G6 Exercise ELL Se

Grade 6
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ELL
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Grade 6
Grade 6
ELL
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MHID: 0-02-118749-5
Contents
Unit 1 • Changes
Perspectives Dynamic Earth
Little Blog on the Prairie Into the Volcano
Vocabulary 1 Vocabulary 31
Comprehension: Compare and Comprehension: Main Idea and
Contrast Graphic Organizer 2 Key Details Graphic Organizer 32
Comprehension and Fluency 3 Comprehension and Fluency 33
Comprehension: Compare and Comprehension: Main Idea and
Contrast and Fluency 5 Key Details and Fluency 35
Genre/Literary Element 6 Genre/Text Feature 36
Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues 7 Vocabulary Strategy:
Phonics: Short Vowels 8 Metaphor and Simile 37
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 9 Phonics: r-Controlled Vowels 38
Writing Traits: Organization 10 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 39
Writing Traits: Voice 40
Alliances
The Mostly True Adventures TIME For Kids
of Homer P. Figg The Economic Roller Coaster
Comprehension: Sequence Comprehension: Author’s Point of View
Graphic Organizer 12 Graphic Organizer 42
Comprehension: Sequence and Fluency 15 Comprehension: Author’s Point of View
and Fluency 45
Genre/Visual Element 16
Genre/Text Feature 46
Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues 17
Vocabulary Strategy: Root Words 47
Phonics: Long Vowels 18
Word Study: Compounds with Hyphens 48
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 19

Writing Traits: Word Choice 20
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 50
Environments
Journey into the Deep
Vocabulary 21
Comprehension: Main Idea and
Key Details Graphic Organizer 22
Comprehension and Fluency 23
Key Details and Fluency 25
Vocabulary Strategy: Greek Roots 27
Word Study: Frequently
Misspelled Words 28
Writing Traits: Ideas 30
iii
Contents
Unit 2 • Excursions Across Time
Contributions Influences
The Technology of Mesopotamia A Single Shard
Comprehension: Problem and Comprehension: Point of View
Solution Graphic Organizer 52 Graphic Organizer 82
Comprehension: Problem and Solution Comprehension:
and Fluency 55 Point of View and Fluency 85
Genre/Text Feature 56 Genre/Literary Element 86
Vocabulary Strategy: Latin Roots 57 Vocabulary Strategy:
Word Study: Irregular Plurals 58 Greek and Latin Suffixes 87
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 59 Phonics: Open Syllables 88
Writing Traits: Ideas 60 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 89
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 90
Democracy
Who Created Democracy? Past and Present
Vocabulary 61 Majestic; Clay
Comprehension: Compare and Vocabulary 91
Contrast Graphic Organizer 62 Comprehension:
Comprehension and Fluency 63 Theme Graphic Organizer 92
Comprehension: Compare and Comprehension and Fluency 93
Contrast and Fluency 65 Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 94
Genre/Text Feature 66 Genre/Literary Element 95
Vocabulary Strategy: Literary Elements:
Greek and Latin Prefixes 67 Rhyme Scheme and Meter 96
Word Study: Inflectional Endings 68 Vocabulary Strategy: Personification 97

Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 69 Phonics: Consonant + le Syllables 98
Writing Traits: Ideas 70 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 99
Ancient Societies
Roman Diary
Vocabulary 71
Comprehension: Point of View
Graphic Organizer 72
Comprehension: Point of View
and Fluency 75
Genre/Literary Element 76
Vocabulary Strategy:
Connotations and Denotations 77
Phonics: Closed Syllables 78
Writing Traits: Organization 80
iv
Contents
Unit 3 • Accomplishments
Common Ground Milestones
How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay Major Taylor
Comprehension: Comprehension: Cause and Effect
Theme Graphic Organizer 102 Graphic Organizer 132
Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 105 Comprehension: Cause and Effect
Genre/Literary Element 106 and Fluency 135
Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues 107 Genre/Text Feature 136
Phonics: Vowel Team Syllables 108 Vocabulary Strategy: Paragraph Clues 137
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 109 Word Study: Prefixes 138
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 110 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 139
Writing Traits: Voice 140
Transformations
Lizzie Bright and the TIME For Kids
Buckminster Boy Stewards of the Environment
Comprehension: Comprehension: Main Idea and
Theme Graphic Organizer 112 Key Details Graphic Organizer 142
Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 115 Comprehension: Main Idea and
Vocabulary Strategy: Paragraph Clues 117
Vocabulary Strategy: Synonyms and
Phonics: r-controlled Vowel Syllables 118
Antonyms 147
Word Study: Suffixes -ion and -tion 148

Inspiration
The Pot That Juan Built
Vocabulary 121
Comprehension:
Sequence Graphic Organizer 122
Comprehension:
Sequence and Fluency 125
Vocabulary Strategy:
Prefixes and Suffixes 127
Word Study:
Frequently Misspelled Words 128
v
Contents
Unit 4 • Challenges
Changing Environments Shared Experiences
Years of Dust Home of the Brave
Comprehension: Author’s Point of View Comprehension:
Graphic Organizer 152 Theme Graphic Organizer 182
Comprehension: Author’s Point of View Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 185
and Fluency 155 Genre/Literary Element 186
Genre/Text Feature 156 Vocabulary Strategy: Homographs 187
Vocabulary Strategy: Paragraph Clues 157 Word Study: Greek and Latin Prefixes 188
Word Study: Suffix -ion 158 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 189
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 159 Writing Traits: Ideas 190
Taking Responsibility
Overcoming Challenges This Is Just to Say; Primer Lesson
“Seeing Things His Own Way” Vocabulary 191
Vocabulary 161 Comprehension:
Comprehension: Author’s Point of View Point of View Graphic Organizer 192
Graphic Organizer 162 Comprehension and Fluency 193
Comprehension and Fluency 163 Comprehension:
Comprehension: Author’s Point of View Point of View and Fluency 194
and Fluency 165 Genre/Literary Element 195
Genre/Text Feature 166 Literary Elements:
Vocabulary Strategy: Idioms 167 Alliteration and Assonance 196
Phonics: Vowel Alternation 168 Vocabulary Strategy:
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 169 Figurative Language 197

Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 170 Phonics: Consonant Alternation 198
Standing Tall
The Case of the Magic
Marker Mischief Maker:
A Mickey Rangel Mystery
Vocabulary 171
Comprehension:
Theme Graphic Organizer 172
Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 175
Vocabulary Strategy: Homophones 177
Word Study: Prefixes and Suffixes 178
vi
Contents
Unit 5 • Discoveries
Myths Breakthroughs
The Hero and the Minotaur Planet Hunter
Comprehension: Problem and Comprehension:
Solution Graphic Organizer 202 Sequence Graphic Organizer 232
Comprehension: Problem and Comprehension:
Solution and Fluency 205 Sequence and Fluency 235
Genre/Literary Element 206 Genre/Text Feature 236
Vocabulary Strategy: Word Origins 207 Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues 237
Word Study: Homophones 208 Word Study: Greek Roots 238
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 209 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 239
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 210 Writing Traits: Organization 240
Personal Strength TIME For Kids

Elijah of Buxton Out of this World
Comprehension: Comprehension: Author’s Point of View
Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer 212 Graphic Organizer 242
Comprehension: Comprehension: Author’s Point of View
Cause and Effect and Fluency 215 and Fluency 245
Genre/Text Feature 216 Genre/Text Feature 246
Vocabulary Strategy: Vocabulary Strategy:
Adages and Proverbs 217 Connotations and Denotations 247
Word Study: Word Study: Suffixes -ive, -age, -ize 248
Words From Around the World 218 Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 249
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 219 Writing Traits: Word Choice 250
Innovations
Before Columbus
Vocabulary 221
Comprehension:
Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer 222
Comprehension:
Cause and Effect and Fluency 225
Word Study: Latin Roots 228
vii
Contents
Unit 6 • Taking Action
Resources Extraordinary Finds
The Story of Salt Pharaoh’s Boat
Comprehension: Main Idea and Comprehension:
Key Details Graphic Organizer 252 Sequence Graphic Organizer 282
Comprehension: Main Idea and Comprehension:
Key Details and Fluency 255 Sequence and Fluency 285
Genre/Text Feature 256 Genre/Text Feature 286
Vocabulary Strategy: Latin Roots 257 Vocabulary Strategy: Greek Roots 287
Word Study: Suffixes -ible and -able 258 Word Study: Absorbed Prefixes 288
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency 260 Writing Traits: Word Choice 290
Witnesses Taking a Break

The Great Fire To You; Drumbeat
Comprehension: Cause and Comprehension:
Effect Graphic Organizer 262 Theme Graphic Organizer 292
Comprehension: Cause and Comprehension: Theme and Fluency 294
Effect and Fluency 265 Genre/Literary Element 295
Genre/Text Feature 266 Literary Elements:
Vocabulary Strategy: Repetition and Imagery 296
Adages and Proverbs 267 Vocabulary Strategy:
Word Study: Figurative Language 297

Suffixes -ance, -ence, -ant, and -ent 268 Word Study: Words from Mythology 298
Writing Traits: Voice 270 Writing Traits: Word Choice 300
Investigations
Extreme Scientists
Vocabulary 271
Key Details Graphic Organizer 272
Comprehension: Main Ideas and
Word Study: Greek Suffixes 278
viii
Vocabulary
Name
Use the word chart to study this week’s vocabulary words.

Write a sentence using each word in your writer’s notebook.
Word Context Sentence Illustration
The card gave the girl

some consolation after
consolation she moved.
The stars glimmer in

the night sky.
glimmer
His sarcastic words

hurt his brother’s
sarcastic feelings.
I crossed the threshold

and entered the
classroom.
threshold
The girl is phobic about

chickens.
phobic
Washing dishes can be

a heinous job.
heinous
Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary and identify cognates.

Use gestures to demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one or two Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 1
sentences, or draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning.
Comprehension: Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the character, setting, and plot

compare-and-contrast graphic organizer.
Characters
Setting
Beginning

Middle
End
2 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1

Comprehension and Fluency
Name
Read the passage. Use the visualize strategy to help you form
mental images as you read.
SMART START
Normally, the noise in the cafeteria
6 was so deafening, you could barely
12 hear a tray drop. Now, Alex’s footsteps
19 echoed across the room. He was here
26 after school for his first session in
33 “Smart Start,” a tutoring program. More
39 like “Stupid Forever,” thought Alex.
44 Alex had been sent to Smart Start
51 for math, because his parents were
57 concerned about the Statewide Math
62 Examination that was coming up.
67 Mathematics had always been torture for Alex, and to complicate matters,
78 his little sister was taking the same math subject as he, despite being
91 almost two years younger.
95 Alex took out his tutoring form and began to fiddle with it nervously.
108 He folded over the strip with his name on it until there was a sharp crease.
124 Next, he tore the strip off, and what remained was a nearly perfect square.
138 That was ideal for his favorite hobby: origami.
146 He began folding a familiar origami figure, the bird base. Using his
158 thumbnail to create the sharp creases, Alex constructed a triangle. Then
169 he added some other folds. Soon the bird base was complete, and he was
183 on his way to making the crane. He didn’t hear the footsteps of the person
198 approaching.
Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 3

Name
“You must be Alex. I’m Sophia,” said the girl, shaking his hand. Alex quickly
shoved his folded paper aside. She continued, “I’m in eighth grade. Tell me
about yourself and what activities you enjoy doing.”
“I like just about anything except math!” Alex replied.
“Well, I suppose that’s why you are here,” she replied, laughing. “I used to
dislike math also.”
Alex knew that Sophia was attempting to make him more comfortable, so he
asked politely, “What made you begin to like it?”
“Actually, I think it was participating in marching band. I saw that counting
beats and tracking measures was all math. Hey, what’s that you’re hiding?” she
teased, tugging at his folded form.
Quickly, Alex folded and creased, then said,
“A crane!”
“That’s awesome,” said Sophia. “Do you
mind if I take it apart?” Alex shrugged. Sophia
carefully unfolded each step of the crane.
She looked excited about the wrinkled paper.
“Don’t you see? You have most of your math
course, right in front of you!” She smoothed
the paper out with the palm of her hand. “Do
your first fold,” she commanded. “You began
with a square and created two rectangles. You
have a fraction, too: one half! Fold it again, and now you have four quarters.”

Sophia indicated the top fold with her finger. “What fraction does this flap
show?”
“One quarter?” Alex responded uncertainly.
“Right! Get out some more paper, and let’s do some geometry!”
If math tutoring was going to be origami, Alex silently reasoned, maybe it
would be a Smart Start after all.

Comprehension: Compare and Contrast and Fluency
Name
A. Reread the passage and answer the questions.
1. How does Alex feel about being in the Smart Start group at the
beginning of the story? Circle the letter of the correct answer.
a. He is glad to be in the group.
b. He thinks his sister should be in the group.
c. He does not want to be in the group.
2. How does Alex feel about being in the Smart Start group at the
end of the story? Circle the letter of the correct answer.
a. He still does not want to be in the group.
b. He does not think it will be so bad after all.
c. He is embarrassed about being in the group.
3. Which two things are compared and contrasted in the story?

Circle the letter of the correct answer.
a. Alex’s attitude toward math and Sophia’s attitude toward math
b. Alex’s ability to do origami and Sophia’s ability to do origami

c. Alex’s grades in school and his sister’s grades in school
B. Work with a partner. Read the passage aloud. Pay attention to

expression and phrasing. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.
Number of Words Correct

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Bring in a piece of origami. Unfold the piece

and show students what Sophia was showing Alex. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 5
Genre/Literary Element
Name
The Long Hard Climb

Today is my first day back at school after breaking my femur bone. Truthfully,
after three excruciatingly boring weeks at home, I’m ecstatic to be back. Now,
I’m looking up at the front door of the school. I count the steps—ten. No
problem, I think. I sprint up these steps every day. The crutches go first, then the
good leg, as I ascend what seems like Mount Everest.
“Hurry. That’s the second bell,” Bridget, my best friend, urges.
As the sweat forms on my forehead, I answer, “I’m trying, but I can’t exactly
catapult myself up to the door. This is harder than it looks!”
Answer the questions about the text.
1. Realistic fiction is a story that could have happened in real life.

Name two text features that show this is realistic fiction.
2. Who is the narrator of this text? What is the narrator’s role in

the text?

3. What a character says can tell how a character feels. Give an
example of how Ashleigh shows her feelings through talking
to Bridget.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Pair students

6 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 to answer the questions using basic and content vocabulary.
Then share their answers with the group.
Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues
Name
Look at the example of context clues in the sentence below. The underlined
words help explain what concerned means.
Alex had been sent to Smart Start for math, because his parents were
concerned about the Statewide Math Examination that was coming up.
Read each passage below. Underline the context clues that help
you figure out the meaning of each word in bold. Then circle the
best definition for the word.
1. Mathematics had always been torture for Alex, and to complicate

matters, his little sister was taking the same math subject as he,
despite being almost two years younger.
a. for spite b. even though c. unconcerned
2. Next, he tore the strip off, and what remained was a nearly perfect
square. That was ideal for his favorite hobby: origami.
a. something you enjoy b. a place to go shopping c. types of food
3. He didn’t hear the footsteps of the person approaching.

a. coming close to b. watching c. avoiding
4. “Do your first fold,” she commanded.
a. ordered b. walked c. allowed
Beginning/Intermediate Review context clue words. Use gestures to

demonstrate meaning. Pair students with different language levels to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 7
complete the practice page together. When finished, review the answers.
Phonics: Short Vowels
Name
Every syllable in a word has one vowel sound. The letters a, e, i, o, and u can
stand for the short vowel sounds. Some vowel combinations can also stand
for short vowel sounds.
short a as in apple short e as in egg and head short i as in mist
short o as in shop short u as in swung
Read the first word in each row. Then find another word in the
row that has the same short vowel sound. Circle the word. The
first one has been done for you.
1. crank fade thank name
2. prod crop soak hole
3. trunk stuck mule glue
4. gift kite night trim
5. belt green crate dent
6. scuff sum fruit clue

7. trim rice smile still
8. dread page threat snail
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to decode. Read and point to the

8 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 words with the short vowel sounds. Point out your mouth position for
each sound. Have students repeat. Pair students to circle the words.
Write About Reading: Write an Analysis
Name
Evidence is details and examples from a text that support a writer’s ideas. The
student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that shows how the
author developed characters, setting, and plot.
Topic In “Smart Start,” the author created realistic characters

sentence and made the setting important to the plot. The author set
the scene in the cafeteria by explaining how quiet it was.
This made it clear that it was not a regular lunchtime,
but something different. The author then described how
Evidence
embarrassed Alex was about going to Smart Start, how
much he enjoyed doing origami, and how Sophia helped
him see origami’s relation to math. Details of character,
Concluding
setting, and plot helped to create a believable story.
statement
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Show how
the author developed character, setting, and plot. Cite evidence
from the text. Remember to use evidence to support ideas and to
use different sentence types.
Write a topic sentence:

Cite evidence from the text:
End with a concluding statement:
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions aloud. Discuss evidence

students may use and give examples of a topic sentence. Pair students of Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 9
different abilities to finish the page and read their answers to each other.
Writing Traits: Organization
Name
A. Read the draft model. Use the questions that follow the draft to
help you think about ways to give the draft a stronger opening.
Draft Model
I was hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It was cold and foggy.
I could feel the steep cliffs rising sharply above us.
1. Why is the narrator at the Grand Canyon?
2. How can you hint at or tell about a problem to make the opening
more interesting?
3. Is anyone with the narrator?
4. What does the narrator see and hear while hiking?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details that will grab the
reader’s attention and make him or her want to learn more about
the narrator’s hike.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and the questions.

10 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 Review meaning and point out cognates, such as canyon/cañón.
Pair students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

The storm inflicted

damage on the trees.
inflicted
The dog was put in

confinement so he
confinement wouldn’t jump on
the couch.
The woman likes to

reminisce about her
reminisce childhood.
The dog retrieved the

ball from the pond.
retrieved
The father had to

smuggle the gift into
smuggle the house to surprise
his family.
We could not climb the

spindly tree.
spindly

Comprehension: Sequence Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the sequence graphic organizer.
Characters
Setting
Problem
Event

Event
Solution

Name
Read the passage. Use the visualize strategy to help you form
mental pictures as you read.
Appreciation
Hermann was nervous because
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

4 it was the first day of school
11 in Nebraska, and he no longer
17 remembered what being a student felt
23 like! In New York City, he had been a
32 good student, but in 1882, his father
[LC-USF34-034113-D]
39 got sick. Hermann left school to help
46 out. When his father was healthy
52 again, he told the family that they
59 were going to move to the Nebraska Sod houses like this were home to
farmers on the Nebraska prairie.
66 prairie to begin farming.
70 In Nebraska, life was extremely difficult, and Hermann and his father
81 were busy working from morning until evening. First, Hermann and his
92 father fixed the walls of their sod house so they would stay up. Then they
107 repaired the cracks in the walls to keep the chilly wind out. By spring,
121 it was time to plow new fields and tend to the crops. Unfortunately, the
135 energy needed to make sure the family had food to eat left no time for
150 education. However, by the fall of 1884, Hermann’s father decided that he
162 wanted his son to return to school. He did not want this challenging life of
177 a pioneer farmer for his son.
183 As Hermann walked the three dusty miles to school, he wondered
194 nervously if he would do well in school or would make new friends. In the
209 city, he was never alone but now all he heard were the occasional sounds
223 of whistling wind and howling coyotes.

Name
By the time Hermann reached the

one-room school, everyone had already
gone inside. When he opened the heavy
wooden door, a young woman said, “You
Dynamic Graphics/Jupiter tImages

must be Hermann. I am Miss Peal.” The
teacher pointed to a seat at the far side of
the classroom. The students all watched
Hermann as he crossed the room. Someone
stifled a giggle. By the time Hermann finally
sat down, he felt tired and humiliated.
A one-room schoolhouse with
“Class, please!” Miss Peal said sharply, teacher and students
and then she turned to Hermann. “Don’t worry,
you haven’t missed anything,” she said. “I’ve just been asking students to read
aloud and spell a few words so that I can give them partners.”
Hermann found it hard to read when it was his turn. He was out of practice.
When he got a partner, it made sense that it was Rosa, who was three or four
years younger.
It was soon time for lunch, so Hermann seated himself away from the other
students and pulled out his food. Then he saw Rosa sitting alone. She looked
longingly toward Hermann and his lunch. Finally, it hit him. “Are you hungry?”
Hermann asked Rosa. After she nodded, he said, “I’ll share with you.”
“And I’ll help you in return!” she explained. She excitedly began to rifle
through the pages of her spelling book. Finally, she found the page she had been

looking for. “Spell the word ‘appreciate’ and use it in a sentence.” Hermann
carefully spelled each letter, and then he grinned. “I appreciate your help,”
he said.
“So do I,” Rosa said, smiling shyly. Finally, Hermann was beginning to feel a
little more confident. This had surely not been a perfect first day, but he thought
this might be a good year.

Comprehension: Sequence and Fluency
Name
1. Why did Hermann have to leave school?
2. In the second paragraph, do Hermann and his father fix the walls
first or plow the fields first? How can you tell?
3. Why is Hermann the last student to go into his new classroom?
4. Order the events below in the sequence in which they happen in

the passage.
Hermann shares his lunch with Rosa.
Hermann feels nervous about going to a new school.
Rosa offers to help Hermann with his schoolwork.
Hermann feels more confident about going to school.

Hermann and Rosa become partners in school.

intonation. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs to retell the

sequence of major events in the story in the order in which they Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 15
happened. Pair proficient speakers with those who are less proficient.
Genre/Visual Elements
Name
Women’s Rights, 1848

The year was 1848. Molly Simpson traveled from her home in Baltimore to
the Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Molly had the honor
to make the opening remarks. She addressed her fellow suffragists: “We are here
because we want the same rights as men. We want the vote; we want to be able
to go to college. We could even become elected officials ourselves!”
The crowd cheered enthusiastically.
1. Historical fiction is a story that is based on a real event from the

past. How does the setting tell you this is a historical fiction?
2. Who is the main character in the text? What is her purpose in

the text?

3. What is the first action in this text before Molly addresses the
convention? What is the last action?
4. What illustration could be added to help you understand the

text better?

16 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 to answer the questions using basic content vocabulary.
Name
Look at the example of context clues in a paragraph. The underlined words

explain that the word difficult means “hard.”
In Nebraska, life was extremely difficult, and Hermann and his father
worked hard from morning until evening.
Read each passage below. Underline the context clues that help
best definition for each word.
1. The students all watched Hermann as he crossed the room. Some

students covered their mouths and stifled giggles.
a. muffled b. started c. expressed
2. “Class, please!” Miss Peal said sternly, and then she turned to
Hermann. With kindness she said, “Don’t worry, you haven’t
missed anything.”
a. quietly b. jokingly c. seriously
3. “And I’ll help you in return!” she explained. She excitedly began
to rifle through the pages of her spelling book. Finally, she found
the page she had been looking for.
a. fold b. look through c. write
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and model

the example. Have students work with partners to complete Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 17
the items.
Phonics: Long Vowels
Name
Every syllable in a word has one vowel sound. The vowels a, e, i, o, and u
sometimes stand for the long vowel sounds. Some vowel combinations can
also stand for long vowel sounds.
long a as in apron, train, make long e as in me, compete, tree, bean
long i as in lion, five, fly long o as in go, nose, boat, mow
long u as in music, huge, cue
A. Draw a line to match the long vowel sound to a word that has
the same sound in it. The first one has been done for you.
1. long a tow
2. long i bead
3. long u gaze
4. long o glue
5. long e tile
B. Read the first word in each row. Circle the word in the row
that has the same long vowel sound. The first one has been

done for you.
6. fine shrine slip rain
7. float fly tone prod
8. clean dent reach text
9. blue sum fuse guess
10. gaze pave jeans gram

18 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 words with the long vowel sounds. Point out your mouth position for each
sound. Have students repeat. Pair students to complete the exercises.
Name
author developed the theme.
Topic In “Appreciation,” the author uses plot, characters

sentence and setting to help develop the theme. The author
describes how Hermann, a boy living in the 1880s, faces
challenges when he moves from New York City to a farm
Evidence
in Nebraska. At his new school, things are tough, but
finding a new friend gives Hermann confidence. Through
Hermann’s relationship with Rosa, the author imparts the
Concluding message that people can overcome problems by working
statement together.
Write a paragraph about the two texts you have chosen. Show
how each author developed the theme. Cite evidence from the
texts. Remember to include a strong concluding statement
and to use complete sentences that have both a subject and
a predicate.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review what a topic

sentence is. Then pair beginning and intermediate language learners Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 19
with more advanced learners to complete the page together.
Writing Traits: Word Choice
Name
A. Read the draft model. Use the questions that follow the draft
to help you think about ways to use strong, vivid words to create
a clearer picture of what is happening.
Draft Model
In the orchard, Hester and John met the scary soldiers. John wanted to leave,
but Hester gave each soldier a nice apple.
1. What time of day is it? Would the orchard be scarier if the story
took place at night?
2. Why are the soldiers there? What words can you use to describe
what makes them scary?
3. What strong, vivid words can you use to describe how John and
Hester feel about the soldiers?
4. Is there something about the soldiers that makes Hester want to

give them apples? What words can you use to make this clearer?
B. Now revise the draft by adding precise, descriptive words

and phrases that will help the reader visualize what is happening

in the orchard.

20 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 2 Review meaning. Pair students of different language abilities to
complete the page. Direct students to read their answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

The diving mask is in

the compartment.
compartment
Water engulfs a
submarine when it
engulfs dives.
Fish flanked the

underwater diver.
flanked
The girl is maneuvering

around the rocks.
maneuvering
The clouds obscure a

large part of the moon.
obscure
The old rowboat was

completely submerged.
submerged

Use gestures to demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 3 21
or two sentences, or draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning.
Comprehension: Main Idea and Key Details Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the main idea and key details
graphic organizer.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
Detail

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to help you

understand new facts or difficult information.
Amazing Plant Discoveries

Do trees with exploding seedpods exist? What about plants that eat
11 rats? We think we know a great deal about our world. However, each year,
25 scientists discover thousands of new species of plants. These new kinds of
37 plants teach us about how plants adapt to the geography and place where
50 they live.
52 The Kew Gardens Discovery

56 Kew Gardens is in England. It’s famous for its gardens and research.
68 Botanists from there travel the world searching for new plant types. In
80 2009 they found hundreds of them. Several were found in the rain forests
93 of West Africa. One was a tall tree that
102 had not been seen before. This tree goes
110 high into the rain forest canopy. It also
118 sets its seeds free in a strange way.
126 Plants have different systems for
131 sending off their seeds. Some seeds are
138 carried by wind or float on water. Others
146 are carried by birds or other animals and

154 may drop to the ground in animal waste.
162 Still others require time to open them.
169 The white flowers of this palm tree grow These seeds are being carried off
by water.
177 into pods. Each foot long pod shoots out
185 two or three seeds when it opens.

Name
It is hard for trees and other plants to survive in

a rainforest ecosystem. That is why they grow so
tall as they compete for sunlight. The seeds of this
palm tree are shot far from the tree. That means
the seeds don’t compete with the parent tree for
sunlight.
The Rat-Eating Pitcher Plant

Also in 2009, other botanists made another
remarkable discovery in the Philippines. As the This is the rat-eating pitcher
botanists reached the top of a mountain, they saw plant known as Nepenthes
a new species of pitcher plant, one of the largest in attenboroughii.
the world.
This pitcher plant is remarkable in many ways. It is a meat-eating plant large
enough to swallow a rat or a mouse. It uses a scent to attract prey. It has a long
tube that insects and small animals fall into. There are sticky ribs inside that trap
insects or animals. At the bottom, chemicals break down the prey.
All plants need a variety of things to live and grow. Nitrogen is one of them.
Generally, plant roots take it in from the soil. However, this pitcher plant grows
in sandy and rocky places where there is little nitrogen in the soil. Therefore,
they must get nitrogen from what they “eat”!
Today, some people call this plant a rat eating plant. Some say it is one of the
world’s most dangerous plants. The head of Kew Gardens says, “[T]here is so

much of the plant world yet to be discovered.” We would add, “There is also so
much left to learn.”

Comprehension: Main Idea and Key Details and Fluency
Name
1. Which detail from the first paragraph under the head “The Kew
Gardens Discovery” is the most important? Circle the letter next
to the correct answer.
a. Botanists found hundreds of new plant types in 2009.
b. Botanists found a very tall tree that they had not seen before.
c. The Kew Gardens is in West Africa.
2. What do all the details under the head “The Kew Gardens
Discovery” have in common? Circle the letter next to the
correct answer.
a. They all are about botanists.
b. They all give information about an unusual, newly discovered

type of palm tree.
c. They all are about a rain forest in South Africa.
3. What is the main idea of the whole passage? Circle the letter
next to the correct answer.
a. Different plants set their seeds free in different ways.
b. The palm tree has white flowers that grow into pods.
c. Botanists are always discovering new plants.

accuracy. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Pair students with different English

proficiencies together. Have them work to find details in the Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 3 25
passage about the new types of plants.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Aquatic Plants
Aquatic plants live under water and are
called hydrophytes. They have adaptations,
or traits, that help them live in water. They
have weak stems and leaves. This allows
the plants to move freely in water. The
hydrophyte’s roots anchor the plant in the
water to supply food. Finally, a hydrophyte
usually has a variety of leaf shapes. This
allows for maximum water absorption and A water lily is an example of a
hydrophyte. Its leaves, stem, and roots
photosynthesis. are adaptations for living in water.
1. How do you know this is expository text, or text that gives

information about a topic?
2. What does the heading tell you about the topic?

3. Look at the diagram. What new information does the caption
provide?
4. How does the diagram reinforce the concepts in the text?

Then have them share their answers with the group.
Vocabulary Strategy: Greek Roots
Name
Read this sentence from the passage and note the word in bold.
However, each year, scientists discover thousands of new species of
plants. These new kinds of plants teach us about how plants adapt to the
geography and place where they live.
Many English words have word parts called roots. They come from other
languages, such as Latin and Greek. The word geography contains two Greek
roots. The root geo means “earth” and graph means “to draw, write, or make a
picture.” Geography means “the physical features of a place.”
Read each question below about words with Greek roots. Then
circle the letter of the best answer.
1. If eco- means “environment,” and system means “an organized

whole made of several parts” what is an ecosystem?
a. the organized whole of the environment
b. Earth
c. a rain forest
2. If botany is the study of plants, what is a botanist?

a. a person who lives in a cold climate
b. a person who studies plants
c. a person who studies animals
3. If canopy comes from a Greek word that means “a curtain or

covering over a bed,” what do you think a canopy in a forest is?
a. leaves on the forest floor
b. leaves at the top of the forest
c. a large mosquito net
Beginning/Intermediate Review root words. Use gestures to

Word Study: Frequently Misspelled Words
Name
Some words are difficult to read and write because they have vowels or
consonants that do not follow regular spelling patterns. One way to learn the
correct spelling is to study a word syllable by syllable. Knowing that each
syllable has a vowel or a vowel team can help you spell difficult words.
A. Read each word. Circle the word that is correctly divided into
syllables. The first one has been done for you.
1. busy bu/sy bus/y
2. excuse ex/cuse exc/use
3. nickel ni/ckel nick/el
4. minute minu/te min/ute
B. Fill in the missing letters to write a word from the box. The first
one has been done for you.
library caught except beautiful accuse
5. a c c u s e
6. c a g t Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
7. e x e t
8. l i b a y
9. b e ut f l
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and the example words

28 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 3 for both sections. Have students identify the syllables as you read the
words. Then have them say the first three words in each section aloud.
Name
Evidence is details and examples from a text that support a writer’s ideas.
The student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that shows how
the author organized information around a main idea and supporting details.
In “Amazing Plant Discoveries,” the author uses

Topic details to support the main idea that scientists continually
sentence
learn from their discoveries of new plants. In 2009,
botanists from Kew Gardens in England discovered
hundreds of new plants, including an unusual West
African palm tree. That same year, botanists found a
Evidence
new rat-eating plant in the Philippines. Studying newly
discovered plants helps scientists learn more about
how plants adapt to ecosystems. Descriptions of plant
Concluding discoveries and details scientists learn from them help
statement support the text’s main idea.
the author used main idea and details. Cite evidence from the
text. Remember to include relevant facts, concrete details, and
examples. Be sure to use compound sentences correctly and
effectively.

Beginning/Intermediate Review the directions carefully and discuss

possible examples. Then pair students of different language abilities to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 3 29
complete the page. Have them read their answers to each other.
Writing Traits: Ideas
Name
to help you think about ways to focus on the topic and add
precise details.
Draft Model
There are many unusual rainforest plants. They are very different from the
plants you would find in your backyard!
1. Which rainforest plant do you want to focus on?
2. What is different about this plant?
3. What details will help the reader visualize the plant and
understand why it is unusual?
B. Now revise the draft by focusing on one type of rainforest

plant. Provide rich, focused details about that plant and why it
is unusual.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and the questions. Review

30 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 3 meaning and point out cognates: different/diferente, plants/plantas. Pair
students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

The water cascaded

down the hill.
cascaded
A hammer can
pulverize the shell into
pulverize tiny pieces.
We saw rocks
plummeting over the
plummeting cliff.
The bowl broke into

shards when it hit the
floor.
shards
A runner exerts effort in

order to win.
exerts
The girl was careful

when she ate the
scalding scalding soup.

Use gestures to demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 4 31
or two sentences, or draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning.
Name
graphic organizer.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
Detail

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to identify the main
idea and key details.
Mount St. Helens

The Sleeping Giant
3 Mount St. Helens is a volcano. Like a sleeping giant, it lay quiet
16 for more than 100 years. On May 18, 1980, things changed. A strong
29 earthquake shook beneath it. The giant woke up with a boom.
40 At 8:32 a.m. that day, David Johnston called his coworkers at the U.S.
53 Geological Survey (USGS). He was on a camp on the mountain. The
65 USGS had set up a base in Vancouver, Washington, to watch volcanoes
77 in the Cascade Range. Johnston said, “Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!”
88 Mount St. Helens exploded. Part of the mountain fell in the blast. Trees
101 were blown down like matchsticks. Johnston and fifty-six other people
111 died. After the smoke cleared, more than 240 miles of forest were gone.
124 Warning Signs
Harry Glicken/Cascades Volcano Observatory/USGS

126 In 1978 the USGS guessed Mount
132 St. Helens might blast again. By 1980
139 an earthquake was recorded beneath it.
145 Soon, earthquakes hit like waves. There
151 were about 15 per hour. Huge gusts of

159 steam in April and early May led to the
168 May 18 blast.
Mt. St. Helens before its eruption

in 1980

Name
A Real-life Laboratory
Peter Frenzen flew over the blast zone
after the eruption. Frenzen was an ecologist.
Ecologists are scientists who study how
living things act with their environment.
Frenzen saw a scorched, or burnt, landscape
below. Ash covered the forest. Still, he felt
excited. Mount St. Helens had become a
real-life laboratory.
Austin Post/Cascades Volcano Observatory/USGS

Frenzen walked around the blast zone
and saw that many animals still lived. Small
animals that live beneath the ground came
out from the ash. Jerry Franklin, another
scientist, said that buried roots, bulbs, and
seedlings were important in rebuilding
forests. The plants that lived through the
blast would create new homes for animals.
Mount St. Helens after its eruption
They would also start the recovery of the in 1980
forest. It was true. Large areas of the forest
came back to life during the first summer after the blast.
In 1982 Congress set up a monument of 110 acres on Mount St. Helens. The
monument protects the mountain from logging, or cutting down trees for wood.
It also gives the forests the chance to grow back. Since then, trees and plants

have spread across the landscape. Writer and scientist Tim McNultry has called
Mount St. Helens a lesson in hope. As long as nature is allowed to run, he says,
it is a clock that keeps ticking.

Name
1. What are three important details from the third paragraph?
2. What are all of these details about?
3. What is the main idea in the third paragraph? Circle the letter
next to the best answer.
a. The USGS is an agency that makes guesses about

volcanic eruptions.
b. There are warning signs that tell when a volcano might erupt.
c. Fifteen earthquakes per hour is a lot of earthquakes.

phrasing and rate. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =

to answer the questions using basic and content vocabulary. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 4 35
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Laki Volcano
Robert Krimmel/Cascades Volcano Observatory/USGS

A volcano produces scalding steam and
hot lava. However, volcanoes can also
make Earth’s temperatures plunge, or drop.
Volcanic gases can block the sun’s heat. This
can cause a cooling effect. After Iceland’s
Laki volcano erupted in 1783, severely cold
winters occurred throughout the northern
hemisphere. Farm animals and crops in
Iceland died from the cold. As a result, Volcanic gases from Laki blocked
many people in Iceland starved. the sun and led to a very cold winter.
1. Narrative nonfiction gives facts about a topic. How do you know

this is narrative nonfiction?
2. List two facts included in the text.
3. How does the photo caption help the reader? Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4. What is the heading? What information does it give the reader?

Vocabulary Strategy: Metaphor and Simile
Name
Look at these examples of a simile and a metaphor, both describing the

volcano Mount St. Helens.
Simile: “Like a sleeping giant, it lay quiet for more than 100 years.”
Metaphor: “The giant woke up with a boom.”
A simile compares two things or ideas using the words like or as. A metaphor
is a direct comparison that refers to one thing as another. It does not use like or
as. In both examples above, the volcano is compared to a sleeping giant.
Read each passage below. Then answer the questions about

the similes and metaphors.
1. “Mount St. Helens exploded. Part of the mountain fell in the blast.
Trees were blown down like matchsticks.” What does the simile
in bold describe?
a. the trees b. the mountain c. matchsticks
2. “Soon, earthquakes hit like waves. There were about 15 per hour.”
What does the simile in bold suggest about the quakes?
a. They were wet. b. They just kept coming. c. They were loud.
3. “As long as nature is allowed to run, he says, it is a clock that keeps

ticking.” What two things does the metaphor in bold compare?
a. nature and running b. nature and a clock c. a clock and running
Beginning/Intermediate Review similes and metaphors. Use gestures

to demonstrate meaning. Pair students with different language levels to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 4 37
Phonics: r-Controlled Vowels
Name
When a vowel is followed by the letter r, they form a special r-controlled vowel
sound. Some r-controlled vowel sounds are:
the /ûr/ sound, as in shirt the /ôr/ sound, as in horn
the /âr/ sound, as in care the /är/ sound, as in march
A. Find a word in each row that has the same r-controlled vowel
sound. Draw a circle around that word. The first one has been
done for you.
1. the /är/ sound, as in dark
learn parking rake
2. the /ôr/ sound, as in short
torch shame crate
3. the /âr/ sound, as in mare
stare beach seal
4. the /ûr/ sound, as in hurt

uncle urge blank
B. Read each sentence and circle the word that has an

r-controlled vowel sound. The first one has been done for you.
5. The driver could not stand the glare of the sunlight.
6. Come to the beach so that we can surf!
7. The rain caused a lot of hardship.
8. The family gave a reward for the lost cat.
Beginning/Intermediate Read and point to the words with r-controlled

38 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 4 vowel sounds. Point out your mouth position for each sound. Have
students repeat. Pair students to complete the exercises.
Name
Evidence is details and examples from a text that support a writer’s opinion.
The student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that supports his
or her argument about the author’s use of a main idea and supporting details.
Topic I think the organization of “Mount St. Helens” around

sentence a main idea and supporting details is effective. The main
idea is that the volcano erupted with devastating impact.
Details about the warning signs before the eruption,
the damage during the eruption, and the environment’s
Evidence
recovery since help to support the main idea. The author
uses details to help focus the reader’s attention on a big
Concluding event. Details about before, during, and after the event
statement help build my understanding of the event’s importance.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Analyze how
well the author developed a main idea and supported it through
key details. Support your argument with clear reasons and
relevant evidence and include complex sentences.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and give simple

examples. Pair students of different language abilities to complete Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 4 39
the page. Have them read their answers to each other.
Writing Traits: Voice
Name
to help you think about ways to give a distinct voice to the text.
Draft Model
I sometimes walk in the swamp near my home. In my high boots, I see frogs
and trees in the fog. I usually walk alone. All I can hear is my steps in the water.
1. How can you change the first sentence to give it a particular “voice,”
or style and tone?
2. What does the narrator see and hear in the swamp? What could
the narrator feel, taste, or smell in the swamp?
3. What words would help the reader understand how the narrator
feels about being alone in the swamp? What vivid descriptions
would show this?
B. Now revise the draft by adding words and phrases that help
to develop the style and tone of the writing.

complete the page. Direct students to read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

All the cakes on the

shelf are basically the
basically same.
The dancer’s formula for

success included many
formula hours of practicing.
The factory
manufactured toy cars.
manufactured
The fruit store had

a large inventory of
inventory apples.
After the work was

complete, the boys
received their salaries.
salaries
There are many books

available at the library.
available

Use gestures to demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one or Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 41
two sentences, or draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning.
Comprehension: Author’s Point of View Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the author’s point of view

graphic organizer.
Details Author’s Point of View

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to help you

understand difficult sections of the text.
The Ups and Downs of Inflation

From earning to spending and everything in between, inflation affects
10 what happens to your money. Inflation is when prices rise. This means you
23 can purchase less with each dollar you have. Inflation affects what you
35 buy—from a candy bar to a basketball to a car.
46 Why, Oh Why?
49 Economists study the way money is made, used, and shared. Some
60 economists say that inflation means there are “too many dollars chasing
71 too few goods.” Imagine an economy with just two goods, paper money
83 and skateboards. What would happen
88 if you could not get enough wheels
95 to build all of the skateboards? Each
102 skateboard would become more
106 valuable because not everyone could
111 get one. That would push up the price
119 because people would be willing to pay
126 more. This shortage in supply can lead
133 to what is called “cost-push” inflation.

139 Prices can also be pushed up if the
Stockbyte/Getty Images
147 government prints lots more money.
152 If the money supply is too large, the
160 value of each dollar drops. When the
167 value of the dollar drops, prices go up.

Name
One cause of inflation is when people demand more goods and services than
the economy can afford. Governments sometimes cause inflation by printing
more paper money rather than raising taxes. Having more money available
causes people to spend more buying goods and services. That higher demand for
goods and services drives up prices.
People sometimes add to inflation when they try to protect themselves from it.
If you have a job, you might ask for more pay. Then your employer might have
to raise prices to pay for your higher wages. This leads to more inflation.
Spending Habits During Inflation

Inflation affects people differently depending on their income. Some people
have incomes that stay the same. Some may have incomes that do not rise
enough to match inflation. They may have to go without things they are used to.
Inflation can cause some people to borrow money to pay for their usual needs.
Sometimes people buy ahead of their need. You may decide to get something
right away because you think the price will go up. That thinking can lead people
to spend more money and save less. Your money will not be worth as much in
the future if you save during high inflation.
A dollar will still look like a dollar. It will
still be called a dollar. Sadly, it will take more
dollars to pay for your wants and needs when
the prices keep going up.
Inflation can be hard on people and

nations. National leaders work to control high
inflation. Stopping it can be difficult. People
usually don’t want the government to cut In the United States, the Federal
Market Committee tries to figure out
back on services. Most people don’t want to ways to keep inflation low. This helps
pay higher taxes. Something has to give. keep the U.S. economy strong.

Comprehension: Author’s Point of View and Fluency
Name
1. Read the first paragraph in the passage. What is inflation?
2. Read the second paragraph on the second page of the passage.

If you had a job during a time of inflation, what might you do?
3. When you ask for more pay, what might your employer do?
What could that lead to?
4. Which statement best describes the author’s point of view

about inflation? Circle the letter of the correct answer.
a. Inflation is caused by too few dollars.

b. Inflation is helpful for most people.
c. Inflation can change how people live.

rate. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Pair students to answer

the questions using basic and content vocabulary. Then have them share Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 45
their answers with the group.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Creating a Budget
To make a monthly budget, first write the One Student's Monthly Budget
amount of money you think you will earn for planned actual
$120
the month. Next, below that, list the amounts
$110
you think you’ll spend on things you really
need, such as food and clothing. Then, list $100
the cost of things you want, such as a new $80
phone. At the end of the month write your $60

actual earnings and expenses. Compare the $40
final amounts to your plan. Was your plan
$20
accurate? Do you need to spend more wisely
and spend less on things you don’t need? Income Needs Wants Savings
1. Expository text gives facts and information about a topic. It may use
graphs to support the text. How do you know this is expository text?
3. How does the text expand on the idea in the heading?
4. What is one fact you learn from the bar graph?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review how to read

46 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 a bar graph. Pair students to answer the questions using basic and
content vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Vocabulary Strategy: Root Words
Name
When you come across an unfamiliar word, try to recognize its root. Use the
meaning of the root to help you find the word’s meaning, as with the word
shortage below. root = short meaning: “a lack or amount that is too small”
Not everyone who wants one could get one. That pushes up the price
because people will be willing to pay more. This shortage can lead to
what is called “cost-push” inflation.
Read each passage and notice the word in bold. Then use the
meaning of its root and context clues to help you decide whether
the statement below the sentence is true or false.
1. From earning to spending and everything in between, inflation

affects what happens to your money.
root word: inflate

When prices get larger, there is inflation.
True False
2. Economists study the way money is made, used, and shared. Some
economists say that inflation means there are “too many dollars
chasing too few goods.”
root word: economy

Economists study the environment.
True False
3. Each skateboard would become more valuable because not everyone

could get one. That would push up the price because people would
be willing to pay more.
root word: value
When something is valuable, it is worth a lot.
True False
Beginning/Intermediate Review common root words with students.

Remind students to look for root words to determine meaning Pair students Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 47
with different language levels to complete the practice page together.
Word Study: Compound Words
Name
A compound word is one word made up of two smaller words. There are three
different types of compound words: closed compounds, such as footprint,
open compounds, such as air bag, and hyphenated compounds, such
as stir-fry.
• Compound nouns are usually hyphenated when they end with the words in
or on.
• Compound nouns can be either hyphenated or closed when they end with
the words off, out, or up.
A. Draw a line from the word on the left to the correct word on the
right to create a closed compound. Then write the compound on
the blank line. The first one has been done for you.
1. sea shield
2. eye yard
3. farm shell seashell
4. wind fold
5. blind lid

B. Read each sentence. Find a pair of words that should be
combined to make a hyphenated compound. Write a hyphen
between those words. The first one has been done for you.
6. Most everyone on my team has made a slip-up.
7. What did you eat at the drive in restaurant?
8. My older sister got her first full time job.
9. I put on my slip on shoes when I am in a hurry.
10. I hope to win the great American cookie bake off.
Beginning/Intermediate Review the kinds of compound words

48 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 and model saying the examples. Have students repeat. Have
students chorally read each compound word in the exercises.
Name
author provided support for his or her point of view.
In “The Ups and Downs of Inflation,” the author

Topic
sentence
develops the point of view that inflation can powerfully
affect how people live. The author provides support for
this viewpoint by discussing personal finance decisions.
For example, the author points out that when an employee
Evidence asks for a raise, the company may increase prices. Greater
inflation may be the result. Attitudes about spending are
also tied to inflation, the author suggests, and the inflation
Concluding cycle continues. By discussing the emotions involved, the
statement author provides convincing support for the point of view.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Show how the
author supported his or her point of view. Cite evidence from the
text. Remember to organize information and ideas logically and
to avoid run-on sentences and comma splices.

Beginning/Intermediate Pair students to determine the author's point

of view in a chosen selection. Then have them find and discuss evidence Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 49
for this viewpoint. Students should read their answers to each other.
Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency
Name
A. Read the draft model. Use the questions that follow the
draft to help you think about how you can add transitions to
connect related ideas.
Draft Model
Each year I go through my clothes and choose many to donate to charity.
I rarely wear these items. Other people could use them.
1. How can you add a sentence using the transition for instance to
show an example of the types of clothes that are donated?
2. How can you use a transition such as also, in addition, or

another to add an idea that is similar to one already in the draft?
3. What transition can you use to explain why the speaker rarely
wears the items. Make sure your transition connects a cause and
an effect.
B. Now revise the draft by adding transitions that connect

related ideas.
Beginning/Intermediate Read directions and questions. Review

50 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 5 meaning and point out cognates, such as transition/transición and
donate/donar. Pair students of different abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

We eat our lunch at a

communal table.
communal
Orange juice is derived

from oranges.
derived
The inscription told us

who made the statue.
inscription
Breaking Thru
Artist
(unknown)
A millennium is a period
of 1,000 years.
millennium
I will write her a letter on

the nice stationery.

stationery
The farmer watered the

crops to get better yields.
yields

Comprehension: Problem and Solution Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the problem and solution

graphic organizer.
Problem Solution

Name
Read the passage. Use the ask and answer questions strategy
before, during, and after each section.
The Mysterious Olmecs

The Olmec people were an ancient people who lived around
10 1200–400 b.c. in Middle America. Today we call that area Mexico and
23 Central America. There is a lot that is mysterious about the Olmecs.
35 We know that they made their own written language. They invented a
47 complex calendar. Yet their numbers and written language are hard for us
59 to figure out. We also see the Olmecs’ mark on later cultures, such as the
74 Mayans and Aztecs. One thing we know is that the Olmecs were advanced
87 for an ancient people.
91 The Olmec name means “people of rubber country.” They lived where
102 rubber trees grew. The Olmecs were likely the first people to make what
115 we think of as rubber. They mixed vine juice with a liquid from the trees.
130 With this mixture, they made balls that bounced high. Later cultures
141 continued playing ball games and using rubber products.
149 Early Writing in the Americas

154 Archaeologists learned
Adalberto Rios Szalay/Sexto Sol/Photodisc/Getty Images

156 that the Olmecs were the
166 first people in the Americas

171 to write. Scientists found a
176 stone dating back to about
182 900 b.c. It had symbols and
187 pictures carved into it. More
192 symbols were on statues and
197 masks. One rock slab has
203 465 carvings. So far, no one
Much Olmec writing appears on carvings such
209 has been able to break the as this colossal stone head, which stands over
211 written code. eight feet tall.

Name
A Matter of Time
Olmec calendars combined two working calendars. Priests wanted to keep
track of their ceremonies, so they first made a calendar with 260 days. They
created another calendar with 360 days for other events. The two calendars
together were called the Long Count calendar. Long Count dates used five
simple numbers made up of lines and dots.
Zero and Counting

Scientists give credit to the Olmecs for inventing zero. The Olmecs used a
base-20 counting system. They wrote separate numbers from 1–20, just as we do
for 1–10 today. To make their system work, they needed a zero.
The idea of zero is common to us. However, it is really a very complex idea.
Sometimes zero serves as a placeholder to help other numbers. Zero also stands
on its own as a whole number. The Olmecs understood that. Most ancient people
did not.
Stone Sculptures
Huge stone faces were found at several Olmec sites. The reason for the stone
heads is unknown. These rock carvings range in size from five to nine feet
tall. The images all have grim, flat faces.
Each head wears what looks like a helmet.
Perhaps they are images of the leaders.

Maybe these leaders made the artisans and
laborers carve their images.
We still have a lot to learn about the
Olmecs. What we have learned so far points
to an early, advanced culture. Scientists
have many mysteries to figure out as they
study the Olmec people.
Olmec sites

Comprehension: Problem and Solution and Fluency
Name
1. Look at the text under the heading “A Matter of Time.” What

problem did the Olmec priests have with their ceremonies?
2. Keep reading the text under “A Matter of Time.” What did the
Olmec priests create to solve this problem?
3. How did the Olmecs solve the problem of counting from 1 to 20?
a. They invented the zero.
b. They created a written language.
c. They carved numbers into huge stone faces.
B. Work with a partner. Read the passage aloud. Pay attention

to rate and accuracy. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Pair students with higher-level speakers to

complete this activity. Have partners make a list of Olmec achievements Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 55
before they answer the questions.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
The Moors’ Influence on Western Europe

In 711, the Moors crossed into Spain. They stayed until 1492. During
their rule, the Moors influenced all of Western Europe. The Moors made
advancements in agriculture, or farming, and architecture, but their greatest
influence was intellectual. They built over seventy libraries in the city
of Cordoba alone. Muslims, Jews, and Christians gathered there to study
philosophy, science, and medicine. Moorish cities were later invaded, but
some great libraries remained.
Golden Age of Islam brings

about a culture of learning
750–1258
600 800 1000 1200 1400

711 719 1085
Moors cross Moors control King Alfonso VI Moorish rule ends with 1492
into Spain almost all of Spain captures Toledo the fall of Granada
1. How do you know this passage is expository text, or text about real
people and places in history?

3. What information does the timeline provide?
4. Give one example of how the timeline supports a fact in the text.

56 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 the questions using basic and content vocabulary. Then share their
answers with the group.
Vocabulary Strategy: Latin Roots
Name
Look at the word credit in the sentence below. This word has a Latin root.
“Scientists give credit to the Olmecs for inventing zero.”
Many English words have word parts called roots. These come from other
languages, especially Latin and Greek. The word credit has the Latin root cred,
meaning “believe.” If the scientists give credit to the Olmecs, it means they
believe the Olmecs invented zero.
Circle the letter of the answer that correctly defines the word in
bold in each passage.
1. “The idea of zero is common to us. However, it is really a very

complex idea.”
The Latin prefix com- means “together.” The Latin root plexus
means “braided or twisted.” In the sentence above, what does
complex mean?
a. easy b. unknown c. complicated
2. “Sometimes zero serves as a placeholder to help other numbers.”

The Latin root serv means “to perform the duties of.” In the
sentence above, what does serves mean?
a. is used b. waits c. disappears

3. “These rock carvings range in size from five to nine feet tall. The
images all have grim, flat faces.”
The Latin root imag means “likeness.” In the sentence above, what
does images mean?
a. figures b. photographs c. farmers
4. “Perhaps they are images of the leaders. Maybe these leaders made
the artisans and laborers carve their images.”
The Latin root art means “skill.” In the sentence above, what does
artisans mean?
a. bakers b. skilled workers c. poor people
Beginning/Intermediate Review Latin roots. Use gestures

to demonstrate meaning. Pair students with different Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 57
language levels to complete the practice page together.
Phonics: Irregular Plurals
Name
Most nouns become plurals by adding -s. Some nouns do not follow this form
and have an irregular plural form.
• Words ending with -fe: change -fe to -ve and then add -s, as in knife/knives
• Words ending with -f: change -f to -v and then add -es, as in wolf/wolves
• Words ending with -o: add -es, as in potato/potatoes
A. Draw a line to match the noun with its plural. The first one has
been done for you.
1. volcano lives
2. scarf echoes
3. life volcanoes
4. loaf scarves
5. echo loaves
B. Read each word in bold. Circle the correct irregular plural

form. The first one has been done for you.

6. half halfs halves
7. wife wives wifes
8. tomato tomatos tomatoes
9. shelf shelves shelfs
Beginning/Intermediate Model how to pronounce nouns that

58 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 have irregular plurals. Say the singular noun, followed by its plural,
and have students repeat. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author used a problem-and-solution text structure.
Topic In “The Mysterious Olmecs,” the author organizes

sentence the text with a problem-and-solution text structure. The
problem described is the identity of the Olmec people.
Who were they, and what did they accomplish? Although
archaeologists have not deciphered the Olmecs’ writing
Evidence system, they have solved a number of other mysteries.
For instance, archaeologists know that the Olmecs likely
pioneered the use of rubber. They know that the Olmecs
invented the concept of zero. The problem-and-solution
Concluding structure allows the author to illustrate the Olmecs’
statement accomplishments.
the author used a problem-and-solution text structure. Cite
evidence from the text. Remember to maintain a formal style
and use common and proper nouns.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Explain that text structure

is a way to organize writing. Pair students of different language abilities to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 59
complete the page.
Name
help you think about ways to provide supporting details that will
tell the reader more about the main idea.
Draft Model
Inventors built the first computer to do calculations. Now people also use
computers for research and to keep in touch. These machines have Internet and
word processing software.
1. When were computers first invented?
2. How big were the first computers? What kinds of calculations did
they perform?
3. What details could be added to explain how and why computers

changed?
4. How is society affected by the wide availability of the Internet

and of word processing software?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details that will help

the reader learn more about how computers have changed

over time.

60 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 1 meaning and point out cognates such as machine/máquina. Pair students
of different language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

The gate was

closed to restrict
restrict the dog.
The large tree

withstood the strong
winds.
withstood
There was a lot of

speculation about
speculation who would win the
election.
The principal
ingredient in
principal lemonade is
lemons.
The purpose of the

sign is to promote
promote voting.
The younger
children preceded
the older children.
preceded

Comprehension: Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the compare and contrast

graphic organizer.
Direct Both Representative

Democracy Democracy

Name
before, during, and after each section.
What is a Democracy?
The United States of America is a democracy. Democracy refers to the
12 way people make laws and govern themselves. The Greek prefix demo-
23 means “people.” The Greek root word cracy means “rule.” Democracy,
33 therefore, suggests that the people are in charge.
41 When the Puritans came to America, they wanted liberty. They left
52 England to find freedom of religion. In America, they faced a new
64 problem. They needed a new government. They also wanted to protect
75 their freedom. They wanted a government that would guarantee their
85 liberties. They decided to gather people together to make decisions at
96 town meetings.
98 Town Hall Meetings

101 In Puritan times, the meeting halls were the largest buildings in town.
113 People gathered there to take care of town business. These buildings were
125 also sometimes used for worship.
130 The meetings were more than a time
137 to talk and vote. People didn’t have
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

144 telephones or other ways to connect
150 as we do today. The town meetings
157 became public social gatherings.
161 People with similar ideas often [HABS MASS,12-HING,5-26]
166 settled together in small towns. As

172 a result, citizens in those towns had
179 the same goals in government. Voters
185 tried to solve problems for the good
192 of all their people. The citizens had a American democracy began in
200 direct role in legislation. town hall meetings.

Name
Today some people still hold town meetings. It is a symbol of democracy. It is

a tradition many people value and love.
Two Kinds of Democracy

One kind of democracy can take place in town-hall meetings. It is called
“direct democracy.” In early New England, direct democracy worked well.
However, when small towns grew, town meetings were impractical. Face-to-face
dialogue was not possible. For the same reason, the town meetings were not
useful at the state and national level.
Thankfully, there is another form of democracy. It is called “representative
democracy.” This means that people vote for leaders who make laws for
them. These representatives make decisions for the people who elected them.
Representative democracy works best with large groups of people.
Democracy in the United States Today

What system of democracy does the Representative
Direct Democracy
United States have today? Our nation Democracy
is much too large for all to participate 1. Works best in towns 1. Works for towns, cities,
with small populations. and the nation with large
directly in making laws. So, our state populations.
and national governments must be 2. Allows each voter to 2. Citizens elect people
speak his/her mind. to represent their
representative democracies. ideas about laws and
government.
Some small local governments still
3. Allows voters to make 3. Representatives discuss

govern with direct democracy. Some decisions directly for the issues and make
themselves. decisions for the people
people might say that a representative they represent.
form is not pure democracy. However, 4. Value is placed on 4. Value is placed on
both forms of democracy protect citizens personal freedom and personal freedom and
political equality. political equality.
equally under the law. Both types of
democracy value freedom for all.

Comprehension: Compare and Contrast and Fluency
Name
1. Look at the last paragraph in the text. What word in this paragraph
tells you that you are going to read how the two forms of
government described are the same, or similar?
2. Look at the chart at the end of the text. What is one way that direct
democracy and representative democracy are similar?
3. Which statement below describes how direct and representative

democracies are different?
a. In direct democracy, leaders make decisions for people they

represent; in representative democracy, voters make decisions
for themselves.
b. A representative democracy works better for small groups of

people than a direct democracy.
c. Citizens elect others to represent their ideas in a representative

democracy; citizens in a direct democracy state their own

ideas in public.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Before beginning the activity, draw a Venn

diagram and choose objects in the classroom to compare and contrast. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 65
Pair lower-level students with higher-level speakers to complete this page.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
The U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the
Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Justices
nation’s highest court. It interprets
Name Began serving
the Constitution. The Supreme
Court can decide that a law passed Antonin Scalia 1986
by Congress is unconstitutional Anthony M. Kennedy 1988
or constitutional. It can also tell a Clarence Thomas 1991
state that one of its laws violates
Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1993
the Constitution. The president
chooses Supreme Court members, Stephen G. Breyer 1994
and Congress approves them. John G. Roberts 2005
They serve until they choose to (Chief Justice)
retire. Today’s Supreme Court has Samuel A. Alito, Jr. 2006
eight associate justices and one Sonia Sotomayor 2009
chief justice.
Elena Kagan 2010
1. Expository text contains information about real people and events.

How do you know this is an example of expository text?
2. What does the heading of the text tell you about the topic?
3. What does the title of the chart tell you about the information in it?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Pair students to

66 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 answer the questions using basic and content vocabulary. When
finished, review the answers.
Vocabulary Strategy: Greek and Latin Prefixes
Name
You can often use prefixes, or word parts at the beginnings of words, to help
you understand a whole word’s meaning. Many prefixes are from Latin or
Greek. Look at the following example.
democracy
The Greek prefix demo- means “people.”
demo- + cracy = ruling by the people
A. Match each prefix on the left to the root it belongs with on the
right to form a complete word.
1. sys tect
2. tele lation
3. legis practical
4. im phones
5. pro tem
B. Choose the prefix im-, meaning “not,” or the prefix pro-,

meaning “to put before,” to add to each of the following words or
roots to create a new word. Write the new word on the line.
6. -possible
7. -vision
8. -mature
9. -gram
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and model the first example.

Have students work with partners to complete the other items. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 67
Word Study: Inflectional Endings
Name
The spelling of some verbs does not change when the endings -ed or -ing are
added: orbit, orbited, orbiting.
For words ending in a short vowel followed by a consonant, double the final
consonant before adding -ed or -ing: skip, skipped, skipping.
For words ending in a consonant followed by a silent e, drop the e before
adding -ed or -ing: slope, sloped, sloping.
A. Circle the correct form of each word to complete the word

equation. The first one has been done for you.
1. slip + ed = sliped slipped
2. level + ed = leveled levelled
3. sip + ed = sipped siped
4. refer + ed = refered referred
B. Circle the correct form of each word to complete the word

equation. The first one has been done for you.
5. smile + ing = smiling smileing

6. care + ing = careing caring
7. pat + ing = pating patting
8. swim + ing = swiming swimming
Beginning/Intermediate Model how to read words with inflectional endings.

68 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 Say a base word, then the word with -ed added, followed by the word with -ing
added. Have students repeat after you. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author used text features to present information.
Topic In “What is a Democracy?” text features are included

sentence to help the author communicate information. For
example, the author uses a chart to compare direct and
representative democracy. The concept of two kinds of
Evidence democracy is explained in the text, but it is helpful to see
a visual representation of the concept. The chart helps
to clarify the comparison for readers. The use of text
Concluding features helps support the information the author wants
statement to provide about how democracies work.
the author used text features to present information and support
ideas. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to develop the
topic with concrete details and examples and to include singular
and plural nouns.

Beginning/Intermediate Discuss and show examples of text features

that appear in text, such as charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 69
Name
help you think about what supporting details can be added to tell
the reader more about the topic.
Draft Model
Last week, our class voted. Kids were on the ballot. Carla promised many
things. I voted for her. She won!
1. What office was the class voting for?
2. Who exactly was on the ballot?
3. What exactly did Carla promise?
4. Why did the narrator choose to vote for Carla?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details to provide important

information about the class election.

70 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 2 Review meaning and point out the cognates: vote/votar and
class/clase. Pair students to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

There was an alcove for

books on each side of
alcove the bed.
We saw an exotic bird at

the zoo.
exotic
The boy wants to

become fluent in
fluent Spanish.
The extreme heat was

stifling.
stifling
The snowstorm caused

some upheaval on the
upheaval roads.
It is of utmost
importance to study
utmost for the test.

Comprehension: Point of View Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the details and point of view

graphic organizer.
Details Point of View

Name
Read the passage. Use the make predictions strategy to make

logical guesses about what will happen next.
Kush, A Land of Archers

The morning sun became hotter by the hour. I lived with my family
13 close to the Nile River just south of Egypt in the land of Kush. I slapped at
30 the insects feasting on my arms and listened for any sounds of battle in the
45 distance.
46 Some people called our land Nubia, the land of gold. Pharaohs admired
58 our gold and desired it for themselves. Nubia had other important
69 resources such as iron and precious stones for art and jewelry. In past
82 years, different kingdoms had tried to capture us. Fighting was common in
94 the land of Kush.
98 I began sketching a battle scene in the loose dirt on the ground. I
112 imagined myself among the army of archers with my father and brothers.
124 They defended our land with their bows and arrows. Our skilled army had
137 resisted our last invaders, but we were not always so fortunate.
148 Father always insisted that I stay
154 home when he went to war. It was my
163 responsibility to care for our farm when
170 he was away. Even so, I always made
178 time for target practice. My oldest
184 brother had given me his old bow and

192 taught me how to shoot it. He said I
201 was a natural archer, so I practiced
208 even more.

Name
Everyone was always enthusiastic about the “Festival of Many Villages.” The
celebration lasted for several days. Potters brought their art to sell or trade. The
women wore their bright colored dresses and cooked delicious food. Musicians
played and people danced. My favorite part was always the great competition.
Archers of all ages came to prove their ability. The best athletes won the praises
of the people. I anxiously waited for this festival. I was nervous because I would
compete as an archer for the first time.
I told Mother of my plans as we walked to the festival. My older brother
teased me. He said, “Oh, little Markos, give yourself time to grow!” He patted
my head like I was just a boy.
I ignored my brother and walked straight to the archery field. I turned in
my name for the contest. An announcer called the archers’ names one by
one. Finally, I heard my name. I walked out on the field and slowly raised my
kiniosha, or bow. The crowd clapped louder and louder with the drums.
I couldn’t wait any longer. “Zing!” I felt
the arrow fly from my grip. My eyes followed
as the arrow rose high into the sky and then
fell to the ground. I ran forward to see where
it landed, and I heard the villagers chanting
my name. My arrow had fallen into the most
distant target of all!
Now I knew I would be one of the famous
Kush archers. Someday I would get to protect

the land, treasure, and people of Kush.
“Markos the Archer” sounded just right.

Comprehension: Point of View and Fluency
Name
1. What is a narrator?
2. Who is telling this story?
3. Which two pronouns are used by the narrator in the first

paragraph?
4. Pronouns such as I and me are clues to point of view. Is this story

told from the first-person point of view or the third-person point
of view?

to expression. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Help students understand the pronouns used

in the first-person point of view by comparing them to pronouns used in Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 3 75
the third-person point of view.
Name
Hasina, Fabric Maker of Medina

“Hasina, please improve the stitching of this fabric,” my boss tells me gently.
Her name is Amisi. “This cloth will be made into a robe for the Pharaoh’s son,
after all.” My name, Hasina, means “good” in Egyptian. I am proud of my name
so I try to be good at my job as a fabric maker in my city of Medina. “Of course.
It must be perfect for our future king,” I say. In my country, many women, like
me, work outside of the home. Tomorrow, however, I will clean my house, cook,
and keep my family “nefer,” or pure and beautiful. My work for my family is my
most important job.
1. Historical fiction takes place in a real setting from history. What is

the setting of this text?
2. Historical fiction often uses foreign words that reflect the setting.
What are three foreign words in the text?

3. What information does the text give about women in that time
and place?

When finished, review the answers.
Vocabulary Strategy: Connotations and Denotations
Name
Look at the word feasting in the sentence below to see an example of a word
with a strong connotation.
“I slapped at the insects feasting on my arms and listened for any sounds
of battle in the distance.”
There are many words the writer could have used instead of feasting that
have similar meanings, or denotations—eating, dining, or nibbling. The word
feasting, however, suggests eating a lot and with great enjoyment. That is its
connotation, the tone that the word has in its context.
Read each of the following excerpts from the passage. Then

circle the letter of the word that could best replace each word
in bold without changing the tone of the sentence.
1. I imagined myself among the army of archers with my father and

brothers. They defended our land with their bows and arrows.
a. fought over b. protected c. cared for
2. I anxiously waited for this festival. I was nervous because I would

compete as an archer for the first time.
a. fearfully b. cautiously c. nervously

3. My older brother teased me. He said, “Oh, little Markos, give

yourself time to grow!” He patted my head like I was just a boy.
a. kidded b. pestered c. mocked
4. I ran forward to see where it landed, and I heard the villagers

chanting my name. My arrow had fallen into the most distant target
of all!
a. whispering b. singing out c. screaming
Beginning/Intermediate Review connotation and denotation. Use gestures

to demonstrate meaning. Pair students with different language levels to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 3 77
Phonics: Closed Syllables
Name
When a syllable ends in a consonant, it is called a closed syllable. Most closed

syllables have a short-vowel sound.
vul as in vulture bas and ket as in basket
A. Draw a slanted line (/) between the closed syllables in each

word. The first one has been done for you.
1. pantry pan/try
2. classic
3. whisper
4. ragged
5. banner
B. Read the words in each row. Circle the word that has a closed
first syllable. The first one has been done for you.
6. bubble baby
7. ponder paper

8. waving wallet
9. fabric fable
10. frozen mental
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to break words into syllables. Say

78 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 3 the words with two closed syllables while clapping out the syllables. Have
students repeat after you. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author used point of view to convey information about the topic.
Topic In “Kush, A Land of Archers,” the author uses first-

sentence person point of view to help readers imagine life in
ancient Kush. The narrator is Markos, a boy who lives
on a farm and wants to become an archer in the Kush
army. Markos tells about the history and resources of his
Evidence land. He also describes family life and a festival where
he competes against grown men in an archery contest.
Markos is a likable narrator. His first-person narration
Concluding
makes it interesting to read about Kush.
statement
the author conveyed information through point of view. Cite
evidence from the text. Remember to include a strong concluding
statement and to spell irregular plural nouns correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Give examples of a topic

sentence. Pair students of different language abilities to complete the Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 3 79
page. Have them read their answers to each other.
Name
help you think about ways to make the conclusion stronger.
Draft Model
It was time for Mario to return home. As he boarded the airplane, he turned
and waved back to us. He was now truly part of our family.
1. How might the conclusion help to clarify previous events in

the story?
2. What descriptive words and phrases can you add to show the
intensity of Mario’s and the family’s feelings?
3. What details would help make the conclusion more interesting

or surprising?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details that will help create an
interesting, satisfying conclusion to the story.

Vocabulary
Name

She deftly changed the

flat tire.
deftly
We stood under the

eaves to keep dry.
eaves
One benefit of going

to bed early is feeling
benefit rested the next day.
The mean girls laughed

with derision at the
derision other team.
The design showed

perfect symmetry.
symmetry
Sticking out your tongue

shows impudence.
impudence

Name
Read the selection. Complete the point of view graphic organizer.

Name
Read the passage. Use the make predictions strategy to make

logical guesses about what will happen next.
Approaching Zero
Basu counted the steps, doing quick measurements as he walked along
11 the south bank of India’s Ganges River. He had woken up before daybreak.
24 By his calculations, he had walked 12,563 steps, covering about
34 one-quarter of the distance from his small village. By the time the sun was
48 directly overhead, he should reach the university at Patna. There he hoped
60 to find Aryabhata. Perhaps the great mathematician could help him with
71 the questions he’d been pondering. How do you measure the passing of
83 time and days? How do you determine the circumference of Earth?
94 From what Basu had gathered, Aryabhata had all of the answers.
105 However, Basu’s parents had warned him not to go. “Why would a wise
118 scholar want to waste his time with a twelve-year-old boy?” his father had
131 chided. But Basu had a burning desire
138 to study math. According to the local
145 scholars, Aryabhata’s book described
149 the earth as a sphere that rotated around
157 the sun. It explained mathematics, time,
163 astronomy, and other mysteries of the
169 universe.
170 Basu walked along, posing question

175 after question to himself to pass the
182 time, keeping a running step count as
189 he went—18,231.

Name
Finally, Basu spotted a figure crouched on a mat by a small, low table. He

could see the man was writing with a long iron spike that he dipped in ink,
etching the surface of hardened palm leaves. Basu held his breath and took
silent, short steps, dividing the remaining distance in half, and then in half again.
Finally, he was standing beside Aryabhata. Basu was so close he could see the
mysterious numbers and symbols.
Basu was invisible to Aryabhata, who was lost in his thoughts. Just then a
beetle flew off the spike and landed on Basu’s arm. He brushed it off without
thinking and jarred Aryabhata’s hand, which skidded across the ink. Aryabhata
looked up in a flash of anger and thundered, “Who are you?”
“I am just a merchant’s son,” said Basu, “but I’ve come here hoping to absorb
a fraction of your knowledge and wisdom.”
Aryabhata granted him one question. Basu asked, “I walked 29,348 steps
to get here. Then I crossed your courtyard, cutting the distance in half and in
half again. Now I cannot get any closer. What number tells how many steps
I have to go?”
A broad smile lit Aryabhata’s face. “You have
just asked the very question I have been working
on for ages. The answer is zero. There are zero
steps left, and zero is the number.”
“There’s one other thing I want to know—”
Basu began.
“You have zero questions left!” Aryabhata

admonished. Basu looked crushed with
disappointment, but Aryabhata laughed. “Zero,
plus one thousand! You may ask me as many
questions as you wish, because I think we can
learn a lot together.”

Name
1. Who is the narrator of a story? Circle the letter of the best answer.
a. the person who tells the story
b. the main character in the story
c. the person who wrote the story
2. What are the three pronouns in the first paragraph of this story?
3. Who is the narrator of this story? Circle the letter of the best
answer.
a. Basu
b. Aryabhata
c. someone who is not a character in the story
4. Use the pronouns in the story to figure out the point of view. Which
point of view is this story written from? Circle the correct answer.
first-person third-person

expression. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Pair students and have them practice changing

pronouns to represent different points of view. For example: You played Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 4 85
baseball. becomes I played baseball.
Name
Urco: Craftsman in Training

“Father, I’m meant to be a craftsman, an artist,” pleaded Urco, a twelve-
year-old Inca boy.
“No, you must work as a laborer like the rest of us, building roads and temples
in our great city of Cuzco,” replied Urco’s father. As furious as he felt, Urco
knew that most Inca men did just what his father had said. They dedicated their
lives to building the city high in the mountains. Urco, however, was different. He
wanted to create golden goblets and ornaments for the nobles and the king! Now,
Urco just had to convince his father to allow him to do that.
1. Historical fiction is about a real time and place in the past. Name
one detail in the text that tells you this is historical fiction.
2. What details about work in Cuzco does the text present?

3. Write an example of dialogue from the text. What does the dialogue
tell you about the character who is speaking?

Then share their answers with the group.
Vocabulary Strategy: Greek and Latin Suffixes
Name
Sometimes when you know the meaning of a suffix you can figure out what
a word means. Look at these Greek and Latin suffixes and their definitions.
-ment act of, state of -ible tending to, given to
-tion state of -nomy law
Now read this sentence: “Basu looked crushed with disappointment.”
Knowing the meaning of the suffix -ment helps you understand that
disappointment means “the state of being disappointed.”
Read each excerpt from the passage. Then circle the letter of
the best meaning for each word in bold. Look at the list of
suffixes and definitions above for help.
1. Basu counted the steps, doing quick measurements as he walked

along the south bank of India’s Ganges River.
a. the results of being quick b. the results of measuring c. using a ruler
2. According to the local scholars, Aryabhata’s book described

the earth as a sphere that rotated around the sun. It explained
mathematics, time, astronomy, and other mysteries of the
universe.
a. laws of the universe b. laws of math c. laws of the earth
3. Basu walked along, posing question after question to himself to

pass the time.
a. the state of looking for an answer
b. the state of walking
c. the state of passing time
4. Basu was so close he could see the mysterious numbers

and symbols.
a. full of numbers b. being close c. full of mystery
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and model the first example. Talk
about the meaning of the suffix and how it can help you figure out the definition Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 4 87
of the word. Have students work with partners to complete the other three items.
Phonics: Open Syllables
Name
When a syllable ends in a vowel, it is called an open syllable. Most open

syllables have a long-vowel sound.
ba as in bacon pre as in prefix mi as in minus
co as in cozy su as in super
A. Read each word in bold. Circle the example that correctly

underlines the open syllable. The first one has been done for you.
1. open a. open b. open
2. fever a. fever b. fever
3. basic a. basic b. basic
4. voter a. voter b. voter
B. Read each pair of words. Circle the word that has an open
syllable. The first one has been done for you.
5. attack rival
6. favor expand

7. labor member
8. barber resist
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to break words into syllables.

88 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 4 Read and point to the words with open syllables. Have students clap the
syllables as you say the words. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
or her argument about the author’s choice of point of view.
The author’s use of third-person point of view in

Topic
“Approaching Zero” makes the story interesting and
sentence
suspenseful. First, we read Basu’s thoughts as he walks
along. We learn that Basu is very smart and loves math.
Evidence From Aryabhata’s dialogue, we learn that he is very smart
but can be stern. When he accepts Basu as a student, it
comes as a relief. Third-person point of view is the best
Concluding
for this story because readers learn about both characters,
statement
and that makes the story entertaining.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Analyze

whether the author chose the best point of view for the topic.
Remember to introduce your claim and organize your reasons and
evidence clearly. Use possessive nouns correctly as you write.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Guide students to write a

topic sentence that frames the argument. Then have students of different Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 4 89
language abilities work together to complete the page.
Name
help you think about transitions to clarify shifts in time or setting.
Draft Model
Uncle Max agreed to show me the magic trick. I tried to learn how to hold
the coin the way he showed me. I got it, and I pulled the coin out of Uncle
Max’s ear.
1. When and why did Uncle Max agree to teach the narrator the trick?
2. What happened after Uncle Max agreed? How was the narrator
able to learn to do the trick?
3. What transitional words and phrases could be added to help

connect all the events?
B. Now revise the draft by adding transitions to clarify shifts in

time or setting.

complete the page. Have them read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

The boy felt forlorn

because he did not
forlorn know anyone at his new
school.
The ancient trees were a

majestic sight.
majestic
The town put up a statue

to commemorate its first
commemorate mayor.
Tonight our family will

contemplate where to
contemplate go on vacation.

Comprehension: Theme Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the theme graphic organizer.
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name
Read the passage. Check your understanding by asking yourself

what the message of the poem is.
At Grandmother’s Pueblo
When I visit my grandmother’s pueblo,
6 I hear songs I can’t understand.
12 I see folks who are happy and smiling
20 Saying welcome to family land.
25 New Mexico, so dry and vast,

31 Holds a painted canvas before me,
37 With deserts and valleys and mountains
43 As far as the eye can see.
50 Nature proudly displays

53 Her work for us to savor.
59 When the sun bows low, I see
66 A rainbow like a party favor.
72 Grandmother weaves her blankets

76 And tells us stories of tricksters.
82 I listen as if in a trance
89 While the campfire dances and flickers.
95 When Grandma comes to my room

101 Later on, she holds to the light
108 A blanket she made just for me
115 That holds me in its arms all night.

Comprehension: Theme and Fluency
Name
1. Look at line 3. What words does the poet use to describe the
people at her grandmother’s pueblo?
2. In the last line of the third stanza, what words does the poet use to
describe what the sun looks like?
3. Based on the words used to describe the sun, what does the poet
think about the sunset?
4. Which statement describes the theme of this poem? Circle the

letter of your answer.
a. Nature is beautiful in New Mexico.
b. Visiting a new place can make someone sad.
c. Happy people and beautiful nature can make visiting a place fun.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
English Language Learners Pair students with a more fluent speaker.

94 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 Have students work together to answer the questions using basic and
content vocabulary.
Name
Museum Trip
While walking through the gallery, it seemed
That I was on a journey through the years.
Ancient statues stared ahead and dreamed.
Waiting, watching, beckoning each appeared.
Look at these and this and those things, they said,
As I saw the cases of golden things
That were useful to people so long dead,
Golden crowns and cups, masks and bowls and rings.
But then the afternoon grew late, and we
Had to leave this place of treasures and things rare.
And though we left there’s so much more to see.
I want to come back here again to share.
It makes me wonder what on Earth they’d say
If those people were here to tell us today.
1. How do you know this is a lyric poem?

2. What items does the poet say were “useful to people so long
dead”?
3. Which words in the first four lines of the poem rhyme to create a
rhyme scheme?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review rhyme scheme.

Have students underline the words that rhyme. Then pair students to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 95
answer the questions. When finished, review the answers.
Literary Elements: Rhyme Scheme and Meter
Name
Rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhyming words at the ends of lines. To identify

rhyme scheme, give a letter—a, b, c, d—to each new sound at the end of a line.
If a sound is repeated, give it the same letter as the word it rhymes with. The
rhyme scheme of the stanza below is abab.
Example: Do you see a
a flying bird? b
Could it be a
her song I heard? b
Meter is a pattern of the syllables that are stressed when a poem is read aloud.
Example: As far as the eye can see.
Read the stanza from a lyric poem below. Then answer the
questions.
At Grandmother’s Pueblo
Nature proudly displays
Her work for us to savor.
When the sun bows low, I see
A rainbow like a party favor.
1. Which two end-words in this stanza rhyme?
2. Read the stanza out loud. Which three syllables in each line Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
need to be emphasized? Write the last line of the stanza below.

Underline each syllable that needs to be emphasized.
3. How would this poem be different without rhyme and meter?
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs for this

96 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 activity. As they read the poem, have them write letters next to
each line to show the rhyme scheme.
Vocabulary Strategy: Personification
Name
A poet sometimes gives human abilities or feelings to nonhuman objects,

animals, or ideas. To understand these images better, look for the thing that is
personified. It will be doing or feeling something human, as New Mexico is in
these lines.
New Mexico, so dry and vast,
holds a painted canvas before me
Read each passage. Then answer the questions.
1. Nature proudly displays

Her work for us to savor.
What human emotion does nature feel in this passage?
2. When the sun bows low, I see

A rainbow like a party favor.
What human action does the sun perform in this passage?
3. I listen as if in a trance
While the campfire dances and flickers.
What thing is being personified?
4. A blanket she made just for me

That holds me in its arms all night.
What thing is being personified?
Beginning/Intermediate Review personification with students. Pair

students of different language abilities to complete the practice page Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 97
together. When finished, review the answers as a group.
Phonics: Consonant + le Syllables
Name
Every syllable in a word has one vowel sound. When a word ends in -le, the
consonant before it plus the letters -le form the last syllable. This type of
syllable is called a consonant + le syllable.
A. Read each word. Circle the consonant + le syllable. The first

1. bicycle
2. noodle
3. muscle
4. whistle
5. scramble
B. Read the words in each row. Then circle the word that has the
same consonant + le syllable as the word in bold. The first one
has been done for you.
6. scruple dimple throttle

7. incurable durable simple
8. eagle needle beagle
9. haggle squiggle befuddle
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to break words into syllables.

98 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 Read each sample word, pausing between syllables. Have students
repeat. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
poet used literary language in a poem.
In the poem “At Grandmother’s Pueblo,” the poet uses

Topic
literary language to communicate the speaker’s feelings
sentence
of welcome and belonging when visiting Grandmother.
For example, New Mexico is personified as holding a
“painted canvas” of the beautiful land and nature “proudly
Evidence displays” her works for the visitor. A simile comparing a
rainbow to a party favor increases the feeling of welcome.
Finally, a special blanket holding the speaker creates
Concluding feelings of safety and love. The literary language conveys
statement feelings associated with family, welcome, and belonging.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Analyze the
author’s use of literary language. Cite evidence from the text.
Remember to include relevant facts, definitions, concrete details,
and quotations, and to use appositives correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students as they reread a poem to

locate literary language. Have students underline any examples they Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 2 • Week 5 99
find. Pair students to work together to plan their paragraphs.
Name
help you think of precise, vivid words you can add.
Draft Model
Wherever I go, I bring my sketchpad and special pencil. They are two of my
favorite possessions. The pages are blank until I draw a picture on them. This is
why I love my sketchbook so much.
1. What does the sketchbook look like? Why is the pencil special?
2. What descriptive words can show how the narrator feels about the
blank pages?
3. What precise, vivid words can describe the drawings the narrator
creates on the sketchbook pages?
B. Now revise the draft by adding precise, vivid words to help

readers understand more about the writer and the sketchbook.

complete the page. Have them read the draft to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

There is a resemblance
between a rat and a
resemblance mouse.
It is unseemly to talk
during a movie.
unseemly
They were enthralled by

the new kitten.
enthralled
The students all wore

regulation uniforms.
regulation
The glass jar was filled

to capacity.
capacity
The field was fallow and

had no crops.
fallow

Name
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name
Read the passage. Use the make, confirm, and revise predictions
strategy to help you understand the theme.
Stuck Together
Rosa entered her apartment building just as a woman with red hair came
13 out. Rosa knew the woman lived in the building, but Rosa didn’t know
26 who she was. Rosa didn’t know anyone in the building. Rosa and her
39 mother had moved in a month ago, and while people weren’t rude, people
52 weren’t exactly friendly, either. Rosa missed her old building where people
63 knew one another.
66 Rosa pushed the “up” button on the elevator and waited for it to arrive.
80 Then she waited some more. “Oh no,” she muttered quietly to herself,
92 “not again.”
94 Rosa lived on the seventh floor. Sighing, she trudged slowly up the
106 stairs. By the time she got to her floor, she was sweaty and exhausted.
120 Rosa’s mother, Maria, was inside the apartment.
127 “Que pasa?” asked Maria.
131 “I had to walk all the way up the stairs
141 again,” Rosa said.
144 “I’ve called the landlord many times
150 about the elevator, but I haven’t heard
157 anything back,” Maria told her.
162 The next morning, Rosa and her

168 mom got on the elevator, and the doors
176 closed behind them. There were other
182 people on the elevator, including the
188 red-haired lady.

Name
People smiled, but no one spoke. That is, nobody spoke until they realized that
they weren’t moving.
“Not again,” said the woman with the red hair.
“I’ve written to the landlord about how often this broken elevator
malfunctions,” said a man with a black briefcase. He pulled the red alarm button,
and it made a clanging noise. “Now we just have to wait until someone outside
pushes an elevator button.”
Rosa looked at her mother, who smiled and said, “It doesn’t seem like
the landlord is listening to our complaints. Maybe if we all got together and
pressured him, he would fix the elevator.”
A man in jogging shorts said, “I don’t really like to get involved in problems.”
Rosa smiled. “You’re stuck here. You’re already involved.”
The man smiled back. “You have a point.”
“Perhaps if we wrote a letter and had everyone in the building sign it, the
landlord would listen,” suggested the man with the briefcase.
“We could say that we are going to call the city’s housing department,” said
the lady with the red hair. “Or if we all say that we won’t pay our rent, I bet we
get the elevator fixed.”
“I can write the letter,” Rosa’s mother
offered.
The other people in the elevator agreed
to review the letter and help get signatures
from all the building’s tenants.

Just then the elevator started descending
again. As it made its way down to the first
floor, Rosa felt proud of her mom for getting
everyone to agree to work together. Maybe
this building would turn out to be as friendly
as the old one.

Name
1. Look at the first paragraph. Why does Rosa miss the people in her
old building?
2. What do the other people on the elevator do when Rosa gets on

the elevator with her mother?
3. The man wearing jogging shorts says he does not want to get
involved with trying to fix the elevator. What does Rosa say to him?
4. Which statement best describes the theme of this story? Circle the
a. People who move to a new place should introduce themselves.

b. People who ride in elevators should be friendly.
c. People who work together can get more done than people who
work alone.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students about the meaning of theme.

As students read the text, have them underline sentences or phrases Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 1 105
that describe how the people in the new building act toward one another.
Name
Practice Makes Perfect

“Rosa, it’s a great way to practice your Italian,” my mother told me. She had
asked me to babysit for Christina, my four-year-old cousin from Italy.
“La mia palla!” Christina keeps screaming from the backyard.
“What are you saying?” I mumble. She cries and points up at the red ball. It’s
caught in the tree.
My neighbors, the Chens, rush over to help. “Get some other balls from the bin,
Rosa,” Mrs. Chen says, “we’ll toss them up and try to get hers loose.”
We throw the balls into the tree. After many tries, down tumbles the red ball.
“La palla,” I say, handing the ball to Christina.
Mr. Chen says, ”Rosa, I didn’t know you spoke Italian!”
1. Realistic fiction has realistic characters. Explain how two characters

in this story are realistic.
2. Is this story told from a first-person or third-person point of view?

How do you know?

3. How is foreign language dialogue used to portray Christina.
4. How does the first sentence foreshadow, or give clues, to future

events in the story?

106 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 1 the questions using basic and content vocabulary. Then have them share
Name
Sometimes surrounding words and phrases can give you the context you need
to help you understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Look at this example
of context clues from the passage. The underlined words help explain that
trudged means “walked slowly and heavily.”
Sighing, she trudged slowly up the stairs. By the time she got to her floor,
she was sweaty and exhausted.
A. Read each passage below. Study the underlined context clues

in each passage to help you figure out the meaning of each word
in bold. Then circle the letter of the best definition for each word.
1. “Oh no,” she muttered quietly to herself, “not again.”
a. spoke quickly b. spoke quietly c. spoke clearly and loudly
2. Rosa lived on the seventh floor. Sighing, she trudged slowly up

the stairs. By the time she got to her floor, she was sweaty and
exhausted.
a. tired b. excited c. slow
3. “I’ve written to the landlord about how often this broken elevator
malfunctions,” said a man with a black briefcase.
a. breaks down b. gets dirty c. gets too full
4. Just then the elevator started descending again. As it made its way
down to the first floor, Rosa felt proud of her mom for getting
everyone to agree to work together.
a. going up b. going across c. going down
Beginning/Intermediate Review context clues. Use gestures to

complete the practice page together.
Phonics: Vowel Team Syllables
Name
Every syllable in a word has only one vowel sound. Sometimes the vowel
sound is spelled with more than one letter. When this happens, the syllable is
called a vowel team syllable. Vowel teams have more than one letter that stand
for a single vowel sound. Vowel teams include:
ai as in main ea as in reader ee as in breezy
oi as in toil ou as in mouth
A. Read each word. Circle the vowel team. The first one has been
done for you.
1. streamline
2. painful
3. exploit
4. round
5. agreed
B. Read each word and divide it into syllables. Then underline the
vowel team. The first one has been done for you.

6. poison
7. appointment
8. straighten
9. earthbound

108 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 1 words with vowel teams. Point out your mouth position for each sound.
Have students repeat. Pair students to identify the vowel teams.
Name
student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence to support his or her
argument about the author’s development of a theme.
In “Stuck Together,” the author uses believable dialogue

Topic
and an everyday setting to help create realistic characters
sentence
and to convey a theme. Rosa’s conversations with her
mother and with the people on the elevator are friendly,
Evidence and help to convey the importance of cooperation. The
use of realistic details makes it easy for the reader to
understand and relate to the story’s message. With energy
Concluding and teamwork, the people in the apartment building can
statement solve a problem.
well you think the author developed the theme. Cite clear reasons
and relevant evidence from the text. Remember to include strong
action verbs, and use direct and indirect objects correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and give simple examples.

Help students write a topic sentence. Pair students of different language Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 1 109
abilities to complete the page. Have them read their answers to each other.
Name
to help you think about transitional words and phrases that
will make it easier for readers to keep track of where and when
events take place.
Draft Model
It had snowed hard during the night. The snow was very deep. Sally and her
sisters built a snow fort. They saw that their elderly neighbors needed help
shoveling their sidewalk. Sally and her sisters discussed together the idea of
helping them.
1. What transitional words and phrases would show when Sally and
her sisters built the fort? What words and phrases would show
when other events happened?
2. What transitional words and phrases would show where different

events took place?
3. What other words and phrases would help guide the reader
smoothly from one event to the next?
B. Now revise the draft by adding transitions to help readers keep

track of when events take place and where the sisters are when
events occur.

110 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 1 meaning and point out the cognates idea/idea. Pair students of different
language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

I had to summon all

my strength to lift the
summon heavy box.
The vastness of the

wide-open plains is
vastness impressive.
My little sister roused me

this morning.
roused
The path skewed off the

road and went into the
skewed woods.
The sick boy feebly

sat up.
feebly
He recoiled when he
saw the bug in his soup.
recoiled

Name
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name
strategy to help you understand the theme.
Poppy and the Junior Tigers

Poppy watched the group of 12-year-olds limply bouncing basketballs
9 around the court at the community center.
16 “C’mon,” Poppy shouted. “More energy! Try passing the ball!”
25 Nobody seemed able to either throw or catch a ball correctly.
36 Poppy sighed in despair. She was the new volunteer coach for the
48 community junior league basketball team. She had assumed she would
58 be a superb basketball coach. After all, she was a state champion forward
71 on her high school’s basketball team. She had thought coaching would be
83 fun, but she had been mistaken. The Junior Tigers were not interested in
96 practicing and didn’t seem to care about learning to play well.
107 Poppy called out, “Kia, someone is going to steal the ball if you don’t
121 pass lower! Carl, try not to trip over the ball.”
131 Mike, a tall, skinny kid, smirked.
137 “He has no coordination.”
141 “Don’t make unhelpful comments,
145 Mike,” said Poppy.
148 That evening, Poppy explained the
153 situation to her dad. “None of the
160 children seem to care about playing

166 well, and I just don’t see the point when
175 they make no effort. Maybe I should just
183 quit and put us all out of our misery.”

Name
“Or maybe they just need some really compelling motivation,” said
Poppy’s dad.
The following day at practice, Poppy made an announcement to the team.
“You guys could be playing games that make your community proud; however,
you just want to fool around. You don’t care, and since you don’t care, I don’t
care, either. So, I want to tell you that today is my final day coaching. Also, the
center has to find a replacement for me, and unless that happens soon, it will be
your last week for a while, as well.”
“Really?” asked Mike, looking crestfallen, his usual grin gone. “But I like
basketball.”
“Yeah, we all do. Don’t you think you’re being a little mean?” asked Kia.
“We’re just kids.”
Poppy sighed, “You’re kids that should try harder and put in real effort. Now,
line up for layups. I’m still the coach for now.”
To Poppy’s surprise, the Junior Tigers actually lined up without the typical
shoving and pushing. They took turns shooting at the basket in an almost orderly
fashion, and when Carl missed, Mike did not make fun of him.
Poppy tried dribbling drills. While there was still a bit too much chatter and
running with the ball, there was no complaining.
At the end of practice, Poppy felt
encouraged. She said, “Hey, guys! You made
some effort out there, so I’ll make some effort
as well. If you want to do this—really do

this the right way—I’ll stick around and try
to whip you into shape. What do you think?
Raise your hand if you are really ready to be
a team.”
Then Poppy smiled because everyone’s hand
went up.

Name
1. Look at the end of paragraph 4. What words describe the Junior

Tigers during practice?
2. How does Poppy feel about the team?
3. How do the Junior Tigers change their behavior when they think
Poppy is going to quit?
4. Which statement best describes the theme of this story? Circle

the letter of your answer.
a. When people think someone is quitting, they try harder.
b. When people have a reason to work hard, they will usually do it.
c. When people practice, they can win in games like basketball.

phrasing. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Review theme. As students read the passage,

have them underline sentences that describe how the team behaves and Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 2 115
have them circle sentences that describe how Poppy feels.
Name
Mustering Courage
On weekends, Julian works hard at his landscaping job. He mows lawns, clips
hedges, and carries heavy loads of mulch all morning. By noon, he is starving
and goes to the town deli to buy lunch. A long line confronts him, and his
stomach growls. The man at the deli counter yells, “Who’s next? What can I get
for you?”
People behind Julian start to shout their orders: “Tuna on whole wheat!”
“Hot pastrami on rye!” “Grilled cheese!” Julian feels intimidated, or scared. His
English is progressing, but now his throat tightens and his face reddens.
A woman says to him, “It’s your turn, dear. Go ahead. I will wait.”
Thankful for her kindness, Julian finds, or musters, his courage. “Turkey on a
roll!” he shouts.
“You got it, my friend,” answers the man.
Confident, Julian replies, “Thanks, buddy!”
1. Realistic fiction takes place in a realistic setting and has realistic

characters. How do you know this text is realistic fiction?

2. How do you know that the story is told from third-person limited
point of view?
3. Look at the second sentence of the story. List the verbs used
in the sentence.
4. How does the title of the story reveal the theme?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Point out the

116 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 2 English/Spanish cognates: confronts/afrontar, intimidate/
intimidar. Pair students to answer the questions. Then review.
Vocabulary Strategy: Paragraph Clues
Name
Look at this example of context clues in a paragraph. The underlined words

explain that center means “a building for a special purpose.”
Poppy watched the group of 12-year-olds limply bouncing basketballs
around the court at the community center.
Read each passage below. Use the underlined context clues

to help you figure out the meaning of each word in bold. Then
circle the letter of the best definition for the word.
1. Poppy called out, “Kia, someone is going to steal the ball if you
don’t pass lower! Carl, try not to trip over the ball. Mike, a tall,
skinny kid, smirked. “He has no coordination.”
a. sense b. team spirit c. ability to move well
2. “Really?” asked Mike, looking crestfallen, his usual grin gone.

“But I like basketball.”
a. unhappy b. thrilled c. ready to quit
3. To Poppy’s surprise, the Junior Tigers actually lined up without

the typical shoving and pushing. They took turns shooting at the
basket in an almost orderly fashion, and when Carl missed, Mike
did not make fun of him.
a. way of looking b. way of doing things c. team
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students that words can have more

than one meaning. Pair students with different language levels to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 2 117
Phonics: r-Controlled Vowel Syllables
Name
Every syllable in a word has one vowel sound. When a vowel is followed by
the letter r, both letters must remain in the same syllable because they act as a
team to form a special r-controlled vowel sound. This type of syllable is called
an r-controlled vowel syllable.
mar as in market ger as in danger ror as in error
A. Read the words in each row. Circle the word that has an
r-controlled vowel syllable. The first one has been done for you.
1. hammer grateful throttle
2. truck mirror remain
3. brave rotate platter
4. drown vinegar brutal
B. Read each word. Underline the r-controlled vowel syllable in

the word. The first one has been done for you.
5. actor
6. waiter

7. current
8. flavor
9. banister
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to decode. Read and point to

118 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 2 the words with an r-controlled vowel syllable. Pair students to divide the
words into syllables and identify the r-controlled vowel syllable.
Name
student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that supports his or her
argument about how the author developed the theme.
In “Poppy and the Junior Tigers,” I believe the author

Topic
uses the characters’ dialogue to communicate the theme
sentence
that hard work pays off. For example, at first, Poppy
thinks coaching basketball will be easy, but she is not
successful. A dialogue with her father helps Poppy see
Evidence that she should work harder. The players aren’t serious
about practicing until Poppy motivates them to try harder
and put in effort. Then the team starts focusing and
Concluding
working together. The characters’ dialogue helps develop
statement the theme.
the author develops the theme. Cite evidence from the text.
Be sure to introduce your claim, use evidence to support your
claim, and organize reasons and evidence clearly. Also be sure
to use correct verb tenses and subject-verb agreement.


Name
to help you think of ways to make the conclusion stronger.
Draft Model
Susan said her last lines in the play and the stage went dark. The lights came
back on, and the audience went wild with applause. She had done it!
1. How does Susan feel when she hears the audience’s

reaction? Why?
2. What does Susan learn about herself from finishing the

performance?
3. What other details could help clarify previous events and give
readers a sense of closure?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details that will help the
reader better understand how Susan feels and what she has
learned.

120 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 2 meaning. Pair students of different language abilities to complete the
page. Have them read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

We looked out at the

windswept beach.
windswept
The sharecropper gave

some of his crop to the
sharecropper owner of the farm.
The impoverished
school could not afford
impoverished new books.
There was an abundant

amount of apples on
abundant the tree.
We unearthed an old
vase from the ground.
unearthed
The artist liked to work

in solitude.
solitude

Name
Event

Name
Read the passage. Use the summarize strategy to identify

important ideas and events.
Clean Water Partners

Nearly a billion people in the world need safer drinking water. Unclean
12 water causes illness. Each year millions of people die from unsafe water.
24 How would life be without safe water?
31 A Water Crisis
34 In some places, people spend hours a day carrying water to their
46 homes. Women and girls are often the ones who do this chore. Because
59 of this work, the women cannot take jobs. The girls cannot go to school.
73 Sometimes they must walk long distances to find water.
82 Solving the Problem

85 Getting clean water to all people is a major problem. However, people
97 are starting to take action. They are talking to others about the problem.
110 People are raising money to help.
116 First Things First

119 Planners of water projects know what must

126 come first. Outsiders must take time to know
134 the people they want to help. Everyone can
142 work together if there is trust. Irene Alastruey/PunchStock
148 Next, the project planners teach the people

155 how the new water source will work. The
163 people will learn about public health. They
In many African villages,
170 will learn how to fix problems that may come children carry water long
179 up later. distances.

Name
Working Together
A tiny village in South Africa had only
a trickle of water for 2,000 families. The
villagers knew they must solve their problem.
A dam had been built in the 1920s. The dam
made a lake, which was used mostly to water
farm crops. Over the years, more and more
canals were added. Those canals carried water
out to new villages. Finally, there were too
many places for the water to go. Villagers
who lived at the end of the line barely received
any water.
The villagers had to transport water from The villagers of Modderspruit
a well across a busy highway. Every day they in South Africa worked together
with outsiders to solve their
dodged speeding cars carrying pots of water water problem.
home. The highway company worried about
their safety.
Teamwork
The highway company offered to drill a deep hole to search for water. The
villagers had a community center. With no water, it often sat empty. They chose
the center as a perfect place to drill.

Next, it was time to decide how to pump the water to the community center.
The planners and villagers decided on a pump powered by the sun. South Africa
has plenty of sunshine. The solar pump and two large water tanks were set up at
the center. The well brought the village much clean water.
A Satisfying Outcome
The villagers often use their center now. Water is available for bathrooms and
showers. The children can play and attend school instead of carrying water. The
villagers are grateful for all the people who helped them solve their problem.

Name
1. Look at the paragraph after the title and the paragraph after the
heading “A Water Crisis.” What are some of the problems that
unsafe drinking water can cause?
2. In the paragraph after the heading “First Things First,” look for the
signal word “next.” What is the next step for project planners?
3. In the section describing how a well was built in a village in

Africa, which of these events happened first? Circle the letter
of your answer.
a. The planners and villagers chose to use the sun to power the
water pump.
b. The highway company offered to drill a deep hole to search

for water.
c. The pump and two water tanks were set up at the

community center.

rate and accuracy. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students that transition words help to

indicate sequence. Pair students with higher level students to complete Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 3 125
this activity.
Genre Text/Feature
Name
Florida Community Defeats Air Polluters

For 30 years, Royal Oak Corporation operated a charcoal factory in Ocala,
Florida. Ruth Reed, a community leader of African American homeowners,
organized a group to demand the factory stop polluting the air. They wrote
letters to city and state officials to complain. When that didn’t work, they hung
bed sheets out to catch the soot, or dirt, from the factory. They brought the
dirty sheets to city council meetings. The officials listened and said they would
demand changes. Not trusting them, Ruth’s group wisely hired their own experts
to test the air. Afraid of what the tests would show, Royal Oak closed the factory.
1. Narrative nonfiction tells information about real people or events

in story form. What features of narrative nonfiction does this text
contain?
3. What sentence in the text shows the author’s point of view, or

thoughts, about the topic?
4. Narrative nonfiction contains facts. List two facts the text provides.

Vocabulary Strategy: Prefixes and Suffixes
Name
Prefixes are word parts that come at the beginning of a word. Suffixes are
word parts that come at the end of a word. When a prefix or a suffix is added to
a word, the meaning of the word is changed.
Planners of water projects know what must come first.
The word planners contains the suffix -ers. The suffix -ers changes the meaning
of plan to “people who plan.”
A. Complete each item below by writing the new word created

when the prefix and the word are combined. Then write the
meaning of each new word.
1. un- (meaning “not”) + safe = ;
2. un- (meaning “not”) + clean = ;
3. trans- (meaning “across, beyond, or through”) + port = ;
B. Add the suffix -er to each word below. Change the spelling of
the word if necessary. Then use each new word in a sentence.
4. village
5. skate
6. sing
7. farm
Beginning/Intermediate Review suffixes. Pair students with different

language levels to complete the practice page together. When finished, Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 3 127
review the answers.
Word Study: Frequently Misspelled Words
Name
Some words are difficult to read and write because the vowels or consonants
in them do not follow regular spelling patterns. To read and write frequently
misspelled words, the following tips may help:
• Look for phonics patterns you know.
• Read each word syllable by syllable. Make sure each syllable has a vowel or
a vowel team.
• Look for spelling patterns you know.
A. Read the words in each row. Then circle the word that has
a spelling pattern similar to the word in bold. The first one has
been done for you.
1. fought brought finger
2. country grown cousin
3. deceive panda receive
4. relieve believe sleeve
5. captain against frame

B. Read each word. Draw a slanted line (/) between each syllable.
The first one has been done for you.
6. a d/d r e s s
7. b e c a u s e
8. c h i l d r e n
9. a n s w e r
Beginning/Intermediate Model breaking words into syllables. Pair

128 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 3 students of different language abilities. Have them identify the vowel
sound in each syllable of a word and practice spelling each syllable.
Name
author used a sequential text structure to convey information.
Topic In “Clean Water Partners,” the author uses sequence

sentence of events to explain how a South African community
obtained clean water. People in the community were
spending too much time carrying water from far away.
To solve the problem, project planners first chose where
Evidence to drill for water. Then the people decided to use a solar
pump to pump the water from underground. Finally, the
people had clean water close by. The author includes
Concluding details about each event to help clarify sequence and
statement tell the story.
author used a sequence of events to convey information. Cite
evidence from the text. Remember to appropriately use transitions,
main verbs, and helping verbs to strengthen your writing.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and make sure that students

understand sequence of events. Pair students of different language abilities Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 3 129
to complete the page. Have them read their answers to each other.
Name
to help you think about what relevant details and evidence you
can add.
Draft Model
Mom and Dad were tired because they had three kids and full-time jobs. I got
my big brothers to agree that we would cook dinner twice a week. Everything is
better now.
1. What facts, examples, or quotations could you add to help readers

understand the family’s situation?
2. What details could you add to help readers understand the

narrator’s actions?
3. What details would help readers better understand and visualize

the conclusion?
B. Now revise the draft by adding relevant details and evidence to

help readers learn more about how one family solves a problem.

page. Have them read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

He is adept at drawing
animals.
adept
The prominent doctor

has many patients.
prominent
The spectators watched

the parade.
spectators
The castle used to

belong to the aristocracy.
aristocracy
The race was too close

to know who would
prevail prevail.
The family made a

collective decision to get
collective a dog.

Comprehension: Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the cause and effect graphic organizer.
Cause Effect

Name
Read the passage. Use the summarizing strategy to identify

important events in Clemente’s life.
Roberto Clemente: A Sports Legend

American baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was born in 1934
11 in Puerto Rico. He was a poor Latino boy growing up, but his future was
26 bright. Clemente was outstanding in most sports as a child. Then in high
39 school, he started focusing on baseball. Baseball recruiters learned of his
50 exceptional talent.
52 Soon Clemente was offered a baseball contract with the Dodgers when he
64 was still in high school. He accepted. One year later Clemente was traded to
78 the Pittsburgh Pirates. He then played ball with the Pirates for 18 seasons.
91 Clemente died an untimely death at age 38 in a tragic plane crash.
104 Strike One

106 Clemente didn’t speak English
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs

110 when he arrived in America. Then
Division [LC-USF3301-006392-M4]
116 he discovered the problem of
121 discrimination. As a black Latino,
126 Clemente had not thought much
131 about his race. However, in the
137 1950s, the United States had laws

143 that separated blacks and whites.
148 Clemente had to find separate hotels
154 during spring training. He often ate his meals alone on the team bus.

Name
Sports reporters did not rally around Clemente. They teased him for his strong
Latino accent. He felt like an outsider in America. Clemente learned to speak out.
He let everyone know when someone was treated unfairly. Reporters tried to call
him the American nicknames “Bob” and “Bobby.” Clemente said words to the
effect of “I’m Puerto Rican. My name is Roberto.” He was proud of his heritage.
Play Ball
Clemente was a hard hitter. His lifetime batting average was .317. He won
four National League batting titles and got 3,000 base hits. He routinely kept
batters from getting to base. He could outrun balls hit between right and
center field. Clemente won 12 Gold Glove awards, which are given to the best
fielding players.
Making a Difference
Clemente was a planner and a doer. In 1972 Nicaragua suffered a huge
earthquake. Clemente wanted to take supplies to the victims. On New Year’s
Eve, Clemente boarded a plane to Nicaragua. The plane took off, and quickly
one of the engines exploded. Then there was another blast. Two more explosions
followed. The plane went down like a fireball. Fans around the world mourned
the death of Clemente.
Clemente had seen people struggle, and
he wanted to help. Those who knew him

Don Tremain/Photodisc/Getty Images
best would say that Clemente was a model
of hard work. He was a man of integrity who
stood by what he believed. Clemente was
willing to break down barriers and lead the
way for others to follow. Roberto Clemente
was a true success.

Comprehension: Cause and Effect and Fluency
Name
1. Look at the paragraph under the heading “Strike One.” What were
two ways Clemente faced discrimination in the 1950s?
2. Which statement below describes an effect of Clemente’s great skill

in baseball? Circle the letter of your answer.
a. Clemente spoke out against unfair treatment.
b. Clemente wanted people to call him “Roberto,” not “Bob.”
c. Clemente won many awards, including 12 Gold Gloves.
3. Look at the text under the heading “Making a Difference.” What

caused Clemente to fly to Nicaragua in 1972?


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Pair students with higher level students to do this

activity. As they read the passage, have them work together to underline causes Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 135
and circle effects in the text. When finished, have students share their answers.
Genre/ Text Feature
Name
Thurgood Marshall: First African American

Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. After
college, he experienced racial discrimination. The University of Maryland law
school rejected Marshall because he was not white. How would this brilliant
man resolve this problem? He kept on with his dream and attended Howard
University law school. He graduated first in his class and thought, “I will work
for the rights of all people.” So, he became a civil rights lawyer. His biggest
victory was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. In this case, the
Supreme Court found racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. In
1967 Marshall became the first African American Supreme Court Justice. He
worked for civil rights until he retired in 1991. Marshall died in 1993.
1. A biography is a story about the life of a real person, the subject of

the biography. How do you know this text is a biography?
2. A biography often includes suspense, or a feeling of uncertainty.

Suspense makes the reader want to know more. What sentence in
the text adds suspense?
3. What sentence or part of a sentence tells a thought that Marshall

may have had?
4. What personal experience or difficulty may have led Marshall to

become a civil rights lawyer?

136 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 the questions using basic and content vocabulary. When finished, review
the answers.
Name

help you figure out that heritage means “ethnic upbringing and background.”
Reporters tried to call him the American nicknames “Bob” and “Bobby.”
Clemente said words to the effect of “I’m Puerto Rican. My name is
Roberto.” He was proud of his heritage.
A. Read each passage below. Underline the context clues that

help you figure out the meaning of each word in bold. Then circle
the letter of the best definition of the word.
1. He then played ball with the Pirates for 18 seasons. Clemente died
an untimely death at age 38 in a tragic plane crash.
a. too early b. sad c. at an old age
2. Clemente didn’t speak English when he arrived in America. Then

he discovered the problem of discrimination. As a black Latino,
Clemente had not thought much about his race. However, in the
1950s, the United States had laws that separated blacks and whites.
Clemente had to find separate hotels during spring training. He
often ate his meals alone on the team bus.
a. language b. unfair treatment c. strong dedication to

of a category of a purpose
people
3. Clemente had seen people struggle, and he wanted to help. Those

who knew him best would say that Clemente was a model of hard
work. He was a man of integrity who stood by what he believed.
a. skill b. sweetness c. honesty and courage
Beginning/Intermediate Ask students to identify the English/Spanish

cognates discrimination/discriminación and integrity/integridad. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 137
students with different language levels to complete the practice page.
Word Study: Prefixes
Name
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word. A prefix changes

the meaning of a word. Knowing what the prefix means can help you determine
the meaning of the entire word.
un- not; opposite in- not; into out- surpass; away from
en- to make; put into super- above; over
A. Read the words in each row. Circle the words that have the
same prefix. The first one has been done for you.
1. unclear review unable
2. incomplete indirect uneven
3. supermarket prevent superhuman
4. enrich every enlarge
5. outcry outfield overnight
B. Read each word in the box below. Then write the word next to
the correct meaning. The first one has been done for you.

superstar unhook incorrect outlaw
6. undo a hook unhook
7. a person who broke the law
8. a huge star
9. not correct
Beginning/Intermediate Read and point to the words with prefixes.

138 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 Have students repeat the words chorally. Pair students to identify
the meaning of the prefixes found in the activities.
Name
or her argument about the author’s use of a cause-and-effect text structure.
In “Roberto Clemente: A Sports Legend,” the cause-

Topic
sentence and-effect structure helped me to clearly understand the
important events in Roberto Clemente’s life. For example,
reading that Clemente was athletically talented as a child
helped me understand how he became a top baseball
Evidence player. Descriptions of the discrimination Clemente
faced after he left Puerto Rico helped me understand
why he defended other people’s rights and demanded
equal working conditions for everyone. The author’s use
Concluding of cause and effect gave me a full picture of Roberto
statement Clemente’s life.
author used a cause-and-effect text structure to convey ideas
and events. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to support
your argument with clear reasons and use linking verbs to
connect ideas.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and give an example of a

cause-and-effect relationship. Pair students of different language abilities Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 139
to work together on the page. Have them share answers when finished.
Name
help you think of ways to add a distinctive voice to the text.
Draft Model
The sky was dark. The wind blew hard. A tree crashed in the yard, and the
lights went out. My little brother started to cry, but Mom calmly lit candles and
started telling us stories.
1. How can you change the first sentence to give it an engaging style
and tone?
2. What sensory details would help describe the storm?
3. What details would explain the narrator’s feelings?
4. What details would show the author’s attitude towards the mother?
B. Now revise the draft by adding strong adjectives and verbs to

present the information in a more engaging voice.

140 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 4 meaning. Pair students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Have them read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name
Use the word chart to study this week’s vocabulary words. Write
a sentence using each word in your writer’s notebook.
It is commonplace to
see cars on a city street.
commonplace
We hoped our initial

effort to raise money for
initial the garden would be a
success.
The invasive weeds

ruined the flower garden.
invasive
Whom will she designate

as class president?
designate
Insulation helps to keep

houses warm.
insulation
My sister has an
irrational fear of insects.
irrational

Name
graphic organizer.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
Detail

Name
Read the passage. Use the ask and answer questions strategy to
check your understanding of the text.
Trees for a Healthier Africa

Environmentalists are asking people to plant millions of trees in Africa.
11 Many forests in Africa have not been conserved. Many of the trees have
24 been destroyed, not protected. Such deforestation causes dire results.
33 A few of the grim effects are less rain, more heat, and erosion. Crops often
48 fail in those negative conditions. Planting more trees may help reverse
59 deforestation.
60 Learning to Change
63 It helps for people to learn the impact
71 of destroying the forests. Finally they are
78 discovering how to restore, not ruin, forests.
85 When the trees disappear, they must be
92 replaced. If trees cease to grow, the land,
100 climate, and people are all affected.
106 African people have learned how tree loss
Kim Steele/Photodisc/Getty Images

113 can produce the “greenhouse effect.” Plants
119 store carbon dioxide (CO2). Burning trees puts
126 more CO2 in the air. Gases like CO2 trap heat
136 close to the earth. The gases are like a glass
146 roof in a greenhouse. The glass holds in the
155 sun’s heat. The greenhouse effect can cause Learning the impact of
162 our climate to become warmer too. People in deforestation is the first
step in reversing it.
170 Africa are learning how to correct this problem.

Name
RIPPLE Africa—Cook Stoves and Fruit Trees

RIPPLE is a group in Malawi, Africa, that Fruit Tree
Planting
has worked to plant millions of fast-growing
trees. People have learned how to cut only the
branches for firewood instead of the whole tree. Income from More Food
RIPPLE has also started a cook stove project. Sales of Fruit Improved Nutrition
The mud brick stoves use another fuel, not trees.

RIPPLE has supplied fruit trees, which help with
Motivation
both food and income. This makes people want to for Planting
More Trees
plant more trees.
Green Belt Movement—Wangari Maathai

A Nobel Peace Prize winner from Kenya also helped the environment.
Beginning in 1976, Dr. Maathai encouraged massive tree planting. She helped
women plant more than 40 million trees with a group called the Green Belt
Movement. Dr. Maathai asked all nations to stop taking trees for granted.
The African Wildlife Foundation

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is another group working hard to
reverse deforestation. AWF studied the dwindling forests to see how it can slow
CO2 buildup. It made plans to increase tree growth. AWF knew it could not
let the forests shrink even more. AWF found places where women could grow

tree seedlings. The plants made income for women because AWF bought them
back for replanting. Dr. Kiruswa was the AWF Director in Tanzania. He says,
“AWF knows the threat of climate change in Africa. We must reduce CO2 and
deforestation.”
What Does It Take?

Reversing deforestation takes time. People want to turn it around by working
together. They are choosing not to make the same mistakes again.

Name
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that people are being asked
to plant more trees in Africa. Give one detail from the paragraph
that supports that main idea.
2. One key detail in paragraph 3 is that trees store CO2. Another detail
is that gases like CO2 trap heat in the earth, just like the glass roof
of a greenhouse. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
3. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?



Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs. As they reread,

have them circle the main ideas of each paragraph and underline key Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 145
supporting details. When finished, have students share their responses.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Making Fashion from Plastic Bags

As part of the effort to “go green,” some fashion Trim and layer bags
designers are creating clothing from plastic bags.
Here’s how: First, flatten three or four bags. Use a
scissors to trim off the handles and bottom seams. Cover with paper
Next, layer the bags into one pile. Place paper on top
of the bags and below the bags. Then, iron for about Iron
fifteen seconds per side. Allow it to cool. Peel away
the paper. You can use your new plastic fabric to sew Sew
dresses, tote bags, and more.
1. Expository text gives information about a topic. How do you know

this is expository text?

3. How does the text expand on the idea in the heading?
4. What are the first two things the flowchart tells you to do?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review flowcharts with

146 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 students. Pair students to answer the questions using basic and content
vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Vocabulary Strategy: Synonyms and Antonyms
Name
Synonyms are words with the same or nearly the same meaning. Antonyms
are words with the opposite or nearly the opposite meaning.
When trees disappear, they must be replaced.
Replaced is an antonym that means nearly the opposite of disappear.
The underlined word or phrase is a synonym or an antonym for the word

in bold. Check whether the statement under each passage is true or false.
1. Many forests in Africa have not been conserved. Many of the trees
have been destroyed, not protected.
Synonym: protected True

Forests that have been conserved are gone. False
2. Such deforestation causes dire results. A few of the grim effects are
less rain, more heat, and erosion.
Synonym: grim True

A hurricane could have dire results. False
3. It helps for people to learn the impact of destroying the forests.

Finally they are discovering how to restore, not ruin, forests.
Antonym: restore True

Winning games could help restore a team’s reputation False
4. AWF studied the dwindling forests to see how it can slow CO2
buildup. It made plans to increase tree growth. AWF knew it could
not let the forests shrink even more.
Antonym clue: increase True

Dwindling food resources help countries feed their people. False
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students to look for synonym and

antonym context clues to determine meaning. Pair students at different Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 147
language levels to complete the page. When finished, review the answers.
Word Study: Suffixes -ion and -tion
Name
A suffix is a word part that can be added to the end of a base word. A suffix
changes the meaning of the word. The suffixes -ion and -tion mean “the act,
state, or result of.” These suffixes change the base word from a verb to a noun.
A. Read each base word in bold. Then circle the related word with
the suffix -ion or -tion added. The first one has been done for you.
1. correct correction collection
2. locate election location
3. instruct institution instruction
4. act action accent
5. express expression exception
B. Read each sentence. Circle the word that has the suffix -ion
or -tion. The first one has been done for you.
6. We made an amazing observation from the tower.
7. My education is very important to me and my family.

8. You had such a strong reaction to the sad movie.
9. What is your connection to this group?
Beginning/Intermediate Review suffixes—word parts added to a base

148 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 word. Have students practice sounding out and reading aloud words with
the suffixes -ion and -tion. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author’s word choice helped convey an overall message.
In “Trees for a Healthier Africa,” the author’s choice

Topic
of words helped to convey the message that deforestation
sentence
must be reversed. The author used powerful words, such
as “dire,” “grim,” and “ruin,” and concrete details to
describe the effects of deforestation: greenhouse effect,
carbon dioxide, and climate change. The author identified
Evidence specific groups and people who are teaching Africans
how to “stop taking trees for granted.” Also, the quotation
from the former AWF director in Tanzania helped make
the deforestation problems in Africa seem more real. The
Concluding
author effectively used specific words, terms, and phrases
statement
to get the overall message across.
Write a paragraph about a text you have chosen. Show how the
author’s choice of words helped to convey an overall message.
Cite evidence from the text. Remember to develop the topic with
concrete details, quotations, and examples and to use irregular
verbs correctly.
Beginning/Intermediate Guide students to look for the overall message

in a text. Then have students work with a partner to identify concrete Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 149
details, quotations, and examples that were used to convey that message.
Name
draft to help you think about ways to add opposing claims and
counterarguments to help strengthen the writer’s argument.
Draft Model
We should all own a reusable shopping bag. This will keep plastic out of our
landfills.
1. How might readers challenge or criticize the statement in the first

sentence? Make this criticism an opposing claim.
2. What would be a good counterargument to that opposing claim?
3. What might be an opposing claim to the statement in the second

sentence?
4. What would be a good counterargument to that opposing claim?
B. Now revise the draft by adding opposing claims and

counterarguments to those claims.
Beginning/Intermediate Review opposing claims and counter-

150 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 3 • Week 5 arguments and point out English/Spanish cognates, such as opposing/
opuesto, and resuable/reutilizable. Pair students to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name
The drawers were hard

to open, so we fixed
their alignment.
alignment
The candle generated

light.
generated
To stay healthy, I get a

periodic checkup at the
periodic doctor’s office.
There was a prolonged

wait because many
people were already
prolonged
there.
We went outside to
watch the eclipse.
eclipse
The long wait for the bus

was an inconvenience.
inconvenience
Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary. Use gestures to demonstrate

meaning. Ask students to identify cognates. Pair students to write sentences, Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 1 151
or draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning of the newly acquired vocabulary.
Name

graphic organizer.

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to check details in the
text to make sure you understand it.
Preparing for an Inevitable Earthquake

If the ground starts to shake, what should you do? People who live
13 where there are earthquakes need to know. Having an emergency plan for
25 this kind of crisis can save lives. California leaders are taking steps to see
39 that their citizens are prepared.
44 Pressure deep below the earth causes earthquakes. This pressure
53 can cause large, rock plates to separate. Strong earthquakes can cause
64 buildings to collapse into pieces. Phone service is often lost. Gas and
76 power lines can break. Landslides, floods, and fires may take place.
87 People must learn what to do.
93 What Rescuers Recommend

96 Surprisingly, people tend to run
101 outside to escape an earthquake.
106 However, most accidents happen when
111 people are fleeing. Rescue teams all
117 agree on three simple steps during an
David McNew/Getty Images

124 earthquake. This plan is called “Drop,
130 Cover, and Hold On!” The first step is

137 to drop down on your hands and knees
145 so you won’t fall down. The next step
154 is to take cover under a strong table.
People must practice “Drop, Cover,
162 Hold on tightly. If there is no table, go and Hold On!” before an earthquake
171 to a wall near you. Cover your head strikes.
179 and neck with your arms. People need
186 to practice this procedure often so they won’t panic and run.

Name
Managing the Risk

Most Californians realize they may face an earthquake someday. They believe
it because California history tells of earthquakes going back more than two
hundred years. In 1906, a terrible earthquake in San Francisco destroyed the city.
Up to 300,000 people were homeless after that disaster. Five major earthquakes
have struck the state since that time. These major earthquakes have caused
California leaders to take action.
The leaders have studied how to prepare California for the next big
earthquake. Lawmakers have made important changes to building codes.
Builders must now make homes and buildings stronger. They have also mapped
out regions that would not be safe building sites. Builders are not permitted
to build on those risky sites. Older buildings must be inspected. Dangerous
structures must have signs to let people know the risk.
In countries where buildings
are made of mud-brick (adobe),
there is much more danger. Those
structures are not built to withstand
an earthquake. Then it does make
sense to run outside. In California,
G.K. Gilbert/USGS
most buildings are not as likely to
collapse. The stricter building codes
have reduced this danger.

Preventing Unnecessary Loss
Earthquake scientists, emergency managers, and city leaders work together in
California. The leaders have published a handbook to help people learn what to
do in an earthquake. Cities hold drills to help people practice the “Drop, Cover,
and Hold On!” steps. Children learn at school what to do in an earthquake. There
will be fewer injuries if everyone prepares for what may come.

Name
1. Look at the first paragraph of the text. What does the author say
about having a plan for an earthquake?
2. Look at the paragraph under the heading “What Rescuers

Recommend.” What is the first step that rescuers agree that people
should take in an earthquake?
3. Look at the three paragraphs under the heading “Managing the

Risk.” Write one detail about how buildings in California have been
made safer.
4. Which statement best describes the author’s point of view?

a. People should move away from places where earthquakes might occur.
b. People cannot do anything to protect themselves from earthquakes.
c. People can take steps to prepare and make earthquakes less dangerous.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read this text, have them underline

the details that tell what can be done to prepare for earthquakes and Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 1 155
have them use this information to answer the questions.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Reforestation in Guatemala
Entire villages in Guatemala can be wiped
out by a mudslide. In 2005, Anne Hallum saw
for herself the horrible effects. She said one
couple lost their home and their children in a
mudslide. Deforestation, or cutting down trees,
is one reason for the problem. “We learned
the hard way that without trees, we are at
risk,” said José Avelino Boc, a lemon farmer.
Hallum is the co-founder of the Alliance for
Lloyd Sutton/Alamy
International Reforestation (AIR). She teaches
villagers to plant pine trees to protect their
forests and villages. Hallum said, “Food, shade,
fertilizer and mudslide protection—the trees Replanting trees is one way
to protect villages from
can do it all.” mudslides.
1. A historical account provides information about people, places, and

events and may use primary sources. How do you know this text is
a historical account?
2. What event do the first three sentences describe? What positive

actions happened as a result of the event?
3. Look at the photograph. How does it help you understand ways that
mudslides can be prevented?

Name

explain that crisis means “disaster.”
If the ground starts to shake, what should you do? People who live where
there are earthquakes need to know. Having an emergency plan for this
kind of crisis can save lives.
Read each passage below. Study the underlined context clues to

help you figure out the meaning of each word in bold. Then circle
the letter of the best definition for the word.
1. Pressure deep below the earth causes earthquakes. This pressure can
cause large, rock plates to separate. Strong earthquakes can cause
buildings to collapse into pieces.
a. sway b. fall apart c. catch fire
2. Rescue teams all agree on three simple steps during an earthquake.

This plan is called “Drop, Cover, and Hold On!” The first step is to
drop down on your hands and knees so you won’t fall down. The
next step is to take cover under a strong table. Hold on tightly. If
there is no table, go to a wall near you. Cover your head and neck
with your arms. People need to practice this procedure often so
they won’t panic and run.
a. way of doing things b. covering c. dropping
3. The leaders have studied how to prepare California for the next big
earthquake. Lawmakers have made important changes to building
codes. Builders must now make homes and buildings stronger. They
have also mapped out regions that would not be safe building sites.
Builders are not permitted to build on those risky sites.
a. buildings b. rules c. areas
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students to look for context clues in the

text to determine meaning. Pair students with different language levels to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 1 157
Word Study: Suffix -ion
Name
The suffix -ion means “the act, state, or result of.” When added to a verb,
the suffix changes the base word to a noun.
Sometimes the spelling of the base word changes when -ion is added:
permit/permission.
A. Read each base word. Circle the noun the word becomes after
-ion is added. The first one has been done for you.
1. explode emission explosion
2. decide decision division
3. admit admission ambition
4. expand extension expansion
B. Read each noun. Circle the verb that is the base word for the
noun. The first one has been done for you.
5. explanation explain explode
6. subtraction submarine subtract

7. prediction predict previous
8. conclusion contact conclude
Beginning/Intermediate Review that a suffix is a word part that comes at

158 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 1 the end of a base word. Have students identify which words are base words
and which words have suffixes. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author developed the topic of the text.
In “Preparing for an Inevitable Earthquake,” the author

Topic
sentence develops the topic by providing detailed information for
the reader. For example, the author informs the reader
about what to do during an earthquake. The author also
provides background on the topic by explaining how an
Evidence
understanding of earthquake safety has developed over
time. The topic of earthquake preparation can be covered
differently depending on the way an author writes the text.
Concluding In this case, the author covers the topic in an impartial,
statement
objective way.
author developed his or her topic. Cite evidence from the text.
Remember to use pronouns and antecedents correctly and to
avoid using vague pronouns.


Name
help you think about how to make the order of importance clear
to the reader.
Draft Model
There are good reasons to have an earthquake kit. Lights may go out, so you
will need flashlights. Gas lines may break, so you will need ready-to-eat food.
Water may become undrinkable, so you will need bottled water.
1. What is the most important reason to have an earthquake kit?

What words or phrases would help show its importance?
2. How can the other reasons be changed or rearranged to help

clarify the logical sequence of the text?
3. What sequence words and phrases would help clarify the

relationships between the ideas?
B. Now revise the draft by rearranging sentences and adding

sequence words and phrases to strengthen the order of
importance.

Vocabulary
Name
I made a list to
compensate for my
compensate bad memory.
The old bridge had

deteriorated.
deteriorated
The devastating
hurricane destroyed the
devastating trees on our street.
She could see the birds

with her peripheral
peripheral vision.
This party has the

potential to be the best
potential of all time!
He hiked to the summit

of the mountain.
summit
Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary. Use gestures to

demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one or two sentences, or Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 2 161
draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning of the newly acquired vocabulary.
Name

graphic organizer.

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to check for

understanding as you read the passage.
Jesse Owens: A Message to the World

Jesse Owens was an African American track and field star who set
12 world records and won four Olympic gold medals. Without a doubt,
23 Jesse earned his victories at the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. Yet
35 he achieved an even greater victory for people everywhere. Germany was
46 under the control of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in 1936. The Nazis wanted
59 to prove that white athletes were better than all other races. Jesse Owens
72 won four gold medals at those Olympic Games. He proved that the Nazi
85 myth was untrue.
88 Ready. Set. Go!
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZ62-27663]

91 Owens set records in track and field events
99 when he was in high school. He went to The
109 Ohio State University in 1933. Owens tied world
117 records for the 100-yard dash in 1935. He went
126 on to set three new world records that year.
135 Owens’s success was not just a flash in the pan.
145 The Olympics would prove he was the best.
153 Hitler promised the Olympic Committee that he

160 would not promote racism. Yet, signs and banners
168 with Nazi beliefs were visible everywhere. The
175 Nazis’ goal was to prove that white people were
184 the best. Performing to the best of his abilities,
193 Owens proved the Nazis wrong—not once, but four times.

Name
Excellence Fights Discrimination

Owens set new Olympic and world records despite the Nazis. But Owens
needed bold courage when he went home, too. People cheered his success, but
discrimination was a fact of life in America. Owens still had to ride in the back
of the bus at home. Black people could not live in certain neighborhoods back
then. He didn’t receive honors at the White House like heroes do today.
Owens inspired others even when life wasn’t fair. He always enjoyed speaking
to youth groups and at sports banquets. He was a director and board member
for the Chicago Boys’ Club. He shared his life message, “Find the good. It’s all
around you. Find it, showcase it, and you’ll start believing it.”
Receiving Recognition
Owens had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but triumphed
at the 1936 Olympics. Eventually he received the honors he deserved. In 1976,
Jesse Owens was finally invited to the White House. President Gerald Ford gave
him the Medal of Freedom award that
year. After Owens’s death, President
George W. Bush awarded him the
Congressional Gold Medal in 1990.
Today Owens’s desire to help youth
continues. His three daughters work
to keep his mission alive. They run
Ingram Publishing

the Jesse Owens Foundation, which
provides services to young people. Its
goal is to help them go the extra mile Jesse Owens won four gold medals
to become all they are meant to be. at the 1936 Olympics.

Name
1. Look at paragraph 1 on the first page of the passage. What three

facts does the author include about Owens’s victories in the 1936
Olympic Games?
2. At the end of paragraph 2 on the first page of the passage, what

words does the author use to describe Owens?
3. Look at paragraph 2 on the second page of the passage. What

does the author say about how Owens’s actions affected other
people?
4. Which statement best describes the author’s point of view about

Jesse Owens? Circle the letter of your answer.
a. Owens was not a good athlete, but he was a strong person.

b. Owens was a great athlete, but he was not a very strong person.
c. Owens was a great athlete and a strong person.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read, ask them to underline words

or phrases that show how the author feels about Owens. Have students Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 2 165
work in pairs to complete this page.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Battle with Polio

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)
served as the 32nd president of the Major Events Related to
United States from 1933 to 1945. He Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Life
was the only U.S. president elected four Date(s) Event
times. FDR saw the country through 1921 Diagnosed with polio
two crises, or problems: the Great 1929–1939 The Great Depression
Depression and World War II. Many
FDR is president of
Americans at the time did not know 1933–1945
the United States
that FDR had suffered hard times, too.
In 1921, he became ill during a family United States enters
1941
World War II
vacation. He was diagnosed with polio,
a disease that causes paralysis. FDR 1945 World War II ends
lived many years sitting in a wheelchair. President Roosevelt
1945
He never let his disease slow him down. dies
FDR became a champion of polio Polio vaccine used
1955
research that led to a vaccine in 1955— effectively
ten years after his death.

1. What is your opinion of FDR based on this text?
2. How is the information in the table organized? How does it help

you understand FDR’s years as president?
3. Give two examples of extra information that the table presents.

Vocabulary Strategy: Idioms
Name
An idiom is a group of words that means something more than the meanings
of its individual words.
It’s raining cats and dogs out there! I’m soaked!
You can use context clues and the usual meanings of the words to figure out
that raining cats and dogs means “raining heavily” in the passage above.
Read each passage below. Use context clues to figure out the
meaning of each idiom in bold. Then circle the letter of the
meaning of the idiom.
1. Owens tied world records for the 100-yard dash in 1935. He went
on to set three new world records that year. Owens’s success was not
just a flash in the pan. The Olympics would prove he was the best.
a. overwhelming b. exciting c. one-time thing
2. Owens set new Olympic and world records despite the Nazis. But
Owens needed bold courage when he went home, too. People
cheered his success, but discrimination was a fact of life in America.
. . . Owens had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders
but triumphed at the 1936 Olympics.
a. been skilled b. done what c. been responsible for

was expected many people’s hopes
3. They run the Jesse Owens Foundation, which provides services to

young people. Its goal is to help them go the extra mile to become
all they are meant to be.
a. do more than b. run farther c. pay more money

is necessary
Beginning/Intermediate Review idioms with students. Remind students to

look for clues in the sentence to determine the meaning of each idiom. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 2 167
students with different language levels to complete the practice page together.
Phonics: Vowel Alternation
Name
Adding a suffix to the end of a base word sometimes changes the vowel sound
in the original word. A base word may have a long-vowel sound that becomes
a short-vowel sound after a suffix is added. For example, the word crime has a
long i sound, while the word criminal has a short i sound. The change in vowel
sounds between related words is called vowel alternation.
A. Read each pair of words. Circle the vowel that is pronounced

differently in each pair. The first one has been done for you.
1. compete competition
2. reside resident
3. wise wisdom
4. nation national
B. Read the words below. Draw a line from the base word to the
related word that has vowel alternation. The first one has been
done for you.
5. metal criminal

6. final definition
7. crime metallic
8. define repetition
9. repeat finality
Beginning/Intermediate Model saying each word and then each related

168 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 2 word. Have one student in a pair say a word and the other student
respond with the related word. Then have pairs complete the exercises.
Name
author provided support for his or her overall message.
In “Jesse Owens: A Message to the World,” the author

Topic
sentence includes many details of Owens’s life to support the
message that Owens was a superior athlete and individual.
The author describes the track records Owens broke and
his victories at the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany
despite being surrounded by Nazi racism. After the
Evidence
Olympics, Owens faced discrimination in America but
continued to help and inspire youth. He received two
medals from U.S. presidents. These details all support the
Concluding
idea that Owens was a remarkable person.
statement
author used details to support an overall message. Cite evidence
from the text. Remember to use strong transitions to clarify the
relationships among ideas and concepts. Also be sure to use a
variety of pronouns, such as reflexive and intensive pronouns.


Name
to help you think about what transitions you can add to connect
ideas and indicate time order.
Draft Model
My brother was born healthy. He developed a heart problem. His weak heart
made him sick.
1. When was the brother born in the list of events? What word or
phrase could help the reader understand the order of events?
2. When did he develop his heart problem? What transitions could

help the reader understand the order of events?
3. What transitions would help the reader understand why the

brother’s heart problem led to sickness?
B. Now revise the draft by adding transitions to connect ideas

and to show when events took place.

170 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 2 Pair students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Have them read the answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name
The benefactor bought

computers for the
school.
benefactor
The man will endeavor

to fix the broken bike.
endeavor
I did an extensive
amount of studying for
extensive the test.
After much indecision,

we chose to see a movie
about animals.
indecision
The library has a

multitude of books.
multitude
I tentatively raised
my hand to answer a
tentatively question.
Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary. Use gestures to

demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one or two sentences, or Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 3 171
draw pictures, to illustrate the meaning of the newly acquired vocabulary.
Name
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name
Read the passage. Use the summarize strategy to check your

understanding.
Decisions
Scene 1: Shama’s bedroom. The walls are covered with posters of a band,
13 The Black Hats. Shama is talking on the phone while frantically typing on
26 her computer.
28 Shama (worried): I can’t get on the ticket site. What? Oh no! (She
41 hangs up the phone and lets out a loud cry, or wail. Just then, the door
57 opens, and Shama’s older brother, Danny, walks into her room.)
67 Danny: Are you okay?
71 Shama: (She abruptly begins to bawl.) The concert is sold out, and I
84 desperately wanted to go. (She wipes away her tears.) Well, Ms. Allie
96 wanted to know if I could babysit the twins that night because it’s her
110 wedding anniversary. I suppose now I
116 can tell her “yes.”
120 Danny: Better you than me. Honestly,
126 those twins’ behavior is bad!
131 Scene 2: It’s a few weeks later, and

139 Shama is on her bed, reading a book.
147 There is the sound of footsteps pounding
154 up the stairs. Shama’s friend, Rhonda,

160 opens the door and enters.
165 Rhonda (excitedly): I have
169 unbelievably great news! My fabulous aunt managed to get us tickets for
181 the concert tonight.
184 Shama (jumping up in excitement): Yes! (then grimacing, or frowning,
194 and letting out a groan) Oh no! I promised my neighbor I would babysit.

Name
Rhonda: Just cancel, because this is definitely more important.

Shama: It’s her wedding anniversary, so I can’t just cancel.
Rhonda: That’s total craziness. It’s the Black Hats, your all-time favorite
band, and who knows when they’ll return? On the other hand, wedding
anniversaries come every single solitary year!
Shama: You are right. Maybe she won’t object to celebrating tomorrow,
instead, since it’s not like they won’t still be married.
Scene 3: Shama is standing in front of

Ms. Allie’s door, and just as she starts to knock,
Ms. Allie pulls into the driveway and then gets
out of the car with shopping bags.
Ms. Allie: Hi, Shama! I just bought the
most extraordinary dress for my anniversary
dinner, and we got a table at the hottest
new restaurant. It will be the perfect tenth
anniversary!
Shama (trying to look happy): Sure. Great.
See you tonight.
Scene 4: Shama’s kitchen. Danny is hunched over his homework at the

cluttered kitchen table. Shama enters.
Shama: Rhonda got me a ticket for the Black Hats tonight and—

Danny (interrupting): Stop right there, because I know what you’re going to
ask. I absolutely can’t accommodate you on this one. Not only are those twins
a nightmare, but also I have homework. Plus, I promised Mom I would finally
clean my bedroom.
Shama: What if I promise to clean your, um… germ-infested room?
Danny: Totally not worth it.
Shama: What if I promise to clean your room for a month?
Danny: A month? That sounds pretty equal to a night with the terrible twins.
It’s a deal.
Shama: Yes! Black Hats, here I come.

Name
1. Look at Scene 1. Why is Shama upset?
2. Look at Scene 2. What problem does Shama have?
3. In scene 4, Shama and her brother make a decision that solves her
problem. What do they decide?
4. Which statement best describes the theme of this story?
a. You should not babysit on the night of a big concert.
b. Sometimes you need to compromise to get what you want.

c. If you agree to do something, you should not change your mind.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read this text, have them underline the

words that Shama says that give clues about her feelings and her character. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 3 175
They can look at the words they have underlined to help answer the questions.
Name
Hard Rock!
SCENE 2 The basement of Scott’s house; Scott tunes his guitar and Jake
adjusts his drum set.
SCOTT (playing the guitar): Hey, Jake. Are you ready to hear the new song I
wrote?
JAKE: Sure, why not? Let’s hear it.
Scott turns his amplifier up and begins to play loudly and sing in a raspy
voice. As the song increases in volume, Jake gets up and paces, or walks, around
the room uncomfortably. He taps his foot impatiently as Scott finishes the song
with three loud chords—bomp, bomp, BOHHHHMP—and a wild scream into the
microphone.
SCOTT (breaking the sudden silence): So . . . what do you think? It’ll be our
first big hit, right?
JAKE (stroking his chin, as if deep in thought): Um, well, it is original. I
mean, I’ve never heard anything quite like it before . . . (His voice trails off.)
SCOTT: Awesome! I knew you’d like it.
1. Who are the characters in this text? How do you know?

2. Where does the action take place? How do you know?
3. Do you think the excerpt here occurs in the beginning or at the end
of the play? Explain your answer.
4. What do you think Jake’s conflict, or problem, is in this scene?

Vocabulary Strategy: Homophones
Name
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings.
Many homophones have different spellings, too. Look at the word site in the
sentence below.
“I can’t get on the ticket site.”
A homophone for site is sight. The word site means “place.” The word sight
means “being able to see” or “the act of seeing.”
A. Match each word to its homophone.
1. bawl write
2. night ball
3. right grate
4. groan knight
5. great grown
B. Write the correct homophone for each clue.
6. right/write use a pen

correct
7. grown/groan increased
deep sound of pain or upset
8. wail/whale long, loud cry
large animal that lives in the sea
Beginning/Intermediate Review homophones. Use gestures to

Word Study: Prefixes and Suffixes
Name
A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a base word. A prefix
always changes the meaning of the word. A suffix is a word part added to the
end of a base word. A suffix changes its meaning and its part of speech.
A. Read the first word in each row. Underline the prefix. Then
circle the word that has the same prefix. The first one has been
done for you.
1. unselfish unfairness disapprove
2. disapproval colorless disagree
3. outsider outline design
4. enjoyment enroll selfish
5. repayment stated reminder
B. Read each word and underline the suffix. Then draw a line to
the meaning of the word. The first one has been done for you.
6. graceful state of being sad

7. correctly full of grace
8. enforcement done the correct way
9. sadness process of enforcing
Beginning/Intermediate Review the difference between a prefix

178 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 3 and a suffix. Pair students to identify the prefixes and suffixes on
the page. Then have them work together to complete the exercises.
Name
author conveyed the theme.
In “Decisions,” the dialogue conveys the theme that

Topic
sentence compromising helps people get what they want. In
Scenes 1 and 2, the dialogue shows that Shama wants to
go to a concert but has a babysitting job that night. In
Scene 3, Shama realizes that the babysitting job cannot
Evidence
be postponed. In Scene 4, Danny agrees to babysit for
Shama if she agrees to clean his room for a month. Shama
gets to attend the concert. Through dialogue, the author
Concluding
effectively conveys a theme about compromise.
statement
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Show

how the author conveyed the theme. Cite evidence from the
text. Remember to organize your ideas logically and to use
possessive pronouns correctly.


Name
to help you think about how adding dialogue would help develop
the characters.
Draft Model
“Let’s do something to help Lucy with her math,” Hiram suggested. Jarel
asked, “What should we do?”
1. What additional dialogue would tell readers more about Hiram’s

personality?
2. What dialogue would tell readers more about Jarel?
3. What other words could Jarel and Hiram say to show how each one
feels about Lucy?
4. What language would show the characters’ tone of voice?
B. Now revise the draft by adding dialogue and other details to

help develop the characters.

Vocabulary
Name
She made an
adjustment to the strap
to make it tighter.
adjustment
The lunchroom was

noisy because the
children were all
chattering
chattering.
Every ember in the

fireplace was burning.
ember
Nomadic people move

from place to place.

nomadic
Affection reunites my
entire family every winter
reunites at our house.
The chair was small but

sturdy.
sturdy
Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary. Use gestures to demonstrate

meaning. Pair students to write one or two sentences, or draw pictures, to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 4 181
illustrate the meaning of the newly acquired vocabulary.
Name
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name

understanding as you read.
DELAYED
DELAYED, DELAYED, DELAYED read the Departure Board.
7 All flights in and out of Chicago were stalled
16 by the howling winds outside.
21 Rosie stared hard at Delta Flight 2040

28 Chicago to Boston.
31 Change! she yelled silently at the
37 board.
38 DELAYED blinked and changed . . .
42 to CANCELLED.
44 Next to her, another girl gave a gasp.

52 —¡¿CANCELADO!? ¿Por qué?
55 No lo entiendo.
58 —Me llamo Estrella, said the girl.

64 Pointing to the board, she said,
70 —Y mi vuelo se cancela.
75 —Look, and you’ll see why, said Rosie.

82 A blizzard was swirling outside the large windows.
90 Estrella’s mouth dropped open and she rushed over to look.
100 —This is . . .? said Estrella, her eyes wide.

107 —Snow, said Rosie. —You have never seen snow?
115 —No snow in Panama, Estrella explained.
121 Just then the airport speakers

126 made a loud crackle.
130 —Attention ALL passengers! ALL flights are cancelled.

Name
Poor Estrella looks so scared.

—Me llamo Rosie. Let me help you,
Rosie said to the girl.
Rosie spoke to a person at the counter.

—I need to get to Boston,
and my friend needs to get to Panama.
While they waited, Rosie took

Estrella’s arm.
—Come, said Rosie to Estrella.
Let’s go look at the snow!
They wheeled their bags to the

window.
Being stuck together might be better
than being stuck alone.

Name
1. At the beginning of the poem, what challenge does Rosie face?
2. When she looks out the window, what does Estrella see for the
first time?
3. What does Rosie do when she sees that Estrella looks scared
about her cancelled flight?
4. Which statement best describes the theme of this passage? Circle

the letter of your answer.
a. Helping someone else can make your own problems seem

easier to handle.
b. You should not travel if you think it will snow.
c. Helping others is important.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have all students underline Spanish words and

phrases in the passage. Then, if you have Spanish-speaking students in your Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 4 185
class, ask them to translate the Spanish text in this story for English speakers.
Name
Worlds Apart
I hope the seat next to me stays empty!
I want to read my book on the plane.
I’ll sit down and spread out my things
And open my novel, Worlds Apart.
There’s a tall man standing over me, smiling.

Perdone, señorita. Este es mi asiento.
What did he just say? I don’t know what to do!
Perdone, señorita.
I’d better move my things to give the man room.

There goes the empty seat! Gracias, he says.
He’s reaching into his briefcase,
Pulling out his own book, Mundos Aparte.
Why does this book look so familiar?

Oh, I can’t believe this! The same book!
Excuse me, sir! He won’t believe this.
Ah, sí. Worlds Apart. Buen libro!
Laughter between two strangers fills the plane.

1. Free-verse fiction tells a story in verse form. It does not rhyme.

What tells you this text is free-verse fiction?
2. Interior monologue is the private thoughts of a character. What is

one example of interior monologue from the text?
3. How does the main character feel about the tall man?

Vocabulary Strategy: Homographs
Name
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
They may also be pronounced differently. Look at the word winds in the
sentences below.
All flights in and out of Chicago were stalled by howling winds outside.
The road winds around the mountain.

In the first sentence, you say winds with a short i. It means “movements of air.”
In the second sentence winds has a long i and means “turns in a circle” or
“moves on a curving path.”
Use the context clues in the sentences below to choose the

correct definition for each homograph in bold. Circle the letter of
your answer.
1. Change! she yelled silently at the board.
a. metal coins b. become different c. make noise
2. Just then the airport speakers made a loud crackle.
a. fair b. exactly c. before

3. Just then the airport speakers made a loud crackle.
a. objects that transmit b. people talking c. record players

sound
4. Rosie spoke to a person at the counter.
a. talked b. part of a wheel c. looked
Beginning/Intermediate Review homographs with students. Remind

students to look for context clues in the sentence to determine meaning. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 4 187
Pair students with different language levels to complete the page.
Word Study: Greek and Latin Prefixes
Name
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word that changes its
meaning. Many English words have a Greek or Latin prefix added to a base
word.
The following are some Greek and Latin prefixes and their meanings.
pro- “before” sub- “under” com- “with”
co- “together” post- “after” trans- “across”
A. Find two words that have the same prefix. Draw a line between
words in the first and second column. The first one has been
done for you.
1. profession co-host
2. co-worker transfer
3. transparent profile
4. compress postpone
5. postscript combine
B. Circle the word in each line that fits the definition. Use the

prefix to help you figure out the meaning. The first one has been
done for you.
6. to take or carry across an area subway transport
7. a warship that operates under water submarine translate
8. to put forward an idea propose transfer
9. after a war suburb postwar
Beginning/Intermediate Review the meaning of Greek and Latin prefixes.

188 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 4 Point to and read words with prefixes. Identify the prefix and the base word.
Have students repeat. Then pair students to complete the activities.
Name
or her argument about how well the author conveyed the theme.
In “Delayed,” I think that the author does a good job of

Topic using the main character’s actions and feelings to convey
sentence the theme that helping others makes our own problems
seem less important. At first, Rosie is angry. She is stuck
in an airport because of a snowstorm. Then Rosie meets
Evidence Estrella, who is also stranded. Rosie helps Estrella. The
two wait out the storm together. Rosie realizes that her
situation is not so bad. Rosie’s thoughts and actions help
Concluding
statement
make the text’s theme clear.
well the author conveyed the theme. Cite evidence from the text.
Remember to use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the
relationships among claims and reasons and to make sure all
verbs and pronouns agree.


Name
help you add details and events to develop the plot.
Draft Model
Jojo watched as the movers carried the boxes into the house. She wished she
were still in her old home in her old neighborhood. A boy Jojo’s age came out
from next door.
1. What events and details could be added to tell readers more

about Jojo?
2. What events or details could be added to help make the conflict

clearer?
3. What details would show how Jojo is affected by meeting a new

neighbor?
B. Now revise the draft by adding details and events to help

develop the plot. Your details and events should show readers
more about what happens between Jojo and the neighbor and
how the events affect Jojo.

Vocabulary
Name

The teachers met in the

lounge at school.
lounge
The proportion of boys

on the swim team is
proportion greater than the number
girls.
Students are answerable

to their teachers if
answerable they do not do their
homework.
She has an obligation to

feed her fish every day.
obligation

Name
Read the selection. Complete the point of view graphic organizer.

Name
Read the poem. Check your understanding by asking yourself

what point of view the poem is told from.
Dear Lola,
2 It’s been a full day since you’ve gone missing and
12 I’ve been a bundle of nerves.
18 Time and again I strain to hear you scratching,
27 scratching at the door. Or see your face as you
37 come barreling down the street.
42 I’ve put up posters and pounded the pavement
50 for hours, wishing I had gotten that back gate
59 fixed faster. Then you would still be here, softly
68 snoring in your battered, blue bed, instead of
76 outside scared and alone. I miss you, Lola.
84 I’m wishing on a star that I find you SOON!
94 Love, Carolyn
96 Dear Carolyn,
98 You won’t believe the adventure
103 I’ve been having! It’s been a wild ride!
111 The gate was open, so I raced right out
120 and chased a squirrel for miles. After that,
128 I was lost. I was scared stiff at first,

137 but then a nice woman took me in. She
146 gave me food and made a big bed for me.
156 This morning we walked past a poster
163 with a picture that looks a lot like me.
Image Source/PunchStock
172 She smiled and said that big changes will

180 be just around the corner. She says I’ll
188 have a visitor soon. I hope it’s you.
196 Love, Lola

Name
1. Look at the end of the first letter. Who wrote the letter?
2. Look at the end of the second letter. Who wrote the second letter?
3. Lines 3 and 4 of the first letter say that the writer wishes she could
“hear you scratching, scratching at the door.” What does that tell
you about who this letter is being written to?
4. Which statement best describes what the two letters are about?
a. Carolyn and Lola are two friends who miss each other because
Lola went on vacation.
b. Lola’s pet, Carolyn, is missing, and Lola has been looking for her.
c. Carolyn’s pet, Lola, is missing, and Carolyn has been looking for her.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
English Language Learners Pair students with a more fluent speaker.

content vocabulary.
Genre/Literary Elements
Name
Cheering Callie
Callie was sullen, sad
Since her friend Frances had moved far away.
Her brother Ben wanted to cheer her,
But nothing he said seemed suitably soothing.
Callie just sat in a chair, staring out the window.
Then Ben had an idea;
He started making funny faces and silly sounds,
Flipping backward like a jumping monkey.
He cracked her up with his antics,
And at last, she burst into giggles.
1. Narrative poetry tells a story. How can you tell this text is a
narrative poem?
2. Alliteration is repetition of a consonant sound at the beginnings of

words in a sentence. Give an example of alliteration from the poem.
3. Assonance is repetition of the same vowel sound. Give an example

of assonance from the poem.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review alliteration and

assonance with students. Pair students to answer the questions using Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 5 195
basic and content vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Literary Elements: Alliteration and Assonance
Name
Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginnings of words

near one another.
Example: big brown bears
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound inside words near one another.
Example: cold bones
Read the lines of the free verse poem below. Then answer
the questions.
You won’t believe the adventure

I’ve been having! It’s been a wild ride!
The gate was open, so I raced right out
and chased a squirrel for miles. After that,
I was lost. I was scared stiff at first,
but then a nice woman took me in. She gave
me food and made a big bed for me. This
morning we walked past a poster with a picture
that looks a lot like me.
1. Which phrase in the poem uses alliteration with the letter p?

2. Which phrase in the poem is an example of assonance with the
long i sound?
3. Read the section of the poem out loud. Write your favorite example
of repeated sounds below.
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs to complete

196 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 5 the page. As they read the poem, have them underline examples of
alliteration and circle examples of assonance.
Vocabulary Strategy: Figurative Language
Name
An idiom is a group of words in which the meaning is different from the

meanings of the individual words. Context clues can help you figure out the
meaning of an idiom such as “pounded the pavement” in the poem about a
girl looking for her lost dog.
I’ve put up posters and pounded the pavement for hours
Based on the context, you can tell that pounded the pavement means “looked
long and hard.”
Read each passage. Use context clues to help you figure out the
meaning of each idiom in bold. Then read the statement below
the passage and decide whether it is true or false.
1. It’s been a full day since you’ve gone missing and

I’ve been a bundle of nerves.
Carolyn is very worried that her dog is gone.
True False
2. You won’t believe the adventure

I’ve been having! It’s been a wild ride!
Carolyn’s dog, Lola, went for a ride in a car.
True False
3. I was scared stiff at first, but then a nice woman took me in.
Lola was very frightened at first.
True False
4. She smiled and said

that big changes will be just around the corner.
Lola is staying with someone who lives around the corner
from Carolyn.
True False
Beginning/Intermediate Review idioms with students. Remind students

to look for context clues in the passage to determine meaning. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 5 197
Phonics: Consonant Alternation
Name
A suffix is a word part that comes at the end of a base word and changes the
word’s meaning. Adding a suffix may change the sound of the consonant in the
base word. For example, in the word sign, the consonant g is silent. When you
add the suffix -al to make signal, the g is no longer silent. This kind of change
is called consonant alternation.
A. Read each base word in the left column. Draw a line to the
related word with consonant alternation in the right column.
1. public rejection
2. reject creation
3. confuse publicity
4. magic confusion
5. create magician
B. Read each pair of words. In the second word, circle the

consonant that has a different sound than in the first word.

6. crumb crumble
7. office official
8. design designation
9. music musician
Beginning/Intermediate Practice pronouncing word pairs with

198 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 5 consonant alternation. If students have trouble hearing the
difference, pronounce each word slowly to accentuate the change.
Name
author used point of view to develop the speakers in the poem.
Topic In “Dear Lola,” the poet uses first-person point of view

sentence to develop two speakers. The speakers describe their
own feelings, using I for themselves and you for each
other. The first stanza is from Carolyn to her lost dog,
Evidence Lola. Carolyn describes how she misses Lola and worries
about her being scared. The second stanza is from Lola to
Carolyn. Lola is not scared. Instead, she describes having
Concluding an exciting adventure! The point of view shows both
statement speakers’ personalities and their relationship.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Analyze the
poem’s point of view and how the author develops the speaker.
Cite evidence from the text. Remember to use transitions to
clarify relationships among reasons and to use pronouns
correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students as they reread a poem to

locate the author's point of view. Have students underline any examples Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 4 • Week 5 199
they find. Pair students to work together to plan their paragraphs.
Name
help you add sensory language to create a more vivid picture in
the reader’s mind.
Draft Model
The spade digs in the ground.
It lifts the crumbling clods of dirt.
Then it gently covers the tiny seeds.

The soil smells like spring.
1. What do the crumbling clods of dirt look like? Is there anything

in the dirt?
2. In the third line, what is “it”?
3. When were the seeds planted? What do the seeds look like
in the dirt?
4. In the last line, exactly how does the soil smell like spring?
B. Now revise the draft by adding sensory language. Your

changes should help bring to life the speaker’s experience.

Vocabulary
Name

The thief used deception

to get into the house.
deception
The field was empty and

desolate.
desolate
The girl was oblivious

to the activity going on
oblivious around her.
My brother was
steadfast in his efforts to
steadfast do well on his test.
The valiant knight fought

bravely against the
valiant dragon.
The sad news put me in

a somber mood.
somber

Comprehension: Problem and Solution Graphic Organizer
Name
Read the selection. Complete the problem and solution graphic

organizer.
Character
Setting
Problem
Events
Solution

Name
strategy to check your understanding as you read.
Athena and Arachne

Long ago when Greek gods and goddesses roamed the Earth, there lived
12 a young maiden by the name of Arachne. People knew her for her skillful
26 weaving. The cloths she wove had such magnificent images that women
37 came from all over to see them.
44 Those who saw her work said that Athena, the goddess of weaving, must
57 have taught her. When Arachne heard this, she laughed and said she had
70 taught herself. She also said, “Let Athena try to match her skills against
83 mine. I’m sure I could win in a contest with her. If I lost, I would accept
100 the penalty.”
102 Athena was displeased when she heard of Arachne’s claims. She decided
113 to pay the maiden a visit. To give Arachne a chance to apologize, or say
128 she was sorry, for her boasting, Athena disguised herself as an old lady
141 and used a stick to walk.
147 Athena approached Arachne and
151 spoke to her. “Your skill as a weaver
159 is renowned, and I can see that you
167 do your craft well. However, it would
174 serve you to be more humble and not set
183 yourself above the gods and goddesses.

189 You should yield the goddess Athena’s
195 place to her and take back your boastful
203 words. I’m sure Athena would pardon
209 you if you made amends to her.”

Name
Arachne replied, “I don’t need anyone’s advice, telling me what to do. Athena
is welcome to try and match my skills.”
At those bold and foolish words, the old woman cast off her disguise and said,
“It is I, Athena, and since it is a contest you want, I will give you a contest.”
Arachne blushed when she realized that she was speaking to a goddess, but
Arachne did not change her resolve.
The goddess and mortal took their places at their weaving frames, or looms.
They wove thread in and out, and soon images appeared on the looms. Athena’s
images portrayed the power of the gods against various mortals, or people, who
had displeased them. She meant her images as a warning to Arachne that her
pride was both unwise and dangerous.
Arachne ignored the warning and wove images of scenes of the gods and
goddesses doing foolish things. She showed the gods as feeble, or weak, and
reckless. Arachne’s work had no mistakes but was full of scorn for the gods and
goddesses.
Incensed at Arachne’s disrespect, Athena ripped up Arachne’s cloth. Arachne
cried out at seeing her work destroyed. In response, Athena said to Arachne,
“You are foolish and vain, but I can see you love your craft, so I will take pity
on you and not kill you. Instead, I will let
you spin forever.” With those words, Athena
sprinkled a magic juice upon Arachne.
Arachne’s body shrank, her limbs changed,
and her fingers turned into legs. Her belly grew

round, and from it came a fine thread. Athena
had turned Arachne into a spider to pursue
her skill as a weaver by making and remaking
spider webs.

Comprehension: Problem and Solution and Fluency
Name
1. Read the first three paragraphs of the story. Which character’s

problem involves wanting to prove that she can weave better than
the gods?
2. How does this character solve the problem of trying to prove she is
the better weaver?
3. At the end of the story, Athena’s problem is that she wants to

punish Arachne for making fun of the gods. Which statement below
describes the way Athena solves that problem? Circle the letter of
your answer.
a. Athena kills Arachne.
b. Athena makes the people in Arachne’s cloth come alive and

attack her.
c. Athena weaves a magical cloth that carries Arachne away.

d. Athena destroys Arachne’s cloth and turns Arachne into a spider.

to intonation and expression. Stop after one minute. Fill out
the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read this text, have them

underline the problems that Arachne and Athena face. Allow Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 1 205
students to use this information to answer the questions.
Name
The Wings of Icarus

“What are you making, Dad?” Icarus asked his father, Daedalus. He was
constructing something from branches, feathers, and wax. The two had been held
prisoners in the labyrinth, or maze, his father had created for King Minos. This
was getting the best of Daedalus’s temper.
“You’ll see, Icarus, you’ll see. We will show that crazy king who’s smarter,”
Daedalus mumbled. “Here, son, try these on.” He handed his son a pair of wings
he made from the wax.
“You’re kidding, right Dad?” Icarus replied.
“Not at all. Use these wings to escape,” Daedalus ordered. He fastened the
wings to his son’s body. “Now go, but don’t fly too close to the sun.”
As he soared, Icarus felt excited and powerful. He forgot his father’s warning
and flew higher—almost touching the sun. Suddenly, Icarus felt his wings getting
heavy. Before he knew it, he fell to the sea below. Sadly, Icarus drowned. The
Icarian Sea was named in his honor.
1. Myths often have characters with non-human powers, or powers

that normal people do not have. What non-human power does a
character in this text have?
2. Myths teach about values that are important to a culture. What Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
lesson does this text teach?
3. List the series of events that contribute to the text’s larger-than-life

quality.

Vocabulary Strategy: Word Origins
Name
Many words in English come from older languages such as Latin and Greek.
Sometimes a word you don’t know has the same origin as a word you do know.
For example, knowing that a portrait is “a picture or description of a person” can
help you figure out that portrayed means “to show in words or pictures.”
Athena’s images portrayed the power of the gods against various mortals,
or people, who had displeased them.
A. Look at the word in bold in each passage below. Then look at

its origin and the meaning of the origin word. Circle the letter of
the best definition for each word.
1. The cloths she wove had such magnificent images that women
came from all over to see them.
Origin: magnificus, meaning “splendid.”

a. old-fashioned b. wonderful, excellent c. big
2. “Your skill as a weaver is renowned, and I can see that you do your
craft well. However, it would serve you to be more humble and not
set yourself above the gods and goddesses.”
Origin: humilis, meaning “on the ground”

a. modest b. short c. skillfull
3. At those bold and foolish words, the old woman cast off her
disguise and said, “It is I, Athena, and since it is a contest you
want, I will give you a contest.”
Origin: deguiser, meaning “a change from the usual dress or appearance.”

a. costume that hides b. pride and power c. anger
one’s identity
Beginning/Intermediate Review word origins. Remind students to look for

words they know to determine meaning, such as magnífico. Pair students Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 1 207
at different levels to complete the page. When finished, review answers.
Word Study: Homophones
Name
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different spellings and
meanings. For example, here/hear and board/bored are homophone pairs.
A. Read each word in bold. Then circle the word in the row that
has the same sound. The first one has been done for you.
1. bear bare wear bead
2. pane pear pace pain
3. minor diner miner miles
4. sheer sheen shear sheep
5. heel heed hail heal
B. Read each word. Then draw a line to its meaning. The first one
has been done for you.
6. idol letters delivered by the postal system
7. idle a boy or man

8. mail not active
9. male someone to look up to
Beginning/Intermediate Discuss homophones. Provide examples

208 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 1 of words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean
different things. Have pairs work together to complete the exercises.
Name
student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that supports his or her
argument about the author’s use of characters, setting, and plot to describe a
problem and solution.
In my opinion, the author of “Athena and Arachne” does

Topic
a good job developing the problem and solution through
sentence
characters, setting, and plot. For example, the author
paints a picture of Arachne as boastful and makes it clear
that Arachne’s pride in her weaving is a problem. The
Evidence
mythical setting allows the goddess Athena to intervene
to solve the problem of mortals who do not realize their
place. I think the author describes an interesting problem
Concluding
statement and solution through the characters, setting, and plot.
author used characters, setting, and plot to describe a problem
and solution. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to support
your claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence and use
adjectives to make your writing interesting and lively.

Beginning/Intermediate Discuss problems and solutions found in myths.

Help students write a topic sentence. Pair students of different abilities to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 1 209
complete the page. Have them read their paragraph to each other.
Name
to help you think about what transitions you can add to indicate
shifts in time or setting and to connect plot events.
Draft Model
Jacob heard Dragon was threatening the kingdom. He decided to visit Dragon.
He left for the journey to Dragon’s cave. Jacob arrived at the cave.
1. What transitional words and phrases would help show readers

when it was that Jacob heard about Dragon threatening the
kingdom? What transitions would show when Jacob decided to
visit Dragon?
2. What transitions would help show the connections between the

events in the first and second sentences?
3. What transitions would help indicate shifts in setting?
B. Now revise the draft by adding transitions to help clarify shifts

in time and setting and to help connect plot events.
Beginning/Intermediate. Review directions and questions. Point out

210 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 1 cognates dragon/dragón and visit/visitar. Pair students of different abilities
to complete the page. Then have them read their answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

I was disposed to
like the new teacher
disposed because she was kind.
She was eavesdropping,

or spying, on her sister.
eavesdropping
There seems to be an
infinite number of stars
infinite in the sky.
My sister wore my
favorite sweater, so in
retaliation retaliation I wore her
favorite shirt.
We were tired after the

rigors of our long hike up
rigors the mountain.
We sat on the stoop and

talked for a while.
stoop

Name
Read the selection. Complete the cause and effect graphic

organizer.
Setting
Event Character’s
Reaction
Event Character’s
Reaction
Event Character’s
Reaction

Name
strategy to check your understanding as you read.
Following a Star
Henry walked carefully through the dark woods. He recalled his
10 mother’s words, haste makes waste. The woods weren’t safe for a runaway
22 slave. Nowhere was. Henry’s only hope was to travel on the Underground
34 Railroad to Canada and freedom. Each home on the line would provide
46 protection from slave catchers who would whip or imprison him—or
57 worse—if they caught him.
62 A twig snapped nearby, and Henry jumped. He told himself, “A coward
74 dies a thousand deaths. A brave man dies but once.” Henry turned and was
88 surprised to see the friendly face of a boy.
97 “Shh!” the boy warned Henry, then led him to a large oak.
109 Next to the tree was a woman. It was the famous Harriet Tubman, the
123 former slave who had guided so many other slaves to freedom. She was
136 holding a folded sheet of paper in her hand.
145 “I was told that this letter has a
153 warning to folks that you are an escaped
161 slave,” Harriet told Henry quietly. “I will
168 tell you how to make your way along the
177 Underground Railroad.”
179 Harriet explained how to get to the

186 first safe house. She reminded Henry
192 that along with those who would help
199 him, there were also those who could
206 destroy him—wild animals and people.

Name
“Mrs. Tubman, please take me with you!” Henry blurted out.

“I’m sorry,” Harriet Tubman said quietly. She looked at the letter in her
hand. Harriet knew that taking Henry along with the other boy would only put
everyone in even more danger.
“But how will I know which direction to go in?” Henry asked.
“Follow the North Star, and always be remembering—stay alert. Didn’t your
mama ever tell you danger foreseen is half avoided?”
Henry thanked Harriet Tubman and began
his journey. He knew he couldn’t stay in the
woods much longer. He needed a clear view
of the sky so he could see the North Star.
As Henry moved closer to the edge of the
woods, the moonlight came down on the
trees and created shadows that turned the
trees into snarling dogs and men with sticks
and ropes. Thinking about the punishments
he would face if he were captured terrified
Henry, and he began to wonder if he should
return to the plantation. He might still receive
a beating, but it would be nothing like what
would happen if he were captured.
Still, life at the plantation was very hard. There, Henry belonged to the master.
Although he was just a teenager, Henry worked six long days a week, picking

cotton under the boiling sun.
Henry was unsure of what to do. With a heavy sigh, he thought of something
else his mama used to say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Henry had the
experience of being a slave his whole life, and he knew that he just HAD to
be free!
Henry looked up at the sky and searched until he found the North Star shining
down. Fortune favors the bold, thought Henry, and he took off to follow the
North Star to freedom.

Name
1. Look at the second paragraph of the passage. What event causes

Henry to jump in fear?
2. Read the statements below. Which statement best describes the

effect of the letter that Harriet Tubman has in her hands?
a. The letter causes Harriet to ask Henry to join her.
b. The letter causes Harriet to tell Henry he has to travel alone.
c. The letter causes Henry to decide to return to the plantation

where he lived.
d. The letter causes Harriet to turn back and travel north

another time.
3. Look at the text in the middle of the second page. What is the effect
of the moonlight shining on the trees?


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have students underline major story events.

Pair students to draw arrows from events that are causes to events that Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 2 215
are effects. Students can use this information to answer the questions.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
The Strength to Speak Out

“Rebecca has been gone for what feels like ten years, Pa, but it is still 1838,”
Mrs. Miller told her husband.
Mr. Miller responded, “We have to be strong, dear. She has an important
mission. Here, a letter came for you today. Read it aloud.”
Mrs. Miller excitedly began reading: “My Dear Mama, I miss you and Papa
so. Do not worry, for I am safe and well. I have listened to wonderful speakers
at the abolitionist meeting in Pennsylvania Hall. Angelina Grimké Weld gave an
inspiring speech against slavery. She urged us all to join together against the shame
of our nation. Mama, would you believe that even I took the stage and spoke to the
other abolitionists? It is true, Mama. Before my speech, Mrs. Weld took my hands
and looked in my eyes and said, ‘Rebecca Miller, stand up and speak your mind,
for yours is a smart mind and your voice is one of courage.’ Be proud, Mama.
I have become the strong woman that you had hoped me to be. With love and
devotion to you and Papa, Rebecca”
1. Historical fiction is often about real events in the past. How do you
know this text is historical fiction?

2. Who is the main character in this text? What is the setting?
3. A letter reveals information important in the text’s plot. What

information about the plot does the letter reveal?

Vocabulary Strategy: Adages and Proverbs
Name
Adages and proverbs are short sayings. They can give important truths about
life. They can also provide wise rules to follow. Look at the passage below.
Henry walked carefully through the dark woods. He recalled his mother’s
words, haste makes waste.
The words haste makes waste are a proverb. It means “when you hurry you
make more mistakes.”
Read each passage below. Then circle the letter of the answer
that could best replace the proverb in bold.
1. A twig snapped nearby, and Henry jumped. He told himself, “A

coward dies a thousand deaths. A brave man dies but once.”
Henry turned and was surprised to see the friendly face of a boy.
a. Be brave. b. Run! c. I am a coward.
2. “Follow the North Star, and always be remembering—stay alert.

Didn’t your mama ever tell you danger foreseen is half avoided?”
a. If you are prepared, b. The future is c. Danger is scary

you will be safer. dangerous. and bad.
3. Henry was unsure of what to do. With a heavy sigh, he thought of

something else his mama used to say, nothing ventured, nothing

gained. Henry had the experience of being a slave his whole life,
and he knew that he just HAD to be free!
a. You should do nothing. b. It is better to be safe. c. Take chances to reach

your goals.
Beginning/Intermediate Review cognates adages/adagio and proverbs/

proverbio. Ask students to share any adages or proverbs they know. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 2 217
students with different language levels to complete the page together.
Word Study: Words from Around the World
Name
The English language has many words that come from languages around the
world. Some words keep the same spelling and pronunciation as the foreign
word, while other words change a little when they become part of the English
language. A dictionary can be used to learn about the history of a word.
A. Read each word. Then circle the words that end in a vowel.
The words in this group that end in a vowel have a Spanish
origin. The first one has been done for you.
bazaar ballet sombrero wicker
bronco tortilla pajamas chocolate
B. Draw a line to match each foreign word on the left to its related
English word on the right. The first one has been done for you.
1. An Italian word is pizza. poodle
2. A Dutch word is kruisen. pizza
3. A German word is pudelhund. safari
4. A French word is ballet. cruise

5. An Arabic word is safara. ballet
Beginning/Intermediate Discuss words that students know in their first

218 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 2 language that are similar to words they know in English. Model pronouncing
the words on this page. Pair students to complete the exercises.
Name
The student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that shows how the
author used characters, setting, and plot to communicate cause and effect.
Topic In “Following a Star,” the author conveys cause and

sentence effect through plot, characters, and setting. The plot is a
series of causes and effects. The main character, Henry,
has run away from slavery, and he fears being captured
Evidence by slave catchers. The setting is a woods at night, where
strange noises and dark shadows cause fear in Henry.
But Henry, encouraged by Harriet Tubman and by his
determination to escape slavery, behaves bravely. The
Concluding cause-and-effect relationships help readers understand
statement Henry and his story.
the author used characters, setting, and plot to convey cause
and effect. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to include
precise language, and to use definite and indefinite articles and
demonstrative adjectives correctly.


Name
help you think about how you can add strong, vivid words to help
readers visualize the setting and the characters.
Draft Model
Song desperately looked for her sister, but the forest hid her well. Song called
out her sister’s name. The only answer was the sound of an owl. Song walked
carefully through the trees.
1. What strong verbs could you use to describe how Song looks
and sounds as she searches and calls out?
2. What vivid words could you use to help readers visualize the
forest and understand what Song feels?
3. How do you want the sound of the owl to affect readers? What
specific words could help you describe the owl’s sound to get
that effect?
B. Now revise the draft by adding strong, vivid words that will
help readers better visualize the setting and the action and to
understand how Song is feeling.

Vocabulary
Name

Picking up leaves
with your hands is
inefficient an inefficient way to
clear a lawn.
Honeybees get nutrients

from the nectar in
nutrients flowers.
Industrial machines can

make cloth quickly.
industrial
Math involves the

manipulation of
manipulation numbers.
The mutated rose is

different from the others.
mutated
Plants are sparse in a

dry desert.
sparse

Name
Read the selection. Complete the cause and effect graphic

organizer.
Cause Effect

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to check your

Something to Write On, Please

Paper is so common today that it is difficult to think of living without
14 it. Yet people found other ways to record their ideas before paper was
27 invented. Humans first drew on the walls of caves to express their ideas.
40 Not much is known about prehistoric writing, but one thing is sure. The
53 writing inside caves could not be moved. Back then, people had to walk
66 wherever they went. So, cave writing did not have a big audience.
78 Stone and Papyrus

81 The ancient Egyptians carved their
86 early writings into stone temples or
92 monuments. Their words lasted as long
98 as the buildings they wrote on.
Neil Beer/Photodisc/Getty Images

104 Later the Egyptians made an early
110 paper-like material called papyrus.
114 The word paper gets its name from
121 papyrus. Egyptians cut thin strips
126 of papyrus grass and soaked them
132 in water. Soaking the strips softened

Ancient Egyptian writing consisted
138 them. They laid the strips at right of characters carved into stone.
145 angles to each other. Then they pounded
152 the strips into a thin sheet. The sun dried and stiffened the sheets. The
166 papyrus could be rolled into sheets and be carried by the people.

Name
Clay Tablets
The ancient Mesopotamians made a wedge-
shaped writing called cuneiform. They made
impressions in wet clay with reeds from rivers.
The writing became permanent after it dried.
These clay tablets were portable—people could
carry them by hand.
Historians think that one of the earliest uses
of writing in Mesopotamia was to make lists of
goods. People sent these lists along with goods
when they were shipped. Because the writing
was permanent, people could quickly tell if
something was missing!
Ts’ai Lun’s Secret Formula

A man named Ts’ai Lun was the first person to make something like the
paper we use today. He worked in the Chinese Imperial Court and lived over
1,900 years ago. At that time, people in China made books from bamboo,
tortoise shell, and other heavy materials. People also used silk, but that was
costly. Lun set out to find something better to write on.
He started by soaking parts of plants and bark in water. Lun used a wooden
tool to pound them when they were soft. After he soaked and pounded them,

the fibers came apart like threads. Lun carefully separated the threads from
the mixture. Then he pressed and dried the threads together. They formed thin
sheets that people could write on.
Going Paperless?
We use a lot of paper today. That means we cut down many trees. Recently,
people have used bamboo to make paper. Bamboo grows fast, while trees take
a long time to grow. Now with people using computers, one day, we may not
require paper at all!

Name
1. Look at the first paragraph on page 1 of the passage. What caused

cave writing to have a small audience?
2. Look at paragraph 3 on the first page of the passage. In the

process that Egyptians used to make papyrus, what was the effect
of soaking strips of grass in water?

was the effect of Ts’ai Lun’s soaking and pounding the soft fibers
of plants?
a. The fibers became stiff and hard.
b. The fibers turned white so they could be written on.
c. The fibers came apart like threads.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read, have them underline clue

words for cause and effect, such as so, because, then, and after. Have Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 3 225
students refer to these words to answer the questions on this page.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
The Abacus: Oldest Counting Machine

For thousands of years, the abacus has
been used as a counting machine. In many
countries, merchants used the wooden beads
of the abacus to count goods they bought
and sold. Historians think that the early
abacuses were probably lines drawn in
the sand. These lines stood for units, such
as 100s and 1000s. Small pebbles within
those lines stood for numbers. When people
started using written numbers to count, the
Wooden beads on an abacus were
abacus lost popularity in Europe. But some used to count units. Their value was
people in the world still use it today. based on the column and position
(up or down).
1. How do you know this is expository text, or text that provides factual
information about a topic?
2. What does the heading, or title, tell you about the abacus? Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3. How does the diagram, or picture, and caption help you understand
the text?

Name
In a cause-and-effect relationship, one thing (the cause) makes another thing

(the effect) happen. Paying attention to cause-and-effect clues can help you
figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. For example, context clues in the
sentence below show that not requiring paper is the effect of using computers
to write. This relationship helps you figure out that require means “need.”
Now with people using computers, one day, we may not require paper
at all!
Read each passage below. Use cause-and-effect clues to help

letter of the correct meaning.
1. Egyptians cut thin strips of papyrus grass and soaked them in water.
Soaking the strips softened them.
a. made them thin b. smashed them c. made them soft
2. Then they pounded the strips into a thin sheet.
a. wove b. hit again and again c. glued
3. The sun dried and stiffened the sheets.
a. made stiff b. made strong c. broke

4. They made impressions in wet clay with reeds from rivers.
a. marks b. puddles c. dirt
5. Because the writing was permanent, people could quickly tell if

something was missing!
a. blurred b. lasting a long time c. readable
Beginning/Intermediate Review context clues with students. Remind

them to look for cause-and-effect clues to determine meaning. Pair Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 3 227
students with different language levels to complete the practice page.
Word Study: Latin Roots
Name
A root is a basic word part that gives a word the most important part of its
meaning. Many English words have roots from Latin. The following are some
Latin roots and their meanings:
• aud means “hear” • bene and bon mean “good”
• flect and flex mean “bend” • port means “carry”
• struct means “build” • fac and fact mean “make” or “do”
A. Read each word. Circle the Latin root in the word. The first
1. flexible
2. audio
3. passport
4. reflect
5. benefit
B. Read the first word in each row. Then circle the word that has
the same Latin root as the first word. The first one has been

done for you.
6. portable bisect import
7. construct structure credit
8. audible auditorium porter
9. factor against factory
Beginning/Intermediate Discuss roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Have

228 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 3 students point to any root words that are similar to words they know in
their native language. Pair students to identify the root in each word.
Name
The student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that shows how the
author used a cause-and-effect text structure to present information.
Topic In “Something to Write On, Please,” the author uses a

sentence cause-and-effect text structure to present information. For
example, the author explains how each step of preparing
papyrus grass causes fibers to be ready for the next step in
the process. The result is the creation of paper-like sheets
Evidence
for writing on. The author also uses steps to describe
Ts’ai Lun’s process of paper production. Transition words
such as after and when link causes and effects. The author
Concluding explains the process clearly through cause-and-effect
statement relationships.
the author used a cause-and-effect text structure to present
information. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to develop
the topic with concrete details and examples, and to use
comparative adjectives correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Talk about cause and effect and how their

relationship is developed in different texts. Guide students to cite examples Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 3 229
of transition words. Pair students to develop answers and exchange ideas.
Name
to help you think about how to best organize the text so that
ideas are logically connected.
Draft Model
The washing machine was a very important invention. It made life easier
for many people. Before, clothes were washed by hand. This took hours. Now
washing machines could do most of the work.
1. What signal words can you insert to highlight cause-and-effect

relationships?
2. How could sentences be revised or rearranged to clearly link

causes and effects?
3. What words or phrases can you use to signal the order of events?
B. Now revise the draft by adding signal words that will help
the reader understand the order of events and the relationships
between ideas.

Vocabulary
Name

My mother had to
go to a meeting with
her colleagues.
colleagues
We conservatively
guessed that the
conservatively project would take
two hours to finish.
The sound of my
fan drones on and
drones keeps me awake
at night.
There are many

stars in our galaxy.
galaxy
Water can help

sustain the life of
sustain a plant.
We ultimately chose
to have pizza for
ultimately dinner.

Name
Event

Name
Read the passage. Use the reread strategy to check your

Satellites Take Archeology to New Heights

Archeologists are like detectives. They hunt for information that is often
11 not clear to see. They dig for signs of ancient people whose cultures have
25 vanished and are gone from view. Archeologists have always used simple
36 tools like hand shovels and sifters. They carefully remove sand and dirt
48 from old relics. Now a new tool has forever altered archeology. Satellite
60 images reveal secrets from below the earth. They show what the eye
72 cannot see.
74 Going High-Tech
76 In 2000 archeologist Sarah Parcak
81 began searching for signs of ancient
87 villages in Egypt. The Nile River
93 floodplain or desert sands could have
99 buried buildings. Parcak wanted to try
105 a high-tech way to pinpoint, or narrow
112 down, likely sites. She wanted to use
119 satellite imaging to help find them.
125 In 2010 Parcak and her team

131 compared two sets of satellite images.
137 Parcak saw that the most revealing
143 images were taken during late winter. Outlines of underground buildings
153 showed up then. The ancient buildings were made of mud brick. When
165 they were wet in the winter, they stood out from the soil around them.
179 Now the team had a starting point.

Name
Proof on the Ground

Parcak and the team could easily see pyramids that were aboveground in
their satellite images. They compared those images with outlines of structures
that were underground. They found more pyramids! The satellite pictures also
revealed an outline of the whole city of Tanis, once an ancient capital.
The archeologists knew they had to prove this technology could work on the
ground. In 2011 Parcak’s technology pinpointed where to dig. Parcak’s team
explored the Tanis site with other archeologists from France. They found houses
right where the images had shown them to be. They located two pyramids.
Parcak said, “They found an almost 100% correlation between what we see on
the imagery and what we see on the ground.”
The high-tech research has
uncovered 17 buried pyramids,
1,000 tombs, and 3,000 settlements
so far. Parcak’s idea of using
satellite technology worked. She is
eager to see how this technology
Purestock/SuperStock
will reveal more about life
in ancient Egypt.
Pictures of the earth taken from satellites

Further Exploration can help archeologists.
Archeologists predict there will be

many more uses for satellite technology.
Today the Egyptian government uses satellite images to protect their ancient
sites. If there is looting, the authorities can take action. This will help keep
down theft in the tombs. Archeologists can also use satellites to study in places
that are unsafe.
Satellites were first used to explore space. Now they can help us know our
own planet better. Sometimes you have to step back to see the big picture.

Name
1. Look at paragraph 2 on the first page of the passage. What did

Sarah Parcak begin doing in 2000?
2. Look at paragraph 3 on the first page of the passage. After Parcak

and her team had two sets of satellite images, what they did they
do next?
3. Look at paragraph 2 on the second page of the passage. What did

Parcak’s team do to prove their theories?
a. They compared two different sets of satellite images.
b. They made a map of Tanis, the ancient Egyptian capital.
c. They dug and explored the Tanis site.
4. Look at the last paragraph of the passage. Which came first, using
satellites to explore space or using them to explore our own planet?


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read, have them underline all of the clue

words for sequence, such as dates or words like first, then, or began. Have Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 4 235
students refer to what they have underlined to answer the questions above.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Shipwreck Located Below

Lake Ontario
Jim Kennard searched for the British
warship HMS Ontario for 35 years. In 2008,
he teamed up with Dan Scoville. The two
men used sonar, or sound, technology to
find the shipwreck in Lake Ontario. But
underwater divers could not reach it. The
ship lay 500 feet below the surface. The
men used an underwater remotely operated The HMS Ontario was 24.5 meters
(over 80 feet) with masts almost as
vehicle (ROV) that Scoville developed. The tall as the length of the ship.
ROV has bright lighting and cameras that take
images of shipwrecks. The images showed a large sailing
ship. Finally, Kennard had found the HMS Ontario.
1. List two features of expository text, or text that informs, in

this passage.

2. What does the heading, or title, tell you about the text?
3. How is the information in the text organized? How does the

organization help you understand the text?
4. How does the illustration help you understand the text?

Name
Look at the sentence below. The underlined words give a definition or

restatement of the meaning of the word vanished.
They dig for clues about ancient people whose cultures have vanished and
are gone from view.
Read each passage below. Then use the context clues to help
you choose the correct definition of each word in bold. Circle the
1. Archeologists have always used simple tools like hand shovels and
sifters. They carefully remove sand and dirt from old relics.
a. mud b. lyrics c. things from the past
2. Satellite images reveal secrets from below the earth. They show
what the eye cannot see.
a. pictures b. orbits c. materials
3. Parcak wanted to try a high-tech way to pinpoint, or narrow down,

likely sites.
a. draw b. explore c. find the exact place

4. Parcak saw that the most revealing images were taken during late
winter. Outlines of underground buildings showed up then.
a. showing clearly b. being hidden from sight c. unhelpful
5. If there is looting, the authorities can take action. This will help
keep down theft in the tombs.
a. cheering b. stealing c. an accident
Beginning/Intermediate Review context clues. Remind students to look

for clues in the sentence to determine meaning. Pair students at different Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 4 237
levels to complete the practice page. When finished, review the answers.
Word Study: Greek Roots
Name
A root is a basic word part that gives a word the most important part of its
meaning. Many English words have roots from Greek. Knowing Greek roots can
help you figure out the meaning of many words.
• photo means “light” • graph means “write”
• aero means “air” • psych means “mind”
A. Draw a line from the word on the left to its Greek root. The first
1. paragraph aero
2. psychology psych
3. photography graph
4. aerodynamic photo
B. Read each sentence. Underline the word that has a Greek root.
5. Biking is a kind of aerobic exercise.

6. The doctor teaches a psychology class.
7. She got an autograph from the famous musician.
8. I used a telephoto lens to take pictures of the birds.
Beginning/Intermediate Review Greek roots and their

238 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 4 meanings. Discuss how to use the root to determine the
meaning of a word. Pair students to complete the exercises.
Name
Evidence is details and examples from a text that support a writer’s opinion. The
student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence to supports an argument
about how well the author uses text features to develop and support ideas.
Topic In “Satellites Take Archeology to New Heights,” the

sentence author’s use of text features helps clarify ideas. The
subheadings help readers understand what each section is
about. “Going High-Tech” tells about one archeologist’s
idea to try using satellite images. “Proof On the Ground”
Evidence
tells about what archaeologists did on the ground with the
satellite information. The photo is another helpful text
feature. It lets readers see what the text describes. The
Concluding author’s use of subheadings and a photo helps support the
statement text’s ideas.
well the author used text features to develop ideas. Cite evidence
from the text. Remember to clarify relationships among claims
and reasons, and to use the words more and most correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Review text features. Pair students to identify

text features. Ask pairs to collaborate on finding text features and then Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 4 239
developing sentences. Have them read their answers to each other.
Name
to help you think about how to strengthen the organization of the
paragraph’s main idea and supporting details.
Draft Model
I think we should visit the moon again. The last time a human walked
on the moon was in 1972. Since that time, there have been many advances
in technology.
1. What words or phrases could you add to make the topic sentence
clearer?
2. How could the second sentence be revised to help it better support

the topic sentence?
3. What points could be added to help strengthen the ideas in the last
sentence and to link ideas to the topic? What transitions could be used?
4. What sentence could you add to the end to make the reader want
to read the next paragraph?
B. Now revise the draft by creating a stronger topic sentence and

by giving stronger, more specific support for the topic.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and questions. Review

240 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 4 meaning and point out cognates visit/visitar. Pair students of different abilities
to complete the page. Then have students read their answers to each other.
Vocabulary
Name

The catastrophic storm

destroyed part of the
catastrophic town.
Elevating the sign made

it easier to see.
elevating
The boy hurt his leg

and subsequently could
subsequently not play the rest of the
game.
You can use something

that is magnetic to hold
magnetic photos in place.
Since we no longer
use typewriters, they
obsolete are often considered
obsolete.
The firefighters were

deployed to put out the
deployed fire.

Name

graphic organizer.

Name

understanding.
Hurtling Through Space from Home

You can find out what it’s like to travel in space without even leaving
14 your home. People who enjoy studying astronomy have written some
24 amazing computer programs.
27 Some programs make you feel
32 as if you’re at a planetarium.
38 Other programs let you soar as
44 though you are in a spacecraft.
50 Space exploration can be fun for
Digital Vision/PunchStock
56 everyone. Both kids and adults
61 enjoy experiencing trips into the
66 vast universe.
Simulations of space flight bring the

68 Tech Space Travel
wonders of space to your computer.
71 Have you ever stared in awe
77 at the night sky? You can now get a closer look without visiting a
91 planetarium. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has been making maps of the
103 universe. The survey has identified hundreds of millions of space objects.
114 Just log onto SkyServer and take a trip into space with your computer.
127 SkyServer has games to help computer astronauts stay on course.
137 In 2009 NASA made their space images free for public use. The result
150 is the WorldWide Telescope. Its makers call it “the world’s best telescope.”
162 This computer program gathers data from telescopes around the world.
172 Take trips to see how things were billions of years ago. Learn how space
186 might look in the future.

Name
Stellarium is also an astronomy program. It’s easy to observe the sun, moon,
planets, and stars with it. Zoom in to discover the names of objects in the sky.
Simply type in the planet’s name you would like to visit. Off you go! You can
enjoy the wonder of it all up close with real space images.
Celestia is another piece of free software that gives you a space exploration
experience. You will not view space from a spacecraft cockpit in this adventure.
However, you may plot positions in the solar system and travel between planets.
There is an easy “Go To” computer function. Just pick a planet or star you wish
to zoom in on. You will pass by stars, planets, and moons until you get to your
destination.
Virtual Orbiting
Bruce Irving is one of NASA’s Solar System Ambassadors. He is an author
and teacher of computer space explorers. He has written free online books to
teach people about a space simulation program called Orbiter. You can imagine
you’re riding in a spaceship by using
pre-recorded flights. Model space launches
and re-entries make the trip seem realistic.
You might learn how to plot your own trip
to Mars or Jupiter after some practice.
Orbiter even has ways to challenge more
advanced computer astronauts.
It’s easy to get interested in space

exploration with computer programs.
Now people of all ages can enjoy the Graphics such as this—the cockpit
of the Orbiter’s Delta-glider vehicle—
thrill of spaceflight. Try it and discover add to the realism of space-flight
how real space travel can seem. simulation.
Simulations Require Training

Spaceflight simulation demands some learning before you can do much
more than take a demonstration ride. Demo models provide a hint of the many
possibilities available. Experiencing simulations of launches of your own space
shuttle or orbiting planets of your choice will require some tutorial work. For
the beginner, using the planetarium-style programs are a better way to start
exploring space.

Name
1. Look at paragraph 3. What details does the author include about

what you can do using the WorldWide Telescope?
2. At the end of paragraph 4, what phrase does the author use to

describe what happens when you use the program Stellarium?
3. Which statement best describes the author’s point of view about

computer programs that simulate space exploration?
a. These programs are good because they are free.
b. These programs are hard to learn to use.
c. These programs are good because they allow many people to

see what space is like.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs. As they read,

let them underline words or phrases that give evidence for the author’s Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 245
point of view. When finished, allow them to read their answers aloud.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
NASA’s Robotic Lander Maximum Hovering Altitude of

Robotic Lander, Oct.–Nov. 2011
100
Picture a “robot” spaceship landing on a
90
faraway planet. NASA is testing just such
80
a robotic lander to explore the moon and other
70
bodies in space. “Mighty Eagle” is the first of 60
this type. It’s a 700-pound, three-legged craft, 50
four feet tall and eight feet wide. By 2011 it 40
was able to fly 100 feet high, hover, and land 30
safely. A pre-programmed computer guides 20
the “Mighty Eagle,” our newest advance in 10
space exploration. Altitude

(in feet)
First
test
Second
test
Third
test
1. Expository text explains a topic, such as a scientific advance.

How do you know this is expository text?
2. What text features does this text include?

3. What is the text’s heading. Why do you think the author chose to
include it?
4. What information does the line graph give you?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review line graphs with

246 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 students. Pair students to answer the questions using basic and content
vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Vocabulary Strategy: Connotations and Denotations
Name
The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition. The connotations of a

word are the meanings it has in context that are beyond its basic meaning.
An example is the word wonder in the sentence below. In that context, its
connotation is of a beautiful sight almost beyond imagination.
You can enjoy the wonder of it all at close range with real space images.
A. Read each passage and notice the context of each word in

bold. Then read the statement below the passage and decide
whether it is true or false.
1. Other programs let you soar as though you are in a spacecraft.
The connotation of soar is “to fly high and free.”
True False
2. Both kids and adults enjoy experiencing trips into the vast universe.
The connotation of vast is “small.”
True False
3. Bruce Irving is one of NASA’s Solar System Ambassadors.

The connotation of Ambassadors is “special, worthy representative.”
True False
B. Draw a line from the word trip to words that mean about the
same thing but have a different connotation.
trip
adventure exploration train voyage vacation airplane tour event
Beginning/Intermediate Review connotations and denotations with

students. Pair students with different language levels to complete the Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 247
practice page together. When finished, review the answers.
Word Study: Suffixes -ive, -age, and -ize
Name
A suffix is a word part that can be added to the end of a base word. A suffix
changes the meaning of the word. The suffix -ive means “ability to,” the
suffix -age means “action or process,” and the suffix -ize means “make.”
Sometimes adding a suffix changes the spelling of the base word. For
example, when the suffix -ive is added to the word create, the final e
is dropped before adding the suffix: creative.
A. Read the words in each row. Circle the word that has the same
suffix as the word in bold. The first one has been done for you.
1. expensive secretive expanded
2. finalize socialize finally
3. manage passage manager
4. organize organ recognize
5. festive festival negative
B. Read each sentence. Underline the word that has the suffix
-ive, -age, or -ize. The first one has been done for you.

6. My mom is really creative when it comes to ideas for gifts.
7. Do the teachers at school specialize in one particular subject?
8. We keep all of our winter clothes in storage.
9. Did you recognize your friend from camp?
Beginning/Intermediate Model reading words with suffixes -ive, -age,

248 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 and -ize. Have students repeat. Pair students to complete the first activity.
Then have them check each other’s answers in the second activity.
Name
author expressed his or her point of view.
In “Hurtling Through Space from Home,” the author

Topic uses evidence that can be checked to support the point of
sentence view that space-exploration software provides valuable
and enjoyable tools. To support this point of view, the
author tells of a number of such programs, such as
Evidence Stellarium and Cellestia. The author then provides facts
and details of the wondrous experiences these programs
offer, including facts presented in a sidebar illustration.
Concluding With these examples, facts, and details, the author
statement supports his or her point of view.
author expressed his or her point of view. Cite evidence from the
text. Remember to include concrete details and use comparative
forms correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Have students reread the text they’ve selected

to decide on the viewpoint and explain their choice to a partner. Then have Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 249
the partners collaborate on how to present their ideas in a paragraph.
Name
to help you revise the draft by replacing less-precise words
with content words about the technical subject.
Draft Model
My favorite piece of new technology is a tablet computer. It has a fast
processor and programmable keys. It also has lots of memory.
1. What words in the model can be replaced with more precise

content words about this new technology?
2. How can you use content words to be more specific about the
amount of memory the tablet has?
3. What other content words can you add to the draft? For example,
does the tablet have a camera? Does it have any special apps?
B. Now revise the draft by replacing less-precise words with

content words.
Beginning/Intermediate Give students content-specific terms to use

250 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 5 • Week 5 while writing drafts. Point out cognates: favorite/favorito, technology/
tecnología, and computer/computador. Pair students to complete page.
Vocabulary
Name

The dominant leader

told everyone what to do.
dominant
It is safe to eat edible

berries.
edible
The impenetrable vines

made the hike difficult.
impenetrable
There were many jewels

in the ornate ring.
ornate
The waiter replenished

our water.
replenished
Cleaning the lake

brought a significant
significant change to the community.

Use gestures to demonstrate meaning. Pair students to write one or two
Name
graphic organizer.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
Detail

Name
Read the passage. Use the ask and answer questions strategy to
check for understanding as you read.
Harnessing the Sun’s Energy

For as long as people have lived on Earth, they have depended on
13 the sun. Energy from the sun is called solar energy. In ancient times,
26 people were warmed directly by the sun. They also used the sun’s energy
39 indirectly. Solar energy was stored in the wood they burned. It was in the
53 plants they ate. Today we often use solar energy stored in oil, coal, and
67 natural gas resources. These resources take a very long time to form, and
80 we are using them up. Earth receives light from the sun constantly. So
93 direct solar energy is renewable as long as the sun shines.
104 Many ancient people found ways to use solar energy. They learned to
116 convert, or turn, sunlight into thermal energy (heat). Greeks and Romans
127 used the sun’s reflection on mirrors to light torches. Romans found that
139 glass windows could capture the
144 sun’s warmth. Native Americans built
149 houses into the sides of cliffs. They
156 used the sun’s heat from the day to
164 keep them warm at night.
169 Today we have discovered how
174 to turn solar energy into electrical
180 energy (electricity). In 1839 a French
Ingram Publishing
186 scientist found that when certain
191 materials absorbed light, they made
196 electricity. In 1905 Albert Einstein The fuel that is used in cars is actually
201 described the details of this process. ancient energy that came from sunlight.

Name
Convert, Collect, and Store

Cell
In the 1950s, American scientists made a
solar cell that could convert the sun’s energy
into power. One cell did not produce much
electricity. Soon the cells were placed into larger Module
units called modules. For more power, NASA
built solar modules into units called arrays.
NASA used this solar energy for space travel.
Somehow scientists had to figure out how to
store the sun’s energy. Without a way to store Array
the energy, there would be no power unless the
sun was shining. Scientists found ways to store electrical power in batteries.
They also discovered how to first collect thermal energy (heat) and then store it.
In 1767 a Swiss scientist developed the first solar collector. A flat plate
collector covered with glass heats up as the sun strikes it. The heat can then be
carried by water or air to storage. Collectors are often used for heating homes
or water. A focusing collector is used to collect more heat. Carefully arranged
mirrors focus the sunlight.
Solar power has many advantages. It does not pollute. It is free and available.
The challenge is collecting and storing solar energy cheaply. More people are
using solar power in their homes and businesses. Water heaters and collection
panels cut energy costs. New designs in windows, skylights, and shingles help
homeowners use the sun’s energy.

Humans have looked for ways to use our amazing sun since ancient times.
With the need for renewable energy, looking to the sun just makes sense. The
potential for solar power is enormous.

Name
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that people have used
the sun’s energy for many years. Write one key detail from that
paragraph that supports the main idea.
2. One key detail in the second paragraph is that Greeks and Romans
used the sun’s reflection to light torches. Another key detail is that
Romans used windows to capture the sun’s warmth. What is the
main idea of this paragraph?
3. Look at paragraph 4 on the second page of the passage. The main

idea of the paragraph is that solar energy has many advantages.
What is one detail that supports that main idea? Circle the letter of
your answer.
a. Solar energy pollutes.
b. Solar energy is free and available.
c. Solar energy is challenging to store and collect.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Have students work in pairs for this activity.

As they read, have them underline the main ideas of each paragraph and Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 255
then circle key details that support the main idea with another color.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Lithium: The World’s Newest Commodity

Lithium has become a valuable commodity, or product. Lithium is a light
silvery-white metal that conducts electricity.
Electronics that require a long battery life,
such as laptops and cell phones, run on
lithium. The world’s largest supply lies within salt crust
the salt flats of Chile and Bolivia in South liquid brine
America. Lithium is a clean energy source. rock salt

But mining for it is dirty work. The metal is
pumped out of the ground and left to heat up
in the hot desert sun. It then becomes a yellow
greasy liquid that can be used as energy. Some
people ask the question: How much damage to Lithium comes from a layer of liquid
the environment will lithium mining cause? brine found in the earth.
1. List two features of expository text, or text that informs, that you
see here.

2. How do the diagram and caption help you understand the text?
3. Why is lithium important?

256 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 the questions using basic and content vocabulary. Then have them
share their answers with the group.
Vocabulary Strategy: Latin Roots
Name
Many words in English have Latin roots. For example, the word energy has
the Latin root erg. The Latin root erg means “work.” This meaning will help you
understand that energy means “the ability to perform work.”
Energy from the sun is called solar energy.
You can use a Latin root as a context clue to help you understand other words
that have the same root.
A. Match the English and Spanish words on the left with the root
they share in the column on the right.
1. reflection, reflejo sign, meaning “mark or sign”
2. convert, convertir scrib, scrip, meaning “write”
3. describe, describir flect, flex, meaning “bend”
4. design, diseñar pot, meaning “power, ability”
5. potential, potencial vert, vers, meaning “turn”

Beginning/Intermediate Review Latin roots. Remind students to look for

Latin roots in words they don't know to determine meaning. Pair students of Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 257
different language abilities to complete the practice page together.
Word Study: Suffixes -ible and -able
Name
A suffix is a word part that comes at the end of a base word. It changes the
meaning of the base word and the part of speech.
• The suffixes -ible and -able mean “capable or worthy of” or “tending to.”
• Adding -ible and -able to a word changes the word to an adjective.
A. Read each word and underline the suffix. The first one has
been done for you.
1. horrible
2. usable
3. lovable
4. visible
5. available
B. Circle the word that is related to the first word in the row.
Then underline the suffix in that word. The first one has been
done for you.
6. erase edible erasable

7. reason reliable reasonable
8. accept audible acceptable
9. move movable measurable
Beginning/Intermediate Review how suffixes change the meaning

258 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 and part of speech of a base word. Have students practice reading
words with -ible and -able and pair them to complete the activities.
Name
The student who wrote the paragraph below cited evidence that supports his or
her argument about how the author develops the main idea and key details.
Topic In “Harnessing the Sun’s Energy,” I think the author

sentence uses strong details successfully to develop the main
idea that the sun is an important source of energy. For
example, the author begins with how the earliest people
used the sun’s energy for heat and ends with today’s
Evidence technology for getting heat and electricity from the sun.
The author also points out that solar energy is renewable
while many other energy sources are not. I believe the
Concluding
author supports the main idea well with strong key details.
statement
author developed the main idea and key details. Cite evidence
from the text. Remember to support your claims with clear
reasons and relevant evidence and use adverbs correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and give examples

of how details support the main idea. Guide students on how to Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 259
find evidence. Then pair students to complete the page.
Name
draft to help you think about how to vary sentence length
and sentence structure.
Draft Model
We need to protect our water supply. People, animals, and plants will die
without it. We should stop pollution.
1. What new details could you add to the first sentence to grab the
reader’s attention? How could adding this information make the
first sentence a compound sentence?
2. How could you make the second sentence shorter to emphasize

the point? How could this sentence be reorganized so the subject
is not at the beginning?
3. What words, phrases, or clauses could you add to the third

sentence to better relate this idea to the other sentences?
B. Now revise the draft by varying the sentence length and

structure so that the writing seems more natural and more
able to keep the reader’s interest.

260 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 1 meaning and point out cognates: pollution/polución, animal/animal. Pair
Vocabulary
Name

The boy became agitated

when he could not find
agitated his book.
Unless you have a lot of

water, it is futile to try to
futile put out a fire.
A populous city has

many people who live
populous there.
The girl presumed she

would get a good grade
on the test.
presumed
The building was still

smoldering after the fire
smoldering was put out.
We knew the cat had

not eaten because the
undiminished amount of food was
undiminished.

Name
Read the selection. Complete the cause and effect

graphic organizer.
Cause Effect

Name
to check your understanding as you read.
The New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

In 1911 New York City was crowded with factories. One of the largest
13 employers was the garment industry, which made clothes. There were so
24 many garment factories that owners had to compete to make money. As a
37 result, they didn’t pay their workers much. The factories were crowded and
49 dirty. Immigrant women and girls often took these jobs to help support their
62 families. The women there worked long hours cutting and sewing fabric.
73 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory made a popular women’s blouse called
83 the shirtwaist. The factory occupied the top three floors of a building.
95 Sewing machines and cutting tables crowded every inch of space. There
106 was barely room to walk. Cloth scraps littered the floors. Thread and cloth
119 hung over chairs and tables.
124 At 4:45 p.m. on March 25, 1911, a
132 blazing fire broke out at the Triangle
139 Shirtwaist Factory. It was a tragic irony
Library of Congress, Keystone View Company

146 for the 148 people who died that day. They
155 were trapped in flames just minutes before
162 their workday was finished!
166 A man on the eighth floor heard the
[LC-USZ62-93789]
174 first cry of fire. He and the manager tried
183 tossing buckets of water to stop the flames.
191 The fabric was so flammable that the room
In the early 1900s, garment
199 quickly became a wildfire. factories were often
overcrowded and dangerous.

Name
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

As clouds gather before a storm, the first flames warned of the terrible
disaster to come. There was chaos inside the factory. The workers found exit
doors locked. There was only one fire escape. There was also only one elevator,
which worked for just a short time. Stairwells soon filled with fire. Because the
workers had nowhere to go, they faced impossible choices.
A young woman named Sarah worked on the ninth floor that tragic day. She
said, “There was screaming and shoving and many girls tried to climb over
the machine tables.” Sarah saw flames coming from all sides as she waited for
the elevator. “Suddenly I was holding the sides of the door looking down the
elevator shaft with girls screaming and pushing behind me.” Sarah grabbed the
elevator cable and went sliding down the shaft. She passed out as she fell on top
of the elevator below. Others fell on top of her.
Some girls rushed to the windows to escape. The crowd on the streets yelled,
“Don’t jump!” The girls jumped anyway with flames burning their hair and
skirts. Fire Captain Frank
Rubino said, “People began
to holler, ‘Raise the ladders,
raise the ladders.’ But we
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

had ladders up.” Five girls
held hands and leaped
together when they saw the
ladders couldn’t reach them.

In this factory, advice
[LC-USZ62-34985]
when most needed was

least heeded. The Triangle
Factory had a history of
Horse-drawn fire engine, on its way to the Triangle
fires. In 1909 union workers Shirtwaist Company fire
protested. The owners ignored
cries for safety regulations. The owners did not go to jail, but public outrage
led to change. Political leaders took action. People would say the reforms were
better late than never. For the people who died, however, it was too little too late.

Name
1. Look at paragraph 1 on the first page of the passage. What was the
effect of factory owners competing to make money?
2. Look at the last paragraph on the first page of the passage.

Flammable means “likely to burn.” What was the effect of having
the room full of flammable fabric?

caused the workers in the factory to face impossible choices?

caused the women to be trapped in the factory during the fire?
a. The exit doors were locked.

b. It was the end of the workday.
c. There were no elevators.

intonation and phrasing. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate As students read, have them underline all of the

clue words for cause and effect, such as because and as a result. Have Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 2 265
students refer to what they have underlined to answer the questions above.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Baltimore In Flames, 1904

For firefighters at Engine 15 in Baltimore, Maryland, February 7, 1904,
seemed like an ordinary Sunday morning. But everything changed at 10:48 a.m.
That is when they received a fire alarm from John Hurst and Company. Soon
after the fire engine arrived at the building,
a basement fire caused an explosion in
the elevator shaft. The fire spread quickly.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

For two days, firefighters worked hard to
put out the blaze that took over the city.
The New York Times reported on February
9, 1904, “A territory twelve full city blocks
by nine, and extending beyond over a mile
[LC-F8-44294]
and more of water front, is left in smoking,
hideous ruins.” As terrible as the fire was,
the city of Baltimore quickly began to Smoke and ruins from the great
rebuild and recover. Baltimore fire of 1904
1. Narrative nonfiction gives factual details about a real event. Name

one feature of nonfiction narrative that this text contains.
2. Narrative nonfiction often includes primary sources. What Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
newspaper is used as a primary source in the text?
3. How does the use of a primary source make the events come
to life?

Vocabulary Strategy: Adages and Proverbs
Name
Adages and proverbs, such as “look before you leap,” are traditional sayings
that make statements about life. Readers can use context clues to understand the
meaning of an adage or a proverb. Look at the example below. The underlined
context clue helps explain the meaning of “as clouds gather before a storm.”
As clouds gather before a storm, the first flames warned of the terrible
disaster to come.
Read each passage below. Use context clues to help you

understand each adage or proverb in bold. Then circle the letter
of the sentence that gives the meaning of the adage or proverb.
1. In this factory, advice when most needed was least heeded. The
Triangle Factory had a history of fires. In 1909 union workers
protested. The owners ignored cries for safety regulations.
a. The owners had no idea that the advice they were given was
worth listening to.
b. The owners really needed to pay attention to what others were

saying and they didn’t.
c. If someone had told the owners about the problems, everything

would have been different.
2. The owners did not go to jail, but public outrage led to change.
Political leaders took action. People would say the reforms were
better late than never.
a. Changes after a disaster came too late to do any good.
b. When things change, things stay the same.
c. It was good that things changed even though disaster had

already happened.
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students to look for context clues to

determine the meaning of an adage or proverb. Pair students of different Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 2 267
language abilities to complete the practice page together.
Word Study: Suffixes -ance, -ence, -ant, and -ent
Name
A suffix is a word part that comes at the end of a base word. It changes the
meaning of the base word and the part of speech. The suffixes -ance and
-ence mean “the quality of ” or “having.” The suffixes -ant and -ent mean “being
or performing.” Adding these suffixes to a word can change an adjective into
a noun.
A. Read each sentence. Circle the two related words with the
suffixes -ance, -ence, -ant, or -ent. The first one has been done
for you.
1. It is important that we meet tonight because our project

is of major importance.
2. How are the two examples different and how can you explain
the difference?
3. My education is excellent because the teachers at my school

believe in excellence.
4. My brother is often confident, but sometimes I think he has too

much confidence.
5. It was evident there were clues, so the team kept looking

for more evidence.

B. Read each word in bold and underline its suffix. Then circle the
word that has the same suffix. The first one has been done for you.
6. constant intelligent observant
7. innocent innocence indifferent
8. entrance defiance conference
9. intelligence permanence appearance
Beginning/Intermediate Review how suffixes change the meaning of the

268 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 2 root word. Have students read aloud the related words they find in the first
activity. Then have them discuss how the choices differ in the second activity.
Name
her argument that quoting primary sources is an effective way to develop a text
about a historical event.
In “The New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Fire,” I

Topic believe that the author’s use of eyewitness accounts shows
sentence the tragedy of the fire better than narrative nonfiction that
simply describes the fire could. For example, reading
Sarah's own words about her experience helps readers
understand how scary the fire was. Also, Captain Frank
Evidence
Rubino's quotation shows a different side of the story—
what rescuers were doing outside. These eyewitness
Concluding accounts more effectively help readers understand the
statement tragedy than just describing the events would.
Write a paragraph about the text you have chosen. Share an

argument about how a topic is developed across texts. Cite
evidence from the text. Remember to include a claim that states
your argument and to organize your reasons clearly. Also, use
adverbs that compare.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students to reread a text to search for

quoted primary sources. Remind students to look for quotation marks. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 2 269
Pair students to work together to plan their paragraphs.
Name
to help you think about how to make the style and tone more
objective.
Draft Model
Cars kept zooming through our neighborhood like mad and not stopping at the
stop sign. It was crazy dangerous to cross the streets.
1. How could the sentences or information in the draft be rewritten to

reflect a more formal style?
2. Which words and phrases in the draft should be replaced or left out
to create a more objective tone?
3. Would changing the narrator’s voice help make the draft more
objective? If so, what words and phrases should be changed?
B. Now revise the draft by changing the style and tone of the
piece to give it a more formal and objective voice.

270 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 2 Review meaning and point out English/Spanish cognates: cross/cruzar.
Pair students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

The road is closed so we

will take an alternative
alternative route.
Our tickets correspond

to the numbers on
correspond the seats.
The scientist uses a

special tool to extract
extract liquid from the plant.
The bird hid in the

tree’s foliage.
foliage
To stay healthy we need

to eat foods with protein.
protein
After it rained, the

ground was saturated
saturated with water.

Name
graphic organizer.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
Detail

Name
Read the passage. Use the summarizing strategy to put key ideas
in your own words.
Researching the Ocean’s Secrets

Scientists didn’t know much about deep-sea life until Jacques
9 Cousteau’s inventions changed everything. Cousteau, a Frenchman,
16 wanted to dive deep into the sea. Free divers did not have a way to
31 carry air with them at that time. They could swim only near the surface.
45 Cousteau invented a way to carry air below the surface. He also invented
58 an underwater camera.
61 Goggles, Cameras, and Scuba Diving

66 Goggles were not common diving gear in the 1930s. Free-swimming
76 divers usually did not have anything to cover their eyes. Cousteau tried
88 some goggles. He was amazed at what he could see. Cousteau was
100 excited to share his discovery with the world. His camera did not work
113 under water, so he figured out how to make it waterproof. He was set to
128 make history.
130 Cousteau wanted to dive deeper,
135 but he needed an air supply. He
142 wanted to swim freely as fish do.
149 Deep divers had to breathe with

155 hoses or tubes that tied them to
162 an air supply above the water. In
169 1943 Cousteau and Emile Gagnan Robert Yin/Corbis
174 invented an underwater breathing

178 system. They called the device the
184 Aqua-Lung. This gear made deep Cousteau’s inventions helped change
189 underwater exploration easier. the way divers explore the ocean.

Name
From the Sea to TV

Cousteau’s new breathing gear became known as Self-Contained Underwater
Breathing Apparatus, or SCUBA. The breathing apparatus fed air to divers at
the same pressure as the water around them. Now Cousteau had goggles to see
through and a way to carry air under water.
Next, Cousteau needed a vessel, a boat of just the right size from which he
could dive. In 1950 Cousteau found the perfect ship. He named her Calypso.
She was strong and not too big. She was built so she could go over shallow
coral reefs. Calypso was perfect for both exploring and filming underwater
adventures.
Cousteau fixed Calypso up as a laboratory. Calypso’s workspace carried
cameras and diving gear. He strapped a shark cage to the deck. He added
an underwater observation room known as “Calypso’s false nose.” The nose
chamber was a large enough space for two of the crew to film under water.
Cousteau wanted to share what he and his crew observed in the ocean.
Cousteau began filming his explorations. Before long, televisions across
America showed his sea adventures weekly. Cousteau narrated the shows
himself, describing his underwater
stories with enthusiasm. Cousteau How does SCUBA work?
explored ocean life with a sense of Tank is filled with air
awe. He shared his excitement with at high pressure.
his TV viewers.
Cousteau also brought attention

to ocean conservation. He wanted First-stage regulator lowers
to protect the sea life he loved. He air pressure to a safe level.
founded the Cousteau Society in
1974. Cousteau brought the beauty
Second-stage regulator supplies air
of underwater life into people’s
on demand at needed pressure.
whomes and inspired the world.

Name
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that people didn’t know
much about deep-sea life before Jacques Cousteau’s inventions.
Write one key detail from the paragraph that supports that
main idea.
2. Two key details of paragraph 2 on the second page of the passage

are that Calypso was strong and not too big and that it could go
over shallow coral reefs. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

main idea is supported by the key details that Calypso’s workspace
carried underwater cameras and that an underwater observation
room was added to Calypso?
a. Cousteau fixed Calypso up as a laboratory.

b. A shark cage was strapped to Calypso’s deck.
c. Cousteau wanted to share what he and his crew observed.

accuracy. Stop after one minute. Fill out the chart.

Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =

As they read, have them underline the main ideas of each paragraph Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 275
and then circle key details that support the main idea.
Genre /Text Feature
Name
Jane Goodall: Chimpanzee Expert

Jane Goodall was interested in animals from a young age. In 1960 she left
England and went to Gombe, Tanzania, in Africa. There, she began her lifelong
study of chimpanzees. Unlike other scientists, Goodall took a very personal
approach to her research. She gave the
chimpanzees names instead of numbers. GOODALL’S DISCOVERIES
Goodall made many new discoveries Observes male chimp eating
a baby bush pig.
about chimpanzees. For example, she
discovered that they are omnivores. That
means that they eat meat and plants. In
Sees chimps hunting monkeys
1986 Goodall came out with her book and other small mammals.
Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of
Behavior. Today, Goodall travels 300
days a year. She teaches people about Discovers male chimps
wildlife conservation. making and using tools.
1. Expository text provides factual information about a topic. Provide

two facts from the text.
2. What does the text’s heading tell you about the topic?
3. What new information do you learn about chimpanzees from

the flow chart?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review how to

276 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 read a flow chart. Pair students to answer the questions using
basic and content vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Name
When you read an unfamiliar word, context clues, or surrounding words and
phrases, may help you figure out the unfamiliar word’s meaning. Look at the
example below. The underlined words give you context clues to help explain
what conservation means.
Cousteau also brought attention to ocean conservation. He wanted to
protect the sea life he loved.
Read each passage. Then, using context clues, decide whether

the statement under the passage is true or false. Place an “X” in
the correct box.
1. Goggles were not common diving gear in the 1930s. Free-swimming

divers usually did not have anything to cover their eyes.
Goggles fit over the eyes.
True False
2. In 1943 Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented an underwater

breathing system. They called the device the Aqua-Lung.
A device grows in nature.
True False
3. Next, Cousteau needed a vessel, a boat of just the right size from
which he could dive. In 1950 Cousteau found the perfect ship.
A diving board is a vessel.
True False
4. Cousteau fixed Calypso up as a laboratory. Calypso’s workspace

carried cameras and diving gear.
A laboratory is a place where work happens.
True False
Beginning/Intermediate Remind students to look for clues in the sentence

to determine the meaning of words they don’t know. Pair students of Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 277
different language abilities to complete the practice page together.
Word Study: Greek Suffixes
Name
A suffix is a word part that comes at the end of the word and changes the
meaning of the word. Many suffixes come from Greek. Recognizing Greek
suffixes and knowing their meanings can help you read words and determine
their meanings.
• The suffix -ician means “a specialist in.”
• The suffix -phobia means “an abnormal fear.”
• The suffixes -logy and -ologist mean “science of” and “scientist.”
A. Draw a line from the Greek suffix to the word that has the
suffix. Underline the suffix in the word. The first one has been
done for you.
1. -ician aquaphobia
2. -phobia politician
3. -ologist astrology
4. -logy ecologist
B. Read the first word in each row. Then circle the word that has
the same suffix. The first one has been done for you.

5. musician magician pianist
6. claustrophobia agoraphobia cluttered
7. technology democrat sociology
8. zoologist geologist heroism
Beginning/Intermediate Review Greek suffixes. Have students read

278 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 each suffix independently and then practice reading words with the suffix
attached. Pair students to complete the activities.
Name
author used key details to develop the main idea.
Topic In “Researching the Ocean’s Secrets,” the author uses

sentence key details to develop the main idea that Jacques Cousteau
changed how people thought about underwater life. One
key detail explains that Cousteau invented an underwater
camera so people could see what he saw. Cousteau also
co-invented Scuba equipment so divers did not need an air
Evidence
connection from the surface. Finally, the author describes
how Cousteau’s television program showed people his
underwater discoveries. These details develop the idea
Concluding that Jacques Cousteau changed people’s understanding of
statement ocean life.
author used key details to develop the main idea. Cite evidence from
the text. Remember to use transitions to clarify the relationships
among ideas and concepts and to correctly use negatives.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students as they reread a text to locate

key details and to determine the main idea. Have students put a star next Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 279
to key details and underline the main idea.
Name
help you think about using sequence to order steps in a process
to help readers understand how and why something was done.
Draft Model
To make a goldfish home, you need a bowl or tank, purified water, and special
gravel. Rinse the tank with some purified water. Clean the gravel with purified
water. Put the gravel in the tank. Fill the tank with more purified water.
1. What word or phrase could you add to signal the first step in
making a goldfish home?
2. What words or phrases could you use to signal the second and
third steps in the process?
3. What word or phrase can you use to signal the last step in the
process?
B. Now revise the draft by adding words and phrases that will
help the reader understand the sequence of steps involved in
setting up a goldfish home.
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions and the questions. Point

280 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 3 out the English/Spanish cognates: tank/tanque, purified/purificar, gravel/
grava. Pair students of different language abilities to complete the page.
Vocabulary
Name

They were ready to

embark on their journey.
embark
The miners dug until

they reached bedrock.
bedrock
The scientist
meticulously wrote down
meticulously everything she found.
The ancient drawings in

the cave were intriguing.
intriguing
Kindness is an intrinsic
part of her nature.
intrinsic
My grandmother’s ring
is exquisite.
exquisite

Name
Event

Name
Read the passage. Use the summarize strategy to restate the

most important points.
Ancient Threads Reveal Early Weavers

Bits of cloth found in a South American cave have given scientists a
13 look into an ancient culture. A new way of discovering an object’s age has
27 proven the cloth is 12,000 years old.
34 A New Kind of Test

39 For many years, archaeologists did not have a good way to tell the age
53 of their artifacts. Then in 1947 a scientist named Willard Libby was doing
66 a fossil study in paleontology. Libby came up with a theory based on a
80 fact. All living plants take in a small amount of carbon-14. The amount of
94 carbon-14 gets smaller as time passes. Libby
101 used logic. He knew that the less carbon-14
109 found, the older the object was. He called this
118 process “carbon dating.” This method helps
124 scientists know the age of the artifacts they
132 discover.
133 In the 1980s, archaeologists first found
139 signs of human activity inside a cave in the
148 mountains of Peru. They used carbon dating
Aaron Roeth Photography

155 to learn the age of bone and charcoal pieces
164 found there. Those artifacts all proved to be
172 around 12,000 years old. They learned that
179 humans had gone into that region not long
187 after the last glacier period ended about An archaeologist handles
194 12,500 years ago. artifacts with care.

Name
More Advanced Dating

Archaeologists also found bits
of rope and woven thread inside
the cave in Peru. They found finely
woven bits of fabric. There were also
bundles of plant material that people
used for weaving. Archaeologists
could tell that an advanced people
had been there. They did not know
how old the samples were, however.
Scientists knew humans had visited
the cave. No one knew when. Were
the bits of cloth 100 years old or
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12,000 years old?
The small pieces of cloth had
not been tested with the other cave
samples for a reason. The first
method of carbon testing had not
Guitarrero Cave is located in Peru in South
been useful with small fragments. America. Fibers found in the cave were left
Finally, in 2011 a more advanced behind about 12,000 years ago.
method of carbon dating was used
on the bits of fabric. This technique can determine the age of even one hair.
Scientists finally learned that the bits of fabric were also 12,000 years old. They

were now certain that prehistoric people had made the cloth.
At last, scientists were able to learn more about who visited the cave. Early
researchers thought that humans had gone to the mountains to find food. Hunters
would probably have been men. Scientists believe that women were probably
the ones to weave, as in other cultures. This suggests that women must also have
gone into the mountains with the men. They must have stayed there long enough
to weave fabric.
Scientists have fresh insights about ancient times because of carbon dating.
They now have a way to look back in history—like using a telescope on the past.
Scientists can comprehend more about the time before history was written.

Name
1. Look at paragraph 2 on the first page of the passage. In what year

did Willard Libby discover a way to date fossils?
2. Look at paragraph 3 on the first page of the passage. What

happened in the 1980s?
3. The section called “More Advanced Dating” describes how

scientists learned about the humans who once lived inside a cave
in Peru. In this section, which of these events happened first?
a. Archaeologists found signs that humans had drawn on the

cave walls.
b. Archaeologists found bits of rope and thread in the cave.
c. A more advanced method of carbon dating was used on the

bits of fabric.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
Beginning/Intermediate Pair students with different English proficiency

levels. As they read the passage, have them circle the dates and then Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 4 285
use the sentences that include the dates to help answer the questions.
Genre/Text Feature
Name
Niaux Cave: Gallery of Prehistoric Art

The Niaux Cave is located in the Pyrenees Mountains in southern France. It
is famous for its very old wall paintings. The cave entrance is set high on the
side of a mountain. Scientists think that this land formation created a warm
climate. Therefore, the caves sheltered
both animals and people at the end
of the last Ice Age. In 1906 wall
drawings of three bison, a horse, and
a weasel were found in the main hall
CAROLUS/Pixtal/agefotostock
of the Niaux Cave. In 1971 scientists
studied the paintings. A process called
radiocarbon dating tested the charcoal
used to create the wall art. The
purpose was to identify how old the A prehistoric wall painting from the Niaux
art was. The tests confirmed that the Cave in France
paintings were at least 14,000 years old.
1. Expository text provides factual details about a topic. List one fact
from the text about the Niaux Cave.
2. What details does the photograph show?
3. How does the caption, the text below the photograph, help you to
better understand the topic?

Vocabulary Strategy: Greek Roots
Name
Knowing the meaning of Greek roots can help you figure out the meanings
of unfamiliar words, such as archaeologists in the following sentence.
For many years, archaeologists did not have a good way to tell the age
of their artifacts.
Look at the chart of Greek roots. Then read each passage and
decide whether the statement below the passage is true or false.
Greek Root Meaning
archaeo ancient
ology study or science of
paleo prehistoric past
tech skill
1. For many years, archaeologists did not have a good way to tell the
age of their artifacts.
Archaeologists are people who build buildings.
True False
2. Then in 1947 a scientist named Willard Libby was doing a fossil

study in paleontology.
Paleontology is the study of the prehistoric past.
True False
3. Finally, in 2011 a more advanced method of carbon dating was

used on the bits of fabric. This technique can determine the age of
even one hair.
A technique is a piece of electrical equipment.
True False
Beginning/Intermediate Review Greek roots with students. Remind

students to look for Greek roots in unfamiliar words to determine meaning. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 4 287
Pair students with different language levels to complete the practice page.
Word Study: Absorbed Prefixes
Name
Sometimes when a prefix is added to word, the last letter of the prefix gets
“absorbed” by the base word or root. This means the last letter of the prefix
changes to match the first letter of the base word or root.
• The prefix ad- means “to” or “toward.”
accompany (ad + company) means “to go with someone”
arrange (ad + range) means “to put into order”
attain (ad + tain) means “to reach to or arrive at”
• The prefix in- usually means “not” or “the opposite of” (indirect).
Add im- to words that begin with m (immaterial) or p (impossible).
Add ir- to words that begin with r (irrelevant).
Add il- to words that begin with l (illegible).
Read the words below. Identify the absorbed prefix by

underlining it. Then write the meaning of the prefix.
1. imperfect not or opposite of
2. accustom
3. irregular

4. immature
5. illegal
7. arrest
8. irresponsible
Beginning/Intermediate Review how to break a word down between its

288 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 4 prefix and its root. Have students practice saying words with prefixes, slightly
pausing for each syllable. Then have partners complete the activity together.
Name
author used text structure to convey the main idea and key details.
In “Ancient Threads Reveal Early Weavers,” the author

Topic uses time-order sequence to show how archaeologists
sentence
learned about an early human settlement in Peru. First,
the author describes, in time order, the steps in the
development of carbon dating of ancient objects. Then,
Evidence the author explains the process archaeologists used
to identify when humans lived in the settlement. This
included carbon dating bones and charcoal first, and later,
bits of cloth. The author’s use of sequence helps readers
Concluding
statement follow these events.
the author used text structure to convey the main idea and key
details. Cite evidence from the text. Remember to develop the
topic with relevant facts or examples and to use prepositions and
prepositional phrases correctly.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students to reread a text to search for time-

order words or phrases. Remind students to look for words such as first, Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 4 289
next, then, or finally. Pair students to work together to plan their paragraphs.
Name
to help you think about how to choose time-order words to show
the sequence of steps in a process.
Draft Model
Marsha wanted to paint her desk. She prepared the area by putting down
newspaper. She sanded the desk. She cleaned the surfaces gently. She let the
desk dry. She started painting.
1. What time-order word or phrase could you use to show the first
thing Marsha did to prepare the area for painting her desk?
2. What time-order words and phrases could you use to clarify the
order of the next three steps Marsha took to prepare the desk
for painting?
3. What time-order word or phrase could you add to identify the last
thing Marsha did in this paragraph?
B. Now revise the draft by adding time-order words and phrases

that will help readers better understand the order of steps in the
process described.

Vocabulary
Name

My mother will take me

to the movies as an
incentive incentive to clean my
room.
Science camp helped us

expand our horizons.
horizons
Camping is my family’s
favorite form of
recreation recreation.
Unfettered by the cage,

the bird flew out the
unfettered window.

Name
Detail
Detail
Detail
Theme

Name
Read the passage. Check your understanding by asking yourself

what the theme, or message, of the poem is.
Ode to Mr. Lincoln

I watch as you sit on your marble chair,
9 I see your marble arms and hands, solid and firm
19 As the earth itself, and I think to myself those hands
30 Once held a whole country together. I think to myself
40 Those hands once held the future of democracy
48 As gently as morning light falls on a field of battle.
59 How could one man not bend under that burden?
68 You saw to it that people were free,

76 No matter their color or race or creed,
Photodisc/Punchstock
84 No matter what songs they sang.
90 You saw to it that all of your people had choices.
101 You followed the path you chose for yourself
109 As surely as the stars follow their paths across the sky.
120 The worries of your life are behind you, Mr. Lincoln,
130 Though once they lay heavy on your heart—
138 As weighty as mountains of stone on the horizon,
147 As numerous as snowflakes covering a burial ground.

155 The union has lasted far beyond four score and seven years,
166 but you can rest till time and tide are done
176 and let your thoughts wander wherever they will.

Name
1. Look at the title of the poem. Who is the speaker talking to?
2. In the second stanza, the speaker says, “You saw to it that people
were free, No matter their color or race or creed.” Does the speaker
think this is a good thing? Explain.
3. What words from the poem show that the speaker thinks Lincoln
was a good man?
4. Which statement best describes the theme, or message, of this

poem? Circle the letter of your answer.
a. Although Lincoln is now dead, his accomplishments have lasted a long time.
b. Lincoln knew that people should be free.

c. The burdens that Lincoln faced caused him to live a short life.


Words Read – =
Errors Score
First Read – =
Second Read – =
English Language Learners Pair students with more fluent speakers.

content vocabulary.
Genre/Literary Elements
Name
To an Artist
The city is bustling, noisy, and bright
With trucks, cars, and taxicabs, both day and night,
And with people so anxious to get here or there,
As they text on their cell phones and fuss with their hair.
On they go, pounding the pavement and street.
On they go, wearing their shoes off their feet.
At a corner an artist stands, paintbrush in hand,
A statue of silence observing the land.
Like a wizard, he captures a moment—Look! There!
Beauty on canvas; most pass, unaware.
1. Lyric poetry expresses the speaker’s thoughts and feelings. In this

text, what thought or feeling does the speaker express?
2. Repetition is the repeating of the same words, phrases, or lines.

What repetition can you find in this text?
3. Imagery is the use of words that appeal to the senses to describe.

What is one example of imagery in this text?
Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Review odes and lyric

poems with students. Pair students to answer the questions using basic Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 5 295
and content vocabulary. When finished, review the answers.
Literary Elements: Repetition and Imagery
Name
Repetition is the repeating of a word or phrase.

Example: Sing, sing. Sing your song.
Imagery is the use of words to create a picture in the reader’s mind.
Example: Like dark lace, the bare branches of winter’s trees spread across
the sky.
Read the lines of the ode below. Then answer the questions.
Ode to Mr. Lincoln

I watch as you sit on your marble chair,
I see your marble arms and hands, solid and firm
As the earth itself, and I think to myself those hands
Once held a whole country together. I think to myself
Those hands once held the future of democracy
As gently as morning light falls on a field of battle.
How could one man not bend under that burden?
1. What line is repeated in the poem?
2. Find two other words that are repeated in the poem. Circle those
words.
3. What images, or pictures, come to mind as you read? Describe two Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
of these images.
4. Write a short poem about morning. Include repetition and imagery.

296 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 5 As they read the poem, have them underline words that are repeated.
Brainstorm ideas aloud for the last question.
Vocabulary Strategy: Figurative Language
Name
Poets use figurative language, such as similes and metaphors, to engage

readers by creating images through comparison. One type of figurative
language is hyperbole, or exaggeration, as in the bold phrase in this passage.
Authors use hyperbole to emphasize a point.
The worries of your life are behind you, Mr. Lincoln,
Though once they lay heavy on your heart—
As weighty as mountains of stone on the horizon,
As numerous as snowflakes covering a burial ground.
Read each passage. Pay special attention to the words in bold.

Then read each statement below the passage and write an X to
show if it is true or false.
1. I see your marble arms and hands, solid and firm

As the earth itself, and I think to myself those hands
Once held a whole country together.
The poet says that the marble arms and hands of Lincoln’s statue
are more solid than the earth itself.
True False
2. You followed the path you chose for yourself

As surely as the stars follow their paths across the sky.

The poet compares the way Lincoln followed his path through life to
the way a star follows its path across the sky.
True False
3. The worries of your life are behind you, Mr. Lincoln,

Though once they lay heavy on your heart—
As weighty as mountains of stone on the horizon,
The poet compares Lincoln’s worries to mountains of stone.
True False
Beginning/Intermediate Review figurative language with students.

Remind students to look for examples of hyperbole in each passage. Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 5 297
Pair students with different language levels to complete the page.
Word Study: Words from Mythology
Name
Many English words contain Greek or Latin word parts. Some of these word
parts come from Greek and Roman myths. Understanding the relationship
between English words and their origins in mythology can help you determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words.
A. Read each clue about mythology on the left. Draw a line to the
English word on the right that is based on the Greek or Roman
name. The first one has been done for you.
1. Cupid, Roman god of love echo
2. Echo, Greek character who

could only repeat the words
of others January
3. Flora, Roman goddess of flowers museum
4. Janus, Roman god of beginnings Olympics
5. Olympus, mountain home of the gods titanic
6. Muses, Greek goddesses of arts and

sciences cupid

7. Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain floral
8. Titans, Greek giants with enormous strength cereal
Beginning/Intermediate Talk about examples of English words with

298 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 5 origins in mythology. Have students identify the parts of the original
words that are the same or similar to the related English word.
Name
her argument about how the author develops the theme of the poem.
I think that in “Ode to Mr. Lincoln,” the poet does a

Topic
good job presenting the theme that Abraham Lincoln’s
sentence
achievements have lived beyond his actual life. For
example, the poet describes the hands of Abraham
Lincoln’s statue holding “the future of democracy.” The
Evidence
poet also tells how Lincoln believed in freedom for all,
Concluding
something we still care about today. In my opinion, the
statement theme of the poem is well-developed and meaningful.
the theme is developed in the text. Cite evidence from the
text. Remember to support your claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence. Also, make sure to combine sentences well.

Beginning/Intermediate Guide students to underline clues that

indicate the theme of the text. Pair students to cite evidence and Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 6 • Week 5 299
develop a paragraph that expresses a strong argument.
Name
to help you choose words with connotations that accurately
express the speaker’s feelings.
Draft Model
I like to look at clouds as they move across the sky. They look like a good
place to lie down and take a nap or read a book.
1. Why do the clouds look like a good place to lie down and take
a nap? What words make you think of a relaxing place?
2. How might it feel to lie down on the clouds? What words will best
convey how the speaker feels about lying in the clouds?
3. How would you describe time passed in the clouds? What words
best convey the sort of experience the speaker might have on
a cloud?
B. Now revise the draft by adding descriptive words with

connotations that accurately and clearly express the
speaker’s feelings.

page. Have students read their drafts to each other.

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Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 49

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Write About Reading: Write an Analysis 149

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Personal Strength TIME For Kids

Witnesses Taking a Break

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Use the word chart to study this week’s vocabulary words.

Word Context Sentence Illustration

The card gave the girl

The stars glimmer in

His sarcastic words

I crossed the threshold

The girl is phobic about

Washing dishes can be

Beginning/Intermediate Review vocabulary and identify cognates.

Read the selection. Complete the character, setting, and plot

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1

Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1 3

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4 Practice • Grade 6 • Unit 1 • Week 1

A. Reread the passage and answer the questions.

a. He is glad to be in the group.

b. He thinks his sister should be in the group.

c. He does not want to be in the group.

a. He still does not want to be in the group.

b. He does not think it will be so bad after all.

c. He is embarrassed about being in the group.

3. Which two things are compared and contrasted in the story?

a. Alex’s attitude toward math and Sophia’s attitude toward math

b. Alex’s ability to do origami and Sophia’s ability to do origami

c. Alex’s grades in school and his sister’s grades in school

B. Work with a partner. Read the passage aloud. Pay attention to

Number of Words Correct

Beginning/Intermediate Bring in a piece of origami. Unfold the piece

The Long Hard Climb

Answer the questions about the text.

1. Realistic fiction is a story that could have happened in real life.

2. Who is the narrator of this text? What is the narrator’s role in

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Beginning/Intermediate Read the directions. Pair students

1. Mathematics had always been torture for Alex, and to complicate

a. for spite b. even though c. unconcerned

a. something you enjoy b. a place to go shopping c. types of food

3. He didn’t hear the footsteps of the person approaching.

a. coming close to b. watching c. avoiding

4. “Do your first fold,” she commanded.

a. ordered b. walked c. allowed

Beginning/Intermediate Review context clue words. Use gestures to

1. crank fade thank name

2. prod crop soak hole

3. trunk stuck mule glue

4. gift kite night trim

5. belt green crate dent

6. scuff sum fruit clue

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8. dread page threat snail

Beginning/Intermediate Review how to decode. Read and point to the