The Santa Maria was small and easy to sail. Look at Columbus's ship, inside and out.

Transcription

1 Non-fiction: Sailing the Seas Sailing the Seas Geoff McCormack In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to find a shorter way between Europe and Asia. That would make it easier for people to trade. He sailed on the Santa Maria. Columbus's Ship The Santa Maria was small and easy to sail. Look at Columbus's ship, inside and out. 1. Sails are large sheets of strong cloth that catch the wind as it blows and help a ship move. 2. A cabin is a small room on a ship. The cabin had a bed called a bunk. Columbus was the only person with a bunk. 3. A tiller is a long handle that turns a ship. The crew steered the ship from the tiller room. 4. A hold is an area below deck. Animals and supplies, such as food and water, were kept in the hold. 5. A mast is a pole that holds up a ship's sails. The Santa Maria's main mast was 65 feet tall about the height of two telephone poles! Article: Copyright 2005 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Used by permission. 1

2 Non-fiction: Sailing the Seas 6. The crow's nest is the small basket on the mast. It is where a sailor stands watch. 7. The deck is the flat area on top of the ship. Columbus's crew worked and slept there. 8. A firebox is a kind of stove that the crew used for cooking. Steering on the Sea Columbus and his crew traveled to many new places. Look at some of the different tools they used to find their way. A map is a drawing of Earth's water and land. A compass has a needle that points north. This tool showed the crew the direction in which they were sailing. An astrolabe is a tool sailors used to tell how far north or south a ship was by looking at the stars. Article: Copyright 2005 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation. Used by permission. 2

3 Questions: Sailing the Seas Name: Date: 1. Which of the following best describes what the mast does? A The mast is sued for storage. B The mast steers the ship. C The mast is used for cooking. D The mast holds up the sails. 2. What do all the items described in this text have in common? A They were all places for the crew. B They were all located in Europe. C They were all part of Columbus s ship. D They were all used for finding the way. 3. It can be inferred from the text that A being a sailor on the ship would have been extremely easy B being a sailor on the ship would have been a well paying job C being a sailor on the ship would have involved many physical challenges D being a sailor on the ship would have been very boring 4. Read the following sentences: In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to find a shorter way between Europe and Asia. That would make it easier for people to trade. In this sentence the word trade means A buying and selling things B giving things away C giving one thing and getting another back D sending things to another person 5. What would be another good title for this passage? A The Famous Voyages of Christopher Columbus B Columbus and the Santa Maria C Tools to Steer on the Sea D A Small Ship 1

4 Questions: Sailing the Seas 6. Describe Columbus s ship, the Santa Maria. 7. Why were sails one of the most important parts of the ship? 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Columbus wanted to find a shorter way to get from Europe to Asia it would be easier to trade. A but B however C so D after 9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below. Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 to look for a shorter route between Europe and Asia. Who? Christopher Columbus (did) What? When? Why? 2

5 Questions: Sailing the Seas 10. Read the vocabulary word and definition below and complete questions 10a, 10b, and 11. Vocabulary Word: compass (com pass): a tool that is used to find direction. It uses a needle that always points north. 10a. Read the sentences below and underline the word compass. 1. The explorers used a compass to help them find their way in the strange land. 2. Many sailors use a compass to sail from one place to another. 3. My camp counselor forgot to bring the compass on our hiking trip, so we got lost. 4. Between the map and the compass, we were able to locate the campsite. 5. Although the hikers were lost for an hour, the compass on their iphone helped them find their cabin. 10b. Which of the following pictures shows a compass? 11. Would you need a compass to find your way home after school? Why or why not? 3

6 Teacher Guide & Answers: Sailing the Seas Teacher Guide & Answers Passage Reading Level: Lexile 620 Featured Text Structure: Enumerative the writer includes a list, giving examples of something. This text structure is often combined with cause/effect or problem/solution Passage Summary: After a brief introduction of Columbus and his famous voyage in 1492, the passage presents a list of the parts of Columbus s ship, the Santa Maria. The passage ends with a list of different navigation tools that Columbus and his crew used. 1. Which of the following best describes what the mast does? A The mast is sued for storage. B The mast steers the ship. C The mast is used for cooking. D The mast holds up the sails. 2. What do all the items described in this text have in common? A They were all places for the crew. B They were all located in Europe. C They were all part of Columbus s ship. D They were all used for finding the way. 3. It can be inferred from the text that A being a sailor on the ship would have been extremely easy B being a sailor on the ship would have been a well paying job C being a sailor on the ship would have involved many physical challenges D being a sailor on the ship would have been very boring 4. Read the following sentences: In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to find a shorter way between Europe and Asia. That would make it easier for people to trade. In this sentence the word trade means A buying and selling things B giving things away C giving one thing and getting another back D sending things to another person 5. What would be another good title for this passage? A The Famous Voyages of Christopher Columbus B Columbus and the Santa Maria C Tools to Steer on the Sea D A Small Ship 6. Describe Columbus s ship, the Santa Maria. Suggested answer: Columbus s ship, the Santa Maria, was a small ship and it was easy to sail. [see paragraph #2] 1

7 Teacher Guide & Answers: Sailing the Seas 7. Why were sails one of the most important parts of the ship? Suggested answer: Sails were one of the most important parts because they help the ship move by catching the wind. Without sails, the ship couldn t go anywhere. [see paragraph #3] 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Columbus wanted to find a shorter way to get from Europe to Asia it would be easier to trade. A but B however C so D after 9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below. Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 to look for a shorter route between Europe and Asia. Who? Christopher Columbus (did) What? set sail When? in 1492 Why? to look for a shorter route between Europe and Asia 10. ReadWorks recommends that you teach this vocabulary word to the whole class out loud using the four steps listed below. Vocabulary Word: compass Step 1: Introduce the word a. Teacher writes the word on the board and divides it into syllables: (com pass) b. Teacher says: This word is compass. What is the word? [All students reply together out loud: compass. ] Step 2: Provide a child-friendly definition a. Teacher says: A compass is a tool that is used to find direction. It uses a needle that always points north. b. Teacher says: In the passage, Columbus and his crew used a compass to figure out the direction in which they were sailing. This means that the compass was the tool that helped them find the direction because it had a needle pointing north. Compass can also mean something that helps a person make good choices, as in his values are the compass that show him what to do but in this passage compass means a tool that is used to find direction using a needle that always points north. c. Teacher says: What is the word? [All students reply together out loud: compass. ] 2

8 Teacher Guide & Answers: Sailing the Seas Step 3: Practice the word Teacher provides examples and additional opportunities to repeat the word. Read the 1 st sentence out loud to your students. Begin reading it again and when you come to the vocabulary word prompt students to say the vocabulary word out loud. Then, finish reading the sentence out loud to your students. 10a. 1. The explorers used a compass to help them find their way in the strange land. 2. Many sailors use a compass to sail from one place to another. 3. My camp counselor forgot to bring the compass on our hiking trip, so we got lost. 4. Between the map and the compass, we were able to locate the campsite. 5. Although the hikers were lost for an hour, the compass on their iphone helped them find their cabin. Step 4: Check for student understanding This step can be completed as a whole class activity or as an independent practice. 10b. Which of the following pictures shows a compass? 11. Would you need a compass to find your way home after school? Why or why not? Suggested answer: No, I would not need a compass to find my way home after school because I already know the directions to get home from school. Suggested Additional Vocabulary: trade 3