January 30, 2012
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SUMMARY: An incredible story of a group of middle school students who not only survived last year’s tsunami in Japan, but also helped save the lives of hundreds of others. We pair it with a thrilling excerpt from Pearl S. Buck’s classic novel The Big Wave. Skill focus: descriptive writing Or, take your descriptive-writing lesson further with our exciting DIGITAL LESSON PLAN. Incorporates an original Scope video. SCOPE VIDEO: “The Making of a Tsunami” Show this to students before reading the article to introduce them to the disaster in Japan—and the science behind tsunamis. ANALYZING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING: “How Do They Do That?” Students identify a variety of descriptive-writing techniques in both the article and the excerpt from The Big Wave. VOCABULARY A list of tricky words, including definitions and example sentences, that appear in the article. Includes a practice activity to reinforce understanding. Read more about Scope Vocabulary here. 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 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. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students write a paragraph analyzing the descriptive-writing techniques of writer Lauren Tarshis and famed author Pearl S. Buck. Read more about our contests here. EXTRA RESOURCE AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Pearl S. Buck A brief biography of Pearl S. Buck, author of The Big Wave, The Good Earth, and other classics. | |
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SUMMARY: Two brave teenagers are at the center of this inspiring play about the 1965 protest marches that took place in Selma, Alabama, under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Skill focus: key ideas and details ANALYZING THE PROTESTERS’ SUCCESS A series of questions guide students to identify key ideas and details from the play and prepare them for the writing prompt on page 15. IDENTIFYING LITERARY ELEMENTS AND DEVICES This new self-guided activity helps students explore character, elements of plot, imagery, and more. Includes higher-level thinking questions. VOCABULARY A list of tricky words, including definitions and example sentences, that appear in the play. Includes a practice activity to reinforce understanding. Read more about Scope Vocabulary here. INTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ | |
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SUMMARY: This essay asks label-conscious teens to take a second look at designer brands. Are they really worth the extra cash? Skill focus: supporting an argument; identifying main ideas and details Our self-guided worksheet makes essay writing a painless process. Includes two bonus handouts: transition words and a self-edit checklist. Great for homework! SEE HOW THIS ACTIVITY SUPPORTS THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS. | |
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SUMMARY: An article celebrating the discovery of a sunken ship is paired with an editorial criticizing the man who found it. Skill focus: comparing and contrasting; making connections between texts; interpreting text GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. | |
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SUMMARY: Students correct grammar mistakes and revise sloppy writing in a nonfiction article about how young actors squeeze school into their busy lives. Skill focus: conventions of standard English; revision GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. CAPITALIZATION | |
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SUMMARY: Students write a short article based on our interview with 16-year-old Connie Lau, who works with police to stop cigarette sales to minors. Skill focus: identifying main idea and details; summarizing GUIDE TO “YOU WRITE IT” ACTIVITY This step-by-step worksheet helps students use our interview to craft an article. Includes guidance for identifying the main idea, organizing, and using direct quotations. “YOU WRITE IT” MODEL TEXT Our annotated example of a completed You Write It activity is another great way to help students understand how to turn an interview into an article. PUNCTUATING QUOTATIONS Use this activity from our archive to help students correctly punctuate the direct quotes they include in their articles. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Use our handy form to enter students’ work in our You Write It contest. Read more about our contests here. | |
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SUMMARY: Students practice the correct use of less and fewer while reading fun facts about three rather unusual animals. Skill focus: less and fewer More practice with these commonly confused words. | |
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| READING-COMPREHENSION CROSSWORD PUZZLE This is a fun way to test students’ understanding of the whole issue. | |
SKILLS AND GRAPHIC-ORGANIZERS LIBRARY Visit our library for a list of basic skills activities for just about any Scope feature. 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 MORE HELPFUL LINKS & DOWNLOADS COMMON CORE, NCTE, AND IRA STANDARDS FAQs ABOUT INTERACTIVE PDFS Having trouble downloading our materials? Try using a different browser. |
