Lesson: One Cupcake
Lesson Topic: One Cupcake
One Cupcake
Written by Merridith Townsend
Illustrated by Serg Jalov
Chapter 1: The Worst Day of the Year
Jayden lay in his bed filled with dread. It was the day he hated more than any other. It was
the day of the annual Turner family summer picnic.
"It wouldn't be so bad," Jayden said, "if they weren't so strange."
When he breathed in, he smelled something wonderful. He suddenly remembered why he
got out of bed on picnic day every year. He absolutely loved his mother's annual summer
picnic cupcakes.
Not a lot of kids get as excited about cupcakes like Jayden does. Most kids get to have
desserts every once in a while, but the Turner family was a bit different. Jayden only got to
taste the delicious treat once a year.
"Don't even think of touching a cupcake until the family picnic," his mom said when he
walked into the kitchen.
"Can I have just a taste?" Jayden asked. An entire year of healthy food would make any
kid desperate.
"You'll get a taste when you get to the picnic, just like the rest of us," she responded. She
made sprinkles appear on the green icing peaks like a magician.
"Now go get dressed, we're already late. This year we're meeting on the top of a hill at the
new park. I still don't know how to get there."
Chapter 2: Unexpected Guests Arrive
The hours passed slowly. Much to his dismay, Auntie Merridith left a smear of dark red
lipstick on Jayden's forehead. Uncle Cory wanted to share his thoughts on a new political
leaflet every time Jayden walked by. Uncle Jack lifted him up by his ears. Uncle David spent
a good ten minutes acting out his newest play. It was a typical Turner picnic.
The entire time, Jayden kept an eye on his cupcake.
He waited until no one was watching and then he
sneaked over to where the cupcake sat. He was about to
take his first bite when something caught his attention.
Uncle Dave was moving in a very strange way. For a second, Jayden thought he was
floating. However, when he looked closer he saw that his uncle was being carried. His uncle
was being carried by several very large ants.
"Hey!" Jayden pointed excitedly. His uncle
disappeared into the maze of oak trees. "Uncle David
has disappeared into the forest!"
His mom sighed. "Honey, just eat your cupcake. He's
a grown man. He can look after himself." Mom cleared
her throat and then turned back to her conversation.
Jayden turned toward Uncle Cory. His head still buried in a leaflet, Uncle Cory was picked
up by another set of ants.
Jayden watched as, one by one, the entire Turner family was hauled off into the thickets.
When they carried his mother off, Jayden knew he had to do something. He grabbed his
cupcake and raced after them.
Chapter 3: Follow the Leaders
Jayden chased the ants into a narrow tunnel. It was lit by a green glow that reminded him
of his precious cupcake. He had stashed it in his pocket to keep it safe.
Of course his family would get in the way of his yearly treat! It was so typical.
He noticed that the tunnel was widening. The greenish light that lined the tunnel grew
brighter.
Jayden skidded into a huge cave. There were hundreds of bridges and tunnels in front of
him. Ants marched in perfect formation along them. Their scuttling footsteps filled the cave
with a roar like a waterfall.
Jayden didn't notice the two ants that stood directly
behind him. Suddenly, they grabbed his arms.
"You've got to move!" the ants commanded.
Chapter 4: An Audience With the Queen
"And who might this be?" the Queen Ant asked with a growl. Jayden stood at the foot of her
throne. The ant that grabbed his arm pushed Jayden forward. He stumbled over his foot but
was careful not to fall and crush the hidden cupcake.
"We found him in one of the tunnels," the guard ant said.
"Ah," the Queen Ant said, nodding her wide head, "I suppose the more we have, the
quicker it will get done."
"The quicker what will be done?" Jayden couldn't help but ask.
"The quicker the decorating will get done," she said.
The Queen waved one of her spindly arms at the room around her. It was carved with
images of sweet delights. The largest carving was of a cupcake. It looked exactly like the one
in his pocket. It was directly behind the Queen's throne. Jayden assumed that this carving
was very important.
"You didn't think we did all this by ourselves did you? You have things we don't: you have
fingers and thumbs, my boy, fingers and thumbs."
"That's silly!" Jayden cried. "You can't kidnap people to do your dirty work."
"Do you think this is dirty work?" the Queen gasped. "Bring this boy's family," she said to
the guards. A group of ants scuttled off. They returned quickly with the rest of the Turners.
"Get them ready for duty." The Queen's dark eyes shone. "I'll work their fingers to the
bone."
Jayden watched his family's faces become pale with fear. He realized just how much he
loved them.
Chapter 5: The Big Deal
"Stop!" Jayden cried. "I have something that you might be interested in." Jayden realized
now that his green cupcake was not as important to him. He pulled it from his pocket. It
glowed in the dim light.
"It's the cake with glowing green light!" the Queen shouted.
A few of the ants burst into tears. Some bowed to the carving behind the throne out of habit.
Some bowed to the cupcake in Jayden's hand.
"The light guides our way. It must be mine," said the Queen. "What do you want for it?"
Jayden smiled at his loved ones in front of him. "I want my family."
When they got home, everyone scrubbed the dirt off of their faces with hot water and lots of
soap. They had what Jayden's mother called a group hug and then sat around in the safety of
the living room. Aunt Merridith cuddled Jayden tightly. Uncle Cory patted him on the head.
The Turners retold the story again and again, each time with more tears and laughter. His
mother even baked a fresh batch of her famous cupcakes. But this time there was no green
icing, and nobody seemed to mind one bit.
Question 1:
What is the day that Jayden hated more than any other?
the day of the annual Turner family summer picnic
the last day of school before summer vacation
the day that report cards are sent home
the first day of a new school year
Question 2:
Who is the first of Jayden's relatives to disappear?
his mom
his dad
his uncle Cory
his uncle Dave
Question 3:
What is a major theme of the story?
You should squash any insects that you see.
Families should not have picnics together.
Cupcakes are unhealthy and should be avoided.
You should always be there for your family even if they annoy you sometimes.
Question 4:
Read this sentence.
Jayden lay in his bed filled with dread.
What does the word dread mean?
fear
satisfaction
excitement
happiness
Question 5:
In which chapter of the story does Jayden start talking to the queen ant?
Chapter 5: The Big Deal
Chapter 2: Unexpected Guests Arrive
Chapter 4: An Audience with the Queen
Chapter 1: The Worst Day of the Year
Question 6:
Who is the narrator of this story?
a third-person narrator
Jayden's mom
Jayden
the queen ant
Question 7:
At the beginning of the story, which word best describes Jayden?
positive
kind
appreciative
negative
Question 8:
How does Jayden's love of cupcakes help him save his family?
He is able to use cupcakes to lure the ants far away from the park.
He is able to bake more cupcakes to use as a sweet weapon.
He is able to build a booby trap out of a cupcake to catch the ants.
He is able to offer the queen ant a cupcake that he had stored in his pocket.
Question 9:
Why is there a large cupcake behind the throne of the queen ant?
The framed picture of the cupcake emphasizes that it holds a special place for
the giant ants.
Jayden's family drew the cupcake so that Jayden would know what to offer the
queen.
It is a mirror that reflects the cupcake in Jayden's hand.
The ants took a picture of the cupcake while it was still in the park with
Jayden.
Question 10:
The climax is the part of the story when the conflict or problem is solved.
Which part from One Cupcake happens during the climax?
Jayden wakes up and gets ready for the family picnic.
Jayden tries to tell his mom about his uncle's disappearance.
Jayden offers the green cupcake to the Queen Ant to save his family.
Jayden's mom makes a new batch of cupcakes without green icing.
Lesson Topic: The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered
The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered
Written by Kari Herreman
Ants are known for forming large colonies. Some of these colonies contain billions of ants
with many queens.
This is a large Wood Ant colony on
Brownsea Island.
Argentine ants reproduce in great numbers and have spread
across the world. In fact, the largest ant colony ever discovered
was made up of Argentine ants. Scientists have found relatives of
Argentine ants on almost every continent.
This Argentine ant hill is
almost as tall as the young
girl in the picture!
A colony might have many different mounds or hills,
but even though the ants are separated, they are still
related. The largest colony of ants ever found spanned
almost four thousand miles. The colony nested across
the Mediterranean Coastline in Europe. Scientists
studied these ants closely. They discovered that the ants
were all related and belonged to one large colony.
There are several large ant hills in
this picture.
Argentine super ant colonies cooperate together. Many ant
colonies stay small because the ants fight, but Argentine ants
get along in their supercolonies. They work together to thrive
as a giant colony. Sometimes, Argentine ants need the food
from other ants, and will cooperate to take over surrounding
colonies.
Worker ants spend their
whole lives hunting for food to
keep the colony strong.
The ants appeared to work around the clock, never
sleeping. Small groups of worker ants and a queen will
break away and form a new colony. This helps the
colony grow into a supercolony. Other colonies of these
ants were found in California and Japan. Those colonies
spanned hundreds of miles. All these colonies in different
parts of the world seemed to be related to one another.
These ants are busy harvesting food
for their colony.
Humans have also helped Argentine ants spread across the globe. The small ants can hide
in clothing, plants, or other goods that we transport from continent to continent. When they
enter a new environment, they quickly build new colonies and reproduce more ants.
While their size is impressive, these supercolonies can
become pests to local animals and crops. Like all living things,
ants must eat to survive. This means that they take food from other
species. Some scientists are worried about the large ant colonies
and call them an invasive species. These invasive ants often
use up the resources in an area which harms other species that
live there. These scientists work to find solutions to the super ant
colonies.
This scientist is working to
control an ant infestation.
However, scientists know that getting rid of ants
altogether wouldn't be a good thing either. Ants help
break down waste of other animals and put nutrients
back in the soil. They also keep soil turning as they make
new hills and dig new tunnels. Ants can also protect
some crops and animals from diseases. In balance, ants
can be very good for the environment.
Ants can help keep balance in
nature. This aphid secretes a sweet
liquid when it feeds on plants. Ant
species collect this waste and use it
for energy.
Question 1:
What was the largest ant colony ever discovered made up of?
European ants
Argentine ants
Spanish ants
American ants
Question 2:
How far did the largest colony of ants ever found span?
almost four thousand miles
almost two thousand miles
almost eight thousand miles
almost six thousand miles
Question 3:
Which is not a detail that supports the main idea?
Ants are known for forming large colonies.
Ants must eat to survive.
Very large ant colonies become pests to local animals and crops.
The largest colony of ants ever found spanned almost four thousand miles.
Question 4:
Why are ants good for the environment?
They become pests to local animals and crops.
They help break down waste and keep soil turning.
They might harm the other species around them.
They take food from other species.
Question 5:
Read these sentences.
Ants are known for forming large colonies. Some of these colonies contain billions of ants with
many queens.
What does the word colony mean in these sentences?
a group of things that form something new
a group of states that make up a country
a group of people sailing to a new world
a group of plants or animals in a particular place
Question 6:
Just by reading the title of this article, you know that this article is about
the discovery of the largest ant colony
the discovery of the smallest ant colony
the absence of ant colonies in Argentina
the discovery of the many different ant colonies
Question 7:
What does this picture tell you about ant hills?
Ant hills can be very tall.
The ants are hiding from the children.
Lots of children find ant hills.
Children like playing with ant hills.
Question 8:
Which detail supports the idea that Argentine ants may have relatives all over the world?
The ants appeared to work round the clock, never sleeping.
Some scientists are worried about the large ant colonies.
Other colonies of these ants were found in California and Japan.
Ants can be very good for the environment.
Question 9:
How does the author probably feel about invasive super ant colonies?
We should completely destroy all super ant colonies.
Invasive super ant colonies are the best pest control.
Invasive super ant colonies are not good for the environment.
We need super large ant colonies to help grow crops.
Lesson Topic: The History of Cupcakes
The History of Cupcakes
Written by Jessica Burney
Imagine it's your birthday. You smell something delicious
baking in the oven. Is it a cake? No, this year your family decided
to make cupcakes! You are so excited to share these delicious
little treats together.
Happy birthday! Enjoy your
cupcake!
Cupcakes can be traced back as far as 1796. The recipe was
crafted by Amelia Simmons in her cookbook, American Cookery, as
"a cake to be baked in small cups." However, the actual name
"cupcake" wasn't recorded until 1828 in Eliza Leslie's Receipts
cookbook.
This is a first edition
copy of Amelia
Simmons' cookbook
American Cookery,
which was published in
Hartford, Connecticut
in 1796.
Cupcakes were not always called "cupcakes." They
have had many different names. In Britain, they were
called "fairy cakes." Unlike traditional cupcakes, the
center of the "fairy cake" was scooped out and a sweet
filling was dropped in the hole. Then, two cut halves of
cake were stuck into the creamy center to look like fairy
wings.
Fairy cakes are traditionally smaller
than cupcakes and are not usually
topped with elaborate icing.
In the early 1900s, there were two different meanings
for the name "cupcake." The first meaning of "cupcakes"
was for cakes baked in cups. The second meaning was
for the ingredients used to make cupcakes, which were
measured out using a cup.
While most people use pans to bake
cupcakes, cupcakes can also be
baked individually in small cups like
they once were.
These types of "cupcakes" were called "number
cakes" or "1234 cakes." These nicknames made it easier
to remember the measurements of ingredients. The
measurements were as follows: one cup of butter, two
cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of
milk, and one spoonful of baking soda.
Measuring cups are used measure
out ingredients to make cupcakes.
Cupcakes became popular in the 1900s because it
took a long time to bake large cakes in the hearth ovens.
Today, cupcakes are still popular because they take less
time to bake and have many gourmet flavors and unique
designs.
This is a hearth oven. Hearth ovens
were like fireplaces used to cook
and bake food before stoves were
invented.
Cupcakes not only have revolutionized cake baking,
but they have also become a pop culture trend since their
creation. Cupcakes have become so popular that there is
even a national holiday. National Cupcake Day is
celebrated in the United States on December 15th!
These people made giant cupcake
costumes in honor of National
Cupcake Day!
Question 1:
What were cupcakes called in Britain?
cakes in cups
number cakes
1234 cakes
fairy cakes
Question 2:
What is the main topic of this article?
the history of cupcakes
what makes cupcakes so good
the best way to decorate cupcakes
how cakes are made
Question 3:
What is the connection between cupcakes and large cakes?
Cupcakes taste better than large cakes.
Cupcakes are prettier than large cakes.
Cupcakes are bigger than large cakes.
Cupcakes take less time to bake than large cakes.
Question 4:
Read these sentences.
Cupcakes not only have revolutionized cake baking, but they have also become a pop culture
trend since their creation. Cupcakes have become so popular that they even have a national
holiday.
What does the word revolutionized mean?
to start over
to keep the same
to change greatly or completely
to never change or alter
Question 5:
Based on the caption, what do you learn about cupcakes?
Fairy cakes are traditionally smaller than
cupcakes and are not usually topped
with elaborate icing.
All cupcakes have the same flavors and lots of decorations.
Cupcakes are larger than fairy cakes and usually have icing on top.
All cupcakes must come with elaborate and special decorations.
Cupcakes should never be decorated because that is not the traditional way to
make them.
Question 6:
How does the author probably feel about baking cupcakes?
Baking cupcakes is easier than baking large cakes.
Baking cupcakes is harder than baking large cakes.
Cupcakes taste better than large cakes.
Cupcakes take more time to bake than large cakes.
Question 7:
Why were cupcakes called "1234 cakes?"
Cupcakes were called "1234 cakes" because people mixed them in 4
minutes.
Cupcakes were called "1234 cakes" because it made it easier to remember
the ingredients.
Cupcakes were called "1234 cakes" because people could only make 1 to 4
at a time in a pan.
Cupcakes were called "1234 cakes" because people bake them in 4 minutes.
Question 8:
Why are these people wearing large cupcakes?
for National Cupcake Day
for Christmas Day
for Valentine's Day
for Independence Day
Question 9:
How is this article different from "The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered?"
"The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered" is about ants making cupcakes,
but this article is about baking cakes.
"The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered" is about a large ant colony in
Argentina, but this article is about the invention of cupcakes.
"The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered" is about ants ruining picnics, but
this article is about why you should eat cupcakes.
"The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered" is about giant ants, but this article
is about cupcake bakeries.
Correct Answers
Lesson: One Cupcake
Lesson Topic: One Cupcake
Question 1:
MC1
Question 2:
MC4
Question 3:
MC4
Question 4:
MC1
Question 5:
MC3
Question 6:
MC1
Question 7:
MC4
Question 8:
MC4
Question 9:
MC1
Question 10:
MC3
Lesson Topic: The Largest Ant Colony Ever Discovered
Question 1:
MC2
Question 2:
MC1
Question 3:
MC2
Question 4:
MC2
Question 5:
MC4
Question 6:
MC1
Question 7:
MC1
Question 8:
MC3
Question 9:
MC3
Lesson Topic: The History of Cupcakes
Question 1:
MC4
Question 2:
MC1
Question 3:
MC4
Question 4:
MC3
Question 5:
MC2
Question 6:
MC1
Question 7:
MC2
Question 8:
MC1
Question 9:
MC2