Lesson
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
27
R 5.11(E)
R Figure 19(D)
R Figure 19(F)
Synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing
similar or different genres.
Make inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding.
Make connections between and across multiple texts of various genres and provide textual evidence.
Understand the TEKS
SA
Synthesize
The word synthesize means “combine.” When you synthesize, you
combine two or more things to make something new. For example,
scientists combine different chemicals to create a new chemical.
Artists combine different paints to make a new shade.
Words to Know
feature
paragraph
synthesize
When you read, you synthesize ideas and information. You combine them to make
meaning and form a more complete picture.
You can combine ideas and information within a text and among two or more texts.
PL
M
Within a Text
Parts of Text A text has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning introduces
the idea, the middle builds the main ideas, and the end reaches a conclusion or
summarizes the main points. As you read, put together what you learn in each part.
Paragraphs A paragraph focuses on one main idea. As you move from one paragraph
to another, connect the ideas in each paragraph. See how each new idea adds to the
picture you are forming of the topic and increases your understanding.
Features An informative article may have different features. Combine the information
in the main part of the article with information in headnotes, boxed features, sidebars,
and graphics.
• Where are you most likely to find a sidebar?
E
Across Two or More Texts
Two or more texts can have the same topic, but each will say something new. Put
together the information and ideas from each text. See how they complement each
other. See how they differ. See what new and surprising ideas you encounter. See how
they increase your understanding.
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Lesson 27
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
For example, suppose you read an article about cobras. The article contains the fact
that cobras can unhinge their jaws and wrap their mouths around large animals. Then
you read an action-adventure story that shows a cobra swallowing a large pig. The fact
you learned in the article helps you understand the event in the story.
• Would you have understood the event in the story as well if you hadn’t connected
the fact from the article? Why or why not?
SA
Suppose you are writing a report on the Underground Railroad. You see a magazine
article about Harriet Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad. Then you read a
biographical sketch of Levi Coffin that discusses his role as one of the conductors.
By combining the information in both, you form a more complete picture.
PL
M
Make Connections
Put this information you read together with what you already know. Your prior
knowledge can come from:
• your own background and experience
• other texts you have read or viewed
• the real world
Then draw your own conclusions.
The process looks like this:
What I Learned in ⫹ What I Learned in ⫹ What I Know ⫽ My Conclusion
Text 2
E
Text 1
Comprehension Tip
Use a chart to record information from the texts you read. Jot down important
details from each selection in the first two columns. Write what you know about
each detail in the third column. Write your conclusions in the last column.
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Lesson 27
Guided Instruction
Read the passage below. Then answer the questions in the margin and complete the activities.
Building a Tree Trunk Road
Highlight the words in the
headnote that explain the
problem.
by Wendy Hobday Haugh
A swamp blocked our path to the lake. Find out how dirt and
logs helped us get across.
SA
1
Guided Questions
What American Pioneers
Liked About Corduroy Roads
2
• They could be built with handy materials: trees, dirt, axes,
and shovels. (Oxen—not backhoes!—dragged logs into place.)
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PL
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• Logs buried in swamps decayed slowly, so the roads
lasted a long time.
What They Did Not Like
3
• Log roads could be bumpy and slippery.
• When the roads were not taken care of, the logs shifted
or rolled in the water. They became dangerous!
What is the purpose of the
information in the box? How
do you think it connects to the
problem you identified in the
headnote?
“Building a Tree Trunk Road” by Wendy Hobday Haugh, Copyright © 2009 by Highlights
for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
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Lesson 27
4
5
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
One year, my husband, Chuck, built a summer cabin near a
lake. Our sons—Henry, Josh, and Zach—could not wait to go
swimming and fishing! But to reach the lake, they had to walk
through the woods. In the middle of the woods was a small
swamp. It was so mucky that they couldn’t cross it.
We needed a dirt road from our cabin to the lake. Building a
road through the woods would be easy. But the swampy part
would be tricky!
Guided Questions
Read paragraphs 4 – 8 . What
is the connection between this
modern-day family and the
pioneers?
The Pioneers Were Engineers
SA
“American pioneers built corduroy roads through swamps,” said
Chuck, who is an engineer. “They laid logs, one after another,
sideways across the path they wanted to travel. Then they covered
the logs with dirt. Sometimes it took many layers of logs and dirt
before they could cross the swamp with their wagons.”
7
Chuck explored our woods and marked out the best path for a
road. With a chain saw, he cut down trees growing where our road
would be. He trimmed off the branches. Then he cut the trunks
into 10-foot lengths.
Crash! Boom!
PL
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6
8
First we needed to build a road from our cabin to the edge of
the swamp.
9
Our friend Don arrived with his backhoe and dump truck. He
used the backhoe’s bucket like a wrecking ball—Crash! Boom!—to
knock down an old cinder-block cabin.
10
We used rocky dirt and the blocks to make a firm road into
the woods.
Read paragraph 11 . Highlight
the purpose of the drainpipes.
What type of material do you
think he would have used?
Would this material have been
available to the pioneers?
From Swamp to Dry Land
11
12
Henry, Josh, and Zach tossed tree branches on top of the logs.
Then came more layers of dirt and logs. Slowly, our corduroy road
grew across the swamp. We were finally back on dry land.
13
Don used his backhoe to finish clearing our road. Henry, Josh,
and Zach raked the road smooth and pushed big rocks to the sides.
338
Read paragraphs 12 – 13 . Think
back to what you learned about
the drawbacks of these roads.
What problem were they trying
to reduce?
E
When we reached the swamp, we began building our corduroy
section. With his backhoe, Don carried the 10-foot logs and laid
them in the muck. He laid two drainpipes to allow a small stream
to keep flowing under our road.
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Lesson 27
Guided Questions
14
Building a corduroy road was hard work—but it was worth it.
Now it’s easy to get down to the lake. And we’re not the only ones
who use the road. Deer, foxes, and wild turkeys do, too!
It’s important to check with the state’s Environmental
Protection Agency before working on a wetland area.
SA
Answer the following questions based on the passage you just read.
Elevate
1. Make a connection between the cloth called corduroy and what you have learned about
corduroy roads. Why do you think these log roads were called corduroy roads?
PL
M
2. Why do you think the modern family used broken cinder blocks in the road they made
from the house into the roads?
3. Connect the information about the pioneers with the information about how the
modern family built a corduroy road.
E
To Build a Corduroy Road
What Pioneers Used
axes
chain saw, backhoe
shovel
backhoe
wagons
dump truck, backhoe
oxen
backhoe
trees, dirt
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Lesson 27
Elevate
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
4. Read this paragraph.
Building a corduroy road was hard work—but it was worth it. Now it’s easy to get
down to the lake. And we’re not the only ones who use the road. Deer, foxes, and wild
turkeys do, too!
Based on what you learned, draw a conclusion: Who had the easier job of building a
corduroy road—the pioneers or the modern family? Why?
SA
Writing
Research
Listening and Speaking
21st Century Skills: Teamwork
Cross-Curriculum Connection:
Social Studies
PL
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Critical
Thinking
5. Work in a small group. Investigate another way in which
the pioneers were engineers. For example, you might
find out how they built log cabins. Assign different
research tasks. After each student has completed the
research, compile your results. Draw up a chart
explaining the process.

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On Your Own
Read the selection below. Then answer the questions that follow it.
Mr. Lincoln’s Dog
by Lois Miner Huey
2
3
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1
Jumping up and yipping, Fido chased his tail. He looked like a pinwheel going round
and round. The family laughed, but soon Abraham Lincoln’s eyes grew sad. He treasured
rolling on the floor with his yellow dog.
But what should he do with Fido now?
Lincoln had been elected President of the United States, and he and his family would
be moving east from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C.
“Mr. Lincoln’s Dog” by Lois Miner Huey, Copyright © 2009 by Highlights for Children,
Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
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Lesson 27
4
Humming happy tunes, Mrs. Lincoln bustled about packing their belongings in large
trunks. Being the President’s wife was a dream come true.
5
Robert, the Lincolns’ eldest son, was attending school in the East. He was glad his
family would be close by.
6
7
And sons Willie and Tad couldn’t wait to live in the White House.
But not without Fido. The name Fido comes from the Latin for “faithful,” fidelis. It was
the perfect name for the L incoln’s dog. The Lincoln’s concern for him also proved how
faithful they were.
SA
8
“I could take care of him, Pa,” Tad insisted.
9
But would Fido be happy in the nation’s capital?
10
The floppy-eared dog usually trotted behind Lincoln as he strolled down the Springfield
streets. He sometimes carried a package in his mouth and waited outside the barbershop
while Lincoln got a shave and a haircut. Passersby often stopped to smooth the rough, dark
patches on Fido’s back while he thumped his feathery tail.
11
It seemed that everyone in Springfield knew him.
Tad Lincoln and Fido walked through mud after rainstorms, squishing the soft ooze
between their toes.
13
When the two “clay-covered” figures returned home, Mrs. Lincoln would order them to
wash at the well by the back door before entering the house.
PL
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12
14
Such fun wouldn’t be possible in Washington.
Clanging bells and deep cannon booms during town celebrations sent Fido scurrying
under a seven-foot-long horsehair sofa made for the tall Mr. Lincoln. If he rode with the
family to Washington, surely the loud hiss of the train’s engine and the chugging of giant
wheels would frighten him.
16
Best he stay in Springfield. But who would keep Fido happy until the Lincolns
returned?
17
Lincoln knew the answer—John and Frank Roll, young friends of the Lincoln boys. Fido
adored the brothers, licking their hands and running halfway home with them after a visit.
18
But before the Lincolns gave up their precious pet, they laid down some important rules:
E
15
• Fido should not be scolded for muddy paws or be tied up alone in the backyard.
• Fido should be allowed to go out whenever he scratched at the door, and he should sit
next to the dining-room table during meals. (Lincoln often slipped him food there!)
19
The Rolls agreed. Mr. Roll even moved the black horsehair sofa into his house so that
Fido would have his favorite hiding place.
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20
21
22
23
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
Before leaving, Mr. Lincoln and the boys took Fido to have his picture taken by
Fred Ingmire. Fido lay on a flowered rug placed over a washstand while Mr. Ingmire
photographed him from the front and twice from the side.
The Lincolns probably carried the pictures with them to their new home in Washington.
In 1863, the Springfield barber wrote to the Lincolns, “Tell Taddy that his (and Willy’s)
Dog is a live and Kicking doing well he stays mostly at John E. Rolls with his Boys who are
about the size now that Tad & Willy were when they left for Washington.”
It was best that Fido had remained in Springfield.
SA
When Abraham Lincoln died in 1865, hundreds of mourners crowded into Springfield.
Mr. Ingmire, the photographer, printed calling cards with Fido’s picture on them—in
memory of Mr. Lincoln.
25
The President would have been happy to know that his precious yellow dog was well
taken care of and happy. Fido lived with the Rolls until his own death a year later.
26
Some believe that Mr. Ingmire took Fido’s picture after President Lincoln’s death. But
John Roll, the young boy who adopted Fido, said that Abraham Lincoln had it done before
he left Springfield. Either way, Fido was most likely the first dog of a U.S. President to sit for
a photograph.
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24
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Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
Lesson 27
Abe’s Whiskers
by Maureen Straka
SA
President Lincoln was the f rst president in
United States history to wear a beard.
PL
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1
When you hear the name Abraham Lincoln, there are a few images that spring to mind:
the tall black hat, the bow tie—and, of course, the beard. You might be surprised to find
out that it was an eleven-year-old girl who urged Lincoln to grow his famous whiskers.
2
In the fall of 1860, a beardless Abraham Lincoln was running for President of the
United States when he received a letter from eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield,
New York. In her letter dated October 15, 1860, Grace inquired about Lincoln’s family.
Then she proceeded to tell him that he should let his whiskers grow because his face was
“so thin.” She explained that “ladies like whiskers” and that if he grew a beard, “they would
tease their husbands to vote” for him, and then he would be President.
3
Lincoln responded with the following letter on October 19, 1860:
My dear little Miss,
E
Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received.
I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three sons—one seventeen, one
nine, one seven years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole family.
As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece
of silly affection if I were to begin it now?
Your very sincere well wisher,
A. Lincoln
“Abe’s Whiskers” by Maureen Straka, Reprinted by permission of SPIDER magazine
February 2009, text © 2009 by Carus Publishing Company.
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Mr. Lincoln was elected the sixteenth President of the United States on November 6,
1860. Shortly after the election, he had a change of heart about growing facial hair.
On December 27, 1860, the Evanston, Indiana, Daily Journal announced that the
President-elect was sprouting “a pair of whiskers.” By the time he left Springfield on
February 11, 1861, to begin his journey to the White House, he had a full beard. Lincoln
had his picture taken two days before his departure, and this bewhiskered image is what
we see on the five-dollar bill today.
5
On his train ride to Washington, D.C., Lincoln made a stop in Westfield, New York. He
stood on the platform and greeted the cheering crowd. Then he asked if the little girl who
wrote him a letter was present and said he would like to meet her. Grace emerged from
the crowd carrying a bouquet of roses. He kissed her and announced that he had let his
whiskers grow because of her advice. Grace, who was a bit overwhelmed, ran all the way
home still clutching the flowers, which she had forgotten to give to Mr. Lincoln.
SA
4
6
PL
M
Grace later married George Billings, who served as a soldier in the Civil War. The
couple moved to Delphos, Kansas, and had one child. A memorial bearing the words of
Grace’s letter stands in the Delphos town square. Grace’s original letter to Lincoln is now
housed at the Detroit (Michigan) Pubic Library. In 1999, the city of Westfield put up
statues to honor Abraham Lincoln and his famous little friend.
Answer the following questions based on the passage you just read.
1. In “Mr. Lincoln’s Dog,” what is the main problem the Lincolns face in paragraphs 1–9?
A
They don’t want to move to Washington, D.C.
B
They may have to leave their dog behind.
C
Robert, the eldest son, wants to join the family in the White House.
D Dogs aren’t allowed in the White House.
2. Read paragraphs 13–14 from “Mr. Lincoln’s Dog.”
Such fun wouldn’t be possible in Washington.
E
When the two “clay-covered” figures returned home, Mrs. Lincoln would order them
to wash at the well by the back door before entering the house.
How do these paragraphs help explain the Lincolns’ problem at the beginning of the article?
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Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
Lesson 27
3. What is the main purpose of the rules the Lincolns laid down? How does the letter
from the Springfield barber connect with this purpose?
SA
4. What is the purpose of the first paragraph in “Abe’s Whiskers”? What surprising fact
does it reveal?
Elevate
PL
M
5. Both of these articles tell about Abe Lincoln, but they include very different events
from his life. What purpose do they have in common?
6. Look at the chart below.
Mr. Lincoln’s Dog
• photograph of dog
was used on calling
card in memory of
Lincoln
•
E
Which item best belongs in the chart?
Abe’s Whiskers
A
Photograph became the only way we know what Lincoln looked like before he
became president
B
Image made him look more attractive than the candidate running against him
C
Photograph is the only one we have showing Lincoln with a beard
D This image of Lincoln now appears on the five-dollar bill
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Elevate
Synthesize and Connect Ideas Within and Among Texts
7. What impression do you form of Abraham Lincoln by putting together the
information in both of these articles? Use details to support your response. Tell
whether this impression of Lincoln is different from the one you had before you
started reading.
SA
PL
M
Critical
Thinking
8. In Lincoln’s day, photographs were an important tool in
creating an impression. Work in a small group. Make
connections to today. Talk about how media helps
create impressions of political figures. After your
discussion, draw up a summary of your conclusions.
Writing
Research
Listening and Speaking
21st Century Skills: Media Literacy
Cross-Curriculum Connection:
Social Studies
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STAAR Minitest: Expository Text
Read the selection below. Then answer the questions that follow them.
Animal Architects
by Donna Henes
1
SA
Everybody needs a home. Homes protect us from weather and
keep us safe and comfortable. Animals are no exception. Humans
live in a wide variety of structures. Around the world, people have
designed and built their homes to suit their particular needs and ways
of life. Animals do the same.
In addition to making living places, people and animals both build
other structures: bridges, dams, traps, and storage areas. These
structures help people and animals survive.
3
People and animals both use different materials and methods
for their constructions. They build with wood, weave with fibers and
vines, dig into the earth, and mold out of mud. From sky-high nests
to elaborate tunnels, the amazing works of animal architects rival
those of the greatest human engineers. Let’s take a look at some . . .
4
Beavers build lodges along the banks of lakes and ponds. Using
branches they chewed apart themselves, beavers begin by building a
cone-shaped frame. Then they fill in the gaps with mud and leaves.
The entrance to the lodge is always at the bottom, underwater, so
beavers can come and go without being seen by predators.
5
In addition to their lodges, beavers build dams. Water builds up
behind the dams, creating flooded areas that are ideal places for
beavers to find food. The flooded areas also provide pools for other
wildlife.
6
Termites build 20-foot-high mounds out of dirt and their own
saliva. These giant structures are like small apartment buildings.
Besides living areas, these towers have food storage areas, nurseries
for “baby” termites, a special chamber for the king and queen, and
even gardens. (A chamber is like a room.)
E
PL
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2
“Animal Architects” by Donna Henes From APPLESEEDS April 2009 issue: How Did
They Build That?, © 2009, Carus Publishing Company, published by Cobblestone
Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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STAAR Minitest
Termite towers are rock-hard, with porous walls that allow the
mound to “breathe,” letting old air out and fresh air in. They have
many tunnels and vents that help regulate heat inside the mound, so
the insects can live in a comfortable temperature.
8
Wombats dig huge underground burrows that can be 100 feet
long. Wombat tunnels are elaborate, with many entrances, side
tunnels, and resting chambers. Inside the burrow, sleeping nests are
built on raised “platforms” to keep them dry in case of flooding. Often,
several burrows are connected, creating structures so huge they can
actually be seen from space!
SA
7
Birds are among the most amazing architects of the animal world.
Their nests are as varied as the birds that create them.
10
Bald eagles build massive nests, 4 to 5 feet across and 3 to 6 feet
deep, high in tall trees. They use their beaks and amazingly strong
talons to break branches and twigs for nest material.
11
Like beavers, eagles begin by building a stick frame. Then
they weave in smaller branches and twigs for added strength and
protection. Finally, eagles line their nests with grasses and other soft
material to make them comfy.
12
The largest eagle nest of all time was recorded in the 1890s. This
giant was 8 feet across and 12 feet deep and weighed nearly 2 tons—
the size of a small pickup truck! Perched 80 feet from the ground, this
nest was used by pairs of eagles for more than 35 years, until it was
blown down by a storm.
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STAAR Minitest
13
At the other size extreme are the tiny, delicate nests of
hummingbirds. Less than 2 inches in diameter, these nests are only
as big as half a walnut shell. They are made of small pieces of soft
plant fibers. Lined with fluffy plant down and covered with bits of
lichen or moss, they are even camouflaged. The entire nest is held
together by sticky hummingbird saliva!
SA
PL
M
Hummingbird nests are so tiny and light that they can hang from
a branch by a single fiber. To stabilize the nests so they don’t blow
around in the wind, the birds attach long “tails” of grass that hang
down like anchors.
15
Male bowerbirds build structures—called bowers—that are not
nests. They are advertisements built to attract females. The simplest
bower might be an “avenue” of twigs. The male bird struts up and
down this avenue, showing off to an attractive female bird. For a
fancier effect, the male bird might apply yellow, brown, or purple
plant juices to the sticks.
16
More complicated bowers are towers of sticks with display areas.
The male bird arranges his collection of treasures in these bowers.
These “bird museums” might include colorful feathers, snail shells,
beetle wings and heads, bones, flowers, and anything else that takes
the bird’s fancy. Some bowers have been found to contain silver
spoons, car keys, tin mugs, buttons, and colorful scraps of human
trash. Bowerbirds seem to particularly like things that are blue.
17
Take a look around you. Can you find other examples of amazing
animal architecture?
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STAAR Minitest
1
Which statement below best summarizes the main idea of paragraphs 1–2?
A Animals build houses to protect them from the weather and to keep them
comfortable.
B Just as human beings do, animals live in houses that they build.
C Animals are architects and they build many structures.
D Like humans, animals build structures to live in and to help them survive.
SA
2
The author organizes this selection mostly by —
F grouping details by each type of animal
G presenting the various stages of building in sequence
PL
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H comparing the work of humans and animals
J
3
explaining why animals build homes
In paragraph 7, porous means —
A extremely strong
B warmly heated
E
C solid, hard
D filled with holes
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STAAR Minitest
4
Based on the description of termite mounds in paragraphs 6–7, the reader can conclude
that termites —
F build a completely new mound fairly often
G live together in well-organized groups
H use simple tools to build their homes
J
can live comfortably at a wide range of temperatures
SA
5
Look at the dictionary entry below.
PL
M
space \spays\ n. 1 distance, area, or volume of a set area 2 a blank area
between two things 3 the limitless region beyond Earth’s atmosphere 4
the distance between other people and you
Which definition of space best fits the way the word is used in paragraph 8?
A Meaning 1
B Meaning 2
C Meaning 3
D Meaning 4
E
6
Which sentence below cannot be verified by a reliable source?
F The largest eagle nest of all time was recorded in the 1890s.
G Wombats dig huge underground burrows that can be 100 feet long.
H Termites build 20-foot-high mounds out of dirt and their own saliva.
J
Birds are among the most amazing architects of the animal world.
Peoples Education
9781615268207_TX5_MUD_Reading_SE_interior.indb 351
Process Black
Copying is illegal.
STAAR Minitest: Expository Text • Unit 4, Chapter 2
351
10/22/2012 10:37:25 AM
STAAR Minitest
7
The author uses boldface type mainly to —
A highlight the words that are being defined
B identify the information in each section
C show that ideas are important
D connect the sections to the images
SA
E
PL
M
352
Reading • Level E
9781615268207_TX5_MUD_Reading_SE_interior.indb 352
Process Black
Copying is illegal.
Measuring Up
®
to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
10/22/2012 10:37:26 AM