Thanksgiving Packet/Homework November Week 4 Red/Orange/Yellow/Green

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Thanksgiving Packet/Homework November Week 4 Red/Orange/Yellow/Green"

Terence Briggs
6 years ago
Views:

1 Name: Thanksgiving Packet/Homework November Week 4 Red/Orange/Yellow/Green I. Summary and Main Idea Worksheet 1: Ninjas Directions: Read each of the 4 passages and complete the following: 1. Highlight or underline key ideas in each passage. 2. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea. 3. Accurately summarize the text. 4. Your summary must describe all key ideas from the text. 5. Do not include opinions or personal information in your summary. What s dressed in all black, practices stealth, and is a master of espionage, sabotage, and assassination? You guessed it: it s a ninja! Perhaps the only thing more elusive than a ninja is the source of the word ninja. In China ninja are more often referred to as shinobi. The Chinese word shinobi, short for shinobi-no-mono, means to steal away. The word shinobi appears in Chinese poems as far back as the eighth century. So how did this word become ninja? Some believe that during the Edo period in Japan, the word shinobi-no- mono was appropriated and transformed to the very similar word ninja. This probably happened because it was a lot quicker and easier to just say ninja. It is difficult to see how such a transformation could have occurred when we look at the words using our alphabet, but if you look at the kanji representing these words, it may make more sense to you. This is how you write shinobi- no-mono in Chinese:. And this is how you write ninja:. Now do you see the similarities? 1. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 2. Summarize the passage in your own words: Ninjas used many different tools and weapons to get the job done: throwing stars, bows, acidspurting tubes to name a few, but the favorite weapon of most ninjas was probably the katana. The katana is a long, curved sword with a single blade and a long grip to accommodate two hands. This sword was often carried in a sheath or scabbard on the ninja s back. Though the sword was primarily used for fighting and killing, the scabbard served a number of purposes too. The ninja could remove the sword, angle the scabbard against a wall, and use it to climb to a higher place. Or, while stealthy negotiating their way through a dark place (such as an enemy s residence at night), ninjas may have used the scabbard as a walking stick, feeling or probing their way around objects so as not to knock into anything and alert the enemy. Perhaps

2 the ninja s most sinister use of the scabbard was to put a mixture of red pepper, dirt, and iron shavings at the top of the scabbard, so that when the ninja drew his sword, his opponent would be blinded. I wonder what a ninja could have done with a Swiss Army knife. 3. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 4. Summarize the passage in your own words: Invisibility, flight, the power to split into multiple bodies... these superhuman abilities have long been associated with ninjas, but ninjas didn t really do all of that stuff. They were just regular people with exceptional abilities. So why do people think that ninjas had super powers? Well, one reason is that ninjas were very secretive and left behind few historical records of their activities. Since we do not know much about what they actually did, we are left to speculate. Another reason why people often think that ninjas had superhuman abilities is because of how ninjas are depicted in folklore (particularly during the Edo period in Japan). In such legends and works of art, ninjas were romanticized. These romantic notions of ninjas as superheroes are perpetuated in media today, but maybe that s just because these days people expect ninjas to have supernatural abilities. Ki-yah! 4. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 5. Summarize the passage in your own words: The image of the ninja wearing all black is a popular one indeed, but there is really no evidence that ninjas ever wore such a costume. In fact, it is much more likely that ninjas dressed as regular civilians, which would have been far more effective camouflage in most situations than an all black suit. The use of disguises amongst ninja is common and well-documented. Ninja often dressed as monks, entertainers, fortune-tellers, merchants, or farmers. Each of these disguises carried advantages that dressing in all black did not. Dressed as monks, ninjas could conceal weapons in their robes. Dressed as entertainers, they could spy in enemy buildings without arousing suspicion. Dressed as fortune-tellers, they could extract information from

3 unknowing targets. Dressed as merchants, they could travel freely across enemy borders. And while dressed as farmers, ninja carried simple gardening tools (such as sickles or trowels) and used them as deadly weaponry. In this way if a ninja were caught by authorities, he could claim that his deadly apparatus were tools, not weapons. Though they may not have been wearing all black stealth suits, ninjas were always well-disguised. 6. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 7. Summarize the passage in your own words: II. Reading Comprehension Directions: Read the article about Native Americans and answer the questions The Quabbin Lake Singers are in tune with their culture. The group sings at powwows, or gatherings, to celebrate their Native American traditions. Weekly Reader was invited to a powwow in Connecticut where the singers recently performed. In the past, powwows were religious ceremonies for Native Americans. Today, they are joyful, festive events that honor Native American life. The Quabbin Lake Singers are all members of the Mann family. They are part of the Historical Nipmuc tribe in Massachusetts. Nipmuc means "freshwater people." The family includes three brothers: Sahyeed, 9; Nantai, 8; and Anoki, 7. Along with their parents, the boys sing at powwows in the Native American language of Nipmuc. During the summer and on school vacations, the family travels around the United States and Canada. They combine old customs with new ones. The family performs ancient Native American songs and writes their own music. "Not only are we having fun," their dad told Weekly Reader, "but we're keeping our culture alive." Question Set 1. Who are the Quabbin Lake Singers? A two children who sing instead of going to school B Native Americans who are part of a historic tribe in South Dakota C members of a family who sing at powwows D a family that lives in Canada but visits the United States during the summer

4 2. What does this passage describe? A This passage describes the history of the Nipmuc Tribe in Massachusetts. B This passage describes the Quabbin Lake Singers and powwows. C This passage describes the mother of Sahyeed, Nantai, and Anoki Mann. D This passage describes the dancing that takes place at powwows in Connecticut. 3. The Quabbin Lake Singers keep their Nipmuc culture alive by performing songs. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? A The Quabbin Lake Singers are all members of the Mann family, which includes three brothers. B The Quabbin Lake Singers are all members of the Historical Nipmuc Tribe in Massachusetts. C The songs performed by the Quabbin Lake Singers are in the Native American language of Nipmuc. D During the summer and on school vacations, the Quabbin Lake Singers travel around the UnitedStates and Canada. 4. Based on the passage, how important are songs to Native American life and culture? A very important B slightly important C not important D less important than they used to be 5. What is this passage mostly about? A the Quabbin Lake Singers, the songs they perform, and powwows B Native American religion and how it has changed over the years C what Sahyeed, Nantai, and Anoki Mann are studying in school D a powwow in Connecticut where the Quabbin Lake Singers performed 6. Read these sentences: Members of the family perform ancient Native American songs and write their own music. Not only are we having fun, the family s dad told Weekly Reader, but we're keeping our culture alive. What does the word culture mean? A people who move from one country to another B money that singers and musicians make from concerts C natural disasters that result in death and destruction D the arts and customs of a group of people 7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Powwows were once religious ceremonies for Native Americans;, they are festivals that honor Native American life. A previously C. soon B currently D. never

5 C Name: Thanksgiving Packet/Homework November Week 4 Dark Blue/Purple/Black I. Summary and Main Idea Worksheet 1: Navajo Directions: Read each of the 4 passages and complete the following: 1. Highlight or underline key ideas in each passage. 2. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea. 3. Accurately summarize the text. 4. Your summary must describe all key ideas from the text. 5. Do not include opinions or personal information in your summary. The Navajo people are Native Americans. They are one of the largest tribes in the United States. They live in the southwest part of the country. The area where they live is called the Navajo Nation. It is in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. A lot of that area is hot and dry desert. But the area also has mountains. It has forests, too. The Navajo Nation is not just an area of land. It is a true nation of Navajo people. It has its own laws. It has its own leaders. And it has its own government! 1. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 2. Summarize the passage in your own words: The Navajo people have lived in the southwest for a long time. So have the Pueblo people. The Navajo learned some things from the Pueblo people. Some people say that one thing they learned was weaving. Weaving is a way to make cloth. The Navajo people are known for the rugs they weave. The rugs often have patterns. Some have diamond shapes. Others might have zigzags. Many have stripes. Some of the rugs have bright colors. One color that is used a lot in Navajo weaving is red. What colors and patterns would you weave into a rug? 3. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 4. Summarize the passage in your own words:

6 The Navajo people are a tribe of Native Americans. What language do the Navajo people speak? Well, they speak Navajo! The Navajo people call their language Diné. This language is not written down. It is only spoken. It is mostly spoken in the Navajo Nation. It is the Native American language that is spoken most! The Navajo language was once used as a code in a war. Navajo speakers helped the United States share plans and information in secret! 5. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 6. Summarize the passage in your own words: The Navajo people are a tribe of Native Americans. They live in the southwest United States. They have been there for hundreds of years! What did the Navajo live in? They lived in homes called hogans. These were often made of mud, sticks, and bark from trees. Sometimes they were made with stone, too. These homes were round. They had a hole or chimney in the middle of the roof. That way, the Navajo could have a fire in the center of their home. The door of a hogan always faced east. This let the sun come in! 7. Write a headline for the article based on the main idea: 8. Summarize the passage in your own words: II. Reading Comprehension Directions: Read the article about marathon running and answer the questions.

7 Running a marathon is not easy. It takes hard work, practice, and patience. After all, to run a marathon, you have to run 26.2 miles by foot! Think about it this way: 26.2 miles is the same as running the length of a football field more than 460 times. It takes most people four or five hours to finish. In 2013, the world s fastest marathon runner finished the race in 2:03:23. Imagine running for over two hours without a break! By the age of 30, Lea Tambellini had run more than five marathons and had no plans to stop. She had always been an athlete. When she was in high school, she swam on her school s swim team and ran to stay healthy and active. Her mom and dad ran marathons, and when she was 22, they helped her train for her first marathon. Lea s first marathon took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was called The Flying Pig. I was very nervous, she said, but I had my mom there, so that helped. Running the race was hard, but the hardest part was when she ran past a cookie factory and smelled cookies at mile 18. I just wanted to be done, she said. I was spent, but my mom kept me going. It was already her 15th marathon. The word marathon comes from a Greek legend. In the legend, a brave soldier ran all the way from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens, Greece to tell everyone the Greeks had won the battle against the Persians. It is said that he ran the entire way without stopping a distance equal to a modern marathon. Today, thousands of people run marathons every year. Runners train for months to get ready. To prepare for one of the marathons, Lea ran four to five times every week. On weekdays, she completed shorter runs, five or six miles at most. But on the weekends she ran long distances 13 miles, 15 miles, and 20 miles! I don t mind training because I get excited about working toward something. And I love running with a group of friends and working toward the goal together. But it does take a lot of time. Running a marathon is a great achievement. It s a great feeling of accomplishment and nothing feels as wonderful as reaching my goal when I cross the finish line, Lea explained. I can t wait for the next one! Question Set 1. What did Lea Tambellini train for when she was 22? A. her first marathon B. her first relay race C. her first swim meet D. her first baseball season

8 2. What does this text describe? A. This text describes the fight between the Greeks and the Persians on the battlefield of Marathon. B. This text describes how the marathon known as "The Flying Pig" got its name. C. This text describes marathons and the experience of someone who runs them. D. This text describes what Lea Tambellini's dad felt like when he ran his first marathon. 3. Running a marathon takes hard work, practice, and patience. What evidence in the text supports this statement? A. Runners train for months to get ready for a marathon. B. Lea Tambellini had run more than five marathons by the time she was 30 years old. C. There is a marathon in Ohio called "The Flying Pig." D. The word "marathon" comes from a Greek legend. 4. How did Lea's feelings about running a marathon change? A. At first she felt excited, but later she felt nervous. B. At first she felt bored, but later she felt scared. C. At first she felt scared, but later she felt bored. D. At first she felt nervous, but later she felt excited. 5. What is the main idea of this text? A. It takes most people four or five hours to run a marathon. B. Running a marathon is hard work, but Lea Tambellini enjoys it. C. The hardest part of Lea Tambellini's first marathon was running past a cookie factory. D. Lea Tambellini loves running with a group of friends and working toward a goal with them. 6. Read these sentences from the text: To prepare for one of the marathons, Lea ran four to five times every week. On weekdays, she completed shorter runs, five or six miles at most. But on the weekends she ran long distances-13 miles, 15 miles, and 20 miles! Why might the author have included an exclamation point here? A. to help readers imagine what running 20 miles would be like B. to show amazement at how far Lea was running on the weekends C. to suggest that Lea should not have run so many miles on the weekends D. to support the statement that running a marathon is not easy 7. Read these sentences from the text. Running a marathon is not easy. It takes hard work, practice, and patience. What does the pronoun "it" refer to here? A. patience C. hard work B. practice D. running a marathon

5. Which is the root word in

5. Which is the root word in Name: Date: WEEK 22 1 Read the text and then answer the questions. Have you ever heard of judo? Judo is a martial art. It is a sport that does not use weapons. Instead, judo uses holds and body movements.