Michelangelo” and Use the Following Reading Protocol

Grade 9: USI Week Two Directions Compelling Question: Why are people compelled to move “beyond borders”?

1. Please read, “Overview of the Westward Expansion” and use the following reading protocol:

● As you read, highlight in YELLOW arguments for why people are driven to move beyond borders. Underline in PEN examples of reasons that push groups of people to move and change.

2. Please read “Issue Overview: Space Mining” and use the following reading protocol: ● As you read, highlight important details in YELLOW. Underline interesting details in PEN. Re-read your YELLOW highlights and write an annotation at the end of the text to answer the following: Why are people compelled to move “beyond borders”?

3. Complete the I Notice, I Connect, I Wonder activity considering the following question: What compels people and organization to move beyond borders-on earth and beyond?

Extension: Complete at least one of the reading quizzes included with the readings.

I See, I Think, I Wonder Name: ______Class: ______Date: ______

Directions: Fill in each column of the graphic organizer with your observations, thoughts, and questions.

I See... I Think... I Wonder...

An Overview of U.S. Westward Expansion By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.28.17 Word Count 947 Level 1140L

The first Fort Laramie as it looked before 1840. A painting from memory by Alfred Jacob Miller in 1858-60. Fort Laramie lay at the crossroads of an old north-south Native American trail and what became known as the Oregon Trail. It was called Fort Laramie because of the nearby Laramie Mountains. Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie became the largest military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. It witnessed the entire saga of America’s western expansion and Native American resistance to expansion into their territories.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from France for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Altogether, this massive new territory doubled the size of the United States.

To Jefferson, westward expansion — incorporating new land to the west of the original eastern and southern states — was the key to the nation's health. He believed that a republic depended on an independent citizenry for its survival. For Jefferson, what made independence possible was land ownership, especially the ownership of small farms. The United States would have to continue to expand to provide enough land for its citizens.

Westward expansion is one of the defining themes of 19th-century American history. However, it is not just the story of Jefferson's expanding "empire of liberty." On the contrary, in the six

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. decades after the Louisiana Purchase, westward expansion very nearly destroyed the United States.

Manifest Destiny

By 1840, nearly 7 million Americans — 40 percent of the nation's population — lived in the West. Most had left their homes in the East in search of economic opportunity. Like Thomas Jefferson, many of these pioneers associated westward migration, land ownership and farming with freedom. In Europe, large numbers of factory workers formed a dependent and seemingly permanent working class. By contrast, in the United States, the western frontier offered the possibility of independence and the chance to make enough money to move up to a higher social class.

In 1845, journalist John O'Sullivan put a name to the idea that helped pull many pioneers toward the western frontier. Westward migration was an essential part of the project of America as a nation, he argued, and it was Americans' "manifest destiny" — their clear and obvious destiny — to carry the "great experiment of liberty" to the edge of the continent. The survival of American freedom depended on it.

Westward expansion and slavery

Meanwhile, the question of whether slavery would be allowed in the new western states shadowed every conversation about the frontier. In 1820, the Missouri Compromise attempted to resolve this question. It had admitted Missouri to the union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. More importantly, it declared that in the future, slavery would be prohibited in all parts of the Louisiana Purchase north of the southern boundary of Missouri.

However, the Missouri Compromise did not apply to new territories that were not part of the Louisiana Purchase and so the issue of slavery continued to fester. Meanwhile, Southern farmers grew more and more dependent on slave labor. Northern farmers grew increasingly resentful, as many felt slaves gave Southerners an unfair advantage that made it harder for them to earn a living.

Westward expansion and the Mexican War

Despite the conflict over slavery, Americans kept migrating West in the years after the Missouri Compromise was adopted. Thousands crossed the Rockies to the Oregon Territory, which belonged to Great Britain, and thousands more moved into the Mexican territories of California, New Mexico and Texas. In 1837, American settlers in Texas joined with Texans of Spanish origin — known as Tejanos — and won independence from Mexico. They petitioned to join the United States as a slave state.

Texas' request was not immediately granted for fear it would upset the careful balance the Missouri Compromise had achieved. Then in 1844, Southern cotton planter James K. Polk was elected president. Thanks to the maneuvering of Polk and his allies, Texas joined the union as a slave state in February 1846.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. That same month, Polk declared war against Mexico, claiming — falsely — that the Mexican army had "invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil." The war proved to be relatively unpopular. Partly because many Northerners objected to what they saw as a war to expand the "slaveocracy."

Westward expansion and the Compromise of 1850

In 1848, the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican War and added more than 1 million square miles, an area larger than the Louisiana Purchase, to the United States. The addition of this land reopened the question the Missouri Compromise had seemingly settled: Would slavery be allowed in newly acquired American territories?

After two years of increasingly heated debate, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay proposed another compromise: California would enter the Union as a free state. However, in the rest of the Mexican territory, the people who lived there would decide whether slavery would be allowed.

Bleeding Kansas

In 1854, Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed that two new states, Kansas and Nebraska, be established within the Louisiana Purchase territory. Under the terms of the Missouri Compromise, slavery would not be permitted in either state because both were north of Missouri. However, Douglas' proposal allowed the settlers to decide for themselves whether their states would be slave or free.

Northerners were outraged. Douglas, in their view, had caved to the demands of the "slaveocracy," and at their expense. "Free-soil" settlers established a rival government against slave-owning settlers, and soon Kansas spiraled into civil war. Hundreds of people died in the fighting that ensued, known as "Bleeding Kansas."

A decade later, the civil war in Kansas over slavery was followed by the nation's Civil War over the same issue. The question of slavery in the West — a place that seemed to symbolize American freedom — ended up nearly tearing the United States apart.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Why did the Missouri Compromise ultimately fail to address the issue of slavery?

(A) It only applied to territories included in the Louisiana Purchase

(B) It was unpopular among both pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.

(D) Citizens of the new states voted against allowing it to dictate their local laws.

2 Which of the following details is MOST important to the development of the central idea?

(A) Mexico's supposed invasion of the United States caused a war.

(B) Tejanos were Texans with Spanish heritage.

(D) The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the young United States.

3 How did Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas intensify the conflict over slavery?

(A) Douglas took bribes from Southern slaveowners to change the rules of the previous compromises and allow Northern states to enter as slave states.

(B) Northerners were depending on Kansas and Nebraska become free states and he agreed to a compromise that hurt their cause.

(C) In a betrayal to his political allies in the South, Douglas joined the free-soilers and established a rival government in Kansas.

(D) Despite being from Illinois, Douglas proposed the entry of Kansas and Nebraska into the United States as slave states.

4 Which of these sentences would be MOST important to include in an objective summary of the article?

(A) President James K. Polk is most famous for starting a war with Mexico.

(B) Missouri was one of the most important states the nation gained.

(D) Texas was eager to join the union as a slave state.

5 What are the contradictions of President Thomas Jefferson referring to the Louisiana Purchase as the expansion of the "empire of liberty?"

1. Westward Expansion contributed to the conflict that ultimately resulted in the Civil War 2. The cost of governing so much new territory weighed heavily on the economy 3. As American expanded West, it brought the practice of slavery with it

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 1 and 3

(D) 1, 2, and 3

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6 Which of the following people mentioned in the article would be MOST LIKELY to agree that the United States was destined to take control of the western frontier?

(A) Thomas Jefferson

(B) Henry Clay

(D) John O’Sullivan

7 Why did President Polk face opposition to the War with Mexico?

(A) Southerners were concerned about losing business to newer, larger farms in the West.

(B) Northerners believed he was using war as an excuse to expand slavery into more states.

(D) It was perceived that he would personally and financially benefit from Westward Expansion.

8 How does the article develop the idea that the U.S. government took settlers' opinions into account when addressing the controversy over slavery?

(A) by quoting settlers' thoughts about whether slavery was fair or unfair

(B) by describing legislation passed to ensure a balance between slave and free states

(D) by explaining how the government's inability to make a decision on slavery led to the Civil War

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Issue Overview: Space mining By Bloomberg, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.07.16 Word Count 614 Level 1110L

An image mosaic of the asteroid Eros, with sunlight coming from the northeast, taken by the robotic NEAR Shoemaker space probe on March 3, 2000, from a distance of 204 kilometers (127 miles).

Swirling through the cosmos are thousands of extraordinarily valuable rocks. At least, that's the theory: Asteroids, known to science since 1801, have lately become a potential money-maker. At least two companies plan to mine asteroids near Earth for precious metals, and many scientists think their resources could be key to future space travel. Yet who would rightfully own them is an open question under international law. Plenty of skeptics think the whole idea is just ridiculous.

The Situation

In August 2015, the number of near-Earth asteroids topped 13,000, with an average of three more being confirmed every day. The month before, a spacecraft built by Planetary Resources took off from the International Space Station on a mission to test the instruments and software needed for a robotic mining expedition. Many asteroids are rich in water and precious metals, notably platinum, an important ingredient in everything from dental equipment to cellphones.

NASA is planning its own mission to visit an asteroid and bring rocks back home. The U.S. Congress has passed a law that lets companies own the resources they extract in outer space. The

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also has been quietly encouraging aerospace companies that want to make money from the universe.

Peter Diamandis, a co-founder of Planetary Resources, estimates that a single asteroid 30 meters in diameter could yield $50 billion of platinum, and there are thousands that are larger. In 10 years, the company hopes to have produced its first liter of extraterrestrial water. Deep Space Industries, a competitor, says it plans to use 3-D printing to build a zero-gravity manufacturing plant. In space, as in Silicon Valley, exaggeration is not unknown.

The Background

Asteroid mining is a fairly old idea. The Russian physicist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky proposed something similar in 1903 as part of a plan to develop space. More than a century of science fiction writers, from Jules Verne to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, wrote about different variations on that idea. As the Space Age dawned in the 1960s, asteroid mining gained more real-world supporters – President Lyndon Johnson was reportedly an enthusiast – and scientists proposed a series of mining schemes. Some were practical and some were otherwise.

More recently, rocket technology has improved, satellite parts have grown cheaper and asteroid research has progressed. Commercial mining has inched closer to reality. In the near future, it might have larger scientific benefits than economic ones, by making human space travel more feasible. The water on asteroids could theoretically be used as a propellant and as shielding to absorb space radiation. It could also be used for hydration, although you probably do not want to be the first to drink it, or to fuel communications satellites.

The Argument

According to some, all this adds up to a trillion-dollar industry in the making, while for others it is a galactic mistake. A recent study by a Harvard University astrophysicist concluded that a grand total of 10 near-Earth asteroids would be worth even trying to mine. Most are either too small, too far away or too barren to make the mission economically practical. The mining companies, unsurprisingly, dispute that estimate.

Other obstacles abound. Asteroids have different surface conditions, unstable interiors and hardly any gravity, so mining them will require new technology. Bringing back huge amounts of platinum could drive its market price down and likely reduce profits for mining companies. Plus, it all might well be illegal. International treaties clearly prohibit the taking of territory in outer space. However, they are not very clear about the legality of extracting natural resources or who owns any valuables dug up. That is one question, among many, that still requires an earthly answer.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 The central idea of the article is developed by:

(A) debating the legality of mining natural resources from asteroids in space

(B) criticizing experts who oppose asteroid mining

(D) emphasizing the need for better technology so that asteroids can be mined

2 What is the relationship between the following selections from the article?

Many asteroids are rich in water and precious metals, notably platinum, an important ingredient in everything from dental equipment to cellphones. Most are either too small, too far away or too barren to make the mission economically practical.

(A) The first selection introduces an incentive for asteroid mining to counteract the significant financial expense described in the second selection.

(B) The first selection describes the potential value of asteroid mining, while the second selection implies that further research is needed.

(C) The first selection explains why companies want to mine asteroids and the second selection provides evidence of the feasibility of the process.

(D) The first selection supports an argument for asteroid mining, while the second selection introduces evidence to support an argument against it.

3 Which of the following options BEST describes the government's reaction to private companies mining asteroids for profit?

(A) It has sanctioned the development of advanced technology to support efforts to mine asteroids.

(B) It has incentivized mining asteroids by creating legislation that gives companies ownership over the resources they extract in space.

(D) It has developed new legislation to explicitly protect the natural resources in outer space from private ownership.

4 Which of the following groups would MOST likely support the argument that asteroid mining is an investment with significant return?

(A) Congress, because it would increase U.S. ownership over natural resources in outer space

(B) mining companies, because it would drive down the market prices of platinum

(D) Harvard University, because 10 near-Earth asteroids would have a large yield of resources

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Grade 9: World History Week Two Directions Compelling Question: “How do the legacies of older generations pervade our world today”?

1. Please read, “Artists: Michelangelo” and use the following reading protocol:

● As you read, highlight in YELLOW arguments for how Michelangelo created his legacy. Underline in PEN parts of his life that you wonder about.

2. Please read “Modern artists replicate centuries-old Venetian glassmaking techniques” and use the following reading protocol: ● As you read, highlight important details in YELLOW. Underline interesting details in PEN. Re-read your YELLOW highlights and write an annotation at the end of the text to answer the following: How do the legacies of older generations influence our world today?

3. Complete the I Notice, I Connect, I Wonder activity considering both articles. Use your guided annotations to assist you with this template.

Extension: Journal-What does LEGACY mean to you? How are you creating your legacy? I See, I Think, I Wonder Name: ______Class: ______Date: ______

Directions: Fill in each column of the graphic organizer with your observations, thoughts, and questions.

I See... I Think... I Wonder...

Artists: Michelangelo By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.08.16 Word Count 977 Level 1220L

A portrait of Michelangelo by Jacopino del Conte. Wikimedia Commons

Synopsis: Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. Born to a family of moderate means in the banking business, Michelangelo became an apprentice to a painter before studying in the sculpture gardens of the powerful Medici family. What followed was a remarkable career as an artist in the Italian Renaissance. Michelangelo was recognized in his own time for his artistic mastery. His works include the David and Pietà statues and the ceiling paintings of Rome's Sistine Chapel. Though he remained connected to Florence, his home town, Michelangelo lived most of his life in Rome, where he died in 1564, at age 88.

Early Life

Painter, sculptor, architect and poet, Michelangelo was one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance, a period of great artistic and scientific change. He was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. As a young man, he was less interested in schooling than in watching the painters at nearby churches and drawing what he saw there. Michelangelo's father realized early on that his son had no interest in the family financial

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. business, so he agreed to let him work as an apprentice, at the age of 13, at the workshop of painter Domenico Ghirlandaio.

After a year at the workshop, Michelangelo moved into the palace of Lorenzo the Magnificent, of the powerful Medici family, to study classical sculpture in the Medici gardens. This was an important time of growth for Michelangelo, and it permitted him access to the social elite of Florence, exposing him to prominent poets, scholars and thinkers.

These influences laid the groundwork for what would become Michelangelo's distinctive style: muscular precision and realism combined with emotional and expressive beauty. Two relief sculptures that survive, Battle of the Centaurs and Madonna of the Stairs, are testaments to his unique talent at the young age of 16.

Early Success And Influences

Michelangelo began working as a sculptor in Florence in 1495, modeling his style after classical masterpieces.

He produced a sculpture of Cupid, which was artificially "aged" to make it look like an artifact from the past. Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio bought the Cupid sculpture, believing it to be an antique, and demanded his money back when he discovered that he had been fooled. Strangely, in the end, Riario was so impressed with Michelangelo's work that he let the artist keep the money. The cardinal even invited the artist to Rome, where Michelangelo would live and work for the rest of his life.

The Pietà And The David

Not long after Michelangelo's relocation to Rome in 1498, his career was helped along by another cardinal, Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas. Michelangelo's Pietà, a sculpture of Mary holding the dead Jesus across her lap, was erected in the church of the cardinal's tomb. Michelangelo was only 25 years old when he carved it. The fluidity of the fabric, positions of the subjects and "movement" of their skin inspired awe in its early spectators. Today, the statue remains an incredibly revered work.

By the time Michelangelo returned to Florence, he had become something of an art star. He was soon hired to complete a statue of David, the Biblical hero, and he turned a 17-foot piece of marble into a dominating figure. The vulnerability of the statue's nakedness, humanity of expression and overall courage made the David a prized representative of the city of Florence.

Art And Architecture

Several projects followed, including an ambitious tomb of Pope Julius II. However, the project was interrupted when the pope asked Michelangelo to switch from sculpting to painting to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. The project fueled Michelangelo's imagination, and the original plan for 12 apostles morphed into more than 300 figures on the ceiling of the sacred space. Michelangelo completed the 65-foot ceiling alone, spending endless hours lying on his back atop a tall scaffold. He guarded the project's secrecy until finally revealing the finished work in 1512.

The resulting masterpiece is a magnificent example of Renaissance style and incorporates Christian symbols and prophecy. It includes one of Michelangelo's most iconic images, the Creation of Adam, a portrayal of God touching the finger of man.

Conflict

Though Michelangelo's brilliant mind and many talents earned him the respect of the wealthy and powerful men of Italy, there were some who criticized him. He had a difficult personality and quick temper, which led to troubled relationships, often with his superiors. This not only got Michelangelo into trouble but also caused unhappiness for the painter, who constantly strived for perfection but was unable to compromise.

He sometimes fell into spells of melancholy, which were recorded in many of his literary works. "I am here in great distress and with great physical strain, and have no friends of any kind," he once wrote.

Literary Works And Personal Life

Michelangelo's poetic impulse, which had been expressed in his artwork and sculpture, began taking literary form in his later years.

Although he never married, Michelangelo was devoted to a pious and noble widow named Vittoria Colonna, the subject of many of his more than 300 poems and sonnets. Their friendship remained a great comfort to Michelangelo until Colonna's death in 1547.

Death And Legacy

Following a brief illness, Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564, just weeks before his 89th birthday, at his home in Macel de'Corvi, Rome. A nephew brought his body back to Florence, where he was revered by the public as the "father and master of all the arts." He was laid to rest at the Basilica di Santa Croce, his chosen place of burial.

Unlike many artists, Michelangelo achieved fame and wealth during his lifetime. Appreciation of his artistic mastery has endured for centuries, and his name has become synonymous with the best of the Italian Renaissance.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Read the following sentence from the Synopsis:

Michelangelo was recognized in his own time for his artistic mastery.

Which of the following selections from the article BEST supports the statement above?

(A) After a year at the workshop, Michelangelo moved into the palace of Lorenzo the Magnificent, of the powerful Medici family, to study classical sculpture in the Medici gardens.

(B) Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio bought the Cupid sculpture, believing it to be an antique, and demanded his money back when he discovered that he had been fooled.

(C) The fluidity of the fabric, positions of the subjects and "movement" of their skin inspired awe in its early spectators...By the time Michelangelo returned to Florence, he had become something of an art star.

(D) Michelangelo completed the 65-foot ceiling alone, spending endless hours lying on his back atop a tall scaffold...The resulting masterpiece is a magnificent example of Renaissance style and incorporates Christian symbols and prophecy.

2 Read the following selection from the article:

Which of the following can be inferred from the selection above?

(A) Michelangelo would probably have never become famous if he did not switch from sculpting to painting.

(B) Pope Julius II was probably worried that Michelangelo was not capable of finishing his tomb before he died.

(D) Pope Julius II wanted to be buried beneath the Sistine Chapel rather than in the tomb that was planned.

3 Which section of the article represents a major shift in ideas?

(A) "Early Successes And Influences"

(B) "The Pieta And The David"

(D) "Conflict"

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4 Read the paragraph below from the section "Art And Architecture."

The project fueled Michelangelo’s imagination, and the original plan for 12 apostles morphed into more than 300 figures on the ceiling of the sacred space. Michelangelo completed the 65-foot ceiling alone, spending endless hours lying on his back atop a tall scaffold. He guarded the project's secrecy until finally revealing the finished work in 1512.

How does this paragraph contribute to the article?

(A) It provides details that illustrate Michelangelo's dedication and inspiration.

(B) It explains why Michelangelo was afraid that other artists would copy his work.

(D) It emphasizes the idea that the Church was happy with Michelangelo's artwork.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Modern artists replicate centuries-old Venetian glassmaking techniques By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.11.16 Word Count 541 Level 1230L

Glassblower William Gudenrath puts enamel on a bowl with techniques used by Renaissance Venetians at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, Jan. 22, 2016. Gudenrath spent decades researching how Renaissance glassmakers produced objects that are now considered works of art. AP/Mike Groll

ALBANY, N.Y. — A modern-day glassblower believes he has unraveled the mysteries of Renaissance-era Venetian glassmaking. The trade secrets were so closely guarded by the Venetian government that anyone who divulged them faced the prospect of death.

Today's glassblowers work with methane-fired furnaces, electric-powered kilns, good lighting and proper ventilation. The craftsmen of Murano, an island near Venice, did not have such technology, yet they turned out museum-worthy pieces known for their artistry and beauty. The glassmaking techniques used by those craftsman remained exclusive to them for centuries.

Diligent Research, Experimentation Pays Off

William Gudenrath spent years researching Venetian glass collections at American and European museums, and comparing the artifacts with more contemporary glasswork from Venice. That

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. research, coupled with his own experimentation and many trips to Italy, led Gudenrath to create an online resource. He believes this website explains Venetian glassmakers' methods.

"The Techniques of Renaissance Venetian Glassworking" — which contains videos, photographs and text — details how Gudenrath believes ancient glassworkers created such works of art. These works were produced using little more than wood-fired furnaces and metal blowpipes and tongs. The information was posted recently on the website of the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York, where Gudenrath teaches Venetian techniques.

The gilding and enameling the Murano glassmakers added to their glass products had to be fired at higher temperatures than the glass itself to make the decorations stay on permanently. The Venetians could not simply turn a knob to regulate the temperature of their furnaces, Gudenrath said. Yet they mastered the tricky art of glass decoration by continuously reheating and shaping the vessel after the decorations had been added. The process is demonstrated by Gudenrath in several videos.

"It's just amazing to me that they did what they did in those conditions," he said.

Glass Fascination

Gudenrath has focused on Venetian glassmaking and has researched the process for 25 years. He is a "fantastic resource for artists," said Jutta-Annette Page, curator of glass and decorative arts at Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art.

Gudenrath, 65, became fascinated with Venetian glass while a teenager in Houston, where he started blowing glass at age 11. But finding written documents detailing how Murano glass was created proved to be difficult. This challenge is believed to be a result of drastic restrictions placed on the trade hundreds of years ago.

To prevent fires, the Venetian government ordered glass furnaces moved to Murano in the late 13th century. The move also was aimed at preventing secrets of the glassmaking guild from being smuggled to competitors. Anyone attempting to do so could be executed under Venetian laws created to maintain the city's monopoly on the European luxury glass trade.

"Industrial espionage and that sort of thing was taken very seriously," Gudenrath said.

Competitors Muscle In

Competition from other European nations eventually weakened Murano's hold. Napoleon's closing of the factories after conquering Venice sent the industry into further decline. Venetian glass experienced a rebirth in the mid-19th century, but Gudenrath said much of the practical knowledge of the original, secretive methods had been lost.

Some of the old techniques have been reinvented and are being again used on Murano, still home to smaller yet equally lively glassmaking operations and studios.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which of these would MOST likely be included in an objective summary of the article?

(A) Modern glassblowing techniques are better than Venetian techniques from the Renaissance.

(B) Competition from other European nations was key to the development of the Venetian glassblowing techniques.

(D) Venetian laws protecting glassblowing from espionage contributed to their near-disappearance.

2 Which of these BEST describes a central idea of the article?

(A) Venetian glassblowers were the leaders in the European luxury glass trade.

(B) The glassblowing trade was important to Venice in the Renaissance.

(D) The government of Venice was responsible for preserving glassblowing secrets

3 Based on the article, which of the following conclusions can be drawn?

(A) After conquering Venice, Napoleon Bonaparte brought the secrets of Venetian glassblowing back to France.

(B) Venice had experienced dangerous fires from glassblowing before the trade was moved to the island of Murano.

(D) Modern museums are not interested in glass from other places than Venice and Murano Island.

4 Which selection from the article BEST shows Gudenrath's intentions for his website?

(A) That research, coupled with his own experimentation and many trips to Italy, led Gudenrath to create an online resource.

(B) The gilding and enameling the Murano glassmakers added to their glass products had to be fired at higher temperatures than the glass itself to make the decorations stay on permanently.

(C) The information was posted recently on the website of the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York, where Gudenrath teaches Venetian techniques.

(D) Venetian glass experienced a rebirth in the mid-19th century, but Gudenrath said much of the practical knowledge of the original, secretive methods had been lost.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.