Level V/60
Deforestation and Desertification
Science Teacher’s Guide
Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension
Strategies
• Make judgments
Comprehension
• Reread
• Identify cause and effect
• Use graphic features to interpret
information
Word Study/Vocabulary
• Use synonyms to determine word
meaning
Science Big Idea
• Human activities have profound effects
on the environment. Theme: The Environment
• Deforestation and Desertification
• Ecological Disasters
• Protecting Our Oceans
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Core Lesson Planning Guide
This five-day lesson plan shows one way to use the chapter book for explicit strategy instruction.
Activities
D ay
1
Page 3: Prepare to Read
• Build Content Background
• Introduce the Book
2
Pages 4–6: Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
• Comprehension Strategy: Make Judgments
• Use Synonyms to Determine Word Meaning: Synonyms Using , or
3
Pages 7–8: Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
• Comprehension Strategy: Make Judgments
• Use Context Clues to Determine Word Meaning: Direct Definitions
4
Pages 9–10: Apply Strategies: Chapters 4, 5–Conclusion
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
• Comprehension Strategy: Make Judgments
• Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Photographs
5
Page 11: Synthesize Information
• Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment
• Evaluate Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Using Navigators Chapter Books
Explicit Strategy Instruction
Small-Group Discussions
Independent Reading
Use the complete guide to model,
guide, and support students as
they apply comprehension and
word-study strategies. Use portions of the guide to scaffold
reading instruction for students
who do not need modeled
instruction.
Introduce the book and model
strategies. Ask the group to set
a purpose for reading based on
the introduction. Instruct students to read the book, or parts
of the book, independently.
Then tell them to use the SmallGroup Discussion Guide as they
discuss the book together.
Encourage students to select
titles at their independent reading levels. After reading, instruct
students to respond to the text
in reader response journals or
notebooks.
2
Copyright ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be
reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-5234-2
Prepare to Read
E nglish L anguage Learners
Build Content Background
•Say: Deforestation—the destruction of forests—and
desertification—fertile land turning into desert—are two
environmental problems in the world. Ask: What questions do
you have about deforestation and desertification?
Allow two minutes for students to write their own questions
and then ask them to share the questions. If the following
questions are not mentioned, suggest them:
Why do deforestation and desertification occur?
Where are deforestation and desertification big problems?
What can people do about these problems?
•Ask: What other questions do you have about deforestation and
desertification?
Ask students to consider additional questions, such as these:
What happens as a result of deforestation and desertification?
Who has tried to protect land from these problems?
•Draw a T-chart as shown. Write one question on the left
under the heading Main Question and invite students to offer
possible answers. Write their answers on the right under the
heading Possible Answers.
•Tell students that they will discover the answer to this and
other questions about deforestation and desertification as
they read.
Main Question
Why do deforestation and
desertification occur?
Possible Answers
forest fires
cutting down trees for lumber
hurricanes
Introduce the Book
•Give students a copy of the book.
•Ask them to read the title and skim the table of contents.
Ask: Which chapter discusses desertification?
(Chapter 3)
Which chapter discusses solutions to these environmental problems?
(Chapter 5)
•Tell students to choose a chapter. Ask them to look at the
pictures in the chapter, choose a picture they think is interesting, and explain to the group why they think that.
•To introduce Key Words and Text/Graphic Features found in
this book, use the inside front cover of the book.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Display pictures of forests and deserts. Ask students to identify them
as forests or deserts and then
describe the features of each in
their own words.
Display a world map. Ask students
to point out regions in which there
are forests or deserts and to name
the regions if possible.
Write the word deforestation on the
board. Underline the prefix de- and
explain that it means “remove.” Ask
students to define deforestation in
their own words based on this
information. Next write desertification on the board. Underline the
root word desert and ask students if
they can figure out the meaning of
the word.
Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Assess students’ ability to skim
original
for interesting pictures and to
offer reasonable explanations for
their choices.
2. Document your observations in a
folder or notebook.
3. Keep the folder or notebook at
the small-group reading table for
use during reading sessions.
Meeting
Individual Needs
For students who struggle with
skimming for pictures, model the
process, using the first chapter.
Comment on each picture, tell which
one you choose, and explain why you
chose that one over the others.
3
Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1
ABOUT THE STRATEGY
Reread
What? Good readers constantly
ask themselves, “Do I understand
what I just read?” If the answer to that
question is no, they know the easiest
monitor-reading strategy to use is
reread. Readers do not need to reread
every sentence. Sometimes skimming
the text for a particular word or paragraph can rebuild comprehension.
Why?
Good readers reread to
quickly repair faulty comprehension.
Once they have reread, they may use
other monitor-reading strategies to
deepen comprehension.
When?
Good readers reread during
and after reading.
How? Good readers stop every
page or two and ask themselves, “What
did I just read?” If they can’t answer that
question, they can return to the last
part of the text where they did understand and skim the text to repair comprehension. They may mark confusing
parts of the text or unknown words
with self-stick notes so that they can
reflect on these parts at a later time.
4
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
•Use a real-life example of rereading.
Say: Recently I was reading an article about the Asian tsunami. It
had many facts, and it was rather complex. At some point I got
confused about the particular kind of earthquake that caused the
tsunami. So I skimmed the text from the beginning to the first
point that I didn’t understand. That’s where I began to reread. This
time I understood the information I was reading.
•Ask students to read pages 2–4 silently. Then read pages 6–7
aloud while students follow along. Try to anticipate ideas and
words that might confuse them. After reading, say: As I read
about cutting down trees on page 7, I realize that I’m a little
confused about why trees don’t just grow back after they’re cut
down. I will go back and reread the first paragraph.
Read the first paragraph on page 7 again. Then discuss why
cutting down trees for logging can keep trees from growing
back: heavy equipment packs the earth down, making new
growth difficult.
During Reading
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Ask students to read pages 8–11 silently to see what they can
learn about causes and effects of deforestation. Ask them to
pay close attention to the illustrations, captions, and sidebar.
Remind them to use self-stick notes to make notes of facts in
places where they reread. On the self-stick notes, instruct
them to jot down the reason for rereading. Did they not
understand facts, forget facts, or need clarification of a detail?
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
After Reading
I nformal
Assessment Tips
Discuss the Reading
•Say: I had to reread a few times in Chapter 1. For example, I
realized I was unsure why the most rapid deforestation is occurring in the tropical rain forest. I went back and reread page 10. I
made notes about my reasons for rereading on my self-stick notes.
•Ask: What problems did you have with Chapter 1 that made you
go back and reread?
Invite students to share their experiences.
•Ask students to share the ideas and facts they wrote on
notes while reading.
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for the Introduction and Chapter 1 found on the
Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this
chapter book.
original
1. Watch students as they reread and
write on self-stick notes or in their
journals.
Comprehension Strategy:
Make Judgments
•Explain to students that they can make judgments or decisions about people, events, and facts as they read. They may
make a judgment about the causes of deforestation. For
example, some students might say that natural events are a
bigger threat to forests than people are.
Say: You might think that judgments and opinions are the same
thing. Keep in mind that judgments can be proven with facts, also
called clues and evidence. An opinion can be based simply on what
you think or believe about something.
•Say: When I read a paragraph or passage in a book, I think
about what I read and form ideas about the people, events,
and facts. I use the information in the text as well as my own
knowledge and experiences. One way I make judgments is to
decide which information is most important. Making judgments
about what I read helps me better understand the text and
remember the facts.
•Pass out the graphic organizer “Make Judgments” (blackline
master, page 14). You may want to make a chart-size copy of
the graphic organizer or use a transparency.
•Explain that as students read, they will complete the first two
rows together. They will complete the last row independently.
For students who struggle with this
activity, model the strategy again and
remind them that stopping to reread
and make notes on facts as they read
will help them better understand the
material.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
2. In a folder or notebook jot down
what you see each student doing.
3. S tudents should be stopping to
reread and take notes on facts as
they read. Document students
who are and who are not using
this monitor reading strategy.
Meeting
Individual Needs
Rapid readers can choose one fact
from their notes and find more information about it in research materials.
5
Introduction–Chapter 1 (continued)
Chapter
Clues/
Evidence in
the Text
My prior
Knowledge
My
Judgment
1
(pages
6–7)
People are
the biggest
threats to
the forest.
Trees are cut
down to make
way for
homes, roads,
and malls.
Trees have
been cut
down in our
community
to make
room for
developments.
Officials and
the public
should keep
dangers of
deforestation in mind
when considering developments.
Reader Response
Which cause of forest destruction
would be most difficult to prevent?
Which would be easiest? How could
each be prevented? Write a response
in your journal and share your
thoughts with a group member.
6
Comprehension Strategy:
Make Judgments (continued)
•Instruct students to follow along as you show them how to
make judgments in Chapter 1. Read pages 6–7 aloud and say:
Page 6 says that people are the biggest threat to forests. On page 7
the author describes trees being cut down to make way for development. I’ll write those facts in the Clues/Evidence column. I know
that trees have been cut down in our community to make way for
new developments. I’ll write that in the Prior Knowledge column. I
think the public and officials in communities such as ours should
keep the dangers of deforestation in mind when they are deciding on
new developments. I’ll write that in the Judgment column.
•Say: When we make a judgment, it is important to remember to
use information from the text along with previous knowledge and
experience.
•Tell students they will continue to make judgments as they
continue to read the book.
Use Synonyms to Determine Word
Meaning: Synonyms Using , or
•Tell students that words or phrases that mean almost the
same thing are called synonyms. If you understand the meaning
of one of the synonyms, you can determine the meaning of the
unfamiliar synonym. Ask students to turn to page 4 and locate
the word tsunami.
Say: This boldfaced word is in the glossary, but it is also defined
right in the text. Authors use , or to compare two words or phrases
with similar meanings. Tsunami means “giant wave.” I know
because the author told me by using , or. Because I know the
meaning of the phrase giant wave, I know the meaning of tsunami.
•Turn to page 10 and point out the word extinct. Tell students
that the author has included a synonym for the word.
Ask: What does this word mean?
(“that a plant or animal has disappeared”)
How did you identify the synonym for extinct?
(by reading the word that follows , or)
•Tell students that they will look for additional synonyms to
help them determine the meanings of unfamiliar words as they
continue to read Deforestation and Desertification.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
•Remind students that they saw you write a self-stick note
about rereading. Point out to them that rereading can help
them retain information and focuses their attention on
important information.
•Say: After I read Chapter 2, I recalled many details about the
effects of deforestation, but I was confused about how deforestation can cause global warming.
•Ask students to turn to page 16. Read aloud while they follow along.
Say: I’ll go back and reread until I come to the part about
global warming. I find it on page 16. It says that trees help keep
the right balance of gases in the air. When many trees are cut
down, the balance is upset. The gases that trap heat from the sun
can increase, warming the earth. I will make notes of these facts
on self-stick notes.
•Explain that as students continue to read, they should jot
down times they need to reread and briefly explain the
reason. Remind them to write on self-stick notes and to put
the notes on the pages to which they correspond.
•Tell students that rereading can help them remember important information.
During Reading
E nglish L anguage Learners
Carefully watch ELL students as
they complete the assignment. If
they are not rereading and making
notes about their reasons, it may
be because they do not understand
the reasons for rereading. Model
additional situations in which
rereading is a good strategy.
Meeting
Individual Needs
For students who struggle with
this strategy, model it again. Then have
students choose at least two parts of
each chapter to reread. Ask them to
meet with a partner and discuss the
reasons for rereading and the facts
they found when they did.
Rapid readers can make a graphic
organizer to display the information
presented in Chapter 2 or 3.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Ask students to read Chapters 2–3 to find out more about
the causes and effects of deforestation and desertification.
After Reading
Discuss the Reading
•Ask students to share times when they needed to reread.
Did they understand the text better after they reread? What
confusions do students still have about the text?
•Ask students to turn to page 21 and read the checkpoint.
Explain that reading more about a topic is a good way to
understand and remember what we read. Instruct students to
complete the activity with a partner.
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions for Chapters 2–3 found on the Comprehension
Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
7
Chapters 2–3 (continued)
Chapter
2–3
(pages
20–21)
Clues/
Evidence in
the Text
My prior
Knowledge
When land is
not managed
properly, it
can turn into
desert.
States and
countries
enact laws
to prevent
problems
such as
deforestation.
My
Judgment
All countries
should enact
laws to
control land
use by farmers
and others to
prevent
deforestation.
Reader Response
Suppose you were a scientist. Which of
the following topics would you choose
to research: forest plant and animal habitats, medicines from plants, or global
warming? Why? Write a response in
your journal and share your thoughts
with a group member.
Comprehension Strategy: Make Judgments
•Review the first row of the “Make Judgments” graphic organizer. Remind students that when they make a judgment, they use
information from the text along with previous knowledge and
experiences.
•Read aloud pages 20–21.
Ask: What can happen when land is not managed properly?
(The land can turn into desert.)
What do you know about how laws can help preserve the environment?
(Possible answer: States and countries enact and enforce laws
to prevent problems such as deforestation.)
What judgment would you make about laws controlling land use?
(Possible answer: All countries should enact laws controlling
land use by farmers and others to prevent desertification.)
•Write students’ answers on the graphic organizer. Use the
information on the graphic organizer on this page.
Use Context Clues to Determine Word Meaning:
Direct Definitions
•Read aloud the sentence containing the term global warming at
the top of the second column on page 16. Explain that the
author gives a direct definition to help the reader understand
the meaning of the term.
Say: You know that the phrase this is called is sometimes used to
show that the following word was defined in the previous sentence or
sentences. Look at the sentence before This is called global warming. It tells me that global warming is the rise of temperatures
around the world.
•Tell students that they will continue to use context clues to
determine the meanings of unknown words as they read
Deforestation and Desertification. Learning the definitions of
these words will help them understand the new information in
the book.
•For additional practice, instruct students to complete the
blackline master on page 16.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
8
ecologistsscientists who study the relationships between
living things and their environments
analyzestudy
supercomputer
a large, very fast computer
selective loggingthe practice of cutting down scattered trees
instead of large areas of trees
indigenous peoples descendants of the original inhabitants of an
area
shamanspriests
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Apply Strategies: Chapters 4, 5–Conclusion
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Reread
•Remind students that they have been writing self-stick notes
when they needed to reread.
Say: Looking back at your self-stick notes and the pages to which
they are attached will help you recall some important facts and
some times when you were confused. The result will probably be
that you will recall the facts in the book better than if you had not
taken notes.
•Encourage students to continue thinking and writing about
their reading on self-stick notes as they complete the book on
their own.
 Teaching Tips
After discussing the reading, tell
students to remove the self-stick
notes from their books and place the
notes in their journals on a page titled
“Rereading.” Use this page to review
rereading throughout the year.
During Reading
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Instruct students to read the rest of the book silently to learn
about where desertification has occurred and where people are
taking measures to reverse deforestation and desertification.
Remind students to make notes of times they were confused
and how rereading helped their confusion. Remind them to use
synonyms and direct definitions to determine the meanings of
new words.
After Reading
Discuss the Reading
•Ask students to share times when they were confused and
reread the text. Did rereading help them better understand?
What questions do they still have? Answer any questions.
•Ask: What did you find about where desertification has occurred?
What did you learn about ways people are reversing the effects of
deforestation and desertification?
•Tell students to turn to page 29 and read the checkpoint.
Remind them that making connections is a good way to find
meaning in the text. Let students discuss their answers with a
partner.
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions
for Chapters 4–5 found on the Comprehension Through
Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
9
Chapters 4, 5–Conclusion (continued)
Chapter
Clues/
Evidence in
the Text
My prior
Knowledge
My
Judgment
4–5
The giant
(page 26) redwood
trees in
Sequoia
National Park
are protected
by the
government.
Many oldgrowth trees
have been cut
down in our
community
and
elsewhere.
Governments
should make
laws to
prevent
cutting down
old-growth
trees.
Informal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Watch students as they make judgments. Ask yourself:
How have students progressed with this
strategy? What problems are they still
having?
2. Watch students as they complete the
graphic organizer. Ask yourself:
Who is still struggling with this strategy?
How can I help them?
3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook. For students who
struggle with making judgments,
review the strategy using the
Comprehension Strategy Poster:
Make Judgments.
Comprehension Strategy: Make Judgments
•Review the graphic organizer that students have been completing. Explain that they will make judgments of their own on facts
in Chapters 4–5 in pairs or independently.
•Ask if students have any questions before they begin. Monitor
their work and help them with any difficulty. Discuss students’
responses together.
•For more practice on making judgments, instruct students to
complete the blackline master “Make Judgments” on page 15.
Clues/Evidence
in the Text
Possible answer:
Off-road vehicles can
lead to desertification.
Laws for off-road
vehicles help prevent
desertification.
My prior Knowledge
Possible answer:
Some people may not
know how off-road
vehicles can damage the
land.
People try to protect
the land if they know
how to do so.
Most people obey laws.
My Judgment
Possible answer:
People should be
educated about the
environmental dangers
of off-road vehicles.
Governments should
enact laws controlling
the use of off-road
vehicles.
Use Graphic Features to Interpret
Information: Photographs
•Tell students to turn to page 20 and look at the photograph of
the Dust Bowl.
•Read aloud page 20.
Ask: Why do you think this photograph is shown here?
(Possible answer: The text tells how land can be destroyed if it
is not managed properly and describes the Dust Bowl as an
example. The photograph illustrates the seriousness of damage
done in this way.)
•Explain to students that photographs are often used to support
or add to the information in the text.
Reader Response
Describe one action you would take to
prevent deforestation and desertification.
Choose an action discussed in the chapter or one you think of yourself. Write a
response in your journal and share your
thoughts with a group member.
10
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Synthesize Information
Administer Ongoing Comprehension
Assessment
•Administer Ongoing Assessment #25 on pages 86–87 in the
Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 6).
•Point out to students that the book Deforestation and
Desertification describes many causes and effects. For example, it
describes the causes and effects of deforestation.
•Ask students to skim Chapters 4 and 5, looking for information
about the causes and effects of some actions by people to prevent deforestation and desertification. Instruct them to write
down the causes and effects on a chart like the one below.
•When the charts are complete, invite students to discuss the
information they recorded. Then encourage them to draw conclusions about how people can protect the earth from deforestation and desertification.
•Give students the opportunity to share their conclusions.
Say: The book doesn’t directly say that the processes of deforestation
and desertification can be prevented and even reversed if people take
certain measures. But by looking at the causes and effects of some
individual actions, we can conclude that the environment can be
improved if people become educated about the problem and use their
ingenuity to solve it.
Cause
Tourists participate in ecotourism
in Brazil.
Effect
The Chinese government is planting
a “Green Wall” of trees.
Brazilians earn money by showing
the rain forest rather than cutting it
down.
China’s landscape will not be so
barren.
The government of Senegal is
considering planting 5,000 trees.
The advance of the Sahara Desert
may be stopped.
The giant redwood trees of Sequoia They cannot be cut down.
National Park are protected by law.
Wangari Maathai started the Green
Belt Movement.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Millions of trees have been planted
in Kenya and other African countries.
I nformal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Score assessments and determine if
more instruction is needed for this
strategy.
2. Keep group assessments in a smallgroup reading folder.
3. Look closely at students’ responses.
Ask yourself: Why might this student
have answered the question in this manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss
responses with individual students.
4. If needed, reteach this strategy
and administer Ongoing Assessment
#26 on pages 88–89 in the
Comprehension Strategy Assessment
Handbook (Grade 6).
5. Use Ongoing Assessments to
document growth over time, for
parent/teacher conferences, or for
your own records.
E nglish L anguage Learners
Make sure students understand
the meanings of cause and effect by
discussing a few simple examples. For
example, the effect of being hungry all
morning might be caused by skipping
breakfast. Help students complete the
chart by discussing each row individually. Ask them to read aloud the first
cause on the chart. Help them find
the part of the text that discusses this
topic. Invite them to reread that section aloud. Then invite them suggest
how they would summarize the information for the chart.
11
Reading/Writing Connections
Write a Personal Response
Teaching Tips
Transfer personal response prompts to
a piece of large chart paper and hang it
in the room. Students can refer to the
list throughout the year.
Scoring Rubric
4
The prompt is well developed.
There is strong evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
3
The prompt is developed. There
is adequate evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
2
The prompt is somewhat developed. There is minimal evidence
of focus, organization, voice, and
correct conventions.
1
The prompt is weakly developed.
There is little evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
Invite students to respond to the book in a way that is meaningful to them. The prompts below provide a variety of alternatives.
•What actions can you take to protect the earth from deforestation and desertification? (text-to-self)
•Compare this book about our environment to other books
about our environment you have read. (text-to-text/compare)
•What effects do deforestation and desertification have on the
world? (text-to-world)
•What main ideas did you find in this book?
(synthesize information)
•What parts of this book confused you? (self-monitor)
•What connections did you make to yourself and to other
texts while you were reading this book? (make connections)
•Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why
not? (evaluate)
•Describe what you felt as you read about deforestation and
desertification in this book. Explain why you felt that way.
(personal response)
Write to a Text Prompt
Use the prompt below as a timed writing activity. Allow students
a maximum of one hour to draft, revise, and edit a response. Use
the rubric provided in the sidebar to score students’ writing.
In managing Earth’s trees and land, should people put
their present needs or the future of Earth first? Explain
your answer. Use information from the book to support
your answer.
Write to a Picture Prompt
Use the following picture prompt to develop students’ visual
writing abilities.
Look at the picture on page 9. Explain how you could
use it to convince others that forests should be preserved.
Write a response in your journal and share your thoughts
with a group member. Use details from the picture to
support your answer.
12
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Date____________
Small-Group Discussion Guide
Directions: Use your answers to talk about the book.
Rules for a
Good Discussion:
1. Be prepared.
Word Study:
Write words you did not know. Discuss the
meanings with your group. Use the text to clarify the
meanings.
2. Pay attention to
the person who is
talking and do not
interrupt him or her.
3. Think about what
others are saying so
you can respond.
4. Use inside voices.
5. Let everyone in
the group have a
turn to speak.
Questions:
Write two or three questions you had while reading this
book. Discuss the questions and answers.
6. Be respectful of
everyone’s ideas.
Adapted from Fountas, I.C., and Pinnell,
G. S. 2001. Guiding Readers and Writers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing
Co.
Ways to Make
Connections
Make Connections:
Write three connections you made with the text.
Discuss them with your group.
Adapted from Daniels, Harvey. 1994. Literature Circles. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing Co.
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Text-to-Self:
This reminds me of a
time when I . . .
Text-to-World: What’s
going on in this book is
like what’s happening
right now in . . .
Text-to-Text:
This book reminds me of
another book I read
called . . . . It was about . . .
Name__________________________________________ Date____________________
Make Judgments
Chapter
Clues/
Evidence in the Text
My prior
Knowledge
My Judgment
1
(pages 6–7)
2–3
(pages 20–21)
4–5
(page 26)
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Name__________________________________________ Date____________________
Make Judgments
Directions: Read the passage. Complete the judgment chart using your prior knowledge
and events from the passage.
Desert Recreation?
Most Americans are not responsible for desertification. They don’t have cattle
that might overgraze, leaving the land bare. They don’t have farms with land that
must be used correctly. However, many Americans enjoy a form of recreation that
can be a threat to our land. That is the use of off-road vehicles.
Many Americans enjoy driving SUVs, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles in
the backcountry, especially in the West. They may not realize that off-road vehicles
can damage the land, leading to desertification. The earth’s soil is formed through
the weathering of rock. In fact, it takes 100 years to generate one millimeter of soil.
Tracks made by off-road vehicles can damage the soil so that plants will no longer
grow there.
People can help protect the land by driving off-road vehicles only on trails
marked for that purpose. Laws for off-road vehicles have been enacted in some
places. They have helped prevent desertification.
Clues/
Evidence in the Text
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My prior
Knowledge
My Judgment
Name__________________________________________ Date___________________
Use Synonyms and Direct Definitions
Directions: Read the passage. Look for synonyms or direct definitions of the boldfaced
words. Write the synonyms or direct definitions below. Use the passage to help you.
Saving the Rain Forest
Ecologists, or scientists who study the relationships between living things
and their environments, have long focused on the Amazon Rain Forest. It is the
world’s largest rain forest, and it is disappearing fast. Scientists are trying to find
new ways to save it.
A group of scientists recently developed a new way to analyze, or study,
logging in the Amazon Rain Forest. They used a supercomputer, a large, very
fast computer, to analyze satellite images. With the supercomputer they could
view much smaller areas of the forest. This allowed them to check on selective
logging, the practice of cutting down scattered trees instead of large areas of trees.
People use selective logging so they don’t get caught cutting down trees illegally.
Unfortunately, the scientists found that selective logging is even a bigger threat
than they thought. But by detecting selective logging they have a better chance
of stopping it.
Ecologists in the Amazon get help from indigenous peoples, or descendants
of an area’s original inhabitants. Shamans, or priests, of the Amazon have long
used medicines from the rain forest. Farmers use environmentally friendly
farming methods. Ecologists learn about these medicines and methods and pass
the knowledge on. They hope to show that people can live in the forest without
destroying it.
1. ecologists _________________________________________________________________________________
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2. analyze ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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3. supercomputer ����������������������������������������������������������������������������
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4. selective logging ���������������������������������������������������������������������������
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5. indigenous peoples �������������������������������������������������������������������������
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6. shamans ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC