Daily Comprehension MARCH REM 1108

AUTHOR: Anne Sattler

A TEACHING RESOURCE FROM

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REMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC. SCOTTSDALE, AZ

This product utilizes innovative strategies and proven methods to improve student learning. The product is based upon reliable research and effective practices that have been replicated in classrooms across the United States. Information regarding the Common Core State Standards this product meets is available at www.rempub.com/standards INTRODUCTION

Daily Comprehension is a 12-book series with each volume covering a single month of the year. The format features an “on-this-day-in-history” approach. A short, factual story about a person, place, or event is presented for each day of the month and was chosen because of its particular significance on that certain date. Each story is accompanied by an activity page, which tests the student’s comprehension of the article’s content. Activities include questions, crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, and more. A related research project for each story may require students to gather information from print or digital sources. The books are designed for use in grades 5-12. Readability is on a 3rd-4th grade level.

CONTENTS

Yellowstone National Park...... 1 The Man Behind Dr. Seuss...... 3 National Anthem ...... 5 Knute Rockne...... 7 Voyager 1...... 9 Fall Of The Alamo...... 11 Luther Burbank...... 13 First Ironclad Ships...... 15 George Burns...... 17 Salvation Army ...... 19 Johnny Appleseed Day...... 21 Janet Reno...... 23 National Nickname ...... 25 Cotton Gin...... 27 Maine...... 29 West Point...... 31 Saint Patrick's Day...... 33 Bonnie Blair...... 35 Swallow Day...... 37 Harriet Beecher Stowe...... 39 Future Birth Of Captain Kirk...... 41 First Indian Treaty...... 43 Lewis And Clark Expedition...... 45 Exploring The Grand Canyon...... 47 The Biggest Sculpture...... 49 Vietnam Veterans Memorial ...... 51 Alaska Earthquake ...... 53 Three Mile Island ...... 55 Coca-Cola...... 57 Buying Alaska...... 59 Virgin Islands...... 59

Daily Comprehension Activities ii ©Remedia Publications Name______MARCH 1

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

National parks are large areas of steam below the ground surface. scenic land owned by the United The steam pushes up on the mud, States government. The land is causing it to boil or bubble. Minerals protected. This means that it in the mud make the pools different cannot be used for anything except shades of orange, brown, and as a park which visitors can enjoy. yellow. There are 53 national parks in the A large, deep canyon contains a United States. On March 1, 1872, waterfall that is 300 feet high. There Yellowstone was established as the are fossil forests with petrified tree first U.S. National Park. It is the trunks. Mountains, rivers, and lakes largest of all the parks. It is mainly in cover parts of the park. northwestern Wyoming and slightly Yellowstone is a great wild animal overlaps into Montana and Idaho. refuge. Protected herds of elk, moose, It is about 62 miles long and 54 deer, antelope, and buffalo live there. miles wide. Bears are there, as well as many kinds There are more geysers in of birds. Yellowstone than in all the rest of the Millions of people visitYellowstone world. Old Faithful is a famous geyser National Park every year to hike, in the park. It got its name because camp, and enjoy the unusual sights. it regularly shoots up hot water and Because it is a national park, it steam about every 67 minutes. will always remain a natural scenic There are pools of bubbling mud wonderland. at Yellowstone. They are caused by

©Remedia Publications 1 Daily Comprehension Activities Name______

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the story. 1. National parks are ______

______

______.

2. There are ______national parks in the United States.

3. Yellowstone is mainly in northwestern ______.

4. A famous geyser in Yellowstone is called ______.

5. Bubbling pools of mud are caused by ______.

6. ______in the mud color the pools shades of

orange, brown, and yellow.

7. A large, deep canyon in the park contains a ______

that is ______high.

8. There are fossil forests with ______.

9. Protected herds of ______

live in Yellowstone Park.

10. Two other kinds of animal that can be seen in Yellowstone Park are

______.

Research: Find petrify in a dictionary. Write the meaning of the word as it applies to trees.

Daily Comprehension Activities 2 ©Remedia Publications Name______MARCH 2

THE MAN BEHIND DR. SEUSS

Theodor Seuss Geisel spent his books were silly and that no one most of his life dreaming up fanciful would buy them. Finally, in 1937, a creatures with tongue-twisting friend published And to Think That I names. These creatures became Saw It on Mulberry Street. It is a story lovable characters in storybooks by about an unbelievable street parade. “Dr. Seuss.” It is the first book on which Geisel Geisel was born on March 2, used his pen name: Dr. Seuss. Both 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. children and parents loved it. As a child, he was always drawing Later came The Cat in the Hat, pictures of strange-looking people Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hatches and animals. He often went to the the Egg, and Yertle the Turtle and zoo with his father, who was a Other Stories. Altogether, 46 Dr. zookeeper, and drew the animals he Seuss books were published. They saw there. have been translated into 15 different After graduating from college, languages and sold worldwide. Geisel worked many years doing Geisel never had children of his artwork for advertising companies. own, but he loved to write books for In his spare time, he wrote and children. He received many honors illustrated books for children. and awards for his unusual drawings At first, no one would publish and writing style. He was 87 years Geisel’s books. Publishers thought old when he died in 1991.

©Remedia Publications 3 Daily Comprehension Activities Name______

THE MAN BEHIND DR. SEUSS

Write your answers on the lines of the pattern. ______

1. Theodore Geisel was born on March _____, 1904. 2. abbreviation for doctor 3. Green Eggs and _____ 4. Dr. Seuss is a pen _____. 5. Dr. Seuss's stories are written in an unusual _____. 6. _____ the Turtle 7. At first, no one wanted to _____ Dr. Seuss's books. 8. Dr. Seuss's books were written for _____. 9. job held by Geisel's father 10. Dr. Seuss's books have been _____ into different languages.

Research: Look up Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel). Gather information from print or digital sources. Write the titles of two other books he wrote.

Daily Comprehension Activities 4 ©Remedia Publications Name______MARCH 3

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Almost every country in the world Not knowing whether Fort McHenry has a national anthem. A national was being saved or lost, he spent anthem is a song of praise and loyalty the night writing a poem about the for that country. It took more than battle. He called it “The Defence of 100 years for the United States to Fort McHenry.” finally decide what song would be its When Key returned to Baltimore, national anthem. he had his poem published. It was In 1814, the United States and set to music and became a very England were at war over shipping and popular, patriotic song called “The trade disagreements. On September Star-Spangled Banner.” 13, English ships were getting ready Many Americans and even people to attack Fort McHenry near in other countries thought “The Baltimore, Maryland. At that same Star-Spangled Banner” was the U.S. time, an American named Francis national anthem. There were other Scott Key had sailed out to the Americans, however, who thought English fleet to obtain the release of “My Country 'Tis of Thee” or an American prisoner. The English “America the Beautiful” should be would not let Key return to Maryland the national anthem. until after the attack. Finally, on March 3, 1931, the U.S. All night long, Key watched as Congress settled the debate by cannons fired on Fort McHenry. Light officially declaring “The Star-Spangled from the cannon fire barely showed Banner” the national anthem of the the American flag flying over the fort. United States.

©Remedia Publications 5 Daily Comprehension Activities Name______

NATIONAL ANTHEM Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box.

cannons Maryland prisoner Fort McHenry patriotic music anthem published poem officially England Banner song not American other national Francis Scott United States Congress Key

Most countries in the world have a national ______. It took a long time for the ______to decide which ______to use. In 1814, the U. S. was at war with ______. Eng- land's ships were going to attack ______. ______had gone out to the fleet to get a ______. He was ______allowed to return to ______until after the attack. Key watched all night as ______fired on the fort. He could barely see the ______flag. While watching the battle, he wrote a ______. Key's poem was ______. The words were set to ______. It became a popular, ______song called "The Star Spangled ______." Many people thought it was the U. S. ______anthem. Some people thought ______songs should be the anthem. On March 3, 1931, ______settled the debate by ______declaring "The Star Spangled Banner" the United States national anthem. Research: Only the first verse of Key's poem is used when the national anthem is sung. Find The Star Spangled Banner in a print or digital source. Write the second verse. Daily Comprehension Activities 6 ©Remedia Publications Name______MARCH 4

KNUTE ROCKNE 1888-1931

Knute Rockne was born on March how to work together in perfect 4, 1888, in Vos, Norway. Brought to harmony. They were experts at the United States by his parents at the forward passing and shift plays. age of five, he grew up in Chicago. Rockne was the best-known college After graduating from high school, football coach of his time. During Rockne worked at various jobs until his 13 years as head coach, his teams he had enough money to go to Notre were always winners. Dame University in South Bend, Known for his inspiring pep talks, Indiana. Though only 5'8" tall and 145 Rockne also taught his players good pounds, Rockne was a star player on sportsmanship. He was respected by Notre Dame’s football team. During opposing teams, and his own players his years on the team, Notre Dame idolized him. never lost a football game. On March 31, 1931, Rockne was After graduating in 1914, Rockne one of eight passengers killed in a remained at Notre Dame as a plane crash in Kansas. His death was chemistry instructor and assistant front-page news across the country. football coach. Four years later, he Ten thousand fans crowded into became the football team’s head a Chicago train station just to see coach. the train carrying his casket back to Rockne’s success in developing South Bend. They wanted to pay their winning Notre Dame teams was respects to a man who did so much unmatched. He taught his players for the game of football.

©Remedia Publications 7 Daily Comprehension Activities Name______

KNUTE ROCKNE

1 2

3 4 5

Across Down 3. name of school Rockne attended 1. how a player behaves when playing 4. Rockne gave inspiring _____ talks. a sport 6. state where Rockne's school is located 2. subject Rockne taught 8. number of years Rockne was 4. Rockne died in a _____ crash. head coach 5. to throw the ball to another 9. country where Rockne was born player 11. city were Rockne was raised 7. sport Rockne played in college 10. Rockne's occupation in sports

Research: Look up Notre Dame. Gather information from print or digital sources. What team did Notre Dame play against in the 1925 Rose Bowl game? What was the score? Daily Comprehension Activities 8 ©Remedia Publications Name______MARCH 5

VOYAGER 1

Astronomers have been studying bringing the total number of Jupiter’s the planets for thousands of years. moons to 16. It revealed volcanic Most of what they learned came action on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons. by looking into space through Astronomers learned more than telescopes. This, though, did not give they ever knew about the surface of them the most accurate information. Jupiter and the gases that surround They were forced to guess at a lot of it. Images of the Great Red Spot on things. Now, spacecrafts travel Jupiter showed it to be big enough right up to distant planets and send to swallow two Earths. back information of the things Voyager 1 is now on an uncharted that astronomers could only guess journey outside our solar system at before. that could last millions of years. It On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 is studying other areas of space. was launched to begin its trip through If beings from another civilization space. On March 5, 1979, it reached should find it, they will discover the planet Jupiter. Packed with all phonograph records of music and kinds of sensitive instruments, the other sounds of Earth as well as small craft started sending pictures electronically coded photographs and other data about the biggest onboard. planet and its moons. Voyager 1 has been a great help Astronomers were delighted and to scientists. The more they learn surprised by what they discovered. about other planets, the better they Voyager 1 found a faint ring around can understand the origin and future Jupiter. It also found another moon, of Earth.

VOYAGER 1 Answer the questions. 1. Before spacecrafts, how did astronomers study the planets?

______

2. What spacecraft was launched on September 5, 1977?

______

3. When did it reach Jupiter? ______

4. How long did it take the spacecraft to get there? ______

5. Write two things that astronomers learned about Jupiter from the spacecraft.

______

6._How big is the Red Spot? ______

____

7. Why is it important to study other planets? ______

______

8. Where is Voyager I now? ______

______

9. What will space beings discover if they find Voyager 1?______

______

Research: Look up the planets or solar system. Gather information from print or digital sources. What is the next planet beyond Jupiter?