Text Title Genre Tuesday of the Other June Short Story Raymond's Run

Home , In the Kitchen, Know No Better, Say It to Me

Week of May 11- May 15 Grade: 6 Content: ELA Learning Objective: Greetings 6th graders! We hope you are safe and well with your families! This week we are providing you with 5 engaging and informative readings from Common Lit to choose from. We are also providing you with ways to boost your important reading skills through on-line programs. Students with a device and access to the internet should spend time on these sites as well as work on Common Lit activities each week. Common Lit Activities: Text Title Genre Tuesday of the Other June Short Story Raymond’s Run Short Story Couch Potatoes Tend to be Energy Hogs Informational text Louis Armstrong Informational text Swarm Poem

Skills Activities: The following websites provide students with more practice with important reading skills. Only students at the identified schools have access to these sites. Directions for logging on are also in this folder. School Program North, East, West, Plouffe Amplify Reading Ashfield, South, Davis Power Up Mrs. K Silva’s classes at West READ 180 Mrs. Holm’s classes at West Mrs. Freschett’s classes at West

Name: Class:

Tuesday of the Other June By Norma Fox Mazer 1986

Norma Fox Mazer (1931-2009) was an American author and teacher known for her young adult and children’s books. In this short story, a young girl name June is confronted by a bully with the same name. As you read, take notes on June’s feelings towards the Other June.

[1] “Be good, be good, be good, be good, my Junie,” my mother sang as she combed my hair; a song, a story, a croon,1 a plea. “It’s just you and me, two women alone in the world, June darling of my heart; we have enough troubles getting by, we surely don’t need a single one more, so you keep your sweet self out of fighting and all that bad stuff. People can be little-hearted, but turn the other cheek, smile at the world, and the world’ll surely smile back.”

We stood in front of the mirror as she combed "Young girl swimming" by Tom Markham is licensed under CC BY- SA 2.0 my hair, combed and brushed and smoothed. Her head came just above mine; she said when I grew another inch, she’d stand on a stool to brush my hair. “I’m not giving up this pleasure!” And she laughed her long honey laugh.

My mother was April, my grandmother had been May, I was June. “And someday,” said my mother, “you’ll have a daughter of your own. What will you name her?”

“January!” I’d yell when I was little. “February! No, November!” My mother laughed her honey laugh. She had little emerald eyes that warmed me like the sun.

[5] Every day when I went to school, she went to work. “Sometimes I stop what I’m doing,” she said, “lay down my tools, and stop everything, because all I can think about is you. Wondering what you’re doing and if you need me. Now, Junie, if anyone ever bothers you — ”

“ — I walk away, run away, come on home as fast as my feet will take me,” I recited.

“Yes. You come to me. You just bring me your trouble, because I’m here on this earth to love you and take care of you.”

I was safe with her. Still, sometimes I woke up at night and heard footsteps slowly creeping up the stairs. It wasn’t my mother, she was asleep in the bed across the room, so it was robbers, thieves, and murderers, creeping slowly... slowly... slowly toward my bed.

1. a soft, low voice or tone 1 I stuffed my hand into my mouth. If I screamed and woke her, she’d be tired at work tomorrow. The robbers and thieves filled the warm darkness and slipped across the floor more quietly than cats. Rigid2 under the covers, I stared at the shifting dark and bit my knuckles and never knew when I fell asleep again.

[10] In the morning we sang in the kitchen. “Bill Grogan’s goat! Was feelin’ fine! Ate three red shirts, right off the line!” I made sandwiches for our lunches, she made pancakes for breakfast, but all she ate was one pancake and a cup of coffee. “Gotta fly, can’t be late.”

I wanted to be rich and take care of her. She worked too hard; her pretty hair had gray in it that she joked about. “Someday,” I said, “I’ll buy you a real house, and you’ll never work in a pot factory again.”

“Such delicious plans,” she said. She checked the windows to see if they were locked. “Do you have your key?”

I lifted it from the chain around my neck.

“And you’ll come right home from school and — ”

[15] “ — I won’t light fires or let strangers into the house, and I won’t tell anyone on the phone that I’m here alone,” I finished for her.

“I know, I’m just your old worrywart mother.” She kissed me twice, once on each cheek. “But you are my June, my only June, the only June.”

She was wrong; there was another June. I met her when we stood next to each other at the edge of the pool the first day of swimming class in the Community Center.

“What’s your name?” She had a deep growly voice.

“June. What’s yours?”

[20] She stared at me. “June.”

“We have the same name.”

“No we don’t. June is my name, and I don’t give you permission to use it. Your name is Fish Eyes.” She pinched me hard. “Got it, Fish Eyes?”

The next Tuesday, the Other June again stood next to me at the edge of the pool. “What’s your name?”

“June.”

[25] “Wrong. Your — name — is — Fish — Eyes.”

“June.”

2. Rigid (adjective): unable to bend or be forced out of shape 2 “Fish Eyes, you are really stupid.” She shoved me into the pool.

The swimming teacher looked up, frowning, from her chart. “No one in the water yet.”

Later, in the locker room, I dressed quickly and wrapped my wet suit in the towel. The Other June pulled on her jeans. “You guys see that bathing suit Fish Eyes was wearing? Her mother found it in a trash can.”

[30] “She did not!”

The Other June grabbed my fingers and twisted. “Where’d she find your bathing suit?”

“She bought it, let me go.”

“Poor little stupid Fish Eyes is crying. Oh, boo hoo hoo, poor little Fish Eyes.”

“Your name is Fish Eyes.” She pinched me hard.

[35] After that, everyone called me Fish Eyes. And every Tuesday, wherever I was, there was also the Other June — at the edge of the pool, in the pool, in the locker room. In the water, she swam alongside me, blowing and huffing, knocking into me. In the locker room, she stepped on my feet, pinched my arms, hid my blouse, and knotted my braids together. She had large square teeth; she was shorter than I was, but heavier, with bigger bones and square hands. If I met her outside on the street, carrying her bathing suit and towel, she’d walk toward me, smiling a square, friendly smile. “Oh well, if it isn’t Fish Eyes.” Then she’d punch me, blam! her whole solid weight hitting me.

I didn’t know what to do about her. She was training me like a dog. After a few weeks of this, she only had to look at me, only had to growl, “I’m going to get you, Fish Eyes,” for my heart to slink like a whipped dog down into my stomach. My arms were covered with bruises. When my mother noticed, I made up a story about tripping on the sidewalk.

My weeks were no longer Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and so on. Tuesday was Awfulday. Wednesday was Badday. (The Tuesday bad feelings were still there.) Thursday was Betterday, and Friday was Safeday. Saturday was Goodday, but Sunday was Toosoonday, and Monday — Monday was nothing but the day before Awfulday.

I tried to slow down time. Especially on the weekends, I stayed close by my mother, doing everything with her, shopping, cooking, cleaning, going to the laundromat. “Aw, sweetie, go play with your friends.”

“No, I’d rather be with you.” I wouldn’t look at the clock or listen to the radio (they were always telling you the date and the time). I did special magic things to keep the day from going away, rapping my knuckles six times on the bathroom door six times a day and never, ever touching the chipped place on my bureau.3 But always I woke up to the day before Tuesday, and always, no matter how many times I circled the worn spot in the living-room rug or counted twenty-five cracks in the ceiling, Monday disappeared and once again it was Tuesday.

3. a chest of drawers 3 [40] The Other June got bored with calling me Fish Eyes. Buffalo Brain came next, but as soon as everyone knew that, she renamed me Turkey Nose.

Now at night it wasn’t robbers creeping up the stairs, but the Other June, coming to torment4 me. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of kicking her, punching, biting, pinching. In the morning I remembered my dreams and felt brave and strong. And then I remembered all the things my mother had taught me and told me.

Be good, be good, be good; it’s just us two women alone in the world.... Oh, but if it weren’t, if my father wasn’t long gone, if we’d had someone else to fall back on, if my mother’s mother and daddy weren’t dead all these years, if my father’s daddy wanted to know us instead of being glad to forget us — oh, then I would have punched the Other June with a frisky5 heart, I would have grabbed her arm at poolside and bitten her like the dog she had made of me.

One night, when my mother came home from work, she said, “Junie, listen to this. We’re moving!”

Alaska, I thought. Florida. Arizona. Someplace far away and wonderful, someplace without the Other June.

[45] “Wait till you hear this deal. We are going to be caretakers, trouble-shooters for an eight-family apartment building. Fifty-six Blue Hill Street. Not janitors; we don’t do any of the heavy work. April and June, Trouble-shooters, Incorporated. If a tenant has a complaint or a problem, she comes to us and we either take care of it or call the janitor for service. And for that little bit of work, we get to live rent free!” She swept me around in a dance. “Okay? You like it? I do!”

So. Not anywhere else, really. All the same, maybe too far to go to swimming class? “Can we move right away? Today?”

“Gimme a break, sweetie. We’ve got to pack, do a thousand things. I’ve got to line up someone with a truck to help us. Six weeks, Saturday the fifteenth.” She circled it on the calendar. It was the Saturday after the last day of swimming class.

Soon, we had boxes lying everywhere, filled with clothes and towels and glasses wrapped in newspaper. Bit by bit, we cleared the rooms, leaving only what we needed right now. The dining-room table staggered on a bunched-up rug, our bureaus inched toward the front door like patient cows. On the calendar in the kitchen, my mother marked off the days until we moved, but the only days I thought about were Tuesdays — Awfuldays. Nothing else was real except the too fast passing of time, moving toward each Tuesday... away from Tuesday... toward Tuesday...

And it seemed to me that this would go on forever, that Tuesdays would come forever and I would be forever trapped by the side of the pool, the Other June whispering Buffalo Brain Fish Eyes Turkey Nose into my ear, while she ground her elbow into my side and smiled her square smile at the swimming teacher.

[50] No more swimming class. No more Awfuldays.... No more Tuesdays.

4. Torment (verb): to cause severe mental or physical suffering 5. Frisky (adjective): full of energy 4 And then it ended. It was the last day of swimming class. The last Tuesday. We had all passed our tests, and, as if in celebration, the Other June only pinched me twice. “And now,” our swimming teacher said, “all of you are ready for the Advanced Class, which starts in just one month. I have a sign-up slip here. Please put your name down before you leave.” Everyone but me crowded around. I went to the locker room and pulled on my clothes as fast as possible. The Other June burst through the door just as I was leaving. “Goodbye,” I yelled, “good riddance to bad trash!” Before she could pinch me again, I ran past her and then ran all the way home, singing, “Goodbye... goodbye... goodbye, good riddance to bad trash!”

Later, my mother carefully untied the blue ribbon around my swimming class diploma. “Look at this! Well, isn’t this wonderful! You are on your way, you might turn into an Olympic swimmer, you never know what life will bring.”

“I don’t want to take more lessons.”

“Oh, sweetie, it’s great to be a good swimmer.” But then, looking into my face, she said, “No, no, no, don’t worry, you don’t have to.”

[55] The next morning, I woke up hungry for the first time in weeks. No more swimming class. No more Baddays and Awfuldays. No more Tuesdays of the Other June. In the kitchen, I made hot cocoa to go with my mother’s corn muffins. “It’s Wednesday, Mom,” I said, stirring the cocoa. “My favorite day.”

“Since when?”

“Since this morning.” I turned on the radio so I could hear the announcer tell the time, the temperature, and the day.

Thursday for breakfast I made cinnamon toast, Friday my mother made pancakes, and on Saturday, before we moved, we ate the last slices of bread and cleaned out the peanut butter jar.

“Some breakfast,” Tilly said. “Hello, you must be June.” She shook my hand. She was a friend of my mother’s from work; she wore big hoop earrings, sandals, and a skirt as dazzling as a rainbow. She came in a truck with John to help us move our things.

[60] John shouted cheerfully at me, “So you’re moving.” An enormous man with a face covered with little brown bumps. Was he afraid his voice wouldn’t travel the distance from his mouth to my ear? “You looking at my moles?” he shouted, and he heaved our big green flowered chair down the stairs. “Don’t worry, they don’t bite. Ha, ha, ha!” Behind him came my mother and Tilly balancing a bureau between them, and behind them I carried a lamp and the round, flowered Mexican tray that was my mother’s favorite. She had found it at a garage sale and said it was as close to foreign travel as we would ever get.

The night before, we had loaded our car, stuffing in bags and boxes until there was barely room for the two of us. But it was only when we were in the car, when we drove past Abdo’s Grocery, where they always gave us credit, when I turned for a last look at our street — it was only then that I understood we were truly going to live somewhere else, in another apartment, in another place mysteriously called Blue Hill Street.

5 Tilly’s truck followed our car.

“Oh, I’m so excited,” my mother said. She laughed. “You’d think we were going across the country.”

Our old car wheezed6 up a long, steep hill. Blue Hill Street. I looked from one side to the other, trying to see everything.

[65] My mother drove over the crest of the hill. “And now — ta da! — our new home.”

“Which house? Which one?” I looked out the window and what I saw was the Other June. She was sprawled on the stoop of a pink house, lounging back on her elbows, legs outspread, her jaws working on a wad of gum. I slid down into the seat, but it was too late. I was sure she had seen me.

My mother turned into a driveway next to a big white building with a tiny porch. She leaned on the steering wheel. “See that window there, that’s our living-room window... and that one over there, that’s your bedroom...”

We went into the house, down a dim, cool hall. In our new apartment, the wooden floors clicked under our shoes, and my mother showed me everything. Her voice echoed in the empty rooms. I followed her around in a daze. Had I imagined seeing the Other June? Maybe I’d seen another girl who looked like her. A double. That could happen.

“Ho yo, where do you want this chair?” John appeared in the doorway. We brought in boxes and bags and beds and stopped only to eat pizza and drink orange juice from the carton.

[70] “June’s so quiet, do you think she’ll adjust all right?” I heard Tilly say to my mother.

“Oh, definitely. She’ll make a wonderful adjustment. She’s just getting used to things.”

But I thought that if the Other June lived on the same street as I did, I would never get used to things.

That night I slept in my own bed, with my own pillow and blanket, but with floors that creaked in strange voices and walls with cracks I didn’t recognize. I didn’t feel either happy or unhappy. It was as if I were waiting for something.

Monday, when the principal of Blue Hill Street School left me in Mr. Morrisey’s classroom, I knew what I’d been waiting for. In that room full of strange kids, there was one person I knew. She smiled her square smile, raised her hand, and said, “She can sit next to me, Mr. Morrisey.”

[75] “Very nice of you, June M. OK, June T., take your seat. I’ll try not to get you two Junes mixed up.”

I sat down next to her. She pinched my arm. “Good riddance to bad trash,” she mocked.

I was back in the Tuesday swimming class, only now it was worse, because every day would be Awfulday. The pinching had already started. Soon, I knew, on the playground and in the halls, kids would pass me, grinning. “Hiya, Fish Eyes.”

6. Wheeze (verb): to breathe with a whistling or rattling sound 6 The Other June followed me around during recess that day, droning7 in my ear, “You are my slave, you must do everything I say, I am your master, say it, say, ‘Yes, master, you are my master.’”

I pressed my lips together, clapped my hands over my ears, but without hope. Wasn’t it only a matter of time before I said the hateful words?

[80] “How was school?” my mother said that night.

“OK.”

She put a pile of towels in a bureau drawer. “Try not to be sad about missing your old friends, sweetie; there’ll be new ones.”

The next morning, the Other June was waiting for me when I left the house. “Did your mother get you that blouse in the garbage dump?” She butted me, shoving me against a tree. “Don’t you speak anymore, Fish Eyes?” Grabbing my chin in her hands, she pried open my mouth. “Oh, ha ha, I thought you lost your tongue.”

“Oh, no! No. No. No. No more.”

[85] We went on to school. I sank down into my seat, my head on my arms. “June T., are you all right?” Mr. Morrisey asked. I nodded. My head was almost too heavy to lift.

The Other June went to the pencil sharpener. Round and round she whirled the handle. Walking back, looking at me, she held the three sharp pencils like three little knives.

Someone knocked on the door. Mr. Morrisey went out into the hall. Paper planes burst into the air, flying from desk to desk. Someone turned on a transistor radio.8 And the Other June, coming closer, smiled and licked her lips like a cat sleepily preparing to gulp down a mouse.

I remembered my dream of kicking her, punching, biting her like a dog.

Then my mother spoke quickly in my ear: Turn the other cheek, my Junie; smile at the world, and the world’ll surely smile back.

[90] But I had turned the other cheek and it was slapped. I had smiled and the world hadn’t smiled back. I couldn’t run home as fast as my feet would take me. I had to stay in school — and in school there was the Other June. Every morning, there would be the Other June, and every afternoon, and every day, all day, there would be the Other June.

She frisked9 down the aisle, stabbing the pencils in the air toward me. A boy stood up on his desk and bowed. “My fans,” he said, “I greet you.” My arm twitched and throbbed, as if the Other June’s pencils had already poked through the skin. She came closer, smiling her Tuesday smile.

7. Drone (verb): to make a dull continuous sound 8. a small portable radio 9. to skip or leap playfully 7 “No,” I whispered, “no.” The word took wings and flew me to my feet, in front of the Other June. “Noooooo.” It flew out of my mouth into her surprised face.

The boy on the desk turned toward us. “You said something, my devoted10 fans?”

“No,” I said to the Other June. “Oh, no! No. No. No. No more.” I pushed away the hand that held the pencils.

[95] The Other June’s eyes opened, popped wide like the eyes of somebody in a cartoon. It made me laugh. The boy on the desk laughed, and then the other kids were laughing, too.

“No,” I said again, because it felt so good to say it. “No, no, no, no.” I leaned toward the Other June, put my finger against her chest. Her cheeks turned red, she squawked something — it sounded like “Eeeraaghyou!” — and she stepped back. She stepped away from me.

The door banged, the airplanes disappeared, and Mr. Morrisey walked to his desk. “OK. OK. Let’s get back to work. Kevin Clark, how about it?” Kevin jumped off the desk, and Mr. Morrisey picked up a piece of chalk. “all right, class — ” He stopped and looked at me and the Other June. “You two Junes, what’s going on there?”

I tried it again. My finger against her chest. Then the words. “No — more.” And she stepped back another step. I sat down at my desk.

“June M.,” Mr. Morrisey said.

[100] She turned around, staring at him with that big-eyed cartoon look. After a moment she sat down at her desk with a loud slapping sound.

Even Mr. Morrisey laughed.

And sitting at my desk, twirling my braids, I knew this was the last Tuesday of the Other June.

10. Devoted (adjective): very loving or loyal 8 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the main theme of the short story? A. Sometimes people don’t realize that they are being a bully to others. B. It’s important to stand up for yourself against people who mistreat you. C. It’s better to ignore a bully than to confront them in any way. D. Don’t let fear keep you from doing the things that you love.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “‘Oh well, if it isn’t Fish Eyes.’ Then she’d punch me, blam! her whole solid weight hitting me.” (Paragraph 35) B. “‘Oh, sweetie, it’s great to be a good swimmer.’ But then, looking into my face, she said, ‘No, no, no, don’t worry, you don’t have to.’” (Paragraph 54) C. “Turn the other cheek, my Junie; smile at the world, and the world’ll surely smile back.” (Paragraph 89) D. “‘No,’ I said to the Other June. ‘Oh, no! No. No. No. No more.’ I pushed away the hand that held the pencils.” (Paragraph 94)

3. PART A: In the beginning of the story, June doesn’t speak up for herself when the Other June makes fun of her. Why does she take the Other June’s abuse? A. She is afraid of what the Other June will do to her. B. She doesn’t like speaking in front of other people. C. June’s mother encourages her to be kind to the Other June. D. June’s mother tells her not to get into trouble.

4. PART B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “‘Be good, be good, be good, be good, my Junie,’ my mother sang as she combed my hair; a song, a story, a croon, a plea.” (Paragraph 1) B. “‘No we don’t. June is my name, and I don’t give you permission to use it. Your name is Fish Eyes.’ She pinched me hard.” (Paragraph 22) C. “Before she could pinch me again, I ran past her and then ran all the way home, singing, ‘Goodbye... goodbye... goodbye, good riddance to bad trash!’” (Paragraph 51) D. “I pressed my lips together, clapped my hands over my ears, but without hope. Wasn’t it only a matter of time before I said the hateful words?” (Paragraph 79)

5. PART A: Which of the following describes how June feels about the Other June’s bullying? A. She doesn’t allow the Other June to have an impact on her. B. She wishes one of her friends would stand up for her. C. She wants to have the courage to stop the Other June. D. She wants to understand why the Other June is mean.

9 6. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “She had large square teeth; she was shorter than I was, but heavier, with bigger bones and square hands.” (Paragraph 35) B. “My arms were covered with bruises. When my mother noticed, I made up a story about tripping on the sidewalk.” (Paragraph 36) C. “oh, then I would have punched the Other June with a frisky heart, I would have grabbed her arm at poolside and bitten her like the dog she had made of me.” (Paragraph 42) D. “Alaska, I thought. Florida. Arizona. Someplace far away and wonderful, someplace without the Other June.” (Paragraph 44)

7. How do paragraphs 38-39 contribute to the development of the story? A. They reveal how much June’s fear of the Other June affects her daily life. B. They show how June’s mother protects her daughter from the Other June’s bullying. C. They prove that June is able to put her interactions with the Other June behind her. D. They show how important spending time with her mother is to June.

8. What advice does June’s mother give to her early in the story? How does her mother’s advice affect how June responds to the Other June throughout the story?

10 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the story, June’s mother tells her to “turn the other cheek.” What does it mean to “turn the other cheek”? Do you think June’s mother would have been proud of her actions at the end of the story? Why or why not?

2. At the end of the story, June stands up to the Other June. What does it mean to be brave in a situation like this? Describe a time when you were brave in speaking up for yourself or someone else.

3. From the moment that the Other June meets June, she is mean to her. Why do you think the Other June did this? In your opinion, what drives a person to bully other people? How could this help us find solutions for bullying?

11 Name: Class:

Raymond’s Run By Toni Cade Bambara 1992

Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) was an African American author, film-maker and social activist. In this short story, a young girl takes her brother to the track race that she is running in. As you read, take notes on Squeaky’s relationship with her brother.

[1] I don’t have much work to do around the house like some girls. My mother does that. And I don’t have to earn my pocket money by hustling;1 George runs errands for the big boys and sells Christmas cards. And anything else that’s got to get done, my father does. All I have to do in life is mind my brother Raymond, which is enough.

Sometimes I slip and say my little brother Raymond. But as any fool can see he’s much bigger and he’s older too. But a lot of people call him my little brother cause he needs looking after "Untitled" is licensed under CC0 cause he’s not quite right. And a lot of smart mouths got lots to say about that too, especially when George was minding him. But now, if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me. And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I am a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. And if things get too rough, I run. And as anybody can tell you, I’m the fastest thing on two feet.

There is no track meet that I don’t win the first-place medal. I used to win the twenty-yard dash when I was a little kid in kindergarten. Nowadays, it’s the fifty-yard dash. And tomorrow I’m subject to run the quarter-meter relay all by myself and come in first, second, and third. The big kids call me Mercury cause I’m the swiftest thing in the neighborhood. Everybody knows that—except two people who know better, my father and me. He can beat me to Amsterdam Avenue with me having a two-fire-hydrant headstart and him running with his hands in his pockets and whistling. But that’s private information. Cause can you imagine some thirty-five-year-old man stuffing himself into PAL shorts to race little kids? So as far as everyone’s concerned, I’m the fastest and that goes for Gretchen, too, who has put out the tale that she is going to win the first-place medal this year. Ridiculous. In the second place, she’s got short legs. In the third place, she’s got freckles. In the first place, no one can beat me and that’s all there is to it.

1. to obtain money in a dishonest way 1 I’m standing on the corner admiring the weather and about to take a stroll down Broadway so I can practice my breathing exercises, and I’ve got Raymond walking on the inside close to the buildings, cause he’s subject to fits2 of fantasy and starts thinking he’s a circus performer and that the curb is a tightrope strung high in the air. And sometimes after a rain he likes to step down off his tightrope right into the gutter and slosh around getting his shoes and cuffs wet. Then I get hit when I get home. Or sometimes if you don’t watch him he’ll dash across traffic to the island in the middle of Broadway and give the pigeons a fit. Then I have to go behind him apologizing to all the old people sitting around trying to get some sun and getting all upset with the pigeons fluttering around them, scattering their newspapers and upsetting the waxpaper lunches in their laps. So I keep Raymond on the inside of me, and he plays like he’s driving a stage coach3 which is OK by me so long as he doesn’t run me over or interrupt my breathing exercises, which I have to do on account of I’m serious about my running, and I don’t care who knows it.

[5] Now some people like to act like things come easy to them, won’t let on that they practice. Not me. I’ll high-prance down 34th Street like a rodeo pony to keep my knees strong even if it does get my mother uptight4 so that she walks ahead like she’s not with me, don’t know me, is all by herself on a shopping trip, and I am somebody else’s crazy child. Now you take Cynthia Procter for instance. She’s just the opposite. If there’s a test tomorrow, she’ll say something like, “Oh, I guess I’ll play handball this afternoon and watch television tonight,” just to let you know she ain’t thinking about the test. Or like last week when she won the spelling bee for the millionth time, “A good thing you got ‘receive,’ Squeaky, cause I would have got it wrong. I completely forgot about the spelling bee.” And she’ll clutch the lace on her blouse like it was a narrow escape. Oh, brother. But of course when I pass her house on my early morning trots around the block, she is practicing the scales on the piano over and over and over and over. Then in music class she always lets herself get bumped around so she falls accidentally on purpose onto the piano stool and is so surprised to find herself sitting there that she decides just for fun to try out the ole keys. And what do you know— Chopin’s waltzes just spring out of her fingertips and she’s the most surprised thing in the world. A regular prodigy.5 I could kill people like that. I stay up all night studying the words for the spelling bee. And you can see me any time of day practicing running. I never walk if I can trot, and shame on Raymond if he can’t keep up. But of course he does, cause if he hangs back someone’s liable to walk up to him and get smart, or take his allowance from him, or ask him where he got that great big pumpkin head. People are so stupid sometimes.

2. Fit (noun): a sudden uncontrollable outburst of emotion or activity 3. a horse drawn vehicle 4. Uptight (adjective): anxious or angry is a tense way 5. Prodigy (noun): a young person with amazing qualities or abilities 2 So I’m strolling down Broadway breathing out and breathing in on counts of seven, which is my lucky number, and here comes Gretchen and her sidekicks: Mary Louise, who used to be a friend of mine when she first moved to Harlem from Baltimore and got beat up by everybody till I took up for her on account of her mother and my mother used to sing in the same choir when they were young girls, but people ain’t grateful, so now she hangs out with the new girl Gretchen and talks about me like a dog; and Rosie, who is as fat as I am skinny and has a big mouth where Raymond is concerned and is too stupid to know that there is not a big deal of difference between herself and Raymond and that she can’t afford to throw stones. So they are steady coming up Broadway and I see right away that it’s going to be one of those Dodge City scenes cause the street ain’t that big and they’re close to the buildings just as we are. First I think I’ll step into the candy store and look over the new comics and let them pass. But that’s chicken and I’ve got a reputation to consider. So then I think I’ll just walk straight on through them or even over them if necessary. But as they get to me, they slow down. I’m ready to fight, cause like I said I don’t feature a whole lot of chit-chat, I much prefer to just knock you down right from the jump and save everybody a lotta precious6 time.

“You signing up for the May Day races?” smiles Mary Louise, only it’s not a smile at all. A dumb question like that doesn’t deserve an answer. Besides, there’s just me and Gretchen standing there really, so no use wasting my breath talking to shadows.

“I don’t think you’re going to win this time,” says Rosie, trying to signify with her hands on her hips all salty,7 completely forgetting that I have whupped her behind many times for less salt than that.

“I always win cause I’m the best,” I say straight at Gretchen who is, as far as I’m concerned, the only one talking in this ventrilo-quist-dummy8 routine. Gretchen smiles, but it’s not a smile, and I’m thinking that girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how and don’t want to know how and there’s probably no one to teach us how, cause grown-up girls don’t know either. Then they all look at Raymond who has just brought his mule team to a standstill. And they’re about to see what trouble they can get into through him.

[10] “What grade you in now, Raymond?”

“You got anything to say to my brother, you say it to me, Mary Louise Williams of Raggedy Town, Baltimore.”

“What are you, his mother?” sasses Rosie.

“That’s right, Fatso. And the next word out of anybody and I’ll be their mother too.” So they just stand there and Gretchen shifts from one leg to the other and so do they. Then Gretchen puts her hands on her hips and is about to say something with her freckle-face self but doesn’t. Then she walks around me looking me up and down but keeps walking up Broadway, and her sidekicks follow her. So me and Raymond smile at each other and he says, “Gidyap” to his team and I continue with my breathing exercises, strolling down Broadway toward the ice man on 145th with not a care in the world cause I am Miss Quicksilver herself.

6. Precious (adjective): of great value 7. tough; aggressive 8. a puppet that is made to look like it’s talking 3 I take my time getting to the park on May Day because the track meet is the last thing on the program. The biggest thing on the program is the May Pole dancing, which I can do without, thank you, even if my mother thinks it’s a shame I don’t take part and act like a girl for a change. You’d think my mother’d be grateful not to have to make me a white organdy dress with a big satin sash and buy me new white baby-doll shoes that can’t be taken out of the box till the big day. You’d think she’d be glad her daughter ain’t out there prancing around a May Pole getting the new clothes all dirty and sweaty and trying to act like a fairy or a flower or whatever you’re supposed to be when you should be trying to be yourself, whatever that is, which is, as far as I am concerned, a poor black girl who really can’t afford to buy shoes and a new dress you only wear once a lifetime cause it won’t fit next year.

[15] I was once a strawberry in a Hansel and Gretel pageant when I was in nursery school and didn’t have no better sense than to dance on tiptoe with my arms in a circle over my head doing umbrella steps and being a perfect fool just so my mother and father could come dressed up and clap. You’d think they’d know better than to encourage that kind of nonsense. I am not a strawberry. I do not dance on my toes. I run. That is what I am all about. So I always come late to the May Day program, just in time to get my number pinned on and lay in the grass till they announce the fifty-yard dash.

I put Raymond in the little swings, which is a tight squeeze this year and will be impossible next year. Then I look around for Mr. Pearson, who pins the numbers on. I’m really looking for Gretchen if you want to know the truth, but she’s not around. The park is jam-packed. Parents in hats and corsages9 and breast-pocket handkerchiefs peeking up. Kids in white dresses and light-blue suits. The parkees unfolding chairs and chasing the rowdy10 kids from Lenox as if they had no right to be there. The big guys with their caps on backwards, leaning against the fence swirling the basketballs on the tips of their fingers, waiting for all these crazy people to clear out the park so they can play. Most of the kids in my class are carrying bass drums and glockenspiels11 and flutes. You’d think they’d put in a few bongos or something for real like that.

Then here comes Mr. Pearson with his clipboard and his cards and pencils and whistles and safety pins and fifty million other things he’s always dropping all over the place with his clumsy self. He sticks out in a crowd because he’s on stilts. We used to call him Jack and the Beanstalk to get him mad. But I’m the only one that can outrun him and get away, and I’m too grown for that silliness now.

“Well, Squeaky,” he says, checking my name off the list and handing me number seven and two pins. And I’m thinking he’s got no right to call me Squeaky, if I can’t call him Beanstalk.

“Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker,” I correct him and tell him to write it down on his board.

[20] “Well, Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, going to give someone else a break this year?” I squint at him real hard to see if he is seriously thinking I should lose the race on purpose just to give someone else a break. “Only six girls running this time,” he continues, shaking his head sadly like it’s my fault all of New York didn’t turn out in sneakers. “That new girl should give you a run for your money.” He looks around the park for Gretchen like a periscope12 in a submarine movie. “Wouldn’t it be a nice gesture if you were… to ahhh…”

9. flowers that are pinned to women’s clothing 10. Rowdy (adjective): noisy and disorderly 11. a musical instrument that consists of metal pieces that are struck with a small hammer 12. a telescope-like tool that is usually used by submarines to provide a view of things above the water 4 I give him such a look he couldn’t finish putting that idea into words. Grown-ups got a lot of nerve sometimes. I pin number seven to myself and stomp away, I’m so burnt. And I go straight for the track and stretch out on the grass while the band winds up with “Oh, the Monkey Wrapped His Tail Around the Flag Pole,” which my teacher calls by some other name. The man on the loudspeaker is calling everyone over to the track and I’m on my back looking at the sky, trying to pretend I’m in the country, but I can’t, because even grass in the city feels hard as sidewalk, and there’s just no pretending you are anywhere but in a “concrete jungle” as my grandfather says.

The twenty-yard dash takes all of two minutes cause most of the little kids don’t know no better than to run off the track or run the wrong way or run smack into the fence and fall down and cry. One little kid, though, has got the good sense to run straight for the white ribbon up ahead so he wins. Then the second-graders line up for the thirty-yard dash and I don’t even bother to turn my head to watch cause Raphael Perez always wins. He wins before he even begins by psyching13 the runners, telling them they’re going to trip on their shoelaces and fall on their faces or lose their shorts or something, which he doesn’t really have to do since he is very fast, almost as fast as I am. After that is the forty-yard dash which I used to run when I was in first grade. Raymond is hollering from the swings cause he knows I’m about to do my thing cause the man on the loudspeaker has just announced the fifty-yard dash, although he might just as well be giving a recipe for angel food cake cause you can hardly make out what he’s sayin for the static. I get up and slip off my sweat pants and then I see Gretchen standing at the starting line, kicking her legs out like a pro. Then as I get into place I see that ole Raymond is on line on the other side of the fence, bending down with his fingers on the ground just like he knew what he was doing. I was going to yell at him but then I didn’t. It burns up your energy to holler.

Every time, just before I take off in a race, I always feel like I’m in a dream, the kind of dream you have when you’re sick with fever and feel all hot and weightless. I dream I’m flying over a sandy beach in the early morning sun, kissing the leaves of the trees as I fly by. And there’s always the smell of apples, just like in the country when I was little and used to think I was a choo-choo train, running through the fields of corn and chugging up the hill to the orchard. And all the time I’m dreaming this, I get lighter and lighter until I’m flying over the beach again, getting blown through the sky like a feather that weighs nothing at all. But once I spread my fingers in the dirt and crouch over the Get on Your Mark, the dream goes and I am solid again and am telling myself, Squeaky you must win, you must win, you are the fastest thing in the world, you can even beat your father up Amsterdam if you really try. And then I feel my weight coming back just behind my knees then down to my feet then into the earth and the pistol shot explodes in my blood and I am off and weightless again, flying past the other runners, my arms pumping up and down and the whole world is quiet except for the crunch as I zoom over the gravel in the track. I glance to my left and there is no one. To the right, a blurred Gretchen, who’s got her chin jutting out as if it would win the race all by itself. And on the other side of the fence is Raymond with his arms down to his side and the palms tucked up behind him, running in his very own style, and it’s the first time I ever saw that and I almost stop to watch my brother Raymond on his first run. But the white ribbon is bouncing toward me and I tear past it, racing into the distance till my feet with a mind of their own start digging up footfuls of dirt and brake me short. Then all the kids standing on the side pile on me, banging me on the back and slapping my head with their May Day programs, for I have won again and everybody on 151st Street can walk tall for another year.

13. to intimidate or frighten mentally 5 “In first place…” the man on the loudspeaker is clear as a bell now. But then he pauses and the loudspeaker starts to whine. Then static. And I lean down to catch my breath and here comes Gretchen walking back, for she’s overshot the finish line too, huffing and puffing with her hands on her hips taking it slow, breathing in steady time like a real pro and I sort of like her a little for the first time. “In first place… ” and then three or four voices get all mixed up on the loudspeaker and I dig my sneaker into the grass and stare at Gretchen who’s staring back, we both wondering just who did win. I can hear old Beanstalk arguing with the man on the loudspeaker and then a few others running their mouths about what the stopwatches say. Then I hear Raymond yanking at the fence to call me and I wave to shush him, but he keeps rattling the fence like a gorilla in a cage like in them gorilla movies, but then like a dancer or something he starts climbing up nice and easy but very fast. And it occurs to me, watching how smoothly he climbs hand over hand and remembering how he looked running with his arms down to his side and with the wind pulling his mouth back and his teeth showing and all, it occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner. Doesn’t he always keep up with me on my trots? And he surely knows how to breathe in counts of seven cause he’s always doing it at the dinner table, which drives my brother George up the wall. And I’m smiling to beat the band cause if I’ve lost this race, or if me and Gretchen tied, or even if I’ve won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion. After all, with a little more study I can beat Cynthia and her phony self at the spelling bee. And if I bugged my mother, I could get piano lessons and become a star. And I have a big rep as the baddest thing around. And I’ve got a roomful of ribbons and medals and awards. But what has Raymond got to call his own?

[25] So I stand there with my new plans, laughing out loud by this time as Raymond jumps down from the fence and runs over with his teeth showing and his arms down to the side, which no one before him has quite mastered as a running style. And by the time he comes over I’m jumping up and down so glad to see him—my brother Raymond, a great runner in the family tradition. But of course everyone thinks I’m jumping up and down because the men on the loudspeaker have finally gotten themselves together and compared notes and are announcing “In first place—Miss Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker.” (Dig that.) “In second place — Miss Gretchen P. Lewis.” And I look over at Gretchen wondering what the “P” stands for. And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it. Maybe she’d like to help me coach Raymond; she obviously is serious about running, as any fool can see. And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile. We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering we don’t practice real smiling every day, you know, cause maybe we too busy being flowers or fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and worthy of respect… you know… like being people.

Permissions line: "Raymond's Run," copyright © 1971 by Toni Cade Bambara; from GORILLA, MY LOVE by Toni Cade Bambara. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

6 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the main theme of the short story? A. It’s necessary to be physically and mentally strong to succeed in sports. B. Sharing an important part of your life with someone else can make you closer. C. Sometimes helping others can offer a greater sense of an accomplishment than winning. D. Girls are encouraged to compete with each other instead of being friends.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “I stay up all night studying the words for the spelling bee. And you can see me any time of day practicing running.” (Paragraph 5) B. “‘I don’t think you’re going to win this time,’ says Rosie, trying to signify with her hands on her hips all salty” (Paragraph 8) C. “And on the other side of the fence is Raymond with his arms down to his side and the palms tucked up behind him, running in his very own style” (Paragraph 23) D. “And I’m smiling to beat the band cause if I’ve lost this race, or if me and Gretchen tied, or even if I’ve won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.” (Paragraph 24)

3. PART A: How does seeing her brother run impact Squeaky? A. It reminds her that running is supposed to be fun. B. It helps her see beyond her desire to win. C. It makes her realize that he’s not so different from her. D. It further pushes her to be the best runner she can be.

4. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “After all, with a little more study I can beat Cynthia and her phony self at the spelling bee. And if I bugged my mother, I could get piano lessons and become a star.” (Paragraph 24) B. “And I’ve got a roomful of ribbons and medals and awards. But what has Raymond got to call his own?” (Paragraph 24) C. “So I stand there with my new plans, laughing out loud by this time as Raymond jumps down from the fence and runs over with his teeth showing and his arms down to the side” (Paragraph 25) D. “‘In first place—Miss Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker.’ (Dig that.) ‘In second place — Miss Gretchen P. Lewis.’” (Paragraph 25)

7 5. How does Squeaky’s conversation with Gretchen in Paragraph 9 contribute to the story? A. It shows that Squeaky is confident in her running ability and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. B. It shows how Squeaky uses insults to weaken her competition and win races. C. It hints that Squeaky is nervous about running against Gretchen and might lose the race. D. It suggests that Squeaky is actually afraid of Gretchen and is trying not to let it show.

6. How does the author develop the narrator’s point of view? A. The author develops Squeaky’s point of view by comparing her thoughts and emotions to what her family thinks about her. B. The author develops Squeaky’s point of view by showing how she is affected by conversations with her best friends. C. The author develops Squeaky’s point of view by describing her early childhood to show how she developed her love of running. D. The author develops Squeaky’s point of view by emphasizing her thoughts and feelings about herself and the people around her.

7. How does Squeaky’s relationship with Raymond develop her point of view in the story?

8 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the story, Squeaky’s running is an important part of her identity. What are the things that make you who you are? Describe special skills, abilities, or interests that are an important part of your identity.

2. In the story, how does Squeaky’s thinking about her brother change? Do you think winning or helping others is more important? Describe a time when you put someone else’s needs before your own.

3. In the story, Squeaky is an extremely successful runner. What do you think contributes to her success? Describe what success means to you and why.

9 Name: Class:

'Couch potatoes' tend to be TV-energy hogs Small group of heavy U.S. watchers use one-third of all energy linked to TV viewing By Kathiann Kowalski 2016

How many hours of television do you watch a day? Depending on your answer, you could be responsible for wasting a lot of electricity. As you read, take notes on how couch potatoes can help save energy and reduce global warming.

[1] Television brings us lots of news and entertainment. It also eats up electricity. A new analysis now offers a bright idea for lowering the electricity used by TV viewers: Focus on the couch potatoes.

Energy-efficiency programs1 reward people for doing things to use less electricity. For example, new TV sets tend to use far less electricity than older ones. So an energy-efficiency program might offer money back — a rebate — to anyone who buys an energy-saving TV. "Untitled" by StockSnap is licensed under CC0

But some people will save far more electricity than others if they make the switch. That’s what Eric Williams and his team found. Williams is a sustainability scientist at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. His work combines social science, engineering and data analysis.

His team focused on how people use their TVs. To do that, they mined2 data from the American Time Use Survey. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts this survey. Each year, it asks more than 11,000 people to spell out how they spent their time the day before.

[5] The Rochester team put all of the survey data on time spent watching TV into a computer model. Then the model used math equations to divide these people into three groups. The equations work to reduce to a minimum any differences between people in each group, Williams explains.

On average, about 54 percent of U.S. viewers watch TV for slightly more than one hour each day. Another 33 percent watch about 3.5 hours per day. The average TV time for the remaining 14 percent was about 7.7 hours each day. Indeed, people in that last group — the so-called “couch potatoes” — typically spent nearly half their waking hours watching TV.

1. programs with the goal of reducing how much energy is used 2. to extract something of value from a source 1 The research team then estimated the amount of electricity used by each group. To do this, they based their calculations on an average television. And they showed that the 14 percent in that heavy-viewing group — “is responsible for a third of the total TV-energy use,” says Ashok Sekar. He’s a graduate student at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Using the findings

The team then dug into the data to see who those heavy viewers were. Half of them were over age 54. People in the group were more likely to work part-time or be retired. In general, those people also had less education — and less money to spend — than those in the other groups.

If those people switched to a new TV, they would save the most electricity. On average, Sekar points out, "The heavy watcher will get seven times the energy savings compared to the light watcher."

[10] “People are different, and those differences in what you like make a big difference in how you use energy,” notes Williams. Understanding that might help government set policies aimed at helping the environment, he points out.

Here’s how. About two-thirds of the nation’s electricity comes from power plants that burn coal or other fossil fuels. (Those numbers come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.) Among other things, these fossil-fueled plants emit3 carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.4 Power plants that burn fossil fuels are the single largest U.S. source of those gases. Those power plants, alone, spewed some 30 percent of the total in 2014, notes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So lowering electricity use can cut down on the pollution that helps drive global warming.

Knowing these TV viewing patterns can help improve programs to promote energy efficiency. Those programs cost money. So it makes sense to get the most value from the money spent. The new study suggests the best plan may be to zero in on the small group of viewers who watch TV the most and then encourage them to buy more efficient TVs.

Extra benefits

Getting those people to switch would also save society money. "There’s actually double savings," Sekar notes. "The purchasers save money because they’re using fewer kilowatt-hours" of electricity. (Kilowatt- hours is how power companies measure electricity use.) And electric companies save money "if they're using less power during the peak" periods of energy use, he adds. (That’s because they must run extra, less efficient plants to generate the extra power at this time of day. Alternatively, they might need to buy that electricity from another company.) Those peak times tend to occur in the afternoon and on especially warm days.

The researchers also have a few ideas about how to tweak existing energy-efficiency programs. An electric company might send a postcard to all customers about rebates5 on low-power TVs and appliances. That company might also make phone calls to customers who fit the “couch potato” profile and explain how much energy — and money — they might save with a new TV.

3. Emit (verb): to produce and discharge something, especially gas or radiation 4. any of the gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to its warming 5. a sales promotion used as an incentive through a price reduction or refund 2 [15] Another idea: Change the Energy Star labels on new TV sets. Right now, those labels report energy costs for an average viewer. But, as the study shows, many viewers use their TV sets far more than average. Perhaps the label could add a QR code,6 says Williams. A shopper might then scan the code with a smartphone. An online survey would then ask about that person’s TV-viewing habits. And that website might spell out how much that person might save on energy bills by switching to a new TV.

A similar approach might work for other things that hog electricity, Williams adds. For example, some people may use air conditioning, dishwashers or other appliances far more than others do. Studies could find out who those heavy-use groups are. Then focused programs could target them with data to help them figure out how to cut back their electricity use.

What can you do?

You don’t have to wait for more studies to save energy, says Williams. "Look at your own household and ask the question, 'What do we do a lot of?'" Then find out if you're using the most energy-saving technology for that activity. If not, think about making a switch, he says. In this way, everyone can help curb7 global warming.

Reuven Sussman is a social psychologist. He works for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, in Washington, D.C. He studies ways to get people in society to reduce their energy use. "It is important to understand what behaviors are resulting in energy consumption,” he says. Only in that way, he explains, can people figure out who to target about making changes in energy use. The more specific that advice can be, he says, the more likely it will lead to change.

In other words, don't just list TV-watching as one of many things that uses electricity. Advise people who watch lots of television to make a particular change, such as scrapping an inefficient TV.

[20] Better still, says Sussman, watch less TV! "It's also healthier to do non-television activities than it is to watch television," he notes. Spending too much time watching TV has been linked to several physical and mental health problems in both children and adults. Studies have found links between heavy TV- watching by children and obesity and increased aggression, for example.

So "stop watching television," Sussman advises students. Or, at least watch a lot less.

From Science News for Students, 2016. © Society for Science & the Public. Reprinted with permission. This article is intended only for single- classroom use by teachers.

For rights to republish Science News for Students articles in assessments, course packs, or textbooks, visit: https://www.societyforscience.org/ permission-republish.

6. a type of barcode that provides information to a smartphone or smart device 7. restrain 3 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text? A. Watching television wastes more energy than any other activity and is the biggest contributor to global warming. B. Despite how much money it could save television-watchers, many companies don’t sell energy-efficient televisions. C. People who watch more television and use the most electricity don’t care about the health of the environment. D. The people who watch the most television, also have the greatest potential to save energy and help the environment.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “On average, about 54 percent of U.S. viewers watch TV for slightly more than one hour each day. Another 33 percent watch about 3.5 hours per day.” (Paragraph 6) B. “On average, Sekar points out, ‘The heavy watcher will get seven times the energy savings compared to the light watcher.’" (Paragraph 9) C. “For example, some people may use air conditioning, dishwashers or other appliances far more than others do. Studies could find out who those heavy-use groups are.” (Paragraph 16) D. “Spending too much time watching TV has been linked to several physical and mental health problems in both children and adults.” (Paragraph 20)

3. What is the author’s main purpose in the text? A. to encourage readers to switch to more renewable sources for energy B. to inform readers on the best television to buy to save energy C. to show which television-watchers use the most energy and how they can conserve it D. to explore all the different types of activities that contribute to global warming

4. How do paragraphs 19-20 contribute to the development of ideas in the text? A. They emphasize how little is truly known about how much energy people use and what they use it for. B. They stress how complicated it is to get people who use a lot of energy to switch to energy-efficient products. C. They show how understanding people and their energy-usage will lead to better energy-saving methods. D. They support the claim that watching television is the biggest waste of energy in most households.

4 5. What is the relationship between watching television and global warming? Use details from the text in your response.

5 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author discusses how watching television consumes energy but also explains that this is not the only energy-consuming activity in the typical household. Consider all the activities and services that you rely on that are powered by electricity. Which of these can you cut down on or switch to more energy-efficient versions?

2. The text explores a study that analyzed how the amount of television watched related to energy consumption. How much television do you watch? Would it be worth it for you to switch to a more energy-efficient television? Why or why not?

3. In the text, the author discusses how televisions that aren’t energy-efficient contribute to global warming. What are other technologies that humans rely on that are bad for the environment?

6 Name: Class:

Louis Armstrong By Jessica McBirney 2017

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was an African American trumpeter, composer, singer, and actor. Armstrong’s career spanned five decades and he continues to be remembered today. In this informational text, Jessica McBirney discusses Armstrong’s life and career as a jazz musician. As you read, takes notes on how Armstrong’s influence changed mainstream jazz.

[1] Louis Armstrong is one of the world’s most famous jazz musicians. The musical style of jazz became popular around the world largely due to his talent as a cornet1 and trumpet player, his unique “scatting”2 singing style, and his strong and charming personality. He was also an important African American public figure during the decades of racial tension3 leading up to the Civil Rights Movement.

Music in Hardship

Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New "Louis Armstrong, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. July 1946 2" by Ky Orleans, Louisiana. His father left the family is licensed under CC BY 2.0. shortly after he was born, and his mother often left him in the care of his grandmother while she went to work. Armstrong himself had to leave school in 5th grade to work and earn money for the family. The neighborhood he lived in was so poverty- stricken4 and run-down people called it “the battlefield.”

Armstrong first fell in love with music in 1913. He developed his skills at the New Orleans Colored Waif’s Home for Boys,5 a facility he was sent a number of times, most notably for firing an empty round from his stepfather’s pistol into the air at a New Year’s Eve party. During his stay, he took cornet lessons and discovered his love for music. After he was released from the home he continued to play, sometimes in public, and gained recognition around New Orleans. Soon he was discovered by the best cornet player in the city, Joe “King” Oliver, who mentored him and let him play in some of his shows.

A Rising Star

A few years later Armstrong took over Oliver’s spot in New Orleans’ most popular band, Kid Ory’s band. In 1919 he took a summer job playing the cornet on a riverboat. This gig6 taught him how to read music and introduced him to the style of jazz, which he connected with deeply.

1. a brass instrument similar to a trumpet but shorter and wider 2. to sing using the voice in imitation of an instrument 3. a state in which people or groups disagree with and feel anger towards each other 4. extremely poor 5. a reform school 1 [5] In 1922 Armstrong moved to Chicago with Oliver to play in the Creole Jazz Band. Armstrong enjoyed certain luxuries, living in his own apartment for the first time and having his own private bath. Armstrong and Oliver became well known for playing duets, so they decided to produce some jazz records together. Over the next few years Armstrong also produced some records on his own as well as with some friends from New Orleans. Later he cut ties with Oliver and joined Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in New York City. Henderson had a very different style and introduced him to swing music.7 Henderson’s Orchestra was one of the first “big bands,” and they frequently performed for all-white audiences, which was unusual for African American musicians at the time.

Armstrong Takes the Lead

Armstrong didn’t play in New York for very long before moving back to Chicago and starting his own band, Louis Armstrong and the Hot Five. The artists who played with him enjoyed his fun personality and relaxed conducting style; he tried to feature each musician’s special talents. From 1925 to 1928 they produced over 60 records, some of the most important jazz records in musical history. During that time Armstrong switched from playing cornet to playing the trumpet. He also partnered with pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines to record duets. One of their pieces, “West End Blues,” is considered to be one of the most artful pieces of jazz, and it brought greater respect to the musical style and introduced it to a wider audience.

He faced several ups and downs in his career over the next few decades, but ultimately still remained popular and continued creating new music. He played briefly on Broadway8 in the 1930s. But, in the same decade he had to take two years off from playing and recording because his lips hurt from playing the trumpet so frequently over the years. However, he did get to restart his career after taking a rest. In the 1940s he recognized that swing music’s days were numbered, so he formed a smaller band that he would play with for the rest of his career. After that, his popularity with international audiences earned him the nickname Ambassador Satch.

Legacy

Armstrong suffered a heart attack in 1959, but that did not stop him; he kept a rigorous9 touring schedule throughout his life and into the 1960s. In 1967 he produced one of his most well-known songs, “What a Wonderful World.” In 1968 he first began having health problems, although he continued to perform sometimes. In 1971 Armstrong passed away from a heart attack he suffered while sleeping. The following year he was posthumously10 awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for having made creative contributions of outstanding significance11 to the field of recording music. It is just one of the many honors and awards he received.

6. a job 7. a kind of jazz characterized by a lively rhythm good for dancing 8. a famous theater district in New York City 9. extremely thorough, exhaustive 10. occurring or awarded after a person’s death 11. Significance (noun): the quality of being worthy of attention 2 Armstrong was a significant African American celebrity. He was the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, the first to get top billing in a Hollywood movie, and the first to host a national radio show. His personality won over fans of all races, nationalities, and backgrounds. For many years he tried to keep his political and social opinions about the Civil Rights Movement private, but after he saw the consequences of school segregation12 on TV, he made a public statement against segregation.

[10] He was also known for his unique musical style. He was very good at musical improvisation, not only on his trumpet but also in singing. “Scatting” is a form of improvisational singing he popularized, in which the singer does not sing pre-written, real words, but instead sings whatever sounds and notes they feel fit with the music in the moment. Armstrong made scat singing an important part of jazz and blues music. He revolutionized jazz from a folksy group performance to an individual performance. He influenced and set the bar for dozens of famous musicians after him, including Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. A star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

12. Segregation (noun): the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country or community 3 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following best identifies the main idea about Armstrong in the [RI.2] text? A. He succeeded internationally as a jazz musician and introduced new styles of music. B. He didn’t realize his full potential until he was an adult due to hardships as a child. C. He is well-remembered musician but his style is no longer practiced today. D. He used his popularity to address injustices during the Civil Rights movement.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? [RI.1] A. “Armstrong himself had to leave school in 5th grade to work and earn money for the family. The neighborhood he lived in was so poverty-stricken and run-down people called it ‘the battlefield.’” (Paragraph 2) B. “One of their pieces, “West End Blues,” is considered to be one of the most artful pieces of jazz, and it brought greater respect to the musical style and introduced it to a wider audience.” (Paragraph 6) C. “In the 1940s he recognized that swing music’s days were numbered, so he formed a smaller band that he would play with for the rest of his career.” (Paragraph 7) D. “but after he saw the consequences of school segregation on TV, he made a public statement condemning segregation.” (Paragraph 9)

3. How does the characterization of Armstrong’s neighborhood in paragraph 2 [RI.5] contribute to author’s description of his life? A. It shows that he overcame difficulties at a young age. B. It suggests that he got into fights when he was younger. C. It proves that he didn’t feel at home in his neighborhood. D. It provides reasoning for why he was motivated to leave his neighborhood.

4. Which of the following best describes the progress of Armstrong’s career? [RI.3] A. Armstrong was less successful as styles other than jazz began became popular. B. Armstrong’s career never fully recovered from his mouth injury that forced to take a break from music. C. Armstrong’s contributions to music were not fully accepted or respected until after his death. D. Armstrong produced successful music from the beginning of his career until the end, despite challenges along the way.

4 5. How does the author support her claim that Armstrong changed jazz? [RI.8]

5 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Armstrong did not share his opinions on the Civil Rights Movement for a long time, but eventually he did share them. What do you think about celebrities who express their opinions? Do you think that they should share their ideas with their fans, or keep them to themselves? Why?

2. In the context of the text, how do people succeed? What made Armstrong a successful trumpet player? What personal traits did he possess that contributed to this?

3. In the context of the text, what makes America unique? How have Americans contributed to the development of music and different musical genres? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or music in your answer.

6 Name: Class:

Swarm By Alan King 2017

Alan King is a Caribbean American, whose parents emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. In this poem, a speaker witnesses two boys fight. As you read, take notes on how the speaker reacts to seeing the two boys fight.

[1] In a mob1 of school kids, two boys shove each other before they’re on the ground.

They jab at air and grass, [5] missing the jaw, cheek and eye. A girl standing at the edge screams at the boy straddling his opponent.

Leave him alone. [10] This won’t make me like you. "Hive" by TJ Gehling is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

I watch from my car across the street after cruising through an old ‘hood, two decades removed [15] from my childhood.

And yet this gust spirals the pinwheel of memory, whirling me back to third grade,

when I obsessed2 over Tia Jones [20] the way my friends swarmed the ice cream truck for grape Pixy Stix.

She was a sixth grader, who mistook my lamppost legs and power line arms for a fifth grader.

1. Mob (noun): a large crowd of people 2. Obsess (verb): to fill the mind of someone constantly 1 [25] She was as old as the boys throwing grass in each other’s hair, rolling around in a kind of awkward tango towards manhood.

Watching the chubby kid [30] overpower his skinny enemy, I’m reminded of Darnell, an older boy too short for Tia.

That’s when I wonder if Insecurity’s3 the biggest instigator.4 [35] The one constantly egging you on to prove yourself, like that day Darnell kept asking, Why you so stupid?

It was the day I gave Tia [40] a Valentine’s card I made with construction paper and magic markers.

She kissed my cheek, her lips flipped the switch [45] to the streetlights inside me.

Why you so stupid? Darnell said. He shoved me. You so stupid you don’t even speak.

Tia’s fingers locked with mine, [50] Let’s get out of here.

I didn’t speak when he snatched her card and tore it, when I unzipped my bag, pulled out cleats,5 and smacked him.

I was a nest of wasps. [55] Each cleat stung him over and over.

3. insecurity is when you are uncertain about yourself or lack self-confidence 4. Instigator (noun): someone that deliberately brings about trouble 5. a type of athletic shoe that helps the wearer keep their footing 2 A woman’s yell calls me back across the street. It’s the neighbor on her front porch, wearing [60] a blue tattered housecoat and floppy pink slippers.

She holds up her phone, and the crowd scatters, Y’all need to stop! I got police on the line!

[65] I wish I had someone like her to save me from myself before Darnell’s tears streaked over welts big as bee stings. Tia nowhere in sight.

3 Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following describes the main theme of the poem? A. Boys are encouraged to fight from a young age. B. Boys sometimes feel like they have to prove themselves with violence. C. Kids are often pressured to fight by their peers. D. As people age, they tend to regret decisions from their youth.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to part A? A. “the pinwheel of memory, / whirling me back to third grade” (Lines 17-18) B. “if Insecurity’s the biggest instigator. / The one constantly egging you on” (Lines 34-35) C. “Why you so stupid? Darnell said. / He shoved me.” (Lines 46-47) D. “I wish I had someone like her / to save me from myself” (Lines 65-66)

3. How do the girls’ responses to the boys fighting contribute to the poem? A. They emphasize that violence doesn’t accomplish or prove anything. B. They stress how much girls dislike violence in comparison to boys. C. They prove that the boys are trying to impress the girls with violence. D. They reveal how impressed the girls are by the boys’ fighting.

4. How do lines 33-38 contribute to the development of the poem’s theme? A. It emphasizes the idea that everyone is insecure. B. It shows how boys can avoid getting into fights. C. It stresses the idea that fighting is harmless. D. It reveals what the speaker thinks drives boys to fight.

5. How does the speaker’s use of figurative language relating to bees contribute to the poem?

4 Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the poem, how has the speaker grown up since the fight he had in the third grade? How have his views on fighting changed? Do you think this is an indication of his maturity? Why or why not? Discuss a memory from when you were younger that you now have a new perspective on.

2. The speaker remembers the fight he got into, even though it was twenty years ago. Why do you think this memory is significant for him? How do you think this memory contributed to the person he is today? Describe an experience that contributed to who you are today.

3. In the poem, both the speaker and the boys he observes are involved in fights with someone trying to prove themselves. What are some of the things that you have done in the past as an attempt to prove yourself to someone else or a group of people? Looking back at that time, what are some of the different ways you view your actions today? What would you do differently if you had a second chance?

5 How to Log on to Power Up from Home (For only Ashfield, South and Davis 6-8 students) Log on to Google and search for Brockton Public Schools and go to the home page.

Choose the Students tab.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Student Intranet

Choose ELA

Choose Power Up

Choose Student and log in with their six-digit lunch number for both the username and password.

Students are urged to comlete their word study minutes on Monday, Grammar minutes on Tuesday, Reading Comprehension on Wednesday and Thursday and the topic of their choice on Friday.

How to Log on to Clever from Home to Access Amplify READING Curriculum

Log on to Google and search for Brockton Public Schools and go to the home page.

Choose the Students tab.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Student Intranet

Choose Clever.

Choose Amplify Curriculum

Choose the hamburger menu in the top left corner.

Click in “Go To My Account”

Click on Reading 6-8

How to Log on to READ 180 from Home

Log on to Google and search for Brockton Public Schools and go to the home page.

Choose the Students tab.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Student Intranet

Choose Clever. Students will have to log on with their Username: 6-digitlunch number @bpsma.org and the password is their 8-digit birthday bps1920 Example: Username: [email protected] Password: 06142007bps1920

Choose READ 180

Log on with the username: 6-digit lunch number (123456) and the password: 6-digit lunch number followed by their first and last initials. (123456am)

Directions for Students to Access Common Lit. from Home

1. Go to the BPS website and choose Students.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the student page and choose the blue Student Intranet button.

3. Choose the Clever button.

4. Log In with your BPS username and password. Your username is your 6-digit lunch number and your password is your 8-digit birthdaybps1920. Example: password: 123456 Username: 12052007bps1920

5. Choose the Common Lit app.

6. You will see "Your Account Needs Updating” will asked to set a backup password so you can access your account even in the case of a Clever outage or issue. You will never be asked to do that again.

7. Once you do that, you will be let into the Common Lit and you can do your assignment. Under the heading ASSIGNMENTS TO DO.

Good luck!