Week+9

=Week 9=
 * LEAP Prep

Day 1

1. TLW Read and Respond to a nonfiction selection. Bag and Tag your answer. That means you draw a circle around it and write the number of the question it answers. 2. TLW review vocabulary through a game of pin ball:** [|**http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/pinball/pinball.htm**]


 * "Becoming a Writer"

Before she became a famous writer, Laura Ingalls Wilder once said that she wuold rather raise chickens than write. It seemed to her that farming was much easier work than writing!

Wilder's fmily, however, could not always earn enough money from farming to pay all their bills. Laura's daughter, Rose, encouraged her mother to write some articles for farming magazines to earn extra money.

When she was young, Laura Ingalls Wilder had discovered that she had a talent for describing things after her sister Mary became blind. Their father asked Laura to be Mary's eyes. Once, on a train ride with Mary, Laura described everything about the train and the land they were passing.

Many years later, Wilder used this talent to write the story of her life. Rose, who worked as a newspaper writer, helped her mother get the story published. Here is how the story of the Ingalls family begins in Wilder's first book, Little House in the Big Woods.

"once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs. The great dark trees of the Big Woods stood all around the house, and beyond them were other trees and beyond them were more trees."

These words sound like the beginning of a fairy tale, but they describe real life in 1871, when Wilder was a child. The story goes on to tell how young Laura helped to make butter and cheese, to harvest grain, and to collect tree sap for maple syrup. It tells about the good as well as the hard times of pioneer family life.

Wilder later wrote seven more books about her family. She wrote all the stories in her Little House series by hand, and Rose helped edit them. Thousands of children wrote letters to Wilder after reading her books. she tried to answer all of her fan mail.**


 * Wilder once wrote to a sixth grade class, "Remember, it is not things you have that make you happy. It is love and kindess, helping each other, and just plain being good."

Wilder's stories have been translated into more than twenty languages. People from all over the owrld love reading about the Ingalls family's life long agon in the Middle West.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did Laura Ingalls Wilder begin to write? 2. Sequence the events of the story. Write the missing events in the blanks provided. Answer in complete sentences.

A. Laura Ingalls Wilder said that she would rather raise chickens than write. B. _ C. Laura's father asked her to be Mary's eyes. D.** F.__
 * __E. Wilder wrote seven more books about her family.

3. This story gives you enough information to predict that: A. Rose will keep writing the newspaper. B. People will continue to read Wilder's stories. C. Wilder will continue to write stories. D. People will lose interest in Wilder's stories.

4. Do you think Laura Ingalls Wilder made a wise decision when she decided to become a writer? Explain your answer in a complete sentence.

5. The main purpose of this story is A. to entertaint he reader. B. to give people information about Laura Ingall's Wilder. C. to persuade people to become writers. D. to explain how to become a writer.

Day 2** TLW use context to identify meaning of vocabulary. TLW read and respond to a non fiction story. TLW listen and respond to a fiction story: [] = Word Meanings From Context = **//Use the context to help you determine the meaning of each highlighted word.//** . a. you must always believe it b. you should never believe it c. it's hard to understand because it makes no sense d. it's believable enough to possibly be true 2. If you don't curtail your spending, you'll be broke in no time at all! Which word is a synonym of "curtail"? a. reduce b. follow c. behind d. buy 3. No word must ever leak out about this military action! It has to be a clandestine operation in order to succeed. Which word is a synonym of "clandestine"? a. family b. useful c. dangerous d. secret 4. Put this medicine on your arm and rub it into your skin until it's invisible. It will inhibit the infection's attempt to spread. What does “ inhibit ” mean? a. live in a certain place b. block or slow down c. itch or burn d. help to do something important

[] __ **Read the following essay, and then answer questions that follow.** __

A Penguin Mystery How did a South American penguin end up in Alaska? Zoologists wonder how a Humboldt penguin made the journey from the west coast of South America to Alaska in the summer of 2002. This is a journey of about 7,000 miles! Native to Chile and Peru, Humboldt penguins live on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where waters are cold and there are many fish. The cold Alaskan waters are well-suited to penguins, too. Zoologists say that penguins would easily find herring and other fish off the coast of Alaska. The warm waters in between the South American shores and Alaska are another story. Zoologists doubt that the penguin swam the whole way, not just because it is a long distance. Zoologists think the penguin must have somehow gotten a ride, mostly because the penguin probably would not have found enough food in the warmer Pacific waters north of South America and south of Alaska. Besides, what would a cold-weather bird like a penguin do in Hawaii? Because Humboldt penguins are sometimes kept as pets in Chile and Peru, zoologists think the penguin might have been brought to Alaska aboard a fishing boat. Humboldt penguins are about the size of a cat, and weigh up to 15 pounds—small enough to hide as a stowaway on a ship. When the ship sailed home, the penguin could have jumped ship in Alaskan water. Zoologists may never know how the penguin got to Alaska. But one thing is for sure: he had a long trip home!

 Reading and Responding: “A Penguin Mystery” A. the distance would have been too far to swim. B. the water would have been too warm. C. it would have lost its way. D. there would not have been be enough food.
 * 1. Zoologists think the penguin did** **not swim the whole way mostly ** **because**

A. poetry. B. nonfiction. C. drama. D. fiction.
 * 2. This passage is**

**3. What do the west coast of South America and Alaska have in common?** A. many Humboldt penguins B. warm Pacific water C. fish penguins eat D. cats that weigh 15 pounds A. It was found in Alaska. B. It rode on a ship. C. It was someone’s pet. D. It was a fast swimmer.
 * 4. Which is a fact about the penguin in the passage?**

5. The writer **most likely ** feels penguins are A. amazing birds. B. lazy birds. C. frightening birds. D. silly birds.


 * 6. Based on the information in the passage, why would a Humboldt penguin be unhappy**
 * living in Louisiana?**


 * Day 3**

TLW read and respond to a selection. TLW practice vocabulary skills: [] Jungle Game TLW listen and respond to a fiction story: []  __ **Read this story about a dissatisfied queen. Then answer the questions. You may look back at the story as often as you like.** __

The Queen Who Changed Her Mind __Long ago, there was a queen who ruled a country that stretched for miles and miles. Thousands of people lived in her country and obeyed her commands. But she longed for more power. She longed for more subjects. She wanted more land. Every day, she would look out the window of her castle and become dissatisfied. She would call her ministers and point to lands beyond her country’s borders. “I want that land, and that land, and that land,” she would demand.

The ministers dreaded these demands. They shook in their shoes when they heard the queen’s call. Still, they would plot ways to get land for the queen. The lands had been owned by noble families for many years. Some families had claimed the lands long before the queen’s birth. Some had been given their lands as a reward for loyal service to the kings who had ruled before the queen.

The ministers sent messengers to the families, demanding their lands. The families did not want to leave their homes and farms. But they had no choice. If the noble families did not give up their lands, the queen would send her army. The queen soon owned more land than ever. In this country, it was the custom for the queen to meet with her subjects every morning. People from all over the country would come to the castle and tell their troubles to the queen. Whenever neighbors argued about wandering cows or whose turn it was to fix the fence, they would come to the queen. Whenever townspeople wouldn’t pay their bills, the shopkeepers would complain to the queen. The queen would hear both sides. Then she would decide who needed to fix the fence or pay the bill or tie up the cow. This custom was good when the queen’s country was small. But the more land the queen owned, the more people she ruled, the more troubles she had to solve. Soon, the queen found crowds waiting for her every morning. Crowds huddled outside the castle late into the night. Waiting in long lines to see the queen made people angry. The queen’s ears rang with echoes of all the angry complaints. Her head buzzed like a beehive from thinking of so many solutions. She had no time to do anything but listen to complaints. She had no time to think of plots to get more land. She barely had time to comb her hair! One morning the queen woke up very early. The roaring of the crowds outside the castle sounded like waves crashing on the shore. The queen looked out the window. Once delightful, all of her new lands had become burdens. The queen called for her ministers. She pointed to the lands she had taken away from the noble families. She ordered the ministers to return the lands to their rightful owners. The crowds of people melted away. The queen’s ears stopped ringing and her head stopped buzzing. She sat by her window, enjoying the beautiful view and peaceful sounds of__ her small country.

 Reading and Responding: “The Queen Who Changed Her Mind” **1. In paragraph 4, “it was the custom for the queen to meet with her subjects every** A. people ruled by the queen B. troubles of the townspeople C. the queen’s ministers and army D. land owned by noble families
 * morning.” What does the word subjects mean?**

A. lazy B. scared C. angry D. greedy **3. Why did crowds of people come to the castle?** A. to tire the queen B. to ask the queen for help C. to fight with the queen’s army D. to give the queen gifts
 * 2. Which word** **best** **describes the queen’s ministers?**

A. the queen’s hair style. B. the noise around the queen. C. how confused the queen was. D. pests were bothering the queen.
 * 4. In paragraph 5, the author uses the simile “Her head buzzed like a beehive” to show**

**5. What is the** **main** **lesson or moral of this story?** A. Problems come with power. B. Get as much land as you can. C. Be nice to large crowds. D. With an army you are strong.


 * 6. How did the queen’s mood or feelings change from the beginning to the end of the**
 * story? Use information from the story to support your response.**

= Word Meanings From Context = **//Use the context to help you determine the meaning of each highlighted word.//** [] 1.Fortunately, the dizzy spell was **transient**. He was able to continue playing within seconds and had no trouble winning the match. . When you describe an event as “transient,” you are saying that. a. it sounds like a train b. it is quite harmful c. it helps you win d. it doesn't last long 2. Brea and Elizabeth are having a **dispute** over which radio station to play at work. It would be so much simpler if they both liked the same kind of music. A dispute is a __. a. musical instrument b. choice of music c. discovery d. disagreement 3. When they heard the good news about the court’s decision, the angry crowd cheered and then began to **disperse**. “It looks like everyone is going home,” one reporter stated. Which would be the //**opposite**// of “disperse”? a. come together b. smile c. fly like a bird d. sing 4. It’s a wonder to me how anyone can still be undecided about this election. These two candidates are certainly **distinct**. Each would lead our nation in opposite directions. What does “ distinct ” mean? a. needing a bath b. dishonest c. clearly different d. about the same age