truth
Is
the same for
everyone?
Unit 1 Genre focus:
Fiction and Nonfiction
Your Anchor Book
Free-Choice Reading
There are many good books that
would work well to support both
the Big Question and the genre
focus of this unit. In this unit you
will read one of these books as
your Anchor Book. Your teacher
will introduce the book you will
be reading.
Later in this unit you will be
given the opportunity to choose
another book to read. This is
called your free-choice book.
1
Thinking About What
You Already Know
Group Activity
from
“Amigo Brothers” by Piri Thomas
Antonio helped. “It’s about our fight, right?”
“Yeah, right.” Felix’s eyes squinted at the rising orange sun.
I’ve been thinking about it too, panín. In fact, since we found out it was
going to be me and you, I’ve been awake at night, pulling punches on you,
trying not to hurt you.”
“Same here. It ain’t natural not to think about the fight. I mean, we both
are cheverote fighters and we both want to win. But only one of us can
win. There ain’t no draws in the eliminations.”
Felix tapped Antonio gently on the shoulder. “I don’t mean to sound like
I’m bragging, bro. But I wanna win, fair and square.”
Antonio nodded quietly. Yeah. We both know that in the ring the better
man wins. Friend or no friend, brother or no…”
from
“The Day It Rained Cockroaches” by Paul Zindel
Tarantulas I like. Scorpions I can live with. But ever since I was three years
old and my mother took me to a World’s Fair, I have had nightmares about
cockroaches. Most people remember an exciting water ride this fair had
called Shoot-the-Chutes, but emblazoned on my brain is the display the
fair featured of giant, live African cockroaches, which look like American
cockroaches except they’re six inches long, have furry legs, and can pinch
flesh. In my nightmares about them, I’m usually lying on a bed in a dark
room and I notice a bevy of giant cockroaches heading for me.
2
“Always to Remember: The Vision
of Maya Ying Lin” by Brent Ashabranner
from
In the 1960s and 1970s, the United States was involved in a war in
Vietnam. Because many people opposed the war, Vietnam veterans were
not honored as veterans of other wars had been. Jan Scruggs, a Vietnam
veteran, thought that the 58,000 U.S. servicemen and women killed or
reported missing in Vietnam should be honored with a memorial. With the
help of lawyers Robert Doubek and John Wheeler, Scruggs worked to gain
support for his idea.
from
“Child of the Owl” by Laurence Yep
Phil adjusted his tie uneasily and growled, “What’re you looking at?”
I looked ahead, keeping my eyes on the glove compartment. Barney and
me had never talked much about stuff like this. I knew more about race
horses than I knew about myself – I mean myself as a Chinese. I looked
at my hands again, thinking they couldn’t be my hands, and then I
closed my eyes and felt their outline, noticing the tiny fold of flesh at the
corners. Maybe it was because I thought of myself as an American and all
Americans were supposed to be white like on TV or in books or in movies,
but now I felt like some mad scientist had switched bodies on me like in
all those monster movies, so that I had woken up in the wrong one.
3
before reading your anchor book
1-1 Understanding the Big Question
Is truth the same for everyone?
The struggle to find the truth exists in all content areas. Nonfiction
deals only with real people, events, or ideas. Fiction can be based
entirely on the imagination, but it can also be inspired by fact. Have
you ever described a piece of fiction as being “real” or “believable”?
Although the characters, plot, and setting in a piece of fiction may all
be imagined, fiction must reflect some truth for us to keep reading.
Directions To help you start thinking about this unit’s big question,
let’s consider the idea of “truth.”
▶ With a partner, first brainstorm for a list of words and phrases
you associate with the word “truth.”
▶ Next, identify one truth from the subject areas listed below.
▶ Finally, consider whether the ideas you listed below would be
considered by everyone as truth.
Truth
Brainstorm:
ples from:
Exampl
a. Science
b. Social Studies
c. Math
d. Art-Music
Partner Activity Choose one example you have identified. With a
partner, talk about how this idea influences another subject area.
4
Lesson 1-1
Directions With your partner, read and answer the questions in the
chart that follows. Then, add at least two more questions of your own.
Questions About Truth
My Thoughts
Why is truth important to people?
How can the truth for one person be different
from the truth for another?
before reading your anchor book
How can stories that are untrue help me
understand the truth about life?
Question.” These questions appear at the end of certain
lessons. As you read, remember that although nonfiction
is about real people, events, or ideas, it may not always
be entirely accurate or objective. Also, remember that there
is always some truth in the invented stories and characters
of fiction.
Understanding the Big Question
5
Getting Ready for
Your Anchor Book
You will start reading your Anchor Book soon. The next few pages in this
book give you some background information plus a reading skill.
Introduction to
Fiction and Nonfiction
before reading your anchor book
Elements of Fiction
Fiction began as oral storytelling. It was how people entertain
another. It was also the way a culture shared its history, belief
values. All works of fiction share certain basic elements.
▶ Fictional works can include make-believe people or anim
called characters. A character faces a problem, or confli
must be overcome. The made-up series of events that d
how the conflict progresses is called the plot.
▶ The setting
g is where and when the story takes place. D
of setting—particularly, descriptive words and images
establish the mood. Mood is the overall feeling that a
work conveys to the reader.
▶ A speaker, called the narrator, tells the story. The nar
the story from a certain perspective, or point of view
person point of view
w is the perspective of a charact
story. Third-person point of view
w is the perspectiv
narrator outside the action of the story.
▶ All the elements of fiction work together to help com
the work’s theme, which is its central message.
Types of Fiction
Short stories are brief works of fiction. They
usually focus on one main plot structured
around one main conflict and can be read in
one sitting.
Novels are longer works of fiction. In
addition to its main plot, a novel may contain
subplots, or related stories.
6
Lesson 1-1
Novellas are works of fiction that are shorter
than novels but longer than short stories.
Historical fiction is literature that draws in
part on real people and events to tell invented
stories.
Nonfiction
Nonfiction is writing about real people, places, or events that explains
ideas. Nonfiction must be true.
Types of Nonfiction
Journals and diaries are records of daily
events and the writer’s thoughts and feelings
about them.
Autobiographies and memoirs tell the
story of the author’s life and reflect the
writer’s thoughts and feelings about events.
Essays and articles are brief written works
about a specific topic. Their purpose might be
to explain, persuade, or inform.
Letters are written forms of communication
from one person to another. A letter might
share information, thoughts, or feelings.
Informational texts are the written
documents we come across in everyday life.
Examples include textbooks, applications,
instructions, and articles.
Nonfiction shares some elements with fiction, but it also has special
features that set it apart from fiction.
Fiction
• Tells about made-up
people and events and
can retell historical
events through an
imagined perspective.
• Told from the point
of view of a fictional
character, an allknowing narrator,
or limited narrator.
Both
Nonfiction
• Deals exclusively with
real people, events, or
ideas. Nothing is made up
or invented.
• Have a setting, a time
and place.
• Convey a mood, or overall feeling.
• Feature the writer’s unique style,
a characteristic way of using
language and expressing ideas.
• Almost always told from the
point of view of the writer,
who is a real person.
before reading your anchor book
Biographies tell the story of someone’s life
and are told from the perspective of another
writer.
Strategies for Reading Fiction and Nonfiction Use this strategy as
you read fiction and nonfiction.
Visualize Picture the characters, setting, or other elements of the text in
your mind. Allowing yourself to “see” what you are reading will help
you to understand it better.
Introduction to Fiction and Nonfiction
7
1-2 Reading Skills
Making Predictions
before reading your anchor book
Academic Vocabulary
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
anticipate v.
Related words:
anticipating, anticipation
to look forward to, expect
I anticipatee that Tommy will join
the team.
modify v.
Related words:
modified, modifying
to change
Because of these new details, I have to
modifyy my original prediction.
verify v.
Related words:
verified, verifying
to confirm
I had to bring my license to verifyy my
identity.
Making predictions helps you make connections between events and
actions. When you predict, you anticipate future events and possible
outcomes.
How to Make Predictions
▶ Preview
w the selection by looking at graphic representations and
text structures such as the title, chapter titles, captions, photos,
organization, and headings to anticipate what the selection will
be about.
▶ Formulate a prediction by using what you know about the topic
of the selection, related personal life experiences, and knowledge
of other similar selections.
▶ Verify
y your predictions as you read, and modify
y them
when necessary.
8
Lesson 1-2
Previewing a Text
Directions Preview the excerpt from a social studies textbook below
and observe how a student completed the chart after previewing text
features. Then, make a prediction based on the previewed information.
A Changing Society
The face of aging in the United States is changing, according to a new U.S.
Census Bureau report. Higher levels of education, which are linked to better
health, higher income, more wealth and a higher standard of living continue
to increase among people 65 and older. Today’s older Americans are living
longer and more active lives. Future generations of the elderly will further
challenge our understanding of what “being old” means.
29.2%
35.7%
35%
1960
0-17 years
39.8%
25.7%
42.4%
23.8%
34.4%
33.9%
2007
2050
18-44 years
before reading your anchor book
Percent of Total U.S. Populations by Age Group,
1960-2050
45 years and over
Throughout this book, you will see student models, like the one below,
that show you what applying a skill looks like.
Student Model
Tell(s) Me
Title
Images
Society is changing
Chart shows elderly population is growing
My Prediction:
Making Predictions
9
Directions Now that you have learned how to make predictions,
try it for yourself with the selection on the next page. Preview the
selection and then make predictions in the chart below. If you have
background knowledge related to the topic, use it to help you.
Text Feature to Preview
before reading your anchor book
Title
Captions
Images
My Predictions:
Prediction 1
Prediction 2
10
Lesson 1-2
Tell(s) Me
Preview the various text features, such as the title,
introduction, and conclusion. Then, read this magazine
article. Guiding Question: What is the most important
truth in this article that you would share with someone?
Always to Remember:
The Vision of
Maya Ying Lin
In the 1960s and 1970s, the
United States was involved
in a war in Vietnam. Because
many people opposed the
war, Vietnam veterans were
not honored as veterans of
other wars had been. Jan
Scruggs, a Vietnam veteran,
thought that the 58,000
U.S. servicemen and women
killed or reported missing in
Vietnam should be honored
with a memorial. With
the help of lawyers Robert
Doubek and John Wheeler,
Scruggs worked to gain
support for his idea.
by Brent Ashabranner
T
he memorial had been authorized by Congress “in honor
and recognition of the men and women of the Armed Forces
of the United States who served in the Vietnam War.” The law,
however, said not a word about what the memorial should be or
what it should look like. That was left up to the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund, but the law did state that the memorial design and
plans would have to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior,
the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning
Commission.
What would the memorial be? What should it look like? Who
would design it? Scruggs, Doubek, and Wheeler didn’t know,
but they were determined that the memorial should help bring
closer together a nation still bitterly divided by the Vietnam War.
It couldn’t be something like the Marine Corps Memorial showing
American troops planting a flag on enemy soil at Iwo Jima. It
couldn’t be a giant dove with an olive branch of peace in its beak.
It had to soothe passions, not stir them up. But there was one thing
Jan Scruggs insisted on: The memorial, whatever it turned out to be,
Making Predictions
11
before reading your anchor book
The Vietnam
Veterans Memorial
12
Lesson 1-2
Mall. Remarking upon the “simple and forthright”
materials needed to build the winning entry, the
report concludes:
This memorial, with its wall of names,
becomes a place of quiet reflection, and a tribute
to those who served their nation in difficult
times. All who come here can find it a place of
healing. This will be a quiet memorial, one that
achieves an excellent relationship with both the
Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,
and relates the visitor to them. It is uniquely
horizontal, entering the earth rather than
piercing the sky.
This is very much a memorial of our own
times, one that could not have been achieved
in another time and place. The designer has
created an eloquent place where the simple
meeting of earth, sky and remembered names
contain messages for all who will know this place.
The eight jurors signed their names to the report,
a unanimous decision. When the name of the winner
was revealed, the art and architecture worlds were
stunned. It was not the name of a nationally famous
architect or sculptor, as most people had been sure
it would be. The creator of Entry Number 1,026 was
a twenty-one-year-old student at Yale University.
Her name unknown as yet in any field of art or
most important design competitions ever held?
How could she beat out some of the top names
in American art and architecture? Who was Maya
Ying Lin?
The answer to that question provided some
of the other answers, at least in part. Maya Lin,
reporters soon discovered, was a Chinese-American
girl who had been born and raised in the small
midwestern city of Athens, Ohio. Her father,
Henry Huan Lin, was a ceramicist of considerable
reputation and dean of fine arts at Ohio University
in Athens. Her mother, Julia C. Lin, was a poet and
professor of Oriental and English literature. Maya
Lin’s parents were born to culturally prominent
families in China. When the Communists came to
power in China in the 1940’s, Henry and Julia Lin
left the country and in time made their way to the
United States. Maya Lin grew up in an environment
of art and literature. She was interested in sculpture
and made both small and large sculptural figures,
one cast in bronze. She learned silversmithing and
made jewelry. She was surrounded by books and
read a great deal, especially fantasies such as The
Hobbitt and Lord of the Rings.1
But she also found time to work at McDonald’s.
“It was about the only way to make money in the
summer,” she said.
the Rings mythical novels by the
, J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973), chronin various good and evil kingdoms for
g that can shift the balance of power
Jan C. Scruggs, President of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,
and Project Director Bob Doubek,
display the final design for the
memorial with Maya Ying Lin.
Making Predictions
13
14
before reading your anchor book
Thinking About the Selection
Always to Remember: The Vision of Maya Ying Lin
1
2
4
5
Connect Before reading this selection, did you have prior
knowledge about the Vietnam War Memorial? How did this
knowledge, or lack thereof, affect your predictions?
before reading your anchor book
3
Verify Look at your predictions. Were you right? Identify the
details that supported or contradicted your predictions.
About the Author
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: exe-8101
Predict Based on Maya Ying Lin’s accomplishments, what do
you predict will happen to her next? What might she do?
Evaluate What was the author’s purpose in writing this
article? How well did the author fulfill this purpose?
Conclude Why is reading informational materials important?
What can you gain from reading articles such as this one?
Write Answer the following question on a separate piece of paper.
6
Assess What is the most important truth in this article that
you would share with someone?
Making Predictions
15
1-3 Vocabulary Building
Prefixes and Suffixes
before reading your anchor book
Prefix
Strategies
Root
A prefix is one or more
syllables placed before the
root to change its meaning.
A root is the basic meaning
of a word.
Suffix
A suffix is added to the
end of a root to change its
meaning or part of speech.
Common Prefixes
pre-
before,
e in advance
predict: to tell in advance
re-
back,
k again
renew: make new again
ex-
from, out
extract: take out
in-
in, into
indent: bite into
inter-
between
international: between nations
mis-
wrong
misunderstand: understand incorrectly
Common Suffixes
-yze
-ize
-tion
-sion
16
Lesson 1-3
The suffixes -yze and -ize
change words to verbs.
The suffixes -tion and –sion
change verbs to nouns.
When you make an analysis, you analyzee something.
When you make your decision final, you finalizee it.
When you educate people, they receive an
education.
When you persuade someone, you use persuasion.
Directions Figure out the meaning of each word below. Identify
the prefix or suffix, then write your guess on the first line. Check
your answers by looking up each word in either a bound or online
dictionary, and write the definition on the second line.
1
misinterpret
My guess:
Dictionary meaning:
2
inflame
My guess:
Dictionary meaning:
3
location
My guess:
Dictionary meaning:
before reading your anchor book
What to Do When You Encounter Unknown Words
Don’t be held prisoner by words whose meaning you don’t know.
Remember that you have many tools, or strategies, to help you.
Skip it! The word’s meaning may be explained later.
Still struggling with the word? Try one of these steps.
Use what you know about letters, sounds, and phonics to
sound the word out to see if it is a word you know.
Read the paragraph the word appears in aloud. See if you can
use cueing systems, like context clues, to help you decode the
word’s meaning.
Think about what you are reading. How might this word
connect to the topic?
Use the sentence structure to decide what part of speech the
word may be.
Associate the parts of the word (prefixes, root words, suffixes)
with words you know.
Is not knowing the word’s meaning preventing you from understanding the main idea of the reading?
Look it up! Use a dictionary, thesaurus, glossary, or online
resource to help you identify the word’s meaning and
pronunciation.
You may wish to keep a list of new words you have learned and
identify connections among them (such as synonym, antonyms, or
words used to describe the same concept).
Prefixes and Suffixes
17