Passage from The Slackers, Out and About · 2013-02-05 · Guinness Book of World Records to find answers. Wacky World Records 2 Each year, over 50,000 people around the world try

RED Leveled Literacy Intervention Student Test Preparation Booklet

Read the passage from the fiction book The Slackers, Out and About and thepassage from the nonfiction book Six Snakes That Share Our World. Then answerquestions 1 and 2.

Passage from

The Slackers, Out and Aboutby Debra Rose Herman

1 “Then it’s decided!” Mr. Slacker declared. “We’re going to Hawaii!” 2 There was a lot to do to prepare for the trip. The Slackers wanted to learn all

they could about Hawaii before they set out. So of course they rushed to turn onthe television.

3 Slug found a police show that took place in Hawaii. Violet took notes. Theylearned that Hawaii is an island. They learned that people in Hawaii snorkel andwatch fish swimming under the water. They also learned that crime does not pay.

1 Then Quentin and Violet practiced lying on the beach while Mr. and Mrs.Slacker worked on watching sunsets. “It’s important to be prepared if you reallywant to enjoy a trip,” Mrs. Slacker noted.

Passage from

Six Snakes That Share Our Worldby Susan Blackaby

Places for Snakes

1 What comes to mind when you think of a snake? Maybe you think of arattlesnake in the desert. Its body is coiled like a rope. Its head is slowly rockingback and forth. It is flicking its forked tongue. Watch out for its sharp fangs—therattler is ready to strike!

2 A rattlesnake is just one kind of snake. There arehundreds of other kinds. They make their homes indesert, grassland, woodland, and wetland habitatsaround the world. Snakes need sunshine and heatin order to keep warm.

Lesson 127: Practice

21© 2013 by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.May not be reproduced without permission

How Are All Snakes Alike?

1. Snakes are cold-blooded.2. Snakes are shy.3. Snakes are carnivores.

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22 RED Leveled Literacy Intervention Student Test Preparation Booklet

Reading ComprehensionNow answer questions 1 and 2 by writing your responses on the lines provided.

1. What is the author’s purpose in each of these passages?

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2. What way does each author organize her writing? Explain why each way oforganizing is a good choice for the author’s purpose and the type of writing. Usedetails from the passages to support your answer.

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© 2013 by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.May not be reproduced without permission

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Read the abridged versions of the nonfiction books Protecting the Kakapo and TheRecord Breaker. Then answer questions 1 through 3.

Abridged version of

Protecting the Kakapoby Bob Morrow

1 The kakapo (KAH-keh-poh) parrot is one of the rarest birds on the planet. Itwaddles like a duck, but it can’t fly. It sleeps all day while other birds are awake.And it has a strong, sweet smell, like honey.

The Kakapo in Trouble

2 Once, kakapo parrots thrived in forests in New Zealand. No people or animalshunted them. Then, about 700 years ago, the Maori [may-OR-ee] came to the area.They hunted kakapo for food and used its feathers to make capes. Then otherpeople came to New Zealand and hunted the birds. They brought other animals.Cats and weasels attacked the kakapo, and rats ate their eggs.

3 The kakapo was easy to hunt because it lived on the ground. Its strong smellmade it easy for dogs to find them.

4 Later, people thought the bird was extinct.But in the 1970s, a few kakapo parrots werefound. Scientists had a chance to save thespecies! First, they moved the birds to asmall island. They made sure no animalswere there to harm the kakapo.

5 A team of scientists, forest rangers, andvolunteers was formed. The team uses high-tech tools to keep track of the birds. One tool is alittle backpack for a kakapo to wear. It holds a radiotransmitter and sends a signal that tells where the bird is.

Kakapo Babies

6 The more babies the kakapo have, the better the chance of survival. The teamkeeps close track of kakapo babies. After mating, a female kakapo lays eggs. Shechooses a hidden spot, like a hollow under the ground. Then she sits on her eggs.

7 The team attaches an alarm to each nest. Helpers called “nest minders” knowwhen the female leaves the nest. They make sure the eggs are safe and warm,especially at night. If there’s a chick, nest minders take care of it. By making surethe eggs and chicks survive, the team is helping to increase the number of kakapo.

RED Leveled Literacy Intervention Student Test Preparation Booklet 23

Lesson 127: On Your Own


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A Future for the Kakapo

8 Long ago, people killed kakapowithout thinking. They didn’t realizethey were wiping out a species. Today,we know that many animal specieshave been lost, so we want to protectall we can. It’s our job to protect thesegentle animals for the future.

Abridged version of

The Record Breakerby Laura Johnson

1 What is the record for sharing a bathtub with the most rattlesnakes, or wearingthe most T-shirts at one time? If you don’t know, you could look in a book calledGuinness Book of World Records to find answers.

Wacky World Records

2 Each year, over 50,000 people around the world try to set world records. Manypeople hold a single world record, and a few people hold several records.However, Ashrita Furman (ah-SHREE-tuh FUR-muhn) holds the record for themost Guinness world records! Since 1979, he has set more than 300.

3 The first record Ashrita broke was 20,000 jumping jacks. He could only do 50.However, with practice and hard work, he set a new world record of 27,000jumping jacks. Then he broke another record by somersaulting more than 12miles.

Practice, Fitness, and Concentration

4 Now Ashrita tries to break a record every two weeks. He doesn’t alwayssucceed, but he keeps working. Some tasks require planning and lots of practice.For example, it took months for him to set a record for balancing 81 drinkingglasses on his chin. Other records aren’t planned at all.

5 For some records, Ashrita must be in good physical shape. Other records needgreat concentration. For example, his attention was focused to set a record ofclapping for 50 hours.

6 Some records require both fitness and concentration. Ashrita broke the recordfor bouncing on a pogo stick for a mile while juggling balls. His record was 23minutes and 28 seconds.


How Rare Is the Kakapo?

In 2010, there were:200,000,000,000 living birds in the world

6,900,000,000 living people in the world

122 living kakapo in the world.

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RED Leveled Literacy Intervention Student Test Preparation Booklet 25

Why He Does It

7 Like many other kids, Ashrita dreamedabout seeing his name in the Guinness Bookof World Records. His dream has come true ina big way. It’s not about breaking someoneelse’s record, though. Ashrita explained,“Going for a world record is a wonderfulchallenge, and the person you challengereally isn’t the individual who holds thecurrent record—it’s yourself. Never give up!”

Reading ComprehensionNow answer questions 1 through 3 by writing your responses on the lines provided.These questions relate to both passages.

1. These two texts tell about meeting hard goals. What is the goal in each text?

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2. Both Protecting the Kakapo and The Record Breaker are nonfiction. Explain howyou know that each text is nonfiction.

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3. Which passage did you find more interesting? Explain your answer. Tell whatyou liked best about the passage.

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e Today we are going to think about another kind of test item called a constructed-responseitem. Instead of giving you possible answers, this item asks you to write your own answer.Sometimes you’ll be asked to write a response that is about two or three sentences long.This is called a short constructed-response item. Other times you’ll be asked to write oneor two paragraphs. This is an extended constructed-response item. You can tell abouthow long your answer should be by looking at the number of lines for writing.

e When you come to a constructed response item:

• Read the item carefully.

• Find and underline the important words and think what the item is about.

• Look back at the passage or passages to find sentences with information that willhelp you write your answer. Reread these sentences or paragraphs.

• Organize your thinking by putting your main idea into one sentence.

• Find examples, reasons, or other details that support your idea.

• Think about how you can make your response fit in the space given in the StudentTest Preparation Booklet.

e Some constructed-response items use question words. Some items use words such asidentify, summarize, explain, describe, or compare instead of question words. Theseimportant words tell you what to do in your writing.

e Let’s look at a short constructed-response item and think together about importantwords we find there (Think Together Chart 127).

(1) How would you describe the humor of The Slackers, Out and About?

e The stem contains the question word how, as well as other important words, such asdescribe, humor, and the book title. You should underline and think about thesewords. They tell you that this item is focused on the humor of this fiction passage. Youcan see that the item asks you to use your own words to describe the humor.

127TEST PREPARATION LESSON

• Level O Student Test Preparation Booklets

• Think Together Chart 127

You Will Need

Student Test Preparation Booklet, Level O, Lessons 127–128

Student Test Preparation Booklet

Name:

LEVEL OLESSONS 125–128

Leveled Literacy Intervention RED System

e Develop understanding of the termsconstructed-response item, shortconstructed-response item, and extendedconstructed-response item.

e Distinguish between a short constructed-response item and an extendedconstructed-response item.

e Notice key words in constructed-responseitems, such as identify, summarize, explain,describe, and compare, as well as questionwords.

e Identify and reread the importantinformation in a passage.

e Organize thinking by devising a main ideaand identifying supporting details.

e Apply thinking to constructed-responseitems related to paired passages of familiar texts.

e Practice responding to constructed-response items related to paired passagesof familiar texts.

Goals

ThinkTogether

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TEST PREPA

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ptional)e Point out the importance of finding and rereading appropriate parts of the text

before starting to write. As you think about the humor, it is a good idea to go back tothe text and reread some sentences. In a short passage like this one, you might want toreread the whole passage. Circle words and phrases that contain humor. Focusing onthese details will help you think about how to describe what is funny. Help studentsorganize their ideas. Point out that first they might gather details. Then they mightdecide how best to express in a single sentence what the humor is about. Remindstudents to describe the humor without merely copying the author’s words. It maybe possible, then, for them to add a few supporting details in an additional sentence.

e Now let’s look at an extended constructed-response item (Think Together Chart 127).

(2) Describe Mr. Slacker’s personality. What are some of his character traits?

e The question asks you to describe a character’s personality. You’ll need to choose two orthree character traits that you can use in your description. Reread the passage andmark sentences that show some part of Mr. Slacker’s personality. You might need tothink of a single word that describes this trait. Keep reading until you identify two orthree of his most important traits. Then, you might think about what is your overallimpression of Mr. Slacker’s personality. See if you can put this idea into a singlesentence. Then you can back up your main idea with details you have found in the text.

Show the following items, inviting students to identify and underline the importantwords. Encourage students to discuss the steps they would take to find informationin the passages, to come up with a main idea, and to find supporting details.

Short Constructed-Response Items

(3) What type of text is Six Snakes That Share Our World? How do you know?

(4) What is the conflict in Alexandra Smith, Super Sis? Explain your answer.

(5) How does Tony change during Gramps at School?

Extended Constructed-Response Items

(6) Explain how the author of Six Snakes That Share Our World uses colorfuldescriptions to give information about snakes.

(7) Based on Gramps at School, do you think Tony respects his grandfather?Why or why not?

(8) What kind of person is the narrator of Alexandra Smith, Super Sis? Explainyour ideas using details from the passage.

e Have students look at the inside back cover of their Student Test PreparationBooklets to review the steps for constructed-response items:

1. Read the item carefully.

2. Find and underline important words and think what the item is about.

3. Look back at the passage or passages. Find sentences with information that will helpyou write your answer. Reread these sentences.

4. Organize your thinking. Put your main idea into a sentence. Then find details tosupport your idea.

5. Think how you can fit your idea and supporting details in the space given.

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Have a Try

LLI RED SYSTEM REVISED TEST PREP LEVEL O LESSON 127: LESSON PLAN

On YourOwn

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e Now turn to page 20 in your Student Test Preparation Booklets. The passages are fromtwo books you have already read, The Slackers, Out and About and Six Snakes ThatShare Our World. Read the passages to yourself. When you finish reading, work withyour partner to plan and write a response to the constructed-response items.

[Students read the passages independently and plan and write responses to the constructed-

response items with a partner.]

1. What is the author’s purpose in each of these passages?

In the fiction passage, Debra Rose Herman’s purpose is to entertain the reader. InSix Snakes That Share Our World, Susan Blackaby’s purpose is to inform the reader.

Thinking Beyond the Text

2. What way does each author organize her writing? Explain why each way oforganizing is a good choice for the author’s purpose and the type of writing. Usedetails from the passages to support your answer.

Debra Rose Herman organizes her writing in time order. The first event in thepassage is Mr. Slacker saying that they have made a decision to take a trip toHawaii. In paragraphs 2, 3, and 4, the author includes the next things that happen.That is, the family turns on the television and Slug finds a police show. Violet takesnotes, and the family learns several things. Then the family members practicethings they will do in Hawaii. Using time order is a good choice for a fiction textlike The Slackers, Out and About.

In the nonfiction passage, Susan Blackaby organizes her writing in two ways.The first way is by topic. The heading “Places for Snakes” tells me that thesentences that follow will be about the topic of places snakes live. However, underthe heading “How Are All Snakes Alike?” the author uses compare and contrast togive information. All three of the sentences there tell ways that snakes are alike.These ways of organizing make the nonfiction facts clear and easy to understand.

Thinking About the Text

e After students have completed the Practice with a partner, discuss any items thatthey found difficult. You may want to share one or both of the sample responsesshown. If so, remind students that there are no “correct” answers to constructed-response items. Explain that the two responses given show examples that arethoughtful and well written.

e Remind students that they need to write legibly and use their best spelling andpunctuation.

e Turn to page 23 in your Student Test Preparation Booklets. Earlier you read twononfiction books, Protecting the Kakapo and The Record Breaker. Today you aregoing to read abridged versions of those books to yourself carefully.

e Then, for each constructed-response item, read the item carefully.

e Find and underline the important words and use these words to think what the item is about.

e In the passage or passages, find sentences with information that will help you writeyour answer.

e State your main idea in one sentence. Then find details in the passage to support your idea.

e Think about how to fit your idea and supporting details into the space given for writing.

[Students read the passages independently and plan and write responses to the constructed-

response items on their own.]

Critical Thinking 1. Analyze author’s

purpose across twotexts.

2. Analyze and explainauthor’s organization ofinformation, purpose,and use of genre acrosstwo texts.


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1. These two texts tell about meeting hard goals. What is the goal in each text?

In Protecting the Kakapo, the goal is to save the kakapo parrot. They need to besaved because there are not very many of them left in the world. In The RecordBreaker, the goal is to beat world records and be the best at doing all kinds ofunusual things.

Thinking Beyond the Texts

2. Both Protecting the Kakapo and The Record Breaker are nonfiction. Explain how youknow that each text is nonfiction.

Each summary gives information about something in the real world. Also, bothinclude many facts. tell a story. For example, the first text uses a chart to show howmany kakapo there are. Also, both texts have headings for each section. Writersoften use headings like that for nonfiction.

Thinking About the Texts

3. Which passage did you find more interesting? Explain your answer. Tell what youliked best about the passage.

I found Protecting the Kakapo more interesting because I like the subject. I ammore interested in animals, but I am less interested in people breaking records. Ireally liked learning about how the team rescues the birds. I was surprised that thebirds wear little backpacks, but it makes sense. I liked finding out that scientistsuse the backpacks to keep track of the birds. I also am really glad that people weretrying to rescue the birds, because all animals deserve to live.

Thinking About the Texts

e After students have completed On Your Own, take time to discuss any items theyfound difficult. You might select certain items in order to point out importantwords and to discuss how those words gave clues to students about the nature of thetest item.

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Critical Thinking 1. Identify important

information across twotexts.

2. Analyze genre acrosstwo texts.

3. Think critically about atext and supportopinions withevidence.


LLI RED SYSTEM TEST PREPARATION 1Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention. Copyright ©2013 by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. This page may be photocopied.

(1) How would you describe the humor of The Slackers,

Out and About?

(1a) I would describe the humor of The Slackers, Out and

About as _____.

(2) Describe Mr. Slacker’s personality. What are some of

his character traits?

(2a) I would describe Mr. Slacker’s personality as _____.

Some of his character traits are _____.

THINK TOGETHER CHART 127

You may wish to print these pages to display the individual stem for the Think Together items.

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(3) What type of text is Six Snakes That Share Our World?

How do you know?

(3a) Six Snakes That Share Our World is a _____ text.

I know this because _____.

(4) What is the conflict in Alexandra Smith, Super Sis?

Explain your answer.

(4a) The conflict in Alexandra Smith, Super Sis is_____.


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(5) How does Tony change during Gramps at School?

(5a) One way that Tony changes during Gramps at School

is _____.

(6) Explain how the author of Six Snakes That Share Our

World uses colorful descriptions to give information

about snakes.

(7) Based on Gramps at SchooI, do you think Tony

respects his grandfather? Why or why not?

Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention. Copyright ©2013 by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. This page may be photocopied. LLI RED SYSTEM TEST PREPARATION 3

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(7a) Based on Gramps at School, I think that Tony respectshis grandfather because _____.

(7b) Based on Gramps at School, I think that Tony does notrespect his grandfather because _____.

(8) What kind of person is the narrator of AlexandraSwift, Super Sis? Explain your ideas using details fromthe passage.

(8a) The narrator of Alexandra Swift, Super Sis is the kindof person who _____.


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Documents

Passage from The Slackers, Out and About · 2013-02-05 · Guinness Book of World Records to find answers. Wacky World Records 2 Each year, over 50,000 people around the world try