Real-Life Writing © Scholastic Teaching Resources
7. Finding the Right Word
Discuss
When you write, you want to use words that say
exactly what you mean. Many
words are close in meaning, but the differences make a big difference! Read the
following examples together:
look
Look means turn your eyes toward something. I looked at the photos.
glance
Glance means to look quickly at something. I glanced at the clock to
see what time it was.
peek
Peek means to look quickly and slyly. Don't peek at the answers.
stare
Stare means to look at something for a long time with wide-open eyes.
She stared at the stars for hours.
glare
Glare means to look angrily at someone or something. He glared at the
driver who was honking her horn.
As a group, discuss which word in parentheses fits best in each sentence below.
Explain your choices.
1. He (glared, glanced) at his watch to see what time it was.
2. She (stared, peeked) around the corner to see where he was hiding.
3. They (stared, looked) at the table of contents to find the right chapter.
4. I (glared, stared) at my favorite rock stars as they entered the stadium.
5. She (peeked, glared) at the kids who were making fun of her brother.
Writing Practice
Study the words and meanings below. Then complete each sentence following the box with
the best word possible.
handsome
Handsome describes someone who is good-looking or something that
is very impressive. The castle was extremely handsome.
gorgeous
Gorgeous means very beautiful and colorful. She wore a
gorgeous red and gold dress to the dance.
graceful
Graceful means beautiful in form and movement. She was a graceful
dancer. The tree swayed gracefully in the breeze.
pretty
Pretty describes something that is nice to look at, but isn't
outstanding enough to be called gorgeous or beautiful. These daisies
are pretty. The blue dress isn't gorgeous, but it's very pretty.
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Real-Life Writing © Scholastic Teaching Resources @ :
Use what you've learned.
1. She wore a
costume made of red and green silk.
2. He was modest about his looks, even though he was very
3. The daffodils are
but they can't compare with the beauty of the
roses.
4. As she left the stage, the singer waved in a
way to her fans.
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Partner Work
Writing on Your Own
1. Discuss the sentences you completed for
Use a dictionary to find the exact meaning of each
Writing Practice. Explain your choices.
•
word below. Write the meaning. Then use the word
in a sentence of your own.
Example: request
2. With your partner, read aloud each boldfaced
Meaning: ask for something or ask someone to
word and its meaning. Then use each word
do something
in a sentence.
Sentence: I requested a favor from my teacher.
Example: leave: to go away from or move
1. beg
away from
Meaning:
The bus will leave the terminal at
Sentence:
8 A.M.
a. quit: to stop doing something
2. coax
Meaning:
b. vacate: to go away from a place and leave
Sentence:
nothing in it
3. demand
Meaning:
c. abandon: to leave a place or person and
Sentence:
never return
4. plead
Meaning:
Sentence:
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Name
Developing vocabulary
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Peaceful Protesters
Many people in the history of the United States have worked to make this country better by
taking a stand against unfair laws and practices. Their peaceful resistance to unfair laws and
practices brought about positive changes.
Henry David Thoreau, who was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1816, always stood up for
what he believed to be right. After he graduated from Harvard, Thoreau taught school for a
brief time in Concord, but he resigned to protest the school's practice of whipping students for
misbehavior. Later in his life he was arrested for refusing to pay a poll tax. He refused to pay the
tax as a protest against slavery, which was still practiced in the United States, and against the
country's involvement in a war against Mexico. Thoreau wrote an essay called "Civil
Disobedience" in which he urged people to use peaceful resistance to bring about changes in
laws and government policies with which they disagreed. Thoreau's principles would inspire and
influence future protesters like the leaders of the Civil Rights movement.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an African-American
woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in
Montgomery, Alabama. At the time, the law said that all African
Americans had to sit in the back of public buses. Rosa was
arrested for breaking the law. Rosa's simple protest caught the
attention of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He and a group of AfricanAmerican leaders decided to boycott the Montgomery buses as
a form of peaceful resistance to laws that discriminate against
one group of people. For 368 days African Americans walked or
carpooled rather than use the buses. Dr. King was arrested. Threats were made against him and
his family, but he and his followers held strong. They continued to boycott the buses and to hold
peaceful marches to show their opposition to the laws. In 1956, the United States Supreme Court
declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional. Dr. King's protest was successful! He said,
"The strong man is the man who can stand up for his rights and not hit back."
Dr. King's success inspired Cesar Chavez, another believer in peaceful protest. In 1962, he
organized farm workers to protest low wages and poor working conditions. Chavez and all the
members of the newly organized United Farm Workers of America took a pledge to use only
nonviolent methods to bring about change. Through organized protest marches, strikes, and a
national boycott of grapes, Chavez and the UFWA were able to improve the lives of the migrant
farmers. Farm workers earned higher pay and benefits and had safer working conditions.
Although Chavez died in 1993, his work continues through the union he founded. In 1994, the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, was awarded
posthumously to Cesar Chavez. He was the second Mexican American to receive this honor.
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Scholastic Success With Reading Comprehension: Grade 5 © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name
Developing vocabulary
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1. On the bus, write five words that describe these peaceful protesters:
Henry David Thoreau, Rosa Parks,
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez
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2. Henry David Thoreau, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez all believed that
one should take a stand against unfair laws and practices. What other belief did
they share?
3. Complete the puzzle usin g the bolded
words from the story.
2
3
Across
1. after death
4. to object
5. stand against
6. a farm worker who mov es
from place to place
8. the policy of separating by
race
Down
1. basic truths, laws, or
beliefs
2. to refuse to buy, sell,
or use
3. to show preference
in favor of or against
7. to motivate
9. the act of taking a
stand against
4
5
6
7
9
On another piece of pape create an award for
another famous African A merican or one you
know and admire. Write w by you believe this
person deserves the award you created.
Scholastic Success With Reading Comprehension: Grade 5 © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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