March 11, 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: In 1925, a courageous team of mushers and their sled dogs embarked on a daring mission to save the town of Nome, Alaska, from a deadly diphtheria epidemic. We have paired this gripping article with an excerpt from Jack London’s classic dogsled novel, The Call of the Wild. Skill focus: central idea Lexile Level: 970L
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Use our step-by-step multimedia teaching package for a lesson that connects the article, a new Scope video, an interactive webquest, activity sheets, and more. VIDEO: “Scope Time Machine: The 1920s” This amazing video is all about the sights, sounds, and mood of the 1920s. It’s packed with facts and vocabulary that will help build a foundation of content-area knowledge. We recommend that you watch it with your class before reading the article. *Comes with these discussion questions. AUDIO: Hear the article read aloud! A great way to make a “stretch text” accessible for your below-level readers. Also makes superb listening-comprehension practice for your entire class. RESEARCH: “Information Quest” In this interactive webquest, students find information online about Nome today. PARAPHRASING A COMPLEX TEXT: The Call of the Wild Excerpt This activity will help students unlock Jack London’s challenging text. Our quick and easy teacher’s guide explains exactly how to use it in your classroom. 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 connect a Helen Keller quote about teamwork to the “The Race Against Death.” Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Dogsledding 101 This interactive feature from PBS provides a great introduction to the ins and outs of dogsledding. Note: Ads may appear on the website. | |
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SUMMARY: American teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep, and the consequences can be severe. This fascinating informational article and infographic explain the science of sleep and why sleep deprivation is so dangerous. Students will synthesize key ideas from each text, then write a reflective essay about their own sleeping habits. Skill focus: cause and effect; interpreting an infographic Lexile Level: 960L
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Explore words related to sleep in this fun and engaging activity. Perfect for whole-class and small-group work. Click here for an interactive Teacher’s Guide for help using this activity. Read more about Scope Vocabulary here. CAUSE-AND-EFFECT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Students identify the causes and effects of sleep deprivation mentioned in the article and decide whether or not they are sleep deprived. Great for small-group work! 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 decide whether or not they are sleep deprived and identify ways to either maintain their good sleep habits or improve their sleep habits. Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE WEBSITE: The Science of Sleep This site from Harvard Medical School contains tons of information and videos about sleep and its importance. | |
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SUMMARY: Our American Revolution play tells the fictionalized story of a real person from history: the amazing Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight in the war. It’s paired with a debate about whether women should be allowed to serve in combat. Skill focus: building an argument; identifying persuasive strategies
GET A PDF OF THIS PLAY TO PROJECT. A guide to analyzing the debate on page 19, “Should Women Be Allowed to Fight in Wars?” Students will identify the writers’ claims, evaluate the strength of the supporting evidence they provide, and consider the persuasive strategies they use. Great preparation for the writing prompt on page 18. GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS A handy guide to the military terms that appear in the debate 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 imagine they are Deborah Sampson. Then they write an essay arguing that women should be allowed in combat, using the persuasive strategies modeled in the debate. Read more about our contests here. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS PLAY Get them all in one click! EXTRA RESOURCE BIOGRAPHY OF DEBORAH SAMPSON Learn more about Deborah Sampson’s life with this detailed biography from the National Women’s History Museum. | |
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SUMMARY: Beyoncé recently signed a major endorsement deal with Pepsi. Critics say she shouldn’t support such an unhealthy product. Do stars have a responsibility to be discriminating about the products they represent? Students will weigh arguments on both sides, then take a stand. Skill focus: forming an opinion; identifying central ideas and details; argument writing Lexile Level: 1030L
GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Our self-guided activity sheet makes essay writing a painless process. Great for homework! 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. 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. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! | |
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SUMMARY: Students correct grammatical errors and revise sloppy writing in a nonfiction article about the fascinating origins of today’s St. Patrick’s Day traditions. Skill focus: conventions of standard English; revision GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Please note: These activity sheets are print-only. CAPITALIZATIONReinforce the rules, then practice. RUN-ON AND RAMBLING SENTENCES Practice identifying and correcting sentences that just don’t know when to end. RESTRICTIVE AND NONRESTRICTIVE CLAUSES Knowing when to use a comma with clauses can be tricky; this helpful activity will give students some tips. TRANSITIONS Writing should flow smoothly from one idea to the next. This activity helps your students learn this challenging—and critical—skill. PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT Because if a person wants to be a grammar master, you can’t make mistakes like this. DOWNLOAD ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THIS ARTICLE Get them all in one click! | |
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SUMMARY: Students write a short article based on our interview with McKenna Pope, who successfully petitioned Hasbro to create a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven. Skill focus: identifying central idea and details; summarizing GET A PDF OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROJECT. Our self-guided worksheet walks students through the process of crafting an article. “YOU WRITE IT” MODEL TEXT Model the activity with an annotated example of a completed “You Write It” article. PUNCTUATING QUOTATIONS Use this activity sheet for extra practice with direct quotes. CONTEST ENTRY FORM Use our handy form to enter students’ work in the “You Write It” contest. Read more about our contests here. EXTRA RESOURCE MCKENNA’S PETITION Read the full text of McKenna’s argument at Change.org, and inspire your students to start their own causes. | |
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SUMMARY: Students practice using assure, ensure, and insure correctly while learning about three adorable but dangerous animals. Skill focus: assure, ensure, and insure
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. |
