CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE 5th GRADE UNIT
Reading Passage
A Hero With Heart
When Ana Dodson traveled to Peru
two years ago, she went on more
than just a vacation. She was
visiting her native country.
Ana, 13, was born in Peru, but she
was adopted by an American family
and grew up in the United States.
While in Peru, Ana got a glimpse of
what her life could have been like
had she not been adopted.
She visited several Peruvian
orphanages, including one in the
Peru
hills of Cuzco, near her birthplace.
"[The orphanage] was really cold and dry," Ana told Weekly Reader.
"The paint was falling off....The girls...were very malnourished1."
Leigh Haeger
When Ana returned home to Colorado, the memory of the orphanage
in Cuzco haunted her. "I really couldn’t get the girls out of my mind,
and I really wanted to do something...because I could have been one
of those girls in that orphanage."
She decided to start a group called Peruvian Hearts to help. In two
years, Peruvian Hearts has raised about $18,000 for the orphanage.
The group also bought a chicken coop so the girls can eat fresh eggs.
Ana’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. She recently won a Gloria
Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The award is given to kids and teens
who make a difference.
Ana says any kid can do what she did. "Really believe in yourself, and
follow your heart," she says.
1
malnourished: condition when a person's body is not getting enough nutrients.
Text: Copyright © 2007 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.
© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved.
CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE 5th GRADE UNIT
Question Sheet
Name:
Date:
“A Hero with Heart” Questions
1. The author’s purpose in the first paragraph is to make the reader
a. think about taking a vacation.
b. wonder why Ana no longer lives where she was born.
c. interested in learning about Peru.
d. none of these.
2. We know from Ana’s own words that she is the kind of person who
a. can be very discouraging.
b. likes to have a good time.
c. sympathizes with others.
d. doesn’t think too deeply about things.
3. The author includes the amount of money that Peruvian Hearts raised to
a. encourage the reader to contribute to the cause.
b. show that the organization did not raise enough.
c. show that one person can make a big difference.
d. explain how expensive chicken coups are.
4. Using the word “haunted” to describe Ana’s memory of the orphanages
she visited gives the impression that
a. she couldn’t forget the kids.
b. an orphanage seemed like heaven to her.
c. she had bad dreams at night.
d. Ana felt like a ghost while visiting Peru.
5. Why do you think the author wrote this passage?
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© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved
CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE 5th GRADE UNIT
Question Sheet
Name:
Date:
“A Hero with Heart” Answer Sheet
_AP 1. The author’s purpose in the first paragraph is to make the reader
a. think about taking a vacation.
b. wonder why Ana no longer lives where she was born.
c. interested in learning about Peru.
d. none of these.
_C
2. We know from Ana’s own words that she is the kind of person who
a. can be very discouraging.
b. likes to have a good time.
c. sympathizes with others.
d. does not think too deeply about things.
_AP 3. The author includes the amount of money that Peruvian Hearts raised to
a. encourage the reader to contribute to the cause.
b. show that the organization did not raise enough.
c. show that one person can make a big difference.
d. explain how expensive chicken coups are.
_FL
4. Using the word “haunted” to describe Ana’s memory of the orphanages
she visited gives the impression that
a. she couldn’t forget the kids.
b. an orphanage seemed like heaven to her.
c. she had bad dreams at night.
d. Ana felt like a ghost while visiting Peru.
_AP 5. Why do you think the author wrote this passage?
Answers will vary but may include to encourage children to make a
difference in others’ lives by working to help people less fortunate.
Suggested Additional Vocabulary: glimpse
© 2010 Urban Education Exchange. All rights reserved