Shining Star

Non-fiction: Shining Star

Shining Star

Halle Berry is a huge movie star. In 2002, she made Hollywood history. She became the first African American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

She won the Oscar for her role in the movie Monster's Ball. The role showed Berry's acting talent. She has been in more than 25 films and TV shows.

You might think that Halle Berry has had it easy in life. That is not true.

Mixed Family

Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1968. Her mother is white. Her father is African American. That makes Berry biracial.

Berry's parents fought. Her father drank, and he abused Berry's mother. When Halle was 4 years old, her father left for good. Halle lived with her mother and older sister.

Facing Racism

Berry was shy as a young girl. She did not like to leave home. As she got older, Berry dealt with a bigger problem. Many kids at school made fun of her for her mixed skin color. Some kids thought she was too light to be African American. They also thought she was too dark to be white. "They would call me 'zebra,'" Berry said.

Berry struggled to make good grades, but she stayed in school. She liked her teachers. They liked her. In high school, Berry was a cheerleader. She was also an honor student.

A friend of Berry's entered her name in a beauty contest. Berry later became Miss Teen All-American. Her beauty would help launch a career in acting.

Dealing With Diabetes

In 1989, Berry was filming the TV show Living Dolls. She fainted on the set. Doctors said Berry had diabetes (die-uh-BEE-teez).

People with diabetes have too much sugar in their blood. If diabetes is not treated, organs called the kidneys work too hard. When that happens, a person's body can shut down. That can lead to more problems. Diabetes can

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Non-fiction: Shining Star

cause a person to go blind. It can lead to heart disease or other illnesses. There is no known cure for diabetes.

Berry was scared, but she learned to control her illness. She takes medicine, eats good food, and stays in shape.

Role Model

Some people think that Berry's struggles in life have helped to make her a better actress. Her first movie role was at age 23. She played a crack addict in Jungle Fever.

One of Berry's finest roles was in a TV movie called Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Berry played a real-life black actress who dealt with racism. Like Berry, Dandridge was a light-skinned black woman.

In 1954, Dandridge was the first black woman to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. She did not win. However, her work set the stage for other black women in acting.

Berry is one of those women. Berry thanked Dandridge last year when she won her Oscar.

Questions: Shining Star

Name: ____ Date: ______

1. According to the passage, which of the following can be caused by diabetes?

A bullying B illness C medicine D blindness

2. Which of the following does the author describe first in the passage?

A The author describes Halle Berry’s childhood. B The author describes Halle Berry’s work as a model. C The author describes Halle Berry’s roles in several movies. D The author describes how Halle Berry succeeded in high school.

3. The passage suggests that

A Halle Berry faints almost every day because of her diabetes B Halle Berry is able to work as an actress despite her diabetes C Halle Berry will be cured of her diabetes in the future D Halle Berry will get heart disease from her diabetes

4. Read the following sentence: “It can lead to heart disease or other illnesses.”

In this sentence the word illness means

A diabetes B the flu C sickness D medicine

5. This passage is mostly about

A Halle Berry’s life and career B Halle Berry and Dorothy Dandridge C Halle Berry and her difficult childhood D Halle Berry and her diabetes

Questions: Shining Star

6. Name two problems Halle Berry had as a child.

______

7. How was Dorothy Dandridge probably an inspiration to Halle Berry?

______

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

Many of Halle Berry’s classmates made fun of her ______she had lighter skin color than many African Americans.

A but B because C so D after

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Halle Berry learned to control her diabetes by taking medicine, eating well, and exercising.

Who? Halle Berry

(did) What? ______

How? ______

Questions: Shining Star

10. Read the vocabulary word and definition below and complete questions 10a, 10b, and 11.

Vocabulary Word: nominate (nom · i · nate): to choose someone as a possible person for a job or award.

10a. Read the sentences below and underline the word nominate.

1. Two people from our class were nominated to run for the student council.

2. The principal nominated my teacher to be Teacher of the Year.

3. In a presidential election, the Democrats and the Republicans each nominate one person to run for president.

4. Because the mayor had to go out of town for a week, he nominated his assistant to serve as the mayor while he was gone.

5. I was happy when the first woman was nominated to serve on the Supreme Court.

10b. Which of the following pictures shows something a nominated person would be likely to receive?

11. If a teacher calls on you to answer a question in class, are you nominated? Why or why not?

______

Teacher Guide & Answers: Shining Star

Teacher Guide & Answers

Passage Reading Level: Lexile 620

Featured Text Structure: Descriptive – the writer explains, defines or illustrates a concept or topic

Passage Summary: The passage describes the life and career of Halle Berry, a famous African American actress who is the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. She had a difficult childhood, and she struggles with diabetes, but she is an inspiration, especially to other black actresses.

1. According to the passage, which of the following can be caused by diabetes?

A bullying B illness C medicine D blindness

2. Which of the following does the author describe first in the passage?

3. The passage suggests that

4. Read the following sentence: “It can lead to heart disease or other illnesses.”

In this sentence the word illness means

A diabetes B the flu C sickness D medicine

5. This passage is mostly about

A Halle Berry’s life and career B Halle Berry and Dorothy Dandridge C Halle Berry and her difficult childhood D Halle Berry and her diabetes

6. Name two problems Halle Berry had as a child.

Suggested answer: Halle Berry’s father was an abusive alcoholic. She was bullied in school because she was biracial and had lighter skin than many African Americans. [see paragraphs #5 & #6]

Teacher Guide & Answers: Shining Star

7. How was Dorothy Dandridge probably an inspiration to Halle Berry?

Suggested answer: Like Halle Berry, Dandridge was a light-skinned black woman who had to deal with racism in the world of theater and movies. Dandridge was also nominated for an Oscar. Probably Halle Berry felt good knowing that someone had come before her and had similar experiences, and had succeeded. [see paragraphs #13, #14, & #15]

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

Many of Halle Berry’s classmates made fun of her ______she had lighter skin color than many African Americans.

A but B because C so D after

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Halle Berry learned to control her diabetes by taking medicine, eating well, and exercising.

Who? Halle Berry

(did) What? learned to control her diabetes

How? by taking medicine, eating well, and exercising

10. Read Works recommends that you teach this vocabulary word to the whole class out loud using the four steps listed below.

Vocabulary Word: nominate

Step 1: Introduce the word

Teacher writes the word on the board and divides it into syllables: (nom · i · nate)

a. Teacher says: “This word is nominate. What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud: “nominate.”]

Step 2: Provide a child-friendly definition

a. Teacher says: “Nominate means to choose someone as a possible person for a job or award.”

b. Teacher says: “The text states that Dorothy Dandridge was the first black woman to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. This means that she was the first black woman to be chosen as a possible winner for this award.”

c. Teacher says: “What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud: “nominate.”]

Step 3: Practice the word

Teacher provides examples and additional opportunities to repeat the word. Read the 1st sentence out loud to your students. Begin reading it again and when you come to the vocabulary word prompt students to say the vocabulary word out loud. Then, finish reading the sentence out loud to your students.

Teacher Guide & Answers: Shining Star

10a. 1. Two people from our class were nominated to run for the student council.

2. The principal nominated my teacher to be Teacher of the Year.

3. In a presidential election, the Democrats and the Republicans each nominate one person to run for president.

4. Because the mayor had to go out of town for a week, he nominated his assistant to serve as the mayor while he was gone.

5. I was happy when the first woman was nominated to serve on the Supreme Court.

Step 4: Check for student understanding

This step can be completed as a whole class activity or as an independent practice.

10b. Which of the following pictures shows something a nominated person would be likely to receive?

11. If a teacher calls on you to answer a question in class, are you nominated? Why or why not?

Suggested answer: If a teacher calls on me to answer a question in class, I am not nominated because I am not being chosen for a job or an award.

Suggested Additional Vocabulary: abused, illness, racism