September 19, 2011
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SUMMARY: This is the true story of one family’s race to escape the deadliest wildfire in California history. A poem and a spotlight on Smokey Bear complete the package. FEATURED SKILL: ANALYZING KEY IDEAS VOCABULARY A list of tricky words that appear in the article, to print or project. Includes a practice activity to reinforce understanding. INTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A test-prep essential! We formed these questions based on state tests. (Need help with your interactive PDF? Visit our FAQ page.) Get the noninteractive version here. IDENTIFYING NONFICTION ELEMENTS: READ, THINK, EXPLAIN Use our teacher-vetted, scaffolded reading activity to help students improve their nonfiction reading-comprehension skills and strategies. Includes text-structure questions. CRITICAL THINKING Short-answer questions for independent completion (great for your above-level readers!) or group discussion. These are also listed in our T.E. and can be projected on your whiteboard. MULTIMEDIA VIDEO: “Mark Thiessen: On the Trail of a Wildfire” Students follow a National Geographic photographer as he documents wildfires in the west. Makes a great pre-reading activity. Length: 3:03. NOTE: An ad appears before the clip starts, so we recommend (if possible) loading before your class begins. | |
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SUMMARY: Greek mythology has never been this much fun! In our thrilling play, students follow Perseus on his quest to defeat the snake-headed monster known as Medusa. FEATURED SKILL: ANALYZING THEME
VIDEO: MEDUSA: “MY SIDE OF THE STORY” | |
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SUMMARY: We know how important it is for your students to be able to compare two or more texts—so we devised this totally fun activity to help them practice. We pair an essay about Beatlemania with a newspaper-style article about Justin Bieber’s wild young fans. Skill focus: comparing and contrasting; making connections between texts Students write a compare-and-contrast essay using our self-guided, step-by-step worksheet. Makes great homework! READING-COMPREHENSION CROSSWORD PUZZLE A fun way to check reading comprehension. MULTIMEDIA VIDEO: “The Rise and Fall of the Beatles” Use this clip about the Beatles to establish background knowledge. Includes the Beatles in concert, footage of screaming fans, and information about Beatlemania. Play from 0:50 to 2:50. NOTE: An ad appears before the clip starts, so we recommend pre-loading before your class begins. VIDEO: “What Is Bieber Fever?” An amusing clip about Bieber Fever. We recommend previewing to make sure it is appropriate for your classroom. Play from 0:00 to 1:27. | |
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SUMMARY: Tickets are now on sale for Virgin Galactic’s newest ship: the Enterprise. Destination? Space. Students weigh the pros and cons of getting on board. Skill focus: supporting an argument; identifying main ideas and details GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. GUIDED OPINION ESSAY | |
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SUMMARY: Students will have fun editing our error-filled article about Lucky Diamond Rich, the most tattooed man on the planet. Skill focus: conventions of standard English; revision GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. COMMA PRACTICE | |
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SUMMARY: Students write a short article based on our interview with Sukanya Roy, who recently won the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Skill focus: identifying main idea and details; summarizing CONTEST ENTRY FORM Use our handy form to enter students’ work in this contest. Read more about our contests here. | |
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SUMMARY: Students practice the correct use of then and than while reading about three extreme athletes. Skill focus: then vs. than More practice with these commonly confused words. | |
ANSWER KEY Looking for answers? Visit our top-secret Web site for answers to all reproducibles, quizzes, and activities. The URL is listed on page T-3 of your printed Teacher’s Edition. DOWNLOAD ALL PRINTABLES FOR THIS ISSUE COMMON CORE, NCTE, AND IRA STANDARDS FAQs ABOUT INTERACTIVE PDFS Having trouble downloading our materials? Try using a different browser. |
