artist may draw the same subject as a caricature, as a realistic depiction or rendering, and as a gesture drawing. This multiple-style approach allows the artist to study the subject more fully and to consider the subject in different ways.

The Hike

Sara and her father planned a hike up a mountain trail near their home. The trail they chose began at the foot of the mountain and led all the way to the top. Sara had packed lunches earlier that morning. Her father filled their backpacks with other supplies, and they were off! As they started up the trail,



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Sara’s father pointed out many different plants that lined the trail. He showed Sara the difference between the leaves of an aspen tree and the needles of a spruce tree. Sara was glad that her father knew so much! She always learned something whenever they went on a hike. “Look over there,” Sara whispered suddenly. They had just turned a corner on the mountain trail. Lying in the grass next to the trail was a small baby deer, or fawn. It looked at them with wide eyes, but it did not move.

“Where is its mother?” Sara wondered. “Do you think we should stay here and watch it?”

“That’s a good idea,” answered her dad. “We must not go any closer, though.” As they sat down and unpacked their lunch, Sara asked her dad why they couldn’t go any closer to the fawn. He explained that sometimes, if the mother smelled humans too close to her baby, she would be too afraid to come back. Sara and her father agreed that they would wait for the mother to come back, but that they would not get too close to the fawn.

Soon, a larger deer walked slowly up to the fawn resting in the grass. After a few quick sniffs and a cautious glance at Sara and her father, mother and baby ran quickly down the trail.

Sara and her father packed up their supplies and continued up the mountain. They knew that the fawn was now safe.

The Sun’s Hope

The Walrus—A Tool Kit on His Face

Walruses are giant sea mammals. These giants look like their cousins, the seals. Both of these sea mammals have flippers instead of hands. They use the flippers to swim through the water at speeds



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up to 20 miles an hour. Every walrus also has two important tools that help it live without hands. These tools are its whiskers and its tusks.

Walruses have special whiskers called vibrissae. Unlike normal hair, these whiskers can really feel things. The walruses hunt in deep water. Light from the sun doesn’t shine that deep. This means walruses have to find food in the dark. They use their vibrissae to feel for clams and other small creatures to eat.

Walruses have another tool. They have tusks like elephants. They use these tusks in many ways. Walruses live in the arctic where the water is cold. They dive deep in the cold water to hunt for clams. Between dives, they sun themselves to get warm. The only way to get warm is by lying on chunks of sea ice. But walruses can weigh 1,000 pounds. How can these giant animals get out of the water and onto the ice? They use their tusks. They stick their heads out of the water and plant their tusks in the ice like an ice ax. Then they pull themselves out of the water. That takes some pretty strong neck muscles.

Tusks are used for protection, too. Walruses live in large groups. They sit together to keep warm, but sometimes they fight for space. The walrus with the biggest tusks usually wins. The tusks are also useful for chasing off polar bears. Polar bears are good hunters, but the bears usually leave walruses alone because of their tusks.

People used to think that walruses used their tusks to dig for clams. Now people know that this is not true. Walruses fill their mouths with water. Then they squirt the water at the clam. This powerful stream of water moves the sand away from the clam so the walrus can eat it.

Walrus tusks are made of ivory. People used to hunt walruses for this ivory. Ivory was carved into statues or tools. Today walruses are protected from hunters and get to keep their special tools for themselves.

To the Moon!

In 1969, three men in a small spaceship made history with a trip the world will never forget. The three men were Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The mission was called Apollo 11. Their destination was the moon.

Thousands of people worked to send those men to the moon. The project took many years. The project was called the Apollo Program. The first Apollo mission, called Apollo 1, was a disaster. The spacecraft caught fire on the ground. But the project continued.

During later missions, the astronauts practiced flying their spacecrafts. They also practiced the tasks they needed to know so they could fly to the moon and land on it. On the Apollo 8 mission, the astronauts flew around the moon. They were nearly ready for the first moon landing.



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The rocket that carried the astronauts and their spacecraft into orbit around the moon was called the Saturn 5 rocket. It blasted through space at 25,000 miles an hour. Even at that speed, it took four days to get to the moon. The Apollo 11 rocket carried a special craft designed only for landing on the moon. It was called the Eagle. The Eagle landed on the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969.

Only two astronauts walked on the moon that day. Neil Armstrong was the first person to step onto the moon. Buzz Aldrin followed him. The astronauts brought cameras with them, and the whole world watched the landing on TV. Michael Collins stayed in the spacecraft and circled around the moon. It was his job to look after the spacecraft that would take them home. He had to make sure nothing happened to it!

Today, the words Neil Armstrong spoke when he stepped onto the moon are world famous. He said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The dream of going to the moon had come true.

The astronauts performed many experiments while they were on the moon. They collected rock samples and took pictures of the area around their spacecraft. The astronauts left an American flag and a plaque where they had landed. The plaque has the words “We came in peace for all mankind” printed on it. The flag and the plaque still there.

Someday moon travel may be more common. If that happens, people might visit the site of the first moon landing. They might have their pictures taken next to the flag and plaque.

Two Fables

Fable 1: Darpak and Tungar

Long ago, in a forest in India, a mother sent her two sons, Darpak and Tungar, to gather firewood. “If you are quick,” said the mother, “I will be able to cook our lunch by noon, and we will have time to go to the city this afternoon and see the carnival.” The two brothers immediately set off into the forest.

As Darpak searched the hillside for dry sticks and branches, Tungar discovered a tree with no leaves. Tungar thought, “Well now! This tree must be dead and dry. It will be perfect for firewood. I’ll just take a nap while my brother is busy searching in the woods. When it’s time to return, I will simply break branches off this tree for firewood.” So Tungar spread his coat on the ground, lay down on it, and fell fast asleep.

After a while Darpak, his arms full of wood, passed his snoring brother. He shook him, saying, “Wake up, Tungar! It’s time to return home for lunch. If we are late we won’t be able to go to the carnival.”

Tungar woke up and began trying to break branches off the tree. He discovered, however, that the branches were still green and not dry at all. But because there was no time to search for dry wood, he had no choice but to collect a bundle of wet, green wood. Tungar carried his load back to the house, running to catch up with his brother. Because Darpak had returned before him, Tungar threw his bundle of wet wood on top of his brother’s.



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When the boys’ mother went out to the woodpile, she picked up only Tungar’s wood from the top of the pile, not knowing it was wet. She brought it inside and tried to start her cooking fire. But even though she blew and blew on it, she couldn’t get the fire going. The wood was too green and damp. More than an hour later, there was still no fire for cooking lunch.

The mother called in her sons, asking, “Why did you boys collect green wood from a tree instead of dry, dead wood from the ground?” Darpak said, “I did collect wood from the ground. But my lazy, good-for-nothing brother slept while I worked. He gathered only green wood and threw it on top of the woodpile. You picked up this wood because it was on top of the pile. And because it was green and damp, you couldn’t get the cooking fire started. Now it’s too late to go to the city to see the carnival.”

The mother turned and said to Tungar, “You should do things early and not put them off until later. A fool who is lazy causes trouble for himself and everyone around him.”

Fable 2: The Ant and the Grasshopper

One day, a grasshopper was hopping through the forest. He was happy because it was a bright summer day. He chirped, sang, and played his tiny banjo. The grasshopper stopped singing when he saw an ant. The ant was carrying a huge seed back to his anthill. The ant was sweating, because the seed was heavy.

“Hello, Ant!” the grasshopper said. “Come sing with me. Why work in the hot summer sun?”

“I am storing food for the winter,” said the ant. “If you know what is good for you, you will store food for the winter, too.”

“Bah,” said the grasshopper. “I will not worry about the winter. It is a long time off, and there is plenty of food right now. Look! There are hundreds of seeds on the ground.” To show the ant, the grasshopper picked up a seed. He broke the seed open and began eating. The ant went on his way and continued to toil.

When winter came, the grasshopper had no food, and he was very hungry. The grasshopper saw the ants eating every day. They had the seeds that were gathered in the summer. At last, the grasshopper understood what the ant had tried to tell him in the summer.

Why the Raccoon Wears a Mask

If you have seen a picture of a raccoon, you know it has a black bandit’s mask around its eyes. Do you know why?

One day, Raccoon, who was very hungry, went for a walk. When he came to Bird’s house, Raccoon saw a big plate of corn. He was very excited and started to eat the corn, but the corn belonged to Bird.

“What are you doing?” asked Bird. “Did you ask if you could have some corn?”



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Raccoon didn’t answer. So, Bird scolded him and told him not to return or he would tell Coyote, who was a powerful animal in their forest.

The next day, Raccoon was hungry again and went for another walk. This time he came to Bear’s house. He saw a bucket of berries and started to eat them.

“What are you doing?” asked Bear. “Did you ask if you could have some berries?” Raccoon didn’t answer. Bear was very upset and said he was going to tell Coyote. Raccoon did not want the others to know he had stolen the corn and the berries, so he ran away. Raccoon ran so fast that he didn’t look where he was going. He ran right into Coyote!

“Raccoon, I know what you did!” scolded Coyote. “You stole food from your friends. I’m going to warn the forest animals about you.”

Then, Coyote howled a big howl and painted the black mask on Raccoon. Now all the animals in the forest would know that Raccoon was a thief. Coyote hoped that this would help Raccoon learn his lesson.

Windy Canyon Middle School Bulletin for December 17

Remember that Friday, Dec. 21, is the last day of school before the holiday break. It is also teacher conference day, so the school will be in session only until 12:30 p.m.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth graders will be presenting “Celebrations of the Season” on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 7:00 p.m. Admission to the show is free. Bring your whole family for some fun and lively holiday spirit!

Mrs. Bowman had a baby girl on Sunday at 3:00 a.m. The baby weighs 8 pounds, 3 ounces and is named Shakira June. Congratulations to the parents and their new daughter!

Our librarian, Mr. Nelson, reminds everyone that reading a book is a great way to spend the holiday break. Come on in to the library. Mr. Nelson will be glad to recommend some of his favorite titles.

Mrs. Henderson will be presenting a science fair in March. Anyone who is interested in participating should see Mrs. Henderson in room 23 to sign up.

The Public Library Book Talkers are coming this week! Angie will be visiting rooms 24, 25, and 29 tomorrow. Mark will be visiting rooms 7, 10, and 12 on Thursday. Don’t forget to bring your library cards! Only students with library cards will be allowed to check out books. Angie says she has some super-exciting choices this time, so be prepared!

Tony D’Agostino lost a blue parka yesterday in the cafeteria. Has anyone found it? Please bring it to the office if you have. It’s getting cold outside.



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STAR Assessments—Reading Passages: Grade 3

There are rumors that the Poetry Squad will be roving through classrooms today. Keep your eyes and ears open!

Our Windy Canyon Middle School Hunger Drive has collected over 2,500 cans of food so far! We want to express our many thanks to everyone who has participated. We will be dropping the cans off at the local homeless shelter Friday evening. That will help many families have a happier holiday season!

Lunch today will be sloppy joes, french fries, green beans, and frosted brownies. Yum!

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All logos, designs, and brand names for Renaissance Learning’s products and services, including but not limited to Renaissance Learning, STAR, STAR 360, STAR Assessments, STAR Early Literacy Enterprise, STAR Math, STAR Math Enterprise, STAR Reading, STAR Reading Enterprise, and STAR Reading Spanish are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries, registered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries. All passages and images © 2004–2014, Renaissance Learning, Inc. (unless otherwise cited).


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