May 6, 2013
Great news! Most of our activity sheets are now writable PDFs. You can print and copy them or have students fill them out on their computers or tablets. Click here to see instructions for using writable PDFs.
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SUMMARY: An underground coal fire has turned Centralia, Pennsylvania—once a thriving mining town—into a ghost town. This gripping article explains how a chain of events dating back hundreds of millions of years led to a 12-year-old boy’s brush with death and the demise of Centralia. Skill focus: cause and effect; close reading
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. A great way to make a “stretch text” accessible for your below-level readers. Also makes superb listening-comprehension practice for your entire class. Find more audio articles here. NEW! CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS For a close read of this article, we recommend that you: 1. Have students read the article in groups, for comprehension, pausing in places they find interesting or surprising. (You may also use our guided-reading activity sheet.) 2. Reread the article as a class, using these Close-Reading Questions, which will guide students to a deeper understanding of the text. These questions are meant for whole-class or small-group discussion, rather than for independent writing. Note: A simpler version of these questions appears in the Teacher’s Edition. CAUSE-AND-EFFECT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Students identify causes and effects in the article and chart the chain of events. 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. NONINTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A printable version of the quiz above. READ, THINK, EXPLAIN: IDENTIFYING NONFICTION ELEMENTS Use our teacher-vetted, scaffolded reading activity to develop your students’ nonfiction-reading skills and strategies, and prepare them for higher-level-thinking questions and class discussion. Makes great homework too. Don’t miss our nifty Glossary of Nonfiction Terms—an excellent resource that students can use all year long. 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. CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS Short-answer questions for independent completion (great for your above-level readers!) or group discussion. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students explain the different costs of the Centralia coal fire. Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE VIDEO: “How Do They Do It?: Coal Mining” This Science Channel clip is packed with facts about coal mines today. Ask students how coal mining today compares with the early days of mining as described in the article. Length: 5:43. Note: An ad will appear before the video plays. We recommend loading the video before your class begins. | |
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SUMMARY: At 16, Laura Dekker became the youngest person to circumnavigate the world alone in a sailboat. She is just one of many teens who are risking their lives to push the limits of their endurance. Should somebody stop them? Laura’s story is paired with a profile of one of history’s most famous teen adventurers: Marco Polo. Skill focus: making connections between two nonfiction articles; key ideas and details Lexile Level: 1030L
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Consider the human drive to explore the world with this engaging multimedia lesson. Our step-by-step teaching package connects the article, videos, activity sheets, and more. GRAPHIC ORGANIZER This activity guides students to take notes comparing Marco Polo, Laura Dekker, and a third teen adventurer. THEMED VOCABULARY: Words Related to Adventure Explore vocabulary associated with adventuring in this fun and engaging activity. Great for whole-class and small-group work. Click here for an interactive Teacher’s Guide to this activity. 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 interactive PDFs? Visit our FAQ page. NONINTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A printable version of the quiz above. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students compare Marco Polo’s adventures with those of modern extreme teens. Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE LAURA DEKKER’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE Check out Laura’s site, including the complete blog she wrote during her travels—a fascinating read that can be paired with “Extreme Teens” as an additional first-person account. | |
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SUMMARY: Sixth-century Britain is in chaos after the death of King Uther Pendragon. To find the realm’s next leader, the sorcerer Merlin creates an unusual test. This classic story of the teenage King Arthur will prompt your students to consider the power of legends. Skill focus: analyzing a legend
GET A PDF OF THIS PLAY TO PROJECT. Students consider what the legend of King Arthur says about the qualities of a good leader. Excellent preparation for the writing prompt on page 19. 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. NONINTERACTIVE READING-COMPREHENSION QUIZ A printable version of the quiz above. IDENTIFYING LITERARY ELEMENTS AND DEVICES Students explore character, elements of plot, and more in this self-guided activity. Includes higher-level-thinking questions. Use this activity with our Glossary of Literary Terms—a terrific resource that your students can use all year! 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. CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS Short-answer questions for independent completion (great for your above-level readers!) or group discussion. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Students consider what the play says about the qualities of a good king. Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS PLAY Get them all in one click! | |
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SUMMARY: This year, for only the second time since 1971, no candidates were admitted to baseball’s Hall of Fame. Should top athletes implicated in doping scandals be kept out? Students read arguments on both sides of the debate, then take a stand. Skill focus: forming an opinion; identifying central ideas and details; argument writing Lexile Level: 940L
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Our self-guided activity sheet makes essay writing a painless process. Great for homework! GREAT TRANSITIONS HANDOUT Using transitions effectively is a key and often challenging writing skill. Our handout gives students ideas on how to choose the perfect transition word or phrase. 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. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE WEBSITE: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Learn more about the Hall of Fame’s history and members. | |
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SUMMARY: Students correct grammatical errors and revise sloppy writing in a nonfiction article about how the explosions commonly seen in action movies would affect us in the real world. Skill focus: conventions of standard English; revision GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Please note: These activity sheets are print-only. PARALLELISMReinforcement for this key writing skill. AMBIGUOUS PRONOUNS Students practice identifying and fixing sentences with pronoun ambiguity. AVOIDING TEXTING SHORTCUTS AND SLANG practice 4 ur studentz 2 stop writin like dis. LOL! AVOIDING UNNECESSARY USES OF THE VERB “TO BE” A practice activity to help rid students of this bad habit. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! | |
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SUMMARY: NEW! Students use our adorable infographic to write a short paragraph about why potbellied pigs make great pets. A sneak preview of a fun and engaging new activity you’ll see in Scope next year. Skill focus: identifying central idea and details; understanding visual text; structuring a paragraph GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Our self-guided activity sheet walks students through the process of crafting a paragraph. NEW! “YOU WRITE IT” MODEL TEXT Model the activity with an annotated example of a completed “You Write It” paragraph based on the infographic. Click here for a non-annotated version of the model text. 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 usage of who’s and whose while learning about the childhoods of three celebrities. Skill focus: who’s and whose
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT 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. Please note: This activity is print-only. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITY SHEETS FROM THIS ISSUE | |
SCOPE’S SKILLS AND GRAPHIC-ORGANIZERS LIBRARY Visit our library for a list of basic skills activities for just about any Scope article or story, along with a collection of handy handouts. ANSWER KEY Looking for answers? Visit our top-secret website for answers to all quizzes and activities. The URL can be found on page T-3 of your printed Teacher’s Edition. MORE HELPFUL LINKS & DOWNLOADS COMMON CORE, NCTE, AND IRA STANDARDS FAQs ABOUT INTERACTIVE PDFs Having a problem downloading our materials? Try using a different browser. |
