How do we decide
what is
?
true
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
from “Why
Leaves Turn Color
in the Fall” by Diane Ackerman
When the days begin to shorten, soon after the summer solstice on June
21, a tree reconsiders its leaves. All summer it feeds them so they can
process sunlight, but in the dog days of summer the tree begins pulling
nutrients back into its trunk and roots, pares down, and gradually chokes
off its leaves. A corky layer of cells forms at the leaves’ slender petioles,
then scars over. Undernourished, the leaves stop producing the pigment
chlorophyll, and photosynthesis ceases. Animals can migrate, hibernate,
or store food to prepare for winter. But where can a tree go? It survives by
dropping its leaves, and by the end of autumn only a few fragile threads of
fluid-carrying xylem hold leaves to their stems.
A turning leaf stays partly green at first, then reveals splotches of yellow
and red as the chlorophyll gradually breaks down. Dark green seems
to stay the longest in the veins, outlining and defining them. During
the summer, chlorophyll dissolves in the heat and light, but it is also
being steadily replaced. In the fall, on the other hand, no new pigment is
produced, and so we notice the other colors that were always there, right
in the leaf, although chlorophyll’s shocking green hid them from view.
Partner Activity
2
from
“The Origin of the Seasons” by Olivia Coolidge
When Demeter saw Hermes with her daughter, she started up, and
Persephone too rushed forward with a glad cry and flung her arms about
her mother’s neck. For a long time the two caressed each other, but at last
Demeter began to question the girl. “Did you eat or drink anything with
Hades?” she asked her daughter anxiously, and the girl replied:
“Nothing until Hermes released me. Then in my joy I took a pomegranate
and ate seven of its seeds.”
“Alas,” said the goddess in dismay, “my daughter, what have you done?
The Fates have said that if you ate anything in the land of shadow, you
must return to Hades and rule with him as his queen. However, you
ate not the whole pomegranate, but only seven of the seeds. For seven
months of the year, therefore, you must dwell in the underworld, and the
remaining five you may live with me.”
Thus the Fates had decreed, and even Zeus could not alter their law. For
seven months of every year, Persephone is lost to Demeter and rules
pale and sad over the dead. At this time Demeter mourns, trees shed
their leaves, cold comes, and the earth lies still and dead. But when, in
the eighth month, Persephone returns, her mother is glad and the earth
rejoices. The wheat springs up, bright, fresh, and green in the plowland.
Flowers unfold, birds sing, and young animals are born.
Class Discussion
3
1-1 Understanding the Big Question
How do we decide what is true?
before reading your anchor book
y
y
following activity, you will test your classmates to see if they k
what is true about you.
On the following lines below, write three statements about you
achievements, past experiences, or family. Write two statement
that are true and one that is made up. Be sure your made-up
statement sounds convincing and as true as possible. Your gro
members will have to decide which statement is false!
As you write your statements, think of the following.
▶ Avoid writing overly specific or obvious statements, such
as “My favorite color is purple,” “I have two eyes,” or
“I don’t like winter.”
▶ Try
y writing statements that require your group members
think about how realistic the statement seems, such as “I o
swallowed a bee,” “I have never seen the ocean,” or “My
ancestors came over on the Mayflower.”
Statement 1:
Statement 2:
Statement 3:
4
Lesson 1-1
Directions Read your statements to your group members. Then ask
your group members which statements they think are true and which
one is false. Discuss the answers with your group.
1
Choose three true statements that either you or your group
members wrote. On the lines below, describe how each
statement could be proven. Consider the following sources that
could provide the necessary information.
Historical
document
Personal letter
Photograph
Newspaper
article
Report card
Birth certificate
Magazine
Statement 1: ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Statement 2: ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Statement 3: ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2
Discuss your made-up statements. Which statement was
the most believable? Explain why it was believable. Which
statement was the least believable? Explain why it was not
very believable.
3
Based on what you learned in this activity, work with your
group to write a definition of the word true without using a
dictionary. Then share your group’s definition with the class.
before reading your anchor book
Certi ficat e of
award
about how you can decide if something is true or not.
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
before reading your anchor book
Fiction and Nonfiction
6
People have been telling stories long before they were able
to put them on paper. These stories were passed from one
generation to the next, both to entertain and to share cultural
beliefs and traditions. In some cases, the stories were fictional, or
made up. In other cases, the stories were nonfiction—descriptions
of events that actually happened.
The diagram compares some characteristics of fiction and nonfiction.
FICTION
NONFICTION
What it is
stories or writings that are made up
What it is
accounts of real people, places, and events
Characteristics
realistic or fantasy; can include real
people, places, and events
Characteristics
factual; may contain the actual words of a
person or historical document
Types of Fiction
folk tales, myths, realistic fiction,
historical fiction, science fiction
Types of Nonfiction
manuals, biographies, historical accounts,
speeches, letters, journals, reference books
Examples of Texts
short story, novella, novel, drama
Examples of Texts
newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias,
original documents, textbooks
Lesson 1-1
Often, it can be hard to distinguish a fictional story from an account
of a real event. Many types of fiction contain characters that seem real.
The setting might be a place that is real. The story might be based on
a real event. Although the characters and their dialogue are made up,
the story may include, or be based on, real people.
Nonfiction, however, tells about real people, places, and events.
Nonfiction includes facts, ideas, and opinions, but it doesn’t include
anything that has been made up. The facts in a piece of nonfiction can
be verified, or proven to be true.
As you read, you can ask questions to help you identify whether
you’re reading fiction or nonfiction.
▶ Is the text about a real person? Is it a biography?
▶ Is there something on the cover of the book or in the title that makes
me think the story is real or made up?
▶ Does the text give real dates and places that an event took place?
Directions Read the passage below. Underline the parts that could be
made up and circle the parts that could be true.
Finally, after weeks of begging his dad to take him, on
July 4, 1965, Jason was sitting in the NASA viewing room
watching the spacecraft Mariner 4 perform the first successful
flyby of the planet Mars. The spacecraft had cameras on board
programmed to send photos back to Earth—the first photos
anyone had everr seen of the Red Planet.
Jason watched the scientists, nervously staring at the screen.
They all hoped to see some form of life on Mars. But were they
surprised when the images started to appear—a frozen world
covered in a purple and pink haze with hundreds of people—
double-headed purple people—walking around!
before reading your anchor book
▶ What has happened so far in the story?
Now decide: Is the passage fiction or nonfiction? Why do you
think so? Discuss with a partner.
In the next two lessons, you will learn a reading skill and a
vocabulary-building strategy. Each unit will introduce new skills and
strategies. Look to these lessons to help you become a better reader.
Reading Skills
VocabularyBuilding Strategies
Help you
monitor your
comprehension
Provide
you with tools
to address
confusion while
you read
Introduction to Fiction and Nonfiction
7
1-2 Reading Skills
Making Predictions
before reading your anchor book
Academic Vocabulary
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
verify v.
Related words: verified,
verification, verifiable
to confirm
She can verifyy her prediction by reading
the rest of the book.
revise v.
Related words:
revised, revision
to change something
based on new ideas and
information
I will revisee my story after you comment
on it.
assist v.
Related words: assisted,
assistant, assistance
to give help or support
Everything you’ve ever learned will
assistt you in the future.
When you make predictions, you make logical guesses about
what will happen next in a text. First, look for clues in the text, title,
headings, and images. Then think about what you already know about
the topic. Finally, use this information to assistt you in guessing, or
predicting, what will happen next.
As you read, verify
y your predictions by checking them against what
happens in the text. Revise your predictions if they are not accurate.
You can use a diagram like this one to help you make predictions.
Text Clues
The Boy Scout is hiking
in the woods. He keeps
losing the trail.
What I Know
Boy Scouts usually have
hiking skills.
8
Lesson 1-2
My
Prediction
He is lost but will
find his way out
of the woods.
New Detail
He sees an
opening through
the trees ahead.
Verify or
Revise
He finds his way.
My prediction
matches what
happens.
Directions Read the first paragraph of the selection. Then fill in the
What I Know and My Prediction boxes in the diagram below. Read on to
see whether or not your prediction was correct. Finally, complete the
Verify or Revise Prediction box.
Won’t Know Till I Get There
by Walter Dean Myers
About the Author
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: exe-6101
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Last year we studied what our English teacher
called “personal” writing. Mainly they were diaries and journals, stuff
like that. One of the reasons people write that way, she said, is that the
writing helps them bring things together, to see where they fit in life.
Right now that seems like a good idea. The English teacher said that I
write well, and I know I need to get some things together in my own
head, so I figured a journal would be cool.
before reading your anchor book
When I thought I was going into coin collecting in a big way (which I
didn’t), I bought a little fireproof safe. I can keep the journal in
there and keep it locked up. Also, I can write it in my father’s
den. It’s his den, but the three of us share it, really. Whoever
is in there first has first rights, and the others don’t intrude.
Usually we don’t use it that much. I guess the four of us will be
sharing it now. That’s more or less what the journal is about—
how come there’s four of us now.
Text Clues
The English teacher
said that he writes well.
He wants to use the
journal to “get some
things together in his
own head.”
My
Prediction
New Detail
He has to share his
father’s den with
his family.
Verify
or Revise
Prediction
What I Know
Making Predictions
9
Before you read the article, look at the title, images, and
headings. Make a prediction and write it on a separate sheet of
paper. Then, read the article. Guiding Question: What do you
know to be true about protecting the environment?
beforeh reading your anchor book
Here’s a riddle
for you: What is
bigger than the
United States and
Mexico combined; is
covered with more than two
kilometers of ice; is a unique
habitat for many animals;
and is a source of oil, coal,
and iron? The answer is the
continent of Antarctica. Some
people think of Antarctica
as a useless, icy wasteland.
But there are unique wildlife
habitats in Antarctica, and
there are also valuable
minerals beneath its thick ice.
Now the question many
people are asking is this:
What is the best use of
Antarctica? Many people
want access to its rich
deposits of minerals and
oil. Others worry that
mining will harm its
delicate ecosystems. Some
people propose building
hotels, parks, and ski
resorts. But others feel that
Antarctica should remain
undeveloped. It is not even
clear who should decide
Antarctica’s fate.
10
Lesson 1-2
Resource Use
Pollution
Making Environmental
Decisions
䊉
A.D.
1
A.D.
1700
600 million
A.D.
1985
5 billion
150 million
before reading your anchor book
Map Key
= 1 million
people
Population Growth
11
Weighing the
Consequences
Drilling for oil in Antarctica could
disrupt wildlife, such as these
penguins.
Costs and Benefits
before reading your anchor book
Balancing Needs
BENEFITS
• jobs
• oil for heat,
electricity, and
transportation
COSTS
• habitat loss
• expense
• danger to
wildlife
ANTARCTIC DRILLING
12
Lesson 1-2
Thinking About the Selection
Environmental Issues
1
Verify Look at the prediction you wrote before you read the
article. Was your prediction correct? Use the graphic organizer
to help you to verify or revise your prediction.
Text Clues
My
Prediction
New Detail
Verify
or Revise
Prediction
What I Know
3
before reading your anchor book
2
Explain Was your prediction accurate, or did you have to
revise it while reading? Use details from the article to explain
your answer.
Predict Based on what you read, do you think people will find
a balance between our need for energy and the planet’s needs
so that the environment is not threatened? Explain.
Write Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper.
4
5
What do you know to be true about protecting
the environment?
Predict Look at the title, chapter headings, images,
and other text features in your Anchor Book. Make a
prediction about what you think will happen. Revise your
prediction as you read.
Making Predictions
13
1-3 Vocabulary Building
Unlocking Word Meanings
Strategies
Use these strategies to help you unlock the meaning of an
unfamiliar word. If one strategy doesn’t work, try another.
before reading your anchor book
▶ Skip the word and continue reading. Its meaning might
become clearer as you read further.
▶ Try to sound out the word phonetically. Look at syllables or
smaller parts of the word you recognize. It might be a word
you’ve heard spoken before but have never seen in print.
▶ Break the word into parts, such as prefixes and base words.
▶ Look for clues—such as other words in the sentence, pictures, or
illustrations—that suggest the word’s meaning.
▶ Think about the subject of the text or the situation a character
is dealing with. What word or words would make sense when
describing that subject or situation?
His steed took off and galloped
g
p through the prairie.
Question: What animal gallops?
Answer: A horse. A steed must be a horse.
▶ When all else fails, use a dictionary, thesaurus, glossary, or
electronic resource to find the meaning, part of speech and
pronunciation of the word.
▶ Once you have learned a word’s meaning, think about how
y is a word
it relates to other words you know. An analogy
relationship that helps you to think about the concept of the
word, not just its definition. It is a way of comparing and making
connections between words.
Example Analogy
Decemberr is to winterr as Septemberr is to fall
14
Lesson 1-3
Explanation
Explains that December and September
are months, and that they both belong
to seasons.
Using Prefixes
Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning of a base word.
The letters pre- in prefix, for example, mean “before.” Knowing
the meaning of some common prefixes can help you unlock the
meaning of new words. Using prefixes can also make your writing
more precise.
Prefix
dis-
Prefix Meaning
Base Word
New Word
opposite of
trust
distrust
not able to trust
tangle
untangle
to free from tangles
un-
Meaning of New Word
from, out
claim
exclaim
to shout out
mis-
wrong
spell
misspell
to spell incorrectly
pre-
before
school
preschool
school before required school
re-
again, back
heat
reheat
to heat again
Directions Revise the underlined part of each sentence using a prefix
from the chart.
1
The man gasped in lack of belief.
2
Rather than bake a cake, I bought one that was made
beforehand.
Directions Use what you have learned about prefixes to figure out
the meaning of the following words. Locate the prefix and its meaning
in the chart. Then, write what you think the word means on the first
line. Check your guess by looking up each word in a dictionary or an
online resource. Write the definition on the second line.
3
before reading your anchor book
ex-
prevent
My guess:
Definition:
4
misplace
My guess:
Definition:
Unlocking Word Meanings
15