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February Reading Packet
The French and Indian War
By Cindy Grigg
After the 1600s, many countries claimed land in the New World. Spain
claimed Florida and most of the land west of the Mississippi. This was
called Louisiana. France claimed Canada and the land along the Ohio
and Mississippi Rivers. Britain claimed land along the entire eastern
coast of North America, from Maine to South Carolina. Native
Americans lived in all these places. They thought that the land belonged
to everyone, just as the sky and the sun did. As colonists took over more
and more land, some Indians grew angry.
War broke out between France and Britain. The war began in the
colonies in 1754. It spread to Europe in 1756. The war lasted seven
years. Britain won the war in 1763. A treaty between the two countries
gave Britain France's land in Canada and to the west of the English
colonies as far as the Mississippi River. Spain had helped France in the
war. In the treaty, Spain had to give up Florida, but it kept all of
Louisiana. This included the city of New Orleans.
The war was called the French and Indian War in the colonies. Many Indians had helped the French fight the
English. They thought it would save their land. Some Indians helped the English for the same reason. In Europe, it
was called the Seven Years' War. The war had cost Britain nearly everything. Britain now looked to the colonies to
pay back the costs of the war. It began taxing the colonies. New taxes would lead to another war - the American
Revolutionary War.
The French and Indian War
Questions
1. Which country did NOT claim land in North America?
A. China
B. Spain
C. France
D. Britain
2. Britain claimed land in what part of North America?
A. along the west coast
B. along the Canadian border
C. along the east coast
3. Native Americans claimed all the land in North America because they lived there first.
A. false
B. true
4. How did the French and Indian War affect the colonies?
A. The war led to better cooperation among the colonists and Native Americans.
B. The war caused Britain to give up claims to land in North America.
C. The war caused Native Americans to fight the colonists.
D. The war caused Britain to tax the colonies. Taxes made the colonists want to be free, which led to the
American Revolutionary War.
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February Reading Packet
Sierra, Isaac, Anna, and Nicholas each went on vacation with their father (Benjamin, Michael,
Christopher, and Ryan). They each traveled to a different country (Venezuela, Kenya,
Ecuador, and Hungary).
Figure out each person's father and the country they visited.
1. Sierra went to either Kenya or Hungary.
2. Nicholas did not go to Venezuela.
3. Anna went to either Venezuela or Ecuador.
4. Michael and Benjamin went on vacation to the same continent.
5. Ryan went to either Europe or South America.
6. Michael went to either Venezuela or Hungary.
7. Nicholas did not go to Kenya.
8. Before the vacation, Anna and Nicholas saw Sierra's dad, Ryan, at the mall.
9. Nicholas did not go to Hungary.
10. Benjamin went to either Venezuela or Ecuador.
11. Anna did not go to Kenya.
12. Michael went to either South America or Africa.
13. Anna went to either South America or Europe.
14. Nicholas' trip was to a different continent than Ryan's trip.
15. Before the vacation, Sierra and Anna saw Isaac's dad, Christopher, at the mall.
Sierra's father's name is
. They went on vacation to
.
Isaac's father's name is
. They went on vacation to
.
Anna's father's name is
. They went on vacation to
.
Nicholas' father's name is
. They went on vacation to
.
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February Reading Packet
Extreme Sand Sculpting
By Colleen Messina
Smush! Pat! Squish! Building sand castles at the beach is a relaxing activity
on a summer day. So why would anyone want to make it into an extreme sport?
People who build extreme sand sculptures think of going to the beach as more
than a way to get a tan...they use it as a chance to create art and to compete with
other sand sculptors.
You have probably had lots of fun building sand castles, molding and carving
piles of cool, wet sand with the hot sun on your back. And if you want to take a
nap, you can relax and let someone bury you in warm sand. Playing on the beach
does not require lots of special gear. You can create masterpieces with a bucket
and a small hand shovel. However, extreme sand sculptors like to use more than
buckets. In fact, they carry a whole tool kit to the beach to create their sculptures.
Extreme sand sculptors often build big piles of sand using long-handled
shovels. Their tool kit includes lots of smaller tools for sculpting in detail. These
include brushes of all sizes, hand trowels, knives, and files. Clever sculptors also
borrow tools from the kitchen, like a cheese slicer and a pastry knife. Serious sculptors carry their equipment in a
special bag. And you can be sure that they have lots of drinking water and sunscreen in there, too, to protect them.
They approach their contests with planning and precision.
Building sand castles on the beach has always been popular, but today many sand sculpting competitions are
held all around the world. Contests are held all over the United States each year. One of the most popular contests
is held in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. This contest started by surprise with a single sand sculpture created
in 2000.
Master sand sculptor Greg Grady received an interesting commission from the United States Mint. He was
supposed to build a huge replica of the tail side of the New Hampshire quarter to celebrate the release of the coin.
His ten-ton display became part of the Hampton Beach Children's Festival. The enormous, grainy coin became a
huge hit...and a great investment for Hampton Beach.
Everyone in Hampton Beach liked Mr. Grady's sculpture so much that they decided to hold an annual contest
for the best sculpture. The winner now receives a $15,000 prize, and this contest is the largest competition in the
Northeast United States. Many master sand sculptors attend the Hampton Beach competition. Meredith Corson of
Florida entered the 2006 competition and had this to say about the contest: "Hampton is the toughest competition
on the circuit with the best sand available to work with."
It might not seem that important, but the type of sand on the beach can make a lot of difference in the success
or failure of a sand sculpture. Geologists define sand as any material between 2 mm and .06 mm in size. Sand
comes in different textures and is made from broken-down rocks. Fine sand is better for sculpting because the tiny
grains stick together more easily. Some people only use plain sand and water for sculpting. Others use forms to
build their structures and then spray their creation with a coating so that it does not fall apart. These coatings
make it possible for many people to enjoy the sculpture for days. Competitions have different rules about using
supports to build the sculptures.
Sandcastles are even in the Guinness Book of World Records. These castles have to be made only of sand and
water. They can't be made with any mechanical equipment. To make sure the measurements are accurate, the
structures must be measured by an engineer or a surveyor and even certified by an independent source. One
amazing sandcastle was built in July 1998 in Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was 28 feet 7 1/4" tall. It weighed about
225 tons! It held the record for the tallest sand castle built in less than 100 man hours.
Building with sand is an art and a science. Master sculptors follow definite steps to make their creations. First,
he or she shovels the sand into a pile. The sculptors use forms made out of 5/8" plywood or 2 x 4s. The sculptor
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February Reading Packet
adds water to the sand and tamps it down with a heavy metal tool. This is called compaction. After the sand is
well compacted, the sculptor can remove the forms and start to carve. Carving takes hours and lots of patience.
Sand sculptors can create almost anything. Leopards, gnomes, kings, and beautiful ladies have all been part of
their amazing sandy sculptures. Even if you are not a master sculptor, you can still smush, pat, and squish your
way to a "sandtastic" creation!
Extreme Sand Sculpting
Questions
1. What unit of measurement is used for sand grains?
A. millimeters
B. kilometers
C. centimeters
D. meters
2. Where does sand come from?
A. glass
B. recycled plastic
C. broken down rocks
D. salt
3. What did Greg Grady build out of sand?
A. a lion
B. a pyramid
C. a coin
D. a castle
4. Where is Hampton Beach?
A. California
B. New Hampshire
C. New York
D. New Jersey
5. How much does the winner of the Hampton Beach competition receive?
A. $10,000
B. $5,000
C. $1,000
D. $15,000
6. What kind of scientist studies rocks?
A. an astronomer
B. a martian
C. a rockologist
D. a geologist
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7. What is the term for pounding the sand down into a form?
A. compaction
B. pressing
C. smushing
D. pounding
8. Which of the following is a synonym for the word "replica" in paragraph 5?
A. model
B. photograph
C. original
D. reptile
Emma will win if a random number
pulled of of a box is a multiple of 4.
24 pieces of paper, numbered 17 to
40, are put inside of a box. What is
the chance that Emma will win?
Write an equation to represent this:
The sum of seven and four is eleven.
Alex invented a robotic bug. The bug can
crawl three centimeters in eighteen
seconds. How long would it take the bug
to crawl twenty-one centimeters?
How many ounces are in 4 pounds?
ounces
274
+ 246
96 ÷ 12 =
Write the missing family fact.
1 kg = 1,000 g
12 x 13 = 156
156 ÷ 13 = 12
13 x 12 = 156
11 kg =
g
64
- 1 4
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February Reading Packet
23 lb =
64 1
- 547
32
+ 2 1
oz
Circle the addition property
for 32 + 68 = 68 + 32
commutative property
associative property
April is making up her own calendar. The first month of her
weird calendar is called Haffy. To make matters worse, she is
givving Haffy a total of thirty-eight days. What is the least
number of Tuesdays that can occur during Haffy? Show the
month of Haffy.
How many digits are in ten
times ten times ten times ten?
54 ÷ 9 =
Write a letter that has 2 or
more lines of symmetry.
6x3=
Write 578,015 in words.
Choose the correct answer.
The _____ people in line were twin
girls.
A last two
B two last
8x5=
11 x 12 =
96 ÷ 8 =
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February Reading Packet
Can you draw ONE line going through ALL the circles? Your line can go left, right,
up, or down. It cannot go diagonal. Your line cannot cross over any part of the
line you have already drawn.
You MUST TURN in a BLACK circle. Do NOT TURN in a WHITE circle.
The puzzle on the left shows a correct line going through all the circles.
Finish the line:
Mary wants to call Emily. Emily
is on vacation in Asia. It is a
14-hour time difference. Emily's
time is always later than Mary's
time. If it is 5:21 P.M. where
Mary lives, then what time is it
where Emily is?
Which has the smallest answer?
383 ÷ 31
390 ÷ 31
397 ÷ 31
Finish the line:
What time is 14 hours after 2:00
a.m.?
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February Reading Packet
A Diabetic's Diet
By Jennifer Kenny
All people need to be active and to eat nutritious foods. For those with diabetes, that's especially important. Eating
a balanced diet and exercising are two ways to maintain a healthy weight. Weight affects diabetes. Likewise,
diabetes affects weight.
When people think of diabetes, they are usually thinking of type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. With type 1
diabetes, the body stops making insulin. Insulin is needed to use the glucose which comes from food. Glucose is a
sugar and major source of energy. Instead of using glucose like the body is supposed to, the body of a type 1
diabetic flushes the glucose out. Therefore, the person is hungry and loses weight unless the diabetes is treated.
With type 2 diabetes, the body has insulin resistance. Even though the body is still making insulin, the body isn't
using it properly, so the pancreas makes more. Worn out, the pancreas may not make enough and blood glucose
levels go higher. Typically, a person diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is overweight and not very active. Eating
incorrectly and not exercising cause weight gain. More weight makes it even more difficult to control those blood
sugar levels. On the flip side, eating nutritiously and exercising can reverse type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight helps to decrease symptoms, control blood sugar levels, and keep
problems like heart disease away. In order to do this, diabetics need to pay attention to what they eat. This doesn't
mean extreme dieting. It means healthy dieting, although perhaps slightly different than the general population.
Diabetics are taught early on about looking at food labels for ingredients and nutritional information. They are
often given meal plans. Some are taught to choose a certain amount of carbohydrates at meals so that insulin or
medication can be given at exactly the same amount each day. Some count carbohydrates as they go along so that
the dose of insulin matches how much they ate at that moment. Most, though, are taught to look at the six food
groups and choose servings from there.
Why do carbohydrates get all the attention? They are converted into sugars. Carbohydrates make the blood sugar
in the body go up, causing the body to need more insulin. People might think that diabetics should not have
carbohydrates at all then. The problem is that the body needs carbohydrates for energy. Some carbohydrates are
healthier than others. They need to come from healthy foods. Carbohydrates are in breads and crackers, fruits and
vegetables, soda and candy, and milk. Can you tell which choices are healthy? That's what diabetics need to
determine each day.
Just as there's a regular food pyramid, there's a diabetes food pyramid. There are six groups: grains and starches,
vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, and fats, sweets, and alcohol. The largest group on the bottom is that of grains and
starches. The smallest group is the fats, sweets, and alcohol. The groups are based on the content of carbohydrates
and protein as opposed to what the food is typically classified as. Just as all people vary, the calorie intake is
expected to be somewhere between 1,600 calories and 2,800 calories depending on the person's individual needs
and lifestyle. A dietitian that specializes in diabetes would be the best help in developing an individual plan.
What is in each group of the pyramid, and how much is needed? The grains and starches include mostly grains,
beans, and starchy vegetables, such as corn and potatoes. Six to eleven servings per day are suggested.
Vegetables are full of important nutrients, generally low in calories, and naturally low in fat. Examples include
spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, and lettuce. Because of their health benefits, diabetics are encouraged to eat at least
three to five servings of vegetables per day.
Fruits also contain important nutrients and fibers. They contain carbohydrates. Examples are cantaloupe, peaches,
and pears. Diabetics should include two to four servings each day.
Two to three servings of milk or other dairy products, such as yogurt, are recommended each day. When nonfat or
low-fat choices are made, milk and milk products contain lots of protein, calcium, and vitamins with little fat.
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February Reading Packet
The meat group contains protein. It has some vitamins and minerals, too. Approximately four to six ounces of lean
meat should be eaten each day. Examples of meat on the diabetic food pyramid include chicken, beef, fish, and
peanut butter.
Of course, there's one food group left on the diabetes food pyramid. These are those items which have lots of fat
and sugar. These should only be eaten by diabetics in small amounts as very special treats.
Reasonable portions of healthy foods, avoidance of fats and sweets, and exercise help keep blood sugar in control.
Blood sugar that is very high makes a person feel ill, and the body doesn't work as well under those conditions.
Each person will be different depending on age, size, activity, and medicines. Balance is the key.
A Diabetic's Diet
Questions
1. With ______ diabetes, the body stops making insulin.
A. type 2
B. gestational
C. all kinds of
D. type 1
2. Which statement is true?
A. Weight does not affect diabetes.
B. Diabetes does not affect weight.
C. Weight and diabetes are related.
D. None of these statements are true.
3. With type 2 diabetes, the body has insulin resistance.
A. true
B. false
4. Carbohydrates are forbidden food to diabetics.
A. false
B. true
5. On the diabetes food pyramid, potatoes would appear in the ______ category.
A. meat
B. grains and starches
C. vegetables
D. fruits
6. Approximately how many servings of fruit should most diabetics consume each day?
A. 3
B. 1
C. 9
D. 5
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February Reading Packet
7. Diabetics should consume the smallest amount of food from the ______ category.
A. vegetables
B. meat
C. milk
D. fats, sweets, and alcohol
What Words? Your Words!
Fill in the boxes with letters to make words. Each box is worth points. Earn points by filling in as many boxes as
you can. Sum up the points you earn for each word.
Once you use a letter, cross it off on the bottom. You cannot use the same letter more than once.
Make a Word
1
2
6
Sum
10
T U R N
1
2
Make a Word
3
4
6
12
1
2
4
8
14
20
2
4
8
12
18
24
A P
18
1
L O
E
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
For 2,415,246,802,817,441, write
the digit that is in the hundred
thousands place.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The circus is in town! Tickets are only $3 for kids.
Adults need to pay double the price of kids
tickets. Rosa is bringing five of her friends in her
class. Her mom is also coming. Rosa wants to pay
for everyone. How much will she need to pay?
Circle the digit in the tenths place.
22.5527
Add the correct end punctuation for this
sentence.
Don't put that mushroom in your
mouth
Sum
Circle the correctly spelled words.
ambulence, ambulance
balcony, balcany
frolic, frolick
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February Reading Packet
Spell the ii sound.
dr
Y I IE YE
y
incl
dr
d
recogn
e
zed
simplif
sk
d
y
line
sacrif
ps
y e
neckt
pr
mummif
e
ie
d
ze
tr
out
d
d
tr
s
sp
d
subdiv
t
s
d
t
pes
occup
t
me
cr
requ red
fr
h drant
goodb
st ling
outcr
s
b ked
del ghting
appl
d
subdiv de
brow
recogn
chologist
petrif
magp
den
ce
nes
q e w i
s
me
ny
outcr
s
anal
ze
r q v r e q u i
y z w f h n s
de
r e d d p e r
l e f r y k d c f r o i
a y h y d r a n t h i
i d r u h n t y
g o o b y e o z g p b e g o o d b y e
s
t y
l e i n g u y t s
u s q u c a o u t c r
e b b i
k
e d e l
i g h t
t y
l
i n g m
i e s
i
t
i d f e k b i
r r
k e d m i g i
i n g m d u g i q f n
e d a p p i e d a p p l
b h i
i
s v s u b d i v
i e d p q l o
i d e d i
f r b
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February Reading Packet
There is a vowel in every syllable of a word. Circle the vowel(s) in each syllable.
some - day
im - mense
mer - ri - er
per - fo - rat - ed
suc - ceed
puz - zled
mas - quer - ad - ing
in - jure
thick - ness
gre - nade
ki - wis
kind - est
tore
pro - pelled
rasp - ber - ries
in - fi - nite
re - lieved
bot - tling
mild - est
fun - gi
re - volved
maize
con - trived
im - peach - es
horse
lu - bri - cat - ing
del - i - ca - tes - sen
re - cord - er
pes - ti - cide
there - by
Can 579 be evenly divided by 7? Circle:
579 is divisible by 7
579 is NOT divisible by 7
Circle the smallest number:
731,920,521,439
6,781,682,034
58,460
59,721,867,035
1 75
x
6
7 28
x
7
In the number 28,980,518,739, the digit 3 is in
what place?
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February Reading Packet
There is a vowel in every syllable of a word. Fill in the missing vowels.
p o ck - et - ing
gre
frol -
ap - pr
c
o - ver - h
s
ar - ing
b - sid - ed
toast leaf - l
p
r
t
l - ished
n - house
e - rod -
- pri - ate
ng
com - menc
neck - l
p
d
ce
List five of the smallest whole numbers that
are greater than 11, are multiples of 5, and
are not multiples of 6.
n - dled
ap - pro - pri - at p
d
r - a - site
states - m
sh
wn
grav -
sw
n
lf
s - cape
- ty
mea - g
r
Can 480 be evenly divided by 10? Circle:
480 is NOT divisible by 10
480 is divisible by 10
Ten kids and three adults are going to the circus.
Kid's tickets are on sale for only half the price of
adult tickets. The total cost is $90. How much is
one kids ticket? How much is one adult ticket?
Circle the number that is 951
rounded to the nearest
hundred.
950
800
940
960
1000
1,400
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February Reading Packet
Ancient Egyptians
By Cindy Grigg
Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile River.
Once each year, the Nile flooded its banks, covering the nearby land
with a layer of dark, fertile mud. The people who lived there soon found
that they could grow a variety of crops in this rich soil. The rest of
Egypt, away from the Nile River, was desert. Not much could grow
anywhere else. Small villages sprang up along the river.
Egypt was once divided into two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt.
Then around 3100 B.C., a king known as Menes or Narmer conquered
Lower Egypt. He became the first king or pharaoh to control all of
Egypt.
Each year after the river flooded, farmers planted their seeds. They grew barley and wheat for bread. They grew
flax, which was made into linen cloth for clothing. They grew many kinds of vegetables and fruits. They kept bees
to collect the honey.
The people who lived in Egypt 5,000 years ago worshiped many gods. They made masks, statues, and jewelry of
gold. They had a written language. We call it hieroglyphics. It used pictures and symbols in place of letters and
words. They had a calendar similar to ours with 365 days. Pharaohs (or kings) ruled Egypt for almost 3,000 years.
They were rich and powerful. They built the great cities of Thebes and Memphis. In 30 B.C. Egypt was taken over
by the Romans and became part of the Roman Empire.
Ancient Egyptians left behind great stone buildings known as pyramids that have stood for more than 4,000 years.
Bodies of their dead were preserved as mummies. They made tombs and filled them with beautiful things. Egypt
has a long and rich history. It is one of the oldest countries in the world.
Ancient Egyptians
Questions
1. Ancient Egyptians lived along the ______ River.
2. Around what year were Upper and Lower Egypt united into one country with one ruler?
A. 3100 B.C.
B. No one knows.
C. 332 B.C.
D. 332 A.D.
3. Name two cities of ancient Egypt.
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February Reading Packet
4. Which of these best states the main idea of this story?
A. Pharaohs (or kings) ruled Egypt for almost 3,000 years.
B. Egypt was once divided into two regions.
C. Egypt has a long and rich history, and it is one of the oldest countries in the world.
D. Egyptian writing is almost five thousand years old.
5. Ancient Egyptians used the same alphabet that we use today.
A. true
B. false
6. What was the cause of people choosing to live along the Nile River?
A. People soon found that they could grow a variety of crops in this rich soil that was left behind after the
floods.
B. The rest of Egypt, away from the Nile River, was desert.
C. People couldn't grow enough crops for food anywhere else.
D. all of the above
Rose wrote down a fraction on a
piece of paper. If you take her
fraction and multiply it by three you
get ten. Can you guess what her
fraction is?
Can 846 be evenly divided by 3? Circle:
846 is divisible by 3
846 is NOT divisible by 3
Can 793 be evenly divided by 6? Circle:
793 is divisible by 6
793 is NOT divisible by 6
Circle the answer that best completes
the sentence.
(May/Can) Jack come over to play
tomorrow?
Alex invented a robotic bug. The bug can
crawl three centimeters in eighteen
seconds. How long would it take the bug
to crawl twenty-two centimeters?
(4 + 3) + 8 =
Name:
February Reading Packet
Write this as a number in standard form. Use
a comma in your number.
Write a letter that has a line of
symmetry.
five hundred eighty-nine thousand, seven
hundred eighty-one
Circle the greatest number:
203,815,871,940
6,232
65,497
309,781,564
Anne is getting messy. She has made a 3' x
4' x 3' cube made out of clay blocks. She
wants her art project to have at least a
surface area of 50 square feet. Does she
need to add more clay?
Jessica invented a robot. The robot's
name is Jason. Jason can go a maximum
speed of 3 mph. At that rate, how long
would it take Jason to go 7 miles?
What can you multiply by 8 to get
3?
Rosa has two favorite numbers.
If you add her favorite
numbers, you get 17. If you
multiply her favorite numbers,
you get 52. What are her
mystery numbers?
Compare the fractions. Write >, <, or =.
4
6
4
9
2
5
2
5
3
5
20
100
2
3
2
10
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February Reading Packet
Myli Learns About New Orleans Mardi Gras Parades
By Joyce Furstenau
Myli woke up early once again on Tuesday morning. "Is it Mardi
Gras today? Can I put my costume on?" she asked her mother, Linda.
Everyone got up early in New Orleans to go to the Mardi Gras
parade. Uncle Dean and Aunt Sue were already waiting for them on
Canal Street. They got up very early to make sure ladders and chairs
were set up for family and friends.
"Yes, dear, today is Tuesday. Mardi Gras is always on a Tuesday,
and, yes, you may get your princess costume on. Please brush your
teeth before you get dressed," said her mother.
Myli brushed her teeth. Linda combed Myli's hair. She twisted her long, auburn tresses into French braids. Myli
looked very regal in her princess costume.
"How did the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade get started?" asked Myli, admiring her hairdo in the mirror.
"The first recorded New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place in 1837. Twenty years later, a secret society
called Comus organized the first torch lit parade. Their parade included floats and marching bands. The group
was made up of New Orleans businessmen. They called themselves the Krewe of Comus. They were the first
organization to call themselves a krewe."
"It that like your Iris Krewe, Momma?" asked Myli.
"Yes, dear, it is. The Comus Krewe also started the tradition of having a ball after the parade. It wasn't long
before other krewes started forming. Each krewe chose a different name and theme for their organization. There
are about sixty krewes today."
"That means there will be lots of trinkets thrown at today's parade. I hope I catch some," said Myli. "When did
the krewes start throwing beads?"
"The tradition of throws is believed to have started in the 1920s. The Krewe of Rex started the tradition of
throws by tossing out inexpensive necklaces of glass beads. The beads were an instant hit, and they still are.
There will be no shortage of beads or other trinkets at the Mardi Gras parade this year. You will probably catch
enough to fill a suitcase," answered her mother.
"Great! Let's go!" shouted Myli, standing in the doorway.
Linda packed sandwiches and soft drinks to share with everyone who would be watching the parade with them
on Canal Street.
"Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!" shouted everyone as they headed for the New
Orleans Mardi Gras parade.
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February Reading Packet
Myli Learns About New Orleans Mardi Gras Parades
Questions
1. On what day is Mardi Gras held?
2. In what year was the first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade held?
A. 1902
B. 1957
C. 1837
D. 1930
3. What was the first New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe called?
4. The tradition of tossing throws in the Mardi Gras parade started when?
A. 1920s
B. 1902
C. 1837
D. 1700s
5. About how many krewes are part of the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade today?
6. Who started the tradition of throwing beads for New Orleans Mardi Gras parades?
A. the Krewe of Rex
B. the Krewe of Zulu
C. the Krewe of Iris
D. the Krewe of Comus
Name:
February Reading Packet
David gave his little
brother a book about
cows. He read the book
to him. He started
reading at 3:30 p.m. and
finished at 4:42 p.m. How
long did it take David to
read the book?
The fourth grade
students went to a
program presented by
the school nurse. The
name of the program
was "How to Stay
Healthy." The program
lasted 46 minutes and
ended at 1:41 p.m. What
time did it begin?
For Hoodie Hoo Day
Jason made lollipops for
everyone in his class. He
made them just like he
had learned in his 4-H
Club. He made some of
them red, some blue, and
some green. There were
35 lollipops in all. 4/5 of
them were red. The rest
were blue and green.
How many lollipops were
not red?
Miss McMurtry is making
haggis for a Robert Burns
celebration. The recipe
calls for 3/4 cup of
oatmeal to 5 cups of
stock. This makes four
servings. She wants to
make 9 servings. How
many quarts of stock will
she need?
There are 7,843 eggs to
be packed into cartons.
What number is in the
hundreds place?
Peter and Alex worked
on a sports page project
for Newspaper in
Education Week.
Together they worked 25
hours. Peter worked 14
hours. How many hours
did Alex work?
Name:
February Reading Packet
The vowels are missing in the word search.
Fill in the missing vowels and circle the words.
B
N
G L
M Y M
F
N
L
S
M
H
Q T M B
C
S
M
B
C
L
X
S
X
D
L
N
W N D
G V
S
C R C
T
T
R
G R
O L
S
G F
U G M
T
T
H
P
Y
T
W
Holly was given three numbers: 14, 8, and
13. She needs to use two of these
numbers to make a fraction. Can she
make a fraction that is greater than
two-thirds?
L
S
R
N N
Y
S
T
Circle the words that are spelled
correctly.
D
FINAL
COAX
BANQUET
GLOOMY
SOUGHT
MANAGEMENT
CITY
GROUP
MARBLE
VULGAR
USEFUL
SOMEHOW
UNDERSTAND
SIDEWAYS
maddest
madier
maddly
pinned
pinns
sunniest
Write one synonym for this word.
careful
The principal of your school wants to buy fifty-three
books. Each book costs $8.70. She wants to estimate
how much it will cost. Show her how you would
estimate the cost:
Insert a comma in the correct place in
this sentence.
I haven't met you before have I?
Circle the conjunction(s). Explain their function in the sentence.
I would like to play either laser tag or miniature golf for my birthday.
Name
February Reading Packet
Rowing
By Colleen Messina
Caption: U.S.A. lightweight 4 rowing at the World Championships,
2003.
Few sports are as versatile and fun as boating. You can "row, row,
row your boat" in so many different ways! You can cruise cautiously in
a canoe, or you can race in a raft over rapids. Boaters who have a need
for speed love the sport of competitive rowing.
People have been rowing for thousands of years. Boats played a
vital role in the ancient world. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used
boats for transportation and trade. The athletic Egyptian pharaoh,
Amenhotep II, apparently liked to show off his rowing talent. During
wars, excellent rowing often meant the difference between victory and defeat. Centuries later, boating became fun
as well as functional. The Venetians held festivals called regatta in the 13th century. These festivals included boat
races. By the 1700s, British ferrymen held the first boating races on the River Thames in London. The first
official rowing competitions took place in 1800s.
Rowing differs from other boating sports because oarlocks hold the oars in one place on the sides of the boat.
One kind of rowing is called sweep or sweep-oar rowing. Each rower holds one oar in both of his or her hands.
The other kind of rowing is called sculling. In sculling, each rower has two oars. He or she holds one oar in each
hand, and the oars are on opposite sides of the boat. Sailors call the right side of the boat the starboard side. They
call the left side of the boat the port side.
Rowers need lots of physical strength, but they also need to understand the physics of rowing. When a rower
puts an oar in the water, it is called the catch. When he takes the oar out of the water, it is called the extraction.
The phase in between the extraction and the next catch is the recovery phase of the stroke. The best rowers
understand the most efficient way to move their oars through the water. In addition to perfecting their strokes,
good rowers also need to understand teamwork. They must synchronize their strokes to quickly propel their boat
through the water.
Rowers can enjoy their sport in many ways. They can row for fun, or they can participate in different kinds of
competitions. The World Rowing championships and the Olympics use a style called side by side racing. In a side
by side race, the boats are all positioned next to each other. The winning boat is the one that crosses the finish line
first. In a side by side race, two to six boats usually compete against each other.
Another popular kind of race is called a head race or a time trial race. The boats race on courses from 2,000
meters to 7,000 meters long. The athletes have to be strong and tough in order to move a boat that far in 5 to 7
minutes! The boats do not all start the race at the same time. They launch at intervals of 10 to 20 seconds. Each
boat is then timed as it races over the course. The boat with the fastest time wins. Today, the largest rowing event
of this kind is held each October in Boston, Massachusetts. It is called the Head of the River Charles Regatta.
One of the most exciting rowing races to watch is a stake race. This kind of race was used often when rowing
started as a sport in the United States. The boats line up at a starting line. They race to a buoy, a stake, or even
another moored boat. They have to steer the boat around the object and return to the starting line. This quick
change of direction requires a lot of skill. This fast-paced race is exciting to watch, and the spectators enjoy
seeing both the start and the finish of the race.
One final type of race that has a funny name is called a bumps race. The boats line up along the river at
intervals. All the boats start the race at the same time, and they try to catch up to the boat in front of them. They
also try not to be "caught" by the boat behind them. Each time a boat makes contact with or catches up to the boat
in front of it, that team gets a "bump." Bumps are good because the winning boat then moves ahead in the line.
These races can take several days, and each day, the boat with the most bumps gets a head start in front of the
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February Reading Packet
other boats. This kind of race is rare in the United States, but is common in Britain.
Rowing has come a long way since Amenhotep II cruised down the Nile. Today, rowing is a versatile and
strenuous sport with lots of different kinds of competitions. Athletes who have a need for speed enjoy "row, row,
rowing their boats" in many exciting ways.
Rowing
Questions
1. Boating was a part of many ancient cultures.
A. True
B. False
2. Which ruler was mentioned in the article because of his rowing abilities?
A. Caesar
B. Alexander the Great
C. Amenhotep II
D. King Henry VIII
3. Where is the River Thames located?
A. the United States
B. Germany
C. Britain
D. Canada
4. What is the official name of the left side of a boat?
A. the left side
B. the port side
C. the starboard side
D. none of the above
5. The phrase "cruise cautiously in a canoe" is an example of what literary device?
A. metaphor
B. alliteration
C. simile
D. homonym
6. What is an antonym for the word "synchronize" in paragraph 5?
A. coordinate
B. disrupt
C. harmonize
D. match
7. Which river did Amenhotep II most likely row on?
A. the Nile
B. the Rhine
C. the Mississippi
D. the River Thames
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February Reading Packet
8. A bump is a good thing in a bumps race.
A. False
B. True
Draw a shape that has between 4
and 6 lines. The shape should have
at least one line of symmetry. Show
the line of symmetry using a dotted
line.
2
4
3
- 8
Write the past, present, and future
progressive tense of the verb.
to know
Emma multiplied two one-digit
numbers and then added 181. The
result was 244. Amy does not
believe her and thinks Emma made
a mistake. Who is correct?
Write a sentence using this phrase correctly.
out of the frying pan and into the fire
Draw two rectangles that
have exactly five points in
common.
1
3
1
- 9
Name:
February Reading Packet
Explain the meaning of the underlined phrase.
I wondered why I didn't have any water in my bottle after track
practice until I noticed that my bottle was leaking like a sieve.
Rosa wants Holly to guess a 3-digit
number. She tells Holly that her number
has three different digits. The digits are 8,
9, and 5. Holly thinks. She then guesses the
number 958. What are the chances that
Holly has guessed correctly?
Complete the pattern.
0.03 x 4 =
0.3 x 4 =
3x4 =
30 x 4 =
Which is the largest?
98.6 ÷ 7.2
98.6 ÷ 7.1
98.6 ÷ 7.3
How long do you think it is
from the ground to your chin?
Write an estimate of the
distance you think it could be.
Jessica multiplied two one-digit
numbers and then added 161. The
result was 239. Sara does not
believe her and thinks Jessica
made a mistake. Who is correct?
Name:
February Reading Packet
If you multiply 495 x 266 you will have a number that
is how much bigger than 165 x 266?
It will be five times as big.
It will be nine times as big.
It will be eight times as big.
It will be three times as big.
It will be four times as big.
I (may/might) grow up to be the
president of the United States.
Circle the three interjections.
Emily wrote that 39 divided by 4 has a
remainder of 3. For her homework, she needs
to find two other numbers that when divided
by 4 will have a remainder of 3. Help her with
her homework.
1
2
2
+ 4
Circle the answer that best completes
the sentence.
3
4
6
+ 8
whoops
cruise
sail
flow
shoo
ugh
Maria will win if a random number
pulled of of a box is an odd
number. 25 pieces of paper,
numbered 1 to 25, are put inside of
a box. What is the chance that
Maria will win?
Write a helping verb to accurately
complete the sentence.
She ______ look for a towel so she
can dry her hands.
Insert commas in the correct places in
this sentence.
My older sister takes ballet tap jazz
and pointe at her dance studio.
Name
February Reading Packet
Dog Agility
By Colleen Messina
Dogs have been our faithful companions for centuries. Dogs have the
endearing trait of being completely devoted to their owners, which has
given them the distinction of being "man's best friend." People, in turn,
are also devoted to their pets. Today, even a sport has gone to the dogs.
It is called dog agility.
This sport is for dog lovers who want to go the extra mile with their
pets. In a dog agility competition, the dog and its handler run through an
obstacle course. These courses look like spectacular puppy playgrounds.
They have tunnels, ramps, jumps, and even moving seesaws. Dogs and
their owners have lots of fun on the course, but it is hard work.
Successful runs are the result of lots of training! But the dogs love their
work and seem to smile as they run their course with their tails flying
high.
Dog agility contests might look simple, but each contestant must follow certain rules. A judge watches each
competitive pair carefully to be sure they follow these rules. The dog handler can't touch the dog and must use only
his or her voice commands and body signals. They can't give their dog treats as a reward, and the dogs don't have a
leash on them.
Before the race, each team is allowed to walk through the course so the handler can come up with the best
strategy. Some obstacles have to be used more than once, and part of the challenge is to do everything in the
correct order. The handler receives a printed course map ahead of time, but they only have one chance to practice
running the course. Scores are based on accuracy and making the best time. Running the course successfully means
that the handler and the dog must communicate well and not make many mistakes. Mistakes made by the dog or its
owner during an agility course result in getting a fault from the judge. A fault occurs when a dog knocks down a
bar, or another obstacle, or does the obstacles out of order.
Obstacles for dog agility courses come in all shapes and sizes. A dogwalk, an A-frame, and a teeter-totter are all
called contact obstacles. Each of these obstacles is climbed on or over. A dogwalk looks like a small bridge. An
A-frame looks like a tent made from two panels. The dog goes up one side and down the other. A teeter-totter or
seesaw looks like the seesaw you have played on in a playground. The teeter-totter is a tricky obstacle because it
moves when the dog is on it. Even the most confident canine has to be careful on the teeter-totter!
A tail-wagging activity for the dogs is to maneuver through the different kinds of tunnels that are used on the
course. Rigid tunnels are vinyl tubes that can be 10 to 20 feet long and approximately 2 feet in diameter. A
collapsed tunnel has fabric attached to a circular tube. Dogs have to push through the fabric to get to the end of the
tunnel. Dogs also enjoy the newest kind of obstacle, the tunnel maze. Handlers guide their dogs through the maze
using voice commands.
Another exciting part of a dog agility course is the jumps or hurdles. The height of the hurdles depends on the size
of dog that is running the course. Sometimes, the dogs go through a tire jump. The tire is wrapped in tape so that
the dog can't hurt itself when he or she goes through the hole. The hole is usually between 18 and 24 inches in
diameter.
One challenging and fun activity on the course is the weave poles. The weave poles are a series of poles stuck in
the ground. Each pole is about three feet tall. The poles are approximately 20 inches apart. The dog weaves
through the poles as quickly as possible. Most dog agility courses have between 5 and 12 poles in a row. The dogs
whip through the poles with amazing speed and control and seem to have a lot of fun doing it.
Dog agility is a great outlet for energetic dogs, too. After all, most dogs love to run, jump, and climb on things
anyway. Being praised for it is a great alternative to being scolded for jumping on the sofa. Some people
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February Reading Packet
recommend getting help from a professional trainer if you would like to try this sport. Professional agility
instructors can be found through kennel clubs, dog training clubs, and the Humane Society.
Dog agility is an excellent way for dog lovers to have a doggone good time with their best animal friends. Dog
agility requires great coordination and communication between a dog and its handler. As one dog agility fan
explains, "Agility is a dance with my dog as my partner."
Dog Agility
Questions
1. Which of the following is a synonym for the word "agility" in paragraph 1?
A. nimbleness
B. clumsiness
C. laziness
D. awkwardness
2. Handlers can reward their dog with treats on the agility course.
A. False
B. True
3. What does a handler study before he or she runs the course?
A. the pet food ingredients label
B. a dictionary
C. a pet manual
D. a printed course map
4. How many chances does each team have to run the course ahead of the competition?
A. three times
B. never
C. once
D. twice
5. What is it called when a dog or its handler make a mistake on the course?
A. an error
B. a boo boo
C. a mistake
D. a fault
6. Approximately how far apart are the weave poles in an ability course?
A. 5 feet
B. 3 feet
C. 10 inches
D. 20 inches
7. Which of the following is a contact obstacle?
A. an A-frame
B. a jump
C. a tunnel
D. the weave poles
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February Reading Packet
8. Which of the following is another way to describe a dog?
A. canine
B. pine
C. bovine
D. feline
2
3
3
+ 4
Mr. Anderson is a
long-distance truck driver.
He has to make a trip to
Rapid City and back. If he
drives 445 miles per day, it
will take him 12 days to
drive to make the round
trip. How far away is Rapid
City?
Holly collects vegetarian
recipes in a scrapbook.
There are 35 pages in the
scrapbook and each page
will hold 11 recipes. How
many recipes will fit in 5
scrapbooks?
3
6
2
+ 7
Choose the correct form of the pronoun
and write it on the line.
The dog (who/that) that wandered
into my backyard didn't have a
collar.
Sarah's favorite TV show is
"Funny Farm." It makes her
laugh and laugh. It comes
on at 4:30 p.m. If Sarah
gets home from school at
3:07 p.m., how long will it be
before "Funny Farm"
begins?
There are 17 classes at
Midvale Elementary School.
The average number of
students in each class is 26.
How many students are in
the school in all?
Name:
February Reading Packet
Use each of the blocks to spell six different words.
N T
E
S T
C H
C
O
O K
F A
P R
E
E
D I
T
V
O R
1.
N E
E
2.
3.
V
4.
5.
O R
6.
Try to spell some words.
and cr fr
su ud en
ual lt rou
be
re
ba
cas oz ock unl re ick
nd bu st mp lo fo oss
qu nd
bump
Write the hidden word. Start at one letter and then move either left or right. Continue in same direction.
R
O
M
A
N
Y
I
P
C
S
M
E
S
N
I
T
P
E
E
T
M
O
A
D
V
E
R
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February Reading Packet
George Washington, Dog Lover
By Cindy Grigg
You may know that George Washington was a great leader. Did you
know that he was a dog lover, too? He had many dogs at Mount Vernon
in his lifetime. During the American Revolutionary War, General
Washington was good friends with the Marquis de Lafayette. Just
twenty years old, the young Lafayette came from France to the aid of the
American colonists. He offered to serve in the colonial army without
pay and was given the rank of major general. He was a good officer and
a trusted advisor to General Washington. After the war, Lafayette
returned to France. He sent his good friend a gift - five rare French
hounds. One of these dogs was named Vulcan. Vulcan was so large that
small boys could ride him like a pony. Vulcan was said to have had an
insatiable appetite. George Washington thought Vulcan was a fine
hunting dog. But one of Washington's favorite stories to tell was the day when Vulcan hunted something besides
foxes.
One day at Mount Vernon, Martha Washington and her cook were preparing dinner. There was a fine Virginia
ham roasting over the open fire in the kitchen's fireplace. Vulcan wandered into the kitchen. He sniffed the air...ah,
ham! He crept closer to the fire. "Vulcan!" the cook shouted. She shook a wooden spoon in the dog's direction.
Vulcan, however, paid no attention. He crept closer.
Martha Washington yelled, "Vulcan!" and lunged toward the dog. In a flash, Vulcan grabbed the meat and ran!
Servants tried to stop him, but the huge dog ran to his kennel with the ham grimly gripped in his giant jaws. At
dinner, Martha told her husband, "I hope you are enjoying the remains of your dinner. Your favorite dog has stolen
your ham!"
Washington roared with laughter. "My dearest wife, I wish him health in it, for a finer dog was never born!"
George Washington, Dog Lover
Questions
1. Who gave five dogs to George Washington?
A. Martha Washington
B. his cook
C. Vulcan
D. the Marquis de Lafayette
2. According to this story, what was the name of George Washington's favorite dog?
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February Reading Packet
3. Who was the Marquis de Lafayette?
A. an officer in the American Revolutionary War
B. a friend of George Washington
C. the man who gave Vulcan to Washington
D. all of the above
4. Vulcan was said to have an insatiable appetite. What is an antonym for "insatiable"?
A. unstable
B. greedy
C. satisfied
D. happy
5. Vulcan ran to his kennel with the ham grimly gripped in his giant jaws. Which is the best meaning for the
word "grimly" as used in this sentence?
A. harshly
B. unyieldingly
C. unpleasantly
D. none of the above
6. The phrase: "grimly gripped in his giant jaws" is an example of ______.
A. an idiom
B. a metaphor
C. alliteration
D. a simile
4
8
4
- 9
1
2
1
- 5
Which homophone correctly
completes the sentence?
They must go home to finish
_______ homework.
A there
There were 22 umbrellas in
the box. Four of the
umbrellas are blue. Half of
the umbrellas are red. The
rest of the umbrellas are
black. How many umbrellas
are black?
B their
C they're
Hannah made macaroni
and cheese for her family.
She put it in the oven and
baked it for 25 minutes. If
she started baking it at 6:53
p.m., what time was it
finished?
Name:
February Reading Packet
You are a pronunciation detective.
Can you break each pronunciation and write the real word?
Good luck!
spring
illness
special
rabbit
spirit
morning
detect
confer
lights
fries
industry
shape
religious
week
decent
wek week
table
tabuhl
desuhnt
l i ts
shap
fr i z
mawrnihNG
sprihNG
kuhnfur
spihruht
dihtEHkt
rihlihjuhs
ihlnuhs
spEHshuhl
rabuht
ihnduhstre
o
koz
cause
oo choo
e
fet
feet
i
u
kut
cute
is
chew
ice
a
kak
cake
o
bot
boat
Help! Can you figure out the real spelling of these words without the help of a word box? Good luck.
ihksplan explain
rihpet
ski
dooihNG
sEHnsuhtihv
pihkt
strawNG
spuhnj
Name:
February Reading Packet
Solve.
(2 x 4) - (36 ÷ 6)
Which multi-meaning word best
completes the sentence?
It was Sally's turn to _______, but
she was too busy eating popcorn
out of the popcorn _______.
1+5x3+5
On No Socks Day 26/60
fifth grade students did not
wear socks to school. Write
the fraction in simplest
form.
A stamp
B bowl
C skip
D bear
Nathan is a beekeeper.
Last year he got 18 quarts
of honey from his hives. He
sold 12 quarts and kept the
rest for his family. What
fraction of the honey did
he sell? Write your answer
in simplest form.
Each of the first grade
students in Mason City
wrote three letters to
Santa Claus. There are 23
students in each class and
27 first grade classes in
Mason City. How many first
grade students wrote
letters to Santa Claus?
Name
February Reading Packet
Andres Segovia
By Colleen Messina
Andres Segovia loved music, but he couldn't find an instrument that he liked.
He thought the piano was "a monster that screamed when you touch its teeth!"
One night at a friend's house, he heard deep, rich tones, and he decided that the
guitar was the right instrument for him. He became the best classical guitar
player in the world when he grew up.
Andres Segovia was born on February 18, 1894, in Linares, Spain, and he
grew up in Granada. At that time, most people thought that guitars were only
for playing in taverns. Andres' father didn't want his son to play in a tavern!
He was a lawyer and wanted his son to be a lawyer, too. He wanted to give his
son some classical music instruction, so he arranged for piano and violin
lessons. Andres didn't enjoy either one. Then, his life changed when he heard a guitar.
When Andres decided that he wanted to play the guitar, it caused a commotion. His family objected. His music
teachers at the Granada Musical Institute objected. They told him that guitars were not respectable. They belonged
in taverns. Then, his music teachers had an even stronger argument. They told him that no one even wrote real
music for the guitar. But Andres believed that guitar music belonged on the concert stage.
Andres did not care what other people thought. He taught himself to play the guitar anyway. He figured out that
certain piano exercises helped make his fingers stronger, which helped him play his guitar. He developed his own
technique. He studied hard. Soon, everyone noticed how incredibly well he played, and he had a great opportunity
to share his music.
At the tender age of 15, Segovia gave his first concert at a local cultural organization called the Circulo Artistico.
He traveled to Madrid and Barcelona to give more concerts. His first large tour was in 1919 to South America.
Many people loved his music. When he gave a concert in London, one critic became a big fan and wrote, "We
remained to hear the last possible note for it was the most delightful surprise of the season." Soon, Segovia's
glorious guitar music became well-known around the world.
Everyone knew that Segovia put a lot of care and effort into his music. He had to overcome some obstacles along
the way. His music teachers were right when they told him that no music was written just for guitar. Segovia had to
transcribe works that were written for other instruments into guitar music. He used music from the Renaissance
and Baroque pieces that were composed for the lute. Later, he found some of Bach's works that were written for
the lute that worked well for the classical guitar.
Andres also discovered that the sound of a guitar did not fill an entire concert hall. He spent hours experimenting
with different kinds of wood, finishes, and building techniques to improve the quality of classical guitar music in a
big concert hall.
Segovia made many people realize that the guitar could make wonderful music. Soon, other composers began to
compose music for the guitar. Many of these composers did not know too much about the instrument, so they often
asked Segovia questions. A great deal of modern classical guitar music has been written under his direction. He
inspired people to want to learn how to play the guitar, too. His love of the guitar led a musical revolution in
Europe.
Andres visited the United States for the first time in 1928. All of his concerts were sold out in New York City and
in the twenty-five other cities he visited. He became so popular that he toured the United States every year for the
next 10 years. He also spent a lot of time teaching students, as well as practicing for five or six hours each day.
Segovia was responsible for making the guitar a serious part of the curriculum at music schools in Madrid,
Florence, and London. The King of Spain honored him, and he received honorary degrees from universities around
the world.
Name
February Reading Packet
In spite of his vast influence, Andres did not look much like a revolutionary. He was tall and elegant-looking. He
usually wore a ribbon tie. He loved Spanish antiques and read philosophy and poetry in his spare time. He died on
June 2, 1987, at the age of 94. He always thought of the guitar as the most perfect musical instrument. He called it
"a small orchestra."
Andre Segovia had one of the longest musical careers in history and made millions of people love guitars. The boy
who didn't want a piano to bite him will always be remembered as the father of the classical guitar.
Andres Segovia
Questions
1. Where did people used to play guitars most of the time?
A. in churches
B. in taverns
C. in libraries
D. in concert halls
2. Where did Segovia grow up?
A. the United States
B. Spain
C. Granada
D. France
3. Which word best describes people's previous attitudes about guitars?
A. enthusiastic
B. loving
C. supportive
D. condescending
4. What did Segovia's father want him to be?
A. a lawyer
B. a university professor
C. an artist
D. a musician
5. Why did Segovia try designing better guitars?
A. He wanted them to sound better in a big music hall.
B. He needed the money.
C. He had nothing else to do.
D. He wanted to make them bigger.
6. Segovia tried other instruments before he played the guitar.
A. False
B. True
7. Music written for which instrument could be most easily adapted for the guitar?
A. violin
B. cello
C. piano
D. lute
Name
February Reading Packet
8. What did Segovia compare a piano to?
A. a dog
B. a monster
C. a mermaid
D. a unicorn
Solve.
5 + (3 x 2) + 5
Choose the option that is the
clearest and most interesting.
A Labs are hypo-allergenic dogs.
7 + (3 x 8) + 5
So are poodles. Cocker spaniels
are not.
B Labs and poodles are
hypo-allergenic dogs, but
cocker spaniels are not.
C Labs are hypo-allergenic dogs.
Poodles are hypo-allergenic
dogs. Cocker spaniels are not
hypo-allergenic dogs.
D Labs and poodles are
hypo-allergenic dogs. Cocker
spaniels are not hypo-allergenic
dogs.
The Ames Nursery sold 577
houseplants in March, 704
in May, and 1487 in June.
How many houseplants
were sold in all?
Name:
February Reading Packet
Spell the t sound.
cloak
T TT ED D
e d
ver
coache
ebra
marke
dis
ed
t
emp
ing
clu
s
le
thump
onwood
tt
a
e
er
ractive
fi
ied
ho
est
depress
ticke s
unearthe
glanc
finish
ba
lefield
mash
fascina ed
ba
ing
e
similari
ies
er
p h h o t
t e s
icoat
orbi
ed
sprin
ing
le
er
fain
ands
pe
ering
genera
ing
brune
mu
stump
co
evapora
pi
rusts
myr
heap
bea
t
misunders
ered
co
onwood
be
ers
ru
ed
t e h o t
t
i e s
t
r
i y e d e e e d e p r e s s e d p
t
i c k e t s c t
i c k
a e u d h d u n e a r
i
t s
t c k
t h e d l
r a
g l a c e d q e g e a g l a n c e d
a k h f
t
i n i
s h e d f
t b a d b a t
t
l e f
i n s h e d
i e l d o l
z b h a m a s e d c m a s h e d m u
a f a s c
b a t
t
i n a t e d n s e a i
i n d b a t
t
x s
i n g a a t
t
Name:
February Reading Packet
When does the following sentence
take place? Write past, present, or
future on the line.
Write the base word for the word
"reunion."
I will not forget to grab my
sweatshirt off the chair before I
leave.
Mr. Allen bought a new
golf umbrella. It was a very
large, very nice umbrella
and cost $28.20. How much
did Mr. Allen pay for his
umbrella including 6% sales
tax?
One package of safety
pins has 22 safety pins in it.
How many safety pins are
in 3 packages? Write an
equation and solve the
problem.
To prepare for National
Kite Month, the toy store
ordered 17 boxes of kites.
There were 15 kites in each
box. How many kites were
ordered in all?
Each month the average
person in the United States
eats about 30 ounces of
candy. About how many
ounces of candy does the
average American eat in
two years?
The children in the first
grade class played Duck,
Duck, Goose during recess.
There are 13 children in the
class. If each child got to
be "It" for 5 rounds, how
many rounds did they
play?
At the Pasta Products
Company, noodles are
packed into boxes that are
7 inches high and 5 inches
wide. What is the volume
of the boxes? Tell if there is
too much or too little
information. Solve the
problem, if possible.
Name
February Reading Packet
W.E.B. DuBois
By Sharon Fabian
W.E.B. DuBois was a scholar. He spent much of his life working on
advanced college degrees. He studied subjects as diverse as sociology and Latin
and Greek, but he didn't spend all of his time studying and thinking. W.E.B.
DuBois also put his ideas into words. He wrote and lectured so that as many
people as possible could understand things the way that he did.
W.E.B. was most interested in learning about his own people - African
Americans. He believed that by learning all that he could, he would find ways
for African Americans to gain their rights and improve their lives.
He began his studies early in his life. Even in high school, W.E.B. was an
excellent student. He was bright and achieved even more than his teachers asked
of him. He became the local correspondent for a New York newspaper. He wrote
articles encouraging blacks to take political action. He graduated among the top
students, those with hopes of going on to colleges like Harvard.
For financial reasons, DuBois began his college career at Fisk University instead. In addition to the education
his college provided, DuBois also learned more about discrimination, poverty, and prejudice in the world than he
had known growing up. After three years at Fisk, he transferred to Harvard on a scholarship. He graduated with
his bachelor's degree in 1890. He continued his studies. He earned a master's degree and then a doctorate. While
at Harvard, he studied a mixture of philosophy, history, and economics.
In the midst of working on his doctorate, DuBois was chosen by President Hayes for the honor of studying at
Berlin University in Germany. Studying in Europe gave him the chance to widen his horizons further. He saw
how the social problems of African Americans were also problems faced by people of African descent on other
continents.
After completing the work for his doctorate at Harvard, Dr. DuBois was ready to go to work. He began his
career at Wilberforce College in Ohio where he taught Latin and Greek. He stayed there just two years. Then he
moved on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he researched the lives of people in the slums. Eventually, he
moved on to Atlanta University.
Dr. DuBois is known for his work in the field of social sciences. He was one of the first to study scientifically
a problem like the lives of slum residents. His work led the way for modern sociological research.
DuBois often spoke and wrote to share his findings with others. He taught that black people were entitled to
equal rights. He was one of the organizers and original members of the NAACP. He was the editor-in-chief of
the NAACP's Crisis magazine for 25 years. He encouraged gifted black youth to go on to college and follow in
his footsteps.
As he became more involved in his work, DuBois became convinced that the problems of African Americans
should be addressed on a worldwide basis along with similar problems faced by African people on the other
continents. He became a leader of the Pan-African movement and continued as one of its leaders for many years.
W.E.B. DuBois always kept his goals in mind. He worked to end racism, to improve the lives of people with
African heritage, and to bring peace among the races, sometimes without much recognition or thanks. Dr.
DuBois said, "Peace will be my applause."
Name
February Reading Packet
W.E.B. DuBois
Questions
1. W.E.B. DuBois studied at ______.
A. Harvard University
B. Fisk University
C. Berlin University
D. all of the above
2. He earned a ______ degree.
A. bachelor's
B. master's
C. doctorate
D. all of the above
3. He lived during the time period ______.
A. after the Civil War
B. before the Civil War
C. after the Cold War
D. before the Revolutionary War
4. Dr. DuBois advanced the field of ______ with his work in the Philadelphia slums.
A. Latin and Greek
B. sociology
C. history
D. anthropology
5. In Europe, DuBois studied at a university in ______.
A. England
B. Belgium
C. France
D. Germany
6. Which happened last?
A. DuBois received his doctorate from Harvard.
B. DuBois was the local editor for a New York paper.
C. DuBois went to Germany.
D. DuBois became editor-in-chief of Crisis magazine.
7. According to the information in this article, which word best describes W.E.B. DuBois?
A. businesslike
B. scholarly
C. artistic
D. athletic
8. The Pan-African movement was a movement to help people of African heritage ______.
A. in the United States
B. in Africa
C. around the world
D. in Europe
Name:
February Reading Packet
The vowels are missing in the word search.
Fill in the missing vowels and circle the words.
K
S
N D C W
N
P G T
L
T
W D
S
F
N
P
F
G R
F
D S
H
R
L
L M
L
Y
D G
L
Y
T W H
T
N
I
N
C
P
M
N M R C
N
Y
L
T C
H
R
G
W S G R
T
R
L
F
R
SPRAIN
WHEN
MENACE
DOCTOR
WHIP
WORRY
PEDESTAL
KNOWN
CLIFF
TAUGHT
CALF
GRIEF
SLAY
TRIM
E R E WO R K K H L B T A E E
AH P H T R I MMH I X L I C
CONC E P T H A F CA L K R
E CM UH I T K N R P T B F T
I R A Z I AOAA E L OAD N
N R E P U S I TGE A E T H E
H R E A F E A L E ZN I E TM
I I I NV R T NA E E X K T P
B C GW P E O H B S T D C C M
I A I TONM Z L N A E O T A
TCA T TOH I E C K L P TC
L AD V AN T AG E R C T T N
BWY E E X H A U S T I R Y E
FREEZE
EXHAUST
MANAGEABLE
POCKET
MARK
PLANE
HAIL
HATCH
TRIM
SALTY
CONCEPT
WORK
CLUSTER
SUPER
INHIBIT
ADVANTAGE
BAIL
FROZE
ENCAMPMENT
DESPERATE
Rewrite the sentence correctly.
I will go to studant ambasador camp last Fall and I learned how to be
an xample to my classmates.
Rewrite this sentence. Add a comma to
separate the introductory element from
the rest of the sentence.
Dancing in the rain my older sister
made her way home from school.
NA
L N
AM
EC
T L
A U
R S
E T
P E
S R
E Y
D U
TW
Name
February Reading Packet
The Rocky Planets
By Patti Hutchison
Our solar system is made up of mostly empty space. It contains the sun,
the planets and their moons, and other bodies such as comets and
asteroids. But each of these is much smaller than the space between
them. Scientists believe there are other bodies "out there" that have not
been discovered yet.
Planets are divided into two categories. There are the "rocky" planets
and the "gas giant" planets. Rocky planets include Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars.
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It is difficult to see from Earth.
Mercury is about one-third the size of Earth. It completes a trip around the sun every 88 (Earth) days. This makes it
the fastest orbiting planet, moving at about 50 kilometers per second.
Mercury spins slowly on its axis, however. In two of its years (orbits) only three days pass! The length of one
Mercury day is equal to about 58 Earth days.
The daytime temperature on Mercury can reach over 425 degrees Celsius. There is very little atmosphere to absorb
this heat, however. The nighttime temperature goes down to about -170 degrees. This is the largest temperature
difference of all the planets in our solar system.
The surface of Mercury looks almost like our Moon's surface. There are many craters caused by collisions with
meteoroids and comets. There are some areas of smooth surface. In some places there are tall, sharp cliffs.
Mercury's iron core has a radius of about 1800 kilometers. It is surrounded by an outer shell that is only about 500
kilometers thick.
Next in line is Venus. Venus is very similar to Earth. The two planets have about the same size and mass. But
Venus does not look blue, as Earth does. Venus has no ocean. It is covered with a thick mass of clouds. The clouds
spin very fast, trapping surface heat. This makes the surface temperatures very hot and the surface pressure very
high.
Venus revolves around the sun once every 225 (Earth) days. It takes 243 Earth days for it to make one rotation on
its axis. Venus spins in the opposite direction, compared to Earth. If you lived on Venus, the sun would appear to
rise in the west and set in the east!
The surface of Venus is highly eroded. It also has large volcanic ridges. It has an iron core that is about 3000
kilometers in diameter. Scientists think this core might be liquid and extends halfway to the surface of Venus.
The third planet from the sun is Earth. It is the only planet known to have life. This is due to our atmosphere. It
provides oxygen, allowing living things to exist. The "blue" planet also has another feature that supports lifewater. It covers about70 percent of the surface.
Unlike other planets, Earth still has tectonic activity. Plates are constantly in motion. Volcanoes are still erupting.
The surface is constantly changing.
Earth completes one trip around the sun every 365 1/4 days. It spins on its axis once in 24 hours. This is a much
faster rate than most other planets. The tilt of Earth's axis causes the change of seasons. Earth's moon is a familiar
object in the night sky.
The last rocky planet is Mars, the red planet. Its red color is caused by high iron content in the surface soil. Mars is
smaller and less dense than Earth. It is orbited by two small, oddly shaped moons.
Name
February Reading Packet
Mars' atmosphere is very thin. There is a constant wind on Mars, often causing dust storms that last for weeks. Ice
caps cover both poles. They grow and shrink with the seasons. However, scientists are still searching for liquid
water on the planet.
The two hemispheres of Mars have different surface features. The northern hemisphere is mostly plains, with few
craters. The southern hemisphere has many craters and highlands. The largest volcanic mountain in the solar
system is found on Mars. Scientists believe this planet has a core of iron and nickel, which is probably solid.
Mars' rate of rotation is very similar to Earth's, about once in a little over 24 hours. However, it takes Mars almost
twice as long to orbit around the sun. Its year is about 687 Earth days.
The rocky planets are the closest to the sun in our solar system. They are small and dense. They are totally
different from the "gas giants" that exist farther from the sun.
The Rocky Planets
Questions
1. Name the two categories of planets.
2. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are:
A. gas giant planets
B. rocky planets
C. stars
3. The fastest orbiting planet is:
A. Earth
B. Venus
C. Mercury
4. Name two features of Earth that support life.
5. The planet most similar to Earth is:
A. Mars
B. Venus
C. Mercury
Name
February Reading Packet
6. What causes Mars to look red?
Rewrite the sentence, making sure to spell all of the words correctly.
My favorite Halloween treat is carmel corn.
Anne had some pieces of
wood to make a picture
frame with a perimeter of
82 inches. Two of the
pieces of wood are 21
inches long each. The
other two pieces are equal
in length. How long are the
other two pieces of wood?
Double Trouble Bubble
Gum is wrapped in
packages of 6 pieces. Each
package is put into a box
that holds 15 packages. The
filled boxes are put into a
crate that holds 12 boxes.
How many pieces of
Double Trouble Bubble
Gum are there in a full
crate?
Write two words that begin with
the prefix "extra-."
Rosa is going to be the
flower girl at her sister's
wedding. The wedding is at
4:00 p.m. Rosa has to be
home at 1:10 p.m. to get
ready. It is 10:30 a.m. now.
How long is it before Rosa
has to be at home?
Nathan needed a new light
bulb for his lamp. He could
not read in the dark! He
could buy 4 bulbs for $8.47.
What was the cost of one
bulb?
Name:
February Reading Packet
Combine these sentences by rewriting them in a clear and meaningful way.
Rock salt can form salt domes. The salt is composed of the mineral
halite.
Write an antonym for each of these
words.
cheap, merry, lean
Gavin has two quarters,
five nickels, and one dime
to buy chocolate ice
cream. Write three
different expressions that
show the amount of
money he has.
Amy mailed invitations to
her birthday party on
March 23. Her birthday is
exactly three weeks later.
On what date is her
birthday?
Mr. Hall made a strawberry
cheesecake for the party.
He baked the cake at 350
degrees for 55 minutes. If
he put the cake in the
oven at 3:33 p.m., what
time did he take it out of
the oven?
Eight people participated
in the ice cream diet. The
data set 2, 1, 0, -3, 3, -1, -2,
and 4 represents their
weight loss or gain in
pounds. What was the
average weight loss?
Round your answer to the
nearest hundredth.
Nathan's school is buying
touch screens for three
computer monitors. The
cost of one screen is $178.
What will it cost to buy
three screens?
Name
February Reading Packet
Parabatics - Skydiving with Flair
By Colleen Messina
The question, "Why jump out of a perfectly good plane?" comes up
when some people see skydivers. But adventurous skydivers have the
perfect answer. They say that jumping out of a perfectly good plane is
lots of fun! Skydivers who have mastered the basics move on to a whole
new frontier. They do formations and acrobatics in the air. Their sport is
called parabatics.
Basic skydiving is simple. You get into a plane. The plane climbs up to
2,500 feet above ground. Then, you jump out of the plane. Your
parachute opens. You float gently to earth. Skydiving takes many hours
of practice. Parabatics takes even more hours of practice. Parabatics can
be done individually or in a group.
Group skydiving takes synchronization. When a group of skydivers
creates formations in the air, it is called "formation skydiving." Another
term for this sport is "belly-flying" because the skydivers' tummies point
towards Earth. This variation of the sport began in the 1970s when skydivers experimented with hooking two
people together in the air. Today, the official record for the number of people flying together in a formation is 246.
It is like a gigantic aerial party. The skydivers hold each others' hands and legs as they build different shapes.
Bellyflyers take their sport seriously. They go to training camps and competitions. During a competition, the
teams have a certain amount of time to perform a sequence of maneuvers. They earn points for each activity. The
team with the most points wins. Many countries hold national championships. An international championship is
also held between the national champions of different countries. So far, the United States and France have won the
most gold medals. Many teams hope that formation skydiving will soon become an Olympic sport.
For skydivers who like to do their sport alone, freefall style skydiving is a way for them to show off their skills.
Freefall style skydivers also have competitions. They perform lots of tricks in the air. They do front and back flips.
They turn and roll as quickly as they can. In a competition, each skydiver tries to perform the maneuvers in the
least amount of time. If they do a move incorrectly, they lose points.
Some renegade skydivers wanted to fly in a whole new way. They invented freeflying. This sport started in
approximately 1996. They called themselves the Freefly Clowns. In freeflying, the skydivers move out of the
traditional belly-flying position. Their heads or feet point straight down. This makes them fly very fast. Freeflying
is therefore more dangerous than regular skydiving.
For skydivers who want an extra prop, skysurfing is a perfect variation of this sport. Skysurfing began in the
1980s and became popular in the 1990s. A skysurfer uses a board attached to his or her feet and performs tricks
while they swoop toward Earth. This type of skydiving requires a lot of strength and skill. Skysurfers have to have
an excellent sense of balance. The boards they use pop off from the skydiver's feet in case of trouble.
Skydivers think that jumping out of planes is logical and fun. The rest of us can watch and enjoy their skills safely
from the ground. But even skydivers have to overcome a little bit of nervousness. As one skydiver said, "You may
never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them how to fly in formation." Those who do parabatics have
their butterflies...and their friends...in fine formation.
Name
February Reading Packet
Parabatics - Skydiving with Flair
Questions
1. How high does a plane go before the skydiver jumps out?
A. 1,500 feet
B. 500 feet
C. 2,500 feet
D. 5,000 feet
2. What is the name of the variation of skydiving when a group of people jumps together?
A. committee skydiving
B. formation skydiving
C. group skydiving
D. insane skydiving
3. What is another name for formation skydiving?
A. indigestion flying
B. tummy flying
C. belly flying
D. belly flopping
4. True or False: "Aerial" is a term for something done in the air.
A. True
B. False
5. Which countries have received the most gold medals in formation skydiving? Check all that apply.
A. the United States and France
B. Germany and Yugoslavia
C. Great Britain and Ireland
D. Spain and Portugal
6. Which of the following is a synonym for the word "synchronization" in paragraph 3?
A. sinking
B. sympathetic
C. chronological
D. coordination
7. Why is freeflying more dangerous than regular skydiving?
A. higher altitude
B. more speed
C. lower altitude
D. less safety equipment
8. How big is a board used in skysurfing?
A. the size of a snowboard
B. the size of a surfboard
C. the size of a breadbox
D. the size of a ping pong table
Name:
February Reading Packet
Each of the words below starts on the number shown. A word can go up, down, left (backwards),
right, or in any of the diagonal directions starting from the numbered box.
1. QUEST
QUITE
QUIET
4. SILENT
SPEEDILY
SECRET
SHOES
2. UMPIRE
UNTIL
USEFUL
5. TWO
6. OCEAN
OFFERED
OFF
3. ISLE
7. EASILY
ENEMY
11. OXYGEN
OXEN
8. WRAP
WREN
12. BUY
9. ATHLETIC
13. GUIDE
GOAL
10. ILLEGAL
14. OTHER
15. LIAR
1
2
3
5
16. SURE
Q
U
I
17. ECHO
4
6
E
T
7
8
9
10
I
T
L
12
A
11
H
13
L
14
E
T
E
15
G
I
A
C
16
L
17
Name:
February Reading Packet
There are 7 gallons of ice
cream in the freezer. Miss
Miller can make 85
single-scoop ice cream
cones from 7 gallons. How
many single-scoop cones
can she make from 2 1/3
gallons?
In 2003 approximately
80,400,000 pounds of
blueberries were
harvested in the United
States. What is the value of
the digit "4" in that
number?
Mr. White sells pizza at
football games. He was
very stressed last night
because there were 15,646
people at the game. He
was very busy and sold
one whole pizza for every
18 people there. How many
whole pizzas did he sell?
Rosa made chocolate chip
pancakes for International
Pancake Day. She used an
octagonal grill with 12-inch
sides. What is the
perimeter of Rosa's grill?
Name
February Reading Packet
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
By Trista L. Pollard
It takes courage to be the first one. Even being the first two is difficult.
However, changing history has never been easy. Charlayne Hunter-Gault was one
of two people who changed American history.
There was a time when schools in America were segregated. This meant
that African-American children and white children could not go to school together.
American colleges and universities were also segregated. Hunter-Gault grew up
during this period. She was born on February 27, 1942, in Due West, South
Carolina. She was the oldest of three children. Her parents were Althea Ruth
Brown and Charles Hunter. Hunter-Gault and her family moved a lot during her
childhood. Her father was an army chaplain. She lived briefly in California, Ohio,
Indiana, and Alaska. However, most of the time she and her two brothers lived in
Georgia. They lived with her mother and grandmother in Covington and Atlanta,
Georgia.
Hunter-Gault's grandmother influenced her love of journalism. Her
grandmother taught herself to read. She would sit each day and read three
newspapers. Hunter-Gault would sit beside her grandmother and read comic strips. Her favorite was Brenda
Starr. Starr was a reporter who worked hard to get her story. Hunter-Gault had never seen black newspaper
reporters. She did not see black reporters on television. However, she was determined to become a journalist.
Hunter-Gault started eighth grade in 1954 at Henry McNeal Turner High School in Atlanta. It was one of the
top black high schools in Atlanta. During this year, she moved with her family to Alaska. Her father was
stationed there. Hunter-Gault, her mother, and brothers returned to Atlanta after nine months. Her parents
eventually got a divorce. She went back to Turner High School. She was a very active student. Hunter-Gault
was in school clubs, on the student council, and on the school newspaper. She was also a top student and in the
honor society. During her senior year she became homecoming queen. Hunter-Gault graduated third in her class
in 1959.
While in high school, Hunter-Gault decided that she wanted to study journalism in college. The University of
Georgia (UGA) in Athens had a strong journalism program. There was just one problem-the school did not admit
black students. She and her classmate, Hamilton Holmes, applied to UGA in their senior year. Holmes was also
a top student. He was number one in his senior class. Both also applied to other schools. Hunter-Gault and
Holmes were turned down for admission to UGA. She went to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, in
the fall of 1959. However, their fight was only beginning.
In Atlanta, there were four attorneys from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) fighting for Hunter-Gault and Holmes to attend UGA. These lawyers were Constance Baker-Motley,
Donald Hollowell, Vernon Jordan, and Horace Ward. The NAACP also gave Hunter-Gault and Holmes money
for their legal battle. Both students continued to send in their applications to the school. It took two years before
they won the right to go to UGA. On January 6, 1961, U.S. District Court Judge William Bootle said that
Hunter-Gault and Holmes could attend UGA. They were the first African-American students to go to UGA.
Although Hunter-Gault won the right to attend the school, she had a difficult time once she arrived. When she
and Holmes went to register for classes, they were teased and taunted. People would even use racial epithets.
These were words used to abuse or hurt Hunter-Gault and Holmes because they were black. After a basketball
game, a mob of angry students met outside Hunter-Gault's dormitory where she lived. They smashed windows
in the building by throwing bottles and bricks. Both students were taken to their homes by the Georgia State
Patrol. This was done to keep them safe. The university also suspended both of them from school. According to
the school, this was also done for safety reasons. It was a few days later when the students were allowed to go
back. It took a court order to make sure they would be able to attend UGA. Hunter-Gault also needed a court
order to eat in the school cafeteria. You see, she was allowed to attend UGA, but she could not use all of the
Name
February Reading Packet
facilities or buildings.
In spite of the taunts, teasing, and trips to the court, Hunter-Gault made some friends at UGA. She met one
friend named Walter Stovall. He was also a journalism student. They were married in 1963 after Hunter-Gault
graduated. She became an editorial assistant for the New Yorker Magazine in New York City. She was the first
African-American to work at the magazine. She was promoted to staff writer soon after. During this time,
Hunter-Gault and Stovall had a daughter named Susan. They would later divorce. She left the New Yorker in
1967. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to study social sciences at the Washington University of St. Louis.
Hunter-Gault had received the Russell-Sage Fellowship for her studies. She worked as a reporter in St. Louis and
edited news articles for Trans Action magazine. This led to a position as a reporter and anchor for a local evening
news show. In 1968, Hunter-Gault was offered a job at the New York Times. She became the Harlem Bureau
Chief and worked with the newspaper for nine years.
In 1978, Hunter-Gault became part of the MacNeil/Lehrer Report on the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS).
By 1983, she had become their national correspondent reporting on world events. She has received many awards
and honorary degrees for her work in journalism. Some of the awards have been the George Foster Peabody
Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, Journalist of the year [CAP Y] from the National Association of
Black Journalists, and Good Housekeeping's Broadcaster of the Year Award. In addition to reporting,
Hunter-Gault is a writer. She has written articles for Essence, Ms., and Life magazine.
Hunter-Gault left the MacNeil/Lehrer Report, now The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, in 1977. She moved to
South Africa with her current husband Ron Gault. They were married in 1971. They have a son. Hunter-Gault
worked as a reporter for National Public Radio (NPR). In 1999, she started working for CNN and now works as
their Johannesburg, South Africa, bureau chief. In 1985, UGA recognized Hunter-Gault and Holmes for their
place in history. An annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture was created in their honor. Hunter-Gault also became the
first black graduation speaker at the school in 1988. In 2001 UGA renamed the building where Holmes and
Hunter-Gault first registered as the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building. The renaming was done to mark the
fortieth anniversary of UGA's desegregation. Who knew that the little girl who loved Brenda Starr would change
American history and fulfill her dream of becoming a reporter?
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Questions
1. Use context clues to define the word register.
2. Why was Hunter-Gault's grandmother a huge influence on her decision to become a journalist?
Name
February Reading Packet
3. What organization provided lawyers for Holmes and Hunter-Gault when they wanted to attend UGA?
A. None of the below
B. The NAACP
C. The NABJ
D. The ACLU
4. Cause: Hunter-Gault was not allowed to eat in UGA's cafeteria. What was the effect?
5. Sequence the following events in Charlayne Hunter-Gault's life.
A. Became the first black staff writer for the New Yorker Magazine
B. Attended Washington University of St. Louis
C. Joined the MacNeil/Lehrer Report
D. Moved to Alaska with her parents and brothers
6. Read the following sentence: However, she was determined to become a journalist. What does the word
determined mean?
7. What is the main idea of paragraph number 7?
8. Why do you think UGA suspended Hunter-Gault and Holmes after the dormitory incident?
Name:
February Reading Packet
Write a story that follows the topic and picture.
Topic: Painting
Write a paragraph:
Free writing. Think of something to write. I took
Write.
minute(s) to think of something to write.
Name:
February Reading Packet
Choose the word that best completes
the sentence.
If you are filling out something in
duplicate, you are filling it out
(two/to) times.
The expert recommended
that Mr. Lee have at least
2,500 square feet of
pasture for each mule in
his herd. Mr. Lee's pasture
is 1,000 feet x 800 feet.
What is the maximum
number of mules the
expert would recommend
for Mr. Lee's pasture?
The total attendance at the
Winter Wonderland Festival
was thirty-eight thousand,
three hundred
twenty-four. Write this
number in standard
notation.
Wendy hugged 10 people
on Hug Holiday. Erin
hugged two times as many
people as Wendy. How
many people did Erin hug?
Bronco Billy Bob is making a
movie set in the Old West.
He needs 1,000
tumbleweeds to make his
desert look real. He can
buy them from Western
Tumbleweeds for $12.75
each. How much will 1,000
tumbleweeds cost?