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ISBN-13: 978-0-15-354621-1ISBN-10: 0-15-354621-2

Grade 6

ReadingTransparencies

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Grade 6, Lesson 1 R1

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Model Oral Fluency

Fluency

It’s statewide testing day! Your best friend sharpens his pencil down to a nub. The girl beside you bites her nails. Your stomach twists itself into a complex origami creation. Then the teacher suddenly stands up and asks:

Class, what does a brain do when it sees a friend across the street?

It gives a brainwave!Some of the kids laugh. Others groan. Several classmates

offer up their own jokes. By the time the test officially begins five minutes later, everyone’s nerves have calmed a little, and your stomach has unfolded itself. Sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine.

from “Laughing Matters” by Sara Francis Fujimura

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Use Story Structure

Use Story Structure

Plot Events

Conflict

Characters

Resolution

Setting

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Use Story Structure

Simon couldn’t wait to get to school. As he bounced out of bed, he thought about the fantastic model he had made of an ancient Egyptian tomb, complete with mummy, wall art, and small treasures. He would present his model during an oral report to the class.

Simon crouched down and reached under his bed to pull out the model from where he had hidden it. He felt around under the bed. He got down on his stomach to peer under the bed. The model wasn’t there!

Then he heard a terrible noise! His sister Carla was outside his room, laughing and banging something against the wall. Simon went into the hallway. In Carla’s hands was a basketball, not Simon’s model! Simon was frantic. Just then, his mother walked by carrying Simon’s model—she had put it in her closet after he had gone to sleep so that it would be safe.

Use Story StructureGrade 6, Lesson 1

Plot Events

Resolution

Conflict

Characters Setting


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Robust VocabularyGrade 6, Lesson 1

hysterical A person who is hysterical is in a panic or very excited.

crestfallen Someone who is crestfallen is very disappointed and sad.

incapacitated Someone or something that is incapacitated is unable to work because of damage or injury.

perishable Foods that are perishable go bad if they are not stored properly.

lamented If you lamented something, you expressed deep regret that it happened.

ricocheted Something that has ricocheted has hit and bounced off another object.

ecstatic If you are ecstatic, you are extremely happy.

mirth Mirth is a feeling of amusement that causes you to laugh out loud.

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Forms of Fiction

Forms of Fiction

Genre Description

Realistic Fiction

A story with characters like people you might meet in real life and events that might happen in real life.

Historical Fiction

A story with characters who might have lived in the past and events that might have really happened in history. It contains some made-up details and events.

Fable A story that teaches a lesson about right and wrong. The characters might be people or talking animals.

Myth An imaginative story that explains how something began or came to be. The characters might be people, gods, or talking animals.

Folktale A story that has been handed down from one generation tothe next. The plot may teach a lesson and often reflect the values of a culture.

Legend An imaginative story passed down through time. It may be based on real people or places.

Short Story A story that is not as long as a novel. It can usually be read in one sitting.

Science Fiction

A story about imaginary events that usually take place in the future. It may contain amazing inventions.

Tall Tale A humorous story about impossible or exaggerated events. It is often based on an American folk hero.



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Model Oral Fluency

Fluency

According to tales told by sailors or written in ships’ logs by sea captains, there were once ocean monsters. The sight of them frightened ships’ crews. In some reports, the monsters plucked men from boats and carried them down into the ocean depths.

The kraken of Norway was one such fabled monster. It lived in sea caves along the Scandinavian coast, and slithered onto land to gobble up livestock or snatched men from ships at sea. Its scaly body reportedly measured two hundred feet long. The kraken also had a two-foot-long mane.

A mane of hair on a reptilelike creature is remarkable. The body of a kraken would be a fascinating object for biologists to study. However, no such physical evidence has ever been found. And, remember, most reports of sea monsters were written several centuries ago, when people also believed in dragons, and sailors “saw” mermaids.

from “Sea Serpent” by Laurence Pringle

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Use Story Structure

Use Story Structure

Conflict

What does the main character want? What problem needs to be resolved?

Characters

Who is the story about?

Resolution

How is the problem finally solved? How does the story end?

Setting

When and where does the story take place?

Plot Events

What happens when the main character tries to solve the problem?



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Use Story Structure

Citizens were allowed to write about how great the government was in the city-state of Athens, but no one could write about the beauty of the Greek countryside. Theo couldn’t help himself, though. Sometimes nature was so inspiring that he had to write poems about it.

In secret, Theo had been writing short poems about the sun and stars, wild animals, trees and plants, and all the other things he saw on the outskirts of the city-state. He often wrote these at home, late at night, by the light of the moon streaming in through his window. After each papyrus was filled with writing, Theo carefully placed it in a clay pot and stored it in a secret clearing in the woods.

One day, Theo was carrying some new poems to his hiding place. He pretended not to notice his good friend, Diana, when she passed him on the street. He trusted her, but he didn’t want Diana to know about his writing. Silently, Theo climbed over a stone fence and followed a path into the woods. When he reached the clearing, Theo dug a hole with his hands and placed the pot into it.

“What’s in that thing?” he heard Diana’s voice ask.

Use Story Structure


Grade 6, Lesson 2

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Robust Vocabulary

survey When you survey a place, you look around and consider it carefully.

inquire When you inquire about something, you ask for information about it.

tormented Someone who is tormented about something is extremely and painfully troubled by it.

meandering If you are moving slowly with a lot of bends or curves in your path, you are meandering.

emerged When something has emerged from somewhere, it has come out from behind, under, or inside that place.

hovered When something has hovered, it has been in the same place in the air without moving in any direction.

subtle When people or things are subtle, they are not immediately noticeable, but they can be very effective.

frolicked If something has frolicked, it has played in a happy, lively way.

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Poetic Devices

Poetic Devices

Word choice helps readers picture what the poet is describing. Certain words or combinations of words can make the reader feel sad, cheerful, or even angry.

Punctuation can make a poem sound short and choppy or long and flowing. The poet may use no punctuation at all.

Rhythm is the feel or beat of a poem.

Rhyme is the repetition of the same sound, usually at the end of two or more lines.

Stanzas are major sections of a poem. The lines in a stanza are arranged in a way that looks and sounds pleasing.

Repetition is the repeating of phrases, words, or lines for a certain effect.

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound.

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sound they describe.

Whale Sighting

Majestic creature,Treasure of the seas,Emerges from the water,A living, breathing geyser.Leap, smack, splash—Back down in a flash.It waves goodbye.Majestic creature,Treasure of the seas,The sighting of A wondrous whale.


Grade 6, Lesson 3

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR11

Uri Alexeyevich Gagarin (1934–68) grew up on a farm in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union). As an apprentice engineer, he joined a flying club, and his skills as a pilot earned him a place at a military flying school. By the time he was 23, he was flying MIG-15 fighter aircraft. Two years later, he began training as a cosmonaut. On April 11, 1961, he learned that he had been chosen to fly the world’s first crewed spacecraft, Vostok, the following day.

Inside his cramped capsule, Gagarin was nervous. The launch procedure, familiar from months of training, had stopped abruptly. After an anxious wait, he heard a mission controller’s voice in his headphones. “Yuri, we have a small problem here. We’re not getting the KP-3 signal to confirm that your capsule hatch is sealed. We’re going to have to fix it.”

from “The First Journey in Space” by Richard Platt


Grade 6, Lesson 3

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Use Graphic OrganizersR12

Use Graphic Organizers

Both

First

Next

Then

Finally

Venn Diagram Web

Text Structure: Compare and Contrast Text Structure: Description

Sequence Chart Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Text Structure: Chronological Order Text Structure: Cause and Effect

EFFECT

EFFECT

CAUSE

CAUSE

CAUSE


Grade 6, Lesson 3

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Louis Pasteur was born in 1822, in a small town in the eastern part of France. Throughout his early years, he was educated in various schools. In 1843, he entered one of France’s most important colleges and became interested in chemistry. Four years later, he earned his degree.

Although Pasteur had been a brilliant student, no one could guess that he would make an important discovery in the field of health. In 1853, Pasteur began investigating why wine and milk went bad. A few years later, he proved that tiny organisms—bacteria—were responsible.

Next, he began working on how to solve the problem. After many experiments, he finally was able to show how using heat could prevent wine from getting sour—the heat killed the organisms. Later, he applied this process to milk. Even today, milk is kept fresh because it is pasteurized.


Louis Pasteur was born in France in 1822.


Grade 6, Lesson 3

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

schemes A scheme is a plan someone makes for getting in a clever way what he or she wants.

exerts When something exerts pressure on something else, it pushes on that thing.

rigged If you have rigged up an object, you have constructed it by using only materials that were available at the time.

astounding When you find something astounding, it overwhelms you with surprise.

replica A replica is an exact model or copy of an object.

stabilize When you stabilize something, you make it less likely to move in response to outside forces such as wind.

disbanded When an organization is disbanded, its members stop working together as a group.

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Grade 6, Lesson 3

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Reference Sources

Reference SourcesR15

Reference Source

Organization Information It Contains

Almanac charts, graphs, and text

current facts about events, places, entertainment, sports, and weather

Atlas maps information about places

Dictionary text arranged alphabetically by word

meanings of unfamiliar words;how to pronounce words;how to spell words

Thesaurus text arranged alphabetically by word

synonyms and antonyms

Encyclopedia text arranged alphabetically by topic

specific information on a topic

Nonfiction Book/Magazine

text and sometimes pictures

specific information on a topic

Internet text, pictures, videos,audios, interactive features

specific information on a topic; current news; business information


Grade 6, Lesson 4

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR16

Dick Fosbury raced across the infield, planted his foot, and leaped into the air, straining with every muscle to propel himself over the high-jump bar. But as he soared into the air, his knee hit the bar, and it fell to the ground with a clang.

The tall, lean high-school kid from Medford, Oregon, sat up in the pit and looked at the bar in frustration. There had to be a better way to do this.

Fosbury had been trying to succeed with the straddle-and-roll style, in which a jumper rolled over the bar foot-first and face down. But the highest jump he’d ever cleared was 5 feet, 4 inches. That wasn’t good enough to place in most track-and-field meets.

from “The Fosbury Flop” by Rich Wallace


Grade 6, Lesson 4

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Graphic Organizer Purpose

Story Map shows a story’s structure

Web shows related words and ideas

Venn Diagram shows how things are similar and different

Cause-and-Effect Diagram shows causes and their effects

Sequence Chart shows events in chronological order

EffectCause

First

Next

Then

Finally

Both

Plot Events

Resolution

Characters

Conflict

Setting

Story Map Web

Venn DiagramCause-and-Effect Diagram

SequenceChart


Grade 6, Lesson 4

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When Jackie Robinson was a teenager in Pasadena, California, he excelled in many sports. He especially loved track, baseball, football, and basketball. After he finished high school, he was offered an athletic scholarship to the University of California in Los Angeles. At UCLA during the late 1930s, Robinson became a college sports star.

Robinson planned for a career in sports. However, the United States entered World War II in 1941, and Robinson was drafted into the army. When he left the army a few years later, he signed a contract to play for the Kansas City Monarchs, an African American baseball team. In those days, African Americans did not play in the major leagues because of racism.

The management of the Brooklyn Dodgers didn’t think that was right. They decided to integrate their team. In 1945, a scout for the Dodgers attended a Monarchs game and was very impressed with Robinson’s playing. Robinson was signed to a contract by the Dodgers. In 1946, he played on a Dodgers minor league team, and fans that had seen him were thrilled by his talent. The next year, Robinson joined the Dodgers. He became the first African American to play in the major leagues.


Jackie Robinson excelled in many sports when he was a teenager.


Grade 6, Lesson 4

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

remedies Remedies are used to cure illnesses, stop pain, or fix problems.

luxury A luxury is a pleasure or an item that is not necessary and is not often experienced because it is too costly.

triumphant You feel triumphant when you are happy because you have achieved a goal or a victory.

propel When you propel a body or object, you cause it to move in a certain direction.

astonishment When you feel astonishment, you are greatly surprised or are experiencing a sense of wonder.

intense Something intense exists in great strength or degree.

lunged If you lunged at something, you moved suddenly toward it.

fumble A fumble is a mistake or error, such as dropping the ball in a football game.

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FluencyR20Grade 6, Lesson 5

Cheryl Wills is an award-winning news anchor and reporter for NY1 News, a 24-hour news station serving New York City. Television reporting is a competitive business, especially in a large city like New York, but Cheryl has the broadcasting career she’s wanted since she was a young girl. How did she do it? She started working toward her goal when she was a third grader. Here’s how she did it—and you can too!

1. INTERVIEW PEOPLE. Reporters are constantly interviewing people for the stories they report. So ask your friends and family questions and do it on the record. For instance, Cheryl talked to her grandfather, who was a veteran of World War II. “I used to interview all my relatives with a tape recorder,” says Cheryl. “Then I’d write the stories they told me, just for fun.”

2. READ AND TALK. Reporters have to gather information, often quickly. Cheryl used her love of reading to get practice. She read many newspaper articles. Cheryl was also comfortable speaking in public, something reporters do a lot. If you’re shy, practice in front of supportive people such as your friends or parents.

from “TV News Reporter” by Russell Bart


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intimidating If something is intimidating to you, it makes you feel fearful or threatened.

calamity A calamity is an event that causes damage or distress.

quandary If you are in a quandary, you are uncertain about what to do in a certain situation.

invaluable Something is invaluable to you if you feel that you can’t do without it.

composure When you maintain your composure, you remain calm in a difficult situation.

hindrance A hindrance is someone or something that gets in the way of accomplishing a task.

steadfast When you are steadfast, you are firm and unwavering about what needs to be done.

surpassed Something that has surpassed something else has gone beyond or done better than other things.

sage A sage person is wise and knowledgeable.

trepidation You feel trepidation when you are fearful or anxious about something that is going to happen.

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Vocabulary PassageR22

Vocabulary Passage

It was Lenny’s first day as a TV interviewer. As he took his seat behind the huge desk, he tried to keep his composure. However, he had a great feeling of trepidation. Would the viewers like him? Would his prepared questions sound sage enough?

Today’s guest was sure to be intimidating. She was a famous writer of children’s books, whose total sales had surpassed everyone else’s.

Lenny greeted the viewing audience. Then he quickly introduced the author, Pamela Harris. As she took her seat amid tremendous applause, Lenny faced a quandary. During the interview, should he call her “Ms. Harris” or “Pamela”?

“Um ... good morning, Ms. Harris,” Lenny said.“Let’s not be so formal,” said the author. “Call me Pamela.”Lenny reached for his notes but knocked over his coffee mug as he did so. The

steaming brown liquid flowed over his desk. His questions were unreadable. What a calamity!

The author said, “Oh, I always think those note cards are such a hindrance to real conversation. I’m glad they’re ruined. Let’s just talk.”

Lenny was steadfast, though. He was determined to decipher his notes because he had prepared some great questions. Too bad he couldn’t remember them!

“Um . . .,” said Lenny. He began shuffling nervously through the sopping index cards. All he could see were blurs of ink.

“Perhaps I should ask you a question,” Pamela said. “Have you read my books?”Lenny couldn’t believe his ears.“Well? Have you?”Of course he had. His knowledge of her books, the plots, settings, and characters

would be invaluable during his interview. He enjoyed her stories.“Sure I’ve read them,” Lenny said. “Hasn’t everybody?”“Well, what would you like to know about them?”Throwing his notes down on the desk, Lenny began rattling off questions.

Grade 6, Lesson 5


Grade 6, Lesson 6

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR23

When facing a big event, most people are anxious. It’s only human to feel that way. But there are methods you can use to keep a healthy grip on the situation.

While it’s normal to feel nervous about trying out for a sports team or putting yourself on the line in some other way, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Hardly. Trying out is a chance to make new friends and participate in something that interests you. Each showdown and performance is an opportunity to learn to manage your nerves and to improve your general health.

from “You’ve Got a Lot of Nerves” by Eric Messinger


Grade 6, Lesson 6

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Monitor Comprehension: Reread

Monitor Comprehension: RereadR24

REREADClues tell me that ...

ASKTo solve the problem, I can ask ...

STATEThe problem is ...

ANSWERThe answer is ...

THINKI do not understand ...


Grade 6, Lesson 6

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Mari’s face was pale and unsmiling. She gripped the sides of her chair and then let go. That little release of energy stopped her arms from shaking for a few seconds. Then she fidgeted with the notecards on her desk, although the stack was already neat.

“I can do this,” she repeated several times to herself, as her teacher Mr. Worth had suggested. She looked up and saw him glance at her and smile reassuringly. She tried to smile back, but her mouth seemed to be a block of ice.

In the front of the classroom, Nate kept talking. He would probably be finished soon. She really should be listening, she told herself, but there was a dull roaring in her ears. Her heart raced and her mouth felt like sawdust. Would she be able to speak at all?

ASKI can ask, “What clues does the author give about what Mari has to do?”

STATEThe problem is the author has not stated the answer to my question directly.

THINKI do not understand what Mari has to do.

REREADSomeone is talking at the front of the classroom. Mari wonders if she will be able to speak.

ANSWER


Grade 6, Lesson 6

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

jest Something said in jest is said in a playful or joking manner.

haywire When something has gone haywire, it has gone wildly out of control.

sinuous Something that is sinuous is long and curving like a snake.

immobile If something is immobile, it cannot be moved.

supple A supple object can move and bend easily without breaking or cracking.

fused When two or more things are fused, they are joined to become one object.

intonation Intonation is the rise and fall in pitch of any sound.

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Grade 6, Lesson 6

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Multiple-Meaning Words and Context Clues

Vocabulary StrategiesR27

1. He knew how to play several musical instruments.

Are you attending the play at Newman Theater?

The children like to play baseball after school.

A kitten will play with a piece of string for hours.

Meanings for play: to amuse oneself or have fun; to engage in a game or sport; a story or drama for the stage; to perform or perform on a musical instrument

2. The piano sounded odd because it was not in tune.

I heard a lovely tune on the radio, and I hummed it all afternoon.

Their moods are not in tune with each other today.

The violinist will need to tune her violin to the piano.

Meanings for tune: a melody; to adjust musical pitch of an instrument; condition of being at the correct musical pitch; agreement or accord

Many words have more than one meaning. To determine which meaning an author intends, look at context clues, or the words and sentences around the word in question.

Example: The author stared at a blank page, waiting for an idea.

Possible meanings: “vacant or without expression” “a space to be filled in on a form” “free from writing or printing”

The context clues suggest that the author cannot think of anything to write, so the page is empty. The word blank as used here means “free from writing or printing.”


Grade 6, Lesson 7

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR28

At last year’s Jungle Olympics,the Ants were completely outclassed.In fact, from an entry of sixty-two teams,the Ants came their usual last.

They didn’t win one single medal.Not that that’s a surprise.The reason was not lack of trying,but more their unfortunate size.

While the cheetahs won most of the sprintingand the hippos won putting the shot,the Ants tried sprinting but couldn’t,and tried to put but could not.

from “The Ants at the Olympics” by Richard Digance


Grade 6, Lesson 7

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GOOD READERS REREAD TO:

• IMPROVE COMPREHENSION.When you don’t understand what you have read, go back and reread.

• REMEMBER IMPORTANT EVENTS.Reread parts of a story to make sure you remember what has happened.

• FIND THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND TO LOOK FOR DETAILS.As you read, you might ask yourself questions that ask who, what, when, where, why, or how. If you don’t know the answer, go back and reread.

• UNDERSTAND DIFFICULT WORDS OR CONCEPTS.If you come across unfamiliar words or new concepts, reread the sentence or passage a couple of times until you understand it better.


Grade 6, Lesson 7

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Evie was a musical genius. At least that’s what some people thought. She could play piano, guitar, violin, and drums. She loved classical music and rock-and-roll. In fact, she was in the youth orchestra as well as her own rock-and-roll band. She practiced hard at both.

Every year the youth orchestra took a field trip to hear the city symphony in concert. Evie always enjoyed these concerts and looked forward to attending each one. This year would be different, however, because every year for the past three years, Evie had petitioned for the youth orchestra to play at least one song with the city symphony. This year, that dream would come true. The youth orchestra had been invited to play the final song of the concert along with the city symphony. Evie couldn’t wait.

As Evie got ready for the concert, she also thought about her band. They had been trying to get their first job playing in front of a crowd.

The phone rang while Evie was putting on her shoes. “Hello?” she asked.“Evie! Guess what?” an excited voice said. “Andy, is that you?” she asked. Andy was a member of her rock band.“You’ll never believe it!” Andy said. “We’ve been asked to play tonight at the Fun

Fest! Isn’t that great?”“Oh no,” Evie moaned. “Oh no!”


Grade 6, Lesson 7

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Robust Vocabulary

disown If you disown someone or something, you break your connection with them.

convince When you convince someone of something, you persuade the person that what you are saying is true.

treason Someone who betrays his or her country commits the crime of treason.

ordinary Something that is ordinary is not special or different in any aspect.

suit For something to suit you, it must be appropriate for you.

defeatist Being defeatist is expecting, accepting, or resigning to failure.

rejected Someone or something that has been turned down or not accepted has been rejected.

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Robust Vocabulary


Grade 6, Lesson 7

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Shades of Meaning

Shades of MeaningR32

quickly slowly neatly mannerly sloppily

gobble √ √

devour √ √

consume √ ?

munch √ ? ?

taste √ ? ?

gulp √ √

savor √ ? √

Synonyms are words that are closely related in meaning. However, there are differences, or shades of meaning, between these words.

Different Ways to Eat

√ = Yes ? = Possibly

The word eat has several synonyms that might fit the sentence below, but a quick glance at the chart shows their differences.

I watched curiously as she _______ her dinner.


Grade 6, Lesson 8

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR33

The stagecoaches of John Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company delivered mail twice a week. They could carry letters and newspapers from St. Louis to San Francisco in about 18 to 24 days. But in 1860, Californians wanted their mail and news faster.

In 1860, William Russell, of the freight company Russell, Majors, and Waddell, announced his plans for the Pony Express. The company promised twice-a-week delivery from St. Joseph, Missouri, to San Francisco, California, in ten days. Perhaps Russell learned about the horse relay systems used in ancient Rome and China. He probably knew about Ben Franklin’s relay mail service in the 1750s. In Russell’s plan, a relay team of riders moved a saddlebag full of mail across the country. One rider passed the saddlebag to another about every 75 miles.

from “The American Adventure: Stagecoaches and the Pony Express” by Sally Senzell Isaacs


Grade 6, Lesson 8

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Summarize

SummarizeR34

Main Idea

Main Idea

Detail

Detail DetailDetail

DetailDetail

Summary

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 1


Grade 6, Lesson 8

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SummarizeR35

Summarize

What sporting event supplies each competitor with 2,500 pounds of dog food? If you’re taking part in Alaska’s famous Iditarod, you’ll need every ounce of that food. After all, you’ll have around fifteen dogs to feed, and they’ll be pulling you as they race from Anchorage to Nome. That’s a distance of nearly 1,200 miles! And this is no flat race track. As a “musher” in the Iditarod, you’ll cross mountain ranges, rivers, forests, and wind-swept tundra. The winter temperatures can reach 60 degrees below zero. Even the fastest dog teams can’t complete the course in less than nine days. It’s more likely you’ll be out in these conditions for up to two weeks.

In spite of these hardships, the Iditarod never lacks competitors. Mushers have ranged in age from 18 to 81. Many of these men and women are native to Alaska, but mushers have also come from Texas and California and as far away as New Zealand. Along the way tourists, villagers, and schoolchildren cheer as the teams slide past. Television networks and newspapers from around the world report on every stage of the race. And the little town of Nome (population 3,500) celebrates the Iditarod’s finish with ice golf, a reindeer potluck, and the world’s largest basketball tournament!


Grade 6, Lesson 8

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

plea When you ask for something in an emotional or intense way, you are making a plea.

intercept When you intercept someone on the way to a place, you meet the person before he or she gets there.

seeped A liquid or a gas that has seeped into a place has leaked there slowly.

diagnosed When an illness or problem has been identified, it has been diagnosed.

rendezvous When you have a rendezvous with someone, you have arranged to meet that person at a certain time and place.

devoured You have devoured something if you have eaten it quickly and enthusiastically.

lethal When something is capable of killing, it is lethal.

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Grade 6, Lesson 9

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR37

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area is a bad place to be lost. Located in southern Montana, just north of Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park, it’s full of high, jagged peaks and thick, dark forest. The weather is unpredictable, often dangerous. Trails are few and far between. And as its name suggests, there are bears. Grizzly bears.

For Cub Scout Nathan Polakoff, this is all just fine. Nathan is trying to get lost. And now, wedged between two big boulders somewhere on a steeply sloping hillside, he’s pretty sure he has done it. Taking out his walkie-talkie, he presses a button and speaks: “O.K., Dad, I’m in position.”

from “Paws with a Cause” by Chris Hayhurst


Grade 6, Lesson 9

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Summarize

SummarizeR38

Main Idea

Main Idea

Detail

Detail DetailDetail

DetailDetail

Summary

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 1


Grade 6, Lesson 9

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SummarizeR39

SummarizeSmokejumpers work from early June until the end of October. That’s when most

wildfires are likely to occur. New smokejumpers report for training in the spring. Experienced smokejumpers take refresher courses at that time, too. The training includes learning to exit an aircraft from the air, handling a parachute, and rehearsing emergency procedures. Smokejumpers also practice landing rolls, climbing trees, and retrieving cargo dropped by planes.

Once their training is over, smokejumpers don’t just wait around at their base for fire calls. Instead, they take on other important natural resource projects. For example, smokejumpers may spend time clearing away brush or maintaining trails. Some work as fire safety experts or at helping to manage national forests.

Main IdeaNew and experienced smokejumpers train for their work in the spring before

most wildfires are likely to occur.

Main IdeaSmokejumpers work during nonfirefighting periods to help preserve and

manage natural resources.

DetailExperienced

smokejumpers take refresher courses.

DetailSmokejumpers work as fire safety experts.

DetailSmokejumpers

manage national forests.

DetailSmokejumpers clear

brush.

DetailSmokejumpers work from June to October.

DetailNew smokejumpers train in the spring.

Summary

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 1


Grade 6, Lesson 9

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

extent The extent of something is the size of the area it covers.

hampered If you have been hampered, something has made it difficult for you to accomplish what you had wanted to.

altitude A landform’s altitude is its height above sea level.

equipped When you have been equipped with something, it has been provided to you.

reserve A reserve supply of something has been set aside for a special purpose.

rely When you rely on something, you trust that it will be there when you need it.

overshadowed Something that is overshadowed by something else is viewed as less successful, less important, or less impressive than what it is being compared to.

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Grade 6, Lesson 9

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Text Structure: Cause and Effect

Most forest fires in the United States are caused by people who drop lighted matches. To catch these fires early, foresters in airplanes patrol the sky over wilderness areas. Foresters also work hard to educate people about the value of forests in order to reduce the number of careless fires. When there is a long spell of dry weather and an increased fire danger, foresters may close a wilderness area to the public.

Text Structure: Cause and EffectR41

• A cause is why something happened; an effect is what happened.• When a cause or effect is unstated, you must use the information from the story

and your own knowledge to figure out what the missing information might be.• Certain words or phrases signal cause-and-effect relationships, such as when,

in order to, because, so, since, and as a result.

CausePeople drop lighted matches.

EffectForest fires start.

Cause

Cause

Cause Effect

Effect

Effect


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Model Oral Fluency


The life of a super sleuth is filled with suspense, intrigue, danger—and oh, yeah, plenty of hard work. Just ask Randall Buchanan. At 14, he runs his own detective agency in Franklinville, New York.

Randall became interested in crime solving four years ago when he started reading Encyclopedia Brown, Donald Sobol’s adventure series about a boy detective. “I was so fascinated by his cases,” tells Randall, “I thought why couldn’t I do something like that? So I put an ad in the paper and people started to call.”

from “Crime Busters” by Deborah Lynn Black


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Grade 6, Lesson 10 Robust Vocabulary

concede When you concede something, you acknowledge or admit that it is true, often against your will.

confidential Something that is confidential is meant to be secret and not told to anyone else.

justification When you provide a reason or an explanation for a certain action, you provide justification.

unearthed Something that has been unearthed has been discovered or uncovered, usually after a search or an investigation.

alibi When you have an alibi, you can offer an explanation as to where you were when an event occurred.

culprit A culprit is the person who committed a crime or offense.

confront To challenge someone face-to-face is to confront that person.

scandal A situation or an event that causes public outrage or shock is known as a scandal.

sheepishly If you act sheepishly, you show that you feel embarrassed or stupid.

vying When two competitors are vying for something, they are competing for the same goal.

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Vocabulary PassageR44Grade 6, Lesson 10

Vocabulary Passage

On television programs, the process of solving a crime is exciting and swift. Smart detectives tackle the case, and soon they have unearthed several clues. They follow up on clues by interviewing people who might know something or might have been involved. They ask each person for his or her alibi at the time of the crime.

One suspect always seems most suspicious. That person has confidential information and doesn’t want to talk. He or she may act nervous or awkward. Another suspect cooperates and has a reasonable justification for every action that might seem suspicious.

On one program, two detectives are vying to solve the case first. They have very different ideas about who committed the crime. The younger detective feels certain that suspect number one is the culprit. The older detective isn’t so sure. They confront suspect number one, who finally confesses the truth. However, the truth is surprising. Suspect number one was lying to cover up a scandal that had nothing to do with the crime.

In fact, suspect number two committed the crime. Sheepishly, the younger detective must concede that experience has won the day. The detectives are still friends, and justice has triumphed.


Grade 6, Lesson 11

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR45

The gray plane touches down and slides to a halt. Philip Kyle hears the wind howl and knows it will be freezing outside. After an eight-hour flight from New Zealand, Kyle has landed on sea ice surrounding Antarctica—Earth’s southernmost continent. Dressed in a heavy parka, he climbs out of the plane. Then he spots his real destination: a large mountain with steam rising from its summit.

from “Antarctica’s Icy-Hot Volcano” by Emily Costello


Grade 6, Lesson 11

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Monitor Comprehension: Adjust Reading Rate


R46

Adjusting your reading rate means speeding up or slowing down to fit your purpose for reading. If you are reading a poem or a story for enjoyment, you might read at a moderate to quick rate. Use a slower reading rate when you read nonfiction text, when you are studying for a test, or when you come to part of a text that you don’t understand.

Text Purpose for Reading Reading Rate

cereal box to see what kind of prize is inside the box

quick

science fiction story for enjoyment moderate

magazine article about penguins

to learn information moderate to slow

science textbook to study for a test slow to careful


Grade 6, Lesson 11

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Monitor Comprehension:Adjust Reading Rate

R47

Antarctic Krill

The Antarctic krill is a type of crustacean that resembles a small shrimp. Krill float in the Antarctic waters. They have large black eyes and pink, transparent bodies. Krill grow to just over two inches long and survive by eating the tiny green algae that float in the seas. When food becomes scarce, krill can do an amazing thing—they can live off their own body protein and reduce their size. Using this remarkable survival skill, krill can go without food for more than 200 days!

Whales of Summer

June 12—My aunt and I went whale watching yesterday. It was exciting! Although we didn’t see whales right away, we got to see plenty of ocean life. After several hours of roaming the ocean waters in the tiny boat, I spotted the first pod. I couldn’t believe how big the whales were. Even the babies were bigger than our boat.

Text Purpose for Reading Reading Rate

Antarctic Krill: nonfiction paragraph

Whales of Summer: journal entry


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Robust Vocabulary

thrive A living thing that is growing in a healthy manner is said to thrive.

illuminates When something illuminates an object, it shines light on it to make it brighter or more visible.

bearable Something that you can usually put up with is bearable.

abundant When something is abundant, there are large quantities of it.

phenomenon Something you can observe that exists in nature is called a phenomenon.

refuge A refuge is a place that provides shelter and protection.

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Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

Prefixes, Suffixes, and RootsR49

Root or Root Word

the basic word part that gives the word its meaning; root words can stand alone as a word; roots cannot stand alone

Prefix a word part added to the beginning of a word

Suffix a word part added to the end of a word

Common Prefixes

Prefix Meaning Example

bi- two bicycle

dis-, mis-, non-, un- not, wrong dislike, misprint, untrue

pre- before preview

Common Suffixes

Suffix Meaning Example

-able, -ible capable or worthy of likable

-er, -ist one who dancer, motorist

-ment, -ness state of amazement, happiness

Grade 6, Lesson 11

Common Roots

Root Meaning Example

miss/mit send mission

auto self automatic

therm heat thermostat

graph write autograph


Grade 6, Lesson 12

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR50

Back when the world was young, there was no ocean. There was a small, thin lake that wound between the hills. One day, a hen pelican flew toward the shore. She landed on the water, then waddled up onto the land. There, she laid a magnificent egg.

Under the heat of the young sun, the first Guajiro [gwah HEE row] man was walking along. The sun had painted his skin dark with its heat and light. As he strode the uneven rocks along the shore, he came upon the pelican and her egg.

“What a wonderful egg,” he said to Pelican. “Why have you laid it here upon these rocks?”

“I cannot tell you,” she replied. “I am the only one who can know the secret contents of this egg. You must promise me that you will leave it alone.”

“Very well,” said the young man, “it is your egg, after all.”Then, the pelican turned and waddled away.“Where are you going?” the young man called after the

awkward bird.“I am going to a dance,” she replied. “I will be gone for

some time.”The young man, too, went on his way.

from “Origin of the Ocean” by Michael J. Caduto


Grade 6, Lesson 12

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When you are reading fiction,

read these more slowly:

When you are reading fiction,

read these at a regular rate:

text that contains figurative language text that you are reading for enjoyment or fun

text with difficult vocabulary or information

familiar topics

topics that are unfamiliar to you text that is easy to read


R51

Your reading rate is how quickly or slowly you read a text. When you adjust your reading rate, you change the speed at which you are reading to help you understand.



Grade 6, Lesson 12

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It was an absolutely perfect spring day. Mom, Dad, my little brother Al, and I were off for a spring bike ride. The sun was an orange ball as it rose steadily in the sky. Wispy white clouds of fluff drifted by as a soft breeze blew in from the lakefront. The wind made the leaves dance on the trees as it passed. It felt cool and refreshing on my skin.

“Ready?” Dad asked as he put on his bike helmet.“Ready,” I said.Mom and Al echoed me as we started out on the bake path along

the lake. Runners were out, hurrying past like gazelles on the savannah. Skaters twirled and spun like seedpods blown from maple trees as they shouldered past us. Their skates’ wheels created a rhythmic sound. I could hear the occasional ching-ching of other bikers’ bells tinkling like tapping on glass for the right-of-way. Dad took the lead with Al and me in the middle. Mom followed close behind.

I watched Al as he pedaled. His little feet went round and round like a hamster on a wheel. He tried his best to keep up and match Dad’s pace. Dad went deliberately slow, almost turtle speed, so that Al could keep up. Al’s face looked determined as he gripped the handlebars. He leaned forward, almost willing his bike to go faster.

The tinkling of Mom’s bike bell brought me out of my daydream. “Hey, Sport,” she yelled to me. “Keep up!”

“Okay, Mom.” I gave a chortle and quickened my pace. “I’ll keep up.”

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Grade 6, Lesson 12

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

ideal When something is perfectly suited for a particular purpose, it is ideal.

perched If you are perched on an object, you are sitting right on its edge.

wedged Something that is wedged into a space is packed in there tightly.

pelting When you say that something is pelting down, you mean that it is falling hard and hitting with force.

slunk Someone who has slunk away has left quietly and secretively.

blurted When you have blurted out something, you have said it suddenly or impulsively.

stranded Something that has been stranded has been left some place, and it cannot get back.

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Grade 6, Lesson 13

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR54

Hours before giant waves pounded coastlines in South Asia in December 2004, many animals started behaving strangely. In Sri Lanka, elephants trumpeted frantically and fled to higher ground. Bats and flamingos deserted low-lying areas. Many other animals escaped unharmed.

Wildlife experts are amazed that many animals survived the tsunami. The series of huge waves killed thousands of people in South Asia and East Africa. Experts say animals might have sensed the approaching waves and moved to higher ground.

“I think animals can sense disaster. They know when things are happening in nature,” said an official at the national wildlife department in Sri Lanka.

from “Animal Instincts,” a Weekly Reader article



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Answer Questions

Understanding the kind of information a question is asking for and knowing where to look for it can help you answer questions more effectively. There are four kinds of question-answer relationships.

IN THE TEXT

• RIGHT THERE The answer is easy to find in the text. The answer may contain some of the same words as the question.

• THINK AND SEARCH The answer is found in different parts of the text. You need to combine information from two or more parts of the text to answer the question.

IN YOUR HEAD

• AUTHOR AND YOU The answer is not stated directly in the text. You need to draw conclusions by thinking about what you already know and what the author tells you.

• ON YOUR OWN You won’t find the answer in the text. Use what you already know and your own experiences to answer the question.

Answer Questions



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Answer Questions

The time was 6 P.M., but Derek didn’t pay any attention to his watch. He continued to dribble and shoot baskets on the court. When a ball was in his hand, it was the only thing he concentrated on. When he finally looked up from the ball, it was dark outside and he knew his mother would be worried.

1. What time does this story take place?

(Hint: Use RIGHT THERE)

2. Since Derek wore a watch, why didn’t he realize what time it was?

(Hint: Use THINK AND SEARCH)

3. Question: How does Derek feel about basketball?

(Hint: Use AUTHOR AND YOU)

4. Question: Why do you think Derek’s mom will be worried?

(Hint: Use ON YOUR OWN)

Answer Questions


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Robust Vocabulary

imperative If something is imperative, it must be done no matter how difficult it is.

disoriented If you feel lost or have lost your sense of direction, you have become disoriented.

premonition A premonition is a feeling that something is about to occur.

receded When water has receded, it has flowed away from where it was before.

haphazardly Something that is organized haphazardly is not well planned or arranged.

remorse If you feel remorse about an action, you feel guilt or regret about it.

optimistic You are optimistic when you feel hopeful or positive about the future.

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Grade 6, Lesson 13

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Author’s Purpose

Author’s purpose is the author’s reason for writing. There are three main purposes for writing:

Author’s Purpose and Perspective

Author’s Purpose and PerspectiveR58

Author’s Perspective

An author’s perspective is his or her viewpoint on a subject. To determine author’s perspective, first think about the author’s purpose.

• If the purpose is to entertain, think about the characters’ thoughts and actions.

• If the purpose is to inform, think about the details the author includes and the words he or she uses.

• If the purpose is to persuade, think about what the author is trying to convince you of.

Purpose Genres

• to entertain realistic fiction, historical fiction, folktales, mysteries, science fiction

• to inform magazine articles, newspaper articles, encyclopedias, almanacs

• to persuade editorials, letters to the editor, advertisements, reviews


Grade 6, Lesson 14

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR59

Ever wonder who invented the popcorn ball? Here’s the answer: a strong, smart, and lucky fellow—Nebraska’s first farmer, Febold Feboldson.

Way back in ’48, when men were rushing to California to make their fortunes panning gold, the big Swede Febold Feboldson was running a wagon train of ox teams and prairie schooners on the long, hard trail from Kansas City to San Francisco. That winter there came a terrific snowstorm with a cold so deep the snow turned to stone. The Year of the Petrified Snow, they called it, for the snow stayed on the plains all the next summer, as hard and as cold as marble. For over a year Febold couldn’t get a single gold rusher to poke his nose beyond the warmth of the fires in the Kansas City camp. In fact, it’s on account of the Year of the Petrified Snow that the forty-eighters came to be called the forty-niners.

from “Febold Feboldson, First Citizen of Nebraska” retold by Suzy Schmidt

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Grade 6, Lesson 14

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Answer Questions

Answer Questions

InferenceAuthor and You

On Your Own

• combine information in text with what you know

Fact RecallRight There

Think and Search

• scan text for key words or

numbers in the question

Question

Answer

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Grade 6, Lesson 14

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Answer Questions

Answer QuestionsR61

Jeff set down his tackle box and looked around him with a smile. Grandpa’s pond was his favorite place to fish. He knew the sunken log at one end was a good place to start. So was the dock, but it wasn’t shaded. Noticing the overcast sky, he decided to try the dock first.

He baited his hook carefully and prepared to cast his line. He held the line under his pointer finger and flipped over the wire bail. Then he drew the rod back over his right shoulder, aimed at a spot about twenty feet off the dock, and cast the line. The line unwound with a quiet whirring sound. The bobber landed with a light plop. Then he sat on the dock, dangling his feet and watching the bobber.

Fifteen minutes passed quietly. Then Jeff saw the bobber shake and bob up and down slightly. He tightened his grip on the rod and waited motionless. “Wait for the bobber to be yanked down hard,” Grandpa had told him. “Then yank back quickly on your pole.” Jeff was ready for the battle to begin.

Question Type of Question Answer

1. Where was Jeff’s favorite fishing spot?

2. What is the purpose of a bobber?

3. Do you like fish?

4. Why does the author state that Jeff was ready for the battle to begin?


Grade 6, Lesson 14

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

cocky Cocky people are overly confident and sure of themselves.

gingerly If you approach something cautiously and tentatively, you move toward it gingerly.

winced You have winced when you have pulled suddenly away from something in anticipation of something unpleasant.

terminal When someone’s condition is terminal, it cannot improve or be cured.

acquaintance You have an acquaintance with someone you have met but do not know very well.

stymied You feel stymied when you are prevented from making progress on a task.

retrieve To retrieve something, you get it and bring it back to where it was before.

rank Something that is rank tastes or smells foul.

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Grade 6, Lesson 15

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR63

Once there was an old man who lived next to the rice fields on the side of a mountain, high above the village and the sea. His grandson lived with him, and together they enjoyed watching over the many rice fields that covered the terrace mountainside.

The rice belonged to everyone in the village and the people climbed the steep and narrow paths that led up to the fields to work each day. The small boy was especially proud that his grandfather was the caretaker, because he realized how important the good rice was to the survival of the villagers.

from “The Burning of the Rice Fields” by Pleasant DeSpain


Grade 6, Lesson 15

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

communal Something that is shared by a group of people is communal.

dissatisfied When you are dissatisfied, you are unhappy about the way something has turned out.

demands If someone makes demands of you, you are expected to give your time, facilities, or resources.

apparent Something that is clear and obvious is apparent.

indebted You are indebted to a person if you are grateful or obliged for a favor or assistance given to you by that person.

bliss When you feel bliss, you feel happy and content.

stationary Objects that are stationary stay in one place and do not move.

arduous An arduous task requires you to work extremely hard to complete it.

prudent People who are prudent are sensible and practical in their actions.

entwined When things are entwined, they are twisted together and wound around one another.

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Grade 6, Lesson 15

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Vocabulary Passage


A new day was dawning in the sleepy little village. Mothers and fathers had already risen as the sun touched their windows, and the light grew across the clear sky. It was apparent that the day would be a good one.

Overnight it had rained. Howling winds, thunder, and lightning had downed many trees. The adults knew it was prudent to get the work done as quickly as possible. Hungry children would be waking soon. Strong backs were needed to begin the arduous task of clearing tree limbs from the communal breakfast area. Though the task was hard, the people worked in bliss, for everyone had survived the night unhurt. The trees had fallen in such a way that no house had been hit. The villagers were indebted to their forefathers for such careful planning.

As the dawning day gave way to mid-morning, children awoke from their slumber. They stood stationary in doorways and watched with fascination as the adults removed the entwined tree limbs and branches. The demands of such hard work required good coordination between workers. They would be dissatisfied with anything less.


Grade 6, Lesson 16

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR66

It was a dreadful day, weatherwise. Snow and sleet pelted the pavement, and people burrowed deep within their coats. Hoping to catch the sights and escape the blustery cold, Mary Anderson of Birmingham, Alabama, climbed aboard a New York City streetcar. The year was 1902. It turned out to be a ride she would never forget, but not because of the scenery. Instead, the ride would inspire her to invent the very first windshield wiper. And simply because she felt sorry for the streetcar driver, who struggled to see through the glass. The invention would not only improve conditions for all drivers, but would save countless lives as well.

Earlier, top-notch engineers had tackled the problem of poor visibility in bad weather and came up with a solution. They split the windshield. Once the glass became covered with rain or snow, the streetcar driver could fling open the middle for a clear view. Trouble was, it didn’t work. At least not very well. Mary watched helplessly as the driver desperately tried to see. When he opened the split glass, he was greeted with a burst of icy cold air and a blast of heavy, wet snow.

from “Mary Anderson: Windshield Wipers” by Catherine Thimmesh


Grade 6, Lesson 16

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Ask Questions

Ask QuestionsR67

Question Answer

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?


Grade 6, Lesson 16

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Ask QuestionsR68

Ask Questions

Question Answer

Who

What

When

Where

Why

How

Thomas A. Edison was one of the greatest inventors in history. Born in 1847, Edison only attended school for three months, yet he wound up getting 1,093 patents for inventions during his lifetime. He invented the light bulb and made electrical lighting practical. Among his other important inventions were the phonograph and the motion picture camera. He also made great improvements in the telegraph and telephone.

But Edison did not perform well in school. When his schoolmaster called the boy “addled,” Edison’s mother was angry. She took him out of school and taught him at home. Much later, Edison credited his mother with making him successful. He said, “She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

As a boy, Edison sold newspapers and candy, but he also spent time doing chemistry experiments and studying how mechanical things worked. When he was twelve, Edison lost most of his hearing. However, he did not let this discourage him. Instead, he looked at his deafness as an asset: silence made it easier for him to concentrate on experiments and research.


Grade 6, Lesson 16

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Robust Vocabulary

Robust Vocabulary

regulates When someone regulates something, he or she controls its functions and workings.

precise When something is exact and accurate, it is precise.

compensate When you compensate for something, you provide something else to balance out its negative effects.

trial A trial run is a test or an experiment to see whether something will work.

perfectionist Somebody who feels that he or she has to do everything absolutely right is a perfectionist.

counteracted When you have counteracted something, you have acted in an opposite manner to prevent or reduce its effect.

meticulously When you do something meticulously, you do it carefully, paying strict attention to details.

petition When you petition a higher authority, you formally make a request for an action or decision from someone who has more power than you have.

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Grade 6, Lesson 16

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Word Original Language Meaning

café French a small restaurant

résumé French a brief summary of qualifications

adobe Spanish sun-dried brick

sushi Japanese small cakes of rice with raw fish, vegetables, or egg

klutz Yiddish a clumsy person

protégé French a person who receives support and guidance from another more experienced person

croissant French a crescent-shaped bread

ciao Italian goodbye

Foreign Words in English

Many English words are borrowed from other languages. Languages grow and change as the people who use them come into contact with other cultures.

Carolina and her friend Latisha agreed to meet at the local café to discuss Carolina’s upcoming interview. She wanted Latisha to help her with her résumé. As Carolina reached the quaint adobe building, she noticed her brother dashing out of the café. She asked Carlos why he was leaving in such haste. As he flew out the front door, he said “I am such a klutz. I accidentally knocked over the tray of croissants at the register. I promised the owner I would run to the bakery to get some more. Ciao!”

Foreign Words in EnglishR70


Grade 6, Lesson 17

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR71

Everyone watches clouds,naming creatures they’ve seen.I see sky differently,I see the blue between—

The blue woman tuggingher stubborn cloud across the sky.The blue giraffe stretchingto nibble a cloud floating by.

from “The Blue Between” by Kristine O’Connell George


Grade 6, Lesson 17

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Ask Questions

Ask QuestionsR72

Type of Question

Where Information Is

Found

Example

Literal questions ask to identify details about people, places and things

directly stated in the text

Who is the main character?

Inferential questions focus on meaning, such as themes and messages

in different parts of the text and the reader’s prior knowledge

How does the main character feel?

Critical questions are open-ended and go beyond the text

not directly-stated in the text; reader must use knowledge and experience

Do you agree with the main character? Why or why not?

Good readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after reading to confirm their understanding of what they’ve read. They may ask themselves literal, inferential, or critical questions.


Grade 6, Lesson 17

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Ask QuestionsR73

Mabry the Magician

Question Question Type

Answer

Who is “Mabry the Magician” about?

literal The story is about Sean, Jason, and Mabry, three friends.

What

How

How

“I blew it,” Sean mumbled as he stumbled out of science class. “You too?” asked his friend Jason.Sean looked over at his friend and shook his head. Jason looked as miserable

as he felt.“Hey guys! How’s it going?”Sean and Jason looked up. There stood their friend Mabry, smiling from ear to

ear, as usual. The science test didn’t seem to have affected him at all.“Why are you so happy?” Sean asked. “Didn’t you take the same test we took?”“Of course!” Mabry said cheerfully. “The test was a cinch!” Mabry smiled, tapped

his head, and leaned closer to his friends. “I looked at the problems from every angle, sized them up, and tore them down. It’s a trick my dad taught me. I’ll teach it to you before the next test.” “If you can teach me that trick,” Jason remarked, “your new nickname will be Mabry the Magician!”

Ask questions as you read. Identify the type of each question. Then answer your own questions.


Grade 6, Lesson 17

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Robust Vocabulary

publicize When you publicize something, you make it widely known to the public.

contortions When you put something through contortions, you twist it into unnatural shapes.

grimy Something that is grimy is covered with dirt or soot.

testimony When you give testimony, you give proof in support of a fact.

faint When something is faint, it is not noticeable or bright.

foresight People who have foresight are able to envision possible problems in the future.

distraction A distraction takes your attention away from what you are trying to do.

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Grade 6, Lesson 18

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR75

Bet you didn’t know that the planet Uranus was almost named George! Not a bad name, but doesn’t it seem strange for a planet?

The first planets to be discovered were named after ancient gods and goddesses. There was Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. These five planets were visible to the unaided eye. Then, in 1781, using a new invention called a telescope, English astronomer William Herschel discovered another planet that no one had seen before. Herschel wanted to name the distant world the “Georgian Star,” after England’s King George III, but scientists of the time decided to continue the tradition of naming planets after mythical characters. So, the seventh planet became Uranus, who was the father of Saturn and grandfather of Jupiter. Neptune and Pluto were soon to follow.

from “Name That Crater” by Michael Carroll


Grade 6, Lesson 18

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Monitor Comprehension: Self-Correct

Monitor Comprehension: Self-CorrectR76

When you monitor your comprehension, you take control of your reading. Be aware when you don’t understand something you read. Then self-correct to clear up your confusion.

Reasons for misreading a word and questions you should ask yourself:

1. You do not know how to pronounce the word. EXAMPLE: Bacteria are living organisms. (How do you pronounce bacteria?)

2. You read a multiple-meaning word and choose the wrong meaning. EXAMPLE: The detective concluded that the butler was the thief. (Concluded can mean finished or reasoned. Which one applies in this sentence?)

3. You mistake a word for another one that looks or sounds similar. EXAMPLE: Last year I loved my math course. (Is course different from coarse?)

4. You accidentally skip a word while reading. EXAMPLE: The entertainer was absentminded, but he did not forget the words

to the song. (Does the but in this sentence make sense? Did I skip a word?)


Grade 6, Lesson 18

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After the sun and the moon, Venus is the brightest object in the sky. It can frequently be seen right before the sun comes up. At other times, it shines brilliantly immediately after the sun has sunk below the horizon. The early Greeks had two different names for Venus: Dawn Bearer and Evening Star.

As odd as it seems to us, the Greeks did not associate their planets with their gods until the time of Plato (427–347 B.C.). Although the names we now use for the visible planets come from the Romans, the Greeks’ gods were essentially the same. So Plato names “stars” that belong to the Greek equivalents of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. He does not, however, specifically name Venus. Instead, he says that the planet’s real name is “not known.”

Later, of course, that empty space in Plato’s list of planetary names was filled. Venus—perhaps because of its sparkling beauty—took on the title of the goddess of love.


Grade 6, Lesson 18

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Robust Vocabulary

beacon A light or fire that acts as a signal or warning is a beacon.

disturbances Disturbances are things that disrupt or interfere with something else.

coincidentally When two things happen coincidentally, they happen by accident at the same time, but they seem to be connected.

enthralled When you are enthralled with something, it is completely holding your interest or attention.

clamor When there is a clamor for something, people are asking for it noisily or angrily.

persisted When you have continued a task for a long time, even though it is difficult, you have persisted.

objections When you make objections to something, you give reasons for not liking or agreeing with it.

marvel When you marvel at something, you feel intense amazement at it.

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Follow Multiple-Step Instructions

Name the new comet that was spotted by Dr. Jennifer Smith, an astronomer at the Galileo Observatory. If your name is picked, you and Dr. Smith will appear as guests on “Good Day, Milky Way.”

Please follow these instructions: 1. Use a pen only. Do NOT use pencil, marker, or another writing implement. 2. Fill out the application form below. 3. Address an envelope to yourself, and put a first-class stamp on it. 4. Cut the completed form on the dotted line. 5. Clip your self-addressed envelope to your completed form, fold them, and send

them in a business-size envelope to: Dr. Jennifer Smith, Director

Galileo Observatory55 Planetary RoadMilky Way, CA 55555

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Application FormSuggested Name for Comet: _________________________________________________

Last Name: __________________ First Name: __________________ Middle Initial: ____

Street Address: ___________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: ____________________ Zip Code: _____

Telephone Number (including area code): ______________________________________

If you are under 18, you MUST include the following information:Age: __________ Grade: ________ School: _____________________________

Full Name of Parent or Guardian: _____________________________________ Last First M.I.

Daytime Telephone Number of Parent or Guardian: ______________________

Follow Multiple-Step Instructions


Grade 6, Lesson 19

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR80

For twenty-two years, the Washington Monument remained only one-third completed. Before the monument ever became a national symbol, it was a national embarrassment. When American author Mark Twain saw the eyesore, he compared it to “a factory chimney with the top broken off.”

Congress voted to build a monument to George Washington as early as 1783, but it was not until July 4, 1848, that President James Polk officially broke ground at the site. From 1783 to 1833, Congress campaigned unsuccessfully to bury Washington beneath the Capitol, seemingly forgetting that it had voted to build a monument in his honor.

from “From Eyesore to Monument” by Harold Holzer


Grade 6, Lesson 19

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Words with Multiple Meaningsbank n. • ground along the sides of a river

• a place where money is kept

board n. • a flat length of sawed lumber; a plank • a panel on which games are playedboard v. • to get on a ship, train, or plane • to cover with boards

cross n. • a religious symbol • a mark made by two diagonally intersecting linescross v. • to go across • to meet and pass each other

great adj. • large in size • remarkable or outstanding

key n. • a metal device that opens a lock • a table that explains symbols on a mapkey adj. • crucial

Words that Are Spelled the Same but Pronounced Differentlyobject n. [AWB•jekt] • a thing • a purpose or goalobject v. [awb•JEKT] • to express an opposing opinion or argument

present n. [PRE•zent] • the current time or moment • a giftpresent v. [pree•ZENT] • to offer to the public • to give a gift or an award • to introduce someone

produce n. [PROH•doos] • farm products such as fruits and vegetablesproduce v. [pro•DOOS] • to make or manufacture something

wound n. [woond] • an injurywound v. [wownd] • past tense of wind; to move around or turn


Grade 6, Lesson 19

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The Gateway to the West

In the 1760s, fur traders established the settlement of St. Louis on the banks of the Mississippi River. By the early 1800s, the settlement was a key point of departure for people going west. The settlers would board boats to cross the river. Some paddled upstream to where the Missouri River wound its way into the Mississippi. The settlers carried household objects and whatever produce they could carry as they undertook this great adventure. Today, their spirit is still present in the Gateway Arch, which honors the pioneers who began their journey in St. Louis.

Words Meanings

banks

key

board

cross

wound

objects

produce

great

present


Grade 6, Lesson 19

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Robust Vocabulary

eager When you are eager to do something, you are enthusiastic about it and very interested in it.

neglected When something has not been given proper care or attention, it has been neglected.

severe Something that is very serious, very harsh, or very strict is severe.

beloved You feel great love and affection for someone or something that is beloved.

demolished When a building has been torn down or knocked down, it has been demolished, often because it is old and dangerous.

humongous Something that is extremely large in size or amount is humongous.

abandoned Something that has been abandoned has been left vacant and uncared for.

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Model Oral Fluency


It was 7 A.M. on an October day in Albuquerque, N.M. As the sun rose over nearby mountains, thousands of spectators gathered in an open field.

They had come to see the world’s largest balloon festival. Getting ready to fly were more than 700 hot-air balloons of all shapes and colors.

“The biggest thrill at a festival is when all the balloons begin to lift off and fill the sky with color,” says Steve Shope, an Eagle Scout who lives in Albuquerque and is now a commercial balloon pilot.

The balloons that get the most attention are the ones with special shapes. They look like dinosaurs, soda cans, cowboy boots, cartoon characters, even the Statue of Liberty.

“One of my favorites is the flying hamburger,” says Joshua Aragon, age 8, who has been to three balloon festivals. “It’s cool ’cause it looks so real.”

from “Rising on Hot Air” by Walter Roessing


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aficionados Aficionados are people who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular interest or subject.

brainchild A brainchild is someone’s original thought or idea.

astute If you are astute, you are shrewd and clever about understanding situations and behavior.

conventional Something that is conventional conforms to the usual and accepted standards.

utilitarian Objects that are utilitarian are designed and built to be useful rather than attractive.

wage When you wage something, you begin an action and carry it out for a period of time.

commemorate To commemorate an event is to do something to honor its memory.

traction Traction is the force exerted by the act of pulling an object.

unison When objects or people move in unison, they move together and at the same time.

avid If you are avid about something, you are enthusiastic about it and dedicated to it.

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Vocabulary Passage

The Booker family is an avid fishing family. In fact, they enjoy fishing more than anything else. Daniel Booker, the father of this clan, fishes regularly. He has gone on deep-sea fishing expeditions for years. Some people call him a fish aficionado!

The first annual fish festival is the brainchild of the twins, Rona and Ronny Booker. They think everyone should celebrate fish at least once each year. They created a list of possible events and circulated a petition early in the year to get the festival going. This pair made an astute decision to have the festival at the end of the fishing season in our area, when many fishers will be in town. They also worked in unison with the city entertainment committee to pull off this feat.

The twins plan to have most of the conventional things found at a festival, including food and music. They also plan to hold a parade using utilitarian vehicles, such as tractors and backhoes, to pull fish-themed floats. These heavy-duty vehicles should get good traction on the sandy beach, where the parade will take place Friday afternoon. After all, the twins say, it’s the float that is important, not the vehicle pulling it.

It’s been a year since the Booker family began to wage their campaign to have a fish festival. In a few days, we will see the fruit of their labor and commemorate the fish that provide the livelihood for so many in our town!

Grade 6, Lesson 20


Grade 6, Lesson 21

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR87

Once, when all cloths and clothes were woven by hand, there was a weaver called Arachne more skillful than all the rest. Her tapestries were so lovely that people paid a fortune to buy them. Tailors and weavers came from miles around just to watch Arachne at work on her loom. Her shuttle flew to and fro, and her fingers plucked the strands as if she were making music rather than cloth.

“The gods certainly gave you an amazing talent,” said her friends.

“Gods? Bodkins! There’s nothing the gods could teach me about weaving. I can weave better than any god or goddess.”

Her friends turned rather pale. “Better not let the goddess Athena hear you say that.”

“Don’t care who hears it. I’m the best there is,” said Arachne.

from “Arachne the Spinner” retold by Geraldine McCaughrean


Grade 6, Lesson 21

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1.

2.

3.

Sequence Chart

CAUSE EFFECT

Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Both

Venn DiagramWeb


Grade 6, Lesson 21

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Think about ostriches and penguins. In some ways these two species are similar. After all, they are both flightless birds. The ostrich has a beak, two eyes, and two legs; the penguin does too. What else? The ostrich—like the penguin—is covered with feathers!

Here the similarities end, and the differences begin. Ostriches live in the baking-hot African savannah. Penguins, on the other hand, inhabit some of Earth’s coldest places. Ostriches can dash on their long legs at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, unlike the waddling, paddle-footed penguins. Ostriches approach the water only for drinking. Penguins, however, are fast and agile swimmers, spending much of their time in pursuit of fish in the icy oceans.

For all their differences, these two birds have this in common: They are among the world’s strangest living creatures.

Ostriches

live in hot climate

Both

flightless birds

Penguins

live in cold climate


Grade 6, Lesson 21

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Robust Vocabulary

urges When something urges you to do something, it encourages you to perform that action.

modern Something that is modern is characteristic of the present time.

logic Logic is the science of reasoning, which decides the truth of a statement by using a set of rules.

ethics Your ethics are your system of moral beliefs and rules about what is right and wrong.

influenced When something has influenced you, it has made a difference in your development or decisions.

pursuit Your pursuit of a goal involves the actions you perform and the attempts you make to achieve it.

promote When you promote something, you contribute to its growth and help make it happen.

banned When it is officially stated that something is not allowed be done, shown, or used, it has been banned.

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Grade 6, Lesson 21

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SurveyPreview the selection.

QuestionAsk

questions about the selection.

ReadRead the selection.

ReciteRecite what you read in your own

words.

ReviewGo over the selection to answer the

previous questions.

What I

Know

What I Want

to Know

What I Have

Learned

K-W-L Chart

SQ3R

Study Techniques

Study TechniquesR91

I. Main Topic

A. Subtopic1. Detail2. Detail

B. Subtopic1. Detail2. Detail

C. Subtopic1. Detail2. Detail

Outline


Grade 6, Lesson 22

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR92

On a small island off the southeast coast of Nova Scotia, not far from the town of Chester, there is a deep pit where there may be a vast treasure. People believe it might be a Viking treasure, or a treasure buried after a Spanish galleon lost its way, or a treasure left by pirates.

Of course, there may be no treasure at all. Yet that does not seem likely, after the trouble somebody took to dig that pit, then make sure that nobody could reach the bottom.

The pit was discovered in 1795, when three farmboys crossed over from the mainland. They wandered into a clearing where there was a giant oak tree. Strange figures had been carved in its trunk, and the end of a lower branch had been sawed off. The stump of the branch looked like a giant finger pointing at something.

from “The Bank on Oak Island” by Alvin Schwartz


Grade 6, Lesson 22

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Cause

Detail

Main Idea

Main Idea and Details Chart

Both

Venn Diagram

Cause

Effect

Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Detail Detail

Sequence Chart

First

Next

Then

Finally


Grade 6, Lesson 22

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Use Graphic OrganizersChina is a vast country in Asia. It has over one billion people and seven major

dialects that make up the Chinese language. The seven dialects are Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Xiang, Min, Gan, and Wu. Mandarin and Cantonese, the two most popular dialects, have similarities, but there are also several key differences.

Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as the other five Chinese dialects, are all spoken in various parts of China. Which dialect Chinese people speak depends on where they live in the country or the world. Interestingly, all seven dialects use the same writing system.

However, the similarities end there. Mandarin is the dialect spoken in the capital of Beijing. It is the official spoken language of the People’s Republic of China and of Taiwan. It is also one of the official languages of Singapore. About ninety-five percent of the Chinese population speaks Mandarin.

Cantonese is the second largest Chinese dialect. Cantonese is spoken by people in the southeastern part of mainland China, in Hong Kong, and in Macau, as well as by Cantonese people living overseas.

Mandarin

most popular Chinese language

Both

languages spoken in China

Cantonese

second most popular Chinese language


Grade 6, Lesson 22

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Robust Vocabulary

restored When you have restored something, you have put it back to its earlier condition.

prolong When you prolong something, you make it last longer than it needs to.

precede When something occurs or goes before something else, it is said to precede it.

trespass When you trespass, you go on someone’s property without permission or consent.

strategically When you place something strategically, you deliberately put it in the place that will be the most useful or have the most effect.

temperaments People’s temperaments are a measure of how they react to situations and what their usual moods are.

resigned When you are resigned to something, you accept it as it is because you know you cannot change it.

lustrous Something that shines or glows is lustrous.

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Grade 6, Lesson 22

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Diagrams Diagrams are drawings that show how something is put together, how its parts relate to one another, or how it works. Diagrams usually have labeled parts.

Maps Maps are drawings of places where something is located or where an important event took place. Some maps have a legend, or a key that tells what the symbols on the map mean.

Charts and Tables Charts and tables are usually boxes that contain words or numbers that give information. Charts and tables have rows (which go across the page) and columns (which go down the page).

Time Lines A time line shows information chronologically, or in the order in which things happened.

Graphs Graphs show how any one piece of information compares to other pieces. Graphs can show information more quickly than text. They can also reveal how something changes over time.

Topic Compare Contrastterracotta soldiers

life-size terracotta uniforms show rank

faces show age, place, emotion

400 B.C. 0 A.D. 900Chinese Europeans

Graphic Aids

Graphic AidsR96

Pit 1

1,000

2,000Nu

mb

er o

f Te

rrac

ott

a Fi

gu

rin

es

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Pit 2 Pit 3 Pit 4


Grade 6, Lesson 23

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR97

Once upon a time, there was a very rich man who lived in a village. When he died, he left his two sons a huge fortune.

But the two brothers were entirely different. The older was greedy, but the younger was very kind. The elder claimed all the fortune and left his younger brother only a star fruit tree, a cay khe. The younger brother took good care of his cay khe. He watered it every day and hoped it would give him a lot of fruit, so he could make a living by selling it.

The elder brother, on the other hand, had nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately for the younger brother, when the fruit was ripe, a raven, a con qua, flew by and stopped in the tree to eat it. The younger brother was very sad to see this happen day after day, but he did not know what to do. So one day, he stood beneath the tree and spoke to the con qua.

from “The Raven and the Star Fruit Tree” retold by Tran Van Dien and Winabelle Gritter


Grade 6, Lesson 23

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Monitor Comprehension: Read Ahead

Monitor Comprehension: Read AheadR98

Careful readers may need to read ahead to:

• Find the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Read ahead to discover a context clue somewhere in the next few

sentences or paragraphs.

• Find out about a real person, place, or event. Read ahead to learn more.

• Find an explanation of a scientific fact. Read ahead to hear the author’s explanation.

• Find a pattern in a legend or folktale. Read ahead to see if the same events occur more than once.

• Find a comparison or contrast. Read ahead to see how a new person, place, or thing is compared

or contrasted with one you have already read about.


Grade 6, Lesson 23

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Monitor Comprehension: Read AheadR99


A poor man, his wife, and three sons lived in a small farmhouse near Minsk. (1) As the boys grew older, the house became more and more crowded. He went to see the village wise man, who was one of the smartest people in all of Russia.

“My house is too crowded,” the poor farmer said. “What can I do about it?”“Do you have any chickens on your farm?” asked the wise man, and the farmer

held up ten fingers. “Bring your ten chickens into the house with you. Come and see me in a fortnight if your problem isn’t solved.” (2)

The farmer went home and did as he was told. But the house seemed more crowded than ever. At the end of two weeks, he went back to the wise man.

“Do you have any goats?” asked the wise man, and the poor farmer held up three fingers. “Bring your three goats into the house with you. Come and see me in a fortnight if your problem isn’t solved.” (3)

The farmer went home, and again did as he was told. But the house seemed even more crowded than before, and it smelled bad, too. At the end of two weeks, he hurried back to the wise man.

“Do you own any milk cows?” asked the wise man, and the poor farmer held up one finger. “Bring your one cow into the house with you. Come and see me in a fortnight if your problem isn’t solved.”

The farmer went home and yet again did as he was told. But the house seemed much more crowded than ever. He and his wife and their sons could hardly turn around with all the animals running all over the place. At the end of two weeks, he raced back to the wise man.

“All right,” said the wise man. “Take the one cow, the three goats, and the ten chickens out of your house. Come and see me in a fortnight if your problem isn’t solved.” (4)

The man went home and did as he was told. And, suddenly, his house seemed huge. At the end of the fortnight, he stayed home.

(1) Where is Minsk?(2) What does fortnight mean?(3) What pattern do you see?(4) Is the farmer’s problem solved?


Grade 6, Lesson 23

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Robust Vocabulary

unsettling Something that is unsettling causes you to feel worried and uncertain.

befitting Something that is befitting is suitable or appropriate for a person.

tolerated When you have let something that you did not agree with continue, you have tolerated it.

dispute If you have a dispute with someone, you have a disagreement or quarrel.

savory Something that is savory has an appetizing taste or smell and tastes salty or spicy, not sweet.

vigilantly When you have been watchful and alert to a problem or a danger, you have acted vigilantly.

revered If you are revered, you are highly respected and admired.

disposition Your disposition is your typical mood or temperament, especially the way you usually behave or feel.

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Grade 6, Lesson 24

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR101

Howard Carter, the British archaeologist, looked out over the Valley of the Kings. He saw sand, rocks, and the hot Egyptian sun overhead. Yet Carter was sure that somewhere a treasure waited to be found.

He’d been searching for fifteen years. Other archaeologists told him the tombs of the ancient kings had all been found. But Carter believed that one more remained undiscovered—the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamen, who ruled Egypt more than three thousand years before.

Carter’s workers were digging in one of the few unexplored spots in the valley. In the hills above them were the dark entrances of empty tombs, their treasures taken to museums years before.

Carter gazed at the hills. He dreamed of finding an untouched tomb. That hope kept him going through the endless days of heat, dust, and failure.

Carter sighed and signaled to stop work for the day. Once again, they had found nothing.

from “The Tomb of the King” by Jeanne DuPrau


Grade 6, Lesson 24

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R102

Using a K-W-L chart can help you keep track of what you want to find out as you read ahead.

• Write what you already know about the subject or question in the What I Know column of the chart. You can start writing in this column before you start reading and then add to it as you read.

• Write your questions in the What I Want To Know section of the chart. These are questions that you hope to answer as you read ahead.

• Write the answers to your questions in the What I Learned section of the chart.

K

What I Know

W

What I Want to Know

L

What I Learned


Grade 6, Lesson 24

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Imagine the surprise of two cowboys, searching for lost cattle in southwestern Colorado in 1888, when they stumbled upon an abandoned city on a cliff ledge! It was Cliff Palace, part of what is now Mesa Verde National Park.

Archaeologists think these cliff dwellings were constructed by a group of people known as the Anasazi and that most of the buildings were constructed in the 1100s. The buildings were placed along overhanging canyon walls, far above the valley floor. It is thought this location was chosen for protection from other tribes and from wind and storms.

There are other cliff dwellings, but Cliff Palace is the largest. At one time, up to 400 people may have lived there. Some sections are four stories high. There are several types of rooms, including sleeping rooms, storage areas, and underground rooms for religious ceremonies.

In the late 1200s the Anasazi abandoned their cliff homes. Archaeologists now believe they chose to leave because of their increasing population and decreasing natural resources. Also, there was a great draught at the time, and the Anasazi may have needed to find a home in an area with a better water supply.


Grade 6, Lesson 24

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Robust Vocabulary

primitive Something that is primitive is crude, simple, and not technologically advanced.

fertile Land that is fertile is full of nutrients that are good for growing crops.

flourishing Something that is flourishing is successful and growing rapidly.

descendants Your relatives in future generations are your descendants.

rituals A culture’s rituals are its ceremonies that involve a series of actions performed according to a set order.

intact When something is intact, it is whole and undamaged.

immortalized When someone is immortalized, something has been created to keep the memory of that person living forever.

reinforces When something reinforces something else, it provides additional strength and support.

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Grade 6, Lesson 25

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR105

More than 1,600 years ago, a flourishing royal court full of treasures was swallowed up by the sea. The island of Antirhodos (an•teer•UH•dohs), home of Cleopatra, the famous queen of Egypt, sank after the area was hit by a huge earthquake in A.D. 335. Along with it, part of Alexandria, Egypt’s harbor city, also disappeared. For centuries the palace buildings and statues lay 30 feet underwater, 3 ½ miles off the coast of northern Egypt. The scene was almost perfectly preserved, protected from the sea by a blanket of waste and fine dirt.

In 1996, French explorer Franck Goddio rediscovered the fabled city. He and his team of divers have been working on excavating the site ever since. In London, England, Goddio unveiled the first complete map of the old city. “We realized the ancient quarters of Alexandria were totally different from what had been assumed until now,” Goddio told Reuters, a news agency. Until now, every map ever made was based on guesses of what the area looked like. Though the map is now complete, Goddio says, the team “will go on exploring. I am sure we will find plenty more treasures.”

from “Cleopatra’s Lost City” by Ritu Upadhyay


Grade 6, Lesson 25

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Robust Vocabulary

overwhelming Things that are overwhelming seem to be too much to deal with.

ornery An ornery person or animal is usually uncooperative and in a bad mood.

aggravated An aggravated situation was already bad and has been made even worse.

sophisticated Cultures that are sophisticated are more advanced, complex, and modern than other cultures.

imposing Things that are imposing are very impressive or awe-inspiring in their appearance.

notable Notable people and events are important and worth remembering.

prosperous People and places that are successful are prosperous.

unassuming People and things that are unassuming are quiet and do not have an air of superiority.

conspicuous Something that stands out and is easily noticed is conspicuous.

pillaged Places that have been pillaged have had artifacts stolen.

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Grade 6, Lesson 25

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Vocabulary Passage


You can still see hundreds of signs of the sophisticated culture of ancient Egypt. Notable structures—like temples, sphinxes, and pyramids—call temptingly to the eager traveler. It’s overwhelming to imagine a civilization that was able to produce such magnificent and imposing constructions more than 4,000 years ago. Everywhere you go along the Nile River, the landscape is dotted with conspicuous reminders of the pharaohs. These prosperous rulers used their money and power to leave permanent monuments to themselves.

However, the pharaohs did not foresee that some of their magnificent creations would be pillaged. Though much of the populace was unassuming, some locals snuck into the pyramids to steal gold, jewels, and other valuables. This bad situation was aggravated by the fact that entry into the tombs was forbidden, so honest people did not know about the thefts.

Would the pharaohs have become ornery if they had known their subjects would rob them after they were dead? Or would they have been content just to realize that the great pyramids would still be around more than 40 centuries later?


Grade 6, Lesson 26

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR108

NASA, look out! Once upon a time, you had to be an astronaut to travel into space. But not anymore! Recently, a privately built spacecraft called SpaceShipOne carried a crew of non-astronauts into space and back. Now, other private companies are racing to build safe, inexpensive spaceships to carry tourists out of this world. How will they do it?

Getting a 359,245-pound spaceship off Earth is not easy. There are two major obstacles. The first is the planet’s gravity, which tugs on the craft, making it difficult for it to lift off the ground. The second is Earth’s atmosphere, a thick blanket of gas that slows the ship down as it zooms into space. To overcome these problems, the spaceship needs a powerful thrust that will push it upward and allow it to plow through the air. To create this thrust, most spacecraft builders use a rocket engine.

from “The Race to Space” from Scholastic SuperScience


Grade 6, Lesson 26

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Summarize

SummarizeR109

K

What I Know

W

What I Want to Know

L

What I Learned

Summary


Grade 6, Lesson 26

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SummarizeR110

Summarize

A satellite is an object that orbits another object. Our moon, for example, is a satellite of Earth. It is called a natural satellite to distinguish it from artificial satellites that people make and launch into orbit around Earth. However, thinking on a larger scale, Earth itself is a satellite because it orbits the sun. In fact, all of the planets are satellites. The entire solar system could be described as a system of satellites.

Earth is not alone in having a natural satellite. As a matter of fact, it is unusual because it has only one moon. Most planets have a number of moons. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are orbited by many moons of various sizes. Only Mercury and Venus have no moons at all. Incredible as it may sound, a total of 155 moons orbit seven planets in our solar system!

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

Scientists use satellites to send and receive information to and from space.

Are there other kinds of satellites?

Objects that orbit other objects are satellites.

Summary


Grade 6, Lesson 26

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Robust Vocabulary

scale You refer to the scale of something when you want to represent and compare sizes and distances but the real measurements are too enormous to be shown.

impact When one object smashes into another, the event is called an impact.

barren Land that does not have trees and other plant life is barren.

warped Something that is warped has been twisted out of shape, usually by heat or water, so that it does not function in a normal manner.

mottled A surface that is mottled has irregular shapes, patterns, or colors on it.

chasm A deep split or crack in rock or ice is a chasm.

prominent When a feature is prominent, it is very noticeable and may stick out from a surface.

distinctive When something is distinctive, it has special characteristics that make it easily recognizable.

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Grade 6, Lesson 26

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Fact and Opinion

Fact and OpinionR112

FACT OPINION

A fact is a statement that can be proved. You can use resources to check or verify that a fact is true.

An opinion is a statement of feeling or belief. It cannot be proved true or false, but it can be supported or explained.

Check FactsA fact can be proved true.• Look it up in a reference book.• Observe it with your senses.• Consult an expert.

Check OpinionsAn opinion can be supported or explained, but not proved true or false.• Look for logical reasons.• Evaluate examples and other evidence

given to back up opinions.

Clues to FactsNumbers or other quantifiable data can signify facts.• statistics• dates• verifiable details

Clues to OpinionsSome words or phrases are clues that a statement is an opinion.• I believe• in my opinion• should• ought to• probably

Facts and Opinions CombinedStatements may contain both facts and opinions. For example, “Everyone knows that Jupiter is a gas giant” is both a statement of fact and an opinion. Jupiter is a gas giant, but everyone may not know that fact.


Grade 6, Lesson 27

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR113

Completed! Waiting for her trial spin—Levers and telegraphs and valves withinHer intercostal spaces ready to startThe power pulsing through her lungs and heart.An ocean lifeboat in herself—so ranThe architectural comment on her plan.No wave could sweep those upper decks—unthinkable!

from “The Titanic” by E. J. Pratt


Grade 6, Lesson 27

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SummarizeR115

Summarize

It took less than three hours to sink the unsinkable Titanic. The impact of the collision with the iceberg broke rivets, and some steel plates on the ship’s bow came apart at the seams. Water flooded in through six openings at a rate of 7 tons per second. While the bow sank gradually, the stern lifted from the water. The strain on the midsection was too great, and the ship broke in two. The bow plunged downward; the stern righted itself briefly, then turned almost vertical and sank. Debris fell from the ship on its two-plus-mile journey to the ocean floor. The bow and stern landed nearly 2,000 feet apart, and the debris was strewn over a half-mile area of ocean floor.

Summary

Event 3

Event 2

Event 1Titanic hit an iceberg and steel plates in the bow came apart at the seams.


Grade 6, Lesson 27

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Robust Vocabulary

lavish Something that is lavish is richly decorated and looks impressive.

dreaded If you have dreaded something, you have greatly feared it happening.

ascent When you make a steep upward climb, you make an ascent.

doomed If something is doomed, it is expected that something terrible will happen to it.

murky Something that is murky is dark and difficult to see through.

remains The parts that are left of something that has died, grown old, or been destroyed are its remains.

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Grade 6, Lesson 27

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Connotation/Denotation

Connotation/DenotationR117

The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition.fragrance: something which has a distinctive smellstench: a strong lingering smell

The connotations of a word are the feelings and values usually associated with that word. Connotations affect the way readers feel about a subject.

A strong fragrance rose from the corner of the garden.A strong stench rose from the corner of the garden.

• Stench and fragrance are synonyms. • Both words denote a scent or smell. • However, stench is associated with a foul, unpleasant smell. • Fragrance is associated with a sweet, agreeable smell.

Words with a similar denotation often have different connotations. For example:

words that mean “a smell” fragrance, perfume, odor, aroma, stinkwords that mean “group” mob, gang, gathering, mass, hordewords that mean “determined” stubborn, persistent, inflexible, mulish,

tenaciouswords that mean “extravagant” wild, fantastic, unbalanced, silly, bizarre,

crazywords that mean “hide” bury, ditch, conceal, coverwords that mean “child” juvenile, kid, youngster, minor,

teenybopper, brat


Grade 6, Lesson 28

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR118

Bertram, your robo-butler, rolls into the living room and announces in a flat, mechanical voice, “Dinner is served.” You’re slouched down in a corner of the couch. “I’m not hungry, thanks,” you answer. Your parents or friends might ask if you feel all right, or if there’s anything they can get you. But Bertram has no reaction. He simply rolls back in the kitchen without a word and puts away the uneaten dinner. Bertram has understood your negative reply, but he can’t respond to your tone of voice or your body language. And most people, Allison Bruce discovered, really don’t like that about robots.

Bruce is a researcher at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Bruce is part of the institute’s Social Robot program. The program studies ways to improve human-robot interaction. In the experiment, a laptop computer was attached to a robot. The robot stood in a corridor of a college classroom building and asked passing students a question. Sometimes the laptop screen would be blank, but sometimes it displayed a computer-generated face with a range of expressions.

from “Thinking Robots” by Helena Domaine


Grade 6, Lesson 28

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Answer Questions

Answer QuestionsR119

Where to Find

the Answer

How to Find the Answer

RIGHT THERE Text Look for the answer in one place.

THINK AND SEARCH Text Look for the answer in more than one place. Put the information together.

AUTHOR AND YOU The Text + Your Head Think about your own prior knowledge. Look for clues in the text. Combine your knowledge and the clues.

ON YOUR OWN Your Head Think about your own prior knowledge.


Grade 6, Lesson 28

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Answer Questions

One TV network was showing an hour of Tommy’s favorite comedy, and he wanted to watch it. Liza, however, was determined to see an hour-long action program she liked a lot. This was a problem because the shows were on at exactly the same time. The family owned only one television set.

Tommy chuckled to himself. He knew his younger sister’s bedtime was only an hour away. He said to Liza, “I’ll make a deal with you. If you let me watch Buddies, you can watch whatever you want afterward.”

Liza thought for a minute and then said, “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s watch my program now, and then you can watch anything you want to for the rest of the night.”

1. What kind of show did Liza want to watch?

2. Why did Tommy and Liza need to make a deal?

3. Why do you think Tommy chuckled to himself?

4. What does Liza’s response to her brother tell you about her?


Grade 6, Lesson 28

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Robust Vocabulary

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qualm When you have a qualm about something, you feel uneasy about whether it is right or wrong.

contentedly To act contentedly is to show pleasure or satisfaction with the way things are.

intolerable Something intolerable is so awful that you cannot accept its continuing as it is.

officious Someone who is officious is very bossy and talks as if he or she is in charge of everything.

torrent A torrent is a fast and powerful rush or flow.

contrary Statements that are contrary go against accepted beliefs or understanding.

endanger To endanger something is to put it in a situation in which it could be hurt or damaged.

contemplate When you contemplate something, you think carefully about it.


Grade 6, Lesson 29

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Model Oral Fluency

FluencyR122

Your world is as big as you make it.I know, for I used to abideIn the narrowest nest in a corner,My wings pressing close to my side.

But I slighted the distant horizonWhere the sky line encircled the seaAnd I throbbed with a burning desireTo travel this immensity.

I battered the cordons around meAnd cradled my wings on the breezeThen soared to the uttermost reachesWith rapture, with power, with ease!

“Your World” by Georgia Douglas Johnson


Grade 6, Lesson 29

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Answer Questions


• RIGHT THERE: The answer is in one sentence or place in the text.

If you are looking for a meaning of a word, look at the words or sentences near the word for clues to its meaning. Often the answer to a question that asks about a simple fact, a description, or an action can be found in one place in a text.

• THINK AND SEARCH: The answer is in several different sentences throughout the text.

Sometimes you will need different pieces of information from a text to fully answer a question. An answer might require several different examples from the text.

• AUTHOR AND YOU: The reader has to use both information in the text and prior knowledge.

When trying to understand a character, it may be necessary to use your own knowledge of how people act, as well as the information provided by the author.

• ON YOUR OWN: The answer is not in the text. The reader needs to use his or her own prior knowledge.

Sometimes the answers to a question can be found in other resources or by using factual information that you might already know.


Grade 6, Lesson 29

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Answer Questions

Clara was outside checking her mailbox. The letter she was looking for was not there. Clara bit her lips to keep from crying. The letter she wanted was from her dad. He was a soldier, stationed far away. Clara had not heard from him in a while.

As Clara turned to go back into her house, she saw something glinting red right at the place where the sidewalk met the grass. She crouched down for a closer look. Clara expected to see a bit of foil ribbon or a bottle cap. What she did not expect to see was a control button, but that’s what the shiny red thing appeared to be. It was definitely something meant to be pushed. (Although oddly, the button was not connected to anything.) Clara also did not expect the control button to have on it the words Hello, Clara. Push me.

Now Clara had read enough stories to know that pushing that button could go either way. In some stories, the main character took a chance and went down a rabbit hole, opened a game, or began to read some strange book and then—POOF!—the entire world changed, and the character was off on some crazy adventure. The adventure was not always good, though it was always interesting. So, Clara was very unsure about pushing the button. She looked at that button for a long time. Then she looked around. No one was there. This was a decision she would have to make on her own.

1. How do you think Clara feels when there is no letter from her father?

2. What does the control button say?

3. What might Clara be thinking about?

4. Why is Clara unsure about pushing the button?


Grade 6, Lesson 29

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Robust Vocabulary

dejectedly People act dejectedly when they are disheartened or in low spirits.

doldrums When you feel low and lacking in energy, you are in the doldrums.

linger When you linger at a place, you are slow to leave because you want to stay there.

strenuous A strenuous activity requires you to use a lot of energy and effort to complete it.

abide When you abide by a decision or a law, you agree to it and follow it in your behavior.

banished People who are banished from a place are sent away and not allowed to return.

misapprehension When you have a misapprehension, you have misunderstood something.

imposter A person who pretends to be someone else is an imposter.

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Okay, what do a 300-ton nuclear submarine diving beneath the polar ice cap and your pet goldfish, rising to the top of the tank when you sprinkle out food, have in common? Give up?

Amazingly, both of these “swimmers” move up and down through the water using the same pressure-related principle, called buoyancy.

How does it work? Say that you knock a bar of soap into the tub. If the soap is lighter than the same-size “chunk” of water, then the soap will float. That makes sense—water (or any liquid) can support itself.

But what if the soap bar is heavier than the same volume of water? Too bad; your soap sinks to the bottom.

from “My Goldfish Is a Submarine” by Nick D’Alto

Model Oral Fluency


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entrust When you entrust someone with something, you give him or her the responsibility of taking care of it.

critical When something is critical, it is extremely important, even essential.

understatement When you make an understatement, you say something that does not fully express the extent to which something is true.

emanates When a sound emanates from an object, it comes from that object.

erratic Something that is erratic moves around or acts in an irregular or unpredictable way.

elusive When something is hard to understand, find, or achieve, it is elusive.

unprecedented When something occurs that has never happened before, it is unprecedented.

cacophony A cacophony is a collection of harsh sounds that happen all at the same time.

implode When something collapses on itself, it implodes.

acute When something, such as an illness, is acute, it is strong and severe.

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Vocabulary Passage

Diving in a bathyscaphe is risky. “Risky” is an understatement. As you sink down, down, down, you entrust your life to this amazing machine. All its parts must work perfectly. If they don’t, the bathyscaphe could implode because of water pressure near the ocean’s floor.

So you listen for the steady beeping that emanates from the machine’s sensor devices. If the signal becomes erratic, you will have to make some quick decisions. A cacophony of thoughts will float through your brain, but it is critical that you focus.

In this unprecedented situation, you will have to discover what has gone wrong. Is it just a minor complication? Or is the problem acute? The solution may be elusive, but your life depends on figuring out what has gone wrong!

Grade 6, Lesson 30


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Graphic Organizer: WebGO1Grade 6

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