ELA Reading & Writing Activities North, East, West, Plouffe Amplify Readin

Week of: March 30-April 4 Grade: 7 Content: ELA

Learning Objective: Greetings 7th 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 about a conflicted barber, a woman who helped to win WWII, girls overcoming stereotypes, fire breathing dragons and a comic take on human nature. Please actively read each text and then carefully answer the questions that follow. Below is just a suggested order.

Learning Plan: Every day students should spend 30 minutes or more doing a Reading and Writing Activity. If students have a device and internet connection, they can complete 30 minutes doing an on-line enrichment skills activity. Below is a suggested routine.

Reading & Writing Activities Monday & Lather and Nothing Else by Hernando Tellez Tuesday Or The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Robert Groves Wednesday & Cracking Code Purple by Anna Ouchchy Thursday Or Math Isn’t Just for Boys by Rachel Crowell Friday Nature Shows How Dragons Might Breathe Fire by David Greene

Enrichment 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. 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:

Lather and Nothing Else By Hernando Téllez 2007

Hernando Téllez (1908-1966) was a Columbian journalist and author. In this short story, a barber gives a military captain a shave. As you read, take notes on the barber's internal conflict as he shaves the military captain.

[1] He didn’t greet anyone when he came in. I was sharpening my best razor. And when I saw him I began to tremble. But he didn’t notice. I continued to sharpen the razor to hide my alarm. Then I tested it against the tip of my thumb and held it up to the light again. He was removing his bandolier,1 with its holster dangling. He hung it on one of the nails in the wardrobe and placed his kepi2 on top. He turned around to address me and, undoing his tie, said “It’s hot as hell. Give me a shave.” And he sat in the chair.

I estimated it had been four days since he had last shaved. The four days the latest expedition to hunt down our people had lasted. His face appeared sunburned, hardened by the sun. I 3 prepared the foam meticulously. I cut a few "Lathering Saddle Soap" by orionpozo is licensed under CC BY 2.0 slices off the bar of soap and let them fall into the bowl. I added a little warm water and stirred it with the brush. It soon began to lather.

“The troops must need a shave as bad as I do.”

I kept on beating the lather.

[5] “But you know what? It was a success. We got the leaders. Some we brought back dead, some are still alive. But soon they’ll all be dead.”

“How many did you get?” I asked.

“Fourteen. We had to go in pretty far to find them. But they’re paying for it now. And not one of them will come out alive, not one.”

He leaned back in the chair when he saw I was holding up the shaving brush, full of lather. I still hadn’t put the sheet on him.

1. a shoulder-belt with loops or pockets for cartridges 2. a military cap with a flat top and horizontal brim 3. Meticulous (adjective): showing careful and great attention to detail 1 That’s how disoriented I was. I took a sheet out of the drawer and tied it around my client’s neck. He didn’t stop talking. He took for granted that I was on the side of the new order.

[10] “The town has learned its lesson from what happened the other day,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied, as I finished tying the knot on his dark, sweaty, neck.

“That was pretty good, wasn’t it?”

“Very good,” I answered, as I picked up the brush again.

The man closed his eyes, sighing with fatigue, and waited for the cool caress of the soap. I had never had him so close. The day he ordered the townspeople to gather in the schoolyard to see the four rebels hanging there, I caught a glimpse of him. But the sight of the mutilated4 bodies kept my eyes from lingering on the face of the man who was responsible for it all, the man whose face I was now going to take in my hands. It wasn’t an unpleasant face, for sure. And his beard, though it made him appear older, looked good on him. His name was Torres. Captain Torres. A man with a good imagination; after all, it hadn’t occurred to anyone before him to string up the rebels naked and use various parts of their bodies for target practice.

[15] I started to apply the first layer of soap. His eyes were still closed.

“What I wouldn’t do for a little sleep,” he said. “But there’s a lot of work to be done this afternoon.”

I lifted the brush, and, feigning5 casual unconcern, asked, “Firing squad?”

“Something like that, but slower,” he replied.

“All of them?”

[20] “No. Just a few.”

I returned to the task of lathering his beard. My hands began to shake. The man couldn’t have noticed, which was a relief. But I wished he hadn’t come. Many of our people had probably seen him come in. And having the enemy on your home turf imposes certain conditions. I’d have to shave that beard like any other, with the greatest care and as if he were my best customer, making sure that not one drop of blood emerged from his pores. Making sure that the razor would not get caught in the little clumps of hair. Making sure that his skin would come out clean, taut, and smooth, and that when I brushed the back of my hand against it, not one hair could be felt on its surface. Yes. I was a clandestine6 revolutionary, but I was also a barber of integrity, proud of the diligence7 with which I practiced by profession. And that four-day-old beard needed a lot of work.

4. Mutilation is the infliction of a violent and disfiguring injury on a human or animal. 5. Feign (verb): to pretend to feel or be affected by something 6. Clandestine (adjective): kept secret or done secretively 7. Diligence (noun): careful and persistent work or effort 2 I picked up the razor, opened the two handles at an angle, opened the blade, and began my task, heading downward from one of his temples. The blade responded impeccably. His beard was stubborn and hard, not very long, but dense. Little by little, his skin began to appear. The blade emitted8 its usual sound, and lumps of soap mixed with little hairs accumulated9 on it. I paused to clean and then sharpen it because I’m a barber who does things right. The man had been keeping his eyes shut. Now he opened them, lifted his hand from underneath the sheet, touched the part of his face that had become free of soap, and said, “Come to the school at six this evening.”

“The same as the other day?” I asked, horrified.

“It might be even better,” he replied.

[25] “What are you planning on doing?”

“I don’t know yet, but it’ll be fun.” He leaned back again and closed his eyes. I approached the razor poised.

“Do you plan on punishing all of them?” I ventured10 timidly.

“All of them.”

The soap on his face was drying. I had to get started. I looked onto the street through the mirror. The same as always: the corner store and two or three customers inside. Then I looked at the clock: 2:20 p.m. The blade continued its descent. Now the other temple and down the cheek. A dark beard, thick. He should let it grow, like some poets and priests do. It would look good on him. Many people wouldn’t recognize him. And that would be in his best interests, I thought, as I gingerly moved the blade up his neck. That’s where I had to be most careful, since the growth, although still in its early stages, was clumping. A curly beard. The tiny pores could open and release their pearls of blood. The pride of a good barber like me hinges on not letting this happen to any client. And this was an important client. How many of our people had he ordered killed? How many had he ordered mutilated? Better not to think about it. Torres didn’t know that I was his enemy. He didn’t know and neither did the others. It was a secret known to very few, precisely so that I could inform the revolutionaries about what Torres was up to in the town, and what he planned on doing each time he set out on an incursion11 to hunt them down. Needless to say, it was going to be very difficult to explain how I had had him at my mercy and then let him go, alive and shaved.

[30] The beard had almost completely disappeared. He looked younger, as if years had been taken off since he came in. I suppose this is what always happens to men when they’ve been to the barber’s. Torres was rejuvenated at the stroke of my razor, yes, because I’m a good barber, the best in this town, and I don’t say this out of vanity. A little more soap here, under the chin, over the Adam’s apple, on that major artery.12

8. Emit (verb): to produce and discharge something 9. Accumulate (verb): to gather together or acquire an increasing number or quantity of 10. Venture (verb): to dare to do or say something that might be considered bold 11. an invasion or attack 12. any of the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulation system by which blood is pumped by the heart to all parts of the body 3 It’s so hot! Torres must be sweating too. But he’s not afraid. He’s serene, not even worried about what he’s going to do with the prisoners this afternoon. I, on the other hand, with this razor in my hand, scraping and scraping this skin, making sure that blood doesn’t spill from those pores, wary of each stroke, cannot think calmly. D— him for coming; I am a revolutionary but I am not a murderer. And to think how easy it would be to kill him. And he deserves it.

Does he? No; what the h—! No one is worth the sacrifice of becoming a murderer. What could be gained from it? Nothing. Others come along, and then others, and the first ones kill the second ones and they kill the third group, and it goes on and on until everything is a sea of blood. I could cut his neck like this: Jab! Jab! I wouldn’t give him time to protest and since his eyes are closed he wouldn’t see the glint13 of the blade or the glint in my eyes. But I’m shaking like a real murderer. From that neck, a torrent14 of blood would spurt onto the sheet, onto the chair, onto my hands, onto the floor. I’d have to shut the door. And the blood would be flowing along the floor, warm indelible,15 uncontainable, out into the street like a thin, scarlet stream. I am sure that a hard jab, a deep incision, would be painless. He wouldn’t suffer. And what would I do with the body? Where could I hide it? I’d have to flee, leave all of this, take refuge far away, very far. But they’d hunt me until they found me. “The man who murdered Captain Torres. He slit his throat while giving him a shave. A coward.” Or, “The man who avenged our people. A name to remember (fill in my name). He was the town barber. No one knew that he supported our cause… ”

So which is it? Murderer or hero? My destiny hinges on the blade of this razor. I can push down a little more on my hand, lean like silk, like rubber, like sheepskin. There is nothing more tender than a man’s skin and the blood is always there, ready to flow. A razor like this does not let you down. It’s my best razor. But I don’t want to be a murderer, no sir. You came for a shave. And I will do my duty honorably… I don’t want to be stained with blood. By lather, and nothing else. You’re an executioner and I’m only a barber. Each in his place. That’s it. Each in his place.

His face was now clean, smooth, and taut.16 The man sat up to look at himself in the mirror. He rubbed his skin with his hands and felt it fresh and like new.

[35] “Thank you,” he said. He headed toward the wardrobe to get his belt, gun, and kepi. I must have been very pale and my shirt felt soaked. Torres buckled his belt, put his gun back in its holster, ran a hand over his hair mechanically, and put on his kepi. He took a few coins out of his pocket to pay me for my services. Then he started to walk toward the door. He paused in the doorway for a moment, turned around, and spoke.

“They told me that you’d kill me. I came to find out for myself. But killing isn’t easy. I know what I’m talking about.”

And he headed down the street.

13. to give out or reflect small flashes of light 14. a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid 15. Indelible (adjective): making marks or an impression that cannot be removed or forgotten 16. Taut (adjective): stretched or pulled tight 4 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. We should stay true to who we are, despite how difficult the circumstances might be. B. Even people believed to be good are capable of committing acts of violence. C. Violence in only acceptable when it solves more problems than it creates. D. It's more important to keep yourself safe than to attempt to right a wrong.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “How many of our people had he ordered killed? How many had he ordered mutilated? Better not to think about it.” (Paragraph 29) B. “And what would I do with the body? Where could I hide it? I'd have to flee, leave all of this, take refuge far away, very far.” (Paragraph 32) C. “You're an executioner and I'm only a barber. Each in his place. That's it. Each in his place.” (Paragraph 33) D. “‘They told me that you'd kill me. I came to find out for myself. But killing isn't easy. I know what I'm talking about.’” (Paragraph 36)

3. How does the moment that the barber considers killing Captain Torres contribute to the theme of the story? A. It emphasizes how any individual can be capable of extreme acts of violence. B. It stresses the extent of Captain Torres' evil and the need for justice. C. It shows how the barber is too fearful to act when given the opportunity. D. It reveals the internal struggle to do the right thing that the barber is having.

4. How does the difference in the point of view between the characters and the reader create suspense?

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 story, the barber wants to kill Captain Torres for all the violence he has inflicted on others. Do you think his desire for revenge is justified? Why or why not? What would you have done if you were in the barber's position in the story? What are the circumstances in your life where you've felt as though revenge was justified? How did you deal with those circumstances?

2. Captain Torres and the barber's lives are shaped by the war around them which causes them to have to make strong decisions. What are examples in your life, such as your neighborhood, the school you attend, or other circumstances, that shape the way you live and cause you to have to make difficult decisions?

3. Despite his desire for revenge, the barber believes he is doing the right thing by just shaving Captain Torres. Describe a time when you or someone you knew felt strongly about a decision that had to be made, but was difficult to make. How was the decision resolved?

6 Name: Class:

The Griffin and the Minor Canon By Frank R. Stockton 1885

Frank Stockton (1834-1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known for a number of children’s stories popular during the late 19th century. In this short story, a griffin leaves his home in the wild to visit a church that features a statue designed to look like him, and decides to stay—much to the fear and dismay of the townspeople. As you read, take notes on how various citizens interact with the griffin and the one who gains his approval.

[1] Over the great door of an old, old church which stood in a quiet town of a faraway land there was carved in stone the figure of a large griffin.1 The old-time sculptor had done his work with great care, but the image he had made was not a pleasant one to look at. It had a large head, with enormous open mouth and savage teeth; from its back arose great wings, armed with sharp hooks and prongs; it had stout legs in front, with projecting claws, but there were no legs behind — the body running out into a long and powerful tail, finished off at the end with a barbed point. This tail was coiled up under him, the end sticking

up just back of his wings. "Griffin corbel carving 2" by Siaron James is licensed under CC BY- NC 2.0 The sculptor, or the people who had ordered this stone figure, had evidently been very much pleased with it, for little copies of it, also of stone, had been placed here and there along the sides of the church, not very far from the ground so that people could easily look at them, and ponder on their curious forms. There were a great many other sculptures on the outside of this church — saints, martyrs,2 grotesque3 heads of men, beasts, and birds, as well as those of other creatures which cannot be named, because nobody knows exactly what they were; but none were so curious and interesting as the great griffin over the door, and the little griffins on the sides of the church.

A long, long distance from the town, in the midst of dreadful wilds scarcely known to man, there dwelt the Griffin whose image had been put up over the church door. In some way or other, the old-time sculptor had seen him and afterward, to the best of his memory, had copied his figure in stone.

The Griffin had never known this, until, hundreds of years afterward, he heard from a bird, from a wild animal, or in some manner which it is not now easy to find out, that there was a likeness of him on the old church in the distant town.

1. A griffin is a mythological beast with the head, forepart, and wings of an eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion. 2. Martyr (noun): one who sacrifices something of great value, often their very own life 3. Grotesque (adjective): a style of decorative art characterized by fanciful distortion into absurdity, ugliness, or caricature 1 [5] Now, this Griffin had no idea how he looked. He had never seen a mirror, and the streams where he lived were so turbulent4 and violent that a quiet piece of water, which would reflect the image of anything looking into it, could not be found. Being, as far as could be ascertained,5 the very last of his race, he had never seen another griffin. Therefore it was that, when he heard of this stone image of himself, he became very anxious to know what he looked like, and at last he determined to go to the old church, and see for himself what manner of being he was.

So he started off from the dreadful wilds, and flew on and on until he came to the countries inhabited by men, where his appearance in the air created great consternation;6 but he alighted nowhere, keeping up a steady flight until he reached the suburbs of the town which had his image on its church. Here, late in the afternoon, he lighted in a green meadow by the side of a brook, and stretched himself on the grass to rest. His great wings were tired, for he had not made such a long flight in a century, or more.

The news of his coming spread quickly over the town, and the people, frightened nearly out of their wits by the arrival of so strange a visitor, fled into their houses, and shut themselves up. The Griffin called loudly for someone to come to him but the more he called, the more afraid the people were to show themselves. At length he saw two laborers hurrying to their homes through the fields, and in a terrible voice he commanded them to stop. Not daring to disobey, the men stood, trembling.

“What is the matter with you all?” cried the Griffin. “Is there not a man in your town who is brave enough to speak to me?”

“I think,” said one of the laborers, his voice shaking so that his words could hardly be understood, “that — perhaps — the Minor Canon7 — would come.”

[10] “Go, call him, then” said the Griffin; “I want to see him.”

The Minor Canon, who was an assistant in the old church, had just finished the afternoon services, and was coming out of a side door, with three aged women who had formed the weekday congregation. He was a young man of a kind disposition,8 and very anxious to do good to the people of the town. Apart from his duties in the church, where he conducted services every weekday, he visited the sick and the poor, counseled and assisted persons who were in trouble, and taught a school composed entirely of the bad children in the town with whom nobody else would have anything to do. Whenever the people wanted something difficult done for them, they always went to the Minor Canon. Thus it was that the laborer thought of the young priest when he found that someone must come and speak to the Griffin.

The Minor Canon had not heard of the strange event, which was known to the whole town except himself and the three old women and when he was informed of it, and was told that the Griffin had asked to see him, he was greatly amazed and frightened.

“Me!” he exclaimed. “He has never heard of me! What should he want with me?”

4. Turbulent (adjective): characterized by agitation or disorder 5. Ascertain (verb): to find out or learn with certainty 6. Consternation (noun): feelings of anxiety or distress, typically due to something unexpected 7. A Minor Canon is a member of staff on the establishment of a cathedral or a collegiate church. 8. Disposition (noun): prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination 2 “Oh! you must go instantly!” cried the two men. “He is very angry now because he has been kept waiting so long; and nobody knows what may happen if you don’t hurry to him.”

[15] The poor Minor Canon would rather have had his hand cut off than go out to meet an angry Griffin but he felt that it was his duty to go for it would be a woeful thing if injury should come to the people of the town because he was not brave enough to obey the summons of the Griffin. So, pale and frightened, he started off.

‘Well,” said the Griffin, as soon as the young man came near, “I am glad to see that there is someone who has the courage to come to me.”

The Minor Canon did not feel very brave, but he bowed his head.

‘Is this the town,” said the Griffin, “where there is a church with a likeness of myself over one of the doors?”

The Minor Canon looked at the frightful creature before him and saw that it was, without doubt, exactly like the stone image on the church. “Yes,” he said, “you are right.”

[20] “Well, then,” said the Griffin, “will you take me to it? I wish very much to see it.”

The Minor Canon instantly thought that if the Griffin entered the town without the people’s knowing what he came for, some of them would probably be frightened to death, and so he sought to gain time to prepare their minds.

‘It is growing dark, now,” he said, very much afraid, as he spoke, that his words might enrage the Griffin, “and objects on the front of the church cannot be seen clearly. It will be better to wait until morning, if you wish to get a good view of the stone image of yourself.”

“That will suit me very well,” said the Griffin. “I see you are a man of good sense. I am tired, and I will take a nap here on this soft grass, while I cool my tail in the little stream that runs near me. The end of my tail gets red-hot when I am angry or excited, and it is quite warm now. So you may go; but be sure and come early tomorrow morning, and show me the way to the church.”

The Minor Canon was glad enough to take his leave, and hurried into the town. In front of the church he found a great many people assembled to hear his report of his interview with the Griffin. When they found that he had not come to spread rum, but simply to see his stony likeness on the church, they showed neither relief nor gratification,9 but began to upbraid10 the Minor Canon for consenting to conduct the creature into the town.

[25] "What could I do?” cried the young man. “If I should not bring him he would come himself, and, perhaps, end by setting fire to the town with his red-hot tail.”

Still the people were not satisfied, and a great many plans were proposed to prevent the Griffin from coming into the town. Some elderly persons urged that the young men should go out and kill him; but the young men scoffed at such a ridiculous idea.

9. Gratification (noun): reward or thanks 10. Upbraid (verb): to criticize, reproach, or scold 3 Then someone said that it would be a good thing to destroy the stone image, so that the Griffin would have no excuse for entering the town; and this plan was received with such favor that many of the people ran for hammers, chisels, and crowbars, with which to tear down and break up the stone griffin. But the Minor Canon resisted this plan with all the strength of his mind and body. He assured the people that this action would enrage the Griffin beyond measure, for it would be impossible to conceal from him that his image had been destroyed during the night. But the people were so determined to break up the stone griffin that the Minor Canon saw that there was nothing for him to do but to stay there and protect it. All night he walked up and down in front of the church door, keeping away the men who brought ladders, by which they might mount to the great stone griffin, and knock it to pieces with their hammers and crowbars. After many hours the people were obliged to give up their attempts, and went home to sleep; but the Minor Canon remained at his post till early morning, and then he hurried away to the field where he had left the Griffin.

The monster had just awakened, and rising to his forelegs and shaking himself he said that he was ready to go into the town. The Minor Canon, therefore, walked back, the Griffin flying slowly through the air, at a short distance above the head of his guide. Not a person was to be seen in the streets, and they went directly to the front of the church, where the Minor Canon pointed out the stone griffin.

The real Griffin settled down in the little square before the church and gazed earnestly at his sculptured likeness. For a long time he looked at it. First he put his head on one side, and then he put it on the other; then he shut his right eye and gazed with his left, after which he shut his left eye and gazed with his right. Then he moved a little to one side and looked at the image, then he moved the other way.

[30] After a while he said to the Minor Canon, who had been standing by all this time: “It is, it must be, an excellent likeness! That breadth between the eyes, that expansive forehead, those massive jaws! I feel that it must resemble me. If there is any fault to find with it, it is that the neck seems a little stiff. But that is nothing. It is an admirable likeness — admirable!”

The Griffin sat looking at his image all the morning and all the afternoon. The Minor Canon had been afraid to go away and leave him, and had hoped all through the day that he would soon be satisfied with his inspection and fly away home. But by evening the poor young man was very tired, and felt that he must eat and sleep. He frankly said this to the Griffin, and asked him if he would not like something to eat. He said this because he felt obliged in politeness to do so, but as soon as he had spoken the words, he was seized with dread lest the monster should demand half a dozen babies, or some tempting repast11 of that kind.

“Oh, no,” said the Griffin; ‘I never eat between the equinoxes. At the vernal and at the autumnal equinox12 I take a good meal, and that lasts me for half a year. I am extremely regular in my habits, and do not think it healthful to eat at odd times. But if you need food, go and get it, and I will return to the soft grass where I slept last night and take another nap.”

The next day the Griffin came again to the little square before the church, and remained there until evening, steadfastly regarding the stone griffin over the door. The Minor Canon came out once or twice to look at him, and the Griffin seemed very glad to see him; but the young clergyman could not stay as he had done before, for he had many duties to perform. Nobody went to the church, but the people came to the Minor Canon’s house, and anxiously asked him how long the Griffin was going to stay.

11. Repast (noun): meal or food 12. The vernal/spring and autumnal/fall equinoxes refer to days during the year in which the hours of night and day 4 “I do not know,” he answered, “but I think he will soon be satisfied with regarding his stone likeness, and then he will go away.”

[35] But the Griffin did not go away. Morning after morning he came to the church; but after a time he did not stay there all day. He seemed to have taken a great fancy to the Minor Canon, and followed him about as he worked. He would wait for him at the side door of the church, for the Minor Canon held services every day, morning and evening, though nobody came now. “If anyone should come,” he said to himself, “I must be found at my post.” When the young man came out, the Griffin would accompany him in his visits to the sick and the poor, and would often look into the windows of the schoolhouse where the Minor Canon was teaching his unruly scholars. All the other schools were closed, but the parents of the Minor Canon’s scholars forced them to go to school, because they were so bad they could not endure them all day at home — Griffin or no Griffin. But it must be said they generally behaved very well when that great monster sat up on his tail and looked in at the schoolroom window.

When it was found that the Griffin showed no sign of going away, all the people who were able to do so left the town. The canons and the higher officers of the church had fled away during the first day of the Griffin’s visit, leaving behind only the Minor Canon and some of the men who opened the doors and swept the church. All the citizens who could afford it shut up their houses and traveled to distant parts, and only the working people and the poor were left behind. After some days these ventured to go about and attend to their business, for if they did not work they would starve. They were getting a little used to seeing the Griffin; and having been told that he did not eat between equinoxes, they did not feel so much afraid of him as before.

Day by day the Griffin became more and more attached to the Minor Canon. He kept near him a great part of the time, and often spent the night in front of the little house where the young clergyman lived alone. This strange companionship was often burdensome to the Minor Canon, but, on the other hand, he could not deny that he derived a great deal of benefit and instruction from it. The Griffin had lived for hundreds of years, and had seen much, and he told the Minor Canon many wonderful things.

“It is like reading an old book,” said the young clergyman to himself; “but how many books I would have had to read before I would have found out what the Griffin has told me about the earth, the air, the water, about minerals, and metals, and growing things, and all the wonders of the world!”

Thus the summer went on, and drew toward its close. And now the people of the town began to be very much troubled again.

[40] “It will not be long,” they said, “before the autumnal equinox is here, and then that monster will want to eat. He will be dreadfully hungry, for he has taken so much exercise since his last meal. He will devour our children. Without doubt, he will eat them all. What is to be done?”

To this question no one could give an answer, but all agreed that the Griffin must not be allowed to remain until the approaching equinox. After talking over the matter a great deal, a crowd of the people went to the Minor Canon at a time when the Griffin was not with him.

‘It is all your fault,” they said, “that that monster is among us. You brought him here, and you ought to see that he goes away. It is only on your account that he stays here at all; for, although he visits his image every day, he is with you the greater part of the time. If you were not here, he would not stay. It is your duty to go away, and then he will follow you, and we shall be free from the dreadful danger which hangs over us.”

5 “Go away!” cried the Minor Canon, greatly grieved at being spoken to in such a way. “Where shall I go? If I go to some other town, shall I not take this trouble there? Have I a right to do that?”

“No,” said the people, “you must not go to any other town. There is no town far enough away. You must go to the dreadful wilds where the Griffin lives, and then he will follow you and stay there.”

[45] They did not say whether or not they expected the Minor Canon to stay there also, and he did not ask them anything about it. He bowed his head, and went into his house to think. The more he thought, the more clear it became to his mind that it was his duty to go away, and thus free the town from the presence of the Griffin.

That evening he packed a leather bag full of bread and meat, and early the next morning he set out or his journey to the dreadful wilds. It was a long, weary, and doleful13 journey, especially after he had gone beyond the habitations of men; but the Minor Canon kept on bravely, and never faltered.

The way was longer than he had expected, and his provisions soon grew so scanty that he was obliged to eat but a little every day; but he kept up his courage, and pressed on, and, after many days of toilsome travel, he reached the dreadful wilds.

When the Griffin found that the Minor Canon had left the town he seemed sorry, but showed no desire to go and look for him. After a few days had passed he became much annoyed, and asked some of the people where the Minor Canon had gone. But, although the citizens had been so anxious that the young clergyman should go to the dreadful wilds, thinking that the Griffin would immediately follow him, they were now afraid to mention the Minor Canon’s destination, for the monster seemed angry already, and if he should suspect their trick he would, doubtless, become very much enraged. So everyone said he did not know, and the Griffin wandered about disconsolate.14 One morning he looked into the Minor Canon’s schoolhouse, which was always empty now, and thought that it was a shame that everything should suffer on account of the young man’s absence.

“It does not matter so much about the church,” he said, “for nobody went there; but it is a pity about the school. I think I will teach it myself until he returns.”

[50] It was the hour for opening the school, and the Griffin went inside and pulled the rope which rang the school bell. Some of the children who heard the bell ran in to see what was the matter, supposing it to be a joke of one of their companions; but when they saw the Griffin they stood astonished and scared.

“Go tell the other scholars,” said the monster, “that school is about to open, and that if they are not all here in ten minutes I shall come after them.”

In seven minutes every scholar was in place.

Never was seen such an orderly school. Not a boy or girl moved or uttered a whisper. The Griffin climbed into the master’s seat, his wide wings spread on each side of him, because he could not lean back in his chair while they stuck out behind, and his great tail coiled around, in front of the desk, the barbed end sticking up, ready to tap any boy or girl who might misbehave.

13. Doleful (adjective): causing grief or being full of grief; cheerless 14. Disconsolate (adjective): cheerless, dejected, or downcast 6 The Griffin now addressed the scholars, telling them that he intended to teach them while their master was away. In speaking he tried to imitate, as far as possible, the mild and gentle tones of the Minor Canon; but it must be admitted that in this he was not very successful. He had paid a good deal of attention to the studies of the school, and he determined not to try to teach them anything new, but to review them in what they had been studying; so he called up the various classes, and questioned them upon their previous lessons. The children racked their brains to remember what they had learned. They were so afraid of the Griffin’s displeasure that they recited as they had never recited before. One of the boys, far down in his class, answered so well that the Griffin was astonished.

[55] "I should think you would be at the head,” said he. “I am sure you have never been in the habit of reciting so well. Why is this?”

“Because I did not choose to take the trouble,” said the boy, trembling in his boots. He felt obliged to speak the truth, for all the children thought that the great eyes of the Griffin could see right through them, and that he would know when they told a falsehood.

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” said the Griffin. “Go down to the very tail of the class; and if you are not at the head in two days, I shall know the reason why.”

The next afternoon this boy was Number One.

It was astonishing how much these children now learned of what they had been studying. It was as if they had been educated over again. The Griffin used no severity toward them, but there was a look about him which made them unwilling to go to bed until they were sure they knew their lessons for the next day.

[60] The Griffin now thought that he ought to visit the sick and the poor; and he began to go about the town for this purpose. The effect upon the sick was miraculous. All, except those who were very ill indeed, jumped from their beds when they heard he was coming, and declared themselves quite well. To those who could not get up he gave herbs and roots, which none of them had ever before thought of as medicines, but which the Griffin had seen used in various parts of the world; and most of them recovered. But, for all that, they afterward said that, no matter what happened to them, they hoped that they should never again have such a doctor coming to their bedsides, feeling their pulses and looking at their tongues.

As for the poor, they seemed to have utterly disappeared. All those who had depended upon charity for their daily bread were now at work in some way or other; many of them offering to do odd jobs for their neighbors just for the sake of their meals — a thing which before had been seldom heard of in the town. The Griffin could find no one who needed his assistance.

The summer had now passed, and the autumnal equinox was rapidly approaching. The citizens were in a state of great alarm and anxiety. The Griffin showed no signs of going away, but seemed to have settled himself permanently among them. In a short time the day for his semiannual meal would arrive, and then what would happen? The monster would certainly be very hungry, and would devour all their children.

7 Now they greatly regretted and lamented that they had sent away the Minor Canon; he was the only one on whom they could have depended in this trouble, for he could talk freely with the Griffin, and so find out what could be done. But it would not do to be inactive. Some step must be taken immediately. A meeting of the citizens was called, and two old men were appointed to go and talk to the Griffin. They were instructed to offer to prepare a splendid dinner for him on equinox day — one which would entirely satisfy his hunger. They would offer him the fattest mutton, the most tender beef fish, and game of various sorts, and anything of the kind that he might fancy. If none of these suited, they were to mention that there was an orphan asylum15 in the next town.

“Anything would be better,” said the citizens, “than to have our dear children devoured.”

[65] The old men went to the Griffin; but their propositions were not received with favor.

“From what I have seen of the people of this town,” said the monster, “I do not think I could relish anything which was prepared by them. They appear to be all cowards and, therefore, mean and selfish. As for eating one of them, old or young, I could not think of it for a moment. In fact, there was only one creature in the whole place for whom I could have had any appetite, and that is the Minor Canon, who has gone away. He was brave, and good, and honest, and I think I should have relished him.”

“Ah!” said one of the old men very politely, “in that case I wish we had not sent him to the dreadful wilds!”

“What!” cried the Griffin. “What do you mean? Explain instantly what you are talking about!”

The old man, terribly frightened at what he had said, was obliged to tell how the Minor Canon had been sent away by the people, in the hope that the Griffin might be induced to follow him.

[70] When the monster heard this he became furiously angry. He dashed away from the old men, and, spreading his wings, flew backward and forward over the town. He was so much excited that his tail became red-hot, and glowed like a meteor against the evening sky. When at last he settled down in the little field where he usually rested, and thrust his tail into the brook, the steam arose like a cloud, and the water of the stream ran hot through the town. The citizens were greatly frightened, and bitterly blamed the old man for telling about the Minor Canon.

“It is plain,” they said, “that the Griffin intended at last to go and look for him, and we should have been saved. Now who can tell what misery you have brought upon us.”

The Griffin did not remain long in the little field. As soon as his tail was cool he flew to the town hall and rang the bell. The citizens knew that they were expected to come there; and although they were afraid to go, they were still more afraid to stay away; and they crowded into the hall. The Griffin was on the platform at one end, flapping his wings and walking up and down, and the end of his tail was still so warm that it slightly scorched the boards as he dragged it after him.

When everybody who was able to come was there, the Griffin stood still and addressed the meeting.

15. Asylum, in this context, refers to a shelter for orphans, though probably of dubious quality. 8 ‘I have had a very low opinion of you,” he said, “ever since I discovered what cowards you are, but I had no idea that you were so ungrateful, selfish, and cruel as I now find you to be. Here was your Minor Canon, who labored day and night for your good, and thought of nothing else but how he might benefit you and make you happy; and as soon as you imagine yourselves threatened with a danger — for well I know you are dreadfully afraid of me — you send him off, caring not whether he returns or perishes, hoping thereby to save yourselves. Now, I had conceived a great liking for that young man, and had intended, in a day or two, to go and look him up. But I have changed my mind about him. I shall go and find him, but I shall send him back here to live among you, and I intend that he shall enjoy the reward of his labor and his sacrifices.

[75] “Go, some of you, to the officers of the church, who so cowardly ran away when I first came here, and tell them never to return to this town under penalty of death. And if, when your Minor Canon comes back to you, you do not bow yourselves before him, put him in the highest place among you, and serve and honor him all his life, beware of my terrible vengeance!16 There were only two good things in this town: the Minor Canon and the stone image of myself over your church door. One of these you have sent away, and the other I shall carry away myself.”

With these words he dismissed the meeting, and it was time, for the end of his tail had become so hot that there was danger of it setting fire to the building.

The next morning the Griffin came to the church, and tearing the stone image of himself from its fastenings over the great door he grasped it with his powerful forelegs and flew up into the air. Then, after hovering over the town for a moment, he gave his tail an angry shake and took up his flight to the dreadful wilds. When he reached this desolate region, he set the stone griffin upon a ledge of a rock which rose in front of the dismal cave he called his home. There the image occupied a position somewhat similar to that it had had over the church door; and the Griffin, panting with the exertion of carrying such an enormous load to so great a distance, lay down upon the ground and regarded it with much satisfaction. When he felt somewhat rested he went to look for the Minor Canon. He found the young man, weak and half starved, lying under the shadow of a rock. After picking him up and carrying him to his cave, the Griffin flew away to a distant marsh, where he procured some roots and herbs which he well knew were strengthening and beneficial to man, though he had never tasted them himself. After eating these the Minor Canon was greatly revived, and sat up and listened while the Griffin told him what had happened in the town.

“Do you know,” said the monster, when he had finished, “that I have had, and still have, a great liking for you?”

“I am very glad to hear it,” said the Minor Canon, with his usual politeness.

[80] “I am not at all sure that you would be,” said the Griffin, “if you thoroughly understood the state of the case; but we will not consider that now. If some things were different, other things would be otherwise. I have been so enraged by discovering the manner in which you have been treated that I have determined that you shall at last enjoy the rewards and honors to which you are entitled. Lie down and have a good sleep, and then I will take you back to the town.”

As he heard these words, a look of trouble came over the young man’s face.

16. Vengeance (noun): punishment against someone who had caused injury or offense 9 “You need not give yourself any anxiety,” said the Griffin, “about my return to the town. I shall not remain there. Now that I have that admirable likeness of myself in front of my cave, where I can sit at my leisure, and gaze upon its noble features and magnificent proportions, I have no wish to see that abode of cowardly and selfish people.”

The Minor Canon, relieved from his fears, lay back, and dropped into a doze; and when he was sound asleep the Griffin took him up, and carried him back to the town. He arrived just before daybreak, and putting the young man gently on the grass in the little field where he himself used to rest, the monster, without having been seen by any of the people, flew back to his home.

When the Minor Canon made his appearance in the morning among the citizens, the enthusiasm and cordiality17 with which he was received were truly wonderful. He was taken to a house which had been occupied by one of the banished high officers of the place, and everyone was anxious to do all that could be done for his health and comfort. The people crowded into the church when he held services, so that the three old women who used to be his weekday congregation could not get to the best seats, which they had always been in the habit of taking; and the parents of the bad children determined to reform them at home, in order that he might be spared the trouble of keeping up his former school. The Minor Canon was appointed to the highest office of the old church, and before he died, he became a bishop.

[85] During the first years after his return from the dreadful wilds, the people of the town looked up to him as a man to whom they were bound to do honor and reverence; but they often, also, looked up to the sky to see if there were any signs of the Griffin coming back. However, in the course of time, they learned to honor and reverence their former Minor Canon without the fear of being punished if they did not do so.

But they need never have been afraid of the Griffin. The autumnal equinox day came round, and the monster ate nothing. If he could not have the Minor Canon, he did not care for anything. So, lying down, with his eyes fixed upon the great stone griffin, he gradually declined, and died. It was a good thing for some of the people of the town that they did not know this.

If you should ever visit the old town, you would still see the little griffins on the sides of the church; but the great stone griffin that was over the door is gone.

The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. Stockton is in the public domain.

17. Cordiality (noun): sincere kindness or polite regard 10 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 describes a theme of the text? A. Pride and vanity B. Friendship and acceptance C. Hate and intolerance D. Fear and prejudice

2. PART B: Explain your answer to Part A, citing at least two pieces of textual evidence in your response.

3. Reread paragraph 5. How does this paragraph contribute to the plot of the text? A. It introduces the Griffin as a vain and self-centered character who is obsessed with his appearance. B. It foreshadows the Griffin’s extended stay in the town, as he has been alone his entire life. C. It starts the plot into motion with the departure of the Griffin to town. D. It marks the climax, or dramatic peak, of the first half of the story.

4. Compare the behaviors of the townspeople versus that of the Minor Canon. How do they act in the presence of or in matters concerning the Griffin?

11 5. PART A: What does paragraph 52 reveal about Griffin’s influence on the schoolchildren?

6. PART B: Which other paragraph has a similar effect to paragraph 52? A. Paragraph 54 B. Paragraph 55 C. Paragraph 57 D. Paragraph 58

7. PART A: What does the term “lament” most closely mean, as used in paragraph 63? A. To be jealous B. To be mistaken C. To sob or wail D. To feel regret

8. PART B: Which phrase from the paragraph best supports the answer to Part A? A. “only one on whom they could have depended in this trouble” B. “he could talk freely with the Griffin” C. “find out what could be done” D. “it would not do to be inactive”

9. Reread paragraphs 63-64. What do these paragraphs suggest about the point of view of the townspeople? A. Deep down they wish to help the Griffin, and therefore suggest that he seek refuge at a nearby orphanage where he may be better cared for. B. They think and behave rationally, coming up with a logical plan to ensure the safety of the town and the satisfaction of the Griffin. C. They are so fearful of the Griffin that they are willing to suggest he eat orphans from a nearby town. D. They care so deeply for their children that they will go to great lengths to send the Griffin away.

12 10. Which of the following best describes an example of irony in the story? A. The plan to make the Griffin leave (by making the Minor Canon leave) fails, and the Griffin stays behind. B. The Griffin’s presence actually improves the town, despite the people’s fears and schemes to get him to leave. C. The Griffin would have eaten the Minor Canon if he had not left, even if they were friends. D. The Griffin doesn’t eat and dies, while the Minor Canon feasts and receives a new status.

13 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. Consider the relationship between the Griffin and the Minor Canon. Would you consider it a friendship? Why or why not? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

2. In the context of this story, how does prejudice emerge? Is it from fear, ignorance, difference or something else? Consider how the townspeople treat the Griffin and why. Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

3. In the context of this story, how does fear drive action? Consider how fear drives the actions and behaviors of the townspeople in the story and how the Minor Canon overcomes this fear. Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

14 Name: Class:

Cracking Code Purple By Anna Ouchchy 2017

In this informational text, Anna Ouhchy discusses a female code breaker named Genevieve Grotjan and her contributions during World War II. As you read, take notes on what was required to break a secret code during World War II.

[1] On a warm afternoon in September 1940, a young woman sat at her desk on the second floor of the Munitions1 Building in Washington, D.C. Her hazel2 eyes peered through rimless eyeglasses at strings of letters and numbers. She had been looking at symbols like these for more than a year and they still didn’t make sense.

All of a sudden, something jumped out at her, and she became very still. Al Small, her co-worker, noticed her concentration and walked over. The woman shared her discovery and they went to fetch their boss, Frank Rowlett. Another man joined them. All three crowded around the woman’s desk as she pointed out how some symbols stood at a certain interval from one another. "Type 97 cypher machine" by United States Air Force is in the public domain.

Rowlett jumped up and down. Small dashed around the room excitedly. Their cries of “That’s it!” “Whoopee!” “Hooray!” broke the silence of the room, which was usually as quiet as a library. To celebrate, the team sent out for Coca-Colas. It was the first one the woman had ever tasted.

The Purple Solution

The woman’s name was Genevieve Grotjan and she was a code breaker, or cryptanalyst, with the U.S. Army’s Signal Intelligence Service (SIS). Many cryptanalysts were people who studied how languages worked. Some were mathematicians. Grotjan had wanted to be a math teacher.

[5] At the time, Grotjan was one of just a few women working at the highest levels of code breaking. Her discovery involved a complicated Japanese diplomatic3 code nicknamed Purple. Japanese codes were often named after colors.

1. military weapons and equipment 2. a greenish-brown color 3. the work to build relationships between countries 1 In 1940, World War II was raging in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The United Kingdom and France were fighting against Germany and Italy. Japan had invaded China, and in September 1940 Japan signed a pact to join forces with Germany and Italy.

The United States had not entered the war, but relations with Japan were becoming more and more strained. To “listen to” secret Japanese communications, the United States used a complex system to intercept the communications and break the codes.

How the System Worked

Here is how the Purple code and other Japanese diplomatic codes worked. The Japanese encoded a message using a special device called a cipher machine. Then they radioed the message forward. A U.S. radio station intercepted4 the message and sent it to Washington. There, the cryptanalysts went to work. When they had cracked the entire code, they built a machine just like the Japanese cipher machine and used it to decode other messages. Finally, translators turned these messages into English.

A coded message consisted of a pattern of numbers and letters. It might look something like this: 78232 RSECO. Each symbol stood for a letter, but the letter it stood for changed as the machine moved forward. Each time this happened, a symbol would come to stand for something different, which made the code incredibly difficult to solve.

[10] The cryptanalysts had to do a lot of guessing and checking their guesses. For example, they knew that many Japanese diplomatic messages began with the Japanese words “I have the honor to inform Your Excellency,”5 so they tried that combination of letters first.

Making Magic

Soon after Grotjan’s discovery, the SIS and U.S. Navy built a Purple cipher machine just like the decoding machines used in Japanese embassies.6 With it, the United States could read Japan’s most secret diplomatic messages and learn what the Japanese were doing and planning during the war. These translated messages soon became known as “magic” and were sent to high-ranking government officials, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Grotjan was modest7 about her discovery. “Maybe I was just lucky in getting the right series of papers. I was elated8 up to a point but I didn’t think ‘This is it!’ because there was so much more to do.” Others celebrated it. A government committee said, “Magic contributed enormously to the defeat of the enemy, greatly shortened the war, and saved many thousands of lives.”

4. to see or overhear a message 5. a title of honor given to someone high in the government 6. the home or office of a government official in a foreign country 7. Modest (adjective): not overly proud or confident 8. Elate (verb): to make someone extremely happy 2 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 central claim of the text? A. Grotjan was an amazing mathematician who should have been more famous. B. By working as a cryptanalyst for the United States government, Grotjan opened up job opportunities for other women during the war. C. Grotjan’s initial discovery allowed the United States to crack additional codes and helped them in the war. D. Many people didn’t take Grotjan’s discovery seriously at first, because women were not considered skilled with numbers.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “She had been looking at symbols like these for more than a year and they still didn’t make sense.” (Paragraph 1) B. “At the time, Grotjan was one of just a few women working at the highest levels of code breaking.” (Paragraph 5) C. “To ‘listen to’ secret Japanese communications, the United States used a complex system to intercept the communications and break the codes.” (Paragraph 7) D. “Soon after Grotjan’s discovery, the SIS and U.S. Navy built a Purple cipher machine just like the decoding machines used in Japanese embassies. ” (Paragraph 11)

3. How do paragraphs 9-10 contribute to the development of ideas in the text? A. They emphasize how hard it was to decode a secret message. B. They show that decoding work was largely based on luck and chance. C. They prove that decoding messages was mostly done by a computer. D. They show how different countries had different coding styles.

4. Which of the follow describes the author’s main purpose in the text? A. to inform readers about the important discovery made by a female cryptanalyst B. to teach readers about the process of coding and decoding messages C. to emphasize the various jobs that women could have during World War II D. to show the obstacles that Grotjan faced as a female cryptanalyst

3 5. How does the author’s discussion of code breaking contribute to an understanding of Grotjan’s skills?

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. Have you ever broken a code or seen a pattern that revealed something interesting or important? How did you break the code? On the other hand, have you ever created a code? How did it work?

2. Genevieve Grotjan is described as one of the few female code breakers of her time. Why do you think there weren’t many female code breakers? Are there limits or barriers to jobs that women can have now? Why or why not?

5 Name: Class:

Math Isn’t Just for Boys Unfortunately, too many girls have yet to get that message By Rachel Crowell 2017

There is a disproportionately large number of boys who participate in math competitions and pursue math- related careers later on in life. Where are all the girls? In this informational text, Rachel Crowell discusses researchers’ attempt to answer this question. As you read, take notes on how girls are impacted by other people’s beliefs about them.

[1] In 2015 and 2016, a U.S. team won the high school Olympics of math. Yet something was missing from both six-member teams: girls.

This isn’t an unusual occurrence at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). But it is a problem.

Girls are under-represented at math competitions, generally. For instance, 108,137 middle-school students took part in the 2016 AMC 8. This American Mathematics Competition "Girl Child Education" by Bindaas Madhavi is licensed under CC (AMC) is for eighth-grade and younger students. BY-NC-ND 2.0 Girls represented fewer than half — only about 44 percent of the contestants. And that number actually is pretty high for such events. For instance, the American Invitation Mathematics Exam is another AMC program. Participation in it is by invitation only. Qualifying high-school students must have received a top score on the AMC 10 or the AMC 12. Of the 3,223 students who took part on the main event date, this year, just 443 were girls. That comes to roughly 14 in every 100 participants.

These numbers are striking because girls can be just as good at math as boys are. But somehow, many girls pick up the idea that math isn’t for them. And not only do they enter competitions less often than boys do, but they also are less likely to pursue math-related careers. In fact, just one in every four U.S. workers in math and computer-science fields is a woman.

[5] Outdated stereotypes may be part of the problem.

Stereotypes are beliefs about entire groups of people that are based more on feelings than facts. One persistent stereotype is that girls aren’t good at math. Stereotypes can be very harmful. They can damage a person’s self-image and also limit the opportunities they receive. This may occur despite an individual’s abilities, skills and potential.

1 When it comes to girls and women being under-represented in math, “the trouble is a cultural one. It’s a perception thing,” says Randall Cone. He is a mathematician and computer scientist at Salisbury University in Maryland. This perception affects how many — or how few — women study advanced math and find jobs in fields that rely on math skills.

But the problem is more complex that just stereotypes. In 2009, two researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge investigated why fewer girls than boys rise to the top levels of math competitions. They looked at data from AMC events. Hoping to better understand this gender gap, they focused on high-achievers.

A gender gap in math indeed exists around the world, they found. However, they were not ready to say for sure why this might be. In fact, the problem is likely due to many things. But peer pressure may play a role. It might dissuade1 girls from joining math clubs or pursuing other activities that could help them become math superstars.

[10] Many top-performing female mathletes in the United States came from just a few elite schools, the study found. There, students might face less peer pressure. The reason? Girls there simply might be surrounded by a larger share of other top performers working towards similar goals.

Girls have to be brave to overcome stereotypes and enter math competitions. That’s true especially when there are few other female students who enjoy math. To fight the stereotypes that math isn’t for them, “We should attract more girls at an early age to do math,” says Demi Guo, 19.

Girls need role models — ones in math competitions and anywhere else math is taught and used. Indeed, that’s why competitions such as the China Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad and the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) were created. Both are exactly like the IMO — with the exception that they are open only to girls. In fact, EGMO is one of the toughest high-school math competitions in the world.

Demi competed last year as part of the U.S. EGMO team in Bușteni, Romania. Her team won silver, and she took home an individual bronze medal. These competitions can boost the self-esteem of girls, convincing them that they have a natural place in math, including in careers that rely on it. While Demi was in high school, she also competed in computer-programming meets. “I think computer- programming contests are really related to math contests,” she notes. Now she’s studying math and computer science at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

“I’m not entirely sure what I’d like to do after I graduate,” she admits. She’s considering a career in research or in product design. She could imagine working at a university or in a technology-related startup company.

[15] “Math might be hard, but it can be really rewarding,” Demi says. Yet, she points out, “You’ll never appreciate the beauty of math if you never try.”

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://societyforscience.org/permission-republish

1. Dissuade (verb): to advise someone against something 2 Text-Dependent Questions

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

1. PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text? A. Because of opinions from their teachers and families, girls are being discouraged from pursuing math very early in life. B. Women are more likely to encounter sexism in math-related careers, and for that reason they have avoided them. C. Girls are discouraged from pursuing math due to the lack of women in math- related careers and the untrue beliefs about women’s math abilities. D. Boys are unfairly pushed towards math-related activities and careers while girls are encouraged to pursue their passions.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “A gender gap in math indeed exists around the world, they found. However, they were not ready to say for sure why this might be.” (Paragraph 9) B. “To fight the stereotypes that math isn’t for them, ‘We should attract more girls at an early age to do math,’ says Demi Guo, 19.” (Paragraph 11) C. “Both are exactly like the IMO — with the exception that they are open only to girls. In fact, EGMO is one of the toughest high-school math competitions in the world.” (Paragraph 12) D. “‘Math might be hard, but it can be really rewarding,’ Demi says. Yet, she points out, ‘You’ll never appreciate the beauty of math if you never try.’” (Paragraph 15)

3. Which of the following describes the author’s main purpose in the text? A. to explore the gender gap that exists in math and how to get more girls involved in the field B. to discuss why boys often show more interest in math and math-related careers than girls do C. to encourage female readers to stick with math even if they find it challenging in the beginning D. to explore why girls and women often have to work harder to succeed in math than boys and men do

4. How does the author’s discussion of Demi Guo contribute to the development of ideas in the text (Paragraphs 11-15)? A. It emphasizes one girl’s experience pursuing a math-related career and her insight on the gender gap. B. It provides readers with insight about why girls feel discouraged from pursuing math-related careers. C. It stresses all that girls have to gain from taking part in math competitions and pursuing math-related careers. D. It emphasizes how the girls who compete in the EGMO are more likely to succeed in math-related careers.

3 5. How do stereotypes about girls’ mathematical skills affect them early on in life and later on in their careers?

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 text, the author discusses how girls must be brave to overcome stereotypes and participate in math. How is this an example of bravery? Describe a time when you or someone you know challenged a stereotype. How did it feel to do this?

2. Women don’t pursue careers related to math as often as men do. Can you think of other careers that are largely occupied by men? Which careers tend to be filled by women? Why do you think these gender gaps exist?

3. In the text, the author discusses the importance of girls having role models to look up to in math-related careers. Why do you think it’s important for girls to see women in math- related careers? How else do you think we could improve girls’ involvement in math?

5 Name: Class:

Nature Shows How Dragons Might Breathe Fire Reliably bringing all of the ingredients together without harming the dragon could, however, get explosive By Bethany Brookshire 2018

Fire-breathing dragons are a shared creature among many fantasy worlds. But how realistic is it that a dragon could breathe fire? In this informational text, Bethany Brookshire explores how a dragon might actually breathe fire. As you read, take notes on the special characteristics of the real animals that the author references.

[1] No fantasy world is complete without a fire- breathing dragon. But if dragons were real, how might they get that fiery breath? Nature, it seems, has all the parts a dragon needs to set the world on fire. The creatures just require a few chemicals, some microbes1 — and maybe tips from a tiny desert fish.

Fire has three basic needs: something to ignite the blaze, fuel to keep it burning and oxygen, which interacts with the fuel as it burns. That last ingredient is the easiest to find. Oxygen makes up 21 percent of Earth’s atmosphere. The bigger "Fire Breathing Dragon" by Travis Wise is licensed under CC BY 2.0 challenges are sparking and fueling the flame.

All it takes to strike a spark is flint2 and steel, notes Frank van Breukelen. He’s a biologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. If a dragon had an organ like a bird’s gizzard, it could store swallowed rocks. In birds, those rocks help break down tough foods. Swallowed flint might rub against some steel inside the dragon, sparking a flame. “Maybe what you have is sort of scales that are flint-like and click together,” van Breukelen says. If the spark was close enough to a very sensitive fuel, that might be enough to ignite it.

But some chemicals don’t need that initial spark. Pyrophoric molecules burst into flame the instant they contact air. Consider the element iridium, says Raychelle Burks. She is a chemist in Texas at St. Edwards University in Austin. Iridium burns different colors when it becomes part of various molecules. One of them burns a warm orange or red. Another burns a violet-blue. (That’s one way to get the blue flame of the zombie ice dragon in George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.)

[5] Unfortunately, iridium isn’t common, especially in biology. “There are a lot of cool elements on the periodic table, but [living things] only use a few,” Burks explains.

1. a microorganism, especially one that causes disease or fermentation 2. a rock used to start a spark 1 There are other pyrophoric chemicals that a dragon might find a little closer to home, notes Matthew Hartings. He’s a chemist at American University in Washington, D.C. Assume that dragons like caves, he begins. “If you’re living amongst a bunch of rocks, you’ll have access to a high amount of iron.”

Iron can react with another chemical, hydrogen sulfide. This is a flammable gas that smells like rotten eggs. It is found in crude oil.3 When hydrogen sulfide and iron get together — in a rusty oil pipe, for example — the result is iron sulfide. Combine it with air and you’ve got an explosive mix. Iron sulfide is sometimes the culprit4 when gas pipelines or tanks blow up.

Another explosive option comes from Anne McCaffrey’s series The Dragonriders of Pern. McCaffrey describes her dragons chewing on rocks containing phosphine — a chemical made of one phosphorus atom and three hydrogen atoms. In gas form, phosphine is very flammable and explodes on contact with oxygen. It’s also very toxic: Just seven drops of its liquid form can kill someone.

Burning burps

Fictional dragons often spout flaming gas. But a gas would present problems, Hartings says. Gas, he notes, expands to fill available space. To keep it contained, a dragon would have to keep that gas under pressure.

[10] Chemicals like phosphine, therefore, aren’t the perfect dragon-fire solution, Hartings says. The boiling point for phosphine is -84° Celsius (-120° Fahrenheit). At room (or dragon breath) temperature, it’s a gas. “You’d have to really compress it,” he says, to make it a liquid that a dragon could store and use.

Also, Hartings notes, gases are difficult to control. If a dragon blew some fiery gas into the wind, the flames might wash back on the creature and singe its face. “You have a much better chance of controlling your flame spray if you’re pushing liquid rather than a gas,” he explains.

A liquid also would help a dragon avoid burning itself, Hartings notes. The liquid with its flammable gas would ignite as soon as it hit air. Speed is key. “As long as you are shooting it out fast enough, [the] particles don’t hit the air until they are far enough away from your face,” he notes.

A combination of liquid and gas might work even better, Burks suggests. In an aerosol spray, tiny liquid droplets are suspended in a pressurized gas, which spurts out when it is released. If a dragon were to shoot an aerosol spray, it could look like a gas, with some of the properties of a liquid. “In a fine aerosol spray, it would look like the dragon is spraying fire,” Burks notes. The aerosol would spread out, she says, “and the minute it hits air — kaboom!”

Something fiery, something fishy

Plenty of liquids in nature will burn. Living things already produce two of these that might work for a dragon: ethanol and methanol. Both are alcohols often burned as fuels.

3. oil as it exists in the ground, unrefined 4. Culprit (noun): a person or thing responsible for a wrongdoing 2 [15] “Certainly, we know that yeast makes ethanol,” Hartings says. These single-celled fungi transform sugars into alcohol. That’s why they’re used to brew beer and make other alcoholic beverages. A dragon with a bellyful of yeast is not as silly as it might appear. Yeast are part of the microbial community that lives on and in people and other animals.

Methanol first requires methane. Ruminants5 — including cows, goats, giraffes and deer — make methane during digestion. Certain bacteria can turn methane into methanol, Hartings notes. A dragon that got enough fiber in its diet to make methane could pass that gas on to its bacterial buddies, which would convert it into methanol.

But those bacterial coworkers might not even be needed. The Devil’s Hole pupfish doesn’t bother with them. It is a tiny, incredibly rare species found in Devil’s Hole — a single naturally heated pool in Nevada. This fish can whip up its own whisky in a pinch, van Breukelen and his colleagues have shown.

Temperatures in Devil’s Hole reach 33 °C (91 °F). There is very little oxygen in the water to start with. When it gets hot, the oxygen levels drop even lower — too low for the fish to breathe. So pupfish stop using oxygen. Instead, they produce energy anaerobically — without oxygen. In the process, their bodies make ethanol.

The fish produce 7.3 times more ethanol than fish living in cooler water, notes van Bruekelen. He and his colleagues published their fishy findings in 2015 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

[20] A dragon might be able to produce ethanol under similar circumstances. However, van Breukelen says, it’s not quite so simple. “I don’t think there’s a way to keep ethanol. I don’t think you could store it,” he says. The reason: It seeps through everything. Ethanol, he explains “goes right through membranes.”6 Those include the membranes that surround cells and organs. When pupfish produce ethanol, the chemical ends up throughout the fish. It would not pool as a concentrate in some pouch or organ. So any dragon that made ethanol would have trouble storing enough to get a decent flame going.

The pupfish won’t be setting the world on fire — nor will dragons. One is a tiny fish, and the other isn’t real. Both, however, offer an excuse to use our imaginations to apply science to the fantastic.

5. a hoofed animal with more than one stomach that swallows its food and then brings it back up to continue chewing it 6. a sheet-like structure acting as a boundary in an organism 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. By using science and their knowledge of real organisms, scientists can speculate about what would be necessary for a dragon to breathe fire. B. Many fantasy authors use elements of science and nature to create their worlds and creatures such as fire-breathing dragons. C. Science can help prove that even our wildest fantasies are possible, such as dragons’ ability to breathe fire. D. Creating believable fantasy creatures, such as fire-breathing dragons, requires creativity as well as a thorough understanding of science.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “Fire has three basic needs: something to ignite the blaze, fuel to keep it burning and oxygen, which interacts with the fuel as it burns. That last ingredient is the easiest to find.” (Paragraph 2) B. “McCaffrey describes her dragons chewing on rocks containing phosphine — a chemical made of one phosphorus atom and three hydrogen atoms.” (Paragraph 8) C. “Plenty of liquids in nature will burn. Living things already produce two of these that might work for a dragon: ethanol and methanol. Both are alcohols often burned as fuels.” (Paragraph 14) D. “The pupfish won’t be setting the world on fire — nor will dragons. One is a tiny fish, and the other isn’t real.” (Paragraph 21)

3. How does the discussion of Anne McCaffrey’s dragons in paragraph 8 contribute to the development of ideas in the text? A. It provides an explanation for how a dragon breathes fire in a published fantasy world. B. It emphasizes the amount of research that fantasy writers often engage in. C. It shows how far-fetched many explanations for how dragons could breathe fire are. D. It provides an example of how fire-breathing dragons could exist in our world.

4. Which of the following describes the connection between pupfish and fire-breathing dragons? A. Pupfish are able to keep gasses compressed inside of them in a way that dragons would need to in order to breathe flaming gas. B. Pupfish are able to store the ethanol that they produce, which dragons would have to do in order to set it aflame. C. Pupfish create methane during their digestion process, an important component for dragons to breathe fire. D. Pupfish produce a flammable chemical that would be useful for a dragon to produce in order to breathe fire.

4 5. What is the relationship between chemical reactions that result in fire and the dragons of fantasy? Use information from the text in your answer.

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 uses science to explore how dragons could breathe fire. In your opinion, what is the value of using nature to explain fantasy? Can you think of other examples in which science could be used to explain something in fantasy or fiction?

2. Dragons have been an important element of the fantasy genre for a long time. Why do you think people are interested by the idea of dragons?

6 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)