The Common Core State Standards place emphasis on synthesizing two or more texts—and so do we! This prompts the kind of deep reading we love, in which students make meaningful connections between texts about topic, author’s point of view, theme, or structure. In our current issue, we’ve paired two nonfiction articles on a topic your students will devour: candy! The first takes readers back to the late 1800s, when Milton Hershey invented the chocolate bar that became a national obsession. In the second article, students leap forward to 1978, when Hershey’s invented another beloved treat, Reese’s Pieces. After reading, students will draw on both articles to respond to our writing prompt, in which they identify strategies behind running a successful business.

Your students will:

• determine the central ideas in each article
• make inferences based on what they read, an important Common Core skill
• complete our Graphic Organizer, which will help them identify key ideas and details
• cite specific text evidence to respond to our writing prompt, which is carefully designed to support Common Core objectives

Common Core ELA Anchor Standards this activity supports:
R1, R2, R3, R7, R9, W2, W4, W9, L4, L6

Find additional activity sheets supporting the Paired Texts on our Quizzes and Activities page.

More Common Core Resources:
To learn how the rest of the September 24, 2012, issue supports the Common Core State Standards, see pages T2–T3 of your Teacher’s Edition, or click here.

To learn more about how Scope aligns with the Common Core and to explore our awesome collection of Common Core resources, click here.

Have a question or a comment about this activity? E-mail Editor Kristin Lewis at KELewis@scholastic.com.