across the curriculum: history -...

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SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: History

“George Washington: America’s First President”

George Washington was America’s first president. He was born in 1732 in Virginia, one of 13 colonies ruled by the king of England. As the colonies grew, they decided to fight for their freedom from England. George Washington became a leader in America’s war for independence. He was admired and well respected, and he became the first president of the United States of America after the war. He died in 1799 at the age of 67.

Visual Summary

was born in Virginia in 1732

died at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia on December 14, 1799

began his eight years as president of the United States

helped establish the Constitution of the United States

retired to his home in Mount Vernon

began a career as a surveyor

joined the Virginia militia (army)

married Martha Custis

became the leader of the Continental Army

George Washington . . .

M01_KTL3737_WB_U06.indd 177M01_KTL3737_WB_U06.indd 177 2/19/08 2:36:31 PM2/19/08 2:36:31 PM

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Use What You Know

List three other presidents of the United States.

Comprehension Check

What kind of job did George Washington have before he became a soldier?

Language Link

When you add the suffix –ist to a word, it creates a noun that refers to a person. Circle the word in the third paragraph that uses the suffix –ist. Explain what the word means.

George Washington:America’s First President

George Washington was born in 1732 in the

Colony of Virginia. His family owned a large

plantation. After eight years of schooling, he began

a career as a surveyor. Surveyors measure land and

make maps of it.

When George Washington was twenty-one, he

joined the Virginia militia (army). At that time,

there was a war being fought in North America by

England and its colonies against French colonies

and Native Americans. George Washington went to

war and soon he became a leader in the army. After

the war, he married Martha Custis and settled on

his family’s plantation, Mount Vernon, in Virginia.

At this time the thirteen English colonies were

starting to change. Many colonists did not like

paying taxes to England and did not like being

ruled by the king of England. In 1775, the colonists

decided to fight for their rights. This was the

beginning of the War for Independence, or the

Revolutionary War.

colonies, areas that are ruled by a more powerful country, usually one that is far away

taxes, money you must pay to the government rights, what is or should be allowed by lawindependence, freedom and ability to make your own

decisions and take care of yourself


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Comprehension Check

Underline the qualities that made the colonists trust George Washington. Then write about one special thing he did.

Language Link

The prefix in- changes a word to mean the opposite of the root, or main, word. Circle the in- in independence. Read the word without the in-. What does this word mean?

Use What You Know

How many states are in the United States today? What is the full name of the country?

George Washington became the leader of the

Continental Army. The colonists trusted George

Washington because he was brave, truthful, and

a good military leader. General Washington led

the army in many battles during the War for

Independence. He always encouraged his soldiers

to keep on fighting. Even during the terrible winter

of 1777–1778, when his army was camped at Valley

Forge, Pennsylvania, and the soldiers were hungry

and cold, George Washington stayed with his men

and encouraged them. He even paid them with his

own money.

After a long, hard war, the English general,

Lord Cornwallis, surrendered to Washington at

Yorktown, Virginia. The War for Independence

was over, and the United States became a new and

independent country. Now the “colonies” became

“states.”

George Washington loved his plantation and

his family, so after the war he returned to Mount

Vernon. He continued to help his country, though.

In 1779, he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to

help organize the government of the new United

States. He helped to write the Constitution, the

document that defines the laws of the United

States.

trusted, believed that someone was honest and would not do anything bad or wrong

surrendered, stopped fighting and officially said “you win”document, a piece of paper that has official information

written on it


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Learning Strategy:

Use Selective Attention

When you Use Selective Attention, you focus on specific information in a reading so you can understand it better. Circle what you think are the most important details about George Washington. Then write a sentence that summarizes who he was.

Comprehension Check

Was the capital city of the United States established before or after Washington’s death?

Text Structure

Circle one of the boldfaced vocabulary words on this page. Read its definition and find the sentence in which it appears. Rewrite the sentence without using the vocabulary word.

After the Constitution was approved, the states

needed a president. They asked George Washington

to be the first president of the United States. He

accepted, and for eight years, from 1789 to 1797, he

worked hard to make the new country strong.

When his terms as president were over,

Washington was happy to go home to Mount

Vernon. He lived there with his family until his

death in 1799. In his will, Washington gave his

slaves their freedom.

Before he died, George Washington helped plan

a new capital city for the United States. In 1800,

the new capital was established, and it was called

Washington in honor of the first president.

People in the new United States admired George

Washington very much. One of them said that

Washington was “First in war, first in peace, and

first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

terms, periods of timewill, a legal document describing your wishes after deathslaves, people who are owned by another person and not

allowed to be freefreedom, the ability to do what you wantestablished, started

EXTEND

Work with a partner. Choose three facts about George Washington’s life. Make three multiple-choice quiz questions. For example:

Washington was president of the U.S. fora. 8 yearsb. 4 yearsc. life

Give your quiz to another pair.


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CompassRose

Scale

states

countries

cities

capitals

borders mountains

rivers

islands oceans

plains (flat areas)

shows directions(north, south, east, west)

shows a measure of distance between places

A Map

Political Features

PhysicalFeatures

SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: Social Studies

“Understanding Maps: Reading a Map of the United States”

You can learn a lot from a map. The compass rose on a map helps you figure out directions—north, south, east, and west. The scale on a map helps you figure out the distances between places. Maps also show the location of political features such as countries, states, and cities. Maps can also show the location of physical features such as oceans.

Visual Summary


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Understanding Maps Reading a Map of the United States

The United States is a very large country. It

stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic

Ocean. Learn more about the United States by

studying the map.

Reading Maps

Maps are often used to show location, distance,

and direction.

Location

Maps show location, or where places are. A location

can be as big as a country or as small as a town or

village. Find New York City on the map.

Distance

Maps show distance, or how far away places are

from each other, by using scale. The scale on a map

shows distance in proportion. For example,

according to the scale on the map, one centimeter

equals 500 kilometers. So a 10-centimeter line on the

map represents a distance of 5,000 kilometers.

Direction

Maps show direction, or where one place is in

relation to another. On a map, the compass rose

shows direction. The N on the compass shows

north. From north, you can find south (down), east

(right), and west (left). Find the compass rose on

the map.

village, a small community usually found in the countryscale, the relationship between the size of a map and the

actual size of a placerepresents, stands for

Comprehension Check

Look at the map on the next page. Put the edge of a piece of paper up against the scale. Mark on your paper where the scale starts and ends. Next, put your scale between Chicago and Santa Fe. About how far is it from Chicago to Sante Fe?

Language Link

The word by can be used in many ways in English. For example:

He is standing by the window. (near or next to)

I have to be home by 10:00. (no later than a particular time)

Learn more about the United States by studying maps of it. (how to do something)

Find another sentence with by in the reading. Which of the above definitions of by does it match? Write the sentence and the definition.

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A map of the United States

Different Kinds of Maps

Maps provide a lot of information. Besides giving

information about location, distance, and direction,

maps also give information about the political and

physical features of an area.

A Political Map

A political map shows the borders of countries,

states, and cities. For example, in the United

States there are forty-eight contiguous states.

Additionally, there are two more states—Alaska

and Hawaii—which are not in the continental

United States. Look at the map and find these

two states.

A political map also shows capitals. The

government of a country or state is in its capital

city. Find Washington, D.C., the capital of the

United States, on the map.

borders, the official lines that separate two countries, states, or areas

contiguous, next to something, or sharing the same bordercontinental, relating to a continent (one of the main land

masses on Earth)

Comprehension Check

Use the compass rose on the map to figure out where south is. Which city shown on the map is farthest south?

Use What You Know

Write down the names of three big cities in the United States. Find out what states they are in and write those, too.

Text Structure

Reread the paragraph under the heading “Different Kinds of Maps.” Underline the sentence that tells how many different kinds of maps will be discussed in the text.

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Then find and circle the names of the different kinds of maps.

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A Physical Map

A physical map shows landforms, such as

mountains and plains. Plains are flat areas with few

or no hills. Look at the Great Plains region in the

center of the map. Many of the largest farms in the

United States are here.

region, a fairly large area of a state, country, etc. that normally doesn’t have exact borders or limits

Comprehension Check

Underline the sentence that defines what a physical map is. What are some examples of landforms?

Comprehension Check

Physical features also include oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water. Look at the map.

What two bodies of waterare labeled on the map? Use a complete sentence.

Language Link

The word plain can mean “simple” or “a flat place.” What does it mean in the last paragraph?

EXTEND

Draw your own map of a country other than the United States. Show the capital and at least two other cities. Also label at least two bodies of water, mountain ranges, or other physical features.

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SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: Physical Science

“The Universe: Stars, Meteors, and Constellations”

Each galaxy in our universe contains billions of stars. Stars are made of gas and dust. The sun is the closest star to Earth. A meteor is a clump of dust and rock that burns and forms a long, bright tail in the night sky. Meteors are also known as “falling stars.” A constellation is a group of stars that form a shape in the sky.

Visual Summary

The Universe

Stars

Stars are made of gas and dust. When the gas burns, the star appears to shine.

Meteors

Meteors (“falling stars”) are clumps of rock and dust that burn up when they enter our

atmosphere.

Constellations

Constellations are groups of stars that form a shape

and have a name.

How far away are the stars?

If you travel from Earth to the moon, sun, or the next star beyond

the sun, the trip will take from 1.2 seconds to 4.8 million years,

depending on how you travel.


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Use What You Know

Write down three things that shine in the night sky.

Comprehension Check

What makes stars appear to shine?

Learning Strategy: Visualize

If you visualize something in your mind, it will help you to understand it. Underline the words that tell you what stars look like and what they are made of. Then try to picture the stars in your mind.

The Universe: Stars, Meteors, and Constellations

How large is the universe? The universe has

billions of galaxies, and each galaxy has billions of

stars.

What are stars made of?

From Earth, stars look like small lights in the

night sky. Each star is actually a giant ball of dust

and hot burning gas. As this gas burns, it gives off

energy. The release of this energy is what we see as

shining light. The sun is the closest star to Earth. It

is a medium-sized star.

galaxy, group of stars that are in the universerelease, a letting go of something

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Check Your Understanding

Underline the words that tell you what a meteor is. How might you know you saw a meteor in the sky?

Language Link

We refer to the bright tail of a meteor in the night sky as a falling star or shooting star. When several falling stars appear at once, what do you think this is called?

a) a meteor rain

b) a meteor fall

c) a meteor shower

Check your answer by looking in a dictionary or science text book.

Use What You Know

Name another constellation you have seen or have heard of. What shapes do its stars form?

What is a meteor?

A meteor is a small solid object, such as a clump

of rock and dust, which travels through space

and comes close to Earth. When a meteor comes

close to Earth, it becomes brightly visible. This is

because of the heat produced when it enters Earth’s

atmosphere (the layer of gases that surround the

Earth as a blanket). As a meteor heats up, it burns

brightly and leaves a trail of burning rock behind

it. Meteors and their visible paths are what are

commonly called “shooting stars” or “falling stars.”

What is a constellation?

A constellation is a group of bright stars that

appear to be close to each other and form a shape

in the sky. One well-known constellation is called

Ursa Major. The brightest group of stars in this

constellation is known as the Big Dipper.

meteor, a small piece of rock or metal; it produces a bright burning line in the sky when it falls from space into the earth’s atmosphere

trail, pathdipper, a container for taking up water

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Check Your Understanding

Underline the definition of a light year in the text. How long does it take light to travel 18 trillion miles?

Learning Strategy:

Reading Numbers

Find the number 6 trillion in the text. Circle it. How many zeroes does it have?

We use commas to separate big numbers into groups of three digits. Practice reading these numbers: six hundred: 600six thousand: 6,000six million: 6,000,000six billion: 6,000,000,000Find the number 93 million in the text. Write it on the line below, using zeroes:

How far away are stars?

The sun is our closest star. It is 93 million miles

away. Because stars in space are so far away from

Earth and from each other, scientists measure

distance between stars in “light years.” One light

year is the distance a beam of light travels in one

year—6 trillion miles (6,000,000,000,000). It takes

a beam of light 8.5 minutes to reach the sun from

Earth. The next star nearest to the sun is called

Alpha Centauri. It takes a beam of light 4.2 years to

reach Alpha Centauri from Earth.

Travel Time from EarthBy jet (600 miles per hour)Moon 16.5 daysSun 17 years, 8 monthsAlpha Centauri 4.8 million yearsBy rocket (25,000 miles per hour)Moon 9.4 hoursSun 4 monthsAlpha Centauri 114,155.2 yearsLight beam (670,616,629.2 miles per hour)Moon 1.2 secondsSun 8.5 minutesAlpha Centauri 4.2 years

EXTEND

Draw a diagram showing how far the moon, sun, and Alpha Centauri are from the Earth in light years. Be sure to label the planet, moon, and stars.

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SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: Mathematics

“Solving Word Problems: Mathematics in Everyday Life”

A word problem is a math problem that is expressed in words. To solve a word problem, you need to rewrite it as a regular math problem. First, turn it into numbers. Then decide on the math operation to use—addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Finally, solve the problem. Be sure to check your answer.

Visual Summary

Change the question into a statement. Step 1

Turn the statement into numbers. Step 2

Decide on the operation you need to use (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Step 3

Use the correct operation to find the answer.Step 4

Check the answer. Step 5

How to Solve a Word Problem


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Solving Word Problems: Mathematics in Everyday Life

Word problems are mathematical problems

that are expressed in words. They are often about

things that happen in everyday life. Read the word

problem below. Then read about five steps you can

use to solve it.

There are 12 students in a math class. In the

math class, 75% of the students speak Spanish,

and 25% of the students do not speak Spanish.

How many students do not speak Spanish?

1. Change the question into a statement.

Your first step is to make sure you know what

the missing information is. You can do this by

changing the question to a statement. When you

write your statement, leave a blank space for the

information you want to find.

Question: How many students do not speak

Spanish?

Statement: students do not speak

Spanish.

expressed, told or shownsolve, to find the answer to somethingblank, empty

Learning Strategy:

Personalize

Think of the times when you use math in your everyday life, such as at a store or when watching a baseball game. Write another example.

Comprehension Check

Circle the word problem in the reading. Then explain what a word problem is.

Learning Strategy:

Use Selective Attention

Use selective attention to focus on key ideas and words. Find and underline the key numbers in the word problem.

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2. Find the numbers you need.

You can simplify a word problem by crossing

out the information you don’t need. Think about

what information you need: (1) the total number of

students—twelve—and (2) what percentage of the

students do not speak Spanish—25%. Then cross

out everything else.

There are 12 students in a math class. In the

math class, 75% of the students speak Spanish,

and 25% of the students do not speak Spanish.

How many students do not speak Spanish?

Look at what information is left. The number of

students in the class is 12, and you know that 25%

of those 12 students do not speak Spanish. So to

solve this problem, you must find out what 25%

of 12 is.

simplify, to make something easier to understand

Use What You Know

Do you know the answer to this word problem? Write the answer here. Once you have the answer “out of the way,” you can focus on understanding the five steps described in the reading.

Language Link

The word percent comes from the Latin word for hundred. It means “divide by 100.” When you divide by 100, you move the decimal point two places to the left. Change this percentage to a decimal:

82% �

Text Structure

The question usually comes at the end of a word problem. Find the question in this word problem and underline it.

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Language Link

25% � .25 is an equation. The word equation is related to the word equal. Circle the equal sign. Then read the equation out loud, using the word “equals.”

Comprehension Check

How well do you remember the five steps? Cover the reading. Quickly put the five steps in the correct order.

Find the answer. Change the question into a statement.

Check your answer. Choose the operation. Find the numbers you need.

Use What You Know

Which mathematical operation is the opposite of multiplication? Write it here.

Use this operation to check your answer.

.2512 3.00 �24 60 �60 0

3. Choose the operation.

Mathematical Operations

� Addition � Subtraction

� Multiplication � Division

To find a percentage of a number, you must use

multiplication. To multiply using a percentage, first

change the percentage to a decimal. For example,

25% = .25. Then multiply the decimal and the

number. To solve this problem, multiply .25 and 12.

4. Find the answer.

Write and solve the problem:

1

12� .25 60� 2 4 3.00

answer: 25% of a class of 12 students is 3

students. There are 3 students who do not speak

Spanish. Write your answer in the blank.3 students do not speak Spanish.

5. Check your answer.

Multiply the numbers again. Make sure the

decimal points are in the right place.


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SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: Literature

“Poetry: Understanding Figurative Speech”

Poetry often uses figurative speech. These are words or phrases that help you picture things in your mind. Similes and metaphors can help create these pictures, or images. A simile compares two things that are not alike. Similes do this by using the words like or as. A metaphor also compares two things that are not alike, but it does not use like or as. It says one thing is another thing. The poem “A Fleeting Dozen” by Jorge Luján uses figurative speech to create images that show us things in a fresh, new way.

Visual Summary

Figurative Speechwords and expressions that

help us picture thingsin our minds

Similescompare unlike things

using like or as

Metaphorscompare unlike thingswithout using like or as

Imagespictures inour minds

Poetry


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Use What You Know

Think of poems you have read or heard. Do you remember an image one gave you? Write down the image.

Language Link

The prefix un- means “not.” Circle a word on this page that has the prefix un-. Explain what the word means.

Learning Strategy:

Understanding Metaphors

Reread the example of a metaphor. Circle the two things that it compares. Then tell how the two things might be alike.

Poetry: Understanding Figurative Speech

Poetry can help you imagine different things.

A poem may let you “see” a hundred cats, “hear”

the soft sound of a bird singing, or “smell” a

hamburger cooking! These things can be beautiful,

ugly, frightening, or fantastic.

Figurative Speech: Similes and Metaphors

Many poems use figures of speech, such as

similes and metaphors, to create images, or

pictures. A simile uses like or as to compare two

unlike things: “Like a cat, she moved quickly

through the crowded hallway.” A metaphor links

two things without using like or as: “The stars were

bright diamonds in the dark sky above.”

In poetry, similes and metaphors reveal

something new. They give us a fresh way of looking

at something we already know.

figures of speech, a word or expression that is used in an usual way, to create a picture in your mind

reveal, show something that was previously hidden


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Learning Strategy:

Understanding Similes

Underline the simile in the second line of the poem. Circle the two unlike things that it compares. In what way are the two things alike?

Comprehension Check

The poem tells what happened to the twelve oranges. Count the oranges in lines 2–5 to show that there are still twelve.

Learning Strategy:

Understanding Images

The last paragraph on this page ends in a question: “How do the images make you feel?” Reread “A Fleeting Dozen.” Then answer the question. Write your answer on the lines below.

Read this poem.

A FLEETING DOZEN1 I put twelve oranges on the table:

one rolled away like the setting sun,3 another came to rest on a chair,

two or three remain there in the middle5 and the seven that were left

are still speeding7 through the open pathways of my mind.

—Jorge Luján

(translated from Spanish by

John Oliver Simon and Rebecca Parfitt)

Understanding the Poem

To understand a poem, you should read it several

times. Each time, stop and think about the words.

What images do they create in your mind? How do

the images make you feel?

fleeting, passing quickly; lasting for a very short timedozen, a group of twelve of anythingsetting, sinking down


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Language Link

In most English words, a single e at the end of a word is silent. But the single e at the end of simile has a long e sound. It rhymes with me. Circle the word simile in the first paragraph, and put a line over the e to show that it has a long e sound. Say the word out loud. Then circle six more words on this page that have the long e sound. Put a line over the letter or letters that make the long e sound. Say all six words out loud.

Learning Strategy:

Understanding Images

The third paragraph on this page ends in a question: “What image do you ‘see’ at the end [of the poem]?” Write your answer on the lines below. Remember, your answer can be different from your classmates’ answers.

Read the first two lines of the poem again.

1 I put twelve oranges on the table:

one rolled away like a setting sun,

Think about the simile, “One rolled away like

the setting sun.” Why do you think the poet is

comparing one of the oranges to the setting sun?

Reread the rest of the poem.

3 another came to rest on a chair,

two or three remain there in the middle5 and the seven that were left

are still speeding7 through the open pathways of my mind.

What happened to the seven oranges—the “seven

that were left”? What image do you “see” at the end?

Write your answers in your notebook, then

discuss them with a classmate. Your answers might

be different from your classmates’ answers. Not

everyone interprets, or explains, the meaning of

a poem the same way, and that is expected. Some

poems are hard to interpret, but we can still enjoy

the images they describe.

EXTEND

Draw the images that the poem describes. Show the images that you pictured in your mind.


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SUMMARY

Across the Curriculum: Life Science

“How Nature Works: Ecosystems and Food Chains”

Every place in nature has a group of living and non-living things that work together. A group of living and non-living things that work together is called an ecosystem. The living things in the ecosystem are all part of a food chain. For example, a rabbit eats a plant, and then a fox eats the rabbit. The non-living things in the ecosystem are other things in nature that the living things need—for example, soil, water, and sunlight.

Visual Summary

Ecosystem

Living Things plants and animals

Non–Living Thingssoil, water, sunlight

Food Chainplant

animal that eats the plant

second animal that eats first animal


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Use What You Know

Air is one thing that people need to stay alive. What are some other things? Write down at least two things.

Language Link

The prefix non- means “not.” Circle a hyphenated word that uses this prefix. What does the hyphenated word mean? What does the word mean without the non-?

Learning Strategy:

Compare and Contrast

To compare and contrast is to see how two things are the same and how they are different. Underline what plants need and what animals need. Then compare their needs. Circle the things they both need. Write them on the line.

Ecosystems and Food Chains

An ecosystem is a community of living things

that interact with each other and the environment

they share. All living things including humans,

plants, and animals are part of an ecosystem. Non-

living things such as sunlight, air, rock, and soil are

also important parts of ecosystems.

Each part of an ecosystem depends on or affects

another. For example, plants need air, water, soil,

and sunlight to grow. Animals need air, water, and

food such as plants or other animals to survive.

humans, peoplesoil, the top layer of the earth


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Comprehension Check

What is the main difference between a producer and a consumer?

Language Link

The prefix de- means “reversal.” To reverse means to change something so it is the opposite of what it was before. To decompose is to break something down, and cause it to decay. What does the word mean without the de-?

Kinds of Living Things

All living things have four characteristics.

1) They grow and change. 2) They reproduce.

3) They need food to live. 4) They die. Plants and

animals are two kinds of living things. Fungi and

bacteria are two other kinds of living things. Fungi

include yeasts, mold, and mushrooms. Bacteria are

so small they can only be seen with a microscope,

but they are all around us.

There are three kinds of living things: producers,

consumers, and decomposers. Plants are producers

because they make food that other living things

can eat. Animals are consumers, because they

have to eat plants and/or other animals. Fungi,

earthworms, and bacteria are decomposers. When

a living thing dies, decomposers break it down

and mix it with soil. The soil then has nutrients for

producers.

reproduce, to produce young plants and animalsbacteria, very small living things that sometimes cause

decay or diseasemicroscope, a scientific instrument that makes small things

look largernutrients, chemicals or foods that help plants, animals, or

people to live and grow


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Use What You Know

Write one example of each:

Producers:

Consumers:

Decomposers:

Text Structure

Science texts often contain experiments. The directions for an experiment include a list of what you need. Circle this list in the experiment on this page. Then find each item from the list and underline it in the experiment instructions.

Comprehension Check

Did you do the experiment described in the reading? What was the result? Write your observations here.

Food Chains

Plants, the animals that eat them, and the

animals that eat those animals are all part of a food

chain. In a food chain, each living thing is linked to

the other living things. For example, a rabbit eats a

leafy plant, and a fox eats the rabbit.

Rabbits need plants to live. Foxes need smaller

animals to live. Every part of the food chain is

important in an ecosystem.

Investigate an Ecosystem

You will need:

Soil sample (about 50 ml) A few drops of water

1 plastic bag Small piece of leather

Place the soil sample and the piece of leather in

the plastic bag. Add a few drops of water. Close the

bag with air inside. Put it in a sunny place. Observe

it every day for 2 weeks. Do you see any plants? Do

you see any insects or earthworms? Do you see any

mushrooms or mold? Write your observations in

your notebook. List the producers, consumers, and

decomposers in your ecosystem.

observe, to watch someone or something carefully

EXTEND

Choose a producer, a consumer, and a decomposer that form a food chain. You can find this information on the Internet or in a science book. Draw a picture of this food chain. Label it with this sentence: “In this food chain, the is the producer, the is the consumer, and the is the decomposer.”


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