SRA: Imagine It!, Themes, Risks and Consequences, Nature's Delicate Balance, a Changing

SRA: Imagine It!, Themes, Risks and Consequences, Nature's Delicate Balance, A Changing America, Science Fair, America on the Move, Dollars and Sense, Level 4 [Grade 4]

1 SRA: Imagine It!, Themes, Risks and Consequences, Nature's Delicate Balance, A Changing America, Science Fair, America on the Move, Dollars and Sense, Level 4 [Grade 4]

SRA Imagine It!, Level 4

Program Authors

Steve Graham

Marlene Scardamalia

Jan Hirshberg

Marcy Stein

Karen Harris

Andy Biemiller

Anne McKeough

Gerald H. Treadway Jr. Carl Bereiter

Joe Campione

Marsha Roit

Iva Carruthers

Doug Fuchs

Lynn Fuchs

Peter Pinnell

Michael Pressley

Columbus, OH

Acknowledgments

Grateful acknowledgement is given to the following publishers and copyright owners for permissions granted to reprint selections from their publications. All possible care has been taken to trace ownership and secure permission for each selection included. In case of any errors or omissions, the Publisher will be pleased to make suitable acknowledgements in future editions.

RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES

"Mrs. Frisby and the Crow" reprinted with the permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division from MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. Copyright © 1971 Robert C. O'Brien; copyright renewed 1999 Christopher Conly, Jane Leslie Conly, Kate Conly and Sarah Conly.

"Langston Hughes: Poet of the People" by Mary Satchell from PLAYS OF BLACK AMERICANS © 2003 and PLAYS, The Drama Magazine for Young People © October 1993, reprinted with the permission of the publisher PLAYS/ Sterling partners, Inc., PO Box 600160, Newton, MA 02460. "Daedalus and Icarus" reprinted with the permission of Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division from GREEK MYTHS by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. Text copyright © 1992 Geraldine McCaughrean. Illustrations copyright © 1992 Emma Chichester Clark.

NATURE'S DELICATE BALANCE

"The Snowflake" by Neil Waldman. Copyright © 2003 by Neil Waldman. Reprinted with the permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this text excerpt may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

WHO EATS WHAT?: FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS by Patricia Lauber. COPYRIGHT © 1995. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. WHAT ROT! Copyright © 1996 by Elizabeth Hennefrund. All rights reserved. THE GREAT KAPOK TREE: A TALE OF THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST, copyright © 1990 by Lynne Cherry, reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

"Yellow Leaf" by Frederick Zydek. Reprinted by permission of CRICKET magazine, September 2000, copyright, © 2000 by Frederick Zydek. "Mold, Mold" from SOMETHING BIG HAS BEEN HERE by Jack Prelutsky. TEXT COPYRIGHT © 1980 BY JACK PRELUTSKY. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

A CHANGING AMERICA Excerpted from THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND YOU by Syl Sobel. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational series, Inc. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, NY.

"Benjamin Banneker" by Ginger Wadsworth. Text copyright © 2003 by Ginger Wadsworth. Reprinted with the permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this text excerpt may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

GETTING TO KNOW THE U.S. PRESIDENTS--ABRAHAM LINCOLN: SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT by Mike Venezia. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Children's Press an imprint of Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc.

"Buffalo Dusk" from SMOKE AND STEEL by Carl Sandburg, copyright 1920 by Harcourt, Inc. and renewed 1948 by Carl Sandburg, reprinted by permission of the publisher. This material may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

SCIENCE FAIR

"Magnetism" from ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM by Rebecca Hunter © Harcourt Education Ltd 2006. Harcourt Global Library, part of Harcourt Education Ltd.

SRAonline.com

All rights reserved. No part of the this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, network storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. An Open Court Curriculum. Printed in the United States of America.

Send all inquiries to this address: SRA/McGraw-Hill 4400 Easton Commons Columbus, OH 43219-6188

ISBN: 978-0-07-609647-3

MHID: 0-07-609647-5

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RRW 13 12 11 10 09 08 07

The Mcgraw-Hill Companies

Program Authors

Carl Bereiter, Ph.D. University of Toronto

Marlene Scardamalia, Ph.D. University of Toronto

Andrew Biemiller, Ph.D. University of Toronto

Joe Campione, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Karen Harris, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University

Steve Graham, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University

Jan Hirshberg, Ed.D. Reading Specialist

Anne McKeough, Ph.D. University of Calgary

Marsha Roit, Ph.D. National Reading Consultant

Marcy Stein, Ph.D. University of Washington, Tacoma Gerald H. Treadway, Jr., Ed.D. San Diego State University

Iva Carruthers, Ph.D. Northeastern Illinois University

Doug Fuchs, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University

Lynn Fuchs, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University

Peter Pinnell, Principal Longfellow Elementary School, Pasadena, California

Michael Pressley, Ph.D. Michigan State University

6 Table of Contents

Unit 1: Risks and Consequences

Unit Overview

Vocabulary Warm-Up 20

Island of the Blue Dolphins realistic fiction written by Scott O'Dell * illustrated by Barbara Massey 22

Meet the Author , Scott O'Dell Award-winning author 38

Meet the Illustrator , Barbara Massey 38

Theme Connections 39

Science Inquiry The Star Called Sun 40

Vocabulary Warm-Up 42 Two Tickets to Freedom from Two Tickets to Freedom: The True Story of Ellen and William Craft, Fugitive Slaves biography written by Florence B. Freedman * illustrated by Doris Ettlinger 44

Meet the Author , Florence B. Freedman 62

Meet the Illustrator , Doris Ettlinger 62

Social Studies Inquiry Helping Hands 64

Mrs. Frisby and the Crow from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH fantasy written by Robert C. O'Brien * illustrated by John Kanzler 68

Meet the Author , Robert C. O'Brien Award-winning author 82

Meet the Illustrator , John Kanzler 82

Science Inquiry Amazing Animals 84

Langston Hughes: Poet of the People (Scenes I and II) from Plays of Black Americans play written by Mary Satchell * edited by Sylvia E. Kamerman 88

Meet the Author , Mary Satchell 102

Social Studies Inquiry Public Schools 104

Vocabulary Warm-Up 106 Daedalus and Icarus from Greek Myths myth retold by Geraldine McCaughrean * illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark 108

Meet the Author , Geraldine McCaughrean Award-winning author 116

Meet the Illustrator , Emma Chichester Clark Award-winning illustrator 116

Science Inquiry From Liquid to Solid and Back Again 118

Hippo's Hope Award-winning poet poem written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein 120

The Dream Keeper poem by Langston Hughes 122

Dreams poem by Langston Hughes 123

Freedom poem by Langston Hughes * illustrated by Tyrone Geter 124

Test Prep 126

Unit 2: Nature's Delicate Balance

Unit Overview

The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story narrative nonfiction written and illustrated by Neil Waldman 134

Meet the Author and Illustrator , Neil Waldman Award-winning author and illustrator 146

Theme Connections 147 Science Inquiry Erosion and Landslides 148

Energy Makes Things Happen expository text written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 152

Meet the Author , Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 164

Science Inquiry Making Life Easier 166

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs expository text written by Patricia Lauber 170

Meet the Author , Patricia Lauber Award-winning author 186

Science Inquiry All Kinds of Eaters 188

What Rot! Nature's Mighty Recycler expository text written by Elizabeth Ring * photos by Dwight Kuhn 192

Meet the Author , Elizabeth Ring 202

Meet the Photographer , Dwight Kuhn 202

Social Studies Inquiry Water Rights 204

Vocabulary Warm-Up 206 The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest fantasy text written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry 208

Meet the Author and Illustrator , Lynne Cherry Award-winning author and illustrator 222

Science Inquiry Plants and Their Cells 224

Circle of Songs poem by Cynthia Porter 226

Yellow Leaf poem by Jack Prelutsky 227

Mold, Mold Award-winning poet poem by Fredrick Zydeck 228

Test Prep 230

Unit 3: A Changing America

Unit Overview

The U.S. Constitution and You expository text written by Syl Sobel 238

Meet the Author , Syl Sobel 258

Social Studies Inquiry State Governments 260

Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist biography written by Ginger Wadsworth * illustrated by Greg Hargreaves 264 Meet the Author , Ginger Wadsworth 278

Meet the Illustrator , Greg Hargreaves 278

Science Inquiry The Moon's Phases 280

Striking It Rich: The Story of the California Gold Rush expository text written by Stephen Krensky 284

Meet the Author , Stephen Krensky Award-winning author 294

Science Inquiry The Rock Cycle 296

A Covered Wagon Girl: The Diary of Sallie Hester, 1849-1850 diary edited by Christy Steele with Ann Hodgson 300

Meet the Author , Sallie Hester 316

Meet the Editors , Christy Steele with Ann Hodgson 316

Social Studies Inquiry Spanish Missions 318

Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President biography written by Mike Venezia 322

Meet the Author , Mike Venezia 336

Theme Connections 337 Social Studies Inquiry Juneteenth 338

Christopher Columbus poem by J. Patrick Lewis * illustrated by Greg Shed 340

Buffalo Dusk Award-winning poet poem by Carl Sandburg * illustrated by Richard Hook 341

A Gold Miner's Tale poem by Bobbi Katz * illustrated by Troy Howell 342

Test Prep 344

Unit 4: Science Fair

Unit Overview

The Scientific Method from How to Think Like a Scientist expository text written by Stephen P. Kramer * illustrated by Barbara Spurll 352

Meet the Author , Stephen P. Kramer 368

Meet the Illustrator , Barbara Spurll 368

Science Inquiry Isaac Newton 370

Magnetism from Electricity and Magnetism expository text written by Rebecca Hunter 374

Meet the Author , Rebecca Hunter 384 Theme Connections 385

Social Studies Inquiry Where Am I? 386

The Case of the Gasping Garbage mystery written by Michele Torrey * illustrated by Ken Gamage 390

Meet the Author , Michele Torrey Award-winning author 414

Meet the Illustrator , Ken Gamage 414

Social Studies Inquiry Economic Freedom 416

How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning biography written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer 420

Meet the Author and Illustrator , Rosalyn Schanzer Award-winning author and illustrator 434

Science Inquiry Energy 436

How Fast Do You Eat Your Ice Cream? expository text written by Maya Kaczorowski 440

Meet the Author , Maya Kaczorowski 450

Science Inquiry Inherited or Learned? 452 What Is Science? poem by Rebecca Kai Dotlich * illustrated by Virginia Halstead 454

The Microscope poem by Maxine Kumin * illustrated by Robert Byrd 456

Test Prep 458

Unit 5: America on the Move

Unit Overview

The Golden Spike expository text written by Dan Elish * illustrated by Alan Reingold 466

Meet the Illustrator , Alan Reingold 472

Meet the Author , Dan Elish 472

Social Studies Inquiry The Pony Express 474

John Henry Races the Steam Drill from Big Men, Big Country: A Collection of American Tall Tales tall tale written by Paul Robert Walker * illustrated by James Hoston 478

Meet the Author , Paul Robert Walker 490

Meet the Illustrator , James Hoston 490

Science Inquiry Iron to Steel 492 Vocabulary Warm-Up 494

Immigrant Children expository text written by Sylvia Whitman 496

Meet the Author , Sylvia Whitman 510

Social Studies Inquiry At War with Mexico 512

The Dust Bowl expository text written by Ann Heinrichs 516

Meet the Author , Ann Heinrichs Award-winning author 536

Science Inquiry Oil 538

Pop's Bridge historical fiction written by Eve Bunting * illustrated by C. F. Payne 542

Meet the Author , Eve Bunting Award-winning author 552

Meet the Illustrator , C. F. Payne Award-winning illustrator 552

Social Studies Inquiry The New World 554

Low Bridge poem by Thomas S. Allen * illustrated by Brian Deines 556

Migrants from Out of the Dust poem by Karen Hesse * illustrated by Alan Reingold 558

Test Prep 560 16

Unit 6: Dollars and Sense

Unit Overview

Erandi's Braids realistic fiction written by Antonio Hernández Madrigal * illustrated by Tomie de Paola 568

Meet the Author , Antonio Hernandez Madrigal 580

Meet the Illustrator , Tomie de Paola Award-winning illustrator 580

Social Studies Inquiry Native American Traders 582

My Rows and Piles of Coins realistic fiction written by Tololwa M. Mollel * illustrated by E. B. Lewis 586

Meet the Author , Tololwa M. Mollel Award-winning author 598

Meet the Illustrator , E. B. Lewis Award-winning illustrator 598

Social Studies Inquiry Houston, We Have a Space Station! 600

A Spoon for Every Bite folktale written by Joe Hayes * illustrated by Rebecca Leer 604

Meet the Author , Joe Hayes Award-winning author 614 Meet the Illustrator , Rebecca Leer 614

Social Studies Inquiry Our Rights 616

Three Fables fables written by Aesop * illustrated by Belgin Wedman 620

Meet the Author , Aesop 628

Meet the Illustrator , Belgin Wedman 628

Science Inquiry The Hardness Scale 630

Business Is Looking Up realistic fiction written by Barbara Aiello and Jeff rey Shulman * illustrated by Gideon Kendall 634

Meet the Authors , Barbara Aiello and Jeff rey Shulman 654

Meet the Illustrator , Gideon Kendall 654

Social Studies Inquiry Money Smarts 656

The Cost-of-Living Mother Goose poem by Dow Richardson * illustrated by Mike Tofanelli 658

Eco Right poem by Walt Gavenda * illustrated by Tad Majewski 659

The Richest Poor Man in the Valley poem by Lindsay MacRae * illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka 660 Writer's Notebook poem by Ralph Fletcher * illustrated by David Gordon 661

Test Prep 662

Glossary 666

18 Unit 1: Risks and Consequences

Have you ever taken a risk? What happened? We take risks every day-- every time we decide to do something or not to do it. How do you decide which risks are worth taking?

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 17 and page 18 in the print version. Theme Connection

Look at the photograph.

* Why is the truck crossing the bridge?

* Do you think the bridge can support this truck?

* How does this illustrate taking a risk?

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 17 and page 18 in the print version.

Big Idea

Why do people take risks?

20 Vocabulary: Warm-up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Island of the Blue Dolphins": idly tides deserted dozed lacking fiber pursued cover

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or a suffix is added to the root. Look at the word idly. Review the suffix - ly and the root idle to find the word's meaning.

It was their last day of vacation at the ocean. Today was not a day for idly strolling along the beach, watching the tides . Mika and Yuki were determined to seek out adventure, even if they had to invent it!

The girls set their alarm and woke in time to see the sun rise over the ocean. The beach was deserted at this early hour. As their parents dozed , the sisters decided to pretend they were stranded on a desert island, lacking the comforts of home.

"It has been five days since we have had a good meal!" moaned Yuki.

"I am going to go hunting for food," announced Mika. "I saw a huge snake yesterday that would taste good roasted over a fire."

Yuki made a face but quickly changed her expression and played along. "There it is again!" she yelled excitedly, pointing down the beach. "How will we catch it?"

"I will use this piece of fiber that washed up on the shore yesterday," said Mika. "It is sewn at the bottom and sides like a bag. Maybe we can get the snake to slither inside." They ran after the make-believe snake. "It is getting away!" Yuki yelled. "It doesn't like being pursued !" "It is so fast!" moaned Mika. "I don't think I can cover enough ground to catch it before it gets away!"

After a few minutes, they collapsed onto the sand, exhausted.

"Oh, look!" Yuki said suddenly. "A ship has come to rescue us!"

"Who is hungry for breakfast?" Dad called, walking toward them, bag in hand. "I have doughnuts!"

"That sure beats roasted snake!" Yuki said, laughing.

Game: Card Game

Write each vocabulary word on an index card. Then write each definition on a separate card. You will need sixteen cards in all. Study the words and definitions. Then mix up the cards. Have a classmate hold up one card at a time. If the card is a vocabulary word, you must give its definition. If the card shows a definition, you must give the vocabulary word that goes with it.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is dilemma. A dilemma is a situation in which each choice looks equally bad. Characters in stories and in movies often face dilemmas. It makes the story more suspenseful and exciting. Think of one of your favorite book or movie characters who faced a dilemma. What choice did the character eventually make, and why? Think of a time when you faced a dilemma. Share your experience with a classmate.

22 Island of the Blue Dolphins

Realistic Fiction involves stories with characters and settings that are true to life and events that could really happen.

Comprehension Skill: Author's Point of View

As you read, understand who is telling the story.

23 Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 22 and page 23 in the print version. from Island of the Blue Dolphins

Written by Scott O'Dell illustrated by Barbara Massey

Focus Questions

How do you know when it is necessary to take a risk? How does it feel to take a risk and wish you had not?

With the help of the white man's ship, Karana's people have fled their island to escape the Aleuts, their enemies. In their haste Karana is left behind on the island. As she waits for a ship to return to rescue her, Karana's hopes begin to fade.

Summer is the best time on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. The sun is warm then and the winds blow milder out of the west, sometimes out of the south.

It was during these days that the ship might return and now I spent most of my time on the rock, looking out from the high headland into the east, toward the country where my people had gone, across the sea that was never-ending.

Once while I watched I saw a small object which I took to be the ship, but a stream of water rose from it and I knew that it was a whale spouting. During those summer days I saw nothing else.

The first storm of winter ended my hopes. If the white men's ship were coming for me it would have come during the time of good weather. Now I would have to wait until winter was gone, maybe longer.

The thought of being alone on the island while so many suns rose from the sea and went slowly back into the sea filled my heart with loneliness. I had not felt so lonely before because I was sure that the ship would return as Matasaip had said it would. Now my hopes were dead. Now I was really alone. I could not eat much, nor could I sleep without dreaming terrible dreams. The storm blew out of the north, sending big waves against the island and winds so strong that I was unable to stay on the rock. I moved my bed to the foot of the rock and for protection kept a fire going throughout the night. I slept there five times. The first night the dogs came and stood outside the ring made by the fire. I killed three of them with arrows, but not the leader, and they did not come again.

On the sixth day, when the storm had ended, I went to the place where the canoes had been hidden, and let myself down over the cliff. This part of the shore was sheltered from the wind and I found the canoes just as they had been left.

The dried food was still good, but the water was stale, so I went back to the spring and filled a fresh basket.

I had decided during the days of the storm, when I had given up hope of seeing the ship, that I would take one of the canoes and go to the country that lay toward the east. I remembered how Kimki, before he had gone, had asked the advice of his ancestors who had lived many ages in the past, who had come to the island from that country, and likewise the advice of Zuma, the medicine man who held power over the wind and the seas. But these things I could not do, for Zuma had been killed by the Aleuts, and in all my life I had never been able to speak with the dead, though many times I had tried.

Yet I cannot say that I was really afraid as I stood there on the shore. I knew that my ancestors had crossed the sea in their canoes, coming from that place which lay beyond. Kimki, too had crossed the sea. I was not nearly so skilled with a canoe as these men, but I must say that whatever might befall me on the endless waters did not trouble me. It meant far less than the thought of staying on the island alone, without a home or companions, pursued by wild dogs, where everything reminded me of those who were dead and those who had gone away. 28

Of the four canoes stored there against the cliff, I chose the smallest, which was still very heavy because it could carry six people. The task that faced me was to push it down the rocky shore and into the water, a distance four or five times its length.

This I did by first removing all the large rocks in front of the canoe. I then filled in all these holes with pebbles and along this path laid down long strips of kelp, making a slippery bed. The shore was steep and once I got the canoe to move with its own weight, it slid down the path and into the water.

The sun was in the west when I left the shore. The sea was calm behind the high cliffs. Using the two-bladed paddle I quickly skirted the south part of the island. As I reached the sandspit the wind struck. I was paddling from the back of the canoe because you can go faster kneeling there, but I could not handle it in the wind.

Kneeling in the middle of the canoe, I paddled hard and did not pause until I had gone through the tides that run fast around the sandspit. There were many small waves and I was soon wet, but as I came out from behind the spit the spray lessened and the waves grew long and rolling. Though it would have been easier to go the way they slanted, this would have taken me in the wrong direction.

I therefore kept them on my left hand, as well as the island, which grew smaller and smaller, behind me.

At dusk I looked back. The Island of the Blue Dolphins had disappeared. This was the first time that I felt afraid.

There were only hills and valleys of water around me now. When I was in a valley I could see nothing and when the canoe rose out of it, only the ocean stretching away and away.

Night fell and I drank from the basket. The water cooled my throat.

30 The sea was black and there was no difference between it and the sky. The waves made no sound among themselves, only faint noises as they went under the canoe or struck against it. Sometimes the noises seemed angry and at other times like people laughing. I was not hungry because of my fear.

The first star made me feel less afraid. It came out low in the sky and it was in front of me, toward the east. Other stars began to appear all around, but it was this one I kept my gaze upon. It was in the figure that we call a serpent, a star which shone green and which I knew. Now and then it was hidden by mist, yet it always came out brightly again.

Without this star I would have been lost, for the waves never changed. They came always from the same direction and in a manner that kept pushing me away from the place I wanted to reach. For this reason the canoe made a path in the black water like a snake. But somehow I kept moving toward the star which shone in the east.

This star rose high and then I kept the North Star on my left hand, the one we call "the star that does not move." The wind grew quiet. Since it always died down when the night was half over, I knew how long I had been traveling and how far away the dawn was.

About this time I found that the canoe was leaking. Before dark I had emptied one of the baskets in which food was stored and used it to dip out the water that came over the sides. The water that now moved around my knees was not from the waves.

I stopped paddling and worked with the basket until the bottom of the canoe was almost dry. Then I searched around, feeling in the dark along the smooth planks, and found the place near the bow where the water was seeping through a crack as long as my hand and the width of a finger. Most of the time it was out of the sea, but it leaked whenever the canoe dipped forward in the waves.

The places between the planks were filled with black pitch which we gather along the shore. Lacking this, I tore a piece of fiber from my skirt and pressed it into the crack, which held back the water. Dawn broke in a clear sky and as the sun came out of the waves I saw that it was far off on my left. During the night I had drifted south of the place I wished to go, so I changed my direction and paddled along the path made by the rising sun.

There was no wind on this morning and the long waves went quietly under the canoe. I therefore moved faster than during the night.

I was very tired, but more hopeful than I had been since I left the island. If the good weather did not change I would cover many leagues before dark. Another night and another day might bring me within sight of the shore toward which I was going.

Not long after dawn, while I was thinking of this strange place and what it would look like, the canoe began to leak again. This crack was between the same planks, but was a larger one and close to where I was kneeling.

The fiber I tore from my skirt and pushed into the crack held back most of the water which seeped in whenever the canoe rose and fell with the waves. Yet I could see that the planks were weak from one end to the other, probably from the canoe being stored so long in the sun, and that they might open along their whole length if the waves grew rougher.

It was suddenly clear to me that it was dangerous to go on. The voyage would take two more days, perhaps longer. By turning back to the island I would not have nearly so far to travel.

Still I could not make up my mind to do so. The sea was calm and I had come far. The thought of turning back after all this labor was more than I could bear. Even greater was the thought of the deserted island I would return to, of living there alone and forgotten. For how many suns and how many moons?

The canoe drifted idly on the calm sea while these thoughts went over and over in my mind, but when I saw the water seeping through the crack again, I picked up the paddle. There was no choice except to turn back toward the island.

I knew that only by the best of fortune would I ever reach it. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 34 and page 35 in the print version.

The wind did not blow until the sun was overhead. Before that time I covered a good distance, pausing only when it was necessary to dip water from the canoe. With the wind I went more slowly and had to stop more often because of the water spilling over the sides, but the leak did not grow worse.

This was my first good fortune. The next was when a swarm of dolphins appeared. They came swimming out of the west, but as they saw the canoe they turned around in a great circle and began to follow me. They swam up slowly and so close that I could see their eyes, which are large and the color of the ocean. Then they swam on ahead of the canoe, crossing back and forth in front of it, diving in and out, as if they were weaving a piece of cloth with their broad snouts.

Dolphins are animals of good omen. It made me happy to have them swimming around the canoe, and though my hands had begun to bleed from the chafing of the paddle, just watching them made me forget the pain. I was very lonely before they appeared, but now I felt that I had friends with me and did not feel the same.

The blue dolphins left me shortly before dusk. They left as quickly as they had come, going on into the west, but for a long time I could see the last of the sun shining on them. After night fell I could still see them in my thoughts and it was because of this that I kept on paddling when I wanted to lie down and sleep.

More than anything, it was the blue dolphins that took me back home.

Fog came with the night, yet from time to time I could see the star that stands high in the west, the red star called Magat which is part of the figure that looks like a crawfish and is known by that name. The crack in the planks grew wider so I had to stop often to fill it with fiber and to dip out the water.

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 36 and page 37 in the print version. 37

The night was very long, longer than the night before. Twice I dozed kneeling there in the canoe, though I was more afraid than I had ever been. But the morning broke clear and in front of me lay the dim line of the island like a great fish sunning itself on the sea.

I reached it before the sun was high, the sandspit and its tides that bore me into the shore. My legs were stiff from kneeling and as the canoe struck the sand I fell when I rose to climb out. I crawled through the shallow water and up the beach. There I lay for a long time, hugging the sand in happiness.

I was too tired to think of the wild dogs. Soon I fell asleep.

38 Meet the Author

Scott O'Dell

When O'Dell was born, Los Angeles was still an Old West town. His family lived in many different places in California. For a short time, they lived on an island. O'Dell went to four different colleges. He first wrote books for adults, but when he wrote Island of the Blue Dolphins , he realized it was a good book for children. O'Dell's love of the sea and the people of the West come through in his stories. Meet the Illustrator

Barbara Massey

Massey knew she wanted to be an illustrator when she was fourteen years old. She enjoyed drawing more than anything else. She likes to draw "living things like animals, people, trees, plants, and scenery." Now she draws in a small studio in her house, where she has neatly arranged her computer and her drawing and painting supplies. She also has a bed for her pets so they can sleep beside her while she works. She has a miniature poodle named Chico and a tabby cat named Kitten.

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 38 and page 39 in the print version. 39 Risks and Consequences: Theme Connections

Within the Selection

1. Why does Karana take the canoe away from the Island of the Blue Dolphins by herself?

2. What are the possible consequences of this risk?

Beyond the Selection

3. What risks have you or someone you know taken recently? What were the consequences?

4. Why did you or that person take the risk?

Write about It!

Describe a time you took a risk.

Remember to add your questions about risks and consequences to the Concept/Question Board.

40 Science Inquiry: The Star Called

Expository Text tells people something. It contains facts about real people, things, or events.

Feature

Diagrams are drawings that are used to show the relationship among different objects.

Did you know that the sun is a star? From Earth, the sun looks bigger than all the other stars. It is really just medium in size. It seems larger because it is the closest star to Earth. It is 93 million miles away.

Some stars are as small as Earth. Earth is about 8,000 miles across. The sun is 865,000 miles across. One million Earths could fit inside the sun. Bigger stars are called giants. Some of those stars are 40 times bigger than the sun. The sun is the center of the solar system. The solar system is made up of the sun and eight planets that all orbit around the sun.

The solar system is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way. The Milky Way contains more than 100 billion stars. All the parts of the galaxy revolve around its center. The Milky Way is only one galaxy in the vast universe. There are far more galaxies than we can count.

The sun is important to us on Earth. Energy from the sun, called solar power, can be used to heat water and warm buildings. It can also be used to make electricity. Solar power will be helpful when we run out of resources like coal and gas. Scientists are still lacking much information about the sun, but they learn more every day.

Think Link

1. Look at the diagram of a small star, a medium-sized star, and a large star. Do some research to find out how big Jupiter is compared to these stars. If you put Jupiter in the diagram, how big would you have to draw it?

2. The diagram shows each of the stars in proportion to one another. Think of a small, medium- sized, and large object, and draw them in proportion to one another.

3. What uses have people found for solar power? How do you think people will use solar power in the future?

Large Star

Sun (Medium Star)

Small Star

Production note: captions with the class attribute value "label" correspond to content that appears in the label contained in this image.

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a diagram to illustrate an important problem.

42 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Two Tickets to Freedom": companion concealed hastened shuddered despairing delivered flickering sympathetic

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words concealed and despairing . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Carson's family had one rule when they went camping: "Never leave the campsite alone." One night, as his parents prepared supper, Carson asked his sister Sam to go for a walk.

"No, thanks," she said, barely looking up from her book.

Sam made him so mad sometimes. "I will just go by myself," he grumbled.

He tiptoed around the camper and went into the woods. Suddenly, he saw a deer crossing the path just 20 feet ahead. Her companion , a tiny fawn, followed closely behind. Seconds later, they were concealed by trees.

"I will just follow them for a minute," Carson said to himself. He left the path and headed after them. They did not even know he was there! When the deer settled down to rest, he decided to head back.

43 He started walking and began to panic. Where was the path? All he could see were trees. Carson hastened forward. Was he going in the wrong direction?

How long had he been gone? It was starting to get dark! Carson shuddered at the thought of being alone in the woods at night. "Why didn't I listen to Mom and Dad?" he moaned in a despairing voice. "I would give anything to be delivered from this mess!"

"Mom! Dad!" he yelled. "Can you hear me?" Nothing. He walked and walked but could not find the trail. It was so dark now he could not see. He sat down against a tree and began to cry.

Just then, he saw a flickering light. "Son, is your name Carson?" said a sympathetic voice.

Carson looked up and saw two forest rangers. They were holding flashlights. He lowered his head. He had some explaining to do.

Game: Definition Game

Write each of the eight selection vocabulary words in a notebook or on a sheet of paper, leaving room to write the definitions. Before you look up each definition in a dictionary, guess what you think it might be, based on the word's context in the story. Then look up each definition and write it on your paper. How did you do?

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is resolute. Resolute means "marked by firm determination." Think of a time when you were firmly determined to do something. What was it? Why do you think you were so resolute? Now describe a time when you were the opposite of resolute.

A biography is the story of a real person's life that is told by another person.

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections

As you read, make connections between what you know and what you are reading.

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 44 and page 45 in the print version. 45 Two Tickets to Freedom from Two Tickets to Freedom: The True Story of Ellen and William Craft, Fugitive Slaves by Florence B. Freedman illustrated by Doris Ettlinger

Focus Questions

Is it sometimes riskier to do nothing? What is important enough to you to make you risk your life?

Among the many slaves in Georgia in 1848 were a young couple named William and Ellen Craft. Ellen was a maid and William a skilled cabinetmaker. Their lives were not as harsh as those of many other slaves, but the desire to be free never left them. However, escaping would be difficult!

William had been saving money for tickets to escape. He had a plan for himself and Ellen, who was light-skinned enough to pass for white. Ellen would dress up as an injured man, bandaging her face to further disguise the fact that she was a woman, and bandaging her right arm and hand to prevent anyone from asking her to write. She would then travel with William as her slave.

Their journey would include a train ride to Fredericksburg, Virginia, followed by a boat trip to Washington, D.C., and finally a train ride to Philadelphia, the first stop on the Underground Railroad.

By the time they left the train in Fredericksburg and boarded a ship for Washington, D.C., William and Ellen felt sure they were safe. They were unaware that the most difficult part of their daring escape was just around the corner. Would they ever make it to Philadelphia?

In a few minutes, the ship landed at Washington, and there William and Ellen took a carriage to the train for Baltimore, the last slave port they were to see. They had left their cottage on Wednesday morning, the 21st of December. It was Christmas Eve, December 24, 1848, when they arrived in Baltimore.

William and Ellen were more tense than ever. They were so near their goal . . . yet they knew that officials in Baltimore were particularly watchful to prevent slaves from escaping across the border to Pennsylvania and freedom.

William settled his "master" in a first-class carriage on the train and went to the car in which blacks traveled. Before he entered, a Yankee officer stopped him, saying sternly, "Where are you going, boy?"

"Philadelphia, sir," William replied humbly.

"What are you going there for?" asked the officer.

"I am traveling with my master who is in another carriage, sir."

"I think you had better get him out, and be quick about it, because the train will soon be starting," the officer ordered. "It is against the rules to let any man take a slave past here unless he can satisfy them in the office that he has a right to take him along." The officer moved on, leaving William on the platform.

William's heart was beating furiously. To have come so far--and now this! How would Ellen be able to prove ownership? He consoled himself with the thought that God, who had been so good as to allow them to come this far, would not let them be turned aside now.

William hastened into the car to tell his master the bad news. "Mr. Johnson," seated comfortably in the railroad car, smiled at him. They were so near their destination.

"How are you feeling, sir?" asked William.

"Much better," answered his "master." "Thank God we are getting on so nicely."

"Not so nicely, sir, I am sorry to say," William said. "You must leave the train and convince the officials that I am your slave."

"Mr. Johnson" shuddered. "Good heavens!" he whispered. "Is it possible that we will be sent back into slavery?"

They were silent for a few despairing moments. Then they left the train and made their way to the office.

Ellen summoned her last bit of courage.

"Do you wish to see me, sir?" "Mr. Johnson" asked the man who appeared to be the chief officer.

"Yes," he answered. "It is against our rules, sir, to allow any person to take a slave out of Baltimore into Philadelphia unless he can satisfy us that he has a right to take him along."

"Why is that?" asked "Mr. Johnson" innocently.

"Because, sir," the officer answered in a voice and manner that almost chilled the blood of the fugitives, "if we should allow any gentleman to take a slave past here into Philadelphia, and should the gentleman with whom the slave was traveling turn out to be not his rightful owner, and if the real owner should prove that his slave escaped on our railroad, we should have to pay for him."

This conversation attracted the attention of a large number of curious passengers. They seemed sympathetic to "Mr. Johnson," because he was so obviously ill.

Seeing the sympathy of the other passengers, the officer asked, more politely, "Do you know someone in Baltimore who might vouch for you and assure us that you have a right to take this slave into Pennsylvania?"

"No, I do not," asserted "Mr. Johnson" regretfully. He then added more forcefully, "I bought tickets in Charleston to pass us through to Philadelphia, and you have no right to detain us here!"

The officer was firm. "Right or wrong, I shan't let you go."

William and Ellen looked at each other, but did not dare to say a word for fear they would give themselves away. They knew that, if the officer suspected them, he had the right to put them in prison. When their true identity became known, they would surely be sent back into slavery, and they knew they would rather be dead. They silently prayed to be delivered from this new danger. Just then, the conductor of the train on which they had come from Washington, came in.

"Did this gentleman and his slave come on your train?" asked the official.

"They did," answered the conductor, and left.

Suddenly the bell rang for the train to leave. The other passengers fixed their eyes upon the officer, "Mr. Johnson," and his slave, their expressions showing their interest and concern.

The officer seemed agitated. Running his fingers through his hair, he finally said, "I don't know what to do." Then looking around, he added, "I calculate it is all right. Run and tell the conductor that it will be all right to let this gentleman and his slave proceed," he told one of the clerks. "Since he is not well, it is a pity to stop him here. We will let him go."

"Mr. Johnson" thanked him and stepped out, crossing the platform as quickly as possible, with his slave close behind. William escorted his master into one of the best carriages of the train and reached his own just as the train pulled out.

It was eight o'clock on Christmas Eve, just eight days after William had first thought of their plan. In the four days before they left Macon, he and Ellen had both been working; they had seen each other only at night, when they talked over each detail of their plan. They had had hardly any sleep for the four days of planning and the four days of the journey. Now that the last hurdle was passed, William realized how terribly tired he was. Knowing that they would be in Philadelphia in the morning, and that there were no important stations between Baltimore and Philadelphia, William relaxed his guard, and fell asleep. It proved to be the wrong time for sleeping.

When the train reached Havre-de-Grace, all the first-class passengers were told to get off the train and onto a ferryboat, to be ferried across the Susquehanna River to take the train again on the opposite side. This was to spare the passengers the jolting of rolling the cars onto the boat. The baggage cars, however, were rolled on the boat to be taken off on the other side. The sleeping William was near the baggage car, so they did not wake him.

When Ellen left the railroad carriage to get on the ferryboat, it was cold and dark and rainy. She was alone, without William, for the first time on the journey. She was frightened and confused. 55

"Have you seen my boy?" "Mr. Johnson" asked the conductor.

The conductor, who may well have been an abolitionist, thought he would tease this Southern slaveowner.

"No, I haven't seen anything of him for some time; no doubt he has run away and has reached Philadelphia long before now. He is probably a free man by now, sir."

"Mr. Johnson" knew better. "Please try to find him," he asked the conductor.

"I am no slave hunter," the conductor indignantly replied. "As far as I am concerned, everybody must look after his own slaves." With that, he strode away.

Ellen was frightened. She feared that William had been kidnaped into slavery, or perhaps killed on the train. She was in a predicament for another reason. She had no money at all. Although Ellen had been carrying the money up to then, she had given it all to William the night before after hearing that there were pickpockets in Philadelphia who preyed on travelers. A pickpocket would not think of a slave as a likely victim.

Ellen did have the tickets, however. Frightened and confused though she was, she realized that there was no use in her staying there at Havre-de-Grace. She must board the ferry and complete her journey, hoping and praying that she and William would find each other again in freedom.

The ferry ride over, the passengers went back on the train. After the train was well on its way to Philadelphia, the guard came to the car where William was sleeping and gave him a violent shake, saying, "Boy, wake up!"

William started, not knowing for a moment where he was.

"Your master is scared half to death about you," the guard continued. It was William's turn to be scared. He was sure that Ellen had been found out.

"What is the matter?" William managed to ask.

"Your master thinks you have run away from him," the guard explained.

Knowing that Ellen would never think any such thing, William felt reassured and went to his "master" immediately.

57 After talking with "Mr. Johnson" for a few minutes, William returned to his place, where the guard was talking with the conductor.

"What did your master want, boy?" asked the guard.

"He just wanted to know what had become of me."

"No," said the guard. "That's not it. He thought you had taken leave for parts unknown. I never saw a man so badly scared about losing his slave in my life. Now," continued the guard, "let me give you a little friendly advice. When you get to Philadelphia, run away and leave that cripple, and have your liberty."

"No, sir," replied William. "I can't promise to do that."

"Why not?" asked the conductor, evidently much surprised. "Don't you want your liberty?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, "but I shall never run away from such a good master as I have at present."

One of the men said to the guard, "Let him alone. I guess he'll open his eyes when he gets to Philadelphia."

In spite of William's seeming lack of interest, the men gave him a good deal of information about how to run away from his master in Philadelphia, information which he appeared not to be taking to heart, but which he found useful for both of them later.

On the train, William also met a free black man, who recommended to him a boardinghouse in Philadelphia kept by an abolitionist, where he would be quite safe if he decided to run away from his master. William thanked him, but did not let him know who he and his "master" really were.

Later on in the night, William heard a fearful whistling of the steam engine; he looked out the window and saw many flickering lights. A passenger in the next car also stuck his head out the window and called to his companion, "Wake up! We are in Philadelphia." The sight of the city in the distance and the words he heard made William feel as if a burden had rolled off his back; he felt really happy for the first time in his life.

As soon as the train reached the platform, he went to get "Mr. Johnson," took their luggage, put it into a carriage, got in and drove off to the abolitionist's boardinghouse recommended to him by the free black man.

No sooner had they left the station than Ellen, who had concealed her fears and played her part with so much courage and wit throughout the journey, grasped William's hand and said, "Thank God we are safe!" She burst into tears, and wept like a child.

When they reached the boardinghouse, Ellen was so weak and faint that she could scarcely stand alone. As soon as they were shown their room, William and Ellen knelt down and thanked God for His goodness in enabling them to overcome so many dangers in escaping from slavery to freedom.

That was Sunday, December 25, Christmas Day of 1848.

Ellen was twenty-two years old, and William a few years older. They thought all their troubles were over. They were young, strong, and in love. And they were free.

Philadelphia was the first stop on the Underground Railroad for William and Ellen. Eventually, they made their way to England, where their children were born. After the Civil War, they returned to Georgia with their family and bought a large plantation. There they established the Woodville Cooperative Farm School for poor families, to which they devoted the rest of their lives.

62 Meet the Author

Florence B. Freedman

Freedman was born in Brooklyn, New York. She went to school at Columbia University and later became a teacher of English and Hebrew.

Many of Freedman's books are based on stories she heard or read when she was growing up. Two Tickets to Freedom is a true story. To write it, Freedman researched old newspaper articles, journals, and William Craft's own narrative of what happened.

Meet the Illustrator

Doris Ettlinger

Ettlinger lives in a three-story, one-hundred-fifty-year-old mill in western New Jersey. Her studio is on the first floor, and she lives on the second floor with her family. On the third floor she teaches an art class. She tells her students to draw every day, even if they are just doodling, because it can help them come up with ideas. She loves to illustrate stories that took place long ago. When working on Two Tickets to Freedom , she "enjoyed searching in books and on the Internet for pictures of old trains and costumes from that era."

63 Risks and Consequences: Theme Connections

1. What risk do Ellen and William take in the story?

2. What are the possible consequences of that risk?

Across Selections

3. How is the risk that the Crafts take similar to the risk taken by Karana in "Island of the Blue Dolphins"?

4. How are the risks in these two selections different?

5. What people in your community take risks to make things better?

6. What would happen if these people stopped taking risks?

Write about It!

What is important enough to you to make you take a dangerous risk?

Remember to check the to see whether someone has been able to answer a question you posted.

64 Social Studies Inquiry: Helping Hands

Feature

Charts present information in an organized and visual way.

Good citizens work to make their community better. A community is a group of people living in the same area and under the same government. Your neighborhood and school are part of your community.

Some people want to make their community more beautiful. You might see volunteers cleaning trash from roadsides or streams. Others might plant flowers and trees.

Some people are sympathetic to the needs of others. They might help an elderly neighbor with yard work. Some people collect food and clothing for others who need them. People who love animals can volunteer at an animal shelter. They might walk dogs or play with cats.

Good citizens also work to solve problems in their community. A dangerous street corner might need a traffic light. People can talk to their neighbors about the problem. They can contact their local government officials.

When you are old enough, you can vote in government elections. People are not forced to vote. But good citizens know it is important to vote. It is another way to make a difference in the community.

What can you do for your community?

Think Link

Total Time Volunteer Activity When Hour Needed s

1 hour, 1 1. help Tami with homework Tuesday after school 1 hour time Total Time Volunteer Activity When Hour Needed s

2 hours, 8 2. help out at animal shelter Saturday mornings 16 hours times

3. help with bake sale for 3 hours, 1 Saturday afternoon 3 hours youth choir time

4. perform at nursing home first Wednesday every other 1 hour, 6 6 hours with youth choir month for one year times

1. This chart shows a few volunteer activities. Think of some other activities you could add to the chart. How much time would each activity take?

2. Do you know any volunteers in your community? What would happen if these people did not volunteer?

3. If you could create a club for volunteers, what would it be? How many volunteers would you need?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a chart can help you show your facts.

66 Vocabulary: Warm-Up

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Mrs. Frisby and the Crow": obviously recalled merriment tangled gnawing miserable cover circumstances

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or a suffix is added to the root. Look at the word obviously. Review the suffix -ly and the root obvious to find the word's meaning.

Nina and Luis approached the starting line. They were partners for "The Three-Legged Obstacle Race." Their ankles were tied together with rope. This obviously would not be easy.

Nina recalled her gym teacher's words from the day before. "Just work together and do your best."

"On your marks. Get set. Go!" Nina and Luis took off with four other pairs of students. The rest of their classmates cheered in merriment .

The race would take them around cones and over small hurdles. They would dribble basketballs and dodge water balloons.

Less than ten seconds into the race, one of the other pairs got tangled up and tumbled to the grass.

Nina and Luis made it through the cones, but the hurdles were harder.

"Ouch!" Luis cried, as they barely cleared the first hurdle. "Our rope is tied too tight. It feels like someone is gnawing at my ankle!"

"We are more than halfway done," Nina told him. "You are not too miserable , are you?"

"I am okay," Luis said, as they picked up two basketballs and began to dribble them.

The last stretch was the water balloon dodge. Their classmates were armed and ready on the sidelines. Nina and Luis ran and ducked as the first few balloons flew by. One came straight for Nina's head and she put up her hand for cover , but Luis swatted the balloon away.

"That was close," said Nina, laughing, as they crossed the finish line right after the first-place duo.

"We are still a little wet," Luis said, "but under the circumstances , I would say we make a great team!"

Game: Matching Game

Play a matching game using the selection vocabulary words. You will need sixteen index cards or slips of paper. Write each word and each definition on a separate card. Mix up the cards and have a classmate try to match each word with its correct definition. You may time each other to make the game even more exciting.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is conscience. Conscience means "a sense of right and wrong." You might have heard someone say, "Let your conscience be your guide." What do you think that phrase means? When a friend asks you to do something that you are not sure is okay, how can you use your conscience to help you make the right decision?

68 Mrs. Frisby and the Crow by Robert C. O'Brien illustrated by John Kanzler

A fantasy is an imaginary story that contains characters, settings, or events that are impossible and do not exist in the real world.

Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect

As you read, understand how one event in a story leads to another. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 68 and page 69 in the print version.

Focus Questions

Are there times when we must take a risk to help others?

Can our own risks sometimes endanger others?

Mrs. Frisby is a mouse that lives with her children in a country garden. When her son Timothy becomes ill, she undertakes a treacherous journey to bring him some medicine.

Mrs. Frisby looked again at the sun and saw that she faced an unpleasant choice. She could go home by the same roundabout way she had come, in which case she would surely end up walking alone in the woods in the dark--a frightening prospect, for at night the forest was alive with danger. Then the owl came out to hunt, and foxes, weasels and strange wild cats stalked among the tree trunks.

The other choice would be dangerous, too, but with luck it would get her home before dark. That would be to take a straighter route, across the farmyard between the barn and the chicken house, going not too close to the house but cutting the distance home by half. The cat would be there somewhere, but by daylight--and by staying in the open, away from the shrubs--she could probably spot him before he saw her.

The cat: He was called Dragon. Farmer Fitzgibbon's wife had given him the name as a joke when he was a small kitten pretending to be fierce. But when he grew up, the name turned out to be an apt one. He was enormous, with a huge, broad head and a large mouth full of curving fangs, needle sharp. He had seven claws on each foot and a thick, furry tail, which lashed angrily from side to side. In color he was orange and white, with glaring yellow eyes; and when he leaped to kill, he gave a high, strangled scream that froze his victims where they stood.

But Mrs. Frisby preferred not to think about that. Instead, as she came out of the woods from Mr. Ages' house and reached the farmyard fence she thought about Timothy. She thought of how his eyes shone with merriment when he made up small jokes, which he did frequently, and how invariably kind he was to his small, scatterbrained sister Cynthia. The other children sometimes laughed at her when she made mistakes, or grew impatient with her because she was forever losing things; but Timothy never did. Instead, he would help her find them. And when Cynthia herself had been sick in bed with a cold, he had sat by her side for hours and entertained her with stories. He made these up out of his head, and he seemed to have a bottomless supply of them.

Taking a firm grip on her packets of medicine, Mrs. Frisby went under the fence and set out toward the farmyard. The first stretch was a long pasture; the barn itself, square and red and big, rose in the distance to her right; to her left, farther off, were the chicken houses.

When at length she came abreast of the barn, she saw the cattle wire fence that marked the other end of the pasture; and as she approached it, she was startled by a sudden outburst of noise. She thought at first it was a hen, strayed from the chicken yard--caught by a fox? She looked down the fence and saw that it was no hen at all, but a young crow, flapping in the grass, acting most odd. As she watched, he fluttered to the top wire of the fence, where he perched nervously for a moment. Then he spread his wings, flapped hard, and took off-- but after flying four feet he stopped with a snap and crashed to the ground again, shedding a flurry of black feathers and squawking loudly.

He was tied to the fence. A piece of something silvery--it looked like wire--was tangled around one of his legs; the other end of it was caught in the fence. Mrs. Frisby walked closer, and then she could see it was not wire after all, but a length of silver-colored string, probably left over from a Christmas package.

The crow was sitting on the fence, pecking ineffectively at the string with his bill, cawing softly to himself, a miserable sound. After a moment he spread his wings, and she could see he was going to try to fly again. "Wait," said Mrs. Frisby.

The crow looked down and saw her in the grass.

"Why should I wait? Can't you see I'm caught? I've got to get loose."

"But if you make so much noise again the cat is sure to hear. If he hasn't heard already."

"You'd make noise, too, if you were tied to a fence with a piece of string, and with night coming on."

"I would not," said Mrs. Frisby, "if I had any sense and knew there was a cat nearby. Who tied you?" She was trying to calm the crow, who was obviously terrified.

He looked embarrassed and stared at his feet. "I picked up the string. It got tangled with my foot. I sat on the fence to try to get it off, and it caught on the fence."

" Why did you pick up the string?"

The crow, who was very young indeed--in fact, only a year old--said wearily, "Because it was shiny."

"You knew better."

"I had been told."

Birdbrain, thought Mrs. Frisby, and then recalled what her husband used to say: The size of the brain is no measure of its capacity. And well she might recall it, for the crow's head was double the size of her own.

"Sit quietly," she said. "Look toward the house and see if you see the cat."

"I don't see him. But I can't see behind the bushes. Oh, if I could just fly higher . . . "

"Don't," said Mrs. Frisby. She looked at the sun; it was setting behind the trees. She thought of Timothy, and of the medicine she was carrying. Yet she knew she could not leave the foolish crow there to be killed--and killed he surely would be before sunrise--just for want of a few minutes' work. She might still make it by dusk if she hurried.

"Come down here," she said. "I'll get the string off." "How?" said the crow dubiously.

"Don't argue. I have only a few minutes." She said this in a voice so authoritative that the crow fluttered down immediately.

"But if the cat comes . . ." he said.

"If the cat comes, he'll knock you off the fence with one jump and catch you with the next. Be still." She was already at work with her sharp teeth, gnawing at the string. It was twined and twisted and twined again around his right ankle, and she saw she would have to cut through it three times to get it off.

As she finished the second strand, the crow, who was staring toward the house, suddenly cried out:

"I see the cat!"

" Quiet !" whispered Mrs. Frisby. "Does he see us?" "I don't know. Yes. He's looking at me. I don't think he can see you."

"Stand perfectly still. Don't get in a panic." She did not look up, but started on the third strand.

"He's moving this way."

"Fast or slow?"

"Medium. I think he's trying to figure out what I'm doing."

She cut through the last strand, gave a tug, and the string fell off.

"There, you're free. Fly off, and be quick."

"But what about you?"

"Maybe he hasn't seen me."

"But he will. He's coming closer."

Mrs. Frisby looked around. There was not a bit of cover anywhere near, not a rock nor a hole nor a log; nothing at all closer than the chicken yard--and that was in the direction the cat was coming from, and a long way off. "Look," said the crow. "Climb on my back. Quick. And hang on."

Mrs. Frisby did what she was told, first grasping the precious packages of medicine tightly between her teeth.

"Are you on?"

"Yes."

She gripped the feathers on his back, felt the beat of his powerful black wings, felt a dizzying upward surge, and shut her eyes tight.

"Just in time," said the crow, and she heard the angry scream of the cat as he leaped at where they had just been. "It's lucky you're so light. I can scarcely tell you're there." Lucky indeed, thought Mrs. Frisby; if it had not been for your foolishness, I'd never have gotten into such a scrape. However, she thought it wise not to say so, under the circumstances.

"Where do you live?" asked the crow.

"In the garden patch. Near the big stone."

"I'll drop you off there." He banked alarmingly, and for a moment Mrs. Frisby thought he meant it literally. But a few seconds later--so fast does the crow fly-- they were gliding to earth a yard from her front door.

"Thank you very much," said Mrs. Frisby, hopping to the ground.

"It's I who should be thanking you," said the crow. "You saved my life."

"And you mine."

"Ah, but that's not quite even. Yours wouldn't have been risked if it had not been for me--me and my piece of string." And since this was just what she had been thinking, Mrs. Frisby did not argue.

"We all help one another against the cat," she said.

"True. Just the same, I am in debt to you. If the time ever comes when I can help you, I hope you will ask me. My name is Jeremy. Mention it to any crow you see in these woods, and he will find me."

"Thank you," said Mrs. Frisby. "I will remember." Jeremy flew away to the woods, and she entered her house, taking the three doses of medicine with her.

82 Meet the Author

Robert C. O'Brien

O'Brien could sing before he could talk. His favorite toy was the family's wind-up Victrola (music player). He learned to play piano when he was very young, and he stayed with it all his life.

His other favorite thing to do was create splendid imaginary worlds, with himself in dazzling, heroic roles. In his forties he decided to share those worlds with others, so he started writing books.

"When I get a story idea," he said, "I write it down before I forget it. It isn't always for children, but those are the stories I most like to write." Meet the Illustrator

John Kanzler

Kanzler has been drawing since he can remember. His parents' support helped him become a professional artist. Kanzler says, "I never felt discouraged, since I was doing what I loved." He loves to draw animals the most. He lives on a small farm and has one bird, two llamas, four sheep, and five cats.

1. Why does Mrs. Frisby risk her life to remove the string from Jeremy's leg?

2. What risk does Jeremy take to save Mrs. Frisby's life? Across Selections

3. How do the risks that Mrs. Frisby takes compare to those taken by Karana in "Island of the Blue Dolphins" and the Crafts in "Two Tickets to Freedom"?

4. Which of the characters in the selections you have read so far do you think take the biggest risks? Why?

5. Why do people take life-threatening risks?

6. What would make you take a life-threatening risk?

Write about It!

Describe a time you decided not to take a risk.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about risks and consequences to add to the Concept/Question Board.

84 Science Inquiry: Amazing Animals

Feature

Headings tell people what a paragraph is going to be about.

Animals can change their behavior to survive. We call this type of change an adaptive trait. Some of these behaviors might seem strange. But animals do these things for a good reason. They are fighting to stay alive!

Finding Food Squirrels gather acorns and nuts before winter and store them. When winter arrives, the squirrels are well fed. A chimpanzee pokes a stick into a termite mound. Then he pulls it out. It is covered with termites. He licks them off and eats them.

Surviving Harsh Weather

A hippopotamus takes mud baths to survive hot weather. The mud keeps the hippo's skin wet so it will not dry and crack. The mud also keeps insects from gnawing its skin. Fish and birds travel to warmer places when winter comes. Other animals do too. This is called migration. Some animals hibernate. They spend the winter in a deep sleep.

Avoiding Enemies

Opossums are good at playing dead. This keeps them from being eaten. Skunks give off a smelly spray. This keeps predators away. The spray is called musk. An octopus can change its skin color. This helps it hide from enemies.

Think Link

1. When porcupines feel threatened, they roll into a ball with only their spiny quills sticking out. Under which heading in the selection would the porcupine fit?

2. What is the difference between migration and hibernation?

3. What other adaptive animal traits can you think of?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how headings can help you organize your ideas.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Langston Hughes: Poet of the People": concerned decent stable strive pleading tensely paces opportunities

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or a suffix is added to a root word. Look at the word concerned . Review the suffix -ed and the root word concern to figure out the word's meaning.

"I'm really concerned about our new business," Miguel said.

"What do you mean?" asked Jamar, puzzled. "We have been bringing in a decent amount of money, haven't we?

"Yes, the income has been stable so far," Miguel admitted. "It is the future I am worried about."

"You've lost me, buddy," said Jamar.

"When we started Wash-N-Walk six months ago, everyone wanted us to groom and exercise their dogs," said Miguel. "We had to strive to keep up with all our customers. Now, it seems like we are pleading with people for business."

Jamar laughed.

"What's so funny?" Miguel asked tensely .

"I'm sorry," Jamar said smiling. "You just remind me of my dad. He always paces back and forth like you are doing now. But I will tell you what is happening. We started our business late in the fall. The setting was perfect. People were too busy to wash their dogs, and it was too cold to get out and walk them. Now summer is on the way. People want to be outside. But in six months, we will be back in business!"

"That makes sense," Miguel said. "But what are we going to do in the meantime?" "Well, we can either take the summer off," Jamar said, "or we can think of other business opportunities for the warmer months."

"How about a lemonade stand?" Miguel suggested.

"Keep thinking, buddy!" Jamar laughed.

Game: Classmate Quiz

Write each of the eight vocabulary words in a notebook. Beside each word, write its definition. Study the words and definitions for a few minutes with a classmate. On another page, write only the vocabulary words. Without looking, see whether you can write the correct definition beside each word from memory. Have your classmate grade your "quiz."

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is consider. Consider means "to think carefully about something before deciding." There are many situations in life where it is best to consider your options before making a decision. One is spending a lot of money on a certain item. What other situations can you think of where it is important to take time for consideration?

88 Langston Hughes: Poet of the People

Scenes I and II by Mary Satchell

A play is a story that is written to be performed by actors before an audience. The writer, or playwright, tells the story chiefly through the dialogue of the characters.

Comprehension Skill: Author's Purpose

As you read, understand why the author wrote the text and what she wants you to take from it.

89 Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 88 and page 89 in the print version.

Focus Questions

What might prevent you from taking a risk? What would the world be like if no one ever took a risk?

Characters

Langston Hughes , Black American writer

Mr. James Hughes , his father

Señora Garcia , housekeeper

Thad , medical student

Scene 1

TIME: Summer, 1920.

SETTING: Study in James Hughes's home near Mexico City. A desk, chair, and wastebasket are center. Accountant's ledger lies closed on edge of desk. Floor vase with tall pampas grass is nearby.

AT RISE: Langston Hughes sits writing at desk. Señora Garcia enters, holding feather duster.

Señora Garcia: Señor Langston, how can you sit in one place for hours just writing?

Langston (Leaning back) : Señora Garcia, if I could spend my whole life writing, I'd be happy.

Señora Garcia (Dusting vase) : You are a true artist, Señor Langston. (Turns; sighs) It is too bad that your father does not understand. You two belong to different worlds. You are a dreamer, and he is such a practical man.

Langston (Thoughtfully) : Father and I still don't know each other very well. (Rises) Since I arrived, he's been trying to make me into what he thinks I should be.

Señora Garcia (Putting hands on hips) : I have been your father's housekeeper for a long time. Señor Hughes is a very stubborn man. But I'm sure he wants the best for you because you are hijo querido --his only son. (Door slams off. Langston and Señora Garcia turn.) Langston (Tensely) : That must be Father, and I haven't finished those accounting problems he left for me.

Señora Garcia (Giving ledger to Langston ) : Quickly, Señor Langston! Take this ledger and give me those papers you've been writing on before your father sees them. He will be angry to find you have been writing poems. (She sweeps papers into desk drawer, but one falls unnoticed to the floor.)

Langston (Earnestly) : But, Señora Garcia, I can't be a make-believe son for my father any longer.

Señora Garcia (Pushing Langston into chair) : Señor Langston, if you don't do as I say, you had better brace yourself for a thunderstorm. (Mr. Hughes enters , frowning . Señora Garcia turns with big smile. ) Buenas dias, Señor Hughes. We were not expecting you back from Toluca so soon.

Mr. Hughes: Hello, Señora Garcia. (As he removes his poncho) Langston?

Langston (Rising; uncomfortable) : Hello, Father. (Mr. Hughes gives poncho to Señora Garcia, who exits with it. )

Mr. Hughes: Well, Langston, let me see what progress you've made with the accounting problems.

Langston (Hesitantly) : Father, I need to talk to you.

Mr. Hughes (Pointing to ledger) : We should go over the accounting problems first, and after dinner, we'll work on your Spanish lessons.

Langston (Pleading) : Father, please listen to me. . .

Mr. Hughes: We can talk later, son. Let me see your bookkeeping. If you're going to run this ranch someday, you'll have to learn how to keep accounts. (Sits at desk)

Langston (Giving ledger to Mr. Hughes) : I'm afraid I didn't get much done.

Mr. Hughes (Slowly turning pages; irritated) : Langston, you've hardly done any work on these at all.

Langston (Pleading) : I tried--I really did. (Sighs) Accounting just isn't for me. I'm more interested in other things ( Paces )--like writing. Mr. Hughes (Slamming ledger shut) : So--just as I thought. I suppose you've been sitting around here since I left--daydreaming?

Langston: Actually, I've been very busy.

Mr. Hughes (Angrily) : I didn't bring you to Mexico just to waste your life, Langston.

Langston: I appreciate what you're doing for me, but--

Mr. Hughes (Banging desk) : No excuses! You can be as successful as I am. (Rises)

I left the States and moved here to Mexico because here a black man can live like any other man. That's why I insisted you move here from Cleveland . . . so you can have more opportunities! Here if he works hard, a man can be a success at whatever he wants.

Langston (Confidently) : I plan to be a successful writer.

Mr. Hughes: Nonsense! You'll attend a good school and earn a degree in engineering.

Langston (Surprised) : Engineering?

Mr. Hughes: Of course. (Proudly) I can afford to send you to the finest schools in the world. (Thoughtfully) I hear there are excellent schools in Switzerland.

Langston (Stunned) : Switzerland! (Agitated) I don't want to go to school halfway around the world.

Mr. Hughes: All right, if you feel that strongly about it. Let's see. (Thinks) What are some schools with good engineering departments?

Langston (Eagerly) : What about Columbia?

Mr. Hughes: Columbia University in New York City?

Langston: Yes. My grades were good in high school. I think Columbia would accept me.

Mr. Hughes (Pleased) : That's more like it. Now, forget that silly writing business, and we'll see about getting you an application for Columbia. (Señora Garcia enters. )

Señora Garcia: Excuse me. Dinner is ready, Señor.

Mr. Hughes: We'll be right there. (He turns, sees paper on floor.) What's this?

95 Langston (Hurriedly) : It's nothing. I'll get it. (Mr. Hughes picks up paper, glances at it, and frowns. )

Mr. Hughes: Is this one of your poems?

Langston (Sheepishly) : Yes. ( Reaches for paper, but Mr. Hughes crumples it. )

Mr. Hughes (Sternly) : You won't have any more time for poetry. (Drops paper into wastebasket and puts arm around Langston 's shoulders) We'll talk later about what courses you'll take at Columbia University next year. You'll have to study a lot of science and math. (They exit. Señora Garcia takes crumpled paper from wastebasket, smooths it out.)

Señora Garcia (Sadly) : Poor Señor Langston. Why can't his father just accept him the way he is? (Puts paper in desk drawer and exits. Curtain )

Scene 2

TIME: The next year.

SETTING: Langston's dormitory room at Columbia University. Bunk or twin beds and small bureau are upstage. Desk with papers, pencils, and books; two chairs; lamp, clock, and wastebasket are downstage. Closet door is in wall right. Exit is left. Large posters of Harlem street and café scenes are on wall upstage.

AT RISE: Thad sits at desk, reading. Langston enters.

Langston: Hi, Thad. I don't suppose my father has shown up yet.

Thad: No, he hasn't, Lang, but if I were you, I'd get out of town before he arrives.

Langston (With a forced laugh) : You talk as if you've already met him. (Sighs) He's probably very angry with me now.

Thad: Can't say I blame him. (Closes book) Lang, what gives with you? All you've been doing lately is skipping classes and spending all your time uptown in Harlem. You haven't touched a book in weeks.

Langston (Placing jacket on chair) : I've tried to stick to my studies, Thad, but-- (Sighs) my heart's just not in engineering. Thad (Rising) : Do you think I enjoy studying all the time? Sometimes I'd like to forget this (Points to book) and go uptown with you. (Pauses; glances at posters) It sure would be great to dig some jazz and just unwind for a while. ( He moves back to desk .) But I want to earn a decent living someday. A medical degree is my ticket to a good life.

Langston: I always thought you really wanted to be a doctor.

Thad: I do want to be a doctor.

Langston: But you just said that a medical degree is a ticket to somewhere.

Thad (Defensively) : It's a ticket to a comfortable home, a fine car, and all the other things I want in life.

Langston (Disappointed) : I thought a man decided to become a doctor in order to help people.

Thad (Shrugging) : You're too idealistic, Lang.

Langston (Thoughtfully) : Maybe a better word would be honest . And speaking of honesty, I've decided it's time to tell my father the truth.

Thad: What are you going to tell him?

Langston (Earnestly) : That I just don't want to be an engineer. I came here to be near the Harlem scene, but I'm studying engineering only to please him.

Thad (Putting hand on Langston 's shoulder) : You've got to be practical, Lang. An engineering career makes sense.

Langston: For me, everything has to come from the heart, or it's nothing. I want to write poems, stories, and plays about black Americans. Harlem's where I belong.

Thad (Incredulously) : You'd give up a stable future to spend your time in Harlem?

Hughes and friends at the Booker T. Washington statue

Langston: Yes. Thad (Concerned) : But if you make a foolish decision now. . .

Langston (Passionately) :

At least I'll know I've been true to myself. Thad (Embarrassed; looking at clock) : I have a biology class soon. Your father will be here any minute.

Langston (Glumly; sitting) : I guess I'd better brace myself for a storm. (Thad gets jacket from closet and picks up book. )

Thad (Trying to be cheerful) : Don't look so down, Lang. Once you're into your engineering courses, we'll both laugh about the way you feel now.

Langston: I don't think so. (Thad exits. Langston picks up pencil and writes. Knocking is heard offstage. Langston, preoccupied, does not answer. After a moment, Mr. Hughes enters .)

Mr. Hughes (Frowning) : Langston. (Langston looks up. ) I hope you were too deep in your studies to hear my knocking.

Langston (Rising) : Hello, Father. (Uncomfortably) I know you're here because of my grades.

Mr. Hughes: I don't have to tell you how disappointed I am. (Sits)

Langston (Sighing) : It's time for me to be honest with you. When I came to Columbia, I tried to convince myself that it was to earn a degree, but I really wanted to get to Harlem.

Mr. Hughes (Bewildered) : What's Harlem got to do with this?

Langston: Everything. Thousands of black Americans live in Harlem, and I want to live with them. I have a burning desire to write about black people--our joys, sorrows ... everything.

Mr. Hughes (Irritably; rising) : Langston, are you telling me you want to drop out of Columbia?

Langston (Calmly) : Yes. Writing is the only future for me.

Mr. Hughes (Angrily) : If you quit school, you won't get another red cent from me.

Langston: It's not your money I need now, Father.

Mr. Hughes (Softening) : Langston, I know I could never make up for all those years when you and your mother lived without me. But I tried to give you this opportunity--a ticket to success. (Langston shakes his head sadly. )

Langston: I have to strive for success in my own way.

Mr. Hughes: Is that your final decision?

Langston (Quietly) : Yes, it is. Mr. Hughes: Then I won't argue with you anymore. (Puts on hat) I'm returning to Mexico City on the morning train. (Turns to exit)

Langston: Is that all you're going to say?

Mr. Hughes (Turning back; sadly) : I wish you well, Langston, but I feel you're making a foolish mistake. I honestly have my doubts that you'll ever become a successful writer. ( Exits. Langston moves to closet, takes out suitcase, puts it on bed. He moves to bureau and starts packing. Lights slowly fade. Curtain. )

Langston Hughes played an important role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and early 1930s. This movement, led by African American artists, musicians, and writers, aimed for racial equality and minority rights. Today, Hughes is recognized as one of America's finest poets.

Langston Hughes withdrew from Columbia University after his first year of classes. He later enrolled in Pennsylvania's Lincoln University, graduating in 1929.

102 Meet the Author

Mary Satchell

As a college student, Satchell marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to protest racial discrimination. When she became a teacher, she wanted to use plays to teach her students about famous African Americans and Hispanics. Few plays had been written about them, so Satchell wrote her own. Since retiring from teaching, Satchell has been able to write plays full time. Satchell says of her career, "What joy! My life couldn't be better."

1. What risk does Langston Hughes take in the play?

2. What are the possible consequences of that risk?

Across Selections 3. How is the risk Hughes takes different from that taken by Karana in "Island of the Blue Dolphins"?

4. How is the risk Hughes takes similar to that taken by the Crafts in "Two Tickets to Freedom"?

5. What does "Langston Hughes: Poet of the People" tell you about why people take risks?

6. Name some other risks that do not involve physical danger.

Write about It!

Describe a time you decided to risk someone's disapproval. What was the result?

Remember to look for poetry and art about risks and consequences to add to the Concept/Question Board.

104 Social Studies Inquiry: Public Schools

An interview is a conversation conducted by a reporter to gather facts from someone.

Feature

A line graph is a diagram, or drawing, of lines that are connected to show how numbers have changed over time.

Kara: This is Kara Carter of WCAL. We are live from sunny San Francisco. This week we are talking about public schools in California. We have asked Chinh, a local fourth grader, to help us out. Good morning, Chinh. What can you tell us about public schools?

Chinh: Well, in 1849, John C. Pelton and his wife came here from Boston. They started a school in an old Baptist church in San Francisco. It had only three students! At first, only poor students could attend for free. Then in 1850, the city made it the first free public school in California. Soon, every child had opportunities for education.

Kara: Wow, Chinh. I am impressed. You sure know a decent amount of history. What else? Chinh: Back then students went to school from 8:30 A.M. until noon and then from 2 to 5 P.M.

Kara: What do you know about schools today?

Chinh: The best thing is how diverse they are. My family came here from Vietnam six years ago. I have students in my class from five other countries. Our state borders Mexico, so many students speak Spanish. We need a lot of teachers and a lot of books.

Kara: Six million students attend public schools in California today. That is a lot more than three.

Think Link

Students Enrolled in California Public Schools from 1992-2005

1. Based on the line graph, how many students do you think will be enrolled in California public schools in the year 2015? Give evidence to support your answer.

2. Why do so many students in California speak Spanish?

3. California is the most ethnically diverse state in America. Why do you think this is?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a graph could help illustrate your ideas.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Daedalus and Icarus": brilliant spread luxurious astonishment nudged plunged crowed

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words nudged and plunged. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Jasmine squeezed her Aunt Cheri's hand as they walked up the hill to a big, open field. Every July, Jasmine and Cheri packed their bags, left their home in the city, and spent a glorious week in the country. Cheri had friends who lived on a 100-acre farm. They loved having Jasmine and Cheri visit.

Each night the two of them would take two blankets, a pair of binoculars, and a container of lemonade out to the field. They would watch the stars for two or three hours at a time. Jasmine loved stargazing. She could do it forever. She still could not get over how brilliant the stars looked once they left the city.

They found the perfect spot and spread out their soft, luxurious blankets. Oh, how nice it was to sit in the open air!

Cheri always let Jasmine use the binoculars first. As she put them up to her eyes, she gasped with astonishment . "There must be millions of stars up there!" she squealed.

"You say that every time," Cheri laughed.

Just then, Cheri nudged Jasmine with her elbow. "Jaz, look!" she cried. "A falling star!"

Jasmine looked where Cheri was pointing. Sure enough, a single bright star plunged from its place in the sky and disappeared from sight.

"Falling stars are my favorite!" Jasmine crowed with delight. "I think you will be an astronomer some day," Cheri said with a smile.

"That would be a dream come true," Jasmine replied. Game: Fill In the Blank

On a sheet of paper, use each of the vocabulary words in a sentence. You will have seven sentences in all. Draw a blank line in place of the vocabulary word in each sentence. Give your paper to another student. Have your classmate fill in each blank with the correct word.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this lesson is judgment. Judgment means "an opinion or conclusion reached through reasoning." Give an example of a time when you or someone you know used bad judgment. What would have been a better decision?

108 Daedalus and Icarus retold by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

A myth tells how something in nature came to be the way it is, or explains why people act certain ways. Often myths contain a lesson about bad behavior.

Comprehension Strategy: Predicting

As you read, make predictions about what you think will happen later in the text. Then check to see whether your predictions are confirmed.

Focus Questions

Do we always recognize when we are taking a risk? Why do people take foolish risks?

110 Daedalus and Icarus lived in great comfort in King Minos's palace. But they lived the life of prisoners. Their rooms were in the tallest palace tower, with beautiful views across the island. They ate delectable food and wore expensive clothes. But at night the door to their fine apartment was locked, and a guard stood outside. It was a comfortable prison, but it was a prison, even so. Daedalus was deeply unhappy.

Every day he put seed out on the windowsill, for the birds. He liked to study their brilliant colors, the clever overlapping of their feathers, the way they soared on the sea wind. It comforted him to think that they at least were free to come and go. The birds had only to spread their wings and they could leave Crete behind them, whereas Daedalus and Icarus must stay forever in their luxurious cage.

Young Icarus could not understand his father's unhappiness. "But I like it here," he said. "The king gives us gold and this tall tower to live in."

Daedalus groaned. "But to work for such a wicked man, Icarus! And to be prisoners all our days! . . . We shan't stay. We shan't!"

"But we can't get away, can we?" said Icarus. "How can anybody escape from an island? Fly?" He snorted with laughter.

Daedalus did not answer. He scratched his head and stared out of the window at the birds pecking seed on the sill.

From that day onward, he got up early each morning and stood at the open window. When a bird came for the seed, Daedalus begged it to spare him one feather. Then each night, when everyone else had gone to bed, Daedalus worked by candlelight on his greatest invention of all.

Early mornings. Late nights. A whole year went by. Then one morning Icarus was awakened by his father shaking his shoulder. "Get up, Icarus, and don't make a sound. We are leaving Crete."

"But how? It's impossible!"

Daedalus pulled out a bundle from under his bed. "I've been making something, Icarus." Inside were four great folded fans of feathers. He stretched them out on the bed. They were wings! "I sewed the feathers together with strands of wool from my blanket. Now hold still." Daedalus melted down a candle and daubed his son's shoulders with sticky wax. "Yes, I know it's hot, but it will soon cool." While the wax was still soft, he stuck the wings to Icarus's shoulder blades.

"Now you must help me put on my wings, Son. When the wax sets hard, you and I will fly away from here, as free as birds!"

"I'm scared!" whispered Icarus as he stood on the narrow window ledge, his knees knocking and his huge wings drooping down behind. The lawns and courtyards of the palace lay far below. The royal guards looked as small as ants. "This won't work!"

"Courage, Son!" said Daedalus. "Keep your arms out wide and fly close to me. Above all--are you listening, Icarus?"

"Y-y-yes, father." "Above all, don't fly too high! Don't fly too close to the sun!" "Don't fly too close to the sun," Icarus repeated, with his eyes tight shut. Then he gave a cry as his father nudged him off the windowsill.

He plunged downward. With a crack, the feathers behind him filled with wind, and Icarus found himself flying. Flying!

"I'm flying!" he crowed.

The guards looked up in astonishment, and wagged their swords, and pointed and shouted, "Tell the king! Daedalus and Icarus are . . . are . . . flying away!"

By dipping first one wing, then the other, Icarus found that he could turn to the left and the right. The wind tugged at his hair. His legs trailed out behind him. He saw the fields and streams as he had never seen them before!

Then they were out over the sea. The sea gulls pecked at him angrily, so Icarus flew higher, where they could not reach him.

He copied their shrill cry and taunted them: "You can't catch me!"

"Now remember, don't fly too high!" called Daedalus, but his words were drowned by the screaming of the gulls.

I'm the first boy ever to fly! I'm making history! I shall be famous! thought Icarus, as he flew up and up, higher and higher. At last Icarus was looking the sun itself in the face. "Think you're the highest thing in the sky, do you?" he jeered. "I can fly just as high as you! Higher, even!" He did not notice the drops of sweat on his forehead: He was so determined to outfly the sun.

Soon its vast heat beat on his face and on his back and on the great wings stuck on with wax. The wax softened. The wax trickled. The wax dripped. One feather came unstuck. Then a plume of feathers fluttered slowly down.

Icarus stopped flapping his wings. His father's words came back to him clearly now: "Don't fly too close to the sun!"

With a great sucking noise, the wax on his shoulders came unstuck. Icarus tried to catch hold of the wings, but they just folded up in his hands. He plunged down, his two fists full of feathers--down and down and down.

The clouds did not stop his fall.

The sea gulls did not catch him in their beaks.

His own father could only watch as Icarus hurtled head first into the glittering sea and sank deep down among the sharks and eels and squid. And all that was left of proud Icarus was a litter of waxy feathers floating on the sea.

116 Meet the Author

Geraldine McCaughrean

McCaughrean was very shy as a child in London, but she loved to make up stories. When her fourteen-year-old brother wrote a book, she wanted to be an author too. She kept writing while working many other jobs. In 1988, she finally became a full-time author. McCaughrean loves drama. She sometimes gets story ideas from plays. She lives in Berkshire, England, with her husband and daughter. Her dog, Daisy, likes to eat her stories instead of reading them. Meet the Illustrator

Emma Chichester Clark

Clark was born in London, England. She draws the eyes of most of her characters in a very distinctive way--as circles with pupil dots. This gives the character a childlike, curiously expressive appearance. Many of Clark's books, such as Tea with Aunt Augusta, show characters wearing wide-brimmed hats. Expressive eyes and wide-brimmed hats are the trademarks of Emma Chichester Clark.

1. Why do Daedalus and Icarus risk their lives to leave the comfort of the palace?

2. Icarus ignores his father's advice and flies too close to the sun. What is the consequence of this risk?

Across Selections

3. How is the risk taken by Icarus similar to the risk taken by Jeremy in "Mrs. Frisby and the Crow"?

4. Compare the risks taken by the Crafts in "Two Tickets to Freedom" to the risks taken by Daedalus and Icarus.

5. How does "Daedalus and Icarus" add to what you know about risks and consequences?

6. Why do daredevils take risks?

Write about It!

Write about a time you took a risk you were warned not to take.

Remember to look at other people's questions, and try to answer them on the Concept/Question Board.

118 Science Inquiry: From Liquid to Solid and Back Again

Feature Diagrams are drawings that are used to explain how something works.

How do you change water from a liquid to a solid? Freeze it! Fill an ice cube tray with water, and put it in the freezer. The freezer lowers the water's temperature. Water is made up of tiny parts called molecules. The colder the water gets, the slower the molecules move. When they are hardly moving at all, the water becomes ice.

How do you change the ice to a liquid again? Melt it! You will need heat to melt the ice. When two objects touch, heat flows from one object to the other. This is called conduction.

Rub your hands together to make them warm. Spread your hand open, and lay an ice cube on your palm. Wait several seconds. Is the ice melting? The heat from your hand is flowing to the ice. Is your hand getting cold? The cold from the ice is flowing to your hand.

What if you want the ice to melt more quickly? Apply more heat. You could put an ice cube in your mouth or breathe on it. You could blow the ice cube with a hair dryer or run hot water over it.

As a test, take a tray of ice cubes and melt each one in a different manner. Keep track of how long it takes each ice cube to melt.

Think Link

Water Molecules

How do the diagrams help you understand how molecules work?

What is the process of conduction?

A hair dryer or hot water will melt an ice cube quickly. What are some methods you could try if you wanted the ice cube to melt more slowly?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a diagram to make your presentation clearer.

120 Hippo's Hope

Focus Questions Do you always think about the consequences before you act? Are there risks too foolish to take?

poem and drawings by Shel Silverstein

There once was a hippo who wanted to fly--

Fly-hi-dee, try-hi-dee, my-hi-dee-ho.

So he sewed him some wings that could flap through the sky--

Sky-hi-dee, fly-hi-dee, why-hi-dee-go.

He climbed to the top of a mountain of snow--

Snow-hi-dee, slow-hi-dee, oh-hi-dee-hoo.

With the clouds high above and the sea down below--

Where-hi-dee, there-hi-dee, scare-hi-dee-boo.

(Happy ending)

And he flipped and he flapped and he bellowed so loud--

Now-hi-dee, loud-hi-dee, proud-hi-dee-poop.

And he sailed like an eagle, off into the clouds--

High-hi-dee, fly-hi-dee, bye-hi-dee-boop.

(Unhappy ending)

And he leaped like a frog and he fell like a stone--

Stone-hi-dee, lone-hi-dee, own-hi-dee-flop.

And he crashed and he drowned and broke all his bones--

Bones-hi-dee, moans-hi-dee, groans-hi-dee-glop.

(Chicken ending) He looked up at the sky and looked down at the sea--

Sea-hi-dee, free-hi-dee, whee-hi-dee-way.

And he turned and went home and had cookies and tea--

That's hi-dee, all hi-dee, I have to say.

122 The Dream Keeper

Focus Question Can you fulfill your dreams without taking risks? by Langston Hughes

Jacob Lawrence. The Life of Harriet Tubman, #4. Casein tempera on hardboard. 12 x 17 7/8 inches. Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia.

Bring me all of your dreams,

You dreamers,

Bring me all of your

Heart melodies

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough fingers

Of the world.

123 Dreams

Focus Question What are the consequences of abandoning your dreams?

BY L ANGSTON HUGHES

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

William H. Johnson. Midnight Sun, Lofoten. Oil on burlap. 41 4/8 x 59 1/8 inches. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

124 Freedom

Focus Questions What is freedom? Why do people risk their lives for freedom? by Langston Hughes illustrated by Tyrone Geter

Freedom will not come

Today, this year

Nor ever

Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right

As the other fellow has

To stand

On my two feet

And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,

Let things take their course.

Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.

I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.

Freedom

Is a strong seed

Planted

In a great need.

I live here, too.

I want freedom

Just as you.

126 Unit 1: Test Prep

Test-Taking Strategy: Writing an Answer to a Question

Sometimes you will be asked to write an answer on a test. The answer may be as short as one sentence or as long as a page. Make sure you read the directions and question carefully so you know what you are supposed to do.

Writing an Answer to a Question

Read these directions and questions. They could follow a story that you might read on a test. Think about what you should do.

How are the two soccer players DIFFERENT in the way that they prepared for the game? Use details and information from the story to support your answer.

The story was probably about two soccer players getting ready for a game. That means you should answer the question based on what you read . You also should focus on how the two players prepared for the game. When you write your answer, you should use details from the story.

Here is a different kind of writing task.

Your town does not have a skateboard park. You and your friends want the town to build one. Write a letter to the mayor explaining why the town should build a skateboard park. This task asks for your ideas. You do not have to read a story to complete the task. You must think about the topic, and write a letter about your thoughts on it. Plan your writing before you begin. Think about what you want to say. Write so the reader understands you.

Test-Taking Practice

Read the story "The Racing Leg." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

It did not seem fair. I looked at Abby, who was trying to kick the ball. After two tries, Abby made a decent kick. She turned on her good leg and hurried toward first base.

"Way to go, Abby," said Ms. Marston, our teacher.

"Ms. Marston, you are the best," I said. "Abby really likes the way you push her."

Ms. Marston looked at me and said, "It wouldn't be right to treat her differently than the other students."

After gym class I walked with Abby to our next class. Before we got there, Mr. Wyatt stopped us. He led us to the auditorium.

"If I hadn't been in the car accident, I could play better. Now we have to listen to people tell us how to be winners." Abby pointed at her prosthesis. "What if they had this?"

Ten minutes later, though, Abby was on the edge of her seat. The speakers were from a challenged athletes organization. The first speaker, Chris, had his legs removed because of a rare disease. He won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games. These are similar to the Olympics but are for people with physical challenges.

After we left the auditorium, Abby said, "I'm not sure I could do that, Trina. I would be afraid of falling or making a fool of myself."

A few weeks later, Abby showed up at my house with a new racing leg. She had decided to get one after all.

"If I fall, I fall. It is a risk I'm willing to take." Abby looked determined, as though she could do anything.

For months, Abby trained with a coach. She had to learn to run using her new leg. She fell almost every day, but she kept at it. She finally felt good enough to enter a race. It was a little more than three miles. This was a big step for a girl who could hardly run to first base.

On the day of the race, Abby was afraid but decided to race anyway. I waited for her at the finish line.

Hundreds of people crossed the finish line, but not Abby. Finally the last group of runners arrived. Abby was among them. I thought she would be sad, but she had a big smile on her face. She ran over and gave me a hug.

"I fell a few times, but I finished," Abby said. "Next time, it will be a different story."

Test Tips

* Read the directions carefully.

* Read each question carefully.

* Skim the story, but do not try to memorize it.

Use the information you learned from the story "The Racing Leg" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

This story is most like a--

A science fiction story.

B fable.

C tall tale.

D true story.

What did Trina think was unfair?

A Mr. Wyatt's class was cancelled.

B Abby could not play kickball well.

C They had to go to an assembly.

D Abby did not win the race.

Why did Abby need special training? A Her new leg was different from her old leg.

B She was not able to play kickball very well.

C The race was too far for her to run.

D Almost all the other runners were faster.

Which of these will most likely happen next?

A Abby's parents will be disappointed.

B Trina will get bored and go home.

C Abby will keep training.

D Trina will win a race.

130 Unit 2: Nature's Delicate Balance

Nature has a way of keeping things in balance. Plants and animals depend on each other to live. Water and food are used over and over again in nature's great recycling system. Energy is passed from one living thing to another in food webs all over the world. How does nature's delicate balance affect you? What happens when that balance is disrupted?

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 130 and page 131 in the print version. Fine Art: Theme Connection

Look at the painting The Olbatos Ravine by Roberto Montenegro.

* How does Montenegro use color to show different features of the landscape?

* How does the painting suggest nature's delicate balance?

Roberto Montenegro. The Olbatos Ravine. 1967.

Oil on canvas. 32 x 26 cm. National Bank of Mexico Collection, Mexico City, Mexico.

Big Idea

What role do you play in nature's delicate balance?

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story": reservoir glacier jagged raging particles irrigation flowed trickled

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words reservoir and trickle . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Matt's science class was taking a field trip to a big reservoir near the school. They had been studying water for the past two weeks. "Now it is time to see some water in action!" their teacher told them.

"Too bad we can't take a field trip to see a glacier ," Matt's friend, Ahman, joked. "I sure would love to climb those jagged peaks."

"Too bad we can't go white-water rafting down a raging river," Becca said. Their teacher laughed. "Maybe next time we will try the glacier. This time, I think we will stick to water that is a little closer to home."

At the reservoir, Sheila, a water expert, acted as their guide.

"The reservoir catches rainwater," Sheila told them. "Then we remove all the dirt particles . No one wants to drink dirty water."

Matt made a face. "No thanks!"

"What do you think the water from the reservoir is used for?" Sheila asked.

" Irrigation for crops," Kaitlyn answered.

"Water flowed from my kitchen faucet when I rinsed out my cereal bowl after breakfast," added Annemarie.

"Water from the reservoir trickled out of my shower this morning," Keegan said. "My sister was showering in the downstairs bathroom at the same time and stole all my water."

"Reservoir water spouted out of the school drinking fountain today," said Matt.

"Great answers," Sheila said. "Clean water is a wonderful thing, that's for sure," said their teacher. "Now, who is ready to climb a glacier?"

Game: Word Art

Using an entire sheet of paper, draw a picture of either a large glacier or a reservoir. Choose eight crayons or colored pencils, all different colors. Write the eight selection vocabulary words and their definitions in random places inside your picture. Each word and its corresponding definition should be the same color. Use your work of art to help you study the vocabulary words.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is process. A process is the series of steps needed to make or to do something. Think of a task you do every day. No matter how small the activity, there are at least a few actions involved. Choose a task, such as brushing your teeth, and make a list of the steps required to complete it. (Take toothbrush out of holder. Pick up tube of toothpaste. Unscrew lid. And so on.) Share your list of steps with a classmate.

Genre Narrative Nonfiction presents factual information in a narrative to make an exciting story.

Comprehension Skill: Sequence

As you read, understand the order of events in the text.

135 The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story

Written and illustrated by Neil Waldman

Focus Questions

How does the water cycle work? How does the water cycle affect you?

JANUARY

On a moonless night, a tiny snowflake fell from a great gray cloud. It floated slowly downward with thousands of other flakes, coming to rest on the jagged peak of a mountain.

FEBRUARY

A wind whistled over the mountain, carrying the snowflake back up into the air. The snowflake twisted and spun, swirling into a pond on the mountainside. The snowflake melted into a droplet, but as the days grew colder the pond froze.

MARCH As the sun grew warmer, the ice began to melt. The snowflake became a droplet of water once again. It fell through a crack in the rocky pond bottom and trickled down into the ground. Downward it sank, into the blackness within the mountain. Along with millions of other droplets, it splashed into an underground stream that flowed deep into the earth.

After a long journey, the stream turned upward, bubbling through the ground in an icy spring. Sparkling in the sunlight, the droplet rushed into a brook. It danced around some stones, spilled over a waterfall, and surged into a raging river. The droplet flowed past villages and cities, under a great gray bridge where cars and buses carried people to and fro.

A shiny metal pump sucked the droplet through a maze of zigzagging pipes into the irrigation system of a nearby farm. It spun through a long rubber hose, swished into a spinning sprinkler, and squirted up into the air. The droplet flew in a great arc, landing at last on the leaf of a cabbage plant.

In the chill of morning, a heavy blanket of fog rolled in over the farm. The droplet slowly evaporated and floated up into the thick grayness. But soon the rising sun began to bake the air as the fog rose high into the sky and became a cloud.

The cloud joined a mass of darkening storm clouds. Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and a torrent of raindrops dived toward the earth. The droplet rocketed downward and splashed into the clear waters of a reservoir. It was sucked through a series of filters that removed all the dirt particles until only pure water remained. 141

AUGUST

The droplet swished through a long metal pipe. It was pumped into a smaller pipe, and then into an even smaller pipe, where it suddenly stopped and started and stopped and started again in herky-jerky motions.

SEPTEMBER

In her bathroom, a young girl twisted a faucet, and the droplet poured out into a bathroom sink. The girl dipped her hands into the water and lifted the droplet onto her cheek. A second later it was falling, falling, falling, splashing, swishing, spinning through the drain into another dark pipe.

OCTOBER

After a long, dark journey, the droplet poured out into the ocean. It flowed past fields of waving sea grasses, over corals of many colors, and into the mouth of a great striped fish. Passing through the fish's body, the droplet returned to the sea.

NOVEMBER

Rising up to the ocean's surface the droplet was pulled steadily toward the shore. On the crest of a mighty wave it bubbled into foam, crashing onto the sandy beach of a tropical island.

DECEMBER

In the sunlight of a winter's morning, the droplet evaporated. It rose into the air, entering a great gray cloud. A whistling wind pushed the cloud across the sea, past cities and towns, beyond an icy spring, and over a raging river. It drifted past a waterfall and a frozen pond. On a moonless night, a tiny snowflake fell from the cloud. It floated slowly downward with thousands of other flakes, coming to rest on the jagged peak of a mountain.

For years and years, water has been freezing, melting, evaporating, condensing, and freezing again. It travels all over the world, and in its many forms, water has been around far longer than people have. In fact, water has been here almost as long as the earth itself. So the next time you throw a snowball, or jump into a swimming pool, or drink some ice water on a hot summer's day, stop and think for a moment . . . because some of that very water might have tumbled over Niagara Falls, or risen as morning mist in the steaming jungles of Africa, or lay frozen for centuries inside a glacier on the North Pole. It might have

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 144 and page 145 in the print version. been sipped by your great-grandmother in a cup of afternoon tea. It might have been used by Abraham Lincoln to scrub his hands before dinner in the White House. It might even have been guzzled by a thirsty Tyrannosaurus rex in a prehistoric swamp millions of years ago.

146 Meet the Author and Illustrator

Neil Waldman

Waldman is an artist who has won many awards. His paintings are in important buildings around the world. Even though he is famous, Waldman loves to take time out to visit schools. He tells students about his life as an artist or how he worked on a book. Usually he lets students ask him questions. Waldman loves traveling and even got to live in Israel for a while. He grew up in New York, which is where he lives today.

147 Nature's Delicate Balance: Theme Connections

1. What different forms can water take?

2. What happens to rain after it falls into a reservoir?

Beyond the Selection 3. What are some ways you use water?

4. What would Earth be like without water?

Write about It!

Write a descriptive paragraph about a rainy day.

Remember to add your questions about nature's delicate balance to the Concept/Question Board.

148 Science Inquiry: Erosion and Landslides

Feature

Headings tell people what a paragraph is going to be about.

The surface of the earth changes all the time. Erosion and landslides are two important forces of change.

Erosion

Wind and water can wear away the earth's surface. This happens over long periods of time. These changes are called erosion. These forces of nature carry particles of soil and rock from place to place.

Wind can only move the lightest pieces of rock. Water that has flowed in one place over a period of time can erode bigger pieces of soil and rock. Ice helps the process of erosion. When water between rocks freezes, the ice pushes on the rocks and breaks them apart.

Landslides

Landslides occur suddenly when dirt, rocks, or mud fall down a slope. Earthquakes or heavy rain can cause landslides. When soil turns to mud, it becomes heavy and slippery. Mud on a slope can begin to flow downward. This is called a mudslide.

Prevention

Landslides cannot be prevented, but in many cases, erosion can be stopped. Trees and plants help stop erosion. Their roots keep the soil in place. 149

Think Link

1. There are three headings in the article you just read: Erosion, Landslides, and Prevention. If you could add another heading to this selection, what would it be? What would you write about in the paragraphs that fit under your new heading?

2. In the United States, landslides are most common in California and Colorado. Why do you think this is so? What other states might have occasional landslides?

3. How do trees and plants help prevent erosion?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how headings can help you explain your ideas.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Energy Makes Things Happen": release eventually energy fuels stored contains transferred soar

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words release and fuels. Use context clues to find each word's meaning. Emilie walked with her sister Charlotte, her parents, and her grandpa to the park three blocks from her house. She and Charlotte asked if they could skip ahead. "You guys are walking too slowly!" Emilie protested.

"It doesn't help that we adults are carrying everything!" her mother said, laughing.

"You two are like little ponies chomping at the bit," said their dad. "I release you from your stalls! Run and gallop to freedom!"

"We will catch up eventually, " their mom said.

"Where do those two get all their energy? " Grandpa asked with a laugh.

When they got to the park, Emilie helped her dad place pieces of coal on the small metal grill.

"Shanna's family has a big gas grill," Emilie said. "I personally like charcoal more than other fuels," said Grandpa. "It creates such a delicious smell."

Charlotte and Emilie started rummaging through the basket where the snacks were stored .

"All I want is the bag that contains the strawberries!" Emilie said. "Oh no! Mom, they are not in here!"

"It's OK. I transferred them to the cooler," said Mom.

It was not long before Dad and Grandpa brought a steaming plate of perfectly grilled chicken to the table.

"Look!" Grandpa said. "Watch that eagle soar above the trees! Aren't they amazing creatures?"

"Sure, they are great, as long as they don't swoop down and snatch our hot dogs!" Emilie said. "I am starving!"

Game: Word Scramble

On a sheet of paper, write the eight vocabulary words and their definitions. Study the words for a few minutes. On a separate sheet of paper, scramble each word and write them in random order in a column down the left side of the page. Have a classmate unscramble the words and write the definitions from memory. Do the same with your classmate's scrambled words.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is transform. Transform means "to change from one thing to another." In movies and comic books, ordinary people transform into superheroes. In real life, caterpillars transform into butterflies. Make up a creature or person that transforms into someone or something else. Describe your character and its transformation to a classmate.

Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details

As you read, look for the main idea the author is trying to get across. Then look for the details she uses to support the main idea.

153 Energy Makes Things Happen by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Focus Questions

What is the main source of energy for living things on Earth? How can energy be transferred from one form to another?

he sun shines in the sky. Two children run with a kite. A boy sails a boat across a pond. A girl hits a baseball. A family cooks hot dogs on a campfire. A big rock sits high on a hill.

All these things have different kinds of energy.

Energy makes things happen. It can make things hot or bright or loud. It can make things move. Energy can be used to do work. There are many different kinds of energy. When the sun shines, it gives us light. The sun also gives us heat. Both heat and light are kinds of energy.

When you run or jump or hop or skip, that's energy too. Everything that moves uses energy.

Energy is transferred from one thing to another. When a boy throws a baseball, he transfers energy from his arm to the ball. Then the ball can move through the air. (The more energy he gives the ball, the faster it goes!)

When a girl swings a bat, she transfers energy from her arms to the bat. When the bat hits the ball, the energy in the bat goes into the ball and sends it flying.

Wind is air that moves--it's air with energy. The energy from wind lifts kites into the sky. It makes windmills go around and hot-air balloons soar. Wind energy sails sailboats across a pond.

Things that release energy as they are burned are called fuels. Gasoline, oil, and wood are all fuels. When we put gasoline into a car, we are putting fuel into it. As the car runs, its engine burns the gasoline. The gasoline gets used up. The energy from the gasoline makes the car go forward.

When we build a campfire to cook hot dogs, we are burning wood fuel to turn its stored energy into heat energy for the hot dogs.

But the hot dogs are also a kind of fuel! Our bodies need energy, and they get it from the food we eat. Strawberries, rutabagas, potato salad, milk, popcorn, tuna fish, and hot dogs-- everything we eat gets used up by our bodies.

Our food is the fuel that gives us the energy to run and play. Food gives us energy to do our work.

You may not think a glass of milk contains energy. Milk is not moving or doing work.

It's not hot. It doesn't give off light. But milk has energy stored inside it. All fuels do. Remember the rock on the hill? It has energy inside it too. It's not hot or moving, and it isn't a fuel--you can't eat it or drink it or burn it. BUT--if you gave the rock a tiny push, it would roll all the way down the hill. It would turn its stored energy into moving energy.

A rock at the bottom of a hill does not have stored energy to turn into moving energy. If you push it, it doesn't fall anywhere. But if you roll the rock all the way to the top of the hill, you give it the energy to fall back down the hill. The energy you use to push it up the hill stays with the rock, waiting, so that eventually the rock can fall back down the hill.

The rock might sit on the hill for a long time. It can't fall back down until someone or something gives it a little push. Then it can fall a long way. Many things need a little bit of energy to help them give off a lot of energy. A candle stores energy, but it doesn't burn until it's lit. A carrot stores energy, but it can't give it out until you eat it.

We can see how energy got into the rock--someone pushed it up the hill. But how did energy get into the carrot? Or into gasoline, or into any of our fuels?

Most of our energy comes from the sun. The sun gives off so much energy that even though it is very far away, a lot of its heat and light reach the earth.

The energy from the sun makes plants grow. So the carrot contains energy from the sun. The sun's energy makes grass grow. Cows eat the grass and get energy to make milk.

So the milk and the cows contain energy from the sun. We drink milk and get the energy to take care of the cows! And to push rocks up hills. The energy we get from our food first came from the sun.

The energy in gasoline first came from the sun too. Gasoline is made from a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are made from the remains of plants and animals that lived long ago. The sun gave these plants and animals energy to grow.

Coal, natural gas, and oil are fossil fuels.

The sun warms us and gives us light. It warms the air and creates the wind. The sun gives off a lot of energy. Energy never disappears. It can move from one object--such as a baseball bat--to another--such as a ball. Energy can move from the sun to a carrot to a child to a rock. It can flow from light into a plant, from a plant into a fuel, from a fuel into the movement of a car going down the street--but energy never goes away.

That's good, because we need lots of energy. Without it, we couldn't move! We wouldn't have light or heat--we wouldn't grow. Nothing could. Without energy, we wouldn't have anything. We need energy to make things happen!

Find Out More About Energy

Moving Cars

Energy can be transferred from one object to another. Here's how you can see it happen.

First, get two small toy cars (blocks or marbles would work fine, too, but cars are easier to use). Set one toy car by itself in the middle of a hard surface, like a smooth floor or a table. Now take the second car and give it a push so that it rolls into the back of the first car. (Don't hold on to the second car.) Bam!

What happens to the first car? Does it move? Did the motion require energy? Where did the energy come from? What happens to the second car? Where did ITS energy come from?

Now get a third car. Line the first two up so they are touching, back to front. Take the third car and roll it into the back of the second car just like you did before.

What happens? Which cars move? Which moves the farthest?

The energy from the moving car gets transferred to the nonmoving car. When there are three cars, the energy is transferred from the first car to the second, and then from the second to the third--all faster than you can blink!

Back to the Sun

Think of something--anything--that uses energy. Can you trace this energy back to the sun? Pretend you are playing baseball. Your body would have to move, and that would require energy. Where does your body get the energy? From the food you eat. Let's say you ate a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch right before you played baseball. Where did the energy in the sandwich come from?

The cheese was made from milk, the bread from wheat. Wheat is a plant--it gets its energy to grow from the sun. Cows make milk, but of course it takes energy for them to do so. Where do they get the energy? From the food they eat. What do they eat? Grass. Where does the grass get the energy to grow? From the sun. So the energy it takes for you to play baseball originally came from the sun.

This is a fun game to play. If you think hard enough, you'll find out that almost all the energy we use on earth first came from the sun.

164 Meet the Author

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Bradley loves science and studied it in college. College was also where Bradley learned to love writing. After college, she wrote for magazines. She worked as an editor and chemist. In 1988, she wrote her first book. Since then, she has written one or more books every year. Bradley feels at home on her large farm in Bristol, where Tennessee and Virginia meet. Mountains fill the skyline. Bradley, her husband, and her daughter live there with ponies, dogs, sheep, and a cat.

1. Where does most of our energy come from, and how do we get energy from that source?

2. What are some useful things wind energy can do?

Across Selections

3. What do water and energy have in common? 4. How are fossil fuels used in "Two Tickets to Freedom"?

5. Think of your favorite food. Try to trace its energy back to the sun.

6. What things do you do that require the most energy?

Write about It!

Tell about a time you felt like you were out of energy.

166 Science Inquiry: Making Making Life

Feature

A simple machine is a tool used to make a task easier. Simple machines help us lift and pull things, split and cut things, open and fasten things, and turn things on and off. They help us get more out of our muscle power.

Here are five simple machines:

The Lever

The Inclined Plane

The Wedge

The Wheel and Axle

The Pulley

Wheelbarrows and seesaws are examples of levers. Ramps and stairs are inclined planes. An axe is a wedge. A wheel and axle can be found in wagons and cars. Flag poles use pulleys. The first simple machine was probably a lever. Someone might have used a large stick to move a heavy rock. Eventually , people found ways to improve simple machines. People began to do tasks they could not do before.

Try to go through a day without using a simple machine. It will not be easy.

Think Link

Simple Machines

Lever A straight board that rests on a point called a fulcrum

Inclined Plane A sloped surface

Wedge An object with a slanted side that ends in a sharp edge

Wheel and Axle A wheel with a rod through its center

Pulley A wheel with a grooved edge for a rope to fit inside

The chart lists five simple machines with a brief description of each. Make another column for the chart on a sheet of paper. Explain how you think each machine works.

Why do you think moving trucks have ramps on the back of them? A ramp is which kind of simple machine? How does a ramp make loading a moving truck easier?

The Great Pyramid built by ancient Egyptians is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Which simple machines do you think were used to build this amazing structure? Explain your answer.

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you could use a chart to show your ideas.

Read the article to find the meanings of the words, which are also in "Who Eats What?": bitterly slightly microscope seaweed depend branch linked

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or a suffix is added to a root word. Look at the words bitterly and linked . What do the root words and suffixes tell you about the meanings of these words?

Pretend you are a scientist. You have decided to take a trip to Antarctica. You will be going with five friends. You all want to learn more about the wildlife on this remote continent. Normally, Antarctica is bitterly cold. During January, it will be slightly warmer. This is the summer season in this part of the world.

The plane trip is long. You finally arrive at your research site. You set up your microscope and other equipment. You cannot wait to explore!

You venture out onto the ice. You cut a hole in the ice and start fishing. You have quite a bit of luck. The icy waters overflow with life during the summer. You can study some of the fish and eat the others. You will want to collect several kinds of seaweed as well.

One of your friends points to a group of ten penguins. Look at them play! They are diving in and out of the water. These penguins depend on the summer months. They fuel up on food for the colder winters. Food will be hard to find then.

The six of you decide to branch off in different directions. Each of you will see what you can find. You take walkietalkies, just in case you spot something unique. This is a fascinating ecosystem , you think to yourself. You see seals, penguins, and gulls. You even see a pod of whales. It is amazing how every creature is linked together in the cycle of life.

Game: Tell Me about It

Team up with a classmate. Read a selection vocabulary word aloud, and have your classmate give the definition. Then have your classmate read a word, and you define it. After you have gone through all seven words at least once, repeat the exercise but give the definitions instead. One of you says a definition, and the other must give the correct vocabulary word.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants combine carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce food. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen, which makes the air fresher for people to breathe. Think of three other reasons why plants are important to us and our life on Earth.

Comprehension Skill: Making Inferences

As you read, use personal experience as well as details from the text to understand something the author left unsaid.

171 Who Eats What? food chains and food webs by Patricia Lauber

Focus Questions What are food chains and webs? Why do meat-eaters need plants?

A caterpillar is eating a leaf on an apple tree. Later the caterpillar is spotted by a wren. It becomes part of the wren's dinner. Still later the wren is eaten by a hawk. Leaf, caterpillar, wren, and hawk are all linked. Together they form a food chain. Each is a link in the chain.

The hawk is the top of the food chain, because no other animal attacks and eats hawks. The animal at the top of a food chain is always the last eater--the one nobody else eats.

Suppose you eat an apple off the tree. That makes you part of a short food chain--the apple and you. You are the top of the food chain.

Or suppose you drink a glass of milk. Now you are the top of a slightly longer food chain. The milk came from a cow, and the cow ate grass. So this chain is grass, cow, you.

Every time you eat a meal, you become the top of several food chains. You can draw a picture to show them. If you had a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, a glass of milk, and an apple, the picture might look like this.

Food is the fuel our bodies need. Food keeps us alive. It gives us the energy we need to grow, move, and do many other things. The same thing is true for caterpillars, wrens, hawks--for all animals. All must find or catch the foods they need.

When you draw a food chain, you are drawing a flow of energy. The arrows show its path.

There are many, many food chains, more than anyone can count. But in one way they are all alike. All food chains begin with green plants. Green plants are the only living things that can make their own food. They are the only living things that do not need to eat something else.

Green plants take energy from sunlight. They use it to make food out of water and air.

All animals depend on green plants for food, even animals that don't eat plants.

Hawks, for example, do not eat green plants. But the hawk ate the wren that ate the caterpillar that ate the leaf of a green plant. And so the hawk is linked to green plants through the food chain. It needs the plants as much as the caterpillar does.

Take a walk and look around. You will see parts of many food chains. Look at the leaves and flowers of plants. Look at the bark of trees. Look at fruits, nuts, and seeds that have fallen to the ground. What animals are eating them?

You might see a grasshopper eating a blade of grass. You may not see another animal eat the grasshopper. But you can find out which animals eat grasshoppers by going to the library. You can read up on grasshoppers and any other animal you've seen. You can draw food chains.

Your drawings will show that one plant may be the start of several food chains. The leaves of an oak tree may be food for caterpillars. Beetles may bore into the tree's trunk. Acorns are food for squirrels, chipmunks, blue jays, and deer.

The drawings will also show that most animals are part of several food chains. Chipmunks, for example, eat many foods. They eat nuts, seeds, berries, buds. They may also eat insects, snails, and other small animals.

And chipmunks themselves are eaten by weasels, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, hawks. These animals may also eat some of the things chipmunks eat.

Try drawing some of these food chains on one page. You will have arrows branching in all directions. Now you have drawn a food web. Food webs are made up of many food chains.

179 On land most food chains are short, but scientists still have much to learn about them. They have even more to learn about food chains in the seas. These chains are long. They are also hard to study, because most of the plants and animals live underwater.

In the water, as on the land, food chains begin with green plants. Some of the plants are tiny-- you'd need a microscope to see them. Some are bigger.

The green plants are food for many tiny creatures, which become food for bigger creatures.

Small fish are eaten by bigger fish, which are eaten by still bigger fish, which are eaten by even bigger fish.

The biggest, such as tuna, are at the tops of food chains--unless they are caught by humans. Then one of them may turn up in your tuna-fish sandwich. Both the tuna and you are part of a food chain that began with a tiny green plant.

Food chains are found wherever life is found.

The far south of the world, Antarctica, is icy and bitterly cold for much of the year. But in summer its seas come alive. The water is rich with tiny green plants. They are fed on by tiny animals. And these are fed on by small animals such as krill, which look like shrimp. All these animals and plants are food for bigger animals, such as fish and squid.

Many other animals come to feast in these waters. There are seals, whales, and dolphins. There are many seabirds, among them penguins.

All the animals are linked to the tiny green plants.

The drawing shows a web of food chains at the far south of the world. The arrows show who eats what. Follow the arrows and find the animals that feed on krill--one of them is the blue whale, the biggest animal on earth. Find the animals that eat animals that eat krill.

Sometimes people talk about catching krill for human food. But what would happen to the food web if fishermen took huge catches of krill each year? To find out, look at the drawing again. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 180 and page 181 in the print version.

Humans often make changes in food chains and webs. Then they find that one change causes other changes. That was what happened when hunters killed nearly all the Pacific sea otters.

The otters lived off the west coast of North America. They lived in beds of giant seaweed, called kelp. Every year thousands of otters were killed for their fur. By the early 1900s almost none were left. But as the otters disappeared, so did beds of kelp. And so did eagles, harbor seals, and fish. What had happened? The answer lay in the kelp.

Kelp is the green plant at the start of many food chains. It is eaten by tiny animals that are eaten by bigger animals that are eaten by fish. The fish are food for eagles and seals, as well as people.

Kelp is also eaten by spiny animals called sea urchins. In eating, they may cut off stems at the seafloor. The kelp then floats away.

Sea urchins are one of the foods otters like best. But when hunters killed the otters, there was no one to eat the urchins. The urchins destroyed the kelp beds.

Once the hunting stopped, the otters made a comeback. They ate sea urchins, and the kelp began to do well. When the kelp did well, the fish came back--and so did the eagles, seals, and fishermen.

All over the world, green plants and animals are linked in food chains that branch into food webs. A change in one link is felt up and down that chain. It is felt through the whole web. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 184 and page 185 in the print version.

And that's one good reason to take care of the earth--to take care of its plants and animals. When we help them, we also help ourselves. We too are part of many food webs.

186 Meet the Author

Patricia Lauber

Lauber says that she was "born wanting to write." Because she writes so many books about science, she has to do a lot of research. While doing research, she learns many new things. Lauber has also worked as an editor--a person who helps other writers make their work better. Born in New York City, she now lives in Connecticut with her husband. When she is not writing, Lauber likes to sail, hike, and go to plays.

1. How are green plants different from other living things?

2. Describe what happens in the waters off Antarctica in the summer.

Across Selections 3. How is the information in "Energy Makes Things Happen" demonstrated in "Who Eats What?"

4. Who is at the top of the farmyard food chain in "Mrs. Frisby and the Crow"?

5. Why are predators at the top of a food chain larger than the animals at the bottom of the food chain?

6. How can removing one link in a food web disrupt the entire system?

Write about It!

Describe how you fit into a food web.

Remember to look for poetry and art about nature's delicate balance to add to the Concept/Question Board.

188 Science Inquiry: All Kinds of Eaters

Feature

Captions explain what is happening in a photograph.

Plants make their own food by using energy from the sun. Because of this, plants are called producers. Produce means "to make." Without plants, animals would not exist.

Animals depend on plants or other animals for their energy. Animals are called consumers. Consume means "to eat."

There are three kinds of consumers. Animals that live on plants only are called herbivores. Herbi- means "plant." Cows, sheep, rabbits, and mice are herbivores.

Animals that hunt and eat other animals are called carnivores. This includes animals that eat worms and bugs. Carni- means "meat." Tigers, wolves, sharks, and spiders are carnivores.

Animals that eat both plants and meat are called omnivores. Omni- means "all." Humans are omnivores. So are bears, raccoons, pigs, and flies. The sun gives off light, and plants use it to make food. A giraffe eats plants, and a lion eats the giraffe. When the lion dies, its body rots and makes the soil rich. Plants grow in the soil, and the cycle begins again.

Think Link

A giraffe eating leaves

Giraffes running from danger

Look at the photographs and their captions. Think of two other photographs that would fit with this selection. What captions would you write for those two pictures?

Explain the difference between a producer and a consumer.

In your own words, explain how the food chain works. Why do you think there are always more plants than herbivores? Why are there more herbivores than carnivores?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about a photo you would use to illustrate your ideas. What would the caption say?

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "What Rot! Nature's Mighty Recycler": shrivel brittle circulate decays droop swarming burrow predator

Vocabulary Strategy

Apposition defines a word in the same sentence. Look at the word burrow . Look for the use of apposition to find the word's meaning.

Autumn is a time of great change in a forest. Take a nature hike through the woods in mid- October. You will see many things changing. Some things change color, some change texture, and some change shape.

Many trees are no longer green. This is the most obvious difference between summer and fall. The leaves have turned shades of yellow, orange, and red. Then the leaves shrivel up and fall to the ground. They become brown and brittle . When a strong wind blows, they circulate lightly in the air. Then they fall back to the ground. Each fallen leaf eventually decays .

The forest was once lush and green. The trees were full of leaves. Now many branches are barren. It is much easier to see through the trees.

Plants that were tall and sturdy during the summer months begin to droop . Some dry up. Many wild raspberries are left unpicked.

Signs of animal life change. Flies and bees that were swarming all summer seem to disappear. Small animals start preparing for a long winter. Squirrels hide acorns, and chipmunks store seeds. A rabbit gets its burrow, or the hole in the ground where it lives, ready. It is always on the lookout for any predator that might be lurking nearby.

Soon winter will come, but it will end. Animals will come out of hiding, and plants will come to life again. It will be spring. Then summer will come, and autumn will follow closely on its heels. It is fun to watch the seasons change. And it is good to know the changes will happen again and again.

Game: Draw the Definition

In a notebook or on a sheet of paper, write each of the eight selection vocabulary words along the left margin. (You may need two sheets.) Then draw a small picture that shows the meaning of each word. A few of the words are similar, so your drawings should be fairly detailed. Fold the paper so the vocabulary words are hidden. Ask a classmate to look at your pictures and guess which word matches each picture.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is recurring. Recurring means happening over and over. Some things happen only once in a lifetime--like being born. Other events in your life happen over and over again. What are some recurring events in your life? Which ones happen once every year? Which ones happen each day?

192 What Rot! Nature's Mighty Recycler

Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion

As you read, understand what parts of the text are facts and what parts are someone's opinion.

193 by Elizabeth Ring photos by Dwight Kuhn

Focus Questions What would happen without decomposers? How are decomposers part of food chains and webs?

One day, at a pumpkin patch, you pick a plump pumpkin. You carve a face in its head. You'd like its wide, friendly smile to last forever and ever.

But soon, the pumpkin sags. Now it wears a weird grin.

Before long, spots of mold pop out on the pumpkin's soft head--like blue chicken pox. Your pumpkin's got a bad case of pumpkin rot.

Rot sometimes seems really rotten. It can ruin things you may like a lot--like pumpkins or apples or flowers.

Rot makes a crisp, juicy apple shrivel up and turn brown. It dusts the skin of the apple with white, fuzzy mold.

Rot makes a bright-petaled daffodil . . .

. . . droop its head and look sad-- like a small, burst balloon.

Rot changes splashy fall leaves . . .

. . . into brittle brown lace.

In the end, the leaves crumble away. That's okay, though. That's just nature keeping the cycle of life rolling by making things change all the time.

Without rot, leaves and other dead things would pile up, miles high. They could smother the earth. New plants couldn't grow. The truth is that without rot the whole world could die.

Rot is a mighty force that never stops moving. It slowly decays whatever is dying or dead. It weakens the strongest tree you might climb.

What causes rot? Rotters are mostly animals and plants: mammals, insects, birds, and especially microbes. To live, they all need food and shelter--and they find plenty of both in a dying or dead tree. 196

Dozens of different kinds of rotters invade a tree as it dies. Some of these rotters, like bacteria, are microbes that are too small to see--except under a microscope. Other microbes, called fungi, also feed on the tree. You can sometimes see fungi fruits, such as mushrooms, when they push out from the tree's bark. Millions of microbes live inside the tree--feeding, growing, spreading, dying, and, all the while, breaking down the tree's wood.

Many kinds of beetles crawl on the tree. Some kinds poke into cracks in the bark, hunting for insects swarming inside the tree. When this click beetle, which eats very little, was a young wireworm (a larva), it lived both in the ground and under the tree's bark.

Other insects poke, scratch, and chew. Small cracks in the bark become holes. Rain, ice, snow, and dew seep under the bark. There, in the dark, microbes thrive and spread. The wood gets softer each day. Woodpeckers and other birds chip away, hunting insects, making nests.

An owl makes its home in a hollow where two branches meet.

A chipmunk digs a burrow at the tree's loosening roots.

All this rotting activity weakens the tree, hour upon hour. Rot reaches into the tree's core, and the dead tree falls to the ground. Now the tree is a log. Kick the log and you splinter the soft wood.

Termites chew at the wood and the log rots away, day after day . . . after day . . . after day.

Hundreds of ants live in tunnels and galleries that they scoop out of the crumbling log. Here a worker ant tends cocoons in an ant nursery.

An ichneumon wasp uses its long tail to drill through the bark and plant its eggs in tunnels other insects have made. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the larvae of the other insects that live in the log.

198 Fungi, great rotters, grow fast on a log. You sometimes see webs of fungi threads on the bark. Some are white, like a splash of spilled milk. Others look like yellow straw.

Slime mold drapes itself on the log, like a fancy lace collar.

Knobs of lichen stand up stiff and straight.

Some fungi fruits grow big and bloom in odd shapes.

Moss also is a good rotter. Moss plants cover a log like a spongy carpet and sprout little cases full of tiny seedlike grains called spores.

When spores are ripe, they explode--like small fireworks displays. The spores are carried all over, by wind and water, and even in or on animals that may roam far and wide. Some spores will die, but many will settle in places such as damp, rotting logs, where new moss plants can grow.

The day comes when a log--and every other dead thing-- become part of the soil. Millions of microbes, insects, earthworms, snails, beetles, and other rotters in the soil continue to eat, grow, multiply, and die--all helping to enrich the soil for new growth.

Hordes of earthworms play a big role in making good soil. As they churn through the dirt, they mix bits of wood, rotten plants, bone, sand, animal droppings (including their own), and much more. The worms' tunneling also makes open spaces for air and water to circulate.

You might think the soil would smell really rotten, with all the dead stuff it holds. But no. It smells--well, earthy, almost sweet. Even before it is fully decayed, the soil feels moist and looks rich.

Every spring, when the sun warms the earth and rain soaks the ground, new life leaps straight out of the old. New green plants spring from the teeming brown soil.

As the plants grow, many animals feed on them. When a plant dies, an earthworm may pull a leaf, a stem, or a twig underground and eat it when it decays.

Everything eats everything else. This food chain is a big part of the cycle of life. The earthworm may be snatched by a hungry shrew.

The shrew may be caught and eaten by an owl or some other predator. And when that animal dies, its body, too, becomes part of the soil.

When new life grows in a forest, a field, or a garden, it always contains invisible traces of things that gave their lives to the soil. These traces hold nutrients that help new life grow. The cycle of life keeps turning, like a clock that will never stop.

In a way, your pumpkin is going to live on--forever. Last year's pumpkin may seem to be gone. But it's there somewhere. It gave itself to the soil--seeds and all. And the soil is giving it back in new pumpkins.

202 Meet the Author

Elizabeth Ring

Ring knows a lot about nature! She has written a lot of books about animals, their homes, and how things in nature work. Many of these books have been for the National Wildlife Federation. This group works to protect America's wildlife. Ring also worked as a teacher. For a while, she helped make the children's nature magazine Ranger Rick. She lives in Woodbury, Connecticut. Meet the Photographer

Dwight Kuhn

Getting a close-up photo of an animal can be tricky, but that is what Kuhn is good at. Kuhn learned about biology in college. He worked as a teacher for many years. These days, he is a full-time photographer. Many children's books have Kuhn's photos in them. He has also published magazine photo essays. These are groups of photos that tell stories. Because of his skill, his photos teach while being beautiful. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 202 and page 203 in the print version.

1. How does moss reproduce?

2. How do earthworms help enrich the soil?

Across Selections

3. How does this selection add to what you learned about food chains and webs described in "Who Eats What?"

4. What does rot have to do with energy?

5. Many people have a compost pile in their yard where they toss leaves, rotten leftovers from the fridge, potato peelings, apple cores, etc. Why do you think someone would want a compost pile?

6. Why do people freeze some foods they plan to store for a long time?

Write about It!

Write a brief poem based on one of the photos in the selection.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about nature's delicate balance to add to the Concept/Question Board.

204 Social Studies Inquiry: Water Rights

Narrative Nonfiction blends elements of fiction with elements of nonfiction to make a more exciting story. Feature

Maps are a representation, usually on a flat surface, of a region of the earth.

"Are we going to run out of water?" Jamie asked her dad one evening. Their family had just moved from New York to Nevada. Kids at school were talking about "water rights" and "droughts."

"No, honey," her dad said. "There's no need to let your mouth droop . Most of our water comes from the Colorado River. It carries water to many states and Mexico. Farmers use its water for their crops. It is used in power plants. It provides people in the cities with water too. Almost 17 million people depend on it."

"How can one river do all that?" Jamie asked.

"It's 1,450 miles long," her dad said. "That's really long! It starts in Colorado and flows to Mexico."

"Tell me more about droughts and water rights," Jamie said.

"Well, a drought is when it doesn't rain much for a long time. There is not enough water to circulate to all the people who need it. Then people argue about who gets the water from the rivers. You can't really own a river, you know. The government has to make laws that say who has the rights to water."

"It sounds complicated," Jamie said.

"It is," said her dad.

Think Link

Look at the map of the Colorado River system. What are some big cities that might get water from this river? You may need to find a more detailed map to use as a cross reference.

What is a drought? What kinds of things happen during a drought?

How much do you know about the water supply and annual rainfall where you live? Do some research to find out more.

Try It! As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a map to show your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Great Kapok Tree": ancestors smoldering clinging dangle wither pollinate oxygen start

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find meanings of words. Use context clues to find the meanings of ancestors and smoldering.

"This place is really old!" Jacob exclaimed.

Jacob and his grandma were exploring an old country schoolhouse behind his grandparents' farm.

"Our ancestors farmed all this land you see," his grandma told him proudly, "and my daddy, my granddad, and I all attended this school."

"Can we go inside, or is it unsafe?" Jacob asked. Part of the roof was missing, and the walls did not look very sturdy.

"We will just peek in," his grandma said.

"Look!" Jacob said. "Some of the desks are still here--and a wood-burning stove." 207

"Last summer, I walked back here and found some embers still smoldering in the stove," his grandma said. "Someone must have used the schoolhouse as a campsite."

"Look at all the spider webs clinging to the walls and rafters!" Jacob said.

"I am not a big fan of spiders," his grandma said, making a face. "I want to show you something." She led Jacob to an open meadow and pointed to a rickety fence.

"I am too old to sit on that fence and dangle my legs like I used to do," she said. "These legs of mine are starting to wither . But I can still lie on the soft grass and breathe in the sweet smell of wildflowers and watch the bees pollinate them."

Grandma and Jacob found the perfect spot and stretched out on their backs while the sun beamed down on them softly.

"Ahh ... breathe in that clean oxygen ," Jacob said with a yawn. In a matter of minutes, he had dozed off.

"Jacob, wake up!" his grandma called.

Jacob awoke with a start .

"This meadow makes a pretty good bed!" he said.

Game: Fill In the Blank

On a sheet of paper, write eight sentences using one of the selection vocabulary words in each sentence. In place of each vocabulary word, draw a blank line. Hand your paper to a classmate, and have him or her try to fill in the correct words.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is ecosystem. An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things in a certain area that are linked together. A rain forest is an example of an ecosystem. In a rain forest, you might find spider monkeys, sloths, toucans, poison arrow frogs, fig trees, orchids, and rivers. Think of three other ecosystems. Now choose one of them and think of ten living and nonliving things that are a part of that ecosystem.

A fantasy is an imaginary story that contains characters, settings, or events that are impossible and do not exist in the real world. Comprehension Skill: Classify and Categorize

As you read, put like things together to understand the relationships set up by the author.

209 The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry

Focus Questions

What happens when part of a system is removed? How does a single tree fit into nature's delicate balance?

Two men walked into the rain forest. Moments before, the forest had been alive with the sounds of squawking birds and howling monkeys. Now all was quiet as the creatures watched the two men and wondered why they had come.

The larger man stopped and pointed to a great Kapok tree. Then he left.

The smaller man took the ax he carried and struck the trunk of the tree. Whack! Whack! Whack! The sounds of the blows rang through the forest. The wood of the tree was very hard. Chop! Chop! Chop! The man wiped off the sweat that ran down his face and neck. Whack! Chop! Whack! Chop!

Soon the man grew tired. He sat down to rest at the foot of the great Kapok tree. Before he knew it, the heat and hum of the forest had lulled him to sleep.

A boa constrictor lived in the Kapok tree. He slithered down its trunk to where the man was sleeping. He looked at the gash the ax had made in the tree. Then the huge snake slid very close to the man and hissed in his ear: "Senhor, this tree is a tree of miracles. It is my home, where generations of my ancestors have lived. Do not chop it down."

A bee buzzed in the sleeping man's ear: "Senhor, my hive is in this Kapok tree, and I fly from tree to tree and flower to flower collecting pollen. In this way I pollinate the trees and flowers throughout the rain forest. You see, all living things depend on one another."

A troupe of monkeys scampered down from the canopy of the Kapok tree. They chattered to the sleeping man: "Senhor, we have seen the ways of man. You chop down one tree, then come back for another and another. The roots of these great trees will wither and die, and there will be nothing left to hold the earth in place. When the heavy rains come, the soil will be washed away and the forest will become a desert."

A toucan, a macaw, and a cock-of-the-rock flew down from the canopy: "Senhor!" squawked the toucan, "you must not cut down this tree. We have flown over the rain forest and seen what happens once you begin to chop down the trees. Many people settle on the land. They set fires to clear the underbrush, and soon the forest disappears. Where once there was life and beauty only black and smoldering ruins remain."

A bright and small tree frog crawled along the edge of a leaf. In a squeaky voice he piped in the man's ear: "Senhor, a ruined rain forest means ruined lives . . . many ruined lives. You will leave many of us homeless if you chop down this great Kapok tree."

A jaguar had been sleeping along a branch in the middle of the tree. Because his spotted coat blended into the dappled light and shadows of the understory, no one had noticed him. Now he leapt down and padded silently over to the sleeping man. He growled in his ear: "Senhor, the Kapok tree is home to many birds and animals. If you cut it down, where will I find my dinner?"

Four tree porcupines swung down from branch to branch and whispered to the man: "Senhor, do you know what we animals and humans need in order to live? Oxygen. And, Senhor, do you know what trees produce? Oxygen! If you cut down the forests you will destroy that which gives us all life."

Several anteaters climbed down the Kapok tree with their young clinging to their backs. The unstriped anteater said to the sleeping man: "Senhor, you are chopping down this tree with no thought for the future. And surely you know that what happens tomorrow depends upon what you do today. The big man tells you to chop down a beautiful tree. He does not think of his own children, who tomorrow must live in a world without trees."

A three-toed sloth had begun climbing down from the canopy when the men first appeared. Only now did she reach the ground. Plodding ever so slowly over to the sleeping man, she spoke in her deep and lazy voice: "Senhor, how much is beauty worth? Can you live without it? If you destroy the beauty of the rain forest, on what would you feast your eyes?"

A child from the Yanomamo tribe who lived in the rain forest knelt over the sleeping man. He murmured in his ear: "Senhor, when you awake, please look upon us all with new eyes."

The man awoke with a start. Before him stood the rain forest child, and all around him, staring, were the creatures who depended upon the great Kapok tree. What wondrous and rare animals they were!

The man looked about and saw the sun streaming through the canopy. Spots of bright light glowed like jewels amidst the dark green forest. Strange and beautiful plants seemed to dangle in the air, suspended from the great Kapok tree.

The man smelled the fragrant perfume of their flowers. He felt the steamy mist rising from the forest floor. But he heard no sound, for the creatures were strangely silent.

The man stood and picked up his ax. He swung back his arm as though to strike the tree. Suddenly he stopped.

He turned and looked at the animals and the child.

He hesitated. Then he dropped the ax and walked out of the rain forest.

222 Meet the Author and Illustrator

Lynne Cherry

Cherry wants to get children excited about the natural world. When planning her books, she ponders problems children should know about. She thinks about how children can help. Cherry likes to go to schools and talk about nature. She started a group that helps show teachers how nature can be a part of everything at school. When she wants to relax, Cherry hikes and canoes through the world she loves so much.

1. Why does the jaguar want to save the Kapok tree?

2. What happens when people start cutting down trees in a rain forest?

Across Selections

3. What two forms of water are found in a rain forest?

4. Compare the hawk described in "Who Eats What?" and the jaguar in "The Great Kapok Tree."

5. The sloth speaks of the beauty of the rain forest. What do you think is the most beautiful thing in nature? 6. How does the Amazon rain forest affect you?

Write about It!

Describe a tree that is special to you.

Remember to look at other people's questions and try to answer them on the Concept/Question Board.

224 Science Inquiry: Plants and Their Cells

Feature

Diagrams are drawings that are used to show the relationship among different objects.

Just like people and animals, plants are made up of tiny units called cells.

But plants are unique when it comes to what their cells can do. Plants are the only living things that can make their own food. When a plant makes food, it is called photosynthesis. Special parts of a plant's cells help it carry out this process.

Leaf cells contain a green substance called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll traps energy from the sun. It uses this energy to change carbon dioxide and water into a sugar. The sugar is called glucose. Glucose is food for a plant. Plants also can change sugar into starch, which is stored to be used later. Plants produce oxygen , which keeps animals alive.

The chloroplast is the part of the plant cell that holds the chlorophyll. This is where photosynthesis takes place. Plant cells also have a cell wall. The stiff cell wall gives structure to the plant.

Human cells do not have chloroplasts or cell walls. But they do have a lot in common with plant cells. Every cell has a cell membrane that helps give the cell its shape. Both human and plant cells have a nucleus. The nucleus is like a brain that tells the cell what to do.

Without cells, living things could not function. Cells are called the building blocks of life.

Think Link

Look at the diagram of a plant cell. Locate the cell wall, the cell membrane, the nucleus, and the chloroplast. In which cell part do plants make their food? Describe the process of photosynthesis in your own words.

Why do you think plant cells have cell walls and human cells do not?

cell wall cell membrane nucleus chloroplast

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a diagram to illustrate your ideas.

226 Circle of Songs by Cynthia Porter

Focus Question How do flowers know when to grow?

The flowers sing a song of earth; bees sing a song of flowers.

The wind that sings across the sky sings of sun and showers.

The sun sings songs of shining light; the round earth sings of spinning.

Birds sing a song of bright blue sky, and spring sings of beginning.

227 Yellow Leaf by Fredrick Zydek

Focus Question How are nature's various cycles linked?

A single yellow leaf slips from a tree, wafts its gentle way to the stream below.

Yellow leaf, how do I draw you near?

Shall I use the rain hissing on the pines, the lashes of ferns and lilies, a short stick? How shall I ever make you mine?

Shall I wade out to my knees, face the wilds of the watery deep that sweeps you down the mountains to the waiting sea, the yellow sands of the waiting sea?

228 Mold, Mold by Jack Prelutsky

Focus Questions Why are some parts of nature's balance more appealing than others? Why would someone write a poem about mold?

Mold, mold, marvelous mold, alluring to look at, enthralling to hold, you are so delightful

I can't help but smile when I nuzzle a smidgen of mold for awhile.

Slime, slime, savory slime, you're luscious and succulent any old time, there's hardly a thing that is nearly as grand as a dollop of slime in the palm of my hand. Some think you are miserable manners of muck, they can't stand to see you, you make them say, "Yuck!"

But I think you're fetching, beguiling and fine, mold, you are glorious, slime, you're divine.

Test-Taking Strategy: Identifying and Using Important Words

Pay attention to important words in directions and questions. These important words will help you find the correct answer.

Identifying and Using Important Words

All questions and answer choices have important words. When you read questions and answer choices, try to find the important words. They will help you answer the question correctly.

Read the sample problem below. Think about the important words in the question and answer choices.

According to this article, what should you do with a garden in the fall?

A Use less water

B Use more fertilizer

C Pull all the plants out of the ground

D Cover the plants with plastic

The important words in the question are According to this article and fall . The words According to this article tell you that you should use the information in the article, not other information that you might have heard or read. The word fall tells you the time of year you should think about. In some questions, the important words can include less , more , and all . These words, even the small ones, help you understand the question and answer choices. It is important that you carefully read every word in the question and the answer choices.

Read the article "Making Soil." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

Every day tons of trash end up in America's landfills. Almost one-third of the trash is kitchen and yard waste. To reduce this mountain of trash, many people turn to composting. This process is a way of helping piles of waste decay naturally.

Compost is made by billions of microbes. Microbes are tiny, living things such as fungi and bacteria. They eat and digest waste. In short, they turn trash into compost. Compost is a dark, crumbly form of soil. The soil is added to gardens to make plants grow better. It is not a surprise to learn that most gardeners have compost piles.

The best microbes are aerobic, which means they need air to work. If there is not enough air, anaerobic microbes take over. Anaerobic microbes do not need air, and they decompose trash more slowly. In addition, they smell bad. To limit anaerobic microbes in compost piles, people lift and turn the waste with a garden fork or spade. Turning the compost keeps it from sticking together. Adding straw can help create more space for air too.

Compost microbes also need water. Every piece of waste needs a thin coating of water so microbes can live. If the compost pile is too dry, few microbes can live there. The garbage will take longer to decay. If there is too much water, the waste gets soggy and clumps together. In wet areas, compost piles must be covered to keep them from getting too damp. In dry areas, a compost pile must be watered regularly.

Finally, microbes need two major kinds of food: browns and greens. Browns are dry, dead plants such as wood chips, sawdust, dead weeds, straw, and dry leaves that have fallen from the trees. Because plants contain forms of sugar, microbes get energy from browns. Browns also are important because they make air pockets in the compost pile.

Greens are vegetable or fruit scraps, green leaves, grass, or green plants. Some things that are not green in color are still considered greens. Coffee grounds, tea bags, and manure are greens. Greens have nitrogen, which microbes need to grow. They also supply microbes with water. Mixing browns and greens gives microbes air, moisture, and food. All three are necessary to turn waste into compost. 233

Test Tips

Skim the questions, and do the easiest ones first.

Think about the question.

Look at each answer choice.

Use the information you learned from the article "Making Soil" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

The second paragraph tells--

A where microbes get sugar.

B why microbes need air.

C what aerobic microbes are.

D how microbes make compost.

What three things do aerobic microbes need to turn waste into compost?

A Worms, insects, and fungi

B Air, water, and food

C Compost, wood, and leaves

D Browns, greens, and bacteria

To keep compost from smelling bad, what should a person do?

A Feed the microbes greens and browns

B Cover the compost pile

C Turn the waste to make space for air

D Water the compost pile often

Which of these is an opinion from the article?

A Anaerobic microbes smell bad.

B Compost is made by microbes. C Compost microbes need water.

D Anaerobic microbes do not need air.

234 Unit 3: A Changing America

On a July day in 1776, a new nation was born. Thirteen colonies along the Atlantic shore came together as the United States of America. In less than one hundred years, that country would span an entire continent. What was it like to live in those years? How did the country and its people change as it grew? Theme Connection

Look at the illustration.

* What do you see?

* What places, people, or events do you recognize?

* How does this illustrate a changing America?

Big Idea

How has America changed over time?

236 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The U.S. Constitution and You":

* original

* independence

* declared

* settle

* proper

* violate

* contribute

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words violate and contribute. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

"We just want our freedom!" Josie exclaimed. "Is that too much to ask?"

Josie's social studies class was studying the original thirteen colonies and their fight for independence from England. She and three friends were acting out a fictional scene between two colonists (Josie and Garrett) and two of England's leaders (Kyle and Lola).

"Freedom?" Kyle asked Josie, adjusting his powdered wig. "If you want freedom, you are going to have to fight for it!"

"Then that is exactly what we will do!" Josie declared .

"Surely there must be some other way to settle this matter," Lola said. "Do you realize how serious war is?"

"We do not want a war any more than you do," Garrett said, "but we have tried to handle this in a proper manner. England just will not cooperate!"

"You are the ones who will not cooperate!" Kyle said angrily. "You violate our laws and then expect to get away with it?"

"Your laws are unfair!" Josie exclaimed. "Fine," said Kyle. "Go ahead and start a war if you want to, but you will regret it. You do not have enough men. You are too inexperienced. Besides, it takes money to fund a war!"

"Our soldiers will fight with everything they have," Josie said. "And we have many rich patriots who have gladly offered to contribute thousands of dollars to our cause."

"War it is then," said Lola. "I cannot believe freedom means so much to you that you would risk your lives."

"Freedom means the world to us," said Garrett. "More than you could ever know."

Game: Fill In the Blank

Write each of the seven vocabulary words on a piece of paper or in a notebook. Look up the definitions in a dictionary, and then write a sentence using each of the words. Leave a blank line where the vocabulary word belongs. Have a classmate fill in the correct words in your sentences. Then study the words and definitions together.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is constitution. A constitution is a document that shows the basic principles used to govern a country. Think of the rules and principles you live by at home. If your family had a constitution, what kinds of principles would it include? (Examples: Each member of the family must be kind to every other family member. Or each member of the family is responsible for making his or her bed.) Think of eight to ten rules that are important for a family to obey. Write them down, and share them with a classmate.

Expository Text tells people something. It contains facts about real people, things, and events.

Comprehension Skill: Compare and Contrast

As you read, understand the similarities and differences among various sets of characters, situations, settings, and ideas.

239 The U.S. Constitution and You by Syl Sobel Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 238 and page 239 in the print version.

Focus Questions

Why does America need the Constitution? How do checks and balances protect the Constitution?

Introduction

If you lived in the United States in 1787, you would have been part of a great adventure. The United States was a very new country. It had declared its independence from England in 1776 and won its independence in 1783. You would have been living in a country that was just starting out.

The leaders of the thirteen original states decided to organize their states into a league. They made rules for how their league would work. The rules were called the Articles of Confederation. A confederation is another word for a league.

This league, however, was not very well organized. The states called their league the United States of America, but they were not really united as one nation. Rather, each state was like its own country with its own rules. The Articles of Confederation did not have many rules to make the states work together.

So if you lived in New York, you thought of yourself as a New Yorker and not as a citizen of the United States. Same thing if you lived in Virginia, or Maryland, or Massachusetts--you put your state first and the United States second (if you even thought of the United States at all).

People from your state probably did not trust people from other states. People from other states probably did not trust people from your state. If you were a farmer or in business, some states made it difficult for you to sell your products in their states. Some states argued about which one owned certain pieces of land. The league did not have the power to settle these disagreements.

To make things more confusing, different states used different kinds of money. The Articles of Confederation did not have rules about what kind of money the states must use. Some states would not accept money from other states. So even if you sold your goods in another state, you would have to accept their money, which may not be used in your state. That would make it hard for you to do business in other states or even to travel to other states. 242

The Articles of Confederation also did not have good rules for raising money for their league. The United States could ask your state and the other states for money. However, the states could not be forced to contribute. So the United States did not have money, for example, to pay for an army or navy. If another country tried to attack your state, there was no U.S. army or navy to protect it. Your state would have to defend itself.

The United States was not getting off to a very good start. Many of the states' leaders decided they needed to organize their league better. They needed more rules to make the states work together. They needed someone in charge to make the states follow the rules. They needed an army and a navy to protect all of the states.

Leaders of the states decided to hold a meeting in Philadelphia in May 1787 to make better rules for the United States. Twelve of the thirteen states sent representatives, called delegates, to this meeting. Rhode Island decided not to send delegates.

The delegates quickly decided they should no longer treat each state like a separate country. Most of the delegates agreed that the country needed a strong, national government--a United States government--that could make rules for all of the states. The rules they wrote to create the national government are called the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution does three things. First, it creates a national government for the United States and makes rules for how that government must work. Second, it says the government cannot take away certain rights from the people. Third, it allows the state governments to keep certain rights and responsibilities.

George Washington speaks to the delegates at the Constitutional Convention.

The Rules for the Government George Washington

James Madison

The delegates who wrote the Constitution were doing something that no one had ever done before. They were making rules to create a new nation. The fifty-five delegates at this meeting were smart and well educated. Many of the most important people in the United States at that time were delegates, including George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. We now call these people the Framers, for framing the rules for our government.

The Framers remembered what America was like when the king of England was in charge. They thought the king treated the people badly, and the people had no way to stop him. England was a monarchy. A monarchy is a country in which one person--usually a king or queen--has complete control of the government, usually for life. The Framers did not want the leaders of their government to become too powerful. They believed the people should be in charge of the government and not the other way around. We call a country whose government gets its power from the people a democracy.

Alexander Hamilton

Benjamin Franklin

Many of the Framers did not like the idea of complete democracy. They did not believe the people should make all of the decisions for the country. They did, however, believe in a system of government in which the people elect leaders to run the government. We call this type of government a republic. So the Framers created a type of government that is sometimes called a democratic republic. That means the people create the government, and the people elect leaders to run the government.

To prevent the government's leaders from becoming more powerful than the people, the Framers created a system in which power is shared. They believed that governments have three main jobs: (1) making rules for the government and the people--these rules are called laws; (2) carrying out the laws, and making sure the people obey the laws; (3) settling disagreements about the laws, and punishing people who do not obey the laws. Instead of giving all three of these jobs to one person or to one group of people, the Constitution created a separate part of the government, called a branch, to do each job.

246 Three Branches of Government

The Legislative Branch

The first branch created by the Constitution is the legislative branch, called Congress, which makes the laws. People from each state elect individuals to represent them in Congress.

The Constitution divides the

Congress into two groups called houses. One house is the House of Representatives, the other is the U.S. Senate.

The Constitution says that only Congress, and not the states, can make laws about money in the United States. Because of these laws, all of the states now use the same money. If you have a U.S. dollar, you can spend it in any state in the country.

The Constitution also gives Congress power to make laws about businesses that affect more than one state. This allows farmers and business people to sell their products in any state and for people to travel from state to state to do business. For example, if you have a favorite type of snack food in your state, there is a good chance you will find it in other states.

The Constitution gives Congress power to create an army and a navy. It also says Congress, and not the states, can declare war on other countries.

The Constitution gives Congress power to make laws about taxes. Taxes are the money the government collects from the people to help it do its jobs, such as paying the soldiers and sailors and buying equipment for them. The Constitution also says Congress, and not the states, can charge taxes on products that people sell to other countries and that people buy from other countries.

The Executive Branch The second branch created by the Constitution is the executive branch. The leader of this branch is the president of the United States, who is also called the chief executive. The Constitution gives the president the job of carrying out the laws that Congress makes. Many people work in the executive branch to help do this job. For example, people who work in the executive branch make sure people obey the laws about business and money.

The Constitution also says the president is the commander in chief of the army, navy, and others in the military. The president also has the power to meet with leaders of other countries and to make agreements with them.

The Constitution creates the job of vice president. The vice president takes the president's place in case anything happens to the president. The vice president is also president of the Senate. That means the vice president gets to vote in the Senate when there is a tie.

The Judicial Branch

The third branch created by the Constitution is the judicial branch. It contains the Supreme Court of the United States and other U.S. courts. (States also have their own courts.) Courts settle disagreements about the law and explain what the law means. Courts also decide whether people have disobeyed the law and how to punish people who have. The people in charge of making these decisions are called judges (and are called justices on the Supreme Court).

While we sometimes call the branches the first branch, the second branch, and the third branch, this does not mean they are ranked in order of importance. Each branch has equal importance under the Constitution.

The Constitution gives the three branches of the U.S. government powers that the government under the Articles of Confederation did not have. The Constitution says that it and the laws of the United States are "the supreme Law of the Land." This means that the laws of the U.S. government have power over and above the laws of the states. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 250 and page 251 in the print version.

Checks and Balances

By creating three separate branches to do the government's jobs, the Framers tried to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful. This system is called separation of powers. It gives some power to each branch of government instead of all power to only one branch of government. The Constitution also contains rules that give each branch of government some power to control the power of the other branches. We call these rules checks and balances.

For example, before Congress can make a law, both houses must agree to it. More than half of the members of the House of Representatives must vote for it, and more than half of the members of the Senate must vote for it. This is one check and balance on the power of Congress to make laws.

Another important check and balance is called the veto power. After Congress agrees to make a law, the Constitution says the president must sign it before it can become a law. If the president does not sign it, that is called a veto. If Congress still wants to make the law after the president's veto, it can. This time, however, two-thirds of the members of each house must agree to it.

What if Congress and the president agree to a law that goes against the Constitution? What if, for example, Congress and the president made a law that said there would be no more vice president? That is one reason why the Framers created the judicial branch. The U.S. courts decide whether laws--including state laws--are proper under the Constitution. If a law does not agree with the Constitution, the law cannot be enforced.

That gives the courts an important check and balance on Congress and the president. What kind of checks and balances do Congress and the president have on the courts? For one thing, the president chooses people to become U.S. judges, and the Senate must agree to the people the president picks. For another, Congress decides how many courts to create in addition to the Supreme Court. Congress also decides how many judges work in each court.

The People's Powers

The Constitution also gives powers to the people to protect them from a too-powerful government. For example, it gives the people the right to elect members of Congress and the president. In many other countries, leaders are born into power and stay in power for their entire lives.

The Constitution also limits how long government leaders can be in office. It says members of the House of Representatives keep their jobs for two years and members of the Senate keep their jobs for six years. Then they have to be elected again if they want to keep their jobs. The length of time that a person can hold office is called a term. The president's term of office is four years. The Constitution now says a president can be elected to only two terms. There is no limit on the number of terms for members of Congress.

Judges do not serve for terms. They may serve as judges for as long as they live. This is because judges sometimes have to make unpopular decisions about laws that the people want but that violate the Constitution. By putting judges into office for life, the Constitution allows judges to make these hard decisions without having to worry about losing their jobs. The only way judges can lose their jobs is if the House of Representatives impeaches them and the Senate votes to remove them from office.

The president serves four years, with a two-term limit.

The Constitution and You

Representatives serve two years, and senators serve six years. Both have no term limit.

A judge receives a lifetime appointment.

The Constitution is a remarkable document. When it was written, it created a new nation and a new form of government. Nothing like it had ever been written before. Now, the government it created has lasted more than 200 years. Many other countries model their constitutions on ours.

The Constitution creates a system of government that gives you many freedoms and protections that people in other countries do not have. Some countries have a single, all-powerful leader who makes all the laws. In our country, the Constitution makes the president share much of the decision-making power with Congress. In addition, the courts make sure the laws agree with the Constitution.

256 In some countries, people are born into positions of leadership. In our country, the Constitution gives the people the right to elect the nation's leaders. It also makes rules for who can hold certain offices. Anyone who meets those rules can try to get elected.

In some countries, kings, queens, and other rulers stay in power for life. In our country, the Constitution says that every few years, the people can choose new leaders.

In some countries, the government tells you which religion to practice and punishes people who do not practice that religion. In our country, the Constitution says that you can practice any religion--or no religion.

In some countries, the government punishes people who complain about the government. In our country, the Constitution says you may speak and write freely, even if the government does not like it.

In some countries, the government arrests people, puts them into jail, and punishes them for no reason. In our country, the Constitution says the government must follow many rules to protect the rights of people who are charged with crimes.

Protecting these rights also means you have important responsibilities. One responsibility is to vote so you can choose leaders and lawmakers who will act wisely and protect your rights. Another responsibility is to serve on juries, to protect the right to jury trials. Another responsibility is to pay taxes so that the government gets the money it needs to do its many jobs.

When the Framers finished writing the Constitution and left their meeting in Philadelphia, someone asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have you given us?"

"A republic," Franklin replied. "If you can keep it."

The Constitution creates a government of the people. Our job is to keep it going.

258 Meet the Author Syl Sobel

Sobel started writing books for children about government after his seven-year-old daughter asked him to make a book to help her understand politics. Now students across the United States have read his books about presidential elections, the U.S. Constitution, and the U.S. government. Sobel is good at explaining the complicated aspects of government in ways that are easy to understand because he thinks like a child when he writes. In addition to being an author, he has been a newspaper reporter and an attorney. He is now the director of the Communications Policy & Design Office at the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C., where he is in the heart of politics.

259 A Changing America: Theme Connections

1. What is a democratic republic?

2. What is the role of each of the three branches of government?

3. How can you help protect the Constitution?

4. How does the Constitution make your life better?

Write about It!

Describe a time you voted for or against something.

Remember to add your questions about a changing America to the Concept/Question Board.

260 Social Studies Inquiry: State Governments

Feature

A bar graph is a chart with parallel bars. The bars represent different quantities.

Created for the original thirteen colonies, the U.S. Constitution is the law of our land. Did you know that each state also has a constitution? This system of having state and national governments is called federalism. We often call the U.S. government the federal government. Like the national government, each state government has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

A state's executive branch is headed by a governor. The governor signs bills that become laws. A state's legislative branch is made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Some states call the House the Assembly. The Senate and the House pass laws for the state. A state's supreme court is the highest court in its judicial branch.

States cannot create money. That is the job of the national government. Military branches like the U.S. Army and Navy are run by the national government. A state's military is called the National Guard.

The states are in charge of schools and parks. They have traffic laws and police. Can you think of other things states do?

Think Link

Four State Houses of Legislature

Look at the bar graph. Why do you think each state has fewer people in the Senate than in the House (or Assembly)?

How are the state and federal governments alike? How are they different?

What do you think would happen if states could make their own money?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a bar graph to show your facts.

262 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist":

* astronomy

* positions

* skill

* colonies

* site

* capital

Vocabulary Strategy

Appositives are words or groups of words that rename another word in the same sentence. Look at the word astronomy. Look for the use of apposition to find the meaning of astronomy.

Nervous and excited, Jorge was seconds away from boarding an airplane for the very first time. He was flying to Maryland to visit his cousin Diego. Diego lived in the city--right in downtown Baltimore. Jorge lived on a huge ranch in Texas. He had never been out of the state.

Jorge held his bag tightly and made his way to his seat. Good! He was by a window! The night sky was filled with stars. Jorge loved astronomy , the study of stars and planets. He even had his own telescope. It was quite popular with his family. On their ranch, far from the city, the stars shone brightly. It was easy to track the positions of the planets. But now, the lights from the runway made stargazing difficult.

As the plane took off, Jorge tried to keep his mind off his fears. He tried to remember all he had learned about Maryland in the past couple weeks. He wanted Diego to know he cared about his home state. Remembering was not hard. His teachers told him that memorization was a skill he had perfected long ago.

He knew that Maryland was one of America's first colonies . Many important events of the American Civil War happened there too. Jorge hoped to visit a historic battle site .

Baltimore was not far from the country's capital city, Washington, D.C. Diego said they planned to spend a day there touring museums and monuments. Jorge wanted to see the Washington monument. Jorge kept thinking of facts about Maryland until he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was time to land.

"Diego and Baltimore, here I come!"

Game: State Stars

On a sheet of paper, draw a large outline of your state. Using a map, find six of the bigger cities in your state, including the one in which you live. Draw a star where each city is located. By each star, write the definition of one of the selection vocabulary words. Ask a classmate to write the correct word by its definition. Then ask him or her to identify the cities you have marked with stars.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is pioneer. A pioneer is one of the first people to explore or discover something. Now that we are in the twenty-first century, there are not many places left to discover on Earth. If you could have been the first person to explore or discover a certain place in the world, which place would you choose, and why?

Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions

As you read, use information from the text to make statements about characters and events in the story.

265 Benjamin Banneker by Ginger Wadsworth illustrated by Greg Hargreaves

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 264 and page 265 in the print version. Focus Questions

Why was Benjamin Banneker able to do so much? What was Banneker's most important accomplishment?

Maryland 1737

Benjamin Banneker was working on his family's tobacco farm. It was hard work for a six-year- old boy. The sun baked his back as he cut weeds with his hoe. He picked bugs off the big, flat leaves. Sometimes he counted the bugs, just before he squished them. He counted all the rows of tobacco plants on the farm. He even counted logs in the cabin he shared with his parents and three sisters. Counting made the lonely work a little more fun.

At supper, Benjamin listened to stories about his family. Benjamin's grandmother was white. She had been a servant long ago. She worked for many years without pay. Benjamin's grandfather was black. In Africa, he had been the son of a king.

In America, he had been a slave. Benjamin's father had been a slave, too. But no one in Benjamin's family was a slave anymore. Their owners had set them free. Now the Bannekers owned this farm. Benjamin and his family were lucky. Most black men, women, and children in America were slaves. They did not own anything.

After supper, Benjamin sat with Grandmother Molly in her cabin. A fire heated the little house. Candles lit the room. Grandmother Molly opened her Bible. It was the only book she owned. Grandmother was teaching Benjamin to read. Benjamin was a fast learner. Everyone in the family was proud of him. He could read and write. And he was especially good at doing math problems. After Grandmother Molly had taught Benjamin everything she could, she sent him to school.

Benjamin had never seen so many books! Most of the students at school had white skin, like Grandmother Molly. Everyone sat on benches and listened to the teacher. Sometimes they did math problems. Other times, they read from books. The teacher even let Benjamin take some books home. Benjamin worked hard and learned a lot. After school, he did chores. Then, if he was not too sleepy, he could read his school books.

At night, Benjamin lay on his bed and looked out the window. Stars sparkled in the inky-black sky. Some were brighter than others, and Benjamin wondered why. Some groups of stars looked like animals or shapes. Sometimes a star seemed to shoot across the sky. Benjamin wondered why.

The Clock Maker

After only four years of school, Benjamin had to quit. He was young and strong. His family needed him to work on the farm full time. But school had made Benjamin hungry to learn. He still kept his eyes on the sky. Sometimes he did hard math problems in the dirt. He used a stick instead of a pencil. At night, Benjamin read books by candlelight.

Like most farmers, Benjamin told time by watching the position of the sun. But sometimes the sun was hidden behind trees or clouds. Clocks had been around for a long time. But in the 1750s, only rich people had clocks. Benjamin decided to make his own. When he was 20 years old, Benjamin borrowed a friend's pocket watch. He took it apart and studied each tiny piece. How did the thin hands go around and around, ticking off each minute? He drew a sketch of each piece. Then he carved new parts out of wood. He worked on his clock through the winter and summer.

After two years of carving, Benjamin put together the pieces he had made. His new clock worked! A bell rang once an hour. Benjamin no longer needed to look at the sky to tell time. His clock did the job. Lots of people came to see Benjamin's clock. They wanted to meet the clock maker, too.

When Benjamin was 27 years old, the lonely farm life got even lonelier. His father died. His sisters had married and moved away. And Grandmother Molly had died. Only Benjamin and his mother were left to do all the farm work. There was so much to do, Benjamin had little time for studying. Sometimes he stayed up late and read his math books. Some nights he played his flute or violin and thought about his father.

271 Benjamin began to make friends with other farmers who lived nearby. Many could not read or write. They didn't know much about math, either. Benjamin showed his new friends how to weigh their tobacco crop. He helped them figure out how much it was worth. He also helped them write letters. Benjamin often met other farmers at a nearby store. They read newspapers there and talked about the tough questions of farming. Was it time to plow? Was it going to snow again? Was it too early to plant seeds? Maybe someday Benjamin could help his friends with these questions, too.

Revolution! 1775

After Benjamin's mother died, he had to run the whole farm by himself. It was harder than ever to find time to study. At least he had friends at the store to keep him company.

Important news gave Benjamin and his friends a lot to talk about. Maryland was one of 13 American colonies ruled by Great Britain. Many Americans thought the colonies should be free to rule themselves. They did not like paying taxes to the British king.

In April, British soldiers attacked Americans in Massachusetts. The Americans quickly formed an army. George Washington was their leader. Soldiers marched up and down the roads near Benjamin's farm. A war had begun. After many battles, the colonies won the Revolutionary War in 1783. A new country was born!

George Washington became the first president of the United States of America. During the war, Benjamin had kept farming and studying. He had also begun learning a new skill. His friend, George Ellicott, was a surveyor. George measured land and made plans so new roads could be built. He taught Benjamin about surveying. As usual, Benjamin wanted to learn more and more.

George also taught Benjamin about astronomy. Astronomy is the science of studying the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets. George even had a telescope. Benjamin had always wondered about the stars. Now he learned that the brightest stars were not stars at all. They were distant planets. Benjamin studied George's astronomy books. He learned how to follow the positions of the planets. With this information, Benjamin could tell what the weather would be like next year. His new knowledge also made him a better surveyor.

There was so much to learn! Sometimes Benjamin stayed up studying all night. He thought about his farmer friends. Benjamin thought he could help them with their farming questions. He wanted to write an almanac. In the 1700s, almanacs were important books. New ones came out every year. They gave people information for every day in the year. Almanacs had calendars and dates for planting and harvesting. They also told what the weather would be like the next year. Some almanacs had poems, stories, recipes, and news.

Benjamin dipped his pen in the ink bottle over and over again. Piles of paper covered his table. On some, he had written math problems. Some had notes about the sky and the weather. When the rooster crowed, Benjamin put away his work. It was time to milk the cows.

In 1790, President Washington chose a site to build America's capital city. The area was called the District of Columbia. It was only a few hours away from Benjamin's farm. The president needed surveyors to plan the streets. The top surveyor on the job was Andrew Ellicott, George's cousin. Andrew knew that Benjamin was very good at surveying and astronomy. He asked Benjamin to help him.

Helping to survey the capital was a great honor for Benjamin. Very few black people in the 1790s got a chance to do such important work. And it was fun, too. Benjamin loved using Andrew's excellent surveying tools. Benjamin worked during the cold, damp, winter nights. Sometimes he slept only a few hours in his tent. After three months, the work and weather were wearing Benjamin down. He was almost 60 years old. He loved his job, but he was ready to go home. It was time to finish his almanac.

Almanac Writer: 1791

At home, Benjamin wrote and wrote. When he stopped, it was only to sharpen his pen tip with his knife. He checked his math many times. Sometimes he forgot to do the farm chores. It took Benjamin four months to write an almanac for the year 1792. His book was packed with information that people needed--especially farmers. Benjamin made four copies of his almanac in his best penmanship. He sent one copy to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the secretary of state of the United States. He was also a farmer, like Benjamin. Like many white farmers, Jefferson owned slaves.

Benjamin sent a long letter to Jefferson along with the almanac. He wrote that slavery was cruel. Black people deserved to be treated the same as white people. He argued that no one should own slaves--not even important American leaders. A few weeks later, Benjamin received a letter from Jefferson. Jefferson thanked Benjamin for his almanac. He said he hoped things would improve in the future for black people. But Jefferson did not free his slaves.

A book publisher wanted to print and sell Benjamin's almanac. It was the first published almanac written by a black person. Printed on the cover were the words Benjamin Banneker's Almanac . The publisher sold many copies, and Benjamin became famous. People wrote him letters, thanking him for the helpful information. They came to his cabin to meet him, just as they had when he built the clock. Benjamin stayed busy. He had to write an almanac for 1793. And he wrote one for the next year, too. He wrote a new almanac every year for six years.

When Benjamin was too old to run the farm, he sold his land. He stayed on in the little cabin where he had grown up. He still worked on math problems and read books. He still played his violin or flute as the sun went down. At night, he wrapped himself in a cloak and went outside to look at the stars. Benjamin Banneker never stopped wondering why.

278 Meet the Author

Ginger Wadsworth

With a family like hers, it makes sense that Wadsworth is creative! Her mother was a teacher and artist. Her father wrote books set in the Old West. When Wadsworth was little, her father traveled to old towns and forts to research his stories. She often went with him. These trips made her love both nature and history.

Greg Hargreaves

Becoming an illustrator was an easy decision for Hargreaves. Art was always his best subject in school, and he "worked at it all the time." Hargreaves says his job is always interesting because he gets to work with different people and subjects. The hard part is "the rejection you feel when you don't get an assignment you really wanted." He enjoys camping, hunting, canoeing, fishing, and bird watching.

1. Why does Benjamin Banneker have to quit school after only four years?

2. What is an almanac?

Across Selections

3. What are some traits Benjamin Banneker had in common with the Framers of the Constitution?

4. In what other selection does a character observe the night sky and use the information?

5. What are some of your favorite subjects to study?

6. Benjamin's great-grandfather was a king in Africa. What is something interesting or special about your family?

Write about It!

Tell about a time when you wondered why.

Remember to check the Concept/Question Board to see whether someone has been able to answer a question you posted.

280 Science Inquiry: The Moon's Phases

Feature

Diagrams are drawings that are used to show the relationship among different objects. For example, a diagram might show how something works.

Have you ever wondered about the shape of the moon? The sun is always big and round, but the moon keeps changing shape.

Actually, the moon is not changing at all. We just get a different view of it each night as it orbits around Earth.

Our Earth is in orbit around the sun. Only half of the moon is ever lit by the sun. As the moon changes positions , we see different portions that are lit by the sun. The different shapes we see are called phases. It takes a month for the moon to orbit Earth, so each phase happens once a month.

When the moon looks full and round like the sun, this is called a full moon. A moon that resembles a fingernail is called a crescent moon. When the moon is a half-circle, it is a quarter moon. An oval-shaped moon is a gibbous moon.

When the moon is directly between Earth and the sun, the back of the moon is completely lit, and the side facing Earth is completely dark. This is a new moon. A new moon cannot be seen from Earth.

In one month, the moon changes and goes from new to crescent to quarter to gibbous to full. Then it goes from full to gibbous to quarter to crescent to new. What shape will you see tonight?

Think Link

Phases of the Moon

Look at the diagram. What is the difference between a waxing crescent and a waning crescent?

Find the image of a quarter moon. Why do you think it is called a quarter moon when it looks like half of a circle?

Why can we not see a new moon? Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a diagram to show your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Striking It Rich":

* typical distract elegant abundance rumors deserted impressed

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words distract and rumors.

Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

It was a typical summer day. Lynn was riding her bike to Sara's house down the street. Suddenly she slammed on the brakes, and her bike screeched to a halt.

In the middle of the sidewalk was a tiny puppy with fluffy white fur. "Whoa, boy!" Lynn said. "Good thing nothing was around here to distract me. If I had not been watching the sidewalk, I would have hit you!"

She hopped off her bike and scooped up the shivering puppy. "Don't be frightened, little guy. We will find your owner." She took a quick look around. No one was in sight.

"Maybe Sara will know where you belong," she said. She left her bike on the sidewalk and carried the puppy to Sara's house. 283

Sara was surprised. "I don't know of anyone around here who has a puppy like that. Look at his tiny collar. Are those diamonds? That is pretty elegant for a dog."

Lynn and Sara took the puppy upstairs to show Sara's mom. "Why not go door-to-door and try to find out who his owner is?" she suggested. "There is definitely an abundance of dog lovers in our neighborhood."

An hour later, Lynn and Sara returned with the puppy. "No one has any idea where he came from," Sara told her mom. "His collar doesn't give us any clues, except that his owner is wealthy. Shane is spreading rumors that he belongs to a celebrity!"

"I cannot believe someone deserted him like this," Lynn said. "He is so adorable and helpless."

"Mom, can Lynn and I keep him until we solve the mystery?" Sara asked.

"Of course," said her mom. "I am impressed with your concern for him."

Game: Card Game

Write each vocabulary word on an index card (or small piece of paper). Then write each definition on a separate card. You will need fourteen cards in all. Have a classmate mix up the cards and hold them up one at a time. If the card is a vocabulary word, you must give its definition. If the card shows a definition, you must give the vocabulary word that goes with it.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept words are gold rush. In a gold rush, people race to newly discovered gold fields in an attempt to get rich. Why do you think money is so important to some people? Why do you think people would rather discover gold than earn their money the old- fashioned way (hard work)? What other ways do people instantly become rich?

284 Striking It Rich: The Story of the California Gold Rush by Stephen Krensky

Comprehension Strategy: Asking Questions

As you read, ask questions about things or events in the text. Look for the answers as you continue to read the selection. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 284 and page 285 in the print version.

Focus Questions

How did the Gold Rush change the United States? What makes people leave their homes to chase a dream?

News Travels Fast: Gold

The news was big if it was true-- but was it? San Francisco might be a sleepy little town, but it had heard these stories before. There were always plenty of rumors, boasts, and outright lies when it came to finding gold in the hills.

The facts behind this latest story were plain enough. They began with James Marshall, a carpenter. He was helping to build a sawmill on the American River, a hundred miles to the east.

Sutter's Mill

Marshall had little education, but he had sharp eyes and was nobody's fool. On January 24, 1848, he was digging in the riverbed. There he spotted a glittering yellow rock, no bigger than his thumbnail.

Gold, thought Marshall, or maybe iron pyrite, which looks like gold but is more brittle. He struck the metal with a hammer. It flattened but did not break--a good sign. But Marshall was a busy man. He stuck the rock in his hat and went back to work.

Iron Pyrite (Fool's Gold) 287

Later, he rode to Sutter's Fort to see his boss, John A. Sutter. Born in Switzerland, Sutter had been a farmer, a trader, and a fur trapper. He had never been too successful.

Sutter and Marshall carefully examined the rock. They bit it to see if it was soft like gold. It was. They dabbed it with acid to see if its shine would dim. It didn't. Then they weighed it against silver and other things they knew were lighter than gold.

The rock passed every test. It was gold, all right.

Sutter told Marshall to keep the gold a secret. It might not amount to much, but it could still distract the men from their jobs.

But secrets like that don't last. Sutter's men soon learned what Marshall had found. On Sundays, their day off, they began to look for nuggets and gold dust. Some workers collected enough gold in an hour to equal a month's pay.

Sutter's Fort

By the spring of 1848, more and more tales were reaching San Francisco, which was home to 800 people. Miners were bragging about scraping gold off rocks with their knives. Why, one fellow had hit a $50 nugget while digging a hole for his tent pole.

Didn't there have to be a little truth to these reports? Many people thought so, and the gold fever spread. Lawyers dropped their clients and soldiers deserted their posts. The schoolhouse closed after its only teacher ran off. Then the mayor disappeared. And nobody could complain to the sheriff because he was gone, too.

By the end of June, San Francisco was almost a ghost town. Stores were empty. Doors blew open in the wind. Dogs roamed the streets and wooden sidewalks with only their shadows for company.

Everyone, it seemed, had left for the hills.

Heading West

During the summer of 1848, the news spread slowly eastward. It rode across the prairie on horseback. It paddled up the Mississippi River on steamboats. It blew around South America on sailing ships. At first, people back East were not much impressed. Nobody was sure if the stories were true. After all, talk was cheap, and California was far away.

Most Americans didn't know much about California. The territory had only been part of the United States for a few months, since the end of the Mexican War. Its population was small and scattered--a mixture of native tribes, Mexican settlers, and a few American pioneers.

Before long, though, California was on everyone's mind. By November, the New York City newspapers were filled with stories about gold. There was talk of streets paved with gold and nuggets as big as apples lying on the ground.

Then in December, President James K. Polk spoke to Congress about the gold strike. Based on reports from the army and government officials, his speech mentioned "extensive" mines. "The abundance of gold. . ." he said, "would scarcely command belief. . . ."

That settled it. Even those people who didn't believe the newspapers had faith in the president. He was bound to know the truth.

Now California was the place to go. In 1848, a decent job as a store clerk or farmhand might be worth $7 a week. A miner could collect four times that much between breakfast and lunch.

It all sounded so simple. Spend a few months in California and then return home, pockets filled with gold. The thousands of dreamers who believed this were almost all men and were mostly young, though one was a ninety-year-old Revolutionary War veteran. Few traveled with their wives or children--if they had them--because they didn't plan to stay very long.

First, though, the miners had to get to California. One hopeful inventor offered a trip by flying machine. But his balloon-floating ship never got off the ground. Instead, travelers went by land or sea.

The sea route, the favorite of Easterners, went down around South America and back up to San Francisco. Hundreds of ships, from elegant clippers to leaky barges, made the trip. The 15,000-mile voyage took from six months to a year.

Most ships were cramped and crowded. One put so many people into a single room that they had to sleep standing up. Sometimes the passengers were from the same town and knew each other. Often everyone was a stranger, wary of other travelers. On such a long voyage, many passengers got seasick and could not eat. The rest weren't much luckier. The meals had odd names, like lobscouse and hushamagrundy . The ingredients-- including salted meat and moldy bread--were even odder. One passenger wrote that his favorite food was anything with dark molasses, because it hid the mold and killed the bugs.

By the end, most sea travelers were tired, sick, hungry, bored silly, and in need of a bath. Some had gambled away their savings. Many were in poor health. But almost all the hurts or hardships were forgotten at the first sight of San Francisco Bay.

People from the Midwest favored the land route to California. From Missouri the trip was 1,800 miles by wagon train--although one man walked the distance with his belongings in a wheelbarrow. A typical wagon was ten feet long, four feet wide, and pulled by oxen or mules. The wagon train might have just a few wagons or several dozen.

The wagon master led the train and settled any problems along the way. He also gave out chores--gathering firewood or water, keeping lookout, or cooking food. One wagon train even made its members change their underwear each week and carry three pounds of soap for baths.

Days on the trail were long, dusty, and hot. The ride was bumpy. Travelers carried weapons to defend themselves from rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, and Indians. But more men were killed by accidents with guns than by any run-ins they had along the trail.

One big killer on the trail was cholera, a disease caused by a bacteria found in water. It passed through rivers, wells, even canteens--and it acted fast. A man could feel feverish in the morning and be dead by sunset. Cholera claimed thousands of lives among the gold- seekers during the spring and summer of 1849.

The third route to California took the least time if things went well, but they rarely did go well. Travelers took a boat ride to Central America, walked sixty miles across Panama, and took another boat ride up to California.

The sea trips held few dangers because they were brief. The overland walk was the tricky part. The Panama jungle was hot and filled with mosquitoes that carried malaria, a usually fatal disease. The jungle also was home to flamingoes, parrots, and monkeys. But most travelers were in too much of a hurry to notice.

Whether they came by boat or wagon train, about 80,000 people reached California in 1849. These were the Forty-Niners, hopeful miners who had survived the worst trip of their lives. They could afford to smile and shake one another's hands. Now, they thought, their worries were over.

294 Meet the Author

Stephen Krensky

Stephen Krensky did not have the kind of childhood anyone would choose to write books about. It was happy and uneventful, with only the occasional bump in the night to keep him on his toes. He started writing in college and his first book was published in 1977, two years after he graduated. He is now the author of more than 100 fiction and nonfiction children's books, including novels, picture books, easy readers, and biographies. When Krensky feels he has spent enough time hunched over his computer, he likes to play tennis and softball. He and his family live in Lexington, Massachusetts.

1. How do Sutter and Marshall know that the rock they found is gold?

2. What three routes could people take to get to California?

Across Selections

3. James Marshall finds gold in a river. Which selection explains how water gets into rivers or streams?

4. Under which branches of government do President James K. Polk and Congress fit?

Beyond the Selection 5. Which route would you have taken to California?

6. If you struck gold and became rich, what would you do with all your money?

Write about It!

Describe a time you found something valuable.

Remember to look for poetry and art about a changing America to add to the Concept/Question Board.

296 Science Inquiry: The Rock Cycle

Feature

A pie chart is a circle-shaped graph that represents an amount. It is divided into sections that look like pie slices. Each "slice" shows a percentage of the total amount.

Rocks are made of minerals. Minerals are solid substances found in the earth.

Igneous rocks form when magma cools and hardens. Magma is a hot liquid made of minerals. When magma reaches the earth's surface, it is called lava. The lava forms crystals as it cools and creates igneous rock.

Sedimentary rocks are layered rocks. Wind and water break rocks into pieces. The rock pieces cement together with bits of bones and shells. They harden and form layers.

A metamorphic rock is a result of high temperature and pressure. This changes the chemical form of the rock. Metamorphic rocks are the hardest rocks. Marble is one example.

Any rock can become a metamorphic rock with enough heat and pressure. All rocks can erode and break into pieces, so any rock can become a sedimentary rock. Each kind of rock can also melt into magma and then cool into an igneous rock.

The next time you pick up a typical rock, imagine it becoming a completely different rock in the rock cycle. 297

Think Link

Eight most common elements in the earth's crust (by mass)

Look at the pie chart. Which element is the most abundant in the earth's crust?

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

How would an igneous rock turn into a metamorphic rock?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a pie chart can help illustrate your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "A Covered Wagon Girl":

* vast

* associations

* tremendous

* provisions

* engaged

* detained

* permanent

Vocabulary Strategy Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words provisions and engaged . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Chad and his family had been planning a vacation to the beach for months. Then the hurricane hit. The damage was vast . The condo Chad's family had rented was destroyed.

Chad's father asked the family where they wanted to vacation instead. Chad and his brother, Kevin, had the same idea.

"Let's help the hurricane victims," Chad suggested.

The next evening, Chad's dad said, "I found a place where we can help. I have some associations in the city where the storm hit the hardest. There is a tremendous need for volunteers."

Two days later they loaded up their minivan with provisions .

"Enjoy these last few hours of relaxation," Chad's mom said. "When we get there, we will be engaged in hard work all day, every day."

They finally reached their destination. Chad's father pulled a piece of paper out of his wallet.

"What is that, Dad?" asked Kevin.

"My friend Bob gave me the name and address of a person to contact down here. He said to show this paper if we were detained by security. They would show us where to go."

They found the temporary shelter with no problems. Chad and Kevin immediately began unloading bottled water, food, and blankets from the van.

"Thank you so much for coming," said an older man wearing a red vest with the word "Volunteer" across the front. "These things will help make people more comfortable until we can find them a permanent home."

"We are just glad we can help," said Chad.

Game: Tell Me about It

Pair up with a classmate. Read one of the seven vocabulary words aloud, and ask your classmate to give the definition. Then have your classmate read a word, and you define it. Go through each of the seven words twice. Then repeat the exercise giving the definitions instead. Have your classmate say a definition, and you give the correct vocabulary word.

Concept Vocabulary This lesson's concept word is migration. Migration is the movement of people or animals from one place to another. If you had to migrate to another place, where would you go? Who would you take with you? How would you get there? What would the trip be like? On a piece of paper, write a short paragraph about your imaginary migration, and share it with a classmate.

A diary is a first-person account of memorable events in someone's life. Entries are made regularly, and the date is usually noted.

Comprehension Strategy: Visualizing

As you read, try to imagine the characters and events in your mind.

301 A Covered Wagon Girl: The Diary of Sallie Hester; 1849- 1850 edited by Christy Steele with Ann Hodgson

Focus Questions

What would the United States be like if there had been no pioneers? What is it like to travel across the country in a wagon?

Bloomington, Indiana, March 20, 1849--

Our family, consisting of father, mother, two brothers, and one sister, left this morning for that far and much talked of country, California. My father started our wagons one month in advance, to St. Joseph, Missouri, our starting point. We take the steamboat at New Albany [Indiana], going by water to St. Joe. The train leaving Bloomington on that memorable occasion was called the Missionary Train, from the fact that the Rev. Isaac Owens of the Methodist Church and a number of ministers of the same denomination were sent as missionaries to California. Our train numbered fifty wagons. The last hours were spent in bidding good bye to old friends. My mother is heartbroken over this separation of relatives and friends. Giving up old associations for what? Good health, perhaps. My father is going in search of health, not gold. The last good bye has been said--the last glimpse of our old home on the hill, and a wave of hand at the old Academy with a good bye to kind teachers and schoolmates, and we are off. We have been several days reaching New Albany on account of the terrible conditions of the roads. Our carriage upset at one place. All were thrown out, but no one was hurt. We were detained several hours on account of this accident. My mother thought it a bad omen and wanted to return and give up the trip.

New Albany, March 24--

This is my first experience of a big city and my first glimpse of a river and steamboats.

March 26--

Took the steamboat Meteor this evening for St. Joe. Now sailing on the broad Ohio, toward the far West.

April 3--

On the Missouri River, the worst in the world, sticking on sand bars most of the time.

April 14--

Our boat struck another sand bar and was obliged to land passengers ten miles below St. Joe. Having our carriage with us, we were more fortunate than others...

St. Joe, [ Missouri, ] April 27--

Here we are at last, safe and sound. We expect to remain here several days, laying in supplies for the trip and waiting our turn to be ferried across the river. As far as the eye can reach, so great is the emigration, you see nothing but wagons. This town presents a striking appearance--a vast army on wheels--crowds of men, women, and lots of children and last but not least the cattle and horses upon which our lives depend.

May 21-- Camped on the beautiful Blue River, 215 miles from St. Joe, with plenty of wood and water and good grazing for our cattle. Our family all in good health. When we left St. Joe my mother had to be lifted in and out of our wagons; now she walks a mile or two without stopping, and gets in and out of the wagons as spry as a young girl. She is perfectly well. We had two deaths in our train within the past week of cholera-- young men going West to seek their fortunes. We buried them on the banks of the Blue River, far from home and friends. This is a beautiful spot. The Plains are covered with flowers. . . . When we camp at night, we form a corral with our wagons and pitch our tents on the outside, and inside of this corral we drive our cattle, with guards stationed on the outside of tents. We have a cooking stove made of sheet iron, a portable table, tin plates and cups, cheap knives and forks (best ones packed away), camp stools, etc. We sleep in our wagons on feather beds; the men who drive for us [sleep] in the tent. We live on bacon, ham, rice, dried fruits, molasses, packed butter, bread, coffee, tea, and milk as we have our own cows. Occasionally some of the men kill an antelope and then we have a feast; and sometimes we have fish on Sunday.

June 3--

Our tent is now pitched on the beautiful Platte River, 315 miles from St. Joe. The cholera is raging. A great many deaths; graves everywhere. We as a company are all in good health. Game is scarce; a few antelope in sight. Roads bad.

Goose Creek, June 17--

Chimney Rock

This is our day of rest. There are several encampments in sight, making one feel not quite out of civilization . . . Passed this week Court House Rock. Twelve miles from this point is Chimney Rock, 230 feet in height. Fort Laramie, [ Wyoming, ] June 19--

This fort is of adobe, enclosed with a high wall of the same. The entrance is a hole in the wall just large enough for a person to crawl through. The impression you have on entering is that you are in a small town. Men were engaged in all kinds of business from blacksmith up. We stayed here some time looking at everything that was to be seen and enjoying it to the fullest extent after our long tramp. We camped one mile from the fort, where we remained a few days to wash and lighten up.

Fort Laramie

June 21--

Left camp and started over the Black Hills, sixty miles over the worst road in the world. Have again struck the Platte and followed it until we came to the ferry. Here we had a great deal of trouble swimming our cattle across, taking our wagons to pieces, unloading and replacing our traps. A number of accidents happened here. A lady and four children were drowned through the carelessness of those in charge of the ferry.

July 2--

Independence Rock

Passed Independence Rock. This rock is covered with names. With great difficulty I found a place to cut mine. Twelve miles from this is Devil's Gate. It's an opening in the mountain through which the Sweetwater River flows. Several of us climbed this mountain-- somewhat perilous for youngsters not over fourteen. We made our way to the very edge of the cliff and looked down. We could hear the water dashing, splashing and roaring as if angry at the small space through which it was forced to pass. We were gone so long that the train was stopped and men were sent out in search of us. We made all sorts of promises to remain in sight in the future. John Owens, a son of the minister, my brother John, sister Lottie and myself were the quartet. During the week we passed the South Pass and the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Four miles from here are the Pacific Springs.

Devil's Gate

July 4-- Green River

. . . At this point saw lots of dead cattle left by the emigrants to starve and die. Took a cutoff; had neither wood nor water for fifty-two miles. Traveled in the night. Arrived at Green River next day at two o'clock in the afternoon. Lay by two days to rest man and beast after our long and weary journey.

July 29--

Passed Soda Springs [Idaho]. Two miles further on are the Steamboat Springs. They puff and blow and throw the water high in the air. The springs are in the midst of a grove of trees, a beautiful and romantic spot.

August 3--

Took another cut-off this week called Sublets [Sublette's Cutoff]. Struck Raft River; from thence to Swamp Creek. Passed some beautiful scenery, high cliffs of rocks resembling old ruins or dilapidated buildings.

Hot Springs, August 18--

Camped on a branch of St. Mary's River, a very disagreeable and unpleasant place on account of the water being so hot. This week some of our company left us, all young men. They were jolly, merry fellows and gave life to our lonely evenings. We all miss them very much. Some had violins, others guitars, and some had fine voices, and they always had a good audience. They were anxious to hurry on without the Sunday stops. Roads are rocky and trying to our wagons, and the dust is horrible. The men wear veils tied over their hats as a protection. When we reach camp at night they are covered with dust from head to heels.

Humboldt River [ Nevada, ] August 20--

We are now 348 miles from the mines. We expect to travel that distance in three weeks and a half. Water and grass scarce.

St. Mary ' s River, August 25--

Still traveling down the Humboldt. Grass has been scarce until today. Though the water is not fit to drink--slough water-- we are obliged to use it, for it's all we have.

September 4-- 310

Left the place [St. Mary's] where we camped last Sunday. Traveled six miles. Stopped and cut grass for the cattle and supplied ourselves with water for the desert. Had a trying time crossing. Several of our cattle gave out and we left one. Our journey through the desert was from Monday, three o'clock in the afternoon, until Thursday morning at sunrise, September 6. The weary journey last night, the mooing of the cattle for water, their exhausted condition, with the cry of "Another ox down," the stopping of train to unyoke the poor dying brute, to let him follow at will or stop by the wayside and die, and the weary, weary tramp of men and beasts worn out with heat and famished for water, will never be erased from my memory. Just at dawn, in the distance, we had a glimpse of the Truckee River, and with it the feeling: Saved at last! Poor cattle; they kept on mooing, even when they stood knee deep in water. The long dreaded desert had been crossed and we are all safe and well. Here we rested Thursday and Friday--grass green and beautiful, and the cattle are up to their eyes in it.

September 8--

Traveled fourteen miles; crossed Truckee twelve times.

September 11--

Made eighteen miles. Crossed Truckee River ten times. Came near being drowned at one of the crossings.

Got frightened and jumped out of the carriage into the water. The current was very swift and carried me some distance down the stream.

September 14--

Truckee River

. . . We crossed the summit of the Sierra Nevada. It was night when we reached the top, and I shall never forget our descent to the place where we are now encamped--our tedious march with pine knots blazing in the darkness and the tall, majestic pines towering above our heads. The scene was grand and gloomy beyond description. We could not ride--roads too narrow and rocky--so we trudged along, keeping pace with the wagons as best we could. This is another picture engraven upon the tablets of memory. It was a footsore and weary crowd that reached that night our present camping place. 312

Yuba Valley [ California, ] September 16--

We are now 108 miles from Sutter's Fort.

September 19--

Started once more. Roads bad, almost impassable. After traveling for twenty-five miles we halted for one day. Good grass three miles from camp.

September 21--

Reached Bear Valley by descending a tremendous hill.

We let the wagons down with ropes. Stopped over Sunday.

At Sleepy Hollow we again let our wagons down the mountain with ropes. Rested in the hollow, ate our dinner and then commenced our weary march over the mountain. Left one of our wagons and the springs of our carriage. Cut down trees for our cattle to browse on. Thanks to a kind Providence we are nearing the end of our long and perilous journey. Came on to Grass Valley and rested four or five days.

Vernon, California [near San Francisco,] October 6--

Well, after a five month's trip from St. Joe, Missouri, our party of fifty wagons, now only thirteen, has at last reached this haven of rest. Strangers in a strange land--what will our future be? . . .

Fremont, [California,] October 10--

This is a small town on the opposite side of the river from Vernon. My father had decided to remain here for the winter, as the rains have set in and we are worn out. We have had a small house put up of two rooms made of boards with puncheon floor. On this mother has a carpet which she brought with us and we feel quite fine, as our neighbors have the ground for a floor. The rooms are lined with heavy blue cloth. Our beds are put up in bunk style on one side of the room and curtained off. Back of these rooms we have pitched our tent, which answers as a store room, and the back of the lot is enclosed with a brush fence. My father has gone to Sacramento to lay in provisions for the winter.

Fremont, December 20--

Have not written or confided in thee, dear journal, for some time. Now I must write up. My father returned from Sacramento with a supply of provisions. Everything is enormously high. Carpenter's wages sixteen dollars per day; vegetables scarce and high; potatoes the principal vegetable; onions, fifty cents each; eggs, one dollar apiece; melons, five dollars, and apples, one dollar each. The rain is pouring down. River very high.

January 12 [1850]-

Water over the banks of the river, all over town except in a few places. Our house has escaped, though it's all around us. Mother has planted a garden in the rear of [the] lot and that has been swept away. Nearly everybody is up to their knees in mud and water. Some have boots. As far as the eye can reach you see nothing but water. It's horrible. Wish I was back in Indiana. Snakes are plenty. They come down the river, crawl under our bed and everywhere.

January 20--

Water receding.

Fremont, February 27--

It's raining very hard. A little snow by way of variety. Horrible weather. Received several letters from schoolmates at home.

April 1--

Quite a number of our old friends who crossed the Plains with us have stopped here for the winter, which makes it pleasant for mother. My father has gone to San Jose . . . to look for a permanent home.

April 27--

My father has returned from San Jose. He gives glowing accounts of the place and lovely climate. We have not seen very much as yet of the mild and delightful climate of California so much talked about. We leave next month for San Jose. We are all glad that we are going to have a home somewhere at last.

316 Meet the Author

Sallie Hester

Hester never knew her diary would become a book.

When she wrote it, her story was not unique. Her family was one of thousands going west on the Oregon Trail. Lots of other families were in her wagon train. They all wanted a better life in California. The trip took more than a year. Her diary helps us see that pioneers were real people. It brings history to life. Meet the Editors

Christy Steele

Steele has helped create many children's books. Some of her books tell about people who lived long ago. Others tell about different kinds of animals and interesting places. Steele lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ann Hodgson

Hodgson helped write two books about girls who lived long ago. She also helped make lists that show who was married in parts of Illinois more than one hundred years ago. Hodgson lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1. Why does Sallie's father take his family west?

2. Where does Sallie Hester carve her name?

Across Selections 3. How are "A Covered Wagon Girl: The Diary of Sallie Hester, 1840-1850" and "Striking It Rich: The Story of the California Gold Rush" similar?

4. Compare and contrast Sallie Hester and Karana from "Island of the Blue Dolphins."

5. The December 20 diary entry shows that food prices were very high. Why might this have happened?

6. What is the longest trip you have ever taken? What were the best and worst parts of it?

Write about It!

Describe your day as though you were writing in a diary.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about a changing America to add to the Concept/Question Board.

318 Social Studies Inquiry: Spanish Missions

Feature

In the 1600s, people from Spain came to California and Texas. Native Americans had lived in this vast territory for many years in peace.

Catholic missionaries arrived from Spain too. They wanted Native Americans to become Christians like they were. The Native Americans did not want to change.

The first California mission opened in 1769. By 1823, there were more than twenty of them. Many were started in Texas too.

The missionaries taught the Native Americans about their religion and how to farm. They taught them how to build sturdy buildings. Many Native Americans were happy at first, but that changed. They were forced to work like slaves. Some of them tried to run away, and some tried to fight back. Many were killed. Others died from diseases that the Spanish brought with them from Spain. The Native Americans were not used to these diseases.

In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. The missions began to close. Many missions were sold to be used as ranches.

Think Link

Mission San José in Texas

Mission San Antonio de Padua in Cal ifornia

Read the captions that go with the photographs. If you had to rewrite the captions, what would they say?

Why were the Native Americans unhappy at the missions?

What good things did the missions do for the Native Americans?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how captions can help you highlight facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President":

* politics

* intelligence

* legislator * liberty

* debates

* rebelling

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Use context clues to find the meanings of debates and rebelling.

"Someday I am going to be president," Courtney announced to her friend Kyla. The girls were studying together for a social studies test.

"President of what? " Kyla asked.

"The United States, of course."

"Not me," Kyla said. " Politics is not my thing. I am going to be a doctor."

"What do you mean, politics is not your thing?" Courtney asked. "The government affects all of us."

"My dad says that politicians make promises they do not intend to keep," Kyla said. "And they take our money to make laws we do not need."

"Well, maybe a couple of them do," admitted Courtney, "but I just want to help people. Do you want to help people?"

"Of course," answered Kyla. "That is why I am going to be a doctor. I do not want all this intelligence to go to waste."

"Ha!" said Courtney. "I think you are a little overconfident. Well, I am going to be a legislator who makes a difference. I am going to fight for people's liberty ."

"I thought you were going to be president," Kyla said.

"Well, maybe I will start out in Congress," Courtney said, "and then work my way to the top. I will hold debates against those bad politicians you were talking about, and I will win."

"Now who is overconfident?" Kyla laughed. "What do you plan to do with the people who will not listen to you? What about those people who enjoy rebelling against authority?" "No one will want to rebel against me," said Courtney. "Everyone is going to love me!"

"Of course they will," Kyla said with a smile. "You might as well get started on your election campaign right now."

Game: Think about It

Write each of the six vocabulary words in a notebook or on a sheet of paper. Leave room to write the definitions. Before you look up each word, think up your own definition based on your prior knowledge or the word's context in the story. Then look up each definition using a dictionary, and write it on your paper. Put a star by each definition you figured out on your own.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept words are civil war. A civil war is a war between groups of citizens of the same country. In a civil war, friends and family members are often forced to fight against one another. What are some reasons citizens of the same country might go to war against one another? Is civil war better or worse than a war between two countries? Explain your answer.

Comprehension Strategy: Adjusting Reading Speed

As you read, notice where you are having trouble understanding, and decrease your reading speed. Also notice where you can increase your speed without losing comprehension.

323 Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President by Mike Venezia

Focus Questions How can one person change a country's history? Could slavery have ended without a Civil War?

Abraham Lincoln was born in a small, dirt-floor log cabin in Harden County, Kentucky, in 1809. As the sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln guided the United States through its most difficult period ever. Because of Lincoln's strong leadership and wise decisions, many historians call him the greatest of all American presidents.

By the time Abraham Lincoln started his job as president, the United States had reached the boiling point over what to do about slavery. Most southerners felt that owning slaves was their legal right, and that slavery should be allowed to spread into new territories and states. Many northerners felt slavery was very wrong and should be stopped right away.

Finally, after years of trying to work things out, southern states decided they would be better off breaking away, or seceding from, the United States. In 1861, they formed their own country and called it the Confederate States of America. It didn't take long before disagreements between the North and South led to a terrible war.

An 1864 photograph of President Lincoln by Mathew Brady

A replica of Lincoln's boyhood home in Kentucky

People in the South always had the idea that each state in the Union was almost like a separate little country. They believed that they could leave the United States if there was a good reason. People from the northern states, including Abraham Lincoln, believed the United States was a permanent country and that all the states had to stick together to make it work.

Abe Lincoln spent most of his time as president doing everything he could to get the United States back together. It was an extremely difficult job. By the time the Civil War ended, almost 620,000 soldiers had died. That's as many Americans as died in almost all other American wars combined. This includes the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the wars in Korea and Vietnam.

When Abe Lincoln was growing up, no one would have ever guessed he would become president of the United States someday. Abe's father was a poor farmer. He moved his family from the wilderness areas of Kentucky to Indiana and then to Illinois, always hoping to find better farmland.

As soon as Abe could hold an ax, his father put him to work chopping down trees, clearing land, and helping build log cabins. Abe and his sister Sarah had only a few months of schooling while they were growing up. A teacher in a backwoods area was usually just anyone who came along who could read or write. It wasn't the best way to learn, but Abe got an idea of how to read, write, and do arithmetic.

When Abe was nine years old, his mother died. Abe missed her very much but cheered up a little when his father remarried a year later. Abe got along great with his new stepmother, Sarah Johnston Lincoln. Sarah encouraged Abe to read. He didn't need much encouragement, though. Abe found he loved to read more than just about anything!

It seemed as if Abraham Lincoln always had a borrowed book in his hand. Abe would even read while he was plowing fields. Some of his favorite books were Robinson Crusoe, Aesop's Fables, the Bible, a book about George Washington, and especially, the plays and poems of William Shakespeare.

Even as a boy, Abe Lincoln loved to read.

This painting shows Abraham Lincoln splitting rails as a young man.

Abraham Lincoln was a tall, super-skinny boy. He amazed people, though, with his strength and energy. He could chop down more trees and split rails faster than most grown men.

Even though he was good at farming, Abe never really liked it that much. Reading books had fired up his imagination. Abe knew there was an exciting world outside the wilderness, and he wanted to be a part of it.

At the age of twenty-two, Abe left home and started trying different jobs. He delivered goods down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on a flatboat, and worked on a large riverboat. Before he became president, Abe was also a soldier in the Black Hawk War, a surveyor, a postmaster, a store owner, a lawyer, and an Illinois state representative!

New Salem, Illinois, has been restored to look the way it did when Lincoln lived there. One of Abraham Lincoln's first jobs was managing a general store in the small town of New Salem, Illinois. The store became a meeting place for townspeople. Abe loved discussing the latest news and events of the day. He made many new friends at the store.

People in New Salem enjoyed Abe's company. He was a great storyteller and told the best jokes around. Everyone was impressed with Abe's strength, too. Once, some townspeople set up a wrestling match between Abe and the town bully. Abe easily won the contest. New Salem was a rough-and-tumble town and Abe Lincoln fit in just fine.

When Abe Lincoln moved to New Salem, he was old enough to vote. He soon became interested in how his state's government worked. Abe enjoyed politics a lot and thought he would run for the Illinois State Legislature. Abe lost his first election, but tried again a few years later and won. People in the area really liked Abe's friendly, honest style.

While he was serving as a state representative, Abe decided to become a lawyer. He never went to law school, though. Abraham Lincoln learned everything he needed by reading books. People would often see Abe lying under a tree reading to himself. He would argue both sides of a court case out loud until he understood how the law worked. Abe passed his law exam in 1836.

Abraham Lincoln served four terms as a legislator, coming up with new ideas and laws to help improve his state. During this time he met and fell in love with a girl named Mary Todd. Abe always felt awkward around girls. By now he was 6 feet, 4 inches tall and still very skinny. Mary, on the other hand, was a little bit plump and only 5 feet tall.

A business card Lincoln used when he was a young lawyer

A portrait of the Lincoln family during Lincoln's presidency

Abe and Mary didn't care about looks, though. They were crazy about each other and decided to get married. Unfortunately, over the years, Abe and Mary's marriage became filled with sadness. Only one of their four sons lived to be an adult. As parents, Abe and Mary went through many long periods of depression.

In 1846, Abraham Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. During this time, he suggested a law that would end slavery in the nation's capital, the District of Columbia. Abe had seen a slave market for the first time when he traveled to New Orleans as a young man. The idea of buying and selling human beings bothered him for the rest of his life. A photograph of Abraham Lincoln in 1846, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives

Abe's law wasn't accepted, but he started getting attention as someone who might be able to do something about solving the nation's slavery problem. Abe really got attention, though, when he decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 1858.

Abe could see that recent laws and decisions were making it easier for slavery to spread into new territories. This was exactly the opposite of what Abe Lincoln hoped would happen. He thought if he became a U.S. senator, he might be able to do more to prevent slavery from spreading.

Abe ran against a popular politician named Stephen A. Douglas. Abe challenged Stephen Douglas to a series of debates. A debate is a contest in which people point out why their ideas are better than the other person's. Stephen Douglas argued that new territories should have the right to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. Abe Lincoln argued that slavery was just plain wrong and should never spread into new territories or states.

A photograph of Stephen Douglas

Even though Stephen Douglas won the election for senator, people all over the country learned about Abraham Lincoln during the exciting debates. Many Americans were impressed with Lincoln's intelligence, sense of humor, honesty, and powerful speeches. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was chosen by the Republican Party to run for president.

Abe won the election. When he took office in 1861, the United States was on the brink of civil war. On April 12 of that year, Confederate soldiers fired their cannons on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. This attack on a U.S. government fort became the start of the Civil War.

This photograph shows Lincoln the summer before he was elected president. That fall, a little girl wrote him a letter saying he would look better if he grew a beard. Lincoln took her advice. By the time of his inauguration, he had grown his famous beard.

When the war began, President Lincoln didn't think it would last very long. Most people agreed with him. Lincoln hoped that after the Confederate states thought it over for a while, they would change their minds and rejoin the United States. People in the North were so sure they would soon win that they showed up to watch the first big battle of the war at Bull Run in the state of Virginia.

People brought picnic baskets and expected to see something like a sports event. Things didn't work out that way, though. A southern general who became known as "Stonewall" Jackson and his men beat the northern troops badly. Before they knew what was happening, the picnickers were interrupted by soldiers running for their lives.

A portrait of T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson by John Adams (The Corcoran Gallery of Art)

President Lincoln visits Union troops after the bloody Battle of Antietam in 1862.

The northern states had more soldiers, more factories to make ammunition, and more money to run a war. But the Confederate states had something the North didn't have--a bunch of great generals. Southern armies led by General Robert E. Lee won many early battles of the Civil War.

It took three years of fighting before President Lincoln finally found a general who could beat the Confederate army. Ulysses S. Grant was a tough, no-nonsense soldier who finally led the northern states to victory.

When the Civil War began, President Lincoln said it was a fight to keep the United States together as one country. As the war went on, though, he changed his mind. Abraham Lincoln realized the war was really about slavery and it wasn't going to end until slavery was stopped. On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln sent out the Emancipation Proclamation. This announcement was an order to free all slaves in states that were rebelling against the Union. Slave owners in the South weren't about to obey their enemy's demand, though.

The Emancipation Proclamation did, however, make it clear why the Civil War was being fought. It later led to the Thirteenth Amendment. This amendment, which was added to the Constitution a few months after Lincoln died, finally did end slavery throughout the entire United States.

In April 9, 1865, soon after Abraham Lincoln was elected for a second term as president, the Civil War finally ended. After more than four years of bloody fighting, a worn-out President Lincoln prepared to welcome the southern states back into the Union.

Five days after the Civil War ended, Abe and Mary went to see a play and relax. During the play, a hate-filled southern actor named John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln. The next morning, on April 15, 1865, the president who had led the nation through its worst time in history died. People across the country were shocked and saddened.

In 1863, during the worst part of the war, Lincoln had given an amazing speech that became known as the Gettysburg Address. He reminded Americans that the United States was a special nation "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Today, people still love and remember Abraham Lincoln because he worked so hard to make sure the United States lived up to these ideals.

This is one of the last photographs taken of Abraham Lincoln. His face shows the strain of four difficult, war-torn years.

336 Meet the Author

Mike Venezia

Venezia received a degree in fine arts from The Art Institute of Chicago. He became an executive at a large advertising agency in Chicago. In 1978, he began writing and illustrating books. He is now retired and can work full time on his books. In his "Getting to Know" series, he has written about famous artists, composers, and the U.S. presidents. All of his books introduce children to art, music, and history in a fun way. Some of his books have been made into animated videos. Thanks to his books and videos, he has enjoyed meeting students from different schools across the country.

1. What does Abraham Lincoln see when he travels to New Orleans as a young man, and how does it affect him?

2. What does the Emancipation Proclamation say?

Across Selections

3. What did Benjamin Banneker and Abraham Lincoln have in common? 4. How does Lincoln take part in the three branches of government described in "The U.S. Constitution and You"?

5. What are some ways we honor Abraham Lincoln today?

6. Are you interested in politics? Why or why not?

Write about It!

Write about someone you admire and respect.

338 Social Studies Inquiry: Juneteenth

Feature

Time Lines show the order in which important events happened.

It was New Year's Day in 1863. President Lincoln had declared that all slaves were free. But the Civil War was not over. There were not enough Union soldiers to free all the slaves.

After the North won the war, General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas. He arrived with Union troops to free the thousands of slaves who lived in the state. It was June 19, 1865, and it was a time of great joy.

Change would not be easy. The former slaves had to find a new way of life. They needed homes and jobs. Many people would not hire them.

Still, they celebrated their precious liberty .

Every year since General Granger's visit, African American families in Texas gather together on June 19. The celebration is known as Juneteenth. At first, Juneteenth was celebrated only by former slaves. There were picnics, barbecues, ballgames, and parades. Leaders gave inspiring speeches. It was a time to remember the past and prepare for the future.

On New Year's Day in 1980, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas. The holiday has continued to grow and has spread across the United States. Juneteenth reminds everyone to respect all the cultures that make up our country.

Think Link

The Path to Juneteenth

Look at the time line. How long did slaves in Texas have to wait for news of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Why was life difficult for the freed slaves?

Why do you think Juneteenth is still an important holiday today?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a time line can show a sequence of events.

340 Christopher Columbus by J. Patrick Lewis illustrated by Greg Shed

Focus Question Why do people risk their lives for an idea?

S pain dispatched three ships

A cross the Atlantic on a

N avigator's hopeless dream of

T raveling westward to Asia.

A ll dreams end in surprise.

M orning, October 12, 1492:

A hoy! In the Bahamas, he had R eached the wilder shores of

I magination, lost in the future,

A nchored at the far end of destiny.

341 Buffalo Dusk by Carl Sandburg illustrated by Richard Hook

Focus Question What does the past mean to you?

The buffaloes are gone.

And those who saw the buffaloes are gone

Those who saw the buffaloes by thousands and how they pawed the prairie sod into dust with their hoofs, their great heads down pawing on in a great pageant of dusk,

Those who saw the buffaloes are gone.

And the buffaloes are gone.

342 A Gold Miner's Tale

Written by Bobbi Katz Illustrated by Troy Howell

Frank Wexler Dawson City, Yukon Territory, 1898

Focus Questions As times change, what are some things that remain the same? What happened to people who did not "strike it rich"?

I was twenty-one years old.

Fired up by dreams of gold. Rushing West in '49 to stake a claim to my own mine!

What did I find when I got there?

Thousands of "rushers" everywhere!

Water and sand. That's ALL it takes.

Swish your pan. Pick out the flakes!

A meal?

A horse?

A place to stay?

Who'd believe what we had to pay!

Bought a shovel. Bought a pan.

Soon I'd be a rich young man.

Water and sand. That's ALL it takes.

Swish your pan. Pick out the flakes!

Pan after pan, I'd swish and wish for a glint of pay dirt in my dish.

Asleep at night, what did I see?

Nuggets the daylight hid from me.

It takes more than a flash in the pan to make a rusher a rich young man.

The gold I found? Just enough to get by. I gave up when my claim went dry.

Water and sand. That's ALL it takes. Swish your pan. Pick out the flakes! Got a job in a hydraulic mine.

Hated the work, but the pay was fine.

So when I heard about Pikes Peak, I was in the Rockies within a week!

Water and sand. That's ALL it takes. Swish your pan. Pick out the flakes! I should have known better. With a grubstake so small, I left Colorado with nothing at all. No job. No gold. Just a shovel and a pan.

But I walked away a wiser man.

"Gold in the Klondike!"

Wouldn't you think I'd be up there in a wink?

But with my new plan to pan gold flakes, I didn't make the same mistakes.

Before I joined the great stampede, I thought: What will stampeders need? Now I'm a Dawson millionaire!

I sell them ALL long underwear. 343

Test-Taking Strategy: Comparing Answer Choices and Eliminating Answer Choices

Make sure you look at all the answer choices for each question. Compare the answers to one another. Choose the answer you think is best.

Comparing Answer Choices

You should carefully look at each answer on a test. It is easy to skip an answer choice or to misunderstand what it means. Think about what the question is asking. Compare the answer choices to one another. Choose the answer that is best.

Read the sentences and answer choices. What does the word dreadful mean? Make sure you read all the answer choices carefully. Decide which answer means the same as dreadful .

The weather was dreadful . It was cold, rainy, and windy.

A pleasant

B changing

C terrible

D snowy Compare the answer choices to one another, and think about the sentences. Only one answer tells about cold, rainy, and windy weather. The word that best describes this kind of weather is terrible . The answer is c .

Sometimes you can eliminate answers you know are not correct. For example, the first answer choice is pleasant , which is another word for nice . You can eliminate this answer because the weather described is not nice .

Read the article "Getting Around." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

Stand on a street corner sometime. Watch the traffic pass. Cars, trucks, and buses may hum along on paved roads. Today, people usually travel in cars or buses. Long ago, though, travel was different.

Before the United States was a country, travel was difficult. Roads were rough and full of holes. Rocks and tree stumps made roads bumpy. People rode in wagons pulled by horses or oxen. Often dirt paths were the only way to get between farms and towns. People had to walk or ride on horseback.

People who lived near water could use boats. Boats were faster than traveling along bumpy roads. Ships on the ocean used sails. Boats going downstream on rivers moved quickly. However, traveling upstream was difficult and took a long time.

Not everyone lived close to water, so people built canals. A canal is a river made by people. It takes a long time to build and costs a lot of money. After a canal is dug and flooded with water, boats can easily travel along a canal.

Travel changed when trains were invented. Big companies built railroads between towns. In the 1860s, a railroad across the entire country was completed. In a train, people could travel from coast to coast in a few days.

Automobiles were invented in the early 1900s. Cars made travel easier for people. Travelers could set their own schedules instead of waiting for trains. Better, smoother roads for cars were built across the country. Soon, cars were popular. By 1960, most families owned a car. Today, millions of people travel by car. The old types of transportation still are around, though. Many people walk to get where they need to go. In some places, horse-drawn wagons are used, and boats are common. Trains still chug their way across the country.

One old-fashioned way of getting around--bicycling-- is becoming popular again. Bicycles cost less than cars, create less pollution, and cause fewer traffic jams. Riding a bike is good exercise too. Now that roads are smoothly paved, riding a bicycle is easier. Considering how much gasoline costs today, it is likely that more people will start to travel by riding bicycles.

Test Tips

* Use the information in the story to answer the questions.

* Compare the answer choices to one another.

* Look in the story to find the answer to each question.

Use the information you learned from the article "Getting Around" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

This selection is mainly about--

A why canals are important.

B how roads were mostly dirt.

C why bicycling is good.

D forms of transportation.

Why did people build canals?

A To avoid using sails

B To make travel easier

C To replace the railroads

D To make roads smoother

Which statement would the author most likely agree with?

A Canals were easy and quick to build. B Trains are more convenient than cars.

C Travel long ago was slow and difficult.

D Riding a bicycle is an unpleasant way to travel.

Which words from the article tell about an advantage of bicycling?

A "create less pollution"

B "expensive and hard to do"

C "people had to travel"

D "travel from coast to coast"

348 Unit 4: Science Fair

Have you ever wondered what makes popcorn pop? Or how planes stay in the air? Scientists ask questions like these every day. They do experiments to look for answers. An experiment is one way to test an idea. This unit shows you how to do an experiment. It also shows the value of science in our everyday lives. You might be surprised to learn how much fun science can be.

Theme Connnection

Look at the photograph.

* What are the students wearing to cover their eyes?

* Why do some of the tools have measurements on them?

* What do you think will happen next in this experiment?

Big Idea

What steps lead to a good experiment? 350 Vocabulary: Warm-Up

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Scientific Method":

* anxious

* observations

* examine

* local

* crabbier

* certain

* react

* results

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words certain and results . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Are you anxious to become a scientist? You do not have to wait until you are an adult. You can start right now.

One of the first things you can do is to make good observations. A good scientist notices what is going on in the world. Examine the people around you. What are they doing? What do they look like? Wander around your backyard. Look for something unusual. Go to a local park. Study the trees and their leaves.

Ask a parent if you can set up a mini science lab at home. Just try not to make a big mess! It is not a good idea to perform tests on pets or younger siblings. Trying to get a moody cat to cooperate will make it even crabbier. You must also be certain that you never harm an animal or person in any way.

Hundreds of books about science experiments have been written for kids. Ask a parent whether you can check out some from the library. They often require simple materials that can be found around the house.

There are also simple science kits you can buy. You can grow plants. You can make crystals. You can mix harmless chemicals to see how they react to each other. You can build simple machines and see how well they work. You can observe and record your results --just like a real scientist. Make sure that you always ask permission before you begin your work.

Scientist's Journal

Copy the eight selection vocabulary words in a notebook. Write the definition beside each word. Then pretend you are a scientist recording the results of the day's experiments. Choose six words, and use each one in a sentence, describing what you have done in your "science lab" today. Share your "lab notes" with a classmate.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is hypothesis.

A hypothesis is a guess that will be tested in an experiment. It is not a random guess. A hypothesis is based on an observation. Try this experiment with your classmates. Observe what everyone is wearing. Based on your observations, write a hypothesis about what the most popular "favorite color" might be among your classmates. Then have each classmate vote aloud for his or her favorite color. Count the votes for each color. Did you guess the right color? If you were wrong, why do you think the experiment did not work?

352 THe Scientific Method by Stephen P. Kramer illustrated by Barbara Spurll

Comprehension Strategy

Clarifying

As you read, realize when you are having trouble understanding the text. Stop and clarify the word or idea that is preventing you from understanding the text. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 352 and page 353 in the print version.

Focus Questions

Why is the scientific method important? What makes some experiments better than others?

Suppose you moved to the country and bought a chicken farm. For a whole year you fed chickens, cleaned their cages, counted eggs, and watched baby chicks grow.

After a year you got tired of chickens. All the clucking and crowing was bothering you, and the feathers were making you sneeze. You decided to take a one-month vacation. Another farmer who lived nearby agreed to take care of your chickens while you were gone.

When you returned from your vacation, you checked the records. You were surprised to learn that while you were away, your hens had laid twice as many eggs as usual. You would probably be curious about why your hens had laid so many eggs.

Question:

Why did the hens lay more eggs while you were gone?

The first step of the scientific method is to ask a question. Maybe you have noticed several differences in your chickens since you returned. Perhaps they are noisier than when you left. Perhaps they also seem fatter, or thinner, or crabbier. If your chickens are now fatter and crabbier than when you left, maybe it's for the same reason they are laying more eggs.

But maybe not. Maybe they are fatter for one reason, crabbier for another reason, and laying more eggs for still another reason. Scientists usually try to work on one question at a time. The question you are trying to answer is, "Why did the hens lay more eggs while I was gone?"

The next step is to gather information that might help you answer the question. You search for clues, just as a detective would. Your job is to find things that might explain why the hens laid more eggs. Was the weather any different while you were gone? Were other farmers' hens laying more eggs than usual too? Did the other farmer take care of your chickens differently from the way you do?

You could start by talking to other people. The local weather bureau could provide information about last month's weather. Other chicken farmers could tell you if their hens had been laying more eggs than usual.

If the weather hadn't changed much and other hens had been laying their usual number of eggs, you might want to talk to the farmer who took care of your chickens. You could ask him exactly what he'd done.

Suppose the farmer said, "I fed your hens and gave them fresh water every morning. You had only one small water dish in each pen. The water dishes were usually empty in the mornings. I didn't think your hens were getting enough water, so I replaced the small water dishes with larger ones. The large dishes held enough water to last through the day.

"I collected eggs every morning. I also cleaned the pens every other day. You know, you didn't leave nearly enough chicken feed. It ran out right after you left, so I gave your hens my Acme Deluxe Chicken Feed."

Now, look carefully at what the farmer told you. You are trying to discover exactly what he did. Were there any differences in the way he took care of your chickens? It might help to make a table like this:

What happened to the chickens The same way you take Different from the way you take during vacation care of chickens care of chickens

1. Fed and given fresh water every morning

2. Had large water dishes

3. Eggs collected every morning

4. Pens cleaned every other day

5. Fed Acme Deluxe Chicken Feed The table makes it easy to see what happened. Many of the things the other farmer did were the same as what you do. However, while you were gone the hens had larger water dishes. Also, for most of the vacation they ate a different kind of chicken feed.

Now you are ready to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a guess that is based on observations. You have already discovered that the other farmer gave your hens larger water dishes. Perhaps the extra water helped them lay more eggs. You might guess, "Giving my hens more water causes them to lay more eggs." Such a guess is called a hypothesis.

The next step is to find out whether or not your guess is correct. It is called testing the hypothesis. You will need to do an experiment to help you decide whether the hypothesis is true. If it is true, you have answered the question about why your hens laid more eggs. If it is not true, you will have to think of another hypothesis to test.

Scientists need to be careful about how they plan their experiments. They must be sure they are testing the right hypothesis. They must also be sure they are using the information from the experiment in the right way.

Let's examine an experiment. Pretend that you do the following things:

A. Keep large water dishes in each chicken pen. Now the hens will have as much water as they did while you were gone.

B. Take care of the hens exactly the way you did before you left on vacation. Don't change anything that you were doing.

Feed the hens and give them fresh water every morning.

Use your regular chicken feed.

Clean the pens every other day.

Collect eggs every morning.

C. Compare the number of eggs the hens lay now to how many they laid before vacation.

What could this experiment tell you? Suppose the hens begin laying lots of eggs. Suppose they are laying two or even three times as many eggs as they had before vacation. It must be because of the extra water, right?

360 Maybe, but maybe not. Perhaps there is another explanation. Your hens might be laying more eggs now for a completely different reason.

What if the weather has suddenly gotten warm, and the change in weather is causing your hens to lay more eggs?

What if the sun hatched thousands of grasshopper eggs last week? Maybe hundreds of baby grasshoppers are leaping into the chicken pens and your hens are gobbling them up. Perhaps the extra food is causing them to lay more eggs.

Maybe if the hens are laying more eggs now, it's not because of the extra water at all. Perhaps it's for a completely different reason. But how can you tell? The experiment you did cannot help you decide.

Scientists have a better way of doing the experiment. If the experiment is changed, it can help you decide why the hens are laying more eggs. The experiment is done with two groups. One is called the control group. The other is the experimental group. The two groups are treated almost exactly the same. The experiment will work only if almost everything about the groups is the same. For example, to do the experiment with your hens you would have to:

Your hypothesis is, "Giving my hens extra water causes them to lay more eggs." You could test your hypothesis by doing the following experiment. Give one group of hens the same amount of water you always did (use small water dishes). Give the other group of hens more water (use large water dishes). The first group is the control group. The second is the experimental group. Except for the amount of water provided, everything about the two groups remains the same.

Count the number of eggs laid by each group for one week. Continue counting the eggs every week for five weeks. Examine your results.

Dividing your hens into two groups that are observed at the same time makes your experiment better. You can be more certain that any differences in egg laying are caused by the amount of water the hens have. If weather makes a difference in egg laying, both groups should be affected in the same way. If baby grasshoppers start hatching and jumping into the pens, both groups should be affected. If exercise makes a difference, again, both groups should react in the same way.

What if the hens in the experimental group laid a lot more eggs than those in the control group during every week of the experiment? Then you could be pretty sure it was because they were getting extra water. You have tried to keep everything else about the groups the same.

What if the control group produced about the same number of eggs as the experimental group? Or what if sometimes the control group produced more eggs and sometimes the experimental group produced more eggs? Then the amount of water doesn't seem to be making any difference. You would have to reject your hypothesis and try a new one.

Sometimes it is hard to decide what the results of an experiment mean. If the experimental group laid more eggs during each of the five weeks, you could be pretty sure the water was making a difference. If the experimental group laid more eggs for four out of five weeks, you might still be pretty sure the water was making a difference. But what if the experimental group laid more eggs only three out of five weeks? Maybe the water isn't making any difference. Maybe if you did the entire experiment again, the experimental group would lay more eggs only two weeks out of five.

Scientists can use a type of mathematics called statistics to help them decide what the results of an experiment mean. Statistics can help a scientist in planning an experiment. Statistics can also help a scientist decide whether the results of an experiment support a hypothesis or not.

If a hypothesis seems to be true, a scientist will often repeat the experiment. The scientist may do the experiment many times to make sure the result is always the same. Other scientists often also repeat another scientist's important experiment.

If the amount of water didn't seem to make any difference in the number of eggs laid, you would have to try a new hypothesis. You know that your hens ate a different kind of chicken feed most of the time you were on vacation. You might decide to test the hypothesis, "My hens will lay more eggs if they eat Acme Deluxe Chicken Feed instead of the feed I usually give them."

You could set up another experiment using control and experimental groups. The only difference between the two groups would be that they would get different kinds of chicken feed. The control group would get the kind of chicken feed you usually use. The experimental group would get Acme Deluxe Chicken Feed. If you did the experiment several times, the number of eggs produced by each group would help you decide whether the second hypothesis was true or false.

Finally, an important part of the scientific method is telling other people what you learned. A chicken farmer who suddenly discovers how to make his hens lay more eggs might not be anxious to share his secret. After all, he's trying to make a living from selling eggs and would like to be able to sell them more cheaply than anyone else.

However, a scientist who discovered how to make hens lay more eggs would write about his findings. His discovery might appear in a magazine called a scientific journal. Scientific journals print news about scientists' experiments and hypotheses.

Scientists answer questions and learn new things every day. No one could ever read or remember all the things scientists have discovered. Scientists who study fish can read journals that print articles about fish. Scientists who study plants or rocks or atoms can read journals about the things they study. Reading journals teaches scientists many things. It helps them improve their own experiments. It also gives them ideas about new things to study.

368 Meet the Author

Stephen P. Kramer

Kramer has always been interested in natural history. He studied biology at Pacific Lutheran University and Northern Arizona University. He taught science to junior high school students on a Navajo reservation and then taught fifth grade. Kramer lives in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and two sons. When he is not writing, teaching, or spending time with family, he is learning how to play the bagpipes.

Barbara Spurll

Spurll says the best part about drawing is she learns new things. She may need to research how turtles hibernate or learn how people dressed in King Arthur's court. She tells students who want to become illustrators to keep a sketchbook with them at all times. They should draw in it every day for about twenty minutes.

Science Fair: Theme Connections

1. What is the purpose of using a control group and an experimental group?

2. Why do scientists sometimes repeat an experiment?

3. If you were a scientist, which field would you study?

4. When it comes to scientific research, what resources do you think would be most helpful?

Write about It!

Tell about a time you tested an idea you had.

Remember to add your questions about the theme Science Fair to the Concept/Question Board.

370 Science Inquiry: Isaac New ton Isaac New

A biography is the story of a real person's life that is written by another person.

Feature

Time lines show the order in which important events happened.

Isaac Newton was born in England in 1642. Growing up, he was not a good student. His uncle helped him get into Cambridge University. He finished his studies at Cambridge in 1665. One year later, Newton saw an apple fall to the ground. He wondered what force pulled the apple down. He also wondered whether that force affected things far away, such as the moon.

In 1669, he went back to Cambridge, where he taught for thirty years. He figured out that the motion of the apple, the moon, and all the planets could be explained by the law of gravity.

Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward one another. Objects with more mass have more pull. The Earth has more mass than the objects on its surface. When things fall, they are pulled toward Earth by gravity.

The moon is also caught in Earth's gravity. But the moon is moving fast--so fast that it keeps circling Earth instead of falling to Earth. We call this an orbit.

In 1687, Newton published a book to share the results of his studies about gravity and motion. He made other important discoveries during his life. That is no surprise, considering what he learned from one apple!

Think Link

Take a look at the time line of Isaac Newton's life. Imagine three other events that could have happened to him in his lifetime. Rewrite the time line with your events added. Share your ideas with a classmate.

Why does the moon not fall to Earth?

Explain how gravity causes planets to orbit stars.

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about why some events are chosen for a time line and why other events might not be included.

372 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Magnetism":

* rarely

* attract

* pure

* core

* force

* related

* current

* friction

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words core and friction . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Elliott loved magnets. He collected them and played with them. He read about them and did experiments with them. He took magnets with him wherever he went. People rarely saw Elliott without his magnets. He talked about them to anyone who would listen.

"Do you want to see how these magnets attract paper clips?" he asked his mom.

"Did you know that pure iron is the most magnetic material in the world?" he asked his three- year-old sister, Ella. "The earth's inner core is made up of pure iron."

"Do you see how these magnets repel each other?" he asked his grandma. "I do not have enough force to push them together."

One day, Elliott's neighbor Sam was working in his yard. The neighbor children called the kind, older man "Grandpa."

"Hi, Grandpa Sam," Elliott said. "Did you know that magnetism and electricity are related? "

"Why, yes," answered Sam. "An electromagnet is formed when a current flows through wire wrapped around a metal object." Elliott's mouth hung open. "Stuff like that fascinates me," said Sam, smiling. "Wow!" Elliott exclaimed. "You are the first person I have met who loves magnets like I do."

"Have you ever heard of a maglev train?" Sam asked. "It is a train that runs by electromagnets. There are no wheels, so there is no friction . The train almost looks like it is floating-- at 300 miles per hour!"

"Wow! Tell me more," Elliott said with a huge grin.

Concept Vocabulary

Mini Charades

Write the eight vocabulary words and their definitions in a notebook. Most of these words should be easy to act out with a partner. Play a mini game of charades with another pair of classmates. Take turns acting out the words.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is apparatus. An apparatus is a piece of equipment used in an experiment. A microscope would be an example of an apparatus. Test tubes are also apparatuses. What other examples can you think of? If you were going to invent a new scientific apparatus, what would it be? Draw a picture of a science lab that includes at least six different apparatuses--some real, some imaginary.

374 Magnetism by Rebecca Hunter

Summarizing

As you read, stop at the end of a larger section of text to summarize the information you have read.

Focus Questions

How could you prove that magnetism exists? How would the world be different without magnets?

Horseshoe magnet

Bar magnet

Ring magnet

What is Magnetism?

Magnetism is the ability of a piece of metal or rock to attract something to it or to repel, or push away, certain materials.

Magnets can make things move without actually touching them.

Most magnets are made from iron or steel and can be made into many different shapes.

You can make amazing sculptures with these magnetized shapes.

What Will a Magnet Attr Act?

The most magnetic material is pure iron. However, iron is rarely found in its pure form. It is usually mixed with other metals. Anything that has iron in it will be somewhat magnetic.

Magnetic Poles

The ends of a magnet are called poles. Each magnet has a North and a South pole. Magnets are often labeled. The North pole is labeled N, and the South pole is labeled S. Sometimes magnets are painted so that the North pole is red and the South pole is blue. A North pole will always be attracted to the South pole of another magnet. Two South poles will repel, or push away from, each other. The same thing would take place with two North poles.

Magnetic Fields

The push or pull of a magnet is called its magnetic force. Most of the force of a magnet is at its ends. However, the force spreads in all directions along the magnet.

This space around a magnet, in which the magnetic force is felt, is called the magnetic field.

Making Magnets

Some metals can be made into magnets. Try making a magnet.

Project Project

You will need

A strong bar magnet

A long steel nail

Some paper clips

First, test to see if the nail is magnetic. Does it attract the paper clips?

Hold the nail on the table with one hand. Use your other hand to stroke the nail with the magnet. Always stroke it with the same end of the magnet and always move the magnet down the nail in the same direction.

Stroke it about 30 times. Now, see if it is magnetic. How many paper clips can it pick up? Try stroking it again. See if you can make it more magnetic. Will it pick up more paper clips?

How Does This Work? A magnetic material can be thought of as holding millions of tiny magnets. In a magnet, these tiny magnets all face the same way. In a material that is not magnetic, these magnets face in different directions.

By stroking the steel nail with a magnet, you started to line up the tiny magnets inside the nail in one direction. With each stroke of the magnet, some of the tiny magnets were pulled into line. The more you stroked, the more tiny magnets were lined up. The nail became a stronger magnet.

This nail has been turned into a magnet.

Nonmagnetic nail

Magnetic nail

Magnetic North pole

Magnetic South pole

Earth as a Magnet

Earth acts as if it had a huge bar magnet inside it. This is caused by the very hot, iron core at the center of Earth. If there were a bar magnet inside our planet, it would have one end at the magnetic North pole. The other end would be at the magnetic South pole. Remember that the magnetic poles are not quite the same as Earth's geographic North and South poles.

Lines of magnetic force run through Earth from one pole to the other. If it is allowed to turn freely, a magnet will align itself with the magnetic North and South poles. This is what makes a compass work.

Sailors' Magnet

Lodestone, a natural iron ore, acts like a magnet. It was used as a compass by sailors over 1,000 years ago.

Project

You will need A large needle

A small piece of cork or polystyrene

A magnet

A saucer of water

First, you need to make the needle act like a magnet. You do this by stroking it with a magnet. Do this at least 20 times.

Now, lay the needle on the piece of cork or polystyrene.

Float it in the dish of water.

The needle will swing around to point in a North-South direction. This is what a real compass does.

A compass is especially important in helping ships at sea to find their way. Many drivers and hikers use compasses to guide them.

Electromagnetism: Magnetism and Electricity

Magnetism and electricity are closely related. There are magnets in the generators that produce electricity. There are also magnets inside electric motors. An electric current can produce its own magnetic field. Electricity can also be used to create a magnet. Such magnets are called electromagnets.

Project

You will need

A D-cell battery in a holder A long iron nail Some plastic covered wire [about 2-3 feet (60-100 cm)] Some paper clips or pins

Wind the wire around the nail about ten times.

Attach one end of the wire to one terminal, or the connection point on the battery. Attach the other end to the other terminal. Hold the nail over the paper clips or pins. What happens?

Now switch off the electric current by breaking the connection of one of the wires. What happens now? Does your electromagnet still work?

Very strong electromagnets are used in junkyards to sort scrap metal. The magnet releases its load when the electric current is switched off.

The electricity flowing through the tight coils of wire creates a strong magnetic field from one end of the coil to the other. The force lines up all the magnetic particles in the nail and turns it into a magnet. The more coils of wire there are, the stronger the magnetic force.

Electromagnets are very useful because the magnetism can be switched on and off with the electricity. Electromagnets are found in many things in a house, such as televisions, telephones, and doorbells.

A magnetic train seems to "float" above its track. Two sets of electromagnets hold it there. When the electricity is turned on, the train glides very smoothly along its track.

There is no friction, or rubbing, of the wheels on rails. As a result, these trains can travel much faster than ordinary trains. The train stops when the electricity is turned off.

384 Meet the Author

Rebecca Hunter

Hunter is best known for her books in the Discovering Science series. She has written about topics such as electricity and magnetism, energy, hot and cold, and light and dark. Her books for children include fun, easy science projects.

385 Science Fair: Theme Connections

1. What is magnetic force?

2. Why does a magnetic train seem to "float"?

Across Selections

3. What other selection includes step-by-step instructions for an experiment you could perform in the classroom?

4. How is magnetic energy different from the energy discussed in "Energy Makes Things Happen"?

5. What fascinates you most about magnets?

6. What things do you use each day that require electricity?

Write about It!

Describe a time you were without electricity.

Remember to check the to see whether someone was able to answer a question you posted.

386 Social Studies Inquiry: Where Am I?

Feature

Maps are a representation, usually on a flat surface, of a region of Earth.

Tokyo, Japan, is found at 36° N and 140° E. Sydney, Australia, is found at 34° S and 151° E. We say "degrees" when we talk about temperature. But how are degrees related to finding a place? Each location on a map has a degree for latitude and a degree for longitude. Latitude and longitude are lines on a map that form a grid to help determine exact locations.

Latitude lines run from left to right. The Equator is a line that divides Earth into north and south. The Equator is 0° latitude. Degrees latitude are measured from 0° to 90° north and south. The North Pole is 90° north. The South Pole is 90° south.

Longitude lines run from pole to pole. The Prime Meridian is 0° longitude. It runs through Greenwich, England. Longitude lines go 180° to the east and to the west.

Every place in the world can be described in terms of latitude and longitude. Which city is located at 38° N and 122° W? Because it is north, you know it is above the Equator. When you find 38° N, put your left pointer finger there. Then find the longitude line for 122° W. Put your right pointer finger there. Bring your fingers together along those two lines. They will meet by... San Francisco, California.

Where do you live on the global grid?

Think Link

Look at the map above. Choose three cities and find their latitude and longitude coordinates.

The coordinates of the cities on this map are north and west. Why is that?

Before looking at a map, guess what the latitude and longitude are for your hometown. Then use a map to find its exact location.

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a map might help you share your information.

388 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Case of the Gasping Garbage":

* drizzly

* techniques

* overwhelm

* environment

* competitor

* findings

* peered

* pursuit

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words drizzly and peered. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Kezia's aunt and grandma planned a scavenger hunt every summer for Kezia and her cousins. This was the big day! The morning started out drizzly , but soon the weather cleared.

The twelve cousins divided up into six pairs. Each pair thought up a team name. Kezia and her cousin Lamont decided on "The Victors." They were sure they would win. They were the oldest, smartest, and fastest of the cousins.

"We know the best techniques for finding clues," Lamont told Kezia. "We will overwhelm all the younger cousins."

"Plus we know this environment so well," Kezia added. "We have been coming to Grandma's since we were born. Who do you think will be our biggest competitor? "

"It won't even be close," Lamont said confidently.

Grandma and Aunt Liz called everyone together and explained the rules. "Each team takes a paper," Aunt Liz said. "Follow the clues one by one. Do your best to hide your findings from the other teams. The first team to find the hidden treasure wins!"

Kezia peered at the paper and read the first clue to Lamont. His eyes lit up right away. "I know!" he whispered excitedly. "The first clue is at the back of the woods by that old outhouse. I know a shortcut!"

They cut through the neighbor's yard. They were almost to the back fence when they heard loud barking. It was the neighbor's big dog, and he was loose! They took off running back to Grandma's. The dog was in hot pursuit .

They reached Grandma's porch, flung open the door, and ran inside. The dog turned around and went home.

"It looks like The Victors met their match!" Aunt Liz laughed.

Concept Vocabulary

Card Game

Write each vocabulary word on an index card. Write each definition on a separate card. Study the words and definitions. Then mix up the cards. Have a classmate hold up one card at a time. If the card is a vocabulary word, you must give its definition. If the card shows a definition, you must give the vocabulary word that goes with it.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is rigor. Rigor is strict precision. Scientists must complete their experiments with rigor. They must do things precisely, in a certain way. The opposite of rigor is relaxed or careless. What might happen if a scientist was careless in the laboratory? List some problems or dangers.

390 The Case of the Gasping Garbage written by Michele Torrey illustrated by Ken Gamage

A mystery has fictional characters who find hidden clues and solve a problem by the end of the story.

Comprehension Skill: Classify and Categorize

As you read, try to find things in the story that are similar to each other. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 390 and page 391 in the print version.

Focus Questions

Why is it important to observe the world around us? How does science make the world less mysterious?

Chapter One: Monster Mission

Introducing Doyle and Fossey.

Science Detectives. Known throughout the fifth grade for their relentless pursuit of answers. And not just any answers. The right answers.

On a damp, drizzly day, in an attic not too far away, Drake Doyle worked alone in his homemade laboratory. The laboratory was filled with the latest scientific equipment: a chalkboard, racks of test tubes, flasks and beakers, dozens of sharpened pencils, and a lab coat with his name on it.

Drake's hair was quite wild (some would say it stuck straight up) and the color of toast. Cinnamon toast, that is. And perched on the end of his nose was a pair of round glasses, making him look very scientific indeed. Which, of course, he was.

On this damp, drizzly day, an experiment was under way. A very important experiment.

The solution in the test tube fizzed and popped. Drake Doyle glanced at his watch, then scribbled the results in his lab notebook.

Drake slapped his notebook shut. (Serious scientists always slap their notebooks shut.) He shoved his pencil behind his ear just as the phone rang. "Doyle and Fossey," he answered, speaking in his best scientific voice. Nell Fossey was Drake's lab partner. They were in business together. Serious business.

Their business card read:

"Hurry! Hurry! It's a major emergency!" someone screamed on the other end of the phone. "There's a monster in my garbage can!"

Drake pushed up his glasses with his finger. Obviously, this was an important phone call. Very important. And important phone calls were more important than important experiments. He set his test tubes aside. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Gabby Talberg," she shrieked. "Hurry! Hurry!"

"Oh, hi, Gabby." Gabby Talberg was in Drake's fifth-grade class at school. She was a nice girl, even if she did talk too much. "Now, calm down and speak slowly. What seems to be the problem?"

"Speak-slowly?-Are-you-nuts?-I-said-there's-a-huge-giant-bloodsucking-monster-in-my- garbage-can-and-it's-growing-bigger-and-bigger-every-second-and-I'm-alone-in-the-house- and-it's-going-to-gobble-me-up-and-I-don't-want-to-be-someone's-dinner!" Gabby gasped for breath.

Drake was excited. This could prove to be a great day for Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives. They'd never had a monster assignment before. And, of course, it would be a great day for the small town of Mossy Lake. They'd publish their findings in the local newspaper. GARBAGE-EATING MONSTER DISCOVERED! MOSSY LAKE'S GARBAGE PROBLEMS SOLVED! Maybe they'd even lecture at Mossy Lake University!

But Drake couldn't allow his excitement to overwhelm his good scientific sense. That was the first rule of science. And Drake was a stickler about rules of science. He cleared his throat and forced himself to speak calmly. "What makes you think there's a monster?" he asked.

"All kinds of weird gasping noises are coming from my garbage can. Something's inside. Hurry, Drake, you have to come over immediately and get rid of it. Because if you don't, I'll just have to call James Frisco."

Great Scott! thought Drake, horrified. Not James Frisco! Frisco was in their fifth-grade class at school. Frisco was a competitor. Frisco was a scientist, but he was a bad scientist. A very bad scientist. A mad scientist, you might say.

Frisco's business card read:

Why was Frisco such a bad mad scientist? Because if Frisco didn't like a number, he erased it. Because if an experiment asked for pink, Frisco used blue. Because if an experiment called for two, Frisco used one. (Or three.) But most especially, because if an experiment said "Adult Supervision Required, OR ELSE!"

Frisco did it anyway. Alone.

Drake knew that if Gabby hired Frisco, there was no telling what could happen. Knowing Frisco's sloppy scientific techniques, Frisco might let the monster out of the can, and he and Gabby would never be seen again! Gobbled in the blink of an eye!

"Drake," said Gabby, "Drake, are you there? I said you have to come over immediately and get rid of it or else I'll call Frisco!"

"Check. I'll be right there."

Click.

Drake phoned Nell. She was the most fabulous partner an amateur scientist and detective genius could have. Whenever they had a serious case, Nell dropped everything and reported for duty.

"Doyle and Fossey," she answered, picking up the phone on its first ring.

"Drake here. Meet me at Gabby's house right away. Gabby's garbage is gasping."

"Right."

Click.

Nell was already waiting on Gabby's porch by the time Drake arrived. He wasn't surprised, as she was the fastest runner in the fifth grade. With her coffee-colored hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail, her scientist cap shoved atop her head, and her mouth set in a firm line, she looked ready to take on this most difficult case.

"Afternoon, Scientist Nell." "Afternoon, Detective Doyle." And so saying, Nell rapped sharply on the door.

Inside Gabby's house, Gabby pointed to a dark corner of the garage. "There," she whispered. "There's the bloodsucking monster. Inside that garbage can. Hurry, get rid of it before it eats us all."

Suddenly, the garbage can gasped.

It trembled.

It burped and yurped.

It belched and yelched.

All in all, it was very scary indeed.

Drake and Nell immediately went to work. They pulled on surgical gloves.

Gabby edged toward the door. "You're not going to take off the lid, are you?"

"If there's a monster inside," Drake replied, "removing the lid would be most foolish. Now, stand back, we'll take it from here." They tapped the sides of the can. "Sounds hollow," whispered Nell. She scribbled in her lab notebook and tapped again.

Drake sniffed the air. "Smells like fresh-baked bread," he observed. "Hmm. That reminds me. Ms. Talberg, isn't your dad a baker?"

"The best baker there is," answered Gabby. "He won the blue ribbon last year at the county fair. Why?" "Just wondering," Drake muttered as he recorded his findings in his lab notebook.

Meanwhile, Nell peered at the garbage can with her magnifying glass. She checked its temperature. She drew diagrams and charts. She was a most efficient scientist.

Finally, Drake and Nell stood back and removed their surgical gloves.

"Well?" asked Gabby.

"Puzzling," said Drake.

"Fascinating," said Nell.

Drake pushed up his glasses. "Tell me, Ms. Talberg. Does your garbage can always sit here next to the furnace?"

Gabby shook her head. "My dad moved it a few days ago. Why?"

"It's very warm next to the furnace, that's all," said Drake. "Eighty-seven degrees, to be precise," added Nell. "Curious. Very curious," mumbled Drake. He jotted a note to himself in his notebook.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Gabby. "Nell and I will take the garbage can back to the lab for further analysis. Expect our report within twenty-four hours."

404 Chapter Two: Great reat Gasping asping Garbage!

Drake and Nell slogged through mud puddles, lugging the garbage can between them. For a monster, it wasn't very heavy. Even so, Drake slipped and almost fell because his glasses had fogged. Nell helped him up and brushed him off. She was a great partner. (And besides, she was his best friend.)

Finally, they pushed the garbage can through Drake's back door, dragged it up two flights of stairs, and into the attic lab. They set the garbage can in a corner next to a heater. "We must simulate the same environment," said Drake.

"Eighty-seven degrees, to be precise," said Nell.

Drake cleaned his glasses and put on his white lab coat. Nell did, too, except she didn't have any glasses to clean. They stuck sharpened pencils behind their ears, sat on stools, and opened their lab notebooks. Drake pulled a book off the shelf and shuffled through it until he found the right page. It read: "Monster Analysis: What to do when your garbage is gasping."

Just then, Drake's mom poked her head in the lab. Kate Doyle was a fine cook and ran her own catering company from home. Blueberry muffins were her specialty. Now Mrs. Doyle asked if they wanted any hot chocolate with their muffins, seeing that it was such a damp, drizzly day.

"No thanks," Drake said politely. "Just muffins."

"Coffee. Decaf. Black," said Nell. And she shoved a pencil behind her ear. (Nell forgot she already had a pencil behind her other ear.)

"Affirmative," said Drake's mom, and closed the door.

(Real scientists don't drink hot chocolate. Ditto for real detectives. And they were both.)

"Let's go over the facts again," said Nell.

Drake nodded. "Just the facts, ma'am."

Together they pored over their observations.

407 After a while, Drake's dad stuck his head in the lab. Sam Doyle owned a science-equipment and supply company. He regularly brought home used equipment for the lab: computers, microscopes, telescopes, glassware, Bunsen burners--even an old sink that he plumbed with hot and cold water. If either Drake or Nell needed equipment, Mr. Doyle was the man.

Now Mr. Doyle glanced at the rumbling garbage can and told them to be careful.

"We will," said Drake and Nell.

Mr. Doyle rolled his eyes and closed the door.

"What's he think we're going to do?" asked Drake. "Blow up the lab?"

"You did last time," reminded Nell.

"That's beside the point. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Based on our observations, Scientist Nell, I have formulated a hypothesis"

All through the evening they worked. Later Mrs. Doyle brought them tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with a pickle on the side. (Mrs. Doyle always cooked from her vegetarian menu whenever Nell was around, because Nell was a vegetarian.) Drake and Nell washed their hands and sat at Drake's desk, knowing they should never eat or drink while conducting experiments. They were top-notch scientists.

After supper, Nell called her mother and asked if she could stay extra late, given that there was no school tomorrow and that they were swamped with experiments and under a deadline. Ann Fossey was a biology professor at Mossy Lake University. Her specialty was wildlife biology. "Goodness gracious sakes alive," exclaimed Professor Fossey. "Sounds like you're a busy scientist. Now, don't you worry about a thing, my dear. I'll be sure to feed your rats and lizards."

"And don't forget my snakes and bugs."

"Of course, dear," said Professor Fossey. "I'll leave the light on for you."

Finally, after midnight, just when Nell was on her fourth cup of decaf, they had their answer.

In the morning, Nell hurried back to Drake's house. They called Gabby first thing. "Meet us in the lab," said Nell. "We've discovered the identity of the monster."

After Gabby arrived, Drake paced the floor while Nell sat on a stool. "You see, Ms. Talberg," Drake was saying, "it's really quite simple. Nell?" "Thank you, Detective Doyle. First of all," said Nell, "the garbage can sounded hollow when we tapped on it. Second, the garbage can wasn't too heavy."

"You see, Ms. Talberg," said Drake, "most monsters are quite heavy."

"In addition," added Nell, "the garbage can was stored in a very warm environment. We copied that environment in our lab by setting the can next to the heater and checking its temperature. But most important, the garbage can smelled like bread."

"Remember, your dad is a baker," said Drake. "The best baker around, to be exact. Therefore, based on the clues and our observations, I developed an educated guess-- what we scientists call a hypothesis. I believed that the monster lurking inside your garbage can was not really a monster at all, but"

"Yes?" asked Gabby, her eyes wide.

"Yeast," said Drake. "Pure and simple yeast."

"Yeast?"

"Yes, yeast. Allow Scientist Nell to explain."

Nell pointed to a chalkboard with her long, wooden pointer. "As I said, the smell of fresh-baked bread was our biggest clue. You see, yeast is used in making bread. Yeasts are tiny plants that eat starches and sugars. They then turn the starches and sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas."

"The tiny bubbles in bread," said Drake, "are the result of carbon dioxide gas."

Nell tapped the chalkboard with her pointer. "You see, Gabby, your dad must have thrown away a combination of yeast and flour. Ingredients used in baking bread. Easily purchased at any grocery store."

412 Drake pushed up his glasses. "With the right amount of moisture--"

"And a warm environment--" added Nell.

"The yeast was able to grow and multiply by feeding on the flour inside the can," finished Drake. "Quite harmless, really. But the yeast produced so much carbon dioxide gas that the garbage can simply had to 'burp' to release some of the gas."

"We tested our hypothesis," said Nell, "with a thorough set of experiments. We examined the yeast under the microscope and grew it in several different mediums. We've positively identified yeast as your culprit. You can be certain there is no monster inside your garbage can."

Naturally, Gabby was a little disappointed. After all, yeast was not as exciting as a bloodsucking monster. She shook their hands anyway for a job well done. "I knew you could do it," she said. "I can't wait to tell all my friends."

Nell handed Gabby their business card. "Call us. Anytime."

Later that day, Drake wrote in his lab notebook:

414 Meet the Author

Michele Torrey

Torrey first became a published writer when she was in fifth grade. After that she knew she wanted to be a writer, although she did not make a career out of it until she became an adult. Among Torrey's favorite books to read as a child were picture books by Dr. Seuss and the Chronicles of Narnia. She loves to travel and has been to more than thirty countries. Her writing assistant is her calico cat, Sheba.

Ken Gamage

Gamage's first job was being a paperboy. He describes it as one of his best experiences because he learned business skills that he uses as an illustrator. An artist also needs to have self- motivation, business knowledge, and the ability to work well with people. However, the most important key to success is believing in yourself. Gamage says that students should realize they "have the ability to accomplish anything you wish in life."

1. What is Drake's first rule of science?

2. Why does the garbage can make a burping sound?

Across Selections

3. Yeast is an example of a decomposer. What other selection have you read that discusses decomposers?

4. You learned in "The Scientific Method" that good scientists are thorough. How do Drake and Nell prove that they are good scientists?

5. How are scientists like detectives?

6. Would you rather be a scientist or a detective, and why?

Write about It!

Describe a time when you or someone you know solved a mystery.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about the theme Science Fair to add to the Concept/Question Board.

416 Social Studies Inquiry: Economic Freedom

Feature Headings tell people what a paragraph is going to be about.

We live in a country with many freedoms. In many countries, the government runs the economy. People cannot buy and sell goods the way they want to.

Free Enterprise

In the United States, people can organize and operate private businesses. This is called a free enterprise system. There are some rules. These rules are made to protect buyers and sellers.

Owners

In this system, a business owner tries to do things better than his or her competitor. Owners decide which goods to sell. They decide fair prices and which production techniques are best.

Buyers

Most people cannot buy all the things they want. They must choose the things they want most. Some people choose to do jobs themselves. Your mom may give you a haircut at home. Then she does not have to pay a barber.

The government stops people from selling bad products. Higher taxes are often placed on certain items it does not want people to buy. The government also helps people who cannot afford food and supplies.

Think Link

Look at the headings in the article. They are very simple--just one or two words each. Rewrite each heading using three to five words for each one.

What is a free enterprise system?

What kinds of rules do you think the U.S. government has made to protect buyers and sellers?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how headings can help explain your ideas.

418 Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning": genuine forecasts eclipse mast charted inventions charge shocked

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words mast and charge. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Clem Judd was an interesting man. He was smart but a little on the strange side. Everyone in the small town of New Bend loved funny, friendly Clem.

"He is the genuine article," Stew, the barber, always said. "He may be a little confused, but you have never met a nicer fellow."

People were not sure if Clem was strange or just pulling everybody's leg. He was always telling stories that could not possibly be true. It seemed like he really believed them. Or did he?

Clem had worked in the town bakery for at least thirty years. He would greet customers each morning with weather forecasts . Then he would smile.

He was never right.

He told story after story. He only repeated his favorites. He told stories about the e clipse that lasted four days straight. He bragged about the time he climbed the twenty-foot mast of a ship. He said he hung on for three hours while he charted a map of the East China Sea. He loved to tell about his wonderful inventions . They had all been stolen from him by people who soon became rich and famous. He had an all-time favorite story. According to Clem, he was once struck by lightning six times in one day. He had told the story about 600 times.

"That charge went through me like nobody's business," he always said. "Yeah, that lightnin' shocked me real good. It jerked me off the porch right quick. Didn't even know what hit me!"

He always ended the story with the same two lines: "Electricians got nothin' on me! I know electric currents like the back of my hand!"

Concept Vocabulary

Test Yourself

Write each of the eight selection vocabulary words in a notebook or on a sheet of paper, leaving room to write the definitions. Before you look up each definition, decide what you think it might be based on your prior knowledge or the word's context in the article. Then look up each definition and write it on your paper. How did you do?

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is precaution. A precaution is something people do to ensure safety. Some jobs can be dangerous, and workers must take precautions. Choose one of those jobs, and think of at least five precautions you would take if that were your job.

420 How ben Franklin stole the Lightning written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer

Comprehension Skill: Main Idea and Details

As you read, look for the main idea the author is trying to get across. Then look for the details he or she uses to support the main idea.

Focus Questions

How does science benefit people? How can we make experiments safer to perform?

422 t's true!

The great Benjamin Franklin really did steal lightning right out of the sky! And then he set out to tame the beast. It goes to figure, though, because he was a man who could do just about anything.

Why, Ben Franklin could swim faster, argue better, and write funnier stories than practically anyone in colonial America. He was a musician, a printer, a cartoonist, and a world traveler! What's more, he was a newspaper owner, a shopkeeper, a soldier, and a politician. He even helped to write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States!

Ben was always coming up with newfangled ways to help folks out, too. He was the guy who started the first lending library in America. His post office was the first to deliver mail straight to people's houses.

He also wrote almanacs that gave hilarious advice about life and told people when to plant crops, whether there might be an eclipse, and when the tides would be high or low.

And he helped to start a hospital!

A free academy!

A fire department!

424 In colonial days, fire could break out at any time. And it was lightning that caused some of the worst fires.

Of course, after Ben stole the lightning, there weren't nearly as many fires for firefighters to put out. "Now, why was that?"

I hear you ask. "And how did he steal any lightning in the first place?" Well, it's a long story, but before we get to the answer, here's a hint. One of the things Benjamin Franklin liked to do best was to make inventions.

Why, Ben was a born inventor. He loved to swim fast, but he wanted to go even faster.

So one day when he was a mere lad of eleven, he got some wood and invented swim paddles for his hands and swim fins for his feet. Ben could go faster, all right, but the wood was pretty heavy, and his wrists got plum worn out.

That's why his second invention was a better way to go fast. He lay on his back, held on to a kite string, and let his kite pull him lickety-split across a big pond. (You might want to remember later on that Ben always did like kites.)

Ben kept right on inventing better ways to do things for the rest of his life.

Take books, for example. Ben read so many books that some of them sat on shelves way up high near the ceiling. So he invented the library chair. If he pulled up the seat, out popped some stairs to help him reach any books on high shelves. And in case climbing stairs made him dizzy, he invented a long wooden arm that could grab his books, too.

He also invented an odometer that told how far he had ridden to deliver the mail. And the first clock with a second hand. And he even thought up daylight saving time. Then he invented bifocals so older folks could see up close and far away without changing glasses. Distant Vision

Close-up & Reading

Everybody and his brother and sister just had to find better ways to heat their houses in wintertime. So Ben came up with a Franklin stove that could warm up cold rooms faster and use a lot less wood than old-fashioned stoves and fireplaces.

People all over Europe and America loved Ben's glass armonica. This instrument could spin wet glass bowls to make music that sounded like it came straight from heaven. Mozart and Beethoven wrote music for it, and it was even played at a royal Italian wedding.

But as popular as warmer stoves and glass armonicas were, they aren't anywhere near as celebrated nowadays as the invention Ben made after he stole the lightning.

Another hint about Ben's famous invention is that it helped make life easier for everyone. His scientific ideas were helpful, too, and were often way ahead of their time. For example, he had a lot of ideas about health. He said that exercise and weight lifting help keep folks fit, but they have to work hard enough to sweat if they want to do any good.

He wrote that breathing fresh air and drinking lots of water are good for you. He was the guy who said "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

And before anyone ever heard of vitamin C, he wrote that oranges, limes, and grapefruit give people healthy gums and skin. Sailors soon got wind of this idea. They began eating so many limes to stop getting sick from scurvy at sea that they became known as limeys.

Didn't the man ever stop to rest? Even when he was outside, Ben kept right on experimenting.

For instance, he often sailed to England and France to do business for America. As he crossed the Atlantic Ocean, he charted the Gulf Stream by taking its temperature. Once sailors knew the route of this fast, warm "river" in the cold ocean, they could travel between America and Europe in a shorter time than ever before.

He was probably the first person to write weather forecasts, too. Once he chased a roaring whirlwind by riding over the hills and forests of Maryland just to find out how it worked.

Ben had an old scientific trick that he liked to show people every chance he got. He used to store some oil inside a bamboo walking stick, and whenever he poured a few drops onto angry waves in a pond or lake, the water became smooth as glass! Meanwhile, over in Europe, people called "electricians" had started doing some tricks of their own. One trick was to raise a boy up near the ceiling with a bunch of silk cords, rub his feet with a glass "electric tube," and make sparks shoot out of his hands and face.

Another mean trick made the king of France laugh so hard he could hardly stop. His court electrician had run an electric charge through 180 soldiers of the guard, and they jerked to attention faster than they ever had in their entire lives.

But although people were doing lots of tricks with electricity, nobody had a clue about why or how it worked. So Benjamin Franklin decided to find out. He asked a British friend to send him an electric tube so that he could do some experiments.

In one experiment, he made a cork "electric spider" with thread for legs. It kept leaping back and forth between a wire and an electric tube just like it was alive.

Another time, he asked a lady and gentleman to stand on some wax. One held an electric tube, the other held a wire, and when they tried to kiss, they got shocked by all the sparks shooting between their lips.

Ben even figured how to light up a picture of a king in a golden frame. Anyone trying to remove the king's gold paper crown was in for a shock!

Doing all these tricks gave Ben his idea for stealing lighting out of the sky. He believed that lightning was nothing more nor less than pure electricity. Now he set out to prove it.

First he made a silk kite with a wire on top to attract some lightning. Next he added a kite string, tied a key to the bottom, and knotted a silk ribbon below the key. Ben and his son William stood out of the rain inside the doorway of a shed on the side of a field. To keep from getting shocked, Ben held on to the dry silk ribbon. Then he flew his kite straight up toward a big rain cloud.

For the longest time, nothing happened.

431 Just as Ben and William were about to give up, the hair on that wet kite string began to rise up and stand at attention. Ben put his knuckle near the key and YIKES!!!! Out jumped a bright spark of genuine electricity!

Real lightning had traveled all the way down that kite string!

Ben had stolen electric fire out of the heavens and proven that he was right.

(Of course, now we know that if the storm had been any stronger, the great inventor would have been toast.)

Finally! Here's the part of the story where Ben's practice from thinking up all those inventions came in so handy. Way back then, you remember, lightning was always setting fire to ships, houses, and church spires. Even the best fire departments couldn't keep entire towns from going up in smoke. So Ben decided to make his most famous invention of all--the lightning rod!

The whole idea was to pull lightning safely out of the sky before it could do any mischief. Ben showed people how to put a pointed iron rod on the tip-top of a roof or ship's mast and connect it to a wire leading all the way down under the ground or into the water. Now the lightning could follow a safe path without burning up a thing.

This simple but brilliant invention worked beautifully. It saved more lives than anyone can count and made Ben Franklin a great hero.

Scientists from around the world lined up to give Ben medals and awards. But during his long life, he became much more than the master of lightning. Why, when America fought against Great Britain for the right to become a free nation, Ben convinced France to come help win the war, and when it was over, he helped convince Great Britain to sign the peace. He had helped in so many ways that the people of France honored him with a beautiful medallion. It says "He snatched the lightning from heaven and the scepter from tyrants."

And he did.

Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 432 and page 433 in the print version. 434 Meet the Author and Illustrator

Rosalyn Schanzer

Schanzer spent years illustrating books, magazines, articles, and other items for other people before taking a risk and writing her own books. Once she began writing, she loved it. One of her favorite parts of the writing process is researching the characters and places she writes about. She often travels to the sites of her stories. Schanzer is also a nationally ranked Master's swimmer. She actually swam with sharks and kayaked with whales. Schanzer lives in Fairfax Station, Virginia, with her husband and her dog, Jones.

1. What are some of the many job titles Ben Franklin holds?

2. How does Ben Franklin save the townspeople from lightning fires?

Across Selections

3. How are Ben Franklin and Benjamin Banneker alike?

4. What other selection have you read that discusses electricity?

5. What is your favorite invention of Ben Franklin's, and why?

6. What recent inventions can you think of that have made life easier or better?

Write about It!

Describe a time you or someone you know tried to invent something.

Remember to look for poetry and art about the theme Science Fair to add to the Concept/Question Board.

436 Science Inquiry: Energy Genre

Feature

Diagrams are drawings that are used to show the relationship among different items in a system.

Juan: Mr. March, my goal is to find out all I can about energy. I know that energy is what heats, lights, and moves everything we see. We use energy every day. It can take on many forms.

Mr. March: I am impressed, son. You should be a scientist.

Juan: It is one of my dreams to be a genuine scientist someday. I read that Thomas Edison is a hero of yours. What did Edison do that made him famous?

Mr. March: He had many inventions. The lightbulb is his most famous one. He put a thin, metal wire called a filament in a glass tube. He saw that electricity could make the wire glow with light.

Juan: Fascinating. So, what can you tell me about heat?

Mr. March: Matter is made of tiny particles called atoms and molecules. Heat is caused when these tiny parts move quickly and constantly.

Juan: What does electricity have to do with heat?

Mr. March: A large electrical charge passes through a thin wire and the wire becomes hot. This is what we call a heating element. The element changes electricity to heat.

Juan: Thanks so much, Mr. March, for your help!

Think Link

screw fitting glass bulb fillament argon gas Captions with the class attribute value "label" correspond to content that appears in labels associated with this image.

Look at the diagram of the lightbulb. In your own words, explain the purpose of each part of the lightbulb.

You read that a heating element transforms electricity into heat. Two examples of heating elements are an electric blanket and a toaster. What other heating elements might be found in someone's home?

When water gets hot, it boils. Based on what you read in the selection, why is this?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how diagrams can help illustrate your ideas.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "How Fast Do You Eat Your Ice Cream?": pace common previous major randomly publication questionnaire rejected

Vocabulary Strategy Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Use context clues to find the meanings of common and major.

Do you like to write? What kinds of things have you written? A poem? An essay? A hundred journal entries? What would it be like to write something and have it be read by millions of people? If that is your goal, get started now. Most successful authors began writing at a young age. It is never too early--or too late--to start.

If you dream of writing a book someday, where do you begin? There is no need to rush it. Write at your own pace. Start small. Read as much as you can. Write whenever you get a chance.

What should you write about? You can write about anything. Write about common things like school and pets. Write about your family. Write about a previous experience that changed your life. Write down your thoughts about a major issue like world hunger. Write funny things. Write sad things. Choose topics randomly . Write a little about each one.

When you feel ready, try writing a piece for publication . Many children's magazines would love something written by a young person. You could write about kids' opinions on a certain topic. You could pass out a questionnaire to your friends and classmates.

Try not to worry about failure. If your article is rejected , just try, try again. Most successful writers have been rejected many times. You have many years to get something published. If you love to write, keep doing it. Do not let anything get in the way of your dream.

Concept Vocabulary

Memory Game

Write each of the eight selection vocabulary words in a notebook. Beside each word, write its definition. Study the words and definitions for a few minutes with a classmate. On another page, write only the vocabulary words. Without looking, see whether you can write the correct definition beside each word from memory. Have your classmate grade your "quiz."

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is sample. A sample is a group of people chosen to represent a much larger population. If you were going to choose a sample of ten students to represent your entire school, what kinds of things would you have to consider? Would you choose all girls? Why not? If your school has a lot of ethnic variety, how could you represent that in the sample? Is your school a good sample of the city where you live? Is your city a good sample of the United States?

440 How Fast Do You Eat Your Ice Cream? by Maya Kaczorowski

Comprehension Skill: Author's Purpose

As you read, understand why the author wrote the text and what she wants you to take from it.

Focus Questions

Where do scientists get their ideas? Why is it important for scientists to communicate their ideas?

I didn't set out to write a major paper. My plan was to get an award at the science fair. But when I didn't get any awards at the fair, I decided to write an article and send it to a medical journal and prove the judges wrong.

This all started because I love ice cream. I eat it every day. It doesn't matter what flavor. So when all the gifted eighth graders at Dalewood Middle School had to do a science fair project for the Bayside Engineering Science Fair, I decided to do a project on ice cream headaches.

Sometimes I get ice cream headaches, and I wanted to know if it had to do with how fast or slow I eat my favorite dessert.

443 After doing a little research, I found out that ice cream is the most common cause of "brain freeze." Previous researchers found that the pain starts a couple of seconds after swallowing cold foods or drinks and hurts the most after 30 to 60 seconds. For most people, the pain goes away in 10 to 20 seconds. No one knows whether people who get regular headaches are more or less likely to get ice cream headaches.

One scientist hypothesized that it only occurs in one-third of a randomly sampled population. I didn't agree with this, because a lot of my friends get ice cream headaches, not just one- third of them. This same researcher claimed that ice cream headaches can happen only during the summer or hot weather. I didn't agree with this either.

So, for my science fair project, I came up with three hypotheses:

That middle school students would get ice cream headaches at this time of year (winter);

That the middle school students who were told to eat their ice cream fast were more likely to get ice cream headaches; and

That more than 33 percent of the middle school students who were tested would get ice cream headaches.

For my "sample population," I tested the 145 students at my school. After getting the okay from the principal and all the middle school teachers to come into the classrooms to test the students, I wrote up a questionnaire for the students to fill out before and after they ate their ice cream.

The questionnaire was pretty simple. The "before eating ice cream" questions were:

* Gender? Age?

*How often do you get headaches?

*Have you ever gotten an ice cream headache/brain freeze before?

The "after eating" questions were:

* Did you get an ice cream headache?

*If so, how long did it last? To find out if eating ice cream fast or slow made a difference, I divided my 145 questionnaires into two sets of 73 and 72. The set with a red dot said to eat the ice cream fast. The other set had a green dot and said to eat it slowly or at a more normal pace.

With my questionnaires ready, I went to each classroom. I did all the eighth-grade classes first. I passed out the questionnaires along with polystyrene plates filled with 100 milliliters of vanilla ice cream. I went through seven two-liter containers of vanilla ice cream in total.

The fast group had to eat their ice cream in under five seconds. They were warned two seconds before the time was up to put all their remaining ice cream into their mouths. The "normal" or slow eaters had to take more than 30 seconds to eat. This group was asked to have about half of the ice cream they were originally given left at the end of 30 seconds. I used a stopwatch to tell them when it was time.

I found that:

* Overall, 20 percent, or 29 of the 145 students tested, got ice cream headaches.

* Students in the fast group were significantly more likely to get headaches than students in the normal group (27.4 percent vs. 12.5 percent).

* Fifty-nine percent of the headaches lasted 10 seconds or less.

* Of all the students, 79.3 percent reported that they had had ice cream headaches in the past.

* I also found that the original research was, in part, wrong. Since my study was done from December to January, this contradicted the original conclusion that ice cream headaches can happen only during the summer.

Description of Groups

Slow group Fast group Category Overall (n=145) (n=72) (n=73)

% Female 58.3% 37.0% 47.6%

Age (mean) 12.7 12.7 12.7

% with history of ice cream 80.6% 78.1% 79.3% headaches

% with regular headaches (weekly) 25.0% 26.0% 25.5% 448

The following is a pie chart of my results.

Duration of ice cream headaches (n = 29)

Getting my paper accepted for publication wasn't easy.

The science fair was in April and I submitted the paper in June. I wrote it up following the guidelines found on the British Medical Journal Web site. My dad, a medical researcher, helped me edit it because he writes this kind of paper fairly often. The Journal initially rejected it and said that they wanted a few changes. So my dad and I rewrote it and submitted it again. They rejected it again, so we rewrote it again. This time, they wrote back and said that it was too long. If I wanted to shorten it, they would consider publishing it. So we did. By this time, it was September. When they finally published it in December, I was jumping up and down, I was so excited!

Then someone from the Reuters News Agency called. I think they thought that it would make a cute story. But once they found out that I was only 13, they made it into a big article. Then I got all kinds of calls from newspapers and television shows such as the CBS Early Show . But my favorite was appearing on a local kids' interview show aired on commercial-free TV here in Canada. I used to watch that show all the time when I was younger, so I thought this was really cool.

But the best part was that everyone gave me ice cream! For some reason, they all thought I liked it!

450 Meet the Author

Maya Kaczorowski

Kaczorowski is a student living in Canada. As part of a science project, she conducted a study on the "brain freeze" sometimes caused by eating ice cream too quickly. One hundred forty-five students from her school participated in her study. Kaczorowski's study was published in the British Medical Journal . She has appeared on television to discuss what she learned. Kaczorowski says she decided to study "brain freeze" because she loves ice cream and sometimes gets ice cream headaches, and she was curious about what caused them. 451 Science Fair: Theme Connections

1. Why does Maya Kaczorowski choose ice-cream headaches for her science fair topic?

2. When does "brain freeze" start, and how long does it last?

Across Selections

3. Kaczorowski's paper is published in a journal. What other selection discusses publishing scientific results in journals?

4. How did Kaczorowski use the concept of control groups and variable groups, which you read about in "The Scientific Method?"

5. If you were going to investigate an idea for a science fair, what would it be about?

6. When Kaczorowski published her paper, she included a section listing all her data. Why is that necessary?

Write about It!

Describe a time you ate ice cream.

452 Science Inquiry: Inherited or Learned?

Feature

Captions explain what is happening in a photograph. There are many likenesses between a parent and a child. This is true for animals too. Some traits are inherited. Other traits are learned. Inherited traits are passed through genes. Learned behaviors must be taught.

We have choices about what we like and do. We do not have much choice about how we look. Our eyes, hair, and skin color do not happen randomly. Neither do our height and body shape. We inherit these physical traits from our parents.

Some behaviors are inherited. They do not need to be taught. Human babies know how to drink milk at birth. They can suck their thumbs before they are born. Many animals know how to swim without being taught. Most birds are born knowing how to fly.

Learned behaviors must be taught and often require much practice. Humans must be taught how to talk. They learn by listening to their parents. Mother bears teach their cubs how to catch fish. Cheetahs teach their babies how to hunt. Baby eagles must be taught how to fly.

Some animal babies do not need their parents, but most babies do.

Think Link

Can you tell which traits this child inherited from her parent?

Many adult animals teach their young how to find food.

Look at the photos and captions that go with this selection. Draw your own picture that fits the selection and write an interesting caption underneath it.

What does "inherited traits" mean? What are physical traits?

Why do you think baby eagles must be taught to fly when many other birds are born knowing how? How do you think an eagle teaches its young to fly?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think of a picture that would illustrate your ideas. What would the caption say?

454 What Is Science? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich illustrated by Virginia Halstead

Focus Questions

Do scientists all know the same things? What is not science?

What is science? So many things.

The study of stars-- Saturn's rings.

The study of rocks-- geodes and stones-- dinosaur fossils, old-chipped bones. The study of soil, oil, and gas.

Of sea and sky, of seed and grass. Of wind and hurricanes that blow; volcanoes, tornadoes, earthquakes, snow.

What is science? the study of trees.

Of butterflies and killer bees. Glaciers, geysers, clay, and sand; mighty mountains, the rolling land.

The power of trains-- planes that soar. Science is this and so much more. So into the earth and into the sky; we question the how the where when and why.

456 The Microscope by Maxine Kumin illustrated by Robert Byrd

Focus Questions Why are some people frightened by scientific discoveries? What would the world be like without science?

Anton Leeuwenhoek was Dutch.

He sold pincushions, cloth, and such. The waiting townsfolk fumed and fussed

As Anton's dry goods gathered dust.

He worked, instead of tending store,

At grinding special lenses for

A microscope. Some of the things

He looked at were: mosquitoes' wings, the hairs of sheep, the legs of lice, the skin of people, dogs, and mice; ox eyes, spiders' spinning gear, fishes' scales, a little smear of his own blood, and best of all, the unknown, busy, very small bugs that swim and bump and hop inside a simple water drop.

Impossible! Most Dutchmen said.

This Anton's crazy in the head.

We ought to ship him off to Spain.

He says he's seen a housefly's brain.

He says the water that we drink

Is full of bugs. He's mad, we think!

They call him Dummkopf , which means dope.

That's how we got the microscope. 458 Unit 4: Test Prep

Skimming and Prioritizing Items

Test-Taking Strategy: Skimming and Prioritizing Items

Some questions on a test are easier to answer than others. You might find it helpful to skim all the questions and answer the easiest ones first.

You do not have to answer the questions on a test in the order that they appear. Good test takers answer the easiest questions first. They answer the harder questions later.

Read the questions. Decide which question seems hard and which one seems easy.

At the end of the story, Chris felt --

A proud.

B clever.

C happy.

D tired.

What is the author's main purpose for writing this story?

A To explain the differences among the types of clouds

B To inform the reader about how clouds are formed

C To show how some clouds are more likely to cause rain

D To persuade the reader to spend more time watching clouds

The first question seems easy. It has fewer words. The second question is harder. It takes longer to read. You might want to skip this question and answer the easier ones first. You can return to the harder questions later.

Read the story "The Project." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

"What should we do for our science project?" Jose asked his group. Nora looked at the notes their teacher had given them. The group had to observe something one day a month from September to May. "Let's choose something on the beach because we all live near there."

"What about checking the weather every month?" Jenna asked.

Jose groaned. "That is a dumb idea.

It is sunny here 361 days out of the year."

Nora frowned. "Remember what Mr. Ortiz said? When you brainstorm, you should not criticize any ideas. Here, I will write all our ideas, and we can pick the best one."

Nora wrote quickly as everyone suggested possible projects. When the group was finished, she read the ideas. "I like the idea of watching the loggerhead turtles lay their eggs," she said.

"That won't work," Jenna said. "Loggerheads lay eggs from around May through September. The eggs hatch in about sixty days, and then the baby turtles go into the ocean. We cannot observe them in the winter."

Jose wanted to observe high and low tides. He hoped to learn how tides change during phases of the moon. But they would need to go to the beach twice a day instead of once a month. They looked at their other ideas. The best one was Jose's idea to check pollution.

"Didn't Mr. Ortiz say we need a five-minute video?" Jenna asked. "Filming the beach might be boring."

"It might be interesting if stuff washes up," Jose said. "Maybe we should find out what is happening at sea in the days before we go to the beach. If there is a big storm or strong winds, maybe more stuff will wash up."

"Good idea. Let's go early in the morning because that is when we will find the most junk," Nora said.

Jenna groaned. "You are right. We will have to do it at 6:00 A.M. on the first of every month. That way, we will keep our observation times the same."

On September 1, the group members met at the beach. At exactly 6:00 A.M., Jose turned on the video camera and filmed the beach between two piers. Jenna drew a picture of the beach. She added a number where they found each object. Nora wrote the numbers on another paper and described what item they found at each spot. After filming, Jose told them what he had read about the weather. Nora wrote that information along with the date and time of their observation. Then they hurried off to catch the school bus. All of them had a good feeling about the project.

Use the information you learned from the story "The Project" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

In this story, brainstorm means--

A to understand and use facts.

B to think about what you have learned.

C to remember things from the past.

D to think of many ideas quickly.

Why did the children decide not to observe loggerhead turtles?

A There were no turtle eggs on the beach.

B They could not observe turtles in winter.

C They would need to go to the beach two times a day.

D Turtles could be seen only late at night.

What did Jose want to check if they observed pollution?

A What was happening at sea a few days before

B What types of pollution washed up on the beach

C Whether or not the pollution was natural

D Who was causing the pollution so they could stop it

Why did Jenna groan?

A They cannot observe turtles in the winter.

B Filming the beach might be boring.

C She did not want to get up early. D It is sunny most of the year.

Test Tips

* Look for important words in the questions and answer choices.

* Choose the best answer to the question.

* If you do not know the answer, guess.

462 Unit 5: America on the Move

After the Civil War, machines got America moving. Steam engines pulled trains loaded with people and goods from coast to coast. People flocked to American cities for jobs in factories. Factories used machines to make more products. Even farmers used machines to work more land. Skyscrapers and bridges dotted the landscape. The nation became large and powerful. What good things happened? What problems did people face? Fine Art Theme Connection

Look at the lithograph American Express Train by Currier & Ives.

* How does traveling by train compare to traveling by horse and wagon?

* How did trains and other machines affect the landscape?

Currier & Ives. American Express Train. 1864. Lithograph.

Big Idea

How did machines get America moving? 464 Vocabulary: Warm-Up

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Golden Spike":

* buzzing

* hastily

* ceremony

* transcontinental

* laborers

* assistance

* thrive

* locomotives

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or suffix is added to the root. Look at the word hastily. Review the suffix -ly and the root haste to find the word's meaning.

The citizens of North Liberty were buzzing with excitement. After a year of hard work, they had built the town's first animal shelter. Just yesterday, they had hastily added the finishing touches.

A ceremony would be held at the shelter at noon. A famous singer, Celina Domingo, was invited to the event. Her musical show was making a transcontinental tour. She had just performed at North Liberty Theater the night before. What a celebration this would be!

At exactly noon, the mayor of North Liberty arose from his seat to address the audience. All the laborers were there. Children and adults alike had worked on this project. They grinned with pride.

465 "Thank you all for coming," he said. "And thank you for your assistance in this project. It is such an important one. Let me welcome our special guest, Celina."

Celina took the microphone and smiled at the crowd. "Your community should be very proud of all your hard work," she said. "I know this shelter will thrive. These wonderful animals should not have to live in the streets. Because of you, they have a safe home. Now we have a surprise for you."

From behind the shelter came two remote-controlled locomotives . They looked like they had come from a child's ride at the county fair.

"What is going on?" the people asked one another.

Just then, a barking sound came from one of the trains. The crowd clapped and cheered when they realized that a dog was riding in each locomotive. They were even wearing conductors' hats!

"These fine animals wish to thank the people of North Liberty!" said the mayor. "Thank you for a job well done!"

Game: Test Yourself

Write each of the selection vocabulary words in a notebook. Beside each word, write its definition. Study the words and definitions for a few minutes.

On another page, write just the vocabulary words. See whether you can write the correct definition beside each word from memory.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this selection is unity. Unity means joined together as one, as when people work together toward one goal. When is it important to have unity? Think of some people in particular who need to have unity to get their jobs done. What kinds of things can sometimes get in the way of unity?

Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion As you read, understand what parts of the text are facts and what parts are someone's opinion.

467 The Golden Spike by Dan Elish illustrated by Alan Reingold map by Jane Shasky

Focus Questions

How did the railroad spur growth in the West? Why did so many people want to move to the West?

The one-street town of Promontory, Utah, was buzzing with activity on May 10, 1869. A crowd of one thousand people lined the streets. Reporters from nearly every paper in the country were on hand. A band from Salt Lake City raised its trombones and trumpets, ready to play. Top-level railroad executives milled about, waiting for the ceremony to begin --the ceremony that would mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Work on this great project had begun a full eight years before. The Central Pacific line had started in San Francisco and built east, while the Union Pacific Railroad had started in Omaha, Nebraska, and built west. Now these two great lines were to finally meet and for the first time in history connect the eastern and western United States.

And now, the crowd--mostly Irish and Chinese laborers who had borne the brunt of the work-- pushed close. "Gentlemen," said Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, "with your assistance we will proceed to lay the last tie, the last rail, and drive the last spike."

With great pomp, Stanford picked up a silver-headed sledgehammer, lifted it over his head, aimed at a gold spike, and swung with all his might . . . only to miss!

The Irish and Chinese workers howled. Stanford was getting a taste of just how hard it was to build a railroad.

Now Thomas Durant, the vice president of the Union Pacific, took up the sledgehammer, and swung a mighty blow.

He missed as well.

As a worker was hastily summoned to pound in the final spike, a telegrapher sent the signal to the nation: "It's done!"

From New York to San Francisco the country cheered as one.

Back at Promontory, two great locomotives inched forward just close enough so that the two engineers could lean forward and shake hands with each other.

A San Francisco author, Bret Harte, wrote a poem to commemorate the event:

What was it the engines said, Pilots touching, head to head, Facing on a single track, Half a world behind each back?

It was the joining of two worlds: East meets West. Before the railroad, Americans thought of the West as a wilderness populated mostly by Indians. On that day the fabric of American life changed forever. Farmers and ranchers had a new, more efficient way to send their goods to market. Settlers rushed west, and western cities grew up. America finally had the technological means to grow and thrive-- and become the America that we know today. For the first time in history, a vast country was made one. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 470 and page 471 in the print version.

472 Meet the Author

Dan Elish

Playing and writing music was Elish's job. Then he read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again. He liked it so much that he wanted to write a children's book. Elish still writes musical plays. But now he also creates books for children and young adults. Sometimes he writes scripts for children's television shows. Elish grew up in New York City. He lives there today with his wife and their little daughter, Cassie.

Alan Reingold

Reingold has always loved drawing and painting. He studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design. His artwork has been on magazine covers and movie posters. One of his most famous works is a movie company's logo. Of course, most people do not know he made it. Reingold has painted some American presidents. Faces are Reingold's favorite things to draw because they show thoughts and feelings.

473 America on the Move: Theme Connections

1. Where did the two railroad lines begin, and where did they meet?

2. Compare and contrast the Irish and Chinese railroad workers with the railroad executives.

3. The transcontinental railroad took eight years to build. What is the longest you have worked on a project?

4. What other modes of travel were invented after 1869?

Write about It! Describe a time you took a long trip.

Remember to add your questions about America on the move to the Concept/Question Board.

474 Social Studies Inquiry: The Pony Express

Feature

Maps represent a region of the earth.

How do you keep in touch with friends who live far away? Do you call or send an e-mail?

In the early 1800s, there were no phones or computers--only a slow mail service. When pioneers traveled to California, they often left family back East. Mail could take weeks or months to get to them by boat or wagon.

In 1860, a group of men came up with a plan called the Pony Express. Horseback riders carried mail between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The complete route was more than 1,900 miles.

The riders were young, brave, and did not weigh much. At each station, they hastily hopped on fresh horses in two minutes or less. After riding seventy-five miles or more, a rider gave the mail to another rider and rested. They traveled the route in ten days.

When the telegraph was invented in 1861, messages could be sent across the country in an instant. The Pony Express went out of business. But its riders, who carried the mail through storms, across deserts, and over mountains, will always be remembered as heroes.

Think Link

1. This map shows the Pony Express route. Do you see the guide showing miles per inch? How many miles are between St. Joseph and Sacramento?

2. Why do you think the Pony Express riders had to be lightweight and brave?

3. Why does the Pony Express end when the telegraph is invented?

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a map to show your facts. 476 Vocabulary: Warm-Up

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "John Henry Races the Steam Drill": bulged strain generous muscular legend versions

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words generous and muscular. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

One visit to the circus was all it took. Mitchell knew what he wanted to be when he got older-- the Strong Man in a traveling circus. His little brother Caleb's favorite characters were the clowns. Mitchell thought they were funny, but the Strong Man was amazing. He could pick up three acrobats all at once and lift them above his head. The muscles in his arms bulged all over the place. It was incredible.

"I have to get started building my muscles right away," Mitchell told his mom.

"Okay," his mom said, trying to hide a smile, "but don't strain yourself, Son."

Mitchell started out with two five-pound dumbbells he found in the basement. This is easy," he said to his mom. "Can we get some bigger weights?"

"Your Uncle Steve probably would let you borrow some of his," said his mom. "He is always so generous with his things." Uncle Steve told Mitchell he could borrow his weights on one condition. "Go slowly," he said. "Do not try to lift too much too fast." "It's a deal," Mitchell agreed.

After just a week, Mitchell could tell he was getting stronger. "Look how muscular I am already," he bragged to Caleb.

"Wow," Caleb said.

"I am a regular Paul Bunyan, huh?" said Mitchell.

"Paul who? " Caleb asked, confused.

"Paul Bunyan. There is a famous legend about him. Well, there are a lot of different versions of it. Basically, he was really, really big and really, really strong. Just like me!"

Later that day, Mitchell overheard little Caleb talking to their mom. "You should see Mitchell's new muscles, Mommy," he said. "He is as big as Paul Onion!"

Game: Legendary Words

Write a short legend about someone who is very strong. In your story, use the words bulged, generous, muscular, and strain. Read your legend to a classmate. Then listen to your classmate's story. Both of you then retell a different version of each other's legend.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this selection is mechanization. Mechanization is the change from having people do things to having machines do things. Think of two or three examples of mechanization. Have these examples been good for our society? How have they saved time, energy, or money?

A tall tale uses humor and exaggeration to tell about unusual characters or unlikely events that are handled in remarkable ways.

Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Take small pieces of information from the text about a character or an event, and use this information to understand something new about the character or event.

479 John Henry Races The Steam Drill by Paul Robert Walker illustrated by James Hoston

Focus Questions

Who were the people who built America? How do stories travel?

The Big Bend Tunnel was the longest tunnel in America--a mile and a quarter through the heart of the West Virginia mountains. The CO Railroad started building it back around 1870. There was plenty of hard work for everyone, but the steel-driving men worked the hardest. And the hardest-working steel-driving man of them all was John Henry.

Now, John Henry was a powerful man--six feet tall and two hundred pounds of rippling muscle. He swung his nine-pound hammer from sunup to sundown, driving a steel drill into solid rock. Little Bill, the shaker, turned John Henry's drill between hammer blows and pulled it out when the hole was done. When there were enough holes, the demolition boys filled them with nitroglycerine and blew the rock to kingdom come. Then John Henry drove more steel--day after day in the heat and darkness and stale air of the tunnel.

John Henry always sang while he drove the steel-- and at the end of every line he brought that nine-pound hammer down like a crash of thunder.

This old hammer (Bam!)

Rings like silver (Bam!)

Shines like gold, boys, (Bam!)

Shines like gold. (Bam!)

Ain't no hammer (Bam!)

In these mountains (Bam!) Rings like mine, boys, (Bam!)

Rings like mine. (Bam!)

One day, Captain Tommy interrupted John Henry in the middle of his song. "John Henry," he said, "the company wants to test one of those new steam drills. They say a steam drill can do the work of three or four men. But I say a good man can beat the steam. And I say you are the best man I have."

John Henry rested his nine-pound hammer on his broad, muscular shoulder. "Captain Tommy," he said, "a man ain't nothin' but a man. Before I let that steam drill beat me down, I'll die with my hammer in my hand."

"Son," offered Captain Tommy, "if you beat that steam drill, I'll give you one hundred dollars and a new suit of clothes."

"That's mighty generous," said John Henry, "but don't you worry about that. Just go to town and buy me a twenty-pound hammer. This nine-pound maul is feeling light."

The news of the contest spread through the camp like a strong wind whipping down the mountain. The company men said John Henry was a poor working fool who didn't stand a chance against that mighty steam drill. Some of the working men thought the same. But the steel-driving men knew John Henry-- and they believed in the power of a mighty man.

That night, John Henry told his wife, Polly Ann, about the contest. "Don't you strain yourself, honey," said Polly Ann. "'Course we could use that hundred dollars--and you need a new suit of clothes."

John Henry smiled and kissed Polly Ann. "I ain't worried about money or clothes," he said. "Don't y'see, sugar--a man ain't nothin' but a man, and a man got to beat the steam."

The next morning, the steel drivers crowded into the Big Bend Tunnel. It was hot and dusty, and the air was so foul that a man could hardly breathe. The only light was the flickering of lamps burning lard oil and blackstrap molasses. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 482 and page 483 in the print version.

The company man wheeled the steam drill into the tunnel and set it up against the rock. It was nothing but a machine--all shiny and modern and strange. Then John Henry walked in and stood beside it. He was nothing but a man--all black and fine and natural.

Captain Tommy handed John Henry a brand-new twenty-pound hammer. "There ain't another like it in West Virginia," he said. "Good luck, son."

John Henry held the hammer in his hand and felt its fine natural weight. In the flickering light of the tunnel, the head of that hammer shone like gold. "Gonna call this hammer Polly Ann," he said.

Little Bill sat on the rock, holding the six-foot drill in his hands. John Henry towered above the steel, just waiting to begin. It was so quiet in that tunnel, you could hear the soft breathing of the steel-driving men.

Captain Tommy blew his whistle. The company man turned on the steam drill. John Henry swung his twenty-pound hammer back and brought it down with a crash again like thunder. As he swung it back he began to sing:

This old hammer (Bam!)

Rings like silver (Bam!)

Shines like gold, boys, (Bam!)

Shines like gold. (Bam!) John Henry kept driving steel and the steam drill kept drilling. Pretty soon the whole mountain was rumbling and shaking. John Henry's muscles bulged and strained like they never bulged and strained before. Sweat cascaded down his powerful chest, and veins protruded from the sides of his handsome face.

"Are you all right, John Henry?" asked Captain Tommy.

"Don't you worry," said John Henry. "A man ain't nothin' but a man--and a man got to beat the steam." Then he went on singing:

Ain't no hammer (Bam!)

In these mountains (Bam!)

Rings like mine, boys, (Bam!)

Rings like mine. (Bam!)

When they hit the end of the six-foot drill, Little Bill pulled it out and shoved in a longer drill-- and then a longer one and a longer one still. John Henry swung his twenty-pound hammer and drove that steel. He swung and drove faster and harder, and faster and harder, until that Polly Ann hammer caught fire. The whole Big Bend Tunnel glowed with the blue flame of John Henry's hammer.

"Time!" shouted Captain Tommy.

"Time!" cried the company man, shutting off the steam drill.

"Time!" gasped John Henry, leaning on his hammer. "I need a cool drink of water."

While John Henry drank his water, Captain Tommy and the company man measured the holes. The steam drill had done nine feet; John Henry had drilled fourteen.

"John Henry!" shouted the steel drivers. "John Henry beat the steam!"

"Congratulations, son," said Captain Tommy, slapping him on the back. "I don't care what you say--I'm gonna give you a hundred dollars and a new suit of clothes."

John Henry leaned heavily on his hammer and sucked in the stale air of the tunnel. "That's mighty generous, Captain Tommy. But you give that hundred dollars to Polly Ann. And you bury me in that suit of clothes." Then he slumped to the ground, clutching his hammer in his hand. "I beat the steam," he gasped, "but I broke inside."

As his eyes closed, John Henry lay back against the black earth and whispered, "A man ain't nothin' but a man."

No one knows the true story of John Henry. However, some folklore experts believe that there was a great steel driver named John Henry, who had a contest with a steam drill in the Big Bend Tunnel in 1870. The real John Henry probably did not die immediately after the contest but rather in one of the many accidents that were common in early tunnel construction. Shortly afterward, the story of John Henry was told in two kinds of songs: hammer songs, like the one that John Henry sings in this tale, and ballads, which are longer and tell more of the story. By the late 1920s, when folklore experts began to study the John Henry legend seriously, there were more than one hundred hammer songs and one hundred versions of the ballad. This tall tale is based on several different ballads collected by Louis W. Chappel and by Guy Johnson.

490 Meet the Author

Paul Robert Walker

When Walker was in middle school, he had a small role in a college play. It was great fun, and he was hooked. He acted and sang in high school. After working as a teacher, he wrote his first book. A few years ago, Walker wrote a play and began acting in it. He enjoys acting again. Walker, his wife, and his children live with their lazy fish and sleepy cat in Escondido, California. Meet the Illustrator James Hoston

Hoston could always draw well. He won many high school art competitions. He says he decided to go to art school "because it was fun and I was good at it." Hoston was also very fortunate to have an uncle who was an artist and who gave him drawing and painting supplies. He likes to have his family and friends pose for him. He also has enjoyed coloring comic books and painting comic book covers.

1. What is the atmosphere like in the Big Bend Tunnel?

2. Compare and contrast John Henry and his wife Polly Ann.

Across Selections

3. What does the steam drill have in common with some of Ben Franklin's inventions in "How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning"?

4. How is energy transferred from one object to another in this story as discussed in "Energy Makes Things Happen"?

5. What other inventions have diminished the need for manpower?

6. What other tall-tale heroes do you know?

Write about It!

Tell about a time you worked hard.

Remember to check the Concept/Question Board to see whether someone has been able to answer a question you posted. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 490 and page 491 in the print version.

492 Science Inquiry: Iron to Steel

A biography is the story of a real person's life that is written by another person.

Feature

Henry Bessemer was born in England in 1813. He began inventing things when he was young. Most people know him as a "steel man." He is not a legend like John Henry. But he did do something that is pretty amazing. He turned iron into steel.

Steel is made from iron found in the earth. Crude iron has too much carbon in it. The carbon must be removed so that the iron can be molded into steel. Removing carbon from iron is called "refining."

People already were making steel in 1855, but it took a long time. It also cost a lot of money, and the steel was not very strong. The Bessemer process was faster and cheaper. This process took hot liquid iron and refined it with blasts of air. The blasting was done in a furnace called the Bessemer converter. It could make thirty tons of high-grade steel in thirty minutes.

England began to make a lot more steel each year. Americans began to use the Bessemer process too. This strong, flexible steel built the skyscrapers and railroads of our growing nation.

Think Link

Henry Bessemer: A Lifetime of Inventions

Based on the time line, how old was Henry Bessemer when he made his first invention?

What invention is Bessemer best known for?

Why did Bessemer's process help England produce more steel each year?

Try It! As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a time line to show a sequence of events.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Immigrant Children":

* mainland

* yearning

* translated

* wages

* strikes

* dreaded

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. Mainland is a compound word. What two words combine to form mainland ? What do they tell you about the word's meaning?

Hoshi felt bad for her grandma, but she did not know what to do. Obaa-san did not want to live in America. She wanted to go back home to Okinawa--an island off the southern coast of the Japanese mainland .

Hoshi had grown up in California. She had only visited Okinawa twice, so she was not yearning for it like Obaa-san was. Hoshi spoke both English and Japanese fluently. Obaa- san struggled with English. Hoshi gladly translated for her, but it was hard on Obaa-san.

Hoshi's grandfather died before Hoshi was born. Obaa-san had found a job and earned her own wages . She was doing fine until the strikes began. It was not long before she and many others lost their jobs.

Her son, Hoshi's father, went to Okinawa and brought Obaa-san back to live with them. Obaa-san had been with them for almost a year, and Hoshi had loved every minute of it. Obaa- san tried her best to be cheerful, but she missed her home. She loved her family but missed her life on the island. She had lived there for almost seventy years.

"I love you all," Obaa-san told Hoshi one day in Japanese, "but Okinawa is my home. I was born there, and I want to finish my days there as well."

Plans were made to take Obaa-san back to Okinawa. A friend of the family had a job waiting for her there. Hoshi dreaded the day she would leave. When it finally came, her dad had a surprise for Hoshi and her two sisters.

"How would you like to fly to Okinawa with me and Obaa-san for a two-week vacation?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, Papa-san!" exclaimed Hoshi. "That would be wonderful!"

Game: Test Yourself

Write each of the six vocabulary words in a notebook. Beside each word, write its definition. Study the words and definitions for a few minutes. On another page, write only the vocabulary words. Then try to write the correct definition beside each word from memory.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this selection is urbanization. Urbanization is the rapid growth of cities. How big is the city or town where you live? What is the biggest city you have ever visited? What do you think makes a city grow rapidly? What are some advantages of living in a big city? What are some drawbacks?

Comprehension Skill: Sequence

As you read, understand the order of events in the text.

497 Immigrant Children by Sylvia Whitman

Focus Questions

Why would people go through so much to come to America? How can people from so many places live together in one country?

Through the Golden Door

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. . . . I lift up my lamp beside the golden door!

--from an 1883 poem by Emma Lazarus, on the Statue of Liberty

Waves of people washed onto the shores of the United States. The country was growing and needed workers. Between the 1820s and the 1920s, more than 35 million immigrants moved here from all over the world.

Immigrants arrived hungry, bruised, and hopeful. Some men traveled alone. They planned to work for a while and then return home. Others brought wives and children or sent for them later. Everyone was looking for a better life.

Most immigrants steamed toward the unknown on jam-packed ships. A woman who left Russia at age eight said, "Going to America then was almost like going to the moon."

Immigrants see the Statue of Liberty as their ship enters New York harbor.

People fill the main hall at Ellis Island in about 1912.

At first, the government didn't keep track of immigrants. Then it set up stations at ports. By the 1890s, the busiest station was Ellis Island, off New York City.

Inspectors boarded ships and checked rich passengers. The rich could leave when the ship docked. The poor had to take ferryboats to Ellis Island. The main building at Ellis Island looked like a redbrick palace. Scared and excited, immigrants lined up outside. They wore tags from their ships. Many had put on their best clothes. They wanted to pass inspection.

Immigrants left their bags in the hall. As doctors watched, everyone climbed the stairs to a huge, open room.

With chalk, doctors wrote letters on the clothes of anyone who seemed sick-- B for back, F for face, Sc for scalp, L for lameness. They paid extra attention to the marked people.

Boys and girls with common diseases like measles were sent to the island hospital. Many immigrants didn't speak English. Often they didn't understand what was happening. Nurses tried to explain and make children feel better.

Children who recovered rejoined their families. But the United States didn't accept people with serious health problems. They were sent back to their old homes.

Most people who came from Europe passed through Ellis Island. Most people who came from Asia passed through Angel Island, near San Francisco. At every station, immigrants dreaded the eye exam. Doctors looked for an infection that caused blindness.

The exam hurt.

Next, immigrants faced an inspector. He asked where immigrants were from and how much money they had. He wrote notes about their hometowns, families, and jobs. The United States wanted people who could take care of themselves. Helpers translated the many questions and answers.

Within a day, most families received a landing card. Then they could leave. A dozen railroad companies sold tickets on the island, although the trains left from the mainland. Many immigrants put on new tags so that conductors could help them get onto the right train and off in the right town.

All immigrants were examined for trachoma, an eye disease.

Immigrants who failed inspection had to stay until a ship took them back overseas. They called Ellis the "Island of Tears."

Even women and children who passed inspection were not allowed to leave until a man from the family met them, or sent a letter or ticket. They waited days, weeks, months, even years. Waiting families slept in dorms, in wire-mesh beds stacked like shelves. Immigrants ate in the dining hall. The food wasn't fancy, but there was plenty. Some boys and girls tasted ice cream for the first time. Twice a day, a man in a white uniform served mothers and children warm milk in paper cups.

Children played on swings, bikes, and a merry-go-round on a roof at Ellis Island. Everyone was wondering about America, across the water.

Children play on the roof of Ellis Island.

Starting from Scratch

In America life is gold.

In America it's never dark.

In America there's lots of money.

In America the girl is happy.

--Hungarian folk song, 1920s

Immigrants settled all over the United States. Since western land was cheap, many tried farming. After the Homestead Act was passed in 1862, native-born and immigrant settlers headed west to claim free land.

Newcomers liked to live near others who shared their language and religion. They traded recipes and talked about the old country. Used to cold weather, people from Sweden and Norway felt at home in the Midwest.

The United States became a quilt of immigrants. Following jobs, they settled in patches. French Canadians moved to New England, near mills that made cloth. The Chinese lived in the West, near railroad tracks they laid. Miners from Europe dug for coal in Pennsylvania.

Most newcomers settled in cities. Immigrants helped make cities big and bustling. In New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit, immigrants and their children soon outnumbered the native born.

Young and old Chinese immigrants in San Francisco. Norwegian settlers relax in a field near Madison, Wisconsin.

Crowded apartments sometimes made people sick and kept the sick from getting better. The father of this Washington, D.C., family suffers from tuberculosis.

Even in cities, people from the same country stuck together. Many cities had a "Little Italy" or a "Chinatown." These neighborhoods were like tiny nations.

Immigrants started newspapers in their own languages. Some families opened food stores. Shoppers could buy German pretzels or Dutch coleslaw. The Irish filled Catholic churches in Boston while the Jews built temples in New York.

Neighborhoods were lively. Immigrants ran theaters, bars, restaurants, music groups, dance halls, and sports clubs.

People fresh off the boat were nicknamed "greenhorns." They arrived with almost nothing.

The poor crowded into tiny apartments in tall buildings. Families often slept, cooked, and ate in one room. Even when the toilet in the hall worked, it stank. A nine-year-old girl who lived in a basement saw "rats as big as cats."

It was hard to keep anything clean, but mothers tried. They washed clothes and children once a week.

Buildings were noisy, smelly, and dark--cold in winter, hot in summer. Flies buzzed around the waste that horses plopped and people slopped into the streets. To cool off, families sat--or slept--on the fire escape.

Dirt, bugs, and crowding bred disease. Most families could hardly afford food, let alone a doctor when someone fell sick. Americans worried about the spread of disease in jam- packed buildings. New York finally passed a law requiring fire escapes, running water in each apartment, and a window in each room.

Immigrants struggled. But they still dreamed of a golden future. In most families, everyone worked. Women and children hemmed sleeves or made brooms at home. They got paid by the piece. The Mauro family earned $2.25 a week stitching feathers for hats.

Some girls took jobs as servants. Many worked in factories. Small factories were so hot, dark, and cramped that they were called sweat shops. Workers sewed long hours, sometimes without a single day off. Factories posted signs: "If you don't come in on Sunday, don't come in on Monday." Boys worked on their own as well as in sweatshops. They shined shoes, sold newspapers, collected rags, delivered messages, or peddled peanuts.

The Mauro family from Italy works at home piecing together feather decorations for hats.

Some immigrants demanded better wages and working conditions. They formed labor unions. Unions organized marches and held strikes.

A terrible fire in New York City killed more than 140 factory workers in 1911. Most were young immigrant girls and women. After that, unions got more support from the public. States passed more laws against child labor.

After work, children played tag on the roof or swam in fountains. Girls rolled hoops on the pavement while boys shot marbles.

It was fun to watch the comings and goings on the street. Immigrant neighborhoods hummed. Peddlers sang songs about their vegetables. Shopkeepers argued politics. Horses pulled streetcars. With a few pennies, a child could buy a sweet from a Greek candy shop or an orange drink from a Syrian carrying a jug on his shoulder.

Immigrant neighborhoods, such as New York's Lower East Side, were filled with people and activity.

Grown-up and young immigrants take classes at a Kentucky school to learn English and other skills.

America for Americans

O! Close the gates of our nation, lock them firm and strong, before this mob from Europe shall drag our colors down.

--anti-immigrant verse, 1923

By law, children were supposed to go to school until they were 16. But many businesses posted "Boy Wanted" signs, and children went to work. Most families needed the wages of extra workers. Often only the youngest child studied full-time.

Children from a dozen countries sat next to each other in class. Public schools taught them to love their new home. Children saluted the flag. They played American games like baseball. Parents had a lot to learn about their new country, too. Schools and companies offered evening classes for workers. Children usually leaped ahead of adults.

"We were embarrassed if our parents couldn't speak English," said one girl. When friends came over, she hid her father's Polish newspaper.

Older immigrant groups offered loans and advice to new arrivals. They didn't want Americans to see everyone from their country as a greenhorn.

Schoolchildren at a public library in Gary, Indiana, hold signs showing their home countries.

Rich Americans also felt a duty to help the poor. They opened settlement houses to help newcomers learn American ways. Part school and part neighborhood center, a settlement house usually had a playground, a library, a gym, and a kitchen. Volunteers gave classes in how to wash, dress, and cook American-style.

Many immigrants didn't want to change so much. They loved home as well as here. They felt they were losing their children. They started schools to keep their languages and religions alive.

In 1882, the government passed a law to keep out Chinese workers. The United States was filling up its land and its jobs.

Next, inspections at the border grew tougher. Newcomers had to answer more questions. They had to pass a reading test. One boy crept under a table and whispered answers to his mother.

More laws, passed in the 1920s, slowed immigration from a wave to a trickle.

Children and grandchildren of immigrants grew up to be singers and scientists, painters and presidents. Their gifts made the United States rich. Bits of the old country crossed into the new. Soon Americans were eating Italian foods like pizza and using Yiddish words like klutz. And over time, every immigrant family became American in its own way.

510 Meet the Author

Sylvia Whitman

Whitman has always loved stories. She learned about different types of stories at college. Whitman writes stories for children's magazines. She also writes history books for children. She loves to travel and has driven more than 140,000 miles in her car. Whitman and her husband have lived in Louisiana, Texas, New York, and Florida.

1. New York passed a law to improve city apartments. What changes were made?

2. How did immigration make cities grow?

Across Selections

3. Compare and contrast the immigrants in "Immigrant Children" to the pioneers in "A Covered Wagon Girl: The Diary of Sallie Hester, 1849-1850."

4. What do the immigrants in "Immigrant Children" have in common with the Forty-Niners in "Striking It Rich"?

5. How is travel different now from Europe or Asia to the United States?

6. What do you think was most difficult for immigrants coming through Ellis Island and Angel Island?

Write about It!

Describe a time you or someone you know moved to a new home far away.

Remember to look for poetry and art about America on the move to add to the Concept/Question Board. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 510 and page 511 in the print version.

512 Social Studies Inquiry: At War with Mexico

Feature

In the 1800s, Mexico owned land in North America from the Pacific Coast to Texas. The United States was yearning to make Texas a new state and expand to the West Coast.

American settlers began moving into Texas in the 1800s. Texas was rich with land and resources. In 1835, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. But Mexico would not give up Texas without a fight.

The first big action took place at a fort called the Alamo. Mexico won the fort after an intense battle. Many famous Americans, such as Davy Crockett, lost their lives. The American soldiers fought back. In 1844, the United States added Texas to its other states.

Mexico did not agree that Texas should be a U.S. state. In 1846, Mexico and the United States went to war. Fighting started out West too, but America won the war in 1848. The land reaching from Texas to California became part of the United States.

Mexico received 15 million dollars, but it gave up more than half its land. It took a long time for Mexico and the United States to become friends.

Think Link

The Mexicans took the Alamo, but the Americans won the war.

Look at the photo and caption in this selection. Draw your own picture that fits the selection, and write an interesting caption underneath it.

Who won the Battle of the Alamo? Which country eventually won the Mexican-American War?

Do you think the United States was right to take land from Mexico? Explain your answer. Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how captions can help you highlight facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Dust Bowl":

* borders

* locals

* demand

* ditches

* desperate

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find meanings of words. Use context clues to find the meanings of era and desperate.

Lizzie's family was taking an eight-week road trip from New York City to South Dakota to visit relatives. Her mom and dad were teachers, so they had the whole summer free. Lizzie and her older brother Charlie had been looking forward to their big trip for months.

Their parents had given them a bunch of maps and brochures. "You two can help plan our route," they told Lizzie and Charlie.

"I want to stop at all the state parks along the way and hike," said Charlie.

"I want to stop at all the state borders we cross and get our pictures taken," said Lizzie.

"I would like to stop at every quaint little town and look for craft items made by locals ," said their mom. "Those are always in high demand here in the city."

515 "I just want some good food," Dad laughed.

"Hey, Dad," said Charlie with a gleam in his eyes, "how about if you let me drive part of the way?"

"Dream on," Dad said. "You have to wait a few more years."

"We just read in our history class that parents used to let their kids drive on long trips out West," Charlie argued.

"Nice try," Dad said, "but that was a completely different era . Those were covered wagons, not cars."

"Yeah, Charlie," said Lizzie, "we would like to stay out of the ditches as much as possible."

"Ha, ha! Very funny," said Charlie. "I will make you a deal," said Dad. "If Mom and I both break our arms and legs and get stranded in the middle of nowhere and cannot drive, I will let you drive us to the hospital."

"Even then, I don't think I would be desperate enough to let Charlie drive," Mom said laughing.

Game: Picture It

Draw a small picture of each vocabulary word that goes along with the story. Some of the concepts may be difficult to draw. You will need to be creative. Share your pictures with a classmate. See whether he or she can guess which picture matches which word. Then quiz each other on the definitions.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this selection is depression. A depression is an economic collapse. What do you think it means for an economy to "collapse"? What could be some causes of a depression? In what ways do you think it would affect you and your family if our country went through a terrible depression for the next six months?

Comprehension Skill: Making Inferences

As you read, use personal experience, as well as details from the text, to understand something the author left unsaid. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 516 and page 517 in the print version.

517 The Dust Bowl by Ann Heinrichs

Focus Questions

Where do people find the strength to move on after a disaster? How did the Dust Bowl change the West?

"The Saddest Land I Have Ever Seen"

"If you would like to have your heart broken, just come out here. . . . This is the dust-storm country. It is the saddest land I have ever seen."

--News reporter Ernie Pyle, 1936

Blinding dust storms whipped across the heartland of the United States in the 1930s. The storms blew tons of rich soil off the fields. Millions of acres of farmland were destroyed. Dead cattle and ruined tractors lay half-buried in the dust. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up and left their homes. This sad scene was in a region that became known as the Dust Bowl.

The Dust Bowl covered the southern part of the Great Plains. This is a vast area in the center of the United States. It includes Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The damage from the dust storms also reached into Arkansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota--making this one of the nation's worst disasters.

A father and his sons battle the wind and dirt to walk toward a shack in 1936.

Dirt buries machinery in Dallas, South Dakota, in 1936. The Dust Bowl era was called the Dirty '30s. It lasted through most of the 1930s. Before this time, the soil had been overused by farmers. Planting the same crop year after year wears out soil. Then a terrible drought struck the Great Plains. The soil became dry and dusty. One after another, dust storms blasted across the plains. They simply blew dry soil off the fields.

The soil blew into houses, barns, and other farm buildings. It covered fences, farm machines, cars, and furniture. It often was so deep, the soil had to be shoveled out of buildings and away from machinery. Some Dust Bowl farmers packed up and left. Others stayed and tried to continue farming. Whichever choice they made, no one had it easy. The Dust Bowl was a heartbreaking experience for all.

The grasslands of the Great Plains were once rich hunting grounds.

Why Farms Failed

"Harvesting wheat was a thrill to me. . . . It was breathtaking--hundreds of acres of wheat that were mine. To me it was the most beautiful scene in all the world."

--Lawrence Svobida, Kansas wheat farmer

Grasslands once covered the Great Plains. Before white settlers arrived, these grasslands were rich hunting grounds. Native Americans hunted the herds of buffalo that grazed there.

The grasslands were more than just animal food. The grasses and their roots protected the soil. They held it in place through wind and rain. The grasses also trapped nutrients and rainwater. This kept the soil rich and moist.

Pioneer farmers began pouring into the Great Plains in the early 1800s. They were thrilled to find such fine, black soil. The soil was so rich, one farmer said it looked like chocolate.

The topsoil was the most fertile. As old plants rotted, they added nutrients to the soil. It had taken hundreds of years to build up that layer of topsoil. Farmers plowed up the grasses and planted wheat and other crops in that rich earth.

In Kansas, Native Americans warned some farmers to leave the grass in place. Yet the harvests were so bountiful, farmers could not resist clearing more land.

"It looked like it was just a thing that would never end," a Texas farmer said. The lush, green grasslands seemed to go on forever. So did the soil. During World War I (1914-1918), farm production increased. The nation needed tons of wheat and beef to feed its troops. Farmers were getting high prices for their products because these items were in demand. After the war, though, the products were no longer in such demand, so the price of farm products dropped. Suddenly, farmers and ranchers were making less money. They were desperate. They needed money to pay their mortgages and buy seeds, fertilizer, and many other important things. What could they do?

For farmers on the "endless" plains, the answer was easy. They simply cleared more grassland for farming. They also bought mechanical farm equipment to make the work faster and easier.

Farmers took full advantage of the rich American soil.

Before the 1930s, farmers were using horse-drawn plows. They could turn over about 3 acres (1.2 hectares) of land a day. However, a tractor could plow about 50 acres (20 hectares) a day! Now farmers could grow more crops than ever before.

Ranchers stepped up their businesses, too. They enlarged their herds and grazed them over bigger areas.

All this activity was hard on the land. The roots of grass had once held the soil in place. Plowing and grazing tore up the roots and left the soil loose and dry. Soil erosion started to happen. That is, the topsoil began to disappear. Little by little, wind and rain were sweeping it away.

No one could have predicted the disaster that struck next. It began on "Black Tuesday"-- October 29, 1929. That was the day the stock market crashed.

Ranchers allowed large herds of cattle to graze on the rich plains.

An Iowa bank closed during the Depression.

A headline of the stock market crash of October 29, 1929.

People buy shares of stock with the hope that the value of the shares will increase. Then, if they later sell their shares, they will make a profit. On Black Tuesday, share prices fell about 80 percent. This meant if a person bought one share that was worth $1 the day before, on Black Tuesday it was only worth 20 cents. When the price of the shares fell, people panicked and tried to get whatever they could for their shares. A record 16,410,030 shares were sold on Black Tuesday, and thousands of people lost huge amounts of money.

People lost faith in the economy. Many saved the money they had and quit buying goods and services they would have bought before the crash. As a result, many factories and businesses closed. Millions of people lost their jobs.

With people unable to repay their loans, many banks across the country closed, too. Some people had their life's savings in banks. In one day, they lost every penny they had saved in these banks. The entire country entered a period called the Great Depression.

Crops dry up in a Texas field during the Dust Bowl.

Farmers continued to work on their farms. Yet, many were in debt. They had borrowed money to buy farm machines. Now they had lost their savings, too. When bankers came to collect on the debts, many farmers could not pay. If a farmer could not pay, the bank would take back the farm or the equipment as payment.

To make matters worse, the Great Plains suffered a serious drought. Beginning in 1931, very little rain fell upon the plains. The drought lasted for eight long years. Even if crops came up, they soon shriveled and died.

"[We] went 72 days without a drop of rain, and everything just burned up," an Oklahoma farmer remembered. One woman recalled her girlhood days during the drought: "Our corn got two feet high and burned to pieces in the field."

Cattle died, too, because they had nothing to eat. The once-rich soil became parched and sandy. When the dust storms set in, the dried-up farm soil just blew away.

Poor farming practices leave this field dry and cracked. Salt collects where water ran off the field instead of seeping into it.

A sandstorm hits a Texas farm in 1938.

526 Most severe damage

Other areas damaged

Production note: captions with the class attribute value "legend" correspond to content that appears in the label contained in this image.

Black Blizzards

Our relatives were huddled into their oil boom shacks, And the children they was cryin' as it whistled through the cracks.

And the family it was crowded into their little room, They thought the world had ended, and they thought it was their doom.

--From "Dust Storm Disaster" by Woody Guthrie

Farmers on the Great Plains had often struggled with dust storms. In the 1930s, though, the storms were especially fierce. Trees, bushes, and grasses had all been cleared. There was nothing to break the force of the wind. It blasted across the plains, sweeping tons of dry soil into the sky.

People called the dust storms black blizzards. The dust swirled up in huge black clouds. "You couldn't even tell where the sun was," a farm woman recalled.

There were 14 dust storms in 1932 and 38 dust storms in 1933. A terrible storm blew across the plains in May 1934. It picked up about 350 million tons (318 million metric tons) of soil. The clouds of gritty dirt kept on blowing eastward. Within days, they had blown all the way to the East Coast of the United States!

The "Black Sunday" storm on April 14, 1935, was the worst of them all. That day started clear and sunny. However, in the afternoon a black cloud appeared in the distance. It moved so fast, birds couldn't fly out of its path. Day turned to night as the cloud blocked out the sun. Many people thought the world was ending. The storm struck eastern Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Spring was the season for dust storms. Usually, this was a time of fresh hope for new growth. Farmers had plowed the soil, made neat rows of furrows, and planted their seeds. They had watched and waited, day after day, for the first signs of growth. Finally, leafy shoots of wheat began to pop up out of the soil. Then the winds would come.

A black blizzard strikes South Dakota in 1934.

The windows in this home in Williams County, North Dakota, are sealed to keep the dust out.

A South Dakota home is covered with dirt up to its roof after a 1934 storm.

Hit by the blasts of wind, the new shoots were not strong enough to hold their own in the ground. Gusts of wind ripped the plants out by the roots. Farmers saw their weeks of labor torn apart in one day.

The farmers lost more than their crops. They also lost their soil. When powerful winds whipped across the plains, they easily swept the topsoil away.

Anyone caught in a dust storm had a frightful time. The stinging, windswept dust felt like pinpricks on a person's skin.

"The impact is like a shovelful of fine sand flung against the face," a reporter wrote. A Kansas farmer said the wind "caused my face to blister so that the skin peeled off." Dust blew into people's eyes. It filled their mouths and choked their lungs.

Indoors, people nailed wet sheets and blankets over their windows and doors. They even sat with wet cloths over their faces to keep the dirt out.

Still, many babies and old people died from breathing in so much dirt. Doctors called it "dust pneumonia."

No matter how tightly people sealed up their homes, dirt blew inside. It got into the water and the food. It filled every crack. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 528 and page 529 in the print version.

An Arkansas farmer puts on a mask to keep from breathing in dust.

Ann Marie Low was a North Dakota farm girl at the time. She wrote about the dust in her Dust Bowl Diary:

"[The dirt] sifts into everything. After we wash the dishes and put them away, so much dirt sifts into the cupboards we must wash them again before the next meal. Clothes in the closets are covered with dust. Last weekend no one was taking an automobile out for fear of ruining the motor."

The American Red Cross began issuing dust masks. Children wore them to school. Farmers wore them in the fields. People were brokenhearted to see what the dust did to their pets and farm animals. Some were blinded by the dust. Others died because they couldn't breathe. Their lungs had filled with dust.

Dust piled up like snowdrifts against houses and barns. Some drifts even covered entire buildings. People had to shovel the dust out of their homes. In the worst of times, schools and hospitals closed. Normal life simply could not keep going.

Okies and Hobo Brats

Car-loads, caravans, homeless and hungry, twenty thousand and fifty thousand and a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand. They streamed over the mountains, hungry and restless--restless as ants, scurrying to find work to do.

--From The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Dust Bowl farmers packed their belongings and headed west during the Depression.

Their farms in ruins, thousands of farmers gave up. They loaded everything they could into their trucks and cars. Tables, chairs, and mattresses were piled high. Then the farmers took off, many heading west on Route 66. Their destination? California!

Mildred Ward left Oklahoma for California in 1938. She and her family had lots of company along the way. "Oh, the road was just full of people like us coming out here. People with all their belongings tied onto old cars . . . and even on tops of their cars. Cars full of kids--most of them had big families of kids," she said.

To many Dust Bowl victims, California seemed like the perfect place. They could get jobs working as migrants on California's many farms. California had a mild climate and plenty of farmland. Farmers there could grow a variety of crops. By planting different crops at different times, they could get several harvests each year. The migrants hoped they could buy their own farms by saving what they earned working on other people's farms.

As it turned out, California was not the perfect place after all. The state had nowhere to put all the newcomers. In 1937, California passed a law closing its borders to outsiders. Thousands of migrant families were met by armed guards at the state's borders. It would be four years before the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn this law.

If the migrants who did make it in expected to be welcomed, they were sadly mistaken. Native Californians looked down on the new arrivals. Only about one out of five migrants was from Oklahoma. However, Californians called all the migrants Okies. The Okies were seen as ignorant, dirty, and even dangerous.

A family works together to pick beans in a field.

A migrant worker's family in Nipomo, California, in 1936.

"[P]eople felt that we were dumb, ignorant," said one migrant mother. "In fact, when our son started to school here he came home several times and told me the kids had called him a dumb Okie . . . and he didn't even know what an Okie was."

There were far too many migrant workers and not enough work. For those who did work, wages were very low.

Parents, children, and old folks all worked long hours in the fields. Still, many families did not make enough money to live.

Homeless families camped out by roadsides and irrigation ditches. Those ditches were their only water supplies.

Conditions in the camps were unclean and unhealthy. Local hospitals often took in migrants with typhoid, dysentery, and other diseases. None of the workers could really settle down in one place. Farms in different regions grew many different types of crops. Lettuce grew in one area, oranges in another, and cotton somewhere else. All these crops ripened at different times. As soon as one harvest was complete, it was time to move on to another.

Many sad songs were written during this time. Folk singer Woody Guthrie gave voice to people's pain and despair. A migrant from Oklahoma himself, he knew these feelings firsthand.

Author John Steinbeck wrote the novel The Grapes of Wrath. It's a heartbreaking tale about the Joad family's move from Oklahoma to California. When the book was made into a movie, people around the country shared the sorrows of the migrants' lives.

Dorothea Lange told the migrants' story another way. As a photographer, she captured many pitiful scenes of the time. Her subjects ranged from wiped-out farms to hungry children. Lange's photos caught the attention of the government. Her work led to better housing for California's migrants.

Woodie Guthrie

John Steinbeck

The Farm Security Administration (FSA) began building camps for migrant workers in 1937. People in Brawley, California, were angry about the camp in their town. Members of the parent-teacher association made nasty comments: "Are you going to make it possible for more of these hobo brats to go to school with our children?" The migrants were good students, though. After life on the road and in the fields, they welcomed the chance to be in school.

Dozens of migrant camps soon stretched through California's farming country. The camps provided tents, showers, toilets, and child care. They also gave migrants a place where they could feel safe from unfriendly locals. Camp residents formed councils to discuss problems and organize activities. In the evenings, they played cards and checkers. They relaxed, sang songs, and told stories after their long day's work. At last they could share a real sense of community.

An FSA migrant camp in Brawley, California, gave children lots of room to play.

536 Meet the Author

Ann Heinrichs

Heinrichs grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She has written many books for children and young adults. Heinrichs loves to travel. She has seen most of the United States and has visited Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East. Heinrichs lives in Chicago, Illinois.

1. Why did clearing grasslands lead to the Dust Bowl?

2. What happened on Black Sunday?

Across Selections

3. What do the Dust Bowl migrants have in common with the immigrants in "Immigrant Children"?

4. The Dust Bowl was partly due to changes people made to the ecology of the Plains. What other selection warns against people changing an ecosystem?

5. Why do you think Woody Guthrie, Dorothea Lange, and John Steinbeck chose the Dust Bowl as subjects for their art? 6. What other kinds of events cause people to migrate from one state to another?

Write about It!

Describe a time you felt someone was unfair to you.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about America on the move to add to the Concept/Question Board.

538 Science Inquiry: Oil

Feature

A pie chart is a circle-shaped graph that represents an amount. It is divided into sections that look like pie slices. Each "slice" shows a percentage of the total amount.

How long do you think Earth's resources will last? Some, such as air and water, can be recycled over and over. Fish and other animals will last as long as they reproduce.

Other resources such as coal, oil, and gas are nonrenewable. Once we use them, they are gone. Coal, oil, and gas are called fossil fuels. They were formed from animals that died long, long ago. Heat and pressure turned the buried remains of these animals into fuels.

In 1859, Edwin Drake found a way to pump the underground oil at his well into barrels on the surface. This method is still used today.

Oil is drilled in many states. The top three are Texas, Alaska, and California. Products from oil are used to heat our homes and fuel our cars and trucks. Did you know that ink, crayons, and bubble gum are also made from oil?

The demand for oil is growing, but many people are concerned for the environment. When oil is drilled, animal habitats may be disturbed. Oil spills can harm wildlife.

Researchers are working to find new sources of power. Perhaps one day we will use only renewable energy sources.

539 Think Link

U.S. Oil Production

Alaska 20%

California 14%

Texas 24%

Other states combined 42%

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Look at the pie chart. Which state produces the most oil? Which state is second in oil production?

How are fossil fuels formed?

What are some useful products that are made with oil?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a pie chart to show your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Pop's Bridge":

* binoculars

* rust

* skim

* slip

* ashamed * scarlet

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words skim and slip. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

For Gavin's birthday, his grandpa bought him two tickets to a baseball game.

"You will not need binoculars here," his grandpa said when they found their seats. "We are so close you could reach out and touch the players."

"Thanks for bringing me, Gramps," Gavin said as the game began.

"It is my pleasure," Gramps said. "I have been coming to this old ballpark for more than fifty years--before the seats began to rust . There will be a new stadium next year, and it makes me sad."

Gavin squeezed his grandpa's hand. "Will peanuts make you feel better?" he asked.

"I think they just might," Gramps grinned, pulling out his wallet as the peanut seller came to their row.

The peanuts were delicious. By the seventh-inning stretch, they were nothing but a pile of shells.

Gavin's favorite player hit three home runs. Gavin watched the first one barely skim the top of the outfield fence.

When the woman sitting next to Gavin got up to go to the concession stand, Gavin noticed a twenty-dollar bill under her seat. When Gramps was not looking, Gavin decided to slip the money into his pocket. He immediately felt ashamed . He thought about putting it back, but the woman had already returned.

He took a deep breath, reached into his pocket, and took out the bill. "Ma'am," he said quietly, his face scarlet. "Is this yours?"

"I wondered where that went!" she said. "Thank you!"

"I saw the whole thing, Son," Gramps whispered in his ear. "You did the right thing. I am proud of you."

Game: Charades Play a game of charades with a partner. Take turns acting out the six selection vocabulary words. When you have acted out every word, quiz each other on the definitions.

Concept Vocabulary

The concept word for this selection is progress. Progress is movement forward. An example of progress in this story is the new stadium being built to replace the old one. What other examples of progress can you think of? How have you made progress since you first started school? How has our country made progress since we first became a nation? What are some signs of progress?

Historical Fiction is a realistic story that takes place in a specific time in the past. It may be based on historical events and actual persons.

Comprehension Strategy: Summarizing

As you read, stop at the end of a larger section of text to summarize the information you have read.

543 Pop's Bridge by Eve Bunting illustrated by C. F. Payne

How did people get around before bridges and highways? What are the most important things Americans have built?

My pop is building the Golden Gate Bridge. Almost every day after school, Charlie Shu and I go to Fort Point and watch. The bridge will stretch across the bay, from San Francisco to Marin. People said this bridge couldn't be built. Some call it the impossible bridge. They say the bay is too deep, the currents too strong, the winds blowing in from the ocean too fierce.

But I know my pop can do it. Whenever I say he's building the bridge, Mom laughs. "There's a crew of more than a thousand men working on that bridge, Robert. Including Charlie's dad," she reminds me. I know that, but I just shrug.

To me, it's Pop's bridge.

Pop's a high-iron man, balancing on the slatted catwalks, spinning and bending the cables. He climbs so high that sometimes clouds come down around his shoulders. When the fog rolls in, he disappears completely. That's why the high-iron men are called skywalkers.

Charlie's dad is a painter. The painters start work long before the bridge is even finished. My pop says if it weren't for them, the bridge would rust away, but I think he's just saying that to be nice. The skywalkers have the most important job of all.

At Fort Point I look for Pop through the binoculars Mom lends me. The workers look alike in their overalls and swabbie hats, but I can always find my pop because of the red kerchief he ties at his throat. It's our own scarlet signal.

I don't worry much about him on days when the sun sparkles on the water, when sailboats skim below. It's so beautiful I can forget that it's dangerous, too. But when the wind blows through the Golden Gate, the men cling to the girders like caterpillars on a branch. On foggy days my hands sweat on the binoculars. Where is he? When I find him, I try not to look away, as though the force of my eyes can keep him from falling.

At my house Charlie and I work on a jigsaw puzzle Mom bought us. When it's done it will show how an artist thinks the bridge will look. Charlie and I work on the puzzle most every day. Bending over it I feel like I'm building the real thing, along with Pop. I'm a skywalker, too.

"We're almost done," Charlie says. "I wonder which of us will put in the last piece?"

I shrug. But what he says makes me think. My pop built that bridge. He should set the last puzzle piece in place. That's only fair, even though Charlie might think his dad should do it. When Charlie isn't looking, I slip one of the pieces into my pocket. Later I hide it in my room. I'm saving it for Pop. 547

The "impossible bridge" is nearly finished. One evening Mom and Pop and I walk down to Fort Point. The bridge hangs between stars and sea.

"It's like a giant harp," my pop says. "A harp for the angels to play." I look up at him, and I can tell this wasn't just a job to my pop. He loves the bridge.

In San Francisco there is great excitement. Everyone is waiting for opening day.

Charlie and I have watched nearly every bit of the bridge go up. We saw the two spans come together from opposite directions. We saw them meet. We saw the roadway go in. And my pop did it. No one can be as proud as I am. Not even Charlie. After all, my dad is a skywalker.

And then one day, something terrible happens. Charlie and I are watching as the scaffolding pulls away from the bridge. There's a noise like a train wreck as the scaffolding crashes down into the safety net. The net tears loose, and men go with it into the swirling tide.

I can't breathe. I can't think.

But then I look hard through the binoculars and see Pop still on the bridge, his red kerchief whipping. "Pop!" I whisper in relief. Beside me Charlie is screaming, "Where's my dad? Where's my dad?"

We had seen him working close to that scaffolding. I can't see him now.

"We'll find him," I promise. "We have to." I sweep the binoculars up and down the bridge cables, looking at every painter hanging high on his Jacob's ladder or swinging in a bosun's chair, like a knot on a rope.

"Be there, Mr. Shu," I plead, and then I spot him. "Over by that cross girder!" I yell. Charlie fumbles for the binoculars. I help him. He looks where I point.

"He's there! He's safe!" Charlie gasps.

The next day we find out that only two of the twelve men in the water were saved. I think and think about that day. At night, half asleep, I see the bridge shake. I hear the crash. One of those men in the water could have been Pop. Or Charlie's dad.

I finally understand, and I feel ashamed. Equal work, equal danger, for skywalkers and for painters.

The work goes on. A new safety net is put in place. Pop says there's less talking and joking now among the men. There's a remembering.

But the bridge must be finished. And at last it is. We watch through Mom's binoculars as the golden spike is drilled in at the center of the main span. Now the celebration can begin.

On opening day no cars are allowed. Thousands of people walk and dance and roller-skate across the bridge, including us. I wear Pop's kerchief around my neck. There's a man riding a unicycle. There's another on stilts. Navy biplanes fly above the great steel towers. Battleships and cruisers sail below the bridge and into San Francisco Bay. Wind strums its music through the stretch of the cables, and I think of my pop's harp.

That night our family has our own party with Charlie and his dad. There's stewed chicken and a Chinese noodle dish Charlie's dad made and a snickerdoodle pie.

The jigsaw puzzle sits on the coffee table with a gap in the middle. "I've searched and searched for that missing piece," my mother says.

"A good thing we didn't leave our bridge with a space like that," Mr. Shu says.

Pop chuckles. "We'd be working still."

It's time.

I slip upstairs to get the hidden puzzle piece, then find the scissors and cut the piece carefully in half. I go back down and put a half piece in Mr. Shu's hand and the other in my pop's. "Finish it," I say. "It's your bridge. It belongs to both of you."

My mother raises her eyebrows and Charlie says, "Hey, where. . .?" But I just watch as the two pieces fit in, so perfectly, so smoothly. "Team effort," my pop says.

We raise our glasses of sarsaparilla to celebrate the laborers and riveters, the carpenters and the painters and the skywalkers. All the men who worked together to build the most beautiful bridge in the world.

552 Meet the Author

Eve Bunting

Bunting immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1959. On her first day in America, she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and gazed back across the bay at the shining city of San Francisco. Now, whenever she sees the bridge, she remembers that first glimpse of her new country and her new life. Today, Bunting lives in Southern California. She has written many books for young readers, including Smoky Night , which won the Caldecott Medal.

F. Payne

Payne has been illustrating for more than twenty-five years. He has received much praise for his artwork. His illustrations have been featured in Time , Rolling Stone , Reader's Digest , and Sports Illustrated . He has also created five stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. Payne has illustrated many books for children, including Brave Harriet and True Heart , both written by Marissa Moss. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1. Why do some people call the Golden Gate Bridge the "impossible bridge"?

2. Why does Robert hide one of the puzzle pieces? Across Selections

3. What final piece completes the Golden Gate Bridge, and what other selection has a similar piece?

4. What do the workers in "John Henry Races the Steam Drill" have in common with the workers on the Golden Gate Bridge?

5. What other big projects in history can you think of where people with many different jobs worked together?

6. Why is everyone's job important?

Write about It!

Describe an important job you do.

554 Social Studies Inquiry: The New World

Feature

Headings tell people what sections of text are going to be about.

Early European explorers sailed east looking for Asia. Instead, they found America and called it the "New World." This land was not new to the people who already lived here. But some people from the "Old World" of Europe were not ashamed to take over this land.

Gold and Furs

Many explorers wanted to be rich. They heard that there was gold in the New World. For instance, the Aztecs in Mexico had a lot of gold. Spain fought the Aztecs and took their gold. Fur coats and beaver hats were also worth a lot of money in Europe. Native Americans were good at hunting and trapping animals for fur. They traded furs for coats, knives, and other goods.

Religion and Land

Many explorers wanted to spread their religion by conquering new lands for their churches. They built missions to teach their religion to Native Americans. Some people were kind to the Native Americans, but others were cruel.

Land can make people rich and powerful. Many wars were fought over land in the New World.

Think Link

Choose two paragraphs from the article.

Write a sentence of your own to add to each paragraph. Make sure your sentences fit under the paragraph headings.

What valuable item (besides gold) did the explorers find in the New World, and why was it so valuable?

What other reasons might have caused European explorers to come to the New World?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use headings to organize your ideas.

556 Low Bridge by Thomas S. Allen illustrated by Brian Deines

Focus Questions Why would someone write a song about a canal? Why is the Erie Canal no longer used for transporting goods?

I've got an old mule and her name is Sal,

Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.

She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.

We've hauled some barges in our day

Filled with lumber, coal, and hay,

And every inch of the way we know

From Albany to Buffalo.

Low bridge, everybody down.

Low bridge for we're coming to a town.

And you'll always know your neighbor,

And you'll always know your pal,

If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.

We'd better get along on our way, old gal,

'Cause you bet your life I'd never part with Sal,

Git up there mule, here comes a lock,

We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock,

One more trip and back we'll go,

Right back home to Buffalo.

Low bridge, everybody down.

Low bridge for we're coming to a town.

And you'll always know your neighbor,

And you'll always know your pal, If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.

558 Migrants by Karen Hesse illustrated by Alan Reingold

Focus Questions Who was affected by the Dust Bowl? What do migrants have in common with immigrants?

We'll be back when the rain comes, they say, pulling away with all they own, straining the springs of their motor cars.

Don't forget us.

And so they go, fleeing the blowing dust, fleeing the fields of brown-tipped wheat barely ankle high, and sparse as the hair on a dog's belly.

We'll be back, they say, pulling away toward Texas,

Arkansas, where they can rent a farm, pull in enough cash, maybe start again.

We'll be back when it rains, they say, setting out with their bedsprings and mattresses, their cookstoves and dishes, their kitchen tables, and their milk goats tied to their running boards in rickety cages, setting out for

California, where even though they say they'll come back, they just might stay if what they hear about that place is true.

Don't forget us, they say.

But there are so many leaving, how can I remember them all?

April 1935

Test-Taking Strategy: Referring to a Story to Answer Questions

To answer some questions on a test, you might need to read a story. You should use the information in the story to answer the questions.

Referring to a Story to Answer Questions

Sometimes you will read a story on a test and answer questions about the story. You should use the information in the story to answer the questions. Do not memorize the story--read it once and try to understand what you read. You should reread the story to answer the questions.

Read this story. Use the story to decide which answer is correct.

The steep climb to the top of a mountain is not easy. The temperature gets colder as you climb higher. The air at the top is thinner. It is difficult to breathe. Some people feel faint or dizzy when they get to the top.

All of these reasons make it difficult to climb to the top of a mountain except --

A The climb is steep.

B There are many steps.

C It gets colder as you climb higher.

D The air is thinner.

To answer the question, you should look at the story again. Compare each answer to the story. Which answer is NOT mentioned in the story? The story mentions all of answers except answer B . The story says nothing about steps.

Read the article "A Growing State." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

Before the Civil War, the United States grew quickly. This growth was faster in Florida before and after the war. A number of reasons caused this growth.

One reason was inexpensive land. In 1855, Florida passed an unusual law. This law let people buy land cheaply. Some land was given away for free if people opened businesses or built transportation systems. For many people, it was a dream come true.

Swamps were drained and turned into orange groves. Railroads were built to carry goods. Things were looking bright in Florida. Then the Civil War took place. It was a hard time for the United States. The situation was even worse in the South.

Florida was lucky during the Civil War. Big battles in the war were not fought there, so not much was damaged. Florida was able to recover more quickly than other states.

The climate was another reason Florida grew. Fruits and vegetables could be grown all year. They could be shipped quickly because of good roads and railroads. The nice weather caused people to go to Florida. Because of the transportation system, people could get to the state easily. Tourism was and still is an important business for the state. 562

Being by the ocean also helped the state grow. Two cities, Jacksonville and Pensacola, became important shipping ports. A lot of wood was shipped from these ports because people needed wood for rebuilding after the war.

Before the war, Florida was becoming a strong cotton-producing state. After the war, some land owners hired former slaves and gave them paying jobs. Tenant farmers worked most of the land. They did not own the land. Instead, the farmers helped each other raise crops. When the crops were sold, they shared the profit.

Soon, Florida became known for its citrus fruit such as grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes. Farmers grew other crops too. They raised many cattle for beef.

People made many different goods after the war using Florida's natural resources. One unusual business was sponge harvesting. People would collect sponges from the ocean. They would dry them and sell them. Phosphate mining also became important. This mineral could be used to make fertilizer for farmers. All of these changes caused Florida to become an economic force in the South.

Test Tips

* Mark your answers carefully.

* Eliminate answer choices that cannot be right.

* Skip difficult questions. Come back to them later.

Use the information you learned from the article "A Growing State" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

The unusual law mentioned in this article--

A made phosphate mining important.

B let people buy low-priced land.

C forced farmers to pay workers.

D brought more tourists to Florida.

How was Florida's climate an advantage for growth? A It brought tourists and allowed fruit to grow all year.

B It allowed people to buy inexpensive land.

C It helped phosphate mining expand across the state.

D It prevented the Union army from fighting in Florida during the war.

Which businesses were most important in Florida after the Civil War?

A Coal mining, sharecropping, and transportation

B Growing cotton, metalworking, and shipping

C Manufacturing, gold mining, and lumber production

D Growing fruit, raising cattle, and tourism

Why did Florida recover from the war more quickly than other Southern states?

A People sold different goods after the war.

B Farmers raised cattle for beef.

C Big battles were not fought in Florida.

D People needed lots of wood after the war.

564 Unit 6: Dollars and Sense

Money does not grow on trees. Imagine if it did. Anyone without money could simply harvest more. People would have all the money they wanted--and money would be worthless.

Because money is limited, people value it. We work for it, and we save it. We try to make smart choices with our money. In time, planning carefully and using good sense, you can make your money grow. But it does not grow on trees.

Theme Connection

Look at the illustration. What is odd about the scene? How do people really deal with money?

This image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 564 and page 565 in the print version. 565

This image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 564 and page 565 in the print version.

Big Idea

How do people make money choices?

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Erandi's Braids":

* dawn

* huddled

* dared

* embarrassment

* wove

* pounded

* tremble

* pride

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words huddled and wove. Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

Bella sat straight up in bed. A strange feeling washed over her. She looked toward her window. The sun was just beginning to rise. She hardly ever woke up before dawn.

She thought about getting out of bed. Then she remembered why she was feeling so strange. She had a piano recital later that morning! She huddled under her covers, shivering. She was not cold. She was just very nervous.

Why had she dared to choose such a difficult song? What if she messed up in front of all those people? She did not think she could take the embarrassment. You can do this, she told herself firmly. You have been through a dozen piano recitals. You always do fine.

She forced herself to get out of bed. Then she tiptoed downstairs. She fixed herself a bowl of cereal. Her parents were still in bed. So was her little brother. After breakfast, she brushed her teeth and got dressed. Then she wove her hair into a thick braid.

The next two hours were the longest of Bella's life. Finally, it was time to leave for the recital. When she arrived at the community center, she realized she was not the only one who looked nervous. Still, her heart pounded . Her hands began to tremble .

You can do this, she told herself.

It was Bella's turn to perform. She glanced at the crowd before settling in at the piano. The smiling faces of her parents and brother helped calm her down.

She played her piece almost perfectly. The one mistake she made was barely noticeable. As she bowed to the crowd, her nervousness was gone. She felt only pride .

Word Search

On a sheet of paper, write the definitions of the eight selection vocabulary words. Do not write the words. On a separate sheet of paper, create a word-search puzzle for a classmate using all the vocabulary words. Write the eight words at the bottom of the puzzle. Have your classmate circle each word in the puzzle and then write the word by its correct definition on the other sheet of paper.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is sacrifice. A sacrifice is the choice to give up one thing you will miss in order to get something else you want. What things have you sacrificed so that you could have or do something else? Can you think of a time you made a sacrifice for someone you loved?

568 Erandi's Braids by Antonio Hernández Madrigal illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Genre Realistic Fiction involves stories with characters and settings that are true to life and events that could really happen.

Predicting

As you read, make predictions about what you think will happen later in the text. Then check to see whether your predictions are confirmed.

Focus Questions

How do we know what something is worth? What do you do when you have to choose between two things you want badly?

"Erandi, it's time to wake up," Mamá whispered. Roosters were crowing as the orange and crimson colors of dawn spread across the village of Pátzcuaro, in the hills of México.

Erandi got out of bed, washed her face, and put on her huipil and skirt. Then Mamá brushed her hair and wove it into two thick braids that fell to her waist.

When Mamá finished, Erandi helped her prepare the dough for the tortillas . As she mixed and patted, Erandi heard voices from a loudspeaker in the street. "Hair! Hair! We will pay the best prices for your hair. Come to Miguel's Barber Shop tomorrow."

"What is that about, Mamá?" Erandi asked. "It is the hair buyers coming up from the city," Mamá told her.

"Why do they want to buy our hair?" Erandi asked.

"They say it is the longest and most beautiful in México," Mamá explained. "They use it to make fine wigs, eyelashes, and fancy embroidery." Mamá looked in the old cracked mirror on the adobe wall. Her own hair fell just below her shoulders.

"Your hair is much longer and thicker than mine,

Erandi. The hair buyers would pay a fortune for your beautiful braids," she said with pride.

They sat down to eat their meal of beans and tortillas . "Do you remember what day tomorrow is, Erandi?"

" Sí, Mamá," Erandi said. "My birthday!" She would be seven, and Mamá was going to take her to Señora Andrea's shop to pick out a present. Erandi hoped she would get a new dress to wear to the village fiesta.

They finished eating and got ready to go to the lake. Mamá packed their fishing net and put it on her back. "Don't forget the buckets, Erandi," she said, starting off down the trail.

When they arrived at the lake, women and men from the village were already fishing. Erandi's mamá unfolded their net. "Look, Erandi, more holes. I won't be able to repair it any more. We need a new net so badly." Then she paused. "Soon we will have the money to buy one."

Erandi was surprised. They had so little money. Before she could ask Mamá where she would get the money, her friend Isabel ran up.

" Buenos días , Erandi. Can you come and play?" Isabel called.

"Go," Mamá said, "but come back and help me sort the fish."

Isabel and Erandi ran across the fields of flowers. "Are you going to the fiesta next Sunday?" Isabel asked.

The fiesta! Erandi remembered her birthday and the new dress she hoped to wear in the procession. But maybe Mamá needed the money for the new net instead. "I'm not sure," she said.

Throughout the day Erandi went back and forth, playing with Isabel and helping her mamá separate the small fish from the large fish. Then it was time to go. Erandi was afraid to ask about her birthday, and Mamá didn't say anything about it or the new net as they walked home. 574

But the next morning after making the tortillas , Mamá said, "It's time to go to Señora Andrea's shop, Erandi." Erandi smiled. She knew she would have a new dress for the fiesta after all.

As they entered the shop in the square, Erandi saw a beautiful doll wearing a finely embroidered yellow dress up on the shelf.

Mamá saw Erandi stare at the doll.

"Erandi," Mamá said, "what do you want for your birthday?"

Erandi wanted the doll, but she knew she couldn't have both the doll and a dress. She pointed to a yellow dress, the same color as the doll's.

"Maybe next year we can buy you a doll," Mamá said as she paid for the dress.

After they left the shop, Mamá turned to Erandi and said, "Now we will go to the barber shop."

Erandi caught her breath.

My hair! So that is how Mamá is going to get the money for a new net. She is going to sell my braids. Erandi shivered at the thought of the barber cutting off her braids. But she didn't say anything to Mamá.

They reached Miguel's Barber Shop and went inside. Erandi looked across the room crowded with women. She gripped Mamá's hand and huddled in her skirt. She didn't look at the barber chair, but she couldn't help hearing the sharp snip snip of scissors.

Will my hair ever grow back? she worried.

The line of women moved slowly, and Erandi's heart pounded as she and Mamá reached the front.

"Next person!" the barber called out.

Gazing at the enormous scissors in his hand, Erandi felt her knees tremble. But before she could move, Mamá walked to the chair and sat down.

576 I should have known Mamá would never sell my hair, Erandi thought as she watched the barber wrap a white apron around her mamá's shoulders and measure her hair.

"Your hair is not long enough," she heard the barber say.

Her mamá's face reddened with embarrassment. Without a word, she got out of the chair and took Erandi's hand. As they turned to leave, the barber noticed Erandi's braids. "Wait," he called out. "We will buy your daughter's hair."

Mamá whirled around. "My daughter's hair is not for sale," she said proudly. Then she felt the pull of Erandi's hand and looked down.

" Sí, Mamá, we will sell my braids," Erandi whispered.

"No, mi hija, " Mamá said. "You don't have to sell your hair."

But Erandi let go of her hand and walked toward the chair. The women stared as she climbed up onto the seat.

The barber measured her braids and picked up his scissors. Erandi closed her eyes. Her hands turned cold when she felt the metal scissors rub against her face and neck and she heard the sharp snip snip.

The barber moved to the second braid and Erandi's eyes filled with tears. But she dared not cry. Instead she asked the barber, "Señor, will my hair grow back?"

"Of course! It will grow just as long and pretty as before," he told her.

Erandi kept her eyes shut until the barber had finished. Then she opened them slowly and looked in the mirror. Her hair reached just below the bottom of her ears.

Out in the street, the air was cold on the back of her neck. How strange it felt without her hair. Mamá walked beside her, not saying a word. Only the hollow clapping of their huaraches broke the silence of the cobblestone streets.

Why didn't Mamá speak? Was she angry with her for cutting her hair? Or maybe the haircutter had not paid enough for her braids?

Finally Erandi peeked at her mamá's face and saw she was crying. "Forgive me, Erandi, I shouldn't have let you sell your hair," Mamá sobbed, wiping her face with an old handkerchief. Now Erandi understood that her mamá was not angry with her. She had only been thinking of Erandi's hair. "Don't worry, Mamá. My braids will grow back as long and pretty as before."

"Your hair was the longest and most beautiful of all," her mamá said.

Erandi paused for a moment, then asked shyly, "Mamá, did they pay you enough to buy a new net?"

" ¡Sí, mi hija! They paid us more than I expected. We can buy a new net and the doll you wanted." She gave Erandi a big smile, and Erandi had never felt happier.

Then Mamá took Erandi's hand in hers, and as the last rays of sun lit up the rooftops, they turned and went back to the square to buy Erandi's doll.

580 Meet the Author

Antonio Hernández Madrigal

Hernández Madrigal always dreamed of writing children's books based on his Mexican heritage. In 1976, he moved to the United States from Michoacán, Mexico, in order to fulfill this dream. Hernández Madrigal gets his love of stories from his grandmother, a storyteller in their Tarascan tribe. His favorite saying is "Dreams do come true!" Meet the Illustrator

Tomie dePaola

DePaola has been in love with books since he was a little boy. When dePaola was four years old, he told everyone he wanted to write and illustrate books. He studied art throughout high school and then went to art school at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Today, dePaola has illustrated more than 200 books and written more than 100 books. He gets the ideas for some of his books from events in his own life, while others come from his imagination.

581 Dollars and Sense: Theme Connections

1. Why do the buyers from the city want to buy the village women's hair?

2. What is Mamá able to buy with the money she gets for Erandi's braids?

3. Have you ever had to make a hard choice? What did you do?

4. Erandi's mamá said, "My daughter's hair is not for sale." What is something you would never sell?

Write about It!

Describe a time you sacrificed something for someone you loved.

Remember to add your questions about dollars and sense to the Concept/Question Board.

582 Social Studies Inquiry: Native American Traders

Feature

Maps are a representation of a region of the earth.

Native Americans have lived in North America for thousands of years. The Native groups lived off the land and sea. They also traded with one another.

Along the Pacific coast, Native people had a rich supply of salmon and cedar trees. Salmon and their eggs were used for food. Cedar was used to make canoes, benches, bowls, weapons, and tools. The Native women wove the inner bark of cedar trees to make baskets and blankets.

Trading allowed Native groups to get goods they did not have. Groups by the coast had more salmon and cedar than they needed. Groups east of the mountains had a lot of animal furs and skins. Others had tobacco and copper.

They traded these items so everyone had all he or she needed. Some groups became rich. Each group had a certain item that was valuable to other groups. The Makah traded whale oil so other groups could use the oil to make food. The Haida carved and painted beautiful canoes to trade.

Trading helped improve the lives of each group. People from Europe began to settle in the area in the 1600s. They brought their special items to trade with the Native groups.

Think Link

This map shows different geographic regions where Native Americans lived in the United States. Find the region where you live. How do you think Native tribes used the natural resources in your region? What did they trade?

How did some Native American groups become wealthy?

What kinds of things do you think the Europeans brought to trade from their countries?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a map to help show your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "My Rows and Piles of Coins":

* longed

* perched

* wobbled

* pruned

* wearily

* gleefully

* confident * clutched

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Use context clues to find the meanings of perched and clutched.

Yumika sat on the fence, running her finger along the hem of her drab brown dress. Soon she would have the colorful dress she had longed for ever since she could remember. The seller was due to stop in their town the next day. Mama had promised to buy some colorful material and make Yumika a dress!

Just then, Mama walked into view. When she saw Yumika perched on the fence, she frowned.

"I love you, Mama!" Yumika called.

"I love you too," Mama said, "but you have chores to do, and it is time to get busy!"

"Yes, Mama," Yumika said, obediently. The old fence wobbled as she jumped to the ground.

Yumika fed the chickens and gathered the eggs. She pruned the branches of their two apple trees and pulled the weeds from the flower garden. Then, wearily , she went inside. She would help Mama with supper and be finished until tomorrow.

The next morning, just as the sun came up, Yumika jumped out of bed. Gleefully , she put on her brown dress--for the last time! She gulped down her oatmeal and sat out on the porch to wait. Soon the trader came walking down the lane with his cart.

"Mama," Yumika yelled, "he is here!"

"What can I get you ladies today?" the seller asked.

"I would like a bolt of your most colorful cloth," Mama told him. She held out her money and a basket of eggs.

"It is for me!" Yumika said. "I am getting a new dress!"

"I am confident I have the perfect fabric for you, little one," the trader said.

He handed Yumika a bolt of pink and yellow cloth. She clutched it tightly and grinned. She could not wait to wear her new dress!

Action Verbs On a sheet of paper, write each of the eight selection vocabulary words. Then look up the definitions in a dictionary. Write the correct definition beside each word. Circle the five vocabulary words that are action verbs. Draw a small picture of yourself doing each action.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is price. Price is the amount something sells for. If you sell something at a fair price, you sell it for the amount of money it is worth. Think of ten of your favorite possessions. Give each one a price.

Ask a classmate if he or she thinks you have chosen a fair price for each item. Would your classmate be willing to buy those items at the prices you chose?

586 My Row and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel illustrated by E. B. Lewis

Comprehension Skill: Author's Point of View

As you read, understand who is telling the story.

Focus Questions

Why do people need money? Why is it sometimes difficult to save money?

After a good day at the market, my mother, Yeyo, gave me five whole ten-cent coins. I gaped at the money until Yeyo nudged me. "Saruni, what are you waiting for? Go and buy yourself something." I plunged into the market. I saw roasted peanuts, chapati, rice cakes, and sambusa. There were wooden toy trucks, kites, slingshots, and marbles. My heart beat excitedly. I wanted to buy everything, but I clutched my coins tightly in my pocket.

At the edge of the market, I stopped. In a neat sparkling row stood several big new bicycles. One of them was decorated all over with red and blue.

That's what I would buy!

For some time now, Murete, my father, had been teaching me to ride his big, heavy bicycle. If only I had a bicycle of my own!

A gruff voice startled me. "What are you looking at, little boy?"

I turned and bumped into a tall skinny man, who laughed at my confusion. Embarrassed, I hurried back to Yeyo.

That night, I dropped five ten-cent coins into my secret money box. It held other ten-cent coins Yeyo had given me for helping with market work on Saturdays. By the dim light of a lantern, I feasted my eyes on the money.

I couldn't believe it was all mine.

I emptied the box, arranged all the coins in piles and the piles in rows. Then I counted the coins and thought about the bicycle I longed to buy.

Every day after school, when I wasn't helping Yeyo to prepare supper, I asked Murete if I could ride his bicycle. He held the bicycle steady while I rode around, my toes barely touching the pedals.

Whenever Murete let go, I wobbled, fell off, or crashed into things and among coffee trees. Other children from the neighborhood had a good laugh watching me.

Go on, laugh, I thought, sore but determined. Soon I would be like a cheetah on wheels, racing on errands with my very own bicycle!

591 Saturday after Saturday, we took goods to market, piled high on Yeyo's head and on my squeaky old wooden wheelbarrow. We sold dried beans and maize, pumpkins, spinach, bananas, firewood, and eggs.

My money box grew heavier.

I emptied the box, arranged the coins in piles and the piles in rows. Then I counted the coins and thought about the blue and red bicycle.

After several more lessons Murete let me ride on my own while he shouted instructions. "Eyes up, arms straight, keep pedaling, slow down!" I enjoyed the breeze on my face, the pedals turning smoothly under my feet, and, most of all, Yeyo's proud smile as she watched me ride. How surprised she would be to see my new bicycle! And how grateful she would be when I used it to help her on market days!

The heavy March rains came. The ground became so muddy, nobody went to market. Instead, I helped Yeyo with house chores. When it wasn't raining, I helped Murete on the coffee farm. We pruned the coffee trees and put fallen leaves and twigs around the coffee stems. Whenever I could, I practiced riding Murete's bicycle.

It stopped raining in June. Not long after, school closed. Our harvest--fresh maize and peas, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and fruits--was so big, we went to market on Saturdays and Wednesdays. My money box grew heavier and heavier.

I emptied the box, arranged all the coins in piles and the piles in rows.

Then I counted the coins and thought about the bicycle I would buy.

A few days later I grew confident enough to try to ride a loaded bicycle. With Murete's help, I strapped a giant pumpkin on the carrier behind me. When I attempted to pedal, the bicycle wobbled so dangerously that Murete, alongside me, had to grab it.

"All right, Saruni, the load is too heavy for you," he said, and I got off. Mounting the bicycle to ride back to the house, he sighed wearily. "And hard on my bones, which are getting too old for pedaling." I practiced daily with smaller loads, and slowly I learned to ride a loaded bicycle. No more pushing the squeaky old wheelbarrow, I thought. I would ride with my load tall and proud on my bicycle--just like Murete!

On the first Saturday after school opened in July, we went to market as usual. Late in the afternoon, after selling all we had, Yeyo sat talking with another trader.

I set off into the crowd. I wore an old coat Murete had handed down to me for chilly July days like today. My precious coins were wrapped in various bundles inside the oversize pockets of the coat.

I must be the richest boy in the world, I thought, feeling like a king. I can buy anything.

The tall skinny man was polishing his bicycles as I came up. "I want to buy a bicycle," I said, and brought out my bundles of coins.

The man whistled in wonder as I unwrapped the money carefully on his table. "How many coins have you got there?"

Proudly, I told him. "Three hundred and five."

"Three hundred and ... five," he muttered. "Mmh, that's ... thirty shillings and fifty cents." He exploded with laughter. "A whole bicycle ... for thirty shillings ... and fifty cents?"

His laugh followed me as I walked away with my bundles of coins, deeply disappointed.

On our way home, Yeyo asked what was wrong.

I had to tell her everything.

"You saved all your money for a bicycle to help me?" she asked. I could tell she was amazed and touched. "How nice of you!" As for the tall skinny man, she scoffed, " Oi! What does he know? Of course you will buy a bicycle. One day you will."

Her kind words did not cheer me.

596 The next afternoon, the sound of a pikipiki filled the air, tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk. I came out of the house and stared in astonishment. Murete was perched on an orange motorbike.

He cut the engine and dismounted. Then, chuckling at my excited questions about the pikipiki, he headed into the house.

When Murete came out, Yeyo was with him, and he was wheeling his bicycle. "I want to sell this to you. For thirty shillings and fifty cents." He winked at me.

Surprised, I stared at Murete. How did he know about my secret money box? I hadn't told him anything.

Then, suddenly, I realized the wonderful thing that had just happened. "My bicycle, I have my very own bicycle!"

I said, and it didn't matter at all that it wasn't decorated with red and blue. Within moments, I had brought Murete my money box.

Murete gave Yeyo the box. Yeyo, in turn, gave it to me. Puzzled, I looked from Yeyo to Murete and to Yeyo again. "You're giving it ... back to me?"

Yeyo smiled. "It's a reward for all your help to us." "Thank you, thank you!" I cried gleefully.

The next Saturday, my load sat tall and proud on my bicycle, which I walked importantly to market. I wasn't riding it because Yeyo could never have kept up.

Looking over at Yeyo, I wished she didn't have to carry such a big load on her head.

If only I had a cart to pull behind my bicycle, I thought, I could lighten her load!

That night I emptied the box, arranged all the coins in piles and the piles in rows. Then I counted the coins and thought about the cart I would buy... .

598 Meet the Author

Tololwa M. Mollel

Mollel loves books and theater. He grew up on his grandfather's coffee farm in Tanzania and has used the stories his grandfather told him to create some of his books. He has been an actor and a teacher as well as a writer. Mollel says he is working on turning one of his books into a play for children. He lives with his wife and two sons. Meet the Illustrator

B. Lewis

Lewis has always liked to create art. After finishing sixth grade, he began to study painting at the Temple University School Art League every Saturday morning with Clarence Wood, a famous painter from Philadelphia. In 1975, Lewis went to the Temple University Tyler School of Art.

In art school, he discovered that watercolor was his favorite type of paint. Lewis has become a famous artist and an art teacher.

1. What kinds of goods do Yeyo and Saruni sell at the market?

2. Why does the tall, skinny man laugh at Saruni?

Across Selections

3. Saruni wants to help his family. In what other selections do we read about children making money for their families?

4. Saruni works on his family's farm. Who else works on a farm in selections you have read?

5. Do you think Saruni would have been as pleased with his bike if he had not worked so hard to earn it?

6. What is something you saved for or would like to save for?

Write about It!

Describe a time you saved your money for something.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about dollars and sense to add to the Concept/Question Board. 600 Social Studies Inquiry: Houston, We Have a Space Station!

Feature

(November 20, 1998)

Houston (AP)--Texas is known for its oil. But today, we salute our workers in the aerospace industry. The first part of the International Space Station has been launched.

Many Texans helped design and build the ISS. Close to 60,000 Texans work in the aerospace industry. Only California has more people in this industry. The state of Florida ranks third.

Aerospace includes airplanes, rockets, missiles, space shuttles, and space stations.

In 1940, Texas began to design and build planes. Many major airlines started in Texas. In 1961, NASA opened its Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. This center is the command post that was used to send men to the moon.

Sixteen countries are working on the ISS. Canada designed and built a robot arm that helps move parts into place. Japan and Italy built modules. A module is a machine that carries parts and supplies.

We are confident the ISS will succeed. Texas is proud to play a role in this project.

Think Link

The time line shows important events in the history of the Texas aerospace industry. Think of five important events in the history of our nation that would fit on this time line. Share them with a classmate.

In your own words, define aerospace industry. List some specific jobs you think might be included as part of this industry.

What three states have the most employees in the aerospace industry? What state do you think might rank fourth, and why? Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how a time line can help you show a sequence of events.

Vocabulary: Warm-Up

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "A Spoon for Every Bite":

* demanded

* protested

* fine

* possessions

* discarded

* wealth

Vocabulary Strategy

Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or suffix is added to the root word. Look at the word possessions. Review the suffixes -ion and -s and the root word possess to find the word's meaning.

Bellville was a small country town with hardworking and humble citizens. Jeb Munkle stuck out like a sore thumb. He was neither hardworking nor humble. He was difficult and demanding. And he was very rich. No matter how much money he spent, he always seemed to have more.

The townspeople put up with him because he brought business to their stores. But dealing with him was never fun. He always demanded to be served before the other customers. He protested when he thought the service was too slow.

He spent his fortune on things he did not need. He adored fine jewels and gold watches.

603 One morning, Jeb was riding through the streets of town in his fancy car. His driver, Grimm, noticed that he was looking for something else to buy.

"Sir," Grimm said boldly, "I cannot help but wonder if you will ever be happy."

"Whatever do you mean?" Jeb asked with a frown.

"Well, sir, you live in a huge mansion on thousands of acres. You have more possessions than any other man in the state. An ordinary man would be content with your discarded treasures alone. Yet you are not happy."

"And you have some brilliant advice?" sneered Jeb.

"Well," Grimm said, "how about giving some of your wealth to the poor? Or finding a wife to share your life with?"

Jeb stared at his driver for a moment. Then his eyes lit up. "Grimm, my boy, you are right," he said. "My life is missing something. And I think I know what that something is. A nice new gold watch! A man can never have too many watches!"

Card Game

Write each of the six selection vocabulary words on an index card. Write each definition on a card as well. Shuffle the cards, and look through them one at a time. If a word is showing, give its definition. If a definition is showing, give the word it defines. This can also be played as a game with a classmate. See who can get the most correct answers in a row.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is excess. Excess is an amount greater than what is needed. Some people have excess money. Some people have excess clothing. What other things can you think of that people have in excess? What are some things people do in excess?

604 A Spoon for Every Bite by Joe Hayes illustrated by Rebecca Leer

A folktale is a story that was passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth before it was written down.

Comprehension Skill: Compare and Contrast As you read, understand the similarities and differences between various sets of characters, situations, settings, and ideas.

Focus Questions

Why does money cause so many problems? Why do different people value things differently?

A long time ago there lived a couple who were so poor they owned only two spoons--one for the husband and one for the wife.

Their neighbor was very rich. His big house was filled with fine furniture, and he was very proud of his wealth and his possessions.

One year the poor couple had a baby, and the wife said to her husband, "Why don't we ask our neighbor to be godfather to our child?"

"But he's rich and we're poor," the man protested. "Why would he want to be our compadre? "

"You never know," said the wife. "He might accept."

So the poor man spoke to their neighbor, and the rich man did accept. They took the baby to be baptized, and the neighbors became compadres.

One day the poor woman said to her husband, "Now that our neighbor is our compadre, we should invite him to eat supper with us this evening."

"How can we do that?" the man asked. "We have only two spoons."

So they didn't invite the rich man that day. They saved their pennies and bought a third spoon. Then the poor man invited his compadre to come for dinner.

The poor woman made a delicious soup, and when the men arrived she led the rich man to the place with the shiny new spoon. "Sit here, compadre, " she said. "You get to use our new third spoon." The rich man could scarcely believe his ears. "Do you mean to say you own only three spoons?" he asked.

"Until this morning we had only two," the poor man told him. "We bought a new one so that you could join us for dinner."

The rich man laughed aloud. "You had only two spoons! And you bought a third one for me to eat with! Why, I have so many spoons I could use a different one each day of the year if I wished to."

The poor man was embarrassed. But the poor woman spoke right up, "That's nothing, compadre. We have a friend who uses a different spoon for every bite he eats."

The rich man shook his head, but the poor man knew what his wife meant. "It's true," he said. "Our friend uses a different spoon for every single bite he eats."

The rich man was so upset by the idea that someone might live even more lavishly than he did that he couldn't enjoy his soup.

That night he lay awake thinking about it.

The next day the rich man's servant came running to the poor man's house. "What did you give my master to eat last night?" he demanded.

"He ate the same thing we did--the tastiest soup my wife has ever made."

"Your soup must have driven him crazy. This morning at breakfast he insisted on using a different spoon for every bite he ate. After one bite with a spoon, he ordered me to get rid of it."

The poor compadre smiled to himself. "And what does your master tell you to do with the discarded spoons?"

"He told me, 'Give them to my compadres. They have only three spoons.'"

At lunch and at dinner the rich man did the same thing. That night the servant left a pile of spoons beside the door of the poor couple's house. The next day the rich man kept asking for a new spoon for every bite. After one week the servant informed him there were no more spoons in the house.

"Get me some more," the rich man growled. "Do you think I'm too poor to buy spoons?"

The servant bought all the spoons in town, and then he had to travel to other towns to buy spoons.

The rich man began selling his livestock and land to buy spoons. A mountain of spoons stood beside the poor couple's house.

In a year the rich man squandered all his wealth. And there were just three spoons in his house. He walked angrily to the poor couple's house and pounded on the door.

"You lied to me!" he roared at them. "No one can use a new spoon for every bite. I have proved it. I was the richest man around, and not even I could do that."

"You're mistaken, compadre, " the poor man said. "Day in and day out, year in and year out, our friend uses a different spoon for every bite he eats."

"Take me to meet this friend," the rich man demanded.

The poor couple took their rich compadre to the nearby Indian pueblo. They went to their friend's house. The Indian and his wife welcomed the compadres and invited them to stay and eat a meal.

"That's just what I came for," the rich man said. "I want to see you use a new spoon for every bite you eat."

"Spoon?" asked the Indian. "This is the only spoon I use." He pointed to a stack of tortillas on the table. He broke off a piece of tortilla and scooped up some beans. The beans and the spoon disappeared into his mouth.

"He'll never use that spoon again," laughed the poor man.

Again the rich man was too upset to eat his meal. He got up from the table and walked home sadly. But the poor couple enjoyed every bite their friends served them--spoon and all. And then they walked home smiling. They knew that when they had sold all the spoons their rich compadre had thrown away, they would live the rest of their days in comfort.

614 Meet the Author

Joe Hayes

Hayes is one of the most famous storytellers in America. He began by telling stories to his children and soon realized that he wanted to tell stories for a living. Growing up in Arizona, Hayes learned Spanish from his friends. When he began writing stories, he decided to write them in English and Spanish in order to share both of his beloved languages with others. Hayes's stories are made from a combination of traditional folktales, history, and imagination. Meet the Illustrator

Rebecca Leer

Leer has won many awards for her illustrations. She says she used her love for the desert as inspiration for the drawings in A Spoon for Every Bite. Although she once enjoyed living in the West, she now lives in New York City.

1. Why did the poor man and woman not invite their neighbor to dinner that first evening?

2. Compare and contrast the poor couple and the rich man.

Across Selections

3. The poor couple saves enough money to buy a new spoon. Who in another selection also saves money to buy something he or she needs?

4. The Indian couple in the pueblo ate tortillas and beans for dinner. What other selection has characters eating tortillas and beans? Beyond the Selection

5. Was it wrong of the poor couple to trick their rich neighbor? Why or why not?

6. Have you read any other stories about tricksters?

Write about It!

Describe a time when you felt that someone was being wasteful.

Remember to look for newspaper and magazine articles about dollars and sense to add to the Concept/Question Board.

616 Social Studies Inquiry: Our Rights

Feature

Captions describe what is happening in a photograph.

Cal: This is Cal Callan, and we are live from our WRDS studio. Kelly Jackson, a fine citizen and government employee, is joining us to talk about our rights as consumers.

Kelly, what is a consumer? And why do consumers need rights?

Kelly : A consumer is someone who buys goods or services. Rights are basic things we are entitled to.

Cal: Tell me about some of our rights.

Kelly: Well, there is the Fair Housing Act. This law says that no matter who you are, you have the right to rent or buy a home. This act prevents discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, or disability.

Cal: Wow, that is great. What other rights do we consumers have?

Kelly: We have the right to know what is in the food we buy. Food products must have labels. We have the right to borrow money. We have the right to financial privacy. I could go on and on.

Cal: We are out of time. But it sounds like our government is looking out for us.

Kelly: It is. Cal: Thanks, Kelly! Come back anytime!

Think Link

The Fair Housing Act prevents discrimination against homebuyers based on race, color, gender, religion, or disability.

Imagine two or three photos you could add to illustrate this article. Write captions for them.

Define consumer rights in your own words.

What consumer rights can you think of that Kelly did not mention?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use captions to highlight important facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in the three fables by Aesop:

* daydream

* worthless

* misfortune

* provide

* miser

* value

Vocabulary Strategy

Appositives are words or groups of words that rename another word in the same sentence. Find the word miser. Look for the use of apposition to find the meaning of miser. "Rade, can you hear me? Rade! I am talking to you!"

Rade jerked to attention. His younger sister, Jessica, was waving her hand in front of his face. "Did I interrupt another daydream? " she asked.

Rade grinned sheepishly. "It is fun to imagine what life will be like when I bring Max home."

"That worthless ferret is all you think about these days!" Jessica said with a huff.

Rade just shrugged his shoulders. He had been saving his money to buy a ferret for months. Unless some misfortune came his way, he would have his new pet within a few weeks. He and his parents had made a deal. He would buy the ferret and its cage, and they would provide Max's hammock and food dishes.

Jessica thought Rade was obsessed, and so did his friends.

"Here comes Rade," his best friend Daniel complained. "He is a miser , a person who won't spend his money, and he will not go to a movie with me!"

"Why do you want a ferret anyway?" his friend Megan asked. "They cost almost a hundred dollars, don't they? I would not buy one, even if I had a thousand dollars."

"Ferrets are of great value ," Rade argued. "Just wait until you meet Max."

At last, Rade had saved two hundred dollars. Max cost one hundred, and his special cage cost another hundred.

Rade invited Daniel and Megan over to meet Max. As he entertained them with his playful antics, they laughed.

When Max cuddled up against Megan's chest, she said, "Okay, Rade, he is worth every penny you spent."

Word Scramble

On a sheet of paper, write the six selection vocabulary words and their definitions. On a separate sheet of paper, scramble each word. Then write the scrambled words in random order down the left side of the page. Have a classmate unscramble each word and write the definitions from memory. Study the words and definitions before you try to unscramble your classmate's words.

Concept Vocabulary This lesson's concept word is worth. Worth is the value of something. Choose five items in your classroom. How much money do you think each one is worth? Some things are worth far more to a person than any amount of money. Perhaps you have a ring that once belonged to your great-grandmother or a stuffed animal that you have had since you were born. What three belongings of yours are worth the most to you, and why?

620 Three Fables by Aesop illustrated by Belgin Wedman

A fable is a very short story in which the main purpose is to teach a lesson about life-- usually stated at the end of the story in the form of a moral.

Comprehension Skill

Cause and Effect

As you read, understand why things happen and how one event leads to another.

Focus Questions

Why do some people handle money better than others? How do people make decisions about what to do with their money?

The Milkmaid and Her Pail

A farmer's daughter finished milking the cows and was carrying her pail of milk upon her head. As she walked along, she started to daydream: "The milk in this pail will provide me with cream. I will make the cream into butter and take it to the market to sell. With the money, I will buy some eggs, and these will hatch into chickens. Then I'll sell some of the chickens, and with the money I'll buy myself a beautiful new dress, which I will wear to the dance. All the young fellows will admire me and want to dance with me, but I'll just toss my head and have nothing to say to them." At this, she forgot all about the pail on her head, and imagining herself at the dance, she tossed her head. Down went the pail, the milk spilled out all over the ground, and all her fine plans vanished in a moment!

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

The Rooster and the Jewel

A rooster, scratching the ground for something to eat, uncovered a beautiful jewel that had by chance been dropped there. "Ho!" said he. "A fine thing you are, no doubt. If your owner had found you, she would have been overjoyed. But for me--I am hungry. I would rather have a single kernel of corn than all the jewels in the world."

What has great value to one person may be worthless to another.

The Miser miser sold everything he had and bought gold coins. Then he melted down all the gold into a single lump, which he buried secretly in a field. Every day he went to look at it. Sometimes he spent hours gloating over his treasure.

"Where is my boss sneaking off to every day?" wondered one of his workmen, so the man followed the miser and spied the hidden treasure. That night the man dug up the gold lump and stole it. When the miser went to visit his treasure the next day, he discovered that it was gone. The miser was beside himself, tearing out his hair and screaming in fury.

"What on earth has happened?" asked his neighbor.

"My gold! My gold!" cried the miser and he told of his misfortune. "Don't be so upset," said the neighbor. "Put a brick into the hole and take a look at it every day. You won't be any worse off than before, for even when you had your gold it was of no earthly use to you."

Money has no true value if it is not used.

628 Meet the Author

Not much is known about Aesop's life. People studying Aesop believe that he was born somewhere in Greece as a slave and was later freed. It is said that he was freed because he was a good storyteller and could make people laugh. Then he traveled to many cities in Greece, telling his fables to people along the way. Aesop's fables are known for teaching moral lessons about life. Many phrases from his stories are now widely used expressions, such as "actions speak louder than words."

Belgin Wedman

Wedman began drawing when she was four years old. She could draw for hours. She says, "There was never a time when I considered doing anything else but art." The best part about her job is it requires her to learn about and imagine many time periods and cultures. Her studio overlooks the beautiful Santa Monica mountains.

629 Dollars and Sense: heme Connections

1. Compare the morals at the end of "The Rooster and the Jewel" and "The Miser."

2. What happens when the farmer's daughter is imagining herself at the dance?

Across Selections

3. What other selection tries to teach a lesson about how to act?

4. Compare the milkmaid to Saruni from "My Rows and Piles of Coins." Beyond the Selection

5. What is something that is valuable to you but might be worthless to someone else?

6. What would happen if people decided money had no value?

Write about It!

Write about a time you made plans that did not work out.

630 Science Inquiry: Hardness Scale

Functional Text teaches you how to do something. It contains information that can be used in real life.

Feature

In the 19th century, a scientist named Friedrich Mohs had an idea of great value. He invented the Mohs Scale of Hardness to classify minerals.

The Mohs Scale rates how hard a mineral is on a scale from 1 to 10. One is the softest, and 10 is the hardest.

You can tell how hard a mineral is by how easily you can scratch it. Some minerals can be scratched with a fingernail. These have a hardness rating of 2.5 or less. A mineral that can be scratched with a penny rates about 3 or less.

A mineral cannot scratch a mineral with a higher hardness rating. A diamond can be scratched only by another diamond.

Here are some tips for testing hardness:

* Each mineral can scratch itself.

* You do not need to press hard as you scratch.

* Do not scratch the face of a nice crystal. Find a spot that will not be noticed.

* Look closely at the scratch line. Make sure it is a scratch. It could be powder from the tool you used, if the tool was softer than the mineral. There are other tools you can use. Try a nail or a steel file. Look at the chart to see the hardness rating for each tool.

Think Link

Rating Can be scratched with... Mineral example

Soft 2 a fingernail (2.5) Talc

2 a fingernail or copper penny (3) Gypsum

3 a copper penny Calcite

4 a common nail (about 5.2) Fluorite

5 a common nail Apatite

6 a steel file (about 7.2) Orthoclase Feldspar

7 a steel file Quartz

8 Topaz

9 Corundum

Hard 10 Diamond

Look at the chart depicting the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Why do you think tools are not listed beside the last three minerals on the chart? If glass rates around 6.5, which minerals will scratch glass?

In your own words, explain to a classmate how you would test the hardness of an unknown mineral.

A scratch on a mineral will often look like a white line, but a white line is not always a scratch. What else could it be?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use a chart to organize your facts.

Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Business Is Looking Up":

* product

* stencils

* investment

* partner

* profits

* opposing

* corny

* century

Vocabulary Strategy

Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words partner and opposing . Use context clues to find each word's meaning.

So, you want to start your own business. Good for you! How do you get started?

First, you will need a great idea for a product or service.

"What is the difference between the two?" you ask.

A product is an item you sell. Maybe you would like to make greeting cards with stencils . Maybe you could make dog biscuits. Be creative. The options are endless.

A service is something you do for people. Some ideas include washing cars, caring for pets, or raking leaves.

After you decide on a product or service, it is time to do some research. Do the people in your community need what you have to offer?

Is it already available to them? Is your idea unique?

633 Next, you will want to think about your investment . What supplies will you need to start your business? Do you have money to buy those items?

You also might want to find a partner . This person can help you with the costs of your business. He or she can help you make your product or carry out your service. Of course, your partner will also share the profits with you.

You will want to be careful when choosing a partner. Make sure the two of you have the same goals, not opposing ones. At the same time, you will want a second opinion when you make decisions. Your partner can tell you whether your ideas are corny .

Listen to what your customers say about your products. You will always need to find ways to make your product or service better. Who knows? Maybe your business will become one of the best of the century .

Picture Game

On a sheet of paper, write each of the eight selection vocabulary words along the left margin. (You may need two sheets.) Then draw a small picture that shows the meaning of each word. Some of the concepts may be difficult to draw. You will have to be creative. Fold the paper so the vocabulary words are hidden. Ask a classmate to look at your pictures and guess which word matches each picture.

Concept Vocabulary

This lesson's concept word is opportunity . An opportunity is a good chance that can lead to success. Often, the older you get, the more opportunities you will have to try new things. What opportunities do you have now that you did not have five years ago? Think of a time when you had an opportunity to do something and did not take it. How did you feel about that?

634 Business Is Looking Up by Barbara Aiello and Jeffrey Shulman illustrated by Gideon Kendall

Asking Questions As you read, ask questions about things in the text. Look for the answers as you continue to read the text.

Focus Questions

How do people get their ideas for new businesses? What are some things to think about before starting a business?

Renaldo Rodriguez, a visually impaired eleven-year-old, needs money to buy a special type of calculator for the blind. He decides he can earn the money by starting a business and shares his idea with his best friend, Jinx.

"Jinx!" I shouted when she answered the phone. I sure was excited about my business idea. "It's me! Renaldo. Renaldo Rodriguez!"

"Renaldo, you're the only Renaldo I know," Jinx said. "And you don't have to holler! I can hear you."

I explained the whole idea to her--"R.R. Stepcards"

I called it. That was a pretty clever name, even I have to admit. I told her how I would make and sell cards for people who had stepfamilies: birthday cards, get well cards, Valentine cards--the list was endless!

"What do you think, Jinx? Am I going to be

Woodburn's first millionaire?"

There was silence on the other end. I could tell Jinx was thinking about it. She always thinks about things before she gives her opinion. And she always thinks about what other people might think. "Opposing viewpoints," she calls them. Jinx does a lot of thinking. "Well," she finally asked, "have you done any marketing research?"

"Marketing research?" "Have you thought about your investment?" "Investment?"

Jinx was on a roll. I felt doomed. "Oh, how will you advertise?"

I felt it coming, but I couldn't stop it. "Advertise?" I said. "Just listen to me," I thought to myself, "Renaldo Rodriguez, the human echo!"

Research? Investment? Advertising? "Jinx,"

I said, "this is starting to sound like work! Explain this stuff to me."

I knew Jinx was excited. I could hear the excitement in her voice. "Look," she began, "marketing research is the first thing you do. You find out if someone else has already thought of your idea. You find out if there's such a thing as a stepcard. If there's not, then you can figure out your investment. That's how much money you want to spend to get the business started."

"Spend?" I said. "But I want to make money, Jinx."

"I know," Jinx said in her most patient voice. "But you can't get something for nothing. We will have to buy markers and paper, maybe even paints and stencils, too. That's our investment."

" Our investment? When did it become our investment?"

"Renaldo, this is an excellent idea," Jinx continued. "But there's a lot to do. You're going to need a partner." And I didn't even have the time to say "A partner?" before Jinx jumped in again. "Hmmmm ... I do like the sound of it," she said. "Yes, 'R.R. and J.B. Stepcards.' I like the sound of it very much."

And you know what? So did I. With J.B. as my partner, I was more excited than ever--so excited that I couldn't get to sleep that night. I turned my pillow to the cold side a hundred times until I gave up trying to sleep. I got out my stylus and slate and started to write: "R.R. and J.B. Stepcards. For Your Favorite Stepfriend." There were stepfathers, stepmothers, stepbrothers, stepsisters, stepgrandmothers--the list went on and on. "For All Occasions." There were birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays--and so many more. I started counting our profits. I couldn't help it. 640

"Excuse me, Mr. Businessman," Josue said, hiding a big yawn. "Mom already came in here. She made me stop reading. We're supposed to be asleep, you know."

Josue was right. Mom doesn't let us read or write after lights out. But, you see, I don't have to sneak under the covers with a flashlight the way Josue does.

"I'm not reading," I told Josue. "This, my little brother, is marketing research--I think."

"It looks like reading to me. It's not fair. I ought to tell on you!" Josue climbed out of bed to get a better look. "Just what kind of business is this anyway?"

"None of your business," I said firmly. And I closed my slate. I wasn't taking any chances on someone stealing the business idea of the century, certainly not a nosy little brother. I turned my pillow over for the last time.

"Let's go to sleep."

The next day was Saturday, and with lots of kids from Woodburn, Jinx and I headed for the mall. We take turns delivering the "Woodburn Flyer" to the stores at the Woodburn Shopping Center. The "Flyer" is the free newspaper that tells about all the things happening at Woodburn. Then it's time for fun.

But this Saturday was different. Today, there were no video games, no french fries, no window- shopping. Today, we were all business.

I knew we were near Calloway's Cards and Gifts when I smelled the tempting aroma of cheese, tomato sauce, and special toppings. Polotti's Pizza Palace was just next door to the card store.

"I don't think I can do the marketing research on an empty stomach. How about a business lunch?" I was tapping my cane toward the sweet smell of Polotti's.

"Renaldo," Jinx said sternly, "we don't have much time."

"Okay. Okay," I said. "Give me your arm." Jinx was right. We really didn't have much time. "It will be faster for me to walk alongside you--and less temptation, too."

There must have been a thousand different kinds of cards in Calloway's, and each one was cornier or mushier than the last. One thing about those cards, though--they really cracked us up! 642

"Look at this one, Renaldo," Jinx said.

"To My Daughter and Her Husband on This Special Day," Jinx read. She described the card to me. "It's big," she said, passing it to me.

"It's almost the size of our spelling notebook," I said, feeling around the edges of the card.

"It has two pink hearts with bows on them. Two white doves are holding the ends of the ribbons in their mouths. It looks like the words Happy Anniversary are coming right out of their beaks," Jinx giggled.

I could feel the raised lines of the hearts, the bows, and the birds. "Yuk," I said, "it sounds pretty corny to me."

"Listen to this, Renaldo."

To My Daughter and Her Husband on This Special Day: 'Like two white doves are lovers true, Like two pink hearts forever new.

I hope this day will always view A ribbon of happiness just for you.'

"Double yuk," I said. "Who buys this mush?"

"Here's another one, Renaldo," Jinx said. " Congratulations on Your New Baby! It has a picture of a stork with a baby in a diaper hanging in its mouth."

"It must look so silly," I said, trying hard not to giggle too loudly.

"It gets worse." Jinx was cracking up. "When you open up the card, the stork drops the baby-- plop!--right on somebody's doorstep!"

"It sounds like a wet diaper to me!" I squealed. Jinx was laughing, too. But then she suddenly stopped. I could tell she was really thinking.

"But, Renaldo," she said in a serious voice, "somebody buys these cards, and"--she was getting very excited-- "there are no stepcards!"

Now I was getting excited, too. We did a high-five right there in Calloway's. "We're going to be rich!" we both shouted. "C'mon, Renaldo,"

Jinx urged, "let's go home and get to work."

"Be sure to save an extra large pepperoni and sausage for

Woodburn's youngest millionaires!" I shouted when we passed Polotti's.

Getting to work was not as easy as it sounded.

Jinx and I had to buy the paper for the cards. We put our money together for an investment of twelve dollars and thirty-two cents. ("That's a lot of french fries," I thought.) We had to decide what kind of cards to make. We had to think of designs for the front of the cards and messages to go inside. We had to find a way to let people know about "R.R. and J.B. Stepcards."

Let's face it: We had a lot to learn about starting a business.

When I have more questions than answers, I always turn to the expert--my Mom. "Mom," I said when she got home from work, "Jinx and I need to speak to an old hand in the business world."

"Good luck finding one," she replied as she started to take off the running shoes she wears to work.

"No, Mom," I explained, "I meant you."

"Oh," she said, looking up. "What can this 'old hand' do for you?"

My Mom knows about business, especially bad businesses. She works in an office helping people who bought things that don't work or aren't safe. I figured if she knew all about bad businesses, she could tell us how to start a good one.

Jinx and I explained our business idea. "How do we get started?" Jinx asked.

"How do we make lots of money?" (I guess you can figure out who asked that one!)

Mom thought for a while. Then she spoke slowly. "Jinx, Renaldo, starting and running a business is not so easy. It's more than just making money. A successful business needs a good product to sell or a useful service to offer. And a successful businessman--or businesswoman-- thinks about the customer all the time. Ask yourself: 'What do they want?' 'How can my product or my service help them?' "

Jinx and I were trying to listen to all of this, but it wasn't easy. We did have a lot to learn.

"Now, you two have a good product," Mom continued. "I'm proud of you for coming up with this idea. But a good idea is not enough. You need to plan carefully."

"What do we do, Mrs. Rodriguez?" Jinx asked.

"Well," Mom said, "you need to figure out how much money you'll need to get started and where the money will come from. You need to decide who will do the work and, believe me, a business is work. Now, if you're still interested in 'R.R. and J.B. Stepcards,' let's make a plan!"

"Always ask the expert," I shouted. I could hear the rubber soles of Mom's shoes make that familiar squeegy sound. Mom wears business suits and running shoes every day to work. Dad says she's dressed for success from her head to her knees--but her feet are dressed for failure! That always makes me laugh.

With Mom's help we really got started. Jinx and I used our "investment" to buy paper, paints, markers, and stencils. We worked every day after school. We took turns with the stencils to make the designs. We'd take a small roller and dip it into a bright color of paint. When we'd smooth the roller over the stencil, there was a butterfly or flower or other designs. Jinx said they looked great!

I liked making up the words for our stepcards. I thought of some pretty good ones, if I must say so myself.

To My Stepfather: 'Getting to know you hasn't been half bad.

I'm glad Mom picked you to be my Stepdad!'

Well, I didn't say they were great cards.

To My Stepsister: 'You have two families, I know that's true.

But I want you to know that I love you, too!'

All right, so Renaldo Rodriguez has a mushy side. Don't rub it in! At the end of just one week, Jinx and I had 34 cards ready to go.

"To go where?" I asked.

"Where else?" Jinx said. "Why, the Woodburn School and Community Center!" It was time to advertise, and Woodburn was the place to start.

The Woodburn School was the oldest school building in the city. It almost closed the year before. There just weren't enough kids to fill it up, I guess. That's why the school board decided to add a Community Center. Now there was a day-care room for little kids and an activity center for older people, too. Woodburn is like a little city all its own.

The first thing on Monday morning Jinx and I marched down to Woodburn and showed our cards to Mr. Mohammadi, the assistant principal. Boy, was he excited!

"A sound idea," he said. "A very sound business idea. And you'll get a real education in the bargain. A real education. How can I help?"

We explained that advertising "R.R. and J.B. Stepcards" was the next part of our business plan.

"Let's see now." Mr. Mohammadi was thinking out loud. "You can put advertisements in the school newspaper, posters in the Senior Center, flyers to go home... ."

Mr. Mohammadi was pacing the floor and spouting new ideas faster than ... faster than ... well, faster than Jinx and I could write them down.

"This is going to be a snap," I predicted. "I should have started a business years ago. Think of all the time I've wasted in school!"

That stopped Mr. Mohammadi in his tracks. "Just a little business joke," I gulped.

If you want to start a business, take it from me: advertise! With Mr. Mohammadi's help, Jinx and I spread the word about "R.R. and J.B. Stepcards." Believe it or not, within one week, we sold 17 of our cards and had orders for 20 more. That's 37 cards! We'd make back all the money we spent on supplies. We'd even have some left over.

"Now that we'll have a little extra money, why not buy some stickers and glitter?" Jinx suggested. "Let's make the cards even prettier."

I was thinking about my calculator. I wanted to buy it as soon as I could. "But, Renaldo," Jinx said, "if we make our cards prettier, we'll sell more and make more money."

That made sense. Then I could buy the calculator and a new pair of soccer shoes.

"Don't forget," Jinx reminded me, "we have to pay to use the copying machine." We had to make copies of the advertisement Mr. Mohammadi was going to send home with the kids.

"And we need copies to take to the Senior Center, too," I told Jinx. I remember Mom saying, "You have to spend some money to make money." We thought that advertising was the best way to get more sales.

We thought right! Every day more orders came in the mail.

This was going to be a snap.

Jinx and I had to work every afternoon that week to fill the orders. And every day more orders came in.

Jeremy Kendall's stepsisters had their birthdays coming up, so he ordered two cards from "R.R. and J.B. Stepcards," along with a special card for his stepmother. Mrs. Rothman (from the Senior Center) told us her son had just married a woman with twin boys, and she needed birthday cards for her stepgrandchildren. Roger Neville's stepfather was in the hospital, so he wanted a special get well card. And Joanne Spinoza's mother, Lena, wanted a stepcousin Valentine.

Phew! Jinx and I could hardly believe how well our business was going. We just didn't expect how happy people would be with our cards.

"You know, Jinx," I said, as I lined up the paint jars, "it's nice to give people something special."

Jinx agreed. "Jeremy told me that our card really helped him tell his stepmother how much he liked her." "No kidding?"

"You know what else? He said she cried a little when she read it, and then she said she really liked him, too."

"Hey," I said, "making people happy is a pretty good way to make a living."

654 Meet the Authors Meet the Authors

Barbara Aiello

After going to college, Aiello taught special education in elementary schools. Then she started a company that did puppet shows to teach children about disabilities. In 1991, Aiello went back to school to become a rabbi.

Jeffrey Shulman

Shulman teaches research and writing skills at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. He has been writing children's books since 1986. Business Is Looking Up is his first and favorite book. Meet the Illustrator

Gideon Kendall

When Kendall was a baby, his mother put pens in his crib. He covered his sheets with drawings of cars. His parents are artists too. His high school art teacher encouraged him to go to art school in New York City and pursue his dreams.

1. Why is marketing research important before you start a new business?

2. What business advice does Renaldo's mom give Jinx and Renaldo?

Across Selections

3. Compare and contrast Renaldo with the milkmaid from "The Milkmaid and Her Pail." 4. Renaldo comes up with a business plan to help him buy a calculator. Who else from another selection makes plans to buy something?

5. If you started your own business, what would it be?

6. Renaldo says, "Making people happy is a good way to make a living." What careers can you think of that make people happy?

Write about it

Tell about a business idea you have.

656 Social Studies Inquiry: Money Smarts

Functional Text teaches you how to do something. It contains information that can be used in real life.

Feature

Headings tell people what a section of text is going to be about.

Making a budget can help you manage money in a smart way. A budget is a plan for spending and saving your money. Do you think that sounds corny? You might not think so if you could save enough money to buy a big item on your wish list.

Setting Goals

Make a list of things you would like to have. Put them in order of when you would like to buy them. Set goals such as "I would like to save enough money to buy a computer in eighteen months."

Earning Money

Figure out how much money you can earn in the coming months. What ways do you have to get money? Do you get birthday gifts or an allowance? Can you start a paper route?

Planning Your Spending Budget a certain amount of money for different things each month. If you earn thirty dollars a month, you might choose to spend five dollars on snacks, save five dollars toward a video game, and save twenty dollars toward a computer.

Helpful Tips

Do not carry your money with you everywhere you go. You will be tempted to spend money on things that are not in your budget. Think about how good it will feel to buy the big-ticket product on your wish list.

Think Link

Choose two paragraphs with headings from the article. Write one sentence of your own to add to each paragraph. Make sure your sentences fit under the paragraph headings.

What is the definition of a budget?

What are three ways that managing your money wisely now will help you when you are an adult?

Try It!

As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use headings to organize your ideas.

658 Cost-of-Living Mother Goose by Dow Richardson illustrated by Mike Tofanelli

Focus Question

What is the difference between the things you want and the things you need?

To market, to market,

To look for a roast,

Home again, home again,

Tuna on toast. 659

Focus Question

Who decides how much things are worth?

Wormy apples at the grocery, Used to make consumers panic, Now they sell at twice the price, 'Cause wormy apples are organic.

660 The Richest Poor man in the Valley by Lindsay MacRae illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Focus Question

Are some things worth more than money?

On the outside he seemed older than he was.

His face was like a weather map full of bad weather while inside his heart was fat with sun.

With his two dogs he cleared a thin silver path across the Black Mountain.

And when winter kicked in they brought his sheep down from the top like sulky clouds. Harry didn't care for things that other people prize like money, houses, bank accounts and lies.

He was living in a caravan until the day he died.

But at his funeral his friends' tears fell like a thousand diamonds.

661 Writer's Notebook by Ralph Fletcher illustrated by David Gordon

Focus Question

How much is an idea worth?

My brother Tom says he's a hundredaire with two hundred fifty dollars in his bank account.

Dad's a thousandaire.

I gave baby Julia two pennies so now she's a pennyaire.

When I look at Julia her little bald head reminds me of the planet Earth.

I put that in my writer's notebook to maybe write a poem later on; it feels like money in the bank.

Test-Taking Strategy: Taking the Best Guess When Unsure of the Answer

Sometimes you will not know which answer is correct. When this happens, take your best guess.

Taking the Best Guess When Unsure of the Answer

Many times you will know the answers on a test. If the question is about a story you read, you can return to the story to find the answer. Sometimes you might not be able to decide which answer is correct. When this happens, take your best guess. When you guess, you will be right some of the time.

Try not to guess too often. It is always better to think about the question, look at the answer choices, and choose the one you think is correct.

Read the sentences. Look at the answers. What does the word vacant mean?

The trail was vacant . All the other hikers had gone home.

A beautiful

B narrow

C empty

D blocked

Think about the second sentence. If everyone went home, the trail would be empty . This sentence helps you figure out that C is the correct answer.

If you still could not figure it out, you should guess. When you guess, you will be right some of the time. If you do not choose an answer, you will always be wrong.

Test-Taking Practice Read the story "A Difficult Choice." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

Mr. Barnes held up a paper while the family sat around the dinner table. "A building company wants to buy our farm. They have offered me a lot of money."

Grandma Barnes protested, "But the land has been in our family for four generations."

Mr. Barnes looked sad. "I know, Mother, but we are having trouble paying the bills. And keeping the farm going is a lot of work."

The twins nodded. They woke up early every morning to do chores before school. They had to do hours of work after school too. Their parents worked long hours every day. Still, the family never had enough money.

Mr. Barnes held out the paper, and his wife gasped. "They offered us more than we would make from the farm in twenty years," she said.

Jen and Aleta were excited. If their parents took the offer, they could move to town and be closer to their friends. Dad would not have to fix the roof.

Aleta asked, "Could we get a new car?"

Her father laughed and said, "Sorry to disappoint you, girls, but we would need to save most of it." He forced a smile. "It would be hard to give up the house I grew up in. I hate to think of that company tearing down your tree house and grandpa's barn to put up a shopping center."

Grandma Barnes had tears in her eyes. "Soon all this farmland will be part of the city."

Mrs. Barnes said, "I read that in the next fifteen years, cities will take up three million acres of farmland. Our farmland is one of the few places with a year-round growing season. Maybe it would be better for us to join an agricultural preserve. We would not get as much money, but we could keep the farm."

"What is that?" asked Jen.

"The government pays farmers money to keep their land as farmland," Mr. Barnes answered. "That is a great idea. What do the rest of you think?"

When everyone nodded, Mr. Barnes said, "I will decline the company's offer. I guess we will keep the family farm after all."

665 Use the information you learned from the story "A Difficult Choice" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

When Mr. Barnes said he would decline the company's offer , he meant that he would--

A ask for more money.

B sell a few acres.

C think about it.

D turn it down.

What does the company plan to do with the farm?

A Start a larger farm and grow more crops

B Build a shopping center

C Turn the farm into an agricultural preserve

D Build houses and apartments

How would an agricultural preserve help the family?

A The government would give them money to keep farming their land.

B The family would be closer to the city.

C Their farmland would become a historical area.

D Half of the farm could be used for building.

All of these reasons for keeping the farm are mentioned in the story except --

A The family can join an agricultural preserve.

B Mr. Barnes did not want to give up the house he grew up in.

C Everyone would miss getting up early to do chores.

D The family has owned the land for a long time.

Test Tips

* Read each question carefully.

* Check your answers against the story.

* Choose your first answer unless another one is better. 666

Pronunciation Key a as in a t as in l a te

â as in c a re

ä as in f a ther e as in s e t as in m e i as in i t as in k i te o as in o x as in r o se

ô as in b ou ght and r a w oi as in c oi n as in b oo k as in t oo or as in f or m ou as in ou t u as in u p as in u se

ûr as in t ur n, g er m, l ear n, f ir m, w or k as in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s ch as in ch air hw as in wh ich ng as in ri ng sh as in sh op th as in th in th as in th ere zh as in trea s ure

The mark ( ' ) is placed after a syllable with a heavy accent, as in chicken ( chik' n).

The mark (') after a syllable shows a lighter accent, as in disappear ( di p ).

667 Glossary A abundance ( bun ' dunts) n .

A large amount. accountant ( koun ' t nt) n .

A person who keeps a business's money records. acres

( ' kûrz) n. Plural of acre: An area of 43,560 square feet. There are 640 acres in a square mile. adobe ( d ' b ) adj .

Made of clay and baked in the sun. advertise (ad ' vûr t z') v .

To promote a product or service in print or in a broadcast. alarmingly ( lä ' ming l ) adv .

In a frightening way. almanac (ä ' m nak') n .

A book that contains facts and figures on many different subjects. amendment ( mend ' m nt) n . A change to the Constitution. ammunition (am ' y ni' sh n) n .

Gun shells and bombs. ancestor (an ' ses' tûr) n .

Someone from long ago in a direct relation to you, for example a great-great-grandparent.

Antarctica (ant' ärk ' ti k ) n .

The continent around Earth's South Pole.

Word History

The Greek word arktikós comes from the Greek word for bear, árktos, because the constellation of the Great Bear, Ursa Major, is in the North. It passed into Latin as arcticus. The addition of the prefix anti-, meaning opposite, gives us the Latin word for South, antarcticus, which passed through Old French into English as antarctic. The continent located there is known as Antarctica in English. anxious (angk ' sh s) adj .

Eager. apparatus (ap' rat ' s) n .

Equipment used in an experiment. article (är ' ti k l) n .

A story in a magazine or newspaper. ashamed ( sh md ' ) adj .

Feeling shame; being upset or feeling guilty because you have done something wrong. assignment ( s m nt) n .

A task given to someone by someone else. assistance ( sis ' t nts) n .

Help. associations

( s ' s ' sh nz) n. Plural of association: A friendship or a connection. 668 astonishment cables

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. astonishment ( sto ' nish m nt) n .

A sudden wonder. astronomy ( str ó n m ) n .

The science of studying the universe outside of Earth's atmosphere. attempted

( temp ' t d) v. Past tense of attempt: To try. attract ( trakt ' ) v .

To cause something to come closer. awkward (ô ' kwûrd) adj .

Clumsy. B barely (bâr ' l ) adv .

Scarcely; hardly. beds (bedz) n.

Plural of bed: A place where plants grow together. binoculars

(b no ' ky lûrz) pl. n. A tool for seeing far away, made of two telescopes joined together to allow the viewer to use both eyes. bitterly (bi ' tûr l ) adv .

Harshly; extremely. border (bor ' dûr) n .

A line where one country or state ends and another begins. bore (bor) v .

To drill a hole. bow (bou) n .

The front part of a ship. branch (branch) v .

To divide and subdivide. brilliant (bril ' y nt) adj .

Bright. brink (bringk) n .

The edge. brittle (bri ' t l) adj .

Easily broken. broad (brôd) adj .

Wide. brunt (brunt) adj .

The main part; the burden. bulged

(buljd) v. Past tense of bulge: To swell out. burrow (bûr ' ) n .

A hole in the ground to live in. buzzing

(bu ' zing) v. Form of buzz: To be very active. C cables

(k ' b lz) n. Plural of cable: A thick, strong rope of wire.

669 canopy coils

canopy (ka ' n p ) n .

The upper part of the rain forest. capacity (k pa ' s t ) n .

Ability. capital (ka ' p t l) adj .

Where the government is located. cascaded

(kas' k ' d d) v. Past tense of cascade: To pour like a waterfall.

Word History

The word cascade comes from the Italian word for "waterfall," cascata, and from the Italian verb cascare, "to fall." century (sent ' sh r ) n .

A period of 100 years. ceremony (sâr ' m n ) n .

A formal event, usually with speech-making. certain (sûr ' t n) adj .

Sure. chafing

(ch ' fing) v. Form of chafe: To rub in a painful way. charge (chärj) n . A load of electricity. charted

(chär ' t d) v. Past tense of chart: To make a map. charts

(chärts) n. Plural of chart: A sheet showing information in the form of a list, graph, or table. circulate (sûr ' ky l t) v .

To flow freely. circumstances

(sû ' k m stants' z) n. Plural of circumstance: The way things are at the moment.

Word History

The word circumstance comes from a form of the Latin verb circumstare, "to stand around," which is formed from the prefix circum-, "around" and the verb stare, "to stand." civil war (siv' l wôr) n .

A war between groups of citizens from the same country. claim (kl m) v .

To gain ownership by announcing ownership. clinging

(kling ' ing) v. Form of cling: To hold tightly. cloak (kl k) n .

A loose-fitting coat. clues

(kl z) n. Plural of clue: A hint to solving a problem. clutched

(klucht) v. Past tense of clutch: To hold tightly. coal (k l) n .

A black mineral burned to make heat. coils

(koilz) v. Plural of coil: A loop of wire wound around and around.

670 colonies confident

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. colonies

(ko ' l n z) n. Plural of colony: A settlement formed by people who have come to a new land.

Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word colony. colonial colonially colonialism colonies colonist colonization colonize colonized colonizing comfortable (kumpf ' tûr b l) adj .

Cozy. common (ko ' m n) adj .

Happening often; familiar. companion (k m pan ' y n) n . A person who is traveling with someone else. compare (k m pâr ' ) v .

To look at two or more things to see what is the same and what is different.

Word History

The Latin prefix com-, meaning "with," combined with the Latin root par, meaning "equal," make the Latin verb comparare, which passed into Old French as comparer and then into English as compare. compass (kum ' p s) n .

A tool for showing direction. competitor (k m pe ' t tûr) n .

Someone selling goods or services in the same market as another person. concealed

(k n s ld ' ) v. Past tense of conceal: To hide. concerned (k n sûrnd ' ) adj .

Showing worry. conclusion (k n kl ' zh n) n .

A decision you make after examining the evidence. confident (kon ' f d nt) adj .

Sure of oneself.

671 connection dared connection (k nek ' sh n) adj .

Joining together. conscience (kon ' sh ns) n .

A sense of right and wrong. consider (k n sid ' r) v .

To think carefully about something before deciding. consoled

(k n s ld ' ) v. Past tense of console: To try to make someone feel better. constitution

(kon' sti tü ' sh n) n. The basic principles used to govern a country. contains

(k n t nz ' ) v. Present tense of contain: To hold. contradicted

(kon' tr dikt ' d) v. Past tense of contradict: To say the opposite. contribute (k n tri ' by t) v .

To give money or time. core (kor) n .

The inner part of something. cork (kork) n .

A light kind of oak tree bark that floats, often used to make bottle stoppers and bulletin boards. corny (kor ' n ) adj .

Old-fashioned; square. cover (ku ' vûr) v .

To travel over. n . Something that would be good to hide behind. crabbier

(kra ' b ûr) adj. Form of crabby: Cross; in a bad mood. creates

(kr ts ' ) v. Present tense of create: To make.

Word Derivations Below are some words derived from the word create. creative creativity uncreated creation creator creature recreation recreational recreate crimson (krim ' z n) adj .

Bright red. crowed

(kr d) v. Past tense of crow: To brag loudly. current (kûr ' nt) n .

Flow of electricity. D dabbed

(dabd) v. Past tense of dab: To gently apply a small amount of liquid. dangle (dang ' g l) v .

To hang; to swing loosely. dappled (da ' p ld) adj .

Having spots. dared

(dârd) v. Past tense of dare: To have the courage to do something. 672 daubed discarded

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. daubed

(dôbd) v. Past tense of daub: To smear. dawn (dôn) n .

The time when the sun comes up. daydream (d ' dr m) v .

To let the mind wander; to think about things that might not happen. debates

(di b ts ' ) n. Plural of debate: A public discussion of issues by people who disagree. decays

(di k z ' ) v. Present tense of decay: To slowly break down. decent (d ' s nt) adj .

Good enough to make someone comfortable. declared

(di klârd ' ) v. Past tense of declare: To announce. delectable (di lek ' t b l) adj .

Very pleasing to the taste. delivered

(di li ' vûrd) v. Past tense of deliver: To save from danger. demand (di mand ' ) n .

The desire for a product or service. demanded

(di mand ' d d) v. Past tense of demand: To ask firmly. depend (di pend ' ) v .

To need; to rely. depression (di presh ' n) n .

Economic collapse. deserted (di zûr ' t d) v. Past tense of desert: To leave; to abandon. adj .

Having no people. despairing (di spâr ' ing) adj .

Without hope. desperate (des ' p r t) adj .

Ready to take large risks with little hope of success. detained

(di t nd ' ) v. Past tense of detain: To keep back; to delay. detective (di tek ' tiv) n .

A person who tries to solve mysteries.

Word History

The Latin word detegere, "to uncover or disclose," is formed from the prefix de-, "un-, off," and the verb tegere, "to cover." A form of this verb, detectus, passed into English as detect. Addition of the suffix -ive, "pertaining to," led to the usage detective police, Which was shortened to the noun usage detective. determined (di tûr ' m nd) adj .

Firm in a decision. diagrams

(di ' gramz') n. Plural of diagram: A plan or sketch that shows how things go together. dilemma (d l m ' ) n. A situation in which each choice looks equally bad. discarded

(dis kär ' d d) adj .Thrown away.

673 distract era distract (di strakt ' ) v .

To draw attention away from what someone is doing. ditches

(di ' ch z) n. Plural of ditch: A long, narrow pathway cut in the soil to drain water. dozed

(d zd) v. Past tense of doze: To sleep lightly. dreaded

(dre ' d d) v. Past tense of dread: To fear. drill (drill) n .

A tool for making holes in hard materials. drizzly (driz ' l ) adj .

Slightly rainy. droop

(dr p) v. To sink; to hang down. drought (drout) n .

A long period when rain does not fall. E earnestly (ûr ' n st l ) adj .

Seriously; with importance. earthly use

(ûrth ' l s ' ) idiom Value; worth. eclipse (i klips ' ) n .

A darkening or hiding of the sun by the moon, or of the moon by Earth's shadow. ecosystem ( ko sis ' t m) n .

All living and nonliving things in a certain area that are linked together. efficient

(i fi ' sh nt) adj. Able to get results easily and cheaply.

Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word efficient. efficiency fuel-efficient efficiency expert inefficient inefficiency coefficient electricians

(i lek' tri ' sh nz) n. Plural of electrician: Someone who works with electricity. elegant (e ' li g nt) adj .

Rich and fine in quality. embarrassed (im bâr ' st) adj .

Uncomfortable; ashamed. embarrassment (im bâr ' sm nt) n .

A feeling of shyness or of being ashamed. embroidery (im broi ' d r ) n .

Designs sewn on cloth with thread. enclosed

(in kl zd ' ) v. Past tense of enclose: To set inside. energy

(e ' nûr j ) n. The power to do work. engaged (in g ' jd) adj . Busy; occupied. enormous (i nor ' m s) adj .

Very big. entire

(in t ' ûr) adj. Whole; complete. environment (in v ' r n m nt) n .

Surroundings. era

(âr ' ) n. A period of history, usually several years long.

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. escorted fine escorted

(is kor ' t d) v. Past tense of escort: To go along with; to accompany. evaporated

(i va ' p r ' t d) v. Past tense of evaporate: To change from liquid to gas.

Word History

The Latin evaporare, "to disperse in steam," is formed from the prefix ex-, "from" and the root vapor, "steam." This came into English as evaporate. eventually

(i vent ' sh w l ) adv. Sooner or later. examine

(ig za ' m n) v. To look closely. excess

(ek ' ses) n. An amount greater than what is needed. excited

(ik s ' t d) v. Past tense of excite: To stir up. expansion

(ek span ' sh n) n. Rapid growth. experiment (ik spâr ' m nt) n .

A test that is used to discover or prove something. F fabric

(fa ' brik) n. Structure; foundation. faint (f nt) adj .

Weak; very low. faucet

(fô ' s t) n. A device for turning water on and off into a pipe. ferried

(fâr ' d) v. Past tense of ferry: To bring across on a boat. fertile

(fûr ' t l) adj. Able to support growth well. fiber

(f ' bûr) n. A piece of cloth.

Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word fiber. fiberboard fiberfill fibered fiberglass fiberize fiber-optic fiber optics fibers fiberscope fierce (f rs) adj .

Dangerous; violent. figure

(fi ' gyûr) n. Shape. filters

(fil ' tûrz) n. Plural of filter: A device with tiny holes, designed to strain out dirt as a liquid or gas goes through. findings

(fin ' dingz) n. Plural of finding: The results of an investigation. fine

(f n) adj. Very nice.

675 flickering glacier flickering

(fli ' kûr ing) adj. Becoming brighter and then darker. flowed

(fl d) v. Past tense of flow:

To move as water does. food chain

(f d ' ch n) n. A series of living things, in which the first is eaten by the second, the second is eaten by the third, and so on. food web (f d ' web) n .

A complex system of food chains. force

(fors) n. The push or pull of something. forecasts

(for ' casts) n. Plural of forecast: A prediction about what will happen based on evidence. fortune

(for ' ch n) n. Luck. fossil fuel

(fä ' s l f ' l) n. A fuel formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. foul

(foul) adj. Dirty and unpleasant. fragrant

(fr ' gr nt) adj. Sweet smelling. friction (frik ' sh n) n .

The rubbing of one thing against another. fuels

(f ' lz) n. Plural of fuel: something that gives out energy as it is burned. furiously

(fy r ' s l ) adv. With great energy. G gasping (gas ' ping) adj. Sounding like short, sudden breaths. gaze

(g z) n. Attention. gazing

(g ' zing) v. Form of gaze: To look. generations

(je n r ' sh nz) n. Plural of generation: A group of people born around the same time. generous

(jen ' r s) adj. Kind and unselfish. genuine

(jen ' y w n) adj. Real; true. girders

(gûr ' dûrz) n. Plural of girder: A large, heavy beam used to support a structure. glacier

(gl ' shûr) n. A huge mass of ice formed from unmelted snow, usually found in the polar regions or in high mountains.

676 gleefully imagining

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. gleefully

(gl ' f l ) adv. With great happiness. glides (gl dz) v. Present tense of glide: to move easily across. gloating (gl ' ting) v. Form of gloat: To be happy about a triumph, especially because you feel better than someone else. gloomy

(gl ' m ) adj. Dark and sad. glumly

(glum ' l ) adv. Sadly and quietly. gnawing

(nô ' ing) v. Form of gnaw: To chew. gold rush

(g ld rush) n. A rush to newly discovered gold fields in an attempt to get rich. grazing

(gr ' zing) n. Opportunities for cattle to find grass to eat. H harsh

(härsh) adj. Rough; cruel. hastened

(h ' s nd) v. Past tense of hasten: To hurry. hastily

(h ' st l ) adv. In a hurry. hesitated

(he ' z t ' t d) v. Past tense of hesitate: To pause; to stop for a moment. hollow

(ho ' l ) n. A low spot. hot-air balloons

(hot ' âr ' b l nz ' ) n. Plural of hot-air balloon: A large bag that rises due to the heated air inside it. huddled

(hu ' d ld) v. Past tense of huddle: To wrap oneself tightly. humbly

(hum ' bl ) adv. Not proudly.

Word History

The word humble traces back to the Latin word humus, "earth, soil." Humbly is formed by adding the suffix -ly, "in a certain way." hurtled

(hûr ' t ld) v. Past tense of hurtle: To fall wildly. hypothesis

(h ' pôth ' sis) n. A guess, based on observations, which will be tested in an experiment. I ideals

( d ' lz) n. Plural of ideal: The highest idea or goal. identity

( den ' t t ) n. Who or what a person or thing is. idly

( d ' l ) adv. Not doing anything. imagining

(i ma ' j ning) v. Form of imagine: To picture in the mind

677 impressed lavishly impressed

(im prest ' ) v. Past tense of impress: To have a strong effect on someone's feelings. independence

(in' d pen ' d nts) n. Freedom from the control of another country. individuals

(in' d vij ' w lz) n. Plural of individual: A single person. ineffectively

(i' n fek ' tiv l ) adv. Without result. informed

(in formd ' ) v. Past tense of inform: To tell. ingredients

(in gr ' d nts) n. Plural of ingredient: An item in a recipe. initially

(i ni ' sh l ) adv. At first. insisted

(in sis ' t d) v. Past tense of insist: To demand. inspection

(in spek ' sh n) n. A check of physical and mental fitness. intelligence

(in te ' l j nts) n. The ability to think, learn, and understand. inventions

(in vent ' sh nz) n. Plural of invention: A thing that is made or thought of for the first time. investment

(in vest ' m nt) n. Money someone puts into a business to make more money. irrigation

( r' g ' sh n) adj. Supplying farmland with water.

Word History The verb irrigate traces back to the Latin prefix in-, "into" and the verb rigare, "to make something wet." A later addition of the suffix -tion, which turns actions into nouns, produces the noun irrigation. J jagged

(ja ' g d) adj. Having sharp points. jerked

(jûrkt) v. Past tense of jerk: To move suddenly. jolting

(j l ' ting) n. A bumping or shaking. judgment

(juj ' m nt) n. An opinion or conclusion reached through reasoning. K kernel

(kûr ' n l) n. A seed or grain. L laborers

(l ' bûr ûrz) n. Plural of laborer: A worker. lacking

(la ' king) v. Form of lack: To be without. lavishly

(la ' vish l ) adv. Expensively, in luxury.

678 legend memorable Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. legend

(le ' j nd) n. A story passed down through the years that is not entirely true. legislator

(le ' j s l ' tor') n. A member of the part of government that makes laws.

Word History

The noun legislator comes from the Latin phrase legis lator, "proposer of a law." Legis comes from a form of lex, "law," and lator comes from a form of latio, "to bring or carry." liberty

(li ' bûr t ) n. Freedom to act, think, or speak as one pleases. limits

(li ' m ts) v. Present tense of limit: To set a maximum time period. line up (l n ' up ' ) v. To cause something to get into a line. linked

(linkt) v. Past tense of link: To connect. livestock

(l v ' stok) n. Farm animals. loans

(l nz) n. Plural of loan: Money that can be borrowed and paid back later, usually with interest. local

(l ' k l) adj. Nearby. locals

(l ' k lz) n. Plural of local: A person who has been living in a place for a long time, unlike newly arrived people. locomotives (l ' k m ' tivz) n. Plural of locomotive: A train engine. longed

(longd) v. Past tense of long: To want very much. luxurious

(lug' zh r ' s) adj. Rich and comfortable. M mainland

(m n ' land') n. The main part of a country, as opposed to an island. major

(m ' jûr) adj. Important. marketing

(mär ' k ting) adj. Selling something. mast

(mast) n. A pole that holds sails. mechanization

(m ' k n z ' sh n) n. A change from having people do things to having machines do things. medallion

(m dal ' y n) n. A metal disk given as an honor. memorable

(mem ' r b l) adj. Easily remembered.

679 merriment odometer merriment

(mâr ' i m nt) n. Fun. microscope

(m ' kr sk p') n. A tool for looking at very small things. might

(m t) n. Power. migration

(m gr ' sh n) n. A large movement of people or animals from one place to another. miser

(m ' zûr) n. Someone who loves money more than anything else. miserable

(mi ' zûr b l) adj. Very unhappy. misfortune

(mis' for ' ch n) n. Bad luck. mold

(m ld) n. A fuzzy-looking fungus that grows on damp surfaces. muscular

(mus ' ky lûr) adj. Having well-developed muscles. N national

(nash ' n l) adj. Where land is united under one government. natural gas

(na ' ch r l gas ' ) n. A gas found beneath Earth's surface that burns easily and steadily. nervously

(nûr ' v s l ) adv. Uneasily. newfangled

(n ' fang ' g ld) adj. New and different. Word History

The adjective newfangled comes from the combination of the English word new with a form of the Old English root f n, "to sieze, to grasp," which also produces the English word fang. nudged

(nujd) v. Past tense of nudge: To push slightly. O observations

(ob' sûr v ' sh nz) n. Plural of observation: An act of noticing something. obviously

(ob ' v s l ) adv. In a way that is easy to see. odometer

( do ' m tûr) n. A tool for measuring distance traveled.

680 officials photosynthesis

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure.

Word History

Thomas Jefferson took the French word odomètre and made it the English word odometer. The French word comes from the Greek hodós, "way" and métron, "to measure." officials

( fi ' sh lz) n. Plural of official: A person who holds an office. oil

(oil) n. A black liquid found beneath Earth's surface that is used to make gasoline and many other products; also called petroleum. opinion ( pin ' y n) n. What someone thinks. opportunities

(o' pûr t ' n t z) n. Plural of opportunity: A chance to succeed in life. opposing

( p ' zing) adj. On different sides. original

( rij ' n l) adj. First. originally

( ri ' j n l ) adv. At the beginning. overlapping

( ' vûr la ' ping) n. The way something extends over something else. overwhelm

( ' vûr hwelm ' ) v. To overpower; to make helpless. oxygen

(ok ' si j n) n. A gas that makes up about one-fifth of Earth's atmosphere and that animals must breathe to live. P pace

(p s) n. Rate; speed. paces

(p ' s z) v. Present tense of pace: To walk back and forth. particles

(pär ' ti k lz) n. Plural of particle: A tiny piece. partner

(pärt ' nûr) n. Someone who owns a business with another person. patches

(pa ' ch z) n. Plural of patch: A small group separate from other similar small groups. peered

(p rd) v. Past tense of peer: To look closely. perched

(pûrcht) v. Past tense of perch: To sit on top of something as a bird does. permanent

(pûr ' m n nt) adj. Lasting; not temporary. photosynthesis

(f ' t sin ' th sis) n. The process by which green plants combine carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce food.

681 pioneer product pioneer

(p nîr ' ) n. One of the first to explore or discover something. pitch

(pich) v. To set up. n. Sticky tree sap. pleading

(pl ' ding) v. Form of plead: To beg. plunged

(plunjd) v. Past tense of plunge: To fall. poles

(p lz) n. Plural of pole: The end of a magnet. politics

(po ' l tiks) n. The activity of government and running for offices. pollinate

(po ' l n t') v. To spread pollen from flower to flower, allowing fruit and seeds to grow. pomp

(pomp) n. A magnificent display or ceremony. ports

(ports) n. Plural of port: A place near a city where boats can anchor to load and unload. positions

(p zi ' sh nz) n. Plural of position: The place where something is located. possessions

(p ze ' sh nz) n. Plural of possession: A thing someone owns. posts

(p sts) n. Plural of post: A place where a soldier or guard is ordered to be. pounded

(poun ' d d) v. Past tense of pound: To beat loudly. precaution

(pri kô ' sh n) n. A measure taken to ensure safety. predator

(pre ' d tûr) n. Any animal that lives by hunting another animal for food. predicted

(pri dik ' t d) v. Past tense of predict: To tell beforehand. prehistoric

(pr ' his tor ' ik) adj. From very long ago, before people started writing history. preoccupied

(pr ' o ' ky p d) adj. Paying attention to something else. previous (pr ' v s) adj. Earlier. preyed

(pr d) v. Past tense of prey: To take advantage of; to cause harm to. price

(pr s) n. The amount something sells for. pride

(pr d) n. A feeling of worth and importance. process

(pros ' es) v. A series of actions involved in making or doing something. procession

(pr se ' sh n) n. A parade. product

(pro ' dukt) n. An item that is sold by a business.

Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word product. production productivity counterproductive reproduction by-product mass production productive productively production line

682 profits rarely

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. profits

(pro ' f ts) n. Plural of profit: Money a business makes. progress

(prog ' res) n. Movement forward. proper

(pro ' pûr) adj. Suitable; correct. protested

(pr tes ' t d) v. Past tense of protest: To say in disagreement. provide

(pr v d ' ) v. To give something to someone. provisions

(pr vi ' zh nz) n. Plural of provision: A supply of food and other necessary items. pruned

(pr nd) v. Past tense of prune: To trim, as a plant. publication

(pu' bl k ' sh n) n. Printed material for the public to read. publish

(pu ' blish) v. To print for the public to read. pure

(py r) adj. Not mixed with anything. Below are some words derived from the word pure.

Word Derivations impure purity purify impurity purist purification ultrapure

Puritan repurify pursued

(pûr s d ' ) v. Past tense of pursue: To chase. pursuit

(pûr s t ' ) n. The act of chasing. Q questionnaire

(kwes ' ch nâr') n. A printed list of questions used by researchers. R raging

(r ' jing) adj. Violent; wild. randomly

(ran ' d m l ) adv. By chance. ranked

(rangk) v. Past tense of rank: To place in order on a list. rarely

(râr ' l ) adv. Not often.

683 rays rust rays

(r z) n. Plural of ray: A beam of light. react (r akt ' ) v. To act because something has happened. realized

(r ' l zd') v. Past tense of realize: To understand. rebelling

(ri bel ' ) v. Form of rebel: To fight against authority. recalled

(ri käld ' ) v. Past tense of recall: To remember. records

(re ' kûrdz) n. Plural of record: A written account of what happened before. recurring

(ri kûr ' ing) n. Happening over and over. rejected

(ri jek ' t d) v. Past tense of reject: To turn down. related

(ri l ' t d) adj. Connected. release

(ri l s ' ) v. To let loose. remained

(ri m nd ' ) v. Past tense of remain: To be left over. representatives

(re' pri zen ' t tivz) n. Plural of representative: Someone chosen to speak or act for others. research

(ri sûrch ' ) n. The act of hunting for facts. reservoir

(re ' z vwär') n. A lake, often artificial, for storing water. resolute

(rez ' uh loot) adj. Marked by firm determination. responsibilities

(ri spont' s bi ' l t ) n. Plural of responsibility: An important duty. results

(ri zults ' ) n. Plural of result: What you find out when you do an experiment. rich

(rich) adj. Deep and full of something. rights

(r ts) n. Plural of right: A lawful or moral power or privilege. rigor

(ri ' g r) n. Strict precision. rippling

(ri ' p ling) v. Form of ripple: To move like a wave. rot

(rot) n. A decay or breaking down of dead things. route

(r t) n. A path or road. ruins

(r ' nz) n. Plural of ruin: The remains of something destroyed or decayed. rumors

(r ' mûrz) n. Plural of rumor: A story without proof that passes from person to person. rust

(rust) v. To have the iron parts turn reddish and scaly, then fall away.

684 sacrifice sharp

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. S sacrifice

(sak ' r f s) n. A choice to give up one thing to get something else. sags

(sagz) v. Present tense of sag: To sink or hang down. sample

(sam ' p l) n. A group of people chosen to represent a much larger population. scaffolding

(ska ' f l ding) n. A system of platforms that workers stand on as they work on a building.

scaffolding scarce

(skârs) adj. Hard to find. scarcely

(skârs ' l ) adv. Barely. scarlet

(skär ' l t) adj. Bright red. scrap

(skrap) adj. Old and ready to be processed and reused or discarded. scurvy

(skûr ' v ) n. A disease resulting from not enough vitamin C in the diet. seaweed

(s ' w d) n. A plant that grows near the surface of the sea. seceding

(si s ' ding) v. Form of secede: To break away. series

(s r ' z) n. Several of something in a row. serpent

(sûr ' p nt) n. A snake. servant

(sûr ' v nt) n. Someone who is paid to do household work for someone else. setting

(se ' ting) n. Where the action in a play takes place. settle

(se ' t l) v. 1. To stop traveling and make a home. 2. To decide.

Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word settle. settler settlement settled resettle unsettled unsettle shan't

(shant) v. adv. Contraction form of shall not: Will not, won't. sharp

(shärp) adj. Able to see details.

685 shocked startled shocked (shokt) v. Past tense of shock: To jolt with electricity. shrivel

(shri ' v l) v. To wrinkle and become small. shuddered

(shu ' dûrd) v. Past tense of shudder: To shake with horror. sighs

(s z) v. Present tense of sigh: To make a sad sound by breathing out air. significantly

(sig ni' fi k nt l ) adv. Noticeably; meaningfully. silk

(silk) n. A smooth, expensive type of cloth. simulate

(sim ' y l t') v. To imitate. site

(s t) n. Location; place to build. sketch

(skech) n. A line drawing. skill

(skil) n. The ability to do something. skim

(skim) v. To move over lightly and swiftly. sledgehammer

(slej ' ha' mûr) n. A large and heavy hammer. sledgehammer slightly

(sl t ' l ) adv. By a little bit. slip

(slip) v. To put somewhere quickly and secretly. smoldering

(sm l ' dûr ing) adj. Burning and smoking without flames. snatched

(snacht) v. Past tense of snatch: To grab. snowdrifts

(sn ' drifts') n. Plural of snowdrift: A pile of snow gathered by the wind. soar

(sor) v. To fly high. sound

(sound) adj. Solid. spans

(spanz) n. Plural of span: The distance between two supports. sparks

(spärks) n. Plural of spark: A flash of energy caused by electric discharge. spotted

(spo ' t d) v. Past tense of spot: To see. spouting

(spou ' ting) v. Form of spout: To pour out. spread

(spred) v. To open outward. sprout

(sprout) v. To begin to grow. squandered

(skwän ' dûrd) v. Past tense of squander: To foolishly spend. stable

(st ' b l) adj. Steady; dependable. start

(stärt) n. A jump due to a surprise. startled

(stär ' t ld) v. Past tense of startle: To make someone jump in surprise.

686 stencils sympathetic

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. stencils

(stent' s lz) n. Plural of stencil: A cutout pattern used for making a letter shape with paint or markers.

stencils stored

(stord) adj. Having been put away for future use. strain

(str n) v. To hurt yourself by trying to do too much. Word Derivations

Below are some words derived from the word strain. restrain restrains straining restrained strained strains restraining strainer unrestrained strikes

(str ks) n. Plural of strike: A work stoppage as a form of protest. strive

(str v) v. To work to get something. strums

(strumz) v. Present tense of strum: To brush a hand across the strings of an instrument. stubborn

(stu ' bûrn) adj. Unwilling to change. studied

(stu ' d d) v. Past tense of study: To examine carefully. submitted

(s b mi ' t d) v. Past tense of submit: To send in; to hand over. summoned

(su ' m nd) v. Past tense of summon: To send for. suspended

(s spen ' d d) v. Past tense of suspend: To hang. swarming

(swor ' ming) v. Form of swarm: To gather or live in a large group. sympathetic (sim' p the ' tik) adj. Understanding; having a kind feeling for someone.

Word History

Sympathetic comes from the Greek roots sym, "together" and páthos, "feeling," plus the English suffix -etic, "relating to."

687 table treacherous T table

(t ' b l) n. A chart with rows and columns. tangled

(tang ' g ld) v. Past tense of tangle: To wrap in a mess. taxes

(taks ' s) n. Plural of tax: Money people must pay to the government. techniques

(tek n ks ' ) n. Plural of technique: Method; way of doing things. telescope

(te ' l sk p') n. A tool for seeing things far away. tensely

(tents ' l ) adv. Feeling emotional strain. territory

(târ ' tor' ) n. An area of land owned by a country, but whose people do not have the rights of that country. thrive

(thr v) v. To succeed; to grow well. tides (t dz) n. Plural of tide: The rise and fall of the sea.

Word History

Below are some words derived from the word tide. ebb tide tidal wave tidemark high tide tide table tides low tide tideland tidewater tidal tideless tideway tortillas

(tor t ' y z) n. Plural of tortilla: Mexican flat corn or wheat bread. touched

(tucht) adj. Affected or moved emotionally. trader

(tr ' dûr) n. Someone who buys and sells things. transcontinental

(trants' kon' t nen ' t l) adj. Stretching from coast to coast.

Word History

The noun continent traces back to the Latin continere, "to hold together." Transcontinental is an English word formed by adding the prefix trans-, "across" and suffix -al, "pertaining to." transferred

(trants fûrd ' ) v. Past tense of transfer: To pass along. transform

(trans förm ' ) v. To change from one thing to another. translated

(trants l ' t d) v. Past tense of translate: To change words or thoughts from one language into another. treacherous

(tre ' ch r s) adj. Full of danger.

Word History

The noun treachery traces back to Old French trichier, "to cheat." Treacherous is produced by adding the adjective suffix -ous, "having the nature of."

688 treated violate

Pronunciation Key: a t; l te; c â re; f ä ther; s e t; m; i t; k te; o x; r se; ô in b ou ght; c oi n; b k; t; f or m; ou t; u p; se; t û rn; sound in a bout, chick e n, penc i l, cann o n, circ u s; ch air; hw in wh ich; ri ng ; sh op; th in; th ere; zh in trea s ure. treated

(tr ' t d) v. Past tense of treat: To deal with. trembled

(trem ' b ld) v. Past tense of tremble: To shake. tremendous

(tri men ' d s) adj. Very large. trickled

(tri ' k ld) v. Past tense of trickle: To run slowly in a series of drops or a thin stream. tropical

(tro ' pi k l) adj. Having warm, moist weather throughout the year due to being near the equator. tunnel

(tu ' n l) n. A long passage built through a mountain or under the ground. typical

(ti ' pi k l) adj. Average; normal for its kind. U uncovered

( n ku ' vûrd) v. Past tense of uncover: To dig up. unicycle

( ' ni s ' k l) n. A pedaled vehicle with one wheel.

unicycle urbanization

( r ' b n z ' sh n) n. The rapid growth of cities. V value

(val ' y ) n. Worth; importance. vanished

(va ' nisht) v. Past tense of vanish: To disappear. various

(vâr ' s) adj. Of many different kinds. vast

(vast) adj. Large; widespread. versions

(vûr ' zh nz) n. Plural of version: A particular telling of a story. veteran

(ve ' t r n) n. Someone who has served in a war. violate

(v ' l t') v. To fail to obey; to break.

689 wages yearning W wages

(w ' j z) n. Plural of wage: Pay received for work. wealth

(welth) n. A great amount of money. wearily

(w r ' l ) adv. In a tired way. wilderness

(wil ' dûr n s) n. A large, unsettled region of woods or deserts. windmills

(wind ' milz') n. Plural of windmill: A machine that uses the power of wind to grind grain or produce eletrical power.

windmills wither

(wi' th ûr) v. To dry up; to shrivel. wobbled

(wo ' b ld) v. Past tense of wobble: To shake back and forth unsteadily. worth

(wûrth) n. The value placed on an item. worthless

(wûrth ' l s) adj. Of no value; useless. wove (w v) v. Past tense of weave: To lace together. Y yearning

(yûr ' ning) v. Form of yearn: To long; to wish.

From THE CASE OF THE GASPING GARBAGE (DOYLE & FOSSEY, SCIENCE DETECTIVES) by Michele Torrey, copyright © 2001 by Michele Torrey, text. Used by permission of Dutton Children's Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. All rights reserved.

HOW BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STOLE THE LIGHTNING. Text copyright © 2003 by Rosalyn Schanzer. Illustrations copyright © 2003 by Rosalyn Schanzer. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. "How Fast Do You Eat Your Ice Cream?" excerpts from ODYSSEY's December 2003 issue: STATS: TALKING NUMBERS, © 2003, Carus Publishing Company, published by Cobblestone Publishing, 30 Grove Street, Suite C, Peterborough, NH 03458. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of the publisher. "What is Science?" Copyright © 1999, 2006 by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. First appeared in SPECTACULAR SCIENCE: A BOOK OF POEMS selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, published by Simon & Schuster. Now appears in WHAT IS SCIENCE?, published by Henry Holt & Co. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd. Reprinted with the permission of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division from SPECTACULAR SCIENCE edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Virginia Halstead. Illustrations copyright © 1999 Virginia Halstead.

AMERICA ON THE MOVE

"John Henry Races The Steam Drill" by Paul Robert Walker from BIG MEN, BIG COUNTRY: A Collection of American Tall Tales by Paul Robert Walker. Used by permission of the author.

"Immigrant Children" by Sylvia Whitman. Text copyright © 2000 by Sylvia Whitman. Reprinted with the permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this text excerpt may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

POP'S BRIDGE text copyright © 2006 by Eve Bunting, illustrations copyright © 2006 by C.F. Payne, reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

ERANDI'S BRAIDS by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal, ILLUSTRATED BY Tomie dePaola. Text copyright © 1999 by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal Illustrations copyright © 1999 by Tomie dePaola. Published by arrangement with G.P. Putnam's Sons a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. A division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.

MY ROWS AND PILES OF COINS by Tololwa M. Mollel, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Text copyright © 1999 by Tololwa M. Mollel. Illustrations copyright © 1999 by E.B. Lewis. Reprinted by permission of Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Miflin Company. All rights reserved.

A SPOON FOR EVERY BITE. English and Spanish copyright © 2005 by Joe Hayes. Illustrations copyright © 2005 by Rebecca Leer. Used with permission of Cinco Puntos Press, www.cincopuntos.com. All rights reserved.

From BUSINESS IS LOOKING UP by Barbara Aiello and Jeffrey Shulman. Copyright © 1988 by The Kids on the Block, Inc. Barbara Aiello is creator of The Kids on the Block puppet program. In 1999 she was ordained a rabbi and currently serves Sinagoga Ner Tamid del Sud in Calabria, Italy. She also directs the ljCCC, the Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria. www.rabbibarbara.com.

"The Richest Poor Man In The Valley" from DARK AS A MIDNIGHT DREAM by Lindsay MacRae. Used by permission.

"Writer's Notebook" from A WRITING KIND OF DAY: POEMS FOR YOUNG READERS by Ralph Fletcher (Wordsong, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 2005). Reprinted with the permission of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Text copyright © 2005 by Ralph Fletcher.

Photo Credits 18-19 © S. Andreas/zefa/Corbis; 40-41 © Frank Zullo/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 64-65 © Arthur Tilley/Taxi/Getty Images, Inc.; 84-85 © David W. Hamilton/The Image Bank/Getty Images, Inc.; 86 (l) © David Young-Wolff/PhotoEdit, (r) © Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.; 87 © John Giustina/Getty; 88-89 © Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Inc.; 90, 91 © The Granger Collection; 92 © Corbis; 94, 95 © The Granger Collection; 97 © The Granger Collection; 98-99 © The Granger Collection; 101 © Time Life Pictures/Getty Images, Inc.; 102-103 © SuperStock, Inc.; 104-105 © Lawrence Migdale/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 118- 119 © Brand X/SuperStock; 119 © Frithjof Hirdes/zefa/Corbis; 122 © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation/Art Resource; 123 © Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC/Art Resource; 133 © Royalty-Free/Corbis; 148-149 © The McGraw-Hill Companies; 154-155 © David Young-Wolff/PhotoEdit; 156 © AGB Photo/Alamy; 157 (t) © Nick Dolding/The Image Bank/Getty Images, Inc, (b) © Matt Meadows; 158 © Frank Siteman/Stone/Getty Images, Inc.; 159 © Wilbur E. Garrett/National Geographic/Getty Images, Inc.; 161 © Jim Brandenburg/Minden Pictures; 162 © Dennis Kitchen/Stone/Getty Images, Inc.; 163, 164 © Matt Meadows; 165 © Brand X Pictures/Alamy; 166-167 © Yellow Dog Productions/Taxi/Getty Images, Inc.; 168-169 © SuperStock, Inc.; 171 © Jonathan & Angela Scott/NHPA; 172-173 © Steven Kazlowski/Peter Arnold, Inc.; 174 (t) © A. Riedmiller/Peter Arnold, Inc, (c) © National Geographic/Getty Images, Inc, (b) © James Urbach/SuperStock; 175 © James Zipp/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 177 © Clyde H. Smith/Peter Arnold, Inc.; 178 (l) © Photographer's Choice/Getty Images, Inc, (r) © Gary Meszaros/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 179 © David Frazier/PhotoEdit, Inc.; 181 © James Shaffer/PhotoEdit, Inc.; 184-185 © Stone/Getty Images, Inc.; 186-187 © Thomas & Pat Leeson/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 188-189 © National Geographic/ Getty Images, Inc.; 190 © Animals Animals Earth Scenes; 191 (l) © Taxi/Getty Images, Inc, (r) © Peter Johnson/Corbis; 191 © Animals Animals/Earth Scenes; 194-203 © Dwight Kuhn; 204-205 © Peter Arnold, Inc.; 224-225 © Charles Krebs/Cobis; 228 © Stone/Getty Images, Inc.; 229 © Altrendo/Getty Images, Inc.; 230-231 © Gregory G. Dimijian, M.D./Photo Researchers, Inc.; 238-239 Joseph Sohm; ChromoSohm, Inc./Corbis; 241 The Granger Collection; 242-243 The Granger Collection; 244 (l) Stock Montage, Inc/Alamy, (r) North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy, Inc.; 245 North Wind Picture Archive; 246-247 © Royalty-Free/Corbis; 249 Craig Aurness/Corbis; 250-251 Brooks Kraft/Corbis; 254 © ImageDJ/Alamy; 255 (t) © Joseph Sohm; Visions of America/Corbis. (b) © Getty Images Royalty Free; 256-257 Jeff Greenberg/Alamy; 260- 261 © age fotostock/SuperStock; 280-281 Astrofoto/Peter Arnold, Inc.; 281 © John Sanford/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 296-297 © Digital vision; 298 © Bob Daemmrich; 300- 301 © SuperStock, Inc./SuperStock; 302 © Corbis; 305 © The Granger Collection, New York; 306 (t) © Digital Vision Ltd./SuperStock, (b) © Getty Images; 307 (t) © David Muench/Corbis, b) © Lowell Georgia/Corbis; 308 © David Muech/Corbis; 309 © The Granger Collection, New York; 310 Library of Congress; 312 © The Granger Collection, New York; 314 © Corbis; 316-317 Library of Congress; 318-319 © Stephen Saks Photography/Alamy; 3192 © age fotostock/SuperStock; 322-323 © Royalty-Free/Corbis; 324 © Bettmann/Corbis; 325 SEF/Art Resource, NY; 326 © Bettman/Corbis; 327 The Granger Collection, New York; 330 (t)SuperStock, (b)The Library of Congress; 332, 333 The Granger Collection; 334, 335 Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Inc.; 336-337 © Royalty- Free/Corbis; 338-339 © Bob Daemmrich/PhotoEdit; 348-349 © Jim Cummins/Corbis; 350-351 © Tony Freeman/PhotoEdit; 351 © Ricardo Siqueira/BrazilPhotos/Alamy; 370- 371 © Ralph Reinhold/Animals Animals; 372 © Ariel Skelly/Corbis; 373 © Mike Stone/Alamy; 374-375 © Werner H. Müller/Corbis; 376 (t) © Tony Freeman/PhotoEdit, (b) © Eclipse Studios; 377 (l) © Eclipse Studios, (r) © Werner H. Müller/Corbis; 378 © Eclipse Studios; 381 (t, cl, cr) © Eclipse Studios, (b) © Gabe Palmer/Alamy; 382 © Eclipse Studios; 383 (t) © Alex Bartel/Photo Researchers, Inc, (b) © Martin Bond/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 384-385 © Werner H. Müller/Corbis; 386-387 © PhotoDisc/Getty Images; 416-417 © MedioImages/SuperStock; 436-437 © Bryan 691 Mullennix/Getty; 438-439 © SW Productions/Getty Images; 439 fStop/SuperStock; 440 (t) © Maya Kaczorowski, (c) © Matt Meadows, (b) © Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.; 440-441 © Layne Kennedy/Corbis; 442 © Maya Kaczorowski; 443 (t) © Photodisc/PunchStock, (cr) © Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.; 444-445 © Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis; 446-447 (t) © Matt Meadows; 449 © Patrick Seeger/epa/Corbis; 453 (l) © Dynamic Graphics, (r) © Paul A. Souders/Corbis; 462-463 © The Granger Collection; 474-475 © Macduff Everton/Corbis; 492-493 © Glow Images/Alamy; 494 © David Young-Wolff/PhotoEdit; 495 © Glow Images/Alamy; 498 © Bettmann/Corbis; 499, 500 Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Inc; 501 © Bettmann/Corbis; 503 (t) © Corbis, (b) Andreas Larsen Dahl/Wisconsin Historical Society; 504 © Lewis W. Hine/George Eastman House; 505 Library of Congress; 506 Time Life Pictures/Getty Images, Inc.; 507 Library of Congress; 508-509 Calumet Regional Archives, Indiana University Northwest; 512-513 © Royalty-Free/Corbis; 513 © Steve Vidler/SuperStock; 514 © Michael Newman/PhotoEdit; 515 © Royalty-Free/Corbis; 516-517 Corbis; 518 Time & Life Pictures/ Getty Images; 519 Sloan/USDA; 520 Underwood & Underwood/Corbis; 521 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 522 Bettmann/Corbis; 523 (t)The Granger Collection, (b) © Arthur Rothstein/Stringer; 524 Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images; 525 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 525 Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images; 526-527 © Franklin D. Roosevelt Library/ Library of Congress; 528 Russell Lee/Library of Congress; 528-529 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 530 © Library of Congress; 531 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 532 Marion Post Wolcott/Library of Congress; 533 Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress; 534 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 534 Hulton Archive/Getty Images; 535 © Library of Congress; 536-537 Franklin D. Roosevelt Library/NARA; 538-539 © Georg Gerster/Photo Researchers, Inc.; 554-555 © The Granger Collection, NY; 582-583 © Jeffrey Cable/SuperStock; 600-601 © Royalty- Free/Corbis; 616-617 © BrandX/SuperStock; 617 © Blend Images/Alamy; 630-631 © Walter Geiersperger/Corbis; 632-633 © Jacobs Stock Photography; 633 © Helene Rogers/Alamy; 656-657 © Taylor S Kennedy.