The Bald Eagle: America’s National Bird
The bald eagle is America’s national bird. It is the emblem, or
symbol, that stands for America. The bald eagle was chosen to represent
America on June 20, 1782. This was the date when the great seal of
America was adopted.
The bald eagle was chosen as America’s
emblem for many reasons. The eagle represents
the spirit of freedom. It soars high above the
mountains, living a life of freedom. It also
stands for a long life. Wild bald eagles can live
as long as thirty years. Once an eagle is paired
with its mate, the pair will stay together until
one of them dies. Pairs of eagles build nests out
of sticks on the tops of very tall trees. The bald
eagle has a majestic look as well. It is a big and
powerful bird. It was named at a time when the word “bald” meant white
or streaked with white. So, the bald eagle is not bald at all. Rather, the
adult eagle’s head is covered with white feathers. Its tail is also white.
The bald eagle’s body and wings are dark brown and its eyes, beak, and
feet are yellow. The bald eagle was also selected as America’s symbol
because it is the only eagle confined to the North American continent.
One story suggests that during one of the first battles of the
Revolutionary War, bald eagles were circling above the fighting men.
The eagles were making shrieking cries. The patriots thought that the
eagles were encouraging them by crying for freedom!
Bringing Freshwater to Thirsty People
Water is a basic necessity of life. Without it, we could not live. As more and more people
populate the world, more and more water is needed. But, in many parts of the world, such as
deserts, water is sparse. There may be very little precipitation, with only a few inches of rain or
snow in a year. People living in these places may not have sufficient water to drink or grow food.
In recent years, scientists have been working on new ways to solve the problem of limited
water supplies and quench the thirst of people everywhere. The scientists have found several
processes that remove the salt and other minerals from water. These processes yield freshwater
that people can use for drinking and growing crops.
How do people remove salts and other minerals from water? One way is through
evaporation. The saltwater is heated until it turns into steam, leaving minerals behind. The
evaporated water is collected and can then be used. Another method of creating freshwater is by
freezing saltwater. When the saltwater freezes, ice crystals of freshwater are formed. The
freshwater ice is removed from the remaining saltwater. Then, the ice can be melted and used.
Making freshwater from saltwater may sound like a good idea, but it may not be. These
processes use a lot of energy, so they are very expensive. The cost of the processed water can be
five to 10 times higher than the cost of normal water. For now, most water processing of this
kind is done in the Middle East. The need for water is great there, and there is plenty of oil to use
for energy. Other places may not be as lucky.
Also, making freshwater from saltwater may solve one problem, the need for water, but it
creates another problem: pollution. When fuels such as oil are burned, they pollute the air. Even
more pollution is created when leftover water is released back into rivers or seas. This leftover
water can be very salt and full of chemicals that can harm plants and animals.
Even so, more places around the world are having water shortages and droughts. So,
people will probably keep building machines to produce freshwater from saltwater. This may
help people for several years or even decades into the future, but nobody really knows how it
will affect lives 50 or 100 years from now. Even though the processes of taking salt out of water
are meant to help people, they could instead lead to disasters.
(Excerpted from Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis (Level Q), Learning A-Z)
Step-by-Step Close Reading of Text
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Write Information from
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Answers to Questions
Let’s Talk about the Cherokee
By Bill Carey
Who Are the Cherokee?
Before white settlers came to America, there were about 20,000 Cherokee living in parts of what are now
eight states (including Tennessee).
The Cherokee lived in villages next to rivers. Within the village, each family lived in a small house made
of mud and logs. Each family also had a different structure that they stayed in during the winter. It was
covered with earth, to keep out the cold. Once you moved into the winter house, there was always a fire
burning inside.
Cherokee villages didn’t have stores, school buildings, or churches. Usually, the only structure other than
houses that you found in Cherokee villages was the council house. Meetings were held in the council
house.
What Was Life Like for Cherokee Children?
Cherokee boys were taught how to find their way in the forest without getting lost. They were taught to
make weapons with their bare hands. They were taught to make fire from sticks. They were taught how to
fish. They were taught how to use a blowgun to hunt wild animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and birds.
Boys were also taught to make weapons and tools and carve things from wood. Whenever someone else
in the village built a cabin or carved a canoe out of a hollowed-out log, the boys were expected to help.
Whenever the men in the village were going on a hunting trip, boys were expected to come. These
hunting trips might last for weeks.
If you were a girl in a Cherokee village, you learned how to make clothes out of animal skin and weave
baskets from river cane. You learned to make containers for water. You learned to make jewelry out of
things like shells, nuts, and stones.
Cherokee girls also had to help look after their younger brothers and sisters. In Cherokee society, women
ran the household, so girls had a lot to learn, and a lot to do. They had to keep the fire burning all day.
They had to know which plants you could eat, and which plants you could not eat. They gathered berries,
nuts, and wild plants.
What Did the Cherokee Kids Do for Fun?
Cherokee children played a game called stickball. Stickball was a rough game played between two teams
that was sort of like lacrosse, only a lot tougher. A game of stickball might last for days. And in stickball,
you could tackle any other player at any time. Stickball was such a tough sport that it also had a
nickname- the little brother of war.
Source: TN History for Kids (http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/)