Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Read each story on pp. 4-5, then complete this graphic organizer. In the second column, write an inference you made while reading. (An inference is a conclusion based on evidence or reasoning.) In the next column, cite a detail from the text that supports your inference. In the last column, explain your answer.

MAKING INFERENCES

Reading Between the Lines

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.1 

ARTICLE INFERENCE DETAIL FROM TEXT EXPLANATION

A New Congress

The Dog With Two Noses

Where the Pests Call Home

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Read the article “The Town of What?!” on pp. 6-7, then answer the questions.

TEST PREP

Know the News: The Town of What?!

1. Which is a central idea of the article? A Many Native Americans object to the use of the

word squaw. B Pejoratives for African-American and Japanese

have been officially banned. C The issue of whether or not to change an

offensive place name can be complicated. D State naming boards work very slowly.

2. Which statement from the story best supports that idea?

A “I don’t think you should erase them from the historical archives or treat them as if they never occurred.”

B “It’s a safety issue.” C “Many non-Indians and officials say that . . .

names proposed by Native Americans . . . are too hard for most people to pronounce.”

D “Then widely used, [the term] Negro is itself considered insulting by many blacks today.”

3. Which group is charged with handling place-name changes?

A U.S. Board of Land Management B U.S. Board on Geographic Names C U.S. Chamber of Commerce D U.S. Department of the Interior

4. When Lou Yost says his group is “conservative” about changing place names because “views can change over time,” what does he mean?

A It’s expensive to change a place name. B A name that’s deemed offensive today may

not be in the future. C Some local residents may object to the change. D Too many people complain about name

changes.

5. Which tone is conveyed by the article’s headline? A fear C sadness B joy D shock

6. Which name did Epahsakom Island in Maine formerly have?

A Half-Breed Island B Jap Island C Negrohead Island D Squaw Island

7. Which is the best definition for the word slur in the context of this story?

A a degrading or insulting word B a direct reference to an ethnic group C a word spoken sloppily D a term spoken in anger

8. Which of these statements is an opinion? A People disagree on what’s acceptable. B Many Native Americans find the word breed

to be offensive when applied to people. C The process of changing a place name can

be very slow. D The process of changing a place name is

too hard.

9. Which statement might accurately rephrase a part of what Christopher Jimenez y West said?

A Americans should know their history even if it’s troubling.

B Americans should never be forced to see offensive names.

C The history of offensive names should be celebrated.

D The past has little to teach us.

10. In 2015, a legislator in which state proposed changing the names of springs, creeks, and lakes that include the terms half-breed or breed?

A Maine B Montana C Oregon D Utah

KEY STANDARDS

RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.7

The framers of the U.S. Constitution realized that too much power can be dangerous. To prevent any part of the government from becoming too powerful, the Constitution created three separate branches of the federal government. The Constitution gives each

branch its own powers. This separation of powers creates a system of checks and balances. Each branch can check (limit) the power of the other two. This helps maintain a balance of power among the three. Study the diagram to see how this works.

READING A DIAGRAM

Checks and Balances

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017 • PAGE 1 OF 2

The president can veto (reject) bills passed by Congress.

Legislative BranchCongress

(House and Senate)

Judicial BranchThe Supreme Court

and Other Federal Courts

• Congress can override a veto by a two thirds vote of each chamber.

• Congress appropriates funds to run the government and approves programs.

• The Senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments.

• Congress can impeach and remove a president for crimes and misconduct.

• Federal judges are appointed for life, freeing them from executive control.

• Federal courts may declare executive branch actions unconstitutional.

Executive BranchThe President

Federal courts can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional.

• If the Supreme Court rules that a law is unconstitutional, Congress can revise the law, write a new one, or propose amendments (changes) to the U.S. Constitution. Changes must be ratified by three quarters of the states.

• Congress may impeach and remove federal judges from office.

• The Senate approves appointments of judges.

The president appoints Supreme Court justices and other federal judges.

WORDS TO KNOW• appropriate (v): to set aside for a specific use • impeach (v): to bring a charge of wrongdoing against a public official

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017 • PAGE 2 OF 2

Questions

Checks and Balances cont'd.

1. What does it mean to check the power of a branch of government?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Who can veto legislation passed by Congress? __________________________________________________

3. How can Congress override a presidential veto? _________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Which branch has the power to appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal

judges? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. How does Congress check that power?_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How can federal courts check the president’s power? ___________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. How can federal courts check the power of Congress? __________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. What limits the president’s power to make treaties with other countries?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Suppose a law has been declared unconstitutional. What can be done to try to make it

constitutional? ___________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What is meant by “separation of powers”? ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Read the article on pp. 8-11, then answer the questions.

TEST PREP

Know the News: How Cheerleading Made It to the Supreme Court

1. Which is a central idea of the article? A The Supreme Court is led by Chief Justice John

G. Roberts Jr. B The Republican-controlled Senate refused to

consider any Supreme Court justice nominee until after the 2016 presidential election.

C President Donald Trump is expected to fill the Court’s vacancy with a conservative justice.

D The Supreme Court, which decides whether laws are constitutional, is preparing to rule on a number of important issues facing the nation.

2. Which statement best supports that central idea? A The Court has been operating with just eight

justices for nearly a year. B Supreme Court decisions affect all Americans. C Justice Antonin Scalia died last February. D “Trump has pledged to nominate someone

[similar to] Justice Scalia.”

3. What does revoke mean in the following sentence? “The National Football League’s Washington Redskins are challenging the trademark office’s 2014 decision to revoke its trademark on similar grounds.”

A cancel B continue C expand D steal

4. According to the article, which of these people said he wants to be treated like everyone else?

A Simon Tam C Gavin Grimm B Gary McCaleb D David Strauss

5. Which is true of copyrights? A They allow other people to profit from the

use of a name even without the owner’s permission.

B They are prohibited by a federal law known as Title IX.

C They cannot be used “in aid of any church.” D They protect the creator of something artistic,

such as a piece of music or a story.

6. Which prohibits the establishment of a national religion?

A Title IX C the 14th Amendment B the First Amendment D the Supreme Court

7. Which of these statements is an opinion? A The term Big Mac is trademarked. B Simon Tam applied to trademark the name of a

band he started in Portland, Oregon. C The Washington Redskins is an offensive name. D The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can refuse

to register trademarks it considers disrespectful.

8. According to the article, what could happen if the Trump administration asserts that the Gloucester County School Board’s bathroom policy is not discriminatory?

A The Supreme Court could dismiss the case. B Gavin Grimm might have to leave his school. C The Supreme Court would rule in Grimm’s favor. D A similar bathroom law in North Carolina could

be repealed.

9. Which of these is mentioned as a cause of Varsity Brands suing Star Athletica?

A Varsity Brands wants to make cheerleader uniforms more expensive.

B Star Athletica started selling uniforms with designs similar to those of Varsity Brands.

C Star Athletica called Varsity Brands’ designs generic.

D Varsity Brands says Star Athletica is hurting the knockoff industry.

10. From this article, you can conclude that the concept of the separation of church and state is something that ________.

A violates the First Amendment B law professor David Strauss wants outlawed C the Missouri constitution prohibits D many people interpret differently

Read the article on pp. 12-13, then answer these questions.

TEST PREP

Know the News: A Ferret Comeback

1. Why does the author begin the article with something a dog did more than 35 years ago?

A to describe how researchers release black-footed ferrets (BFFs) into the wild

B to explain why ranchers don’t like BFFs C to illustrate the importance of dogs in the

BFF’s food chain D to show how scientists discovered that BFFs

weren’t extinct

2. Which of these is a central idea of the article? A Killing infectious fleas is key to prairie dog

survival. B Prairie dogs are hard to vaccinate. C Scientists are working in various ways to save

the BFF. D Without prairie dogs, the BFF would become

extinct.

3. Which of these is not a key factor contributing to the BFF’s decline?

A bubonic plague killing BFFs B decreasing numbers of prairie dogs C human development of BFF habitat D sylvatic plague killing prairie dogs

4. Which of these efforts has enabled scientists to introduce about 300 BFFs back into the wild?

A breeding BFFs in captivity B putting BFFs on the endangered species list C training ranch dogs not to kill BFFs D vaccinating prairie dogs

5. According to the article, which method of preventing sylvatic plague among prairie dogs did scientists use before coming up with vaccine pellets?

A adding vaccine pellets to the food of captive BFFs

B spraying insecticide to kill fleas C trapping prairie dogs, injecting them with

vaccine, then releasing them D all of the above

6. What does the word burrow mean in this sentence? “After killing a prairie dog, a BFF steals its burrow.”

A food that an animal stashes away for later consumption

B a hole or tunnel in the ground made by an animal for shelter

C a small donkey used to carry packs or other loads

D a two-wheeled handcart

7. According to Ryan Moehring, who or what are some of the best partners the government has to help reintroduce and save the BFF?

A prairie dogs C private landowners B FWS biologists D scientists

8. Which kind of information is not provided by the map accompanying the article?

A the extent to which sylvatic plague has spread B the historical range of BFFs C the location of the last known wild BFF colony D places at which BFFs were reintroduced in

the wild

9. Which statement best summarizes/describes the article’s sidebar?

A It describes the BFF’s natural habitat. B It explains how prairie dogs become infected

with sylvatic plague. C It illustrates how scientists are protecting

prairie dogs from sylvatic plague. D It shows the black-footed ferret’s food chain.

10. Which conclusion does the author likely want readers to draw from the article?

A Prairie dogs are important to the survival of black-footed ferrets in the wild.

B Protecting the BFF species is more trouble than it's worth.

C Shep was a dangerous animal. D all of the above

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

Read the article on pp. 15-19, then answer these questions.

TEST PREP

Know the News: Locked Away

1. Which is a central idea of the article? A The murder rate recently rose. B Mass incarceration in the United States has

consequences for prisoners, their families, and society.

C The roots of mass incarceration go back to the mid-1960s.

D The prison system costs $80 billion annually.

2. Which sentence best illustrates that central idea?

A “Sending so many people to prison for long periods has ‘such ripple effects.’ ”

B “ ‘The wise approach is to slow down and evaluate the trends.’ ”

C “Overall, crime has fallen to near-historic lows in the past two decades.”

D “Prisoners are typically poorly educated minority men under age 40.”

3. What might have contributed to the rise in crime in the mid-1960s, according to experts?

A overcrowded prisons B the use of the drug crack cocaine C a decrease in the severity of prison sentences D a surge in the number of young people

4. What is the best meaning of deterred in this sentence? “Criminals are deterred more by the risk of being caught than by the severity of the possible punishment.”

A discouraged B motivated C frightened D inspired

5. What can you conclude from the circle graphs on p. 16?

A Most people in prison are there for drug crimes.

B Federal prisons house mostly violent criminals. C The number of property crimes has decreased. D Most inmates in the U.S. are held in state

prisons.

6. Which of these is an opinion? A Former prisoners have a harder time finding

jobs and housing. B Crime rates have fallen to near-historic lows

over the past two decades. C Jason Hernandez did not deserve such a long

prison sentence. D Senator Jeff Sessions opposed a bill to reduce

mandatory minimums.

7. Information from the sidebar on p. 19 would best fit into which section of the main article?

A Looking for Alternatives B Enduring Effects C An Unequal System? D The “Tough on Crime” Era

8. What caused mass incarceration, according to criminologist Todd Clear?

A a crime wave in the 1960s B racial bias in the criminal justice system C decades of systematic changes in laws D a post-World War II baby boom

9. What can you conclude based on information in the section “A Second Chance?”

A States have made more progress than the federal government when it comes to criminal justice reform.

B The murder rate will continue to rise. C A bipartisan bill to reduce mandatory

minimums will pass this year. D Mass incarceration has significantly reduced

most types of crime.

10. Which detail from the article best supports your answer to question 9?

A Experts partly credit the decline in crime to new policing techniques.

B A majority of states have passed measures to lower incarceration rates.

C Inmates rarely receive the job skills training they need to succeed.

D President Donald Trump has pledged to create a violent crime task force.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

In “Locked Away” (pp. 15-19), the author uses information from various experts to support her ideas. How can you tell whether these experts are qualified and trustworthy? Analyze each person or group by completing the table below. Then choose another expert from the article to add to the table. Finally, answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

EVALUATING EVIDENCE

What Makes Someone an Expert?

Putting It All Together How does the author use a variety of experts to provide different perspectives on the topic? What other kinds of experts could have been interviewed? Explain your reasoning.

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.8

Expert What makes this person/group an

expert?

What information does this person/group

provide?

How does this information support the article’s central ideas?

Nazgol Ghandnoosh

Todd Clear

Ronal Serpas

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Another expert from the article: ____________________

____________________

Read the article on pp. 20-21, then answer these questions.

TEST PREP

Know the News: The Pledge at 125

1. Which is a central idea of the article? A The Pledge of Allegiance has been part of the

American experience for generations. B Some Americans have objected to the

Pledge's “enforced patriotism.” C The Supreme Court has ruled that no student

can be forced to say the Pledge. D The words “under God” were added to the

Pledge during the Cold War.

2. Which sentence from the article best supports that idea?

A The Court “viewed the Pledge as more of a patriotic exercise than an advancement of religion.”

B “Manny said that the election of Donald Trump . . . made it impossible for him to participate in the salute to the flag.”

C “No salute is so deeply rooted in the national experience or intertwined in daily life.”

D “The Pledge was only gradually embraced by the states.”

3. When was the Pledge of Allegiance written? A 1776 B 1865 C 1892 D 1942

4. Which of the following would not be true of a republic?

A Authority belongs to the people. B The United States is an example of one. C Its people are served by elected

representatives. D It is ruled by a king.

5. Which action did Francis Bellamy hope might instill an “unconscious patriotism” in children?

A reciting the Pledge every day B rewriting the Pledge in their own words C singing the national anthem D translating the Pledge into another language

6. Which event did Bellamy worry about Americans forgetting?

A the American Revolution B the assassination of Abraham Lincoln C the Civil War D the writing of the Constitution

7. Historian Richard Ellis says that Bellamy’s Pledge also reflected a worry about what?

A crime B immigrants C national debt D terrorism

8. Which of these statements is an opinion? A The Pledge turns 125 this year. B An activist named Michael Newdow has

argued that the phrase “under God” violates the First Amendment.

C Bellamy was asked to write a salute to the flag to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.

D All public school students should be forced to say the Pledge.

9. Which religious group successfully won a ruling from the Supreme Court that no public school student could be forced to say the Pledge?

A Episcopalians B Jehovah’s Witnesses C Mormons D Southern Baptists

10. How does the section “Pledge Pushback” contribute to the article?

A It describes how the Pledge was written. B It reviews how the Pledge has been changed

over the years. C It shows how the Pledge was used against

America’s Cold War enemies. D It summarizes the chief legal actions against

the Pledge.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

When Francis Bellamy sat down to write the first version of what we know as the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892, he couldn’t have known that he was drafting a piece of history. (See pp. 20-21.) As Jeffrey Owen Jones and Peter Meyer tell the story in their book The Pledge, it was a hot August evening in Boston, Massachusetts, where a magazine called Youth’s Companion was based. Bellamy’s boss had just given him the assignment to write a salute to the flag—which was due at the printer the next morning! He grabbed a scrap of paper and got to work.

More than 30 years later, Bellamy would write of the “two sweating hours” of “arduous mental labor” that produced the Pledge, and what he was thinking as he composed its words.

Study the text of the Pledge as Bellamy wrote it and his reflections in later years, as quoted in Jones and Meyer’s book. Then answer the questions that follow.

ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES

“The Wholeness of the Nation”

KEY STANDARD

RH.6-8.9

1. What “concrete” thing does Bellamy say the flag stands for? _______________________________________________

2. What conflict does Bellamy refer to as “the earlier days when the wholeness of the Nation had been disputed”? What one long phrase in the Pledge was inspired by thoughts of that conflict? _________

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

3. What does Bellamy say is the “purpose and aim” of the nation? What other purposes and aims might a nation have? ___________________________________

____________________________________________________________

4. Why are the concepts of being a whole Nation and indivisible important to Bellamy’s pledge?

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

5. What concept would you have added to this Pledge if you’d written it? Write a paragraph explaining your answer. _______________________________

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Questions

Bellamy’s original Pledge:I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Bellamy’s later thoughts on writing the Pledge:Allegiance to the Flag—Why? Because it stands for

something concrete behind it. What is that concrete

background?

“The Republic.” . . . What then is this Republic? It is

the whole Nation. We are still near the earlier days when

the wholeness of the Nation had been disputed. So the

words one and indivisible came to mind—words made

familiar by [Daniel] Webster and [Abraham] Lincoln* and

made vital by the Civil War. That was the [origin] of the

phrase “and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation

indivisible.”

And what is the purpose and aim of this indivisible

Nation? The first thought was of the phrase which

[Thomas] Jefferson had brought back from the French

Revolution, “liberty, equality, fraternity.”** But that was

discarded as too remote and too impossible of realization.

What then? Liberty and justice came as the answer, with

a final for all.

*Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was a statesman and orator who made fiery defenses of a strong Union in the years before the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War.**These three words make up France’s motto. Thomas Jefferson, later the third U.S. president, was the country’s minister (ambassador) to France right before the French Revolution of 1789.

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

SKILLS SHEET NAME: DATE:

Junior Scholastic®

Read the debate “Should Schools Have Dress Codes?” (pp. 22-23), then complete the activity below.

EVALUATING ARGUMENTS

What’s Your Opinion?KEY

STANDARD

RI.6-8.8

FACTS OPINIONS

1. Identify a central idea of the “yes” side of the debate.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Identify a central idea of the “no” side of the debate.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Write a three- to five-sentence objective summary of the debate. (Tip: An objective summary should be free of your own opinions on the topic.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. List at least two facts and two opinions in the debate.

5. Overall, which side of the debate do you find more convincing? Explain.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.4 Here are a few clues for you to puzzle over. Answers to starred clues are in the U.S. Affairs section on pp. 25-27 of JS. For the rest, you’re on your own!

BUILDING VOCABULARY

Crossword Puzzle

Across *1 State name that

honors King George II

*4 The Hawkeye State

*7 Spanish for snow-clad

9 To use the eyes

*10 The Cornhusker State (postal abbr.)

*11 The _____ State’s name means land of Indians.

*13 Cherokee word for meadowland

*16 American _____, a U.S. territory

18 “Fishy” peninsula on Massachusetts coast: Cape _____

*19 State name from the French for green and mountain

20 Site of Texas battle: Remember the _____!

21 A story about Zeus, for example

Down 2 Metal-containing mineral in the earth

3 The second U.S. president: John _____

*5 The Mountain State: _____ Virginia

*6 The Garden State was named for this island

*7 _____ Hampshire, Jersey, or Mexico

*8 Rich port: _____ Rico

*12 California: The _____ State

14 The science of organisms and their environment

*15 Words for Oklahoma’s name come from this language.

*16 Missouri demands this! (two words)

*17 The Beehive State

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

An almanac can be used to find various types of information. Use the 2017 U.S. Affairs almanac section (pp. 25-29) to complete the items below.

RESEARCH SKILLS

Almanac Scavenger HuntKEY

STANDARD

RH.6-8.7

CLUE STATE, CAPITAL DISTRICT, OR TERRITORY

1. name’s origin: Indian word meaning small spring

2. unemployment rate: 6.8% (nation’s highest)

3. capital: Helena

4. nickname: the Volunteer State

5. 31% of population under 18 and 10% of population over 65

6. name: Guahan word that means we have

7. public school spending per student: $27,500 (nation’s highest)

8. personal income per capita: $34,771

9. governor: Roy Cooper

10. nickname: the Constitution State

11. job growth rate: 8.8%

12. 8th-graders proficient or better in reading: 46% (nation’s highest)

13. governor: Gina Raimondo

14. name means town of the large canoes

15. nickname: the Prairie State

16. capital: Tallahassee

17. violent crimes per 100,000 people: 130 (nation’s second-lowest)

18. poverty rate: 8% (nation’s lowest)

19. nickname: the Evergreen State

20. name honors the first governor of Virginia

KEY STANDARD RH.6-8.8 RI.6-8.2 RI.6-8.3 RI.6-8.5 Quiz Wizard How much do you know about what’s

in this issue? Take this quiz to find out.

FACT OR OPINION? How Cheerleading Made It to the Supreme Court (pp. 8-11)

Label each statement F for fact or O for opinion.___ 1. Distinct clothing designs

should be offered copyright protection.

___ 2. Copyrights are meant to protect people from others profiting off of their creative work.

___ 3. The Gloucester County School Board’s bathroom policy is unfair to transgender students.

___ 4. The concept of the separation of church and state comes from the First Amendment to the Constitution.

___ 5. Federal law allows the U.S. trademark office to refuse to register trademarks it considers offensive.

CAUSE AND EFFECT A Ferret Comeback (pp. 12-13)

Fill in the letter of the best response to each question. 6. Which of the following

could not be considered a cause of the black-footed ferret’s population decline?

A human development of the BFF’s prairie habitat

B an increase in the prairie dog population

C the sylvatic plague

7. What was the effect of the dog Shep’s kill in Wyoming?

A Scientists discovered that BFFs weren’t extinct.

B Scientists found a huge colony of prairie dogs.

C Scientists realized BFFs are endangered because dogs killed so many of them.

8. Which of these is an effect of breeding BFFs in captivity?

A BFFs are no longer on the endangered species list.

B Hundreds of BFFs are back in the wild.

C Only 18 BFFs are now left in the wild.

9. How are BFFs affected by a disease that kills prairie dogs?

A The death of so many sick prairie dogs reduces a major food source for BFFs.

B Diseased prairie dogs attack and kill BFFs.

C Large numbers of BFFs die after being bitten by infectious fleas.

10. Which of these makes it difficult for scientists to fight sylvatic plague among prairie dogs?

A BFFs tend to eat vaccine pellets before prairie dogs can get to them.

B Prairie dogs live in small, crowded spaces, making the disease spread quickly.

C Prairie dog towns extend over large areas underground, making it hard to get the vaccine to the animals.

CENTRAL IDEA OR DETAIL? Locked Away (pp. 15-19)

Label each statement CI for central idea or D for detail.___ 11. Many states have “three

strikes and you’re out” laws.

___ 12. Many experts agree that mass incarceration is a problem in the U.S.

___ 13. A bipartisan bill to reduce mandatory minimum sentences stalled in Congress.

___ 14. Long imprisonments affect criminals, their families, and society.

___ 15. The U.S. prison system costs $80 billion annually.

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER The Pledge at 125 (pp. 20-21)

Number these events in the order in which they occurred, from 1st to 5th.___ 16. The Supreme Court

rules that the Pledge doesn’t violate the First Amendment.

___ 17. Manny Martinez makes headlines for refusing to recite the Pledge.

___ 18. The Supreme Court rules that no child can be forced to recite the Pledge.

___ 19. The words “my flag” in the Pledge are changed to “flag of the United States.”

___ 20. Congress adds “under God” to the Pledge.

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2017

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • JANUARY 30, 2017

Read the following definitions and example sentences of vocabulary words from this issue. Then find two other words from the issue to define and give an example sentence for each.

Words to KnowKEY

STANDARD

RH.6-8.4 

Junior Scholastic®

1. almanac (n): an annual publication providing

statistical data and general information

• example: Using weather forecasts and other data, The

Old Farmer’s Almanac advises farmers in Alabama

that it’s best to plant their beans from mid-April to

mid-June this year.

2. attorney general (n): a state or federal

government’s top law enforcement officer and lawyer;

also the head of the U.S. Department of Justice

• example: For Eric Schneiderman, the job of New York

State’s attorney general includes such wide-ranging

duties as taking down drug-trafficking rings and

prosecuting corrupt politicians.

3. caucus (v): to work together toward a shared goal,

usually a political one

• example: The senators met to caucus about blocking

the president’s Supreme Court nominee.

4. civil rights (n): guarantees of freedom and equal

treatment under the law

• example: Most U.S. citizens would agree that the

freedom to vote is one of the most important civil

rights of Americans.

5. Cold War (n): a political and military rivalry (1945-

1991) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and their

allies. It stopped short of full-scale war.

• example: When President John F. Kennedy ordered the

naval blockade of Soviet missile shipments during the

Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, the Cold War

came dangerously close to actual nuclear conflict.

6. criminal justice (n): the system of agencies and

processes established by governments to control crime

• example: Police officers, prosecutors, defense

attorneys, and judges are important parts of the

system of criminal justice.

7. habitat (n): the natural home or environment of an

animal, a plant, or another organism

• example: In their habitats, animals require the

essential elements of shelter, water, food, and space.

8. incarceration (n): the state of being confined in

prison

• example: The defendant hoped to avoid a long

incarceration by pleading guilty.

9. republic (n): a form of government in which

authority belongs to the people and their elected

representatives

• example: In 1792, France’s Legislative Assembly voted

to make France a republic, in part by abolishing the

role of the king.

10. Underground Railroad (n): a secret network

for helping slaves escape from the South before the

Civil War

• example: All along the Underground Railroad,

fleeing slaves hid in safe houses called “stations” and

“conductors”—free blacks and whites—helped them

make their way to freedom.

11. word: _____________________________________ ( ):

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

• example: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

12. word: _____________________________________ ( ):

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

• example: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

BUILDING VOCABULARY

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Choose any two articles in this issue of JS and complete each graphic organizer below by filling in the central idea and three details. (The central idea is what an article is mainly about. Details support the central idea.)

DETERMINING THE CENTRAL IDEA

What’s It All About?

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

TIP: A central idea is not necessarily the article’s first sentence. You can find the central idea by reading the text closely and asking yourself, “What does the author most want me to know?”

Putting It All Together Choose one of the articles you examined above and summarize it in three to four sentences on a separate sheet of paper.

ARTICLE 1

CENTRAL IDEA

DETAIL 1 DETAIL 2 DETAIL 3

ARTICLE 2

CENTRAL IDEA

DETAIL 1 DETAIL 2 DETAIL 3

KEY STANDARD

RH.6-8.2

Critical Thinking Are any of your W questions still unanswered? If so, which ones? How might you go about finding the answers? Explain.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.10 When you read an article, you might already be familiar with the topic, or it might be the first time you’ve ever heard of it. A KWL chart is a useful tool for reflecting on your own background knowledge of a topic or an event, so you can prepare to learn more and deepen your understanding.

Choose any article in this issue of JS. Before reading it, complete the K and W columns as best you can. After reading the article, fill out the L column. Then answer the critical-thinking question at the bottom of the page.

ASSESS PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Charting Your Knowledge

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

KWhat I Know

WWhat I Want to Know

LWhat I’ve Learned

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Reading an article closely involves thinking critically about the text—plus any photos, maps, graphics, and other elements—and considering how the author presents information. It often requires you to read a text multiple times. Reading closely will help you gain a deeper understanding of an article. But how do you do that? Choose any article in this issue of JS. Then use this guide to read it closely.

CLOSE READING

Close Reading Checklist

¨ STEP 1: Number each paragraph of the article. This will help you cite evidence from the text when answering questions or participating in a class discussion.

¨ STEP 2: Annotate the text. Jot down any comments or questions in the margins. Marking up the article as you read will help you pause, observe, and think critically rather than rushing through it.

* Place a star next to anything that seems important.

? Write a question mark next to words, phrases, or concepts

you don’t understand.

! Put an exclamation point next to anything you find surprising or interesting.

¨ STEP 3: Write a brief summary of each chunk or subsection of the article. (Ask yourself: What is being said?)

¨ STEP 4: Write a brief analysis of each chunk or subsection of the article. (Ask yourself: What does this section add to the article? What might have been the author’s purpose for including it? Why does the author use particular words and phrases? What inferences can I make?)

¨ STEP 5: Examine the visuals. Write a brief explanation of what any photos, maps, graphics, and other visuals show. (Ask yourself: Why might the author have included them? What do they add to the information provided in the text?)

¨ STEP 6: Dig a little deeper. Reread the article and revise your analysis as necessary. Sometimes a text is like a puzzle, and you need to read it multiple times before you can see how all the pieces fit together.

RI.6-8.1

KEY STANDARD

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

Authors often incorporate quotes and statistics into their articles to support a claim or illustrate a point. Looking closely at these details and considering why they were included can help you understand the article—and the topic—on a deeper level.

Choose any feature article in this issue of JS. Then select three of its quotes or statistics to analyze using the table below.

CLOSE READING

Digging Into the DetailsKEY

STANDARD

RI.6-8.1

Quote or statistic (Include the page number.)

Summarize the quote or statistic in your own words.

Why might the author have included it?

Putting It All Together What other types of quotes or statistics could have been included to support this article? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Photos and graphics are powerful tools that help convey information that words alone cannot. As a reader, you’ll get more out of an article if you think about the visuals not as mere artistic elements but as additional sources of information. Choose any feature article in this issue of JS. Then select three of its visuals to analyze using the table below.

INTEGRATING VISUALS

Close Reading of Photos and Graphics

RI.6-8.7

KEY STANDARD

Page Number

Summarize what the visual shows.

Choose a detail from the visual and explain what makes

it interesting or surprising.

Explain how this visual adds to or enhances the information

provided in the text.

Putting It All Together 1. Why do you think the editors chose to include these visuals?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What other types of photos or graphics could have been included to support this article? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Putting It All Together On a separate sheet of paper, write two to three paragraphs explaining these similarities and differences. Be sure to use compare-and-contrast transition words and phrases. Key words and phrases commonly used to express comparison include similarly, both, also, as well as, in the same way, and likewise. Key words and phrases commonly used to express contrast include although, while, but, as opposed to, however, and on the other hand.

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.5

Choose two people, events, or ideas from any article in this issue of JS. Compare and contrast them using the Venn diagram below. List at least two differences on each side, and write any similarities in the overlapping section. Then respond to the writing prompt at the bottom of the page.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Understanding Similarities and Differences

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

(Name of a person, event, or idea)

(Name of a person, event, or idea)

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Welcome to do-it-yourself vocabulary! We’re leaving it to you to teach yourself the meanings of unfamiliar words you encounter in any JS article. In the space provided below, write the title of the article you’re working on. Then find three words in that piece whose meanings you’re unsure of. Write each word in one of the gray tabs, followed by the number of the page on which it appears. Then write what you think the word means based on context clues. Next, look up the word in a dictionary and write down its definition. Last, use the word in a sentence.

BUILDING VOCABULARY

DIY Vocabulary

ARTICLE:

word: page:

What I think the word means based on context clues:

Dictionary definition:

Example sentence:

word: page:

What I think the word means based on context clues:

Dictionary definition:

Example sentence:

word: page:

What I think the word means based on context clues:

Dictionary definition:

Example sentence:

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.4 

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Did the author provide sufficient evidence? (Is it enough to support the claim, or is more information needed?) Explain.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is the author’s reasoning sound? (Is it accurate and logical? Is it based on facts, not opinions?) Explain.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall, does the author successfully support his or her claim? Explain.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.8When writing an argument, authors include reasons and evidence to support their claims. Choose a claim presented in this issue of JS. Then use the following prompts to analyze it.

EVALUATING ARGUMENTS

Are You Convinced?

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Supporting EvidenceIs this piece of evidence relevant?

(In other words, does it relate to this particular claim and help to support it?) Explain.

1.

2.

Author/Speaker’s Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Claim: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

An effective presentation has interesting content that’s delivered in an engaging way. The presenter should capture the audience’s attention by making eye contact and speaking at an appropriate volume. Any accompanying visuals should also be appealing, without too much text or any unnecessary details. Below is a checklist of five things to keep in mind when giving a presentation. Study this list before you give a presentation to remind yourself what to practice or include. Use it again after your presentation to assess how well you did. (You may want to ask a classmate to help you evaluate your performance.)

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentation Self-Assessment

SL.6-8.4

KEY STANDARD

Comments 1. Explain one thing you think you did particularly well.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain one thing you think you should work to improve for next time.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

¨ Did I speak at an appropriate pace and volume?

¨ Did I make eye contact with the audience?

¨ Did I refrain from fidgeting, pacing, and other distracting body language?

¨ Did I use relevant visuals (poster, video, etc.)that enhanced my presentation?

¨ Did my visuals contain an appropriate amount of information that helped the audience understand the topic?

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

KEY STANDARD

WHST.6-8.8 When you incorporate information from other sources into your writing, you may choose to quote the material or paraphrase it. A quotation is an exact copy of the words an author or speaker uses. A quotation should be surrounded by quotation marks. You should quote a source when the language is powerful and you want to retain the exact wording. To paraphrase is to put something written or spoken by someone else into your own words. Something that’s paraphrased is not surrounded by quotation marks. You should paraphrase when you need to summarize a quote’s meaning or the exact language isn’t critical. When paraphrasing, be sure to rewrite the whole sentence; don’t just swap out a word or two.

WRITING SKILLS

Quote vs. Paraphrase

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Example—quote: According to the Library of

Congress, “Abraham Lincoln was the second

speaker on November 19, 1863, at the dedication

of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg.

Lincoln was preceded on the podium by the

famed orator Edward Everett, who spoke to the

crowd for two hours. Lincoln followed with his

now immortal Gettysburg Address.”

Example—paraphrase: President Abraham

Lincoln delivered his now-famous Gettysburg

Address on November 19, 1863. He spoke

to the crowd at the dedication of the Soldiers’

National Cemetery. Edward Everett, a famous

orator, addressed the audience first, delivering

a two-hour speech.

Choose any feature article in this issue of JS. Write a summary of the article on the lines below. Include at least two quotations from the article and two passages that you’ve paraphrased.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

The internet is full of useful information—as well as a lot of information that’s incorrect or biased. Sometimes telling the difference is harder than you might think.

When conducting research, it’s important to check whether your sources are credible and accurate. That’s especially true for online sources, because the web makes it easy for anyone to publish just about anything. (Remember: You should always have more than one source for any fact you use.) Here are some questions to help you determine whether your online source is trustworthy.

EVALUATING SOURCES

Not All Sources Are Created Equal

WHST.6-8.8

KEY STANDARD

WEBSITE 1: __________________________________________

Author or agency/group and credentials: _______________

________________________________________________________

Purpose of site: _______________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

When was it last updated? _____________________________

Is it a reliable source? Explain. _________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

WEBSITE 2: __________________________________________

Author or agency/group and credentials: _______________

________________________________________________________

Purpose of site: _______________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

When was it last updated? _____________________________

Is it a reliable source? Explain. _________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

1. Who created the website? The site’s URL can help you figure this out. Sites that end in .gov, for example, were created by the federal government. Typically, .edu means the site is affiliated with a college or university, and .org means that an organization, such as a nonprofit, is behind the site.

2. What are their credentials? What qualifies this organization or individual to provide information on this topic? If a person runs the site, consider his or her occupation, years of experience, and education. If an organization runs the site, consider how long that group has been around, and if it exists only locally or has a national or worldwide presence.

3. What is the site’s purpose? Does the site exist solely to inform or teach, or is it selling a product or advocating for a particular cause? Is there evidence that the site is biased or prejudiced in favor of a certain outcome? (For example, a website that’s dedicated to attacking a specific political candidate will not be objective.)

4. Is the site current and functional? Try to find the date when the web page or site was last updated. (If it’s old, the data may no longer be accurate.) Are the links working properly? Broken links, spelling mistakes, and other errors are signs that a site may not be trustworthy.

Choose a topic in this issue of JS to examine further. Then pick two sources from your research to analyze below.

Putting It All Together See if you can verify the information your online sources provide through a non-web-based source, such as a book, map, or other reference.

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

KEY STANDARD

RI.6-8.2

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

A summary is a short statement or paragraph that tells what an article is mainly about. An objective summary does not include your opinions. (Remember that summarize means to sum up. When writing a summary, you’re summing up what an article says, not weighing in on it. An objective summary is different from a review, which includes your opinions.)

Writing an objective summary can help you comprehend what you’ve read and teach other people about a topic. After all, if you can accurately explain the gist of an article to someone else in just a few sentences, it’s likely that you’ve understood what it’s about.

How do you craft an objective summary? Choose any article in this issue of JS. Then follow the steps below to summarize it.

WRITING AN OBJECTIVE SUMMARY

Summarizing 101

Challenge On a separate sheet of paper, turn your objective summary into a review of the article. How do an objective summary and a review differ in terms of purpose, tone, and content?

Step 1: Write the main idea of the article here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 2: Find three key details from the article that support that main idea. Write them in your own words in two to three sentences here. (Hint: Avoid choosing minor details from just one section of the article. Instead, pick key details that support the article’s overall main idea.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 3: Combine your answers to steps 1 and 2 to form one cohesive paragraph. Make sure your sentences are free of opinions. Revise as necessary.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

News stories should convey information in a clear, precise way. Review the elements of a news story below. Then look closely at any feature story in JS to answer the questions that follow.

IDENTIFYING TEXT FEATURES

Anatomy of a News Story RI.6-8.5

Headline: This is the main title of the story. A good headline attracts readers’ attention and suggests what the story is about.

Deck: This appears below or next to the headline. It is usually a one- or two-sentence summary of what the story is about.

Lead (pronounced leed): This is the first sentence or paragraph of the story. A good lead piques readers’ interest so that they want to read more. It should connect quickly to the story’s main idea.

Nut graph: This paragraph sums up what the story is about. It usually follows the lead.

Subheads: These are mini-headlines that separate sections of the story. Subheads break the story into shorter, more readable segments.

Graphic elements: Photographs, charts, maps, drawings, and diagrams are visual aids that help illustrate the story and provide extra information.

Caption: This is a phrase or a short explanation of what is shown in a photograph, illustration, chart, or map.

Sidebar: This is a short article that relates to, but is separate from, the main story. It may help put the main story in context—by providing historical background, for example—or present additional information about the topic of the main story.

1. Find an example of a headline. After you’ve read the story, write a new headline for it.

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

2. Find an example of a subhead. What does the subhead tell you about the section that follows it?

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

3. Describe a graphic element that appears with the story. How does it help illustrate the main text?

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

4. Find an example of a caption. What does it tell you about the graphic element it accompanies?

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

5. Does the lead of the story pique your interest? Why or why not? After you’ve read the story, write a new lead.

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

KEY STANDARD

Questions

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

Use

s: c

op

y m

ach

ine,

op

aqu

e p

roje

cto

r, o

r tr

ansp

aren

cy m

aste

r fo

r o

verh

ead

pro

ject

or.

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

gra

nts

tea

cher

-su

bsc

rib

ers

to J

un

ior

Sch

ola

stic

per

mis

sio

n t

o r

epro

du

ce t

his

pag

e fo

r u

se in

th

eir

clas

sro

om

s. ©

2016

by

Sch

ola

stic

Inc.

All

rig

hts

res

erve

d.

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

When journalists write about a news event, they gather the most important information by answering the group of questions known as the five Ws and one H: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Choose any article in this issue of JS. Then use the graphic organizer below to record the answers to these questions.

ANALYZING TEXT STRUCTURES

Investigate the News

Putting It All Together Where in the text did you find the answers to these questions? Which ones were answered first? Why might the author have addressed them in that order? Explain.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RI.6-8.5

KEY STANDARD

EVENT_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

WHO?

WHEN?

WHAT?HOW?

WHERE?WHY?

SKILLS SHEET Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®