April 23, 2012
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SUMMARY: Seventeen-year-old Titanic passenger Jack Thayer struggles for survival in our harrowing true teen story from history. This incredible and heartbreaking narrative is paired with a sidebar about J. Bruce Ismay, “the coward of the Titanic.” Skill focus: layers of meaning Lexile Level: 1170L GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Or, take your lesson further with our exciting DIGITAL LESSON PLAN, which includes a great new Scope video. SEE HOW THIS ACTIVITY SUPPORTS THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS OF TEXT COMPLEXITY.SCOPE VIDEO: “Titanic: The Ship of Dreams” Our new video explores the symbolism of the Titanic. Use it with our nonfiction article for a great lesson on layers of meaning. Viewing on a mobile device such as an iPad or iPhone? Click here. GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: “Layers of Meaning” Reinforce our featured skill with this activity, which helps students analyze the literal and figurative meanings of the article’s headline. INTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A test-prep essential! We formed these questions based on state tests. (Need help with interactive PDFs? Visit our FAQ page.) Get the noninteractive version here. 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. 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. VOCABULARY A list of tricky words that appear in the article. Includes definitions and example sentences, as well as a practice activity to reinforce understanding. Read more about Scope Vocabulary here. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students write a paragraph analyzing the literal and figurative meanings of the article’s headline. Read more about our contests here. EXTRA RESOURCE WEB ACTIVITY: “Titanic Interactive” Explore the Titanic before, during, and after the disaster with this engaging and informative multimedia activity from the History Channel. Features photographs, maps, diagrams, and information about the ship and its passengers. | |
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SUMMARY: In this adaptation of W. W. Jacobs’s classic horror story, a couple is granted three wishes by a mysterious monkey’s paw—but at what cost? Skill focus: understanding the conflict of person vs. fate GET A PDF OF THIS PLAY TO PROJECT. Students analyze how the mysterious events in the play can be interpreted either as coincidental or supernatural. INTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A test-prep essential! We formed these questions based on those in state tests. (Need help with interactive PDFs? Visit our FAQ page.) Get the noninteractive version here. 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. IDENTIFYING LITERARY ELEMENTS AND DEVICES: “Back to Basics” This self-guided activity helps students explore character, elements of plot, symbolism, and more. Includes higher-level-thinking questions. VOCABULARY A list of tricky words that appear in the play. Includes definitions and example sentences, as well as a practice activity to reinforce understanding. Read more about Scope Vocabulary here. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students explain a quote about fate from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then decide whether the play supports Roosevelt’s statement. Read more about our contests here. EXTRA RESOURCE ORIGINAL TEXT: “The Monkey’s Paw” The complete text of W. W. Jacobs’s 1902 short story. Have advanced readers compare Jacobs’s original story with the Scope adaptation. | |
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SUMMARY: Should people own exotic pets? Students consider the pros and cons, then take a stand. Skill focus: supporting an argument; identifying main ideas and details Lexile Level: 790L GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. GUIDED WRITING: THE PERSUASIVE ESSAYOur self-guided worksheet makes essay writing a painless process. Includes two bonus handouts: transition words and a self-edit checklist. Great for homework! EXTRA RESOURCE FROM THE ARCHIVES: “Monsters of the Everglades” Want to go deeper into the issue of exotic pets and invasive species? Check out our great nonfiction article from last year. | |
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SUMMARY: Who’s to blame for America’s obesity problem? Students consider the responsibility of the fast-food industry as they read about Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock and a teenager who opened her own vegan bakery. Skill focus: comparing and contrasting; making connections between texts Lexile Level: 1010L GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. PAIRED TEXTS QUIZStudents analyze and compare the two texts through a series of multiple-choice questions. Makes excellent test prep. COMPARE-AND-CONTRAST GRAPHIC ORGANIZER This worksheet helps students identify the similarities and differences between these two healthy-eating crusaders. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Are fast-food restaurants responsible for America’s obesity problem? Students respond using details from the two texts. Read more about our contests here. EXTRA RESOURCES WEB SITE: Mama Nia’s Vegan Bakery Inspire the entrepreneurs in your class with a visit to the Web site of Nia Froome’s vegan bakery, featured in the sidebar on p. 21. Learn more about Nia, the amazing success of her business, and order some of her delicious products! Features video clips of interviews with Nia. VIDEO: Super Size Me Trailer Get a peek at Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary with this trailer. Based on this brief look, what techniques and persuasive strategies does Spurlock seem to be using to make his point? Length: 1:05. NOTE: An ad appears before the video begins, so we recommend loading the video before your class starts. | |
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SUMMARY: Students correct grammar errors and revise sloppy writing in a nonfiction article about urban legends. Skill focus: conventions of standard English; revision Lexile Level: 940L GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. ELIMINATING EXTRANEOUS INFORMATIONHelp students stick to what’s important in their writing. PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT Students review the rules, then practice using pronouns correctly. CORRECT PLACEMENT OF MODIFIERS Students rework sentences with dangling and misplaced descriptive phrases. AVOIDING RUN-ON SENTENCES More help for avoiding this common mistake. | |
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SUMMARY: Students write a short article based on our interview with Evan Bozanic, a 14-year-old who has dived all over the world. Skill focus: identifying main idea and details; summarizing GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. 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 archives 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 the “You Write It” contest. Read more about our contests here. | |
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SUMMARY: Students practice the correct uses of its and it’s while reading fun facts about three Guinness World Record holders. Skill focus: its and it’s GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. ITS VS. IT’SMore 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. |
