NameMonday, July 2

The Seneca Falls ConventionBy Sharon Fabian

Elizabeth kept a scrapbook. Later, her daughter, Harriot, added toit. The scrapbook had old newspaper stories. There was a storyfrom the paper called The North Star. There were stories about ameeting. Some of them said good things about the meeting. Somesaid it was a waste of time. One story called the meeting "silly."

Why did Elizabeth save these things? Why did Harriot save thescrapbook too? Why did she add to it?

The scrapbook was all about the Seneca Falls Convention.Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leader there.

It all started when Elizabeth went to a meeting in London. Sheand her new husband were both to be part of the meeting.Elizabeth's husband took part in the meeting, which was aboutending slavery. Elizabeth did not. She was not allowed to sit in themeeting. No women were.

Elizabeth was not happy. She was angry too. She thought abouthaving a meeting of her own. Her meeting would be about rights forwomen.

Eight years later, she was visiting some friends. They talkedabout problems they shared. They wanted to make their own choices.They wanted to have jobs. They wanted to own land. Some evenwanted to vote. They all felt that it was time for women to havemore rights. They began to plan a meeting.

They planned to meet in a church in Seneca Falls. They set thedate for July 19 and 20, 1848. They set a time.

Elizabeth wrote down their ideas, so they could be read at themeeting. She called her writing a declaration. It was like ourDeclaration of Independence, but it was about rights for women. Itsaid, "All men and women are created equal."

It listed the problems. Women could not vote. Women had to

obey laws, but they could not help make the laws. Married womencould not own land. Married women could not keep the money theyearned. Most jobs were not open to women. Colleges were closedto women. She also wrote eleven steps for solving the problems.These were called resolutions.

Soon the day came for the meeting. Would many people showup? They didn't have to wait long to find out. At 10:00, women andmen started to arrive. Three hundred people came. They listened tothe speakers. Then they agreed to ten of the resolutions. They didnot agree with one of them. This one said that women must have thevote. Then Frederick Douglass spoke. He was famous for speakingout against slavery. He was the publisher of The North Star. Hesaid that women must vote. Then everyone agreed with this one too.

The meeting at Seneca Falls was just the start. It would be a longtime before women had all of their rights. At last, in 1920, womencould vote. Now many women go to college. Many women ownland. Women have all types of jobs.

Elizabeth's scrapbook is now in the Library of Congress inWashington, DC.

The Seneca Falls Convention

Questions

1. At the Seneca Falls Convention, the people talked about______.

A. making scrapbooksB. who to vote forC. women's rightsD. slavery

2. A leader at the Seneca Falls Convention was ______.

A. Martha WashingtonB. HarriotC. Frederick DouglasD. Elizabeth Cady Stanton

NameMonday, July 2

3. Harriot was ______.

A. Elizabeth's granddaughterB. Elizabeth's grandmotherC. Elizabeth's motherD. Elizabeth's daughter

4. Frederick Douglas spoke out for ______.

A. bothB. neitherC. ending slaveryD. women's rights

5. The Seneca Falls Convention lasted for ______.

A. many yearsB. two daysC. one yearD. one day

6. Which happened last?

A. the Seneca Falls ConventionB. the meeting in LondonC. Women won the right to vote.D. Elizabeth began her scrapbook.

7. From the article, you can tell that Elizabeth was very interestedin ______.

A. women's rightsB. writing for the newspaperC. church meetingsD. wearing bloomers

8. When the convention was finished on July 20, 1848, womenhad gained all of their rights.

A. trueB. false

Choose a problem in the world today. Write a list of resolutions, orthings that you think need to be done to solve the problem. ( Youmight want to choose a problem such as a war, or a country where thechildren don't have enough food, or a place where women still havevery few rights.)

NameMonday, July 2

The Real McCoy: The Life of Elijah McCoy,InventorBy Joyce Furstenau

Have you ever heard the expression, "the real McCoy?" It meanssomething is original- it's the first of its kind. There are severalpossible sources of this phrase. One involves an invention by anAfrican-American man named Elijah McCoy.

Elijah McCoy was born in Canada in 1844. His parents were formerslaves. They escaped to Canada using the Underground Railroad.Once they reached Canada, they found freedom. His father looked forwork there. It was still a difficult time for African Americans. Elija'sfather joined the Canadian Army. He served in the 1837 Rebel War.In return for his service, he was given one hundred and sixty acres offarmland. Elijah and his brothers and sisters were raised on this farm.They were all raised as free Canadian citizens.

It was against the law in the United States for slaves to learn how toread and write at that time. In Canada, any property owner could sendhis children to school. Elijah's father was a landowner. He could voteand send his children to public school. Elijah went to a school forBlack children in Canada. He learned to read and write there. He alsobegan to show interest in mechanical devices. Elijah showed a specialtalent for working with tools and machines.

When Elijah was sixteen years old, his parents sent him to Scotlandto study mechanical engineering. In Scotland, he learned how todesign and build his own inventions. During this time, The Civil Warbroke out in America. By 1863, President Lincoln had signed twoexecutive orders freeing the slaves. When Elijah finished hisengineering education in Scotland, he sailed back to America. Hesettled in the state of Michigan.

Elijah had a hard time finding work in America. He was still thoughtof as a slave. No one had ever heard of a Black engineer. The only jobhe could find was as a fireman for the Michigan Central Railroad. Hisjob was to shovel coal into the fires that heated the water in the boilersthat ran the engine. He shoveled over two tons of coal into the firebox

every hour. His job was hot, difficult, and dangerous. He also did thejob of train oilman.

He had to oil moving parts of the train every few miles to make sureit ran smoothly. Elijah wanted to make his job easier. He began towork on a device that could oil, or lubricate, the parts of the trainautomatically. He worked on his idea for two years. He tried out hisfirst oil cup model in 1872. It worked very well. He applied for apatent from the U.S. government to protect his invention. When thetrain engineers saw how well his oil cup worked, they wanted itinstalled on every locomotive.

There were other oil cup inventions on the market, but none of themworked as well as Elijah McCoy's. Sometimes another model wasinstalled, but it did not work as well.

Soon, when a new oil cup was needed, engineers would say, "Makesure it's the real McCoy." Elijah McCoy did not receive much moneyfor inventing the oil cup. He continued to work for the railroad until1882. That year he left the railroad to work full time on ideas forinventions.

Through the years, Elijah McCoy invented several other devices tomake life easier. Some of them included an ironing board and a lawnsprinkler. He also created new designs for rubber tires and rubberheels for shoes. Each year he came up with at least one or two newideas to patent.

In 1920, Elijah finally was able to open his own company-The ElijahMcCoy Manufacturing Company. He created this company so hecould make and sell his newest lubricator cup to the railroad. Shortlyafter this, his wife was killed in an automobile accident. Elijah wasnever the same after her death. He used up the money he had earnedand died in 1929 alone and forgotten. His legacy remains as "the realMcCoy." Improved versions of his oil cup are still used in factoriesand even space vehicles.

In 1975, the city of Detroit placed a historic marker in front of hishome. They named the street "Elijah McCoy Street" in his honor.

NameMonday, July 2

The Real McCoy: The Life of Elijah McCoy, Inventor

Questions

1. What does the phrase "the real McCoy" mean?

A. the latest modelB. the original modelC. the oldest modelD. the most expensive model

2. Where was Elijah McCoy born?

A. in GeorgiaB. in ArkansasC. in CanadaD. in Maine

3. What was Elijah's father given for serving in the Rebel War of1837?

A. freedomB. landC. moneyD. cotton

4. How old was Elijah when he went to study in Scotland?

A. age 18B. age 20C. age 14D. age 16

5. What was the name of the first device Elijah McCoy patented?

A. a fire engineB. a fire shieldC. an oil cupD. a train

6. Why did Elijah McCoy quit working for the railroad?

A. He was injured on the job.B. He wanted to work on his inventions.C. He got married.D. He got too old to work.

NameTuesday, July 3

Where's Robbie?, Chapter 5By Kathleen Redman

When the students came to homeroom the next morning, Mr. Adamsand Mr. Colter were there with the homeroom teacher. Marisa wassurprised to see her father; he hadn't told her that he was coming toher homeroom.

When all of the students were seated, Mr. Colter said, "Goodmorning. I know all of you and many other students have beenworried about Robbie Evans. This morning, the police found Robbie.We are very happy to let you know that he is okay. However, Robbiewill not be at school for a while. He is suffering from severedepression and needs some time to get better."

"How long will he be gone?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know," Mr. Colter said. "Mr. Adams will help youunderstand more about depression and about Robbie's time away."

Mr. Adams nodded to the students. "We are all glad that Robbie hasbeen found and that he wasn't hurt while he was away. However, thatdoesn't mean that Robbie is okay. Depression is a very seriouscondition, and it will take time for him to start getting better."

"How long?" someone asked.

"No one knows," Mr. Adams answered. "It depends on manydifferent things. Robbie has to want to work things out. He may begiven some medication to help him. It takes time to make sure that aperson is getting the right amount of medication. In a couple ofweeks, we will know more."

"Where is Robbie now?" Marisa asked.

"He's at home with his parents right now. Later today, he will begoing to a hospital in Avon."

"Why doesn't he go to our hospital?" Michele asked.

"Robbie needs a special kind of hospital, a therapeutic hospital. Thedoctors there are trained to help people with depression."

"Avon isn't far from here, only about fifteen miles," Kevin said. "Canwe go see him?"

"Not at first," Mr. Adams answered. "At first, he will be very busy.He will need to be able to concentrate on getting better. Later, youwill be able to visit."

"Is he crazy?" one boy asked.

"No, he is not crazy," Mr. Adams said. "He has an illness, a mentalillness. It's a lot like when you get sick. His sickness makes him thinkin unhealthy ways. It keeps him from making the decisions a wellperson would make."

"Then after a while he will be all well?" another student said.

"Perhaps," Mr. Adams said. "We don't really know. We do know thatwith the right medication and the right counseling, most people withdepression are fine. Just like with a physical illness, they have toremember to take their medication. They also talk to a therapist, justlike you talk to a doctor when you are sick."

"What can we do to help him?" Marisa asked.

"The most important thing you can do is to keep on being his friends.Go to see him when he can have visitors. When he comes back toschool, treat him like you always have. Don't worry if he doesn't seemthe same to you. He will have to get used to you all over again. Intime, you won't even notice the difference."

The homeroom teacher stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Adams," she said."It is time for the students to go to their first class."

"Thank you for letting me talk to the students." Mr. Adams looked atthe students. "If you have any other questions, drop by my office. Wecan talk some more there."

The students gathered up their books and walked to their classes.They were glad that Robbie had been found, but they were still a bitworried about him. Most of them would find their way to Mr. Adams'office later in the day.

NameTuesday, July 3

Where's Robbie?, Chapter 5

Questions

1. Who was in Marisa's homeroom the next morning?

A. her father and Mr. ColterB. a new studentC. Mr. and Mrs. EvansD. Robbie

2. Where was Robbie found?

A. The story doesn't say.B. in the woodsC. in the parkD. at the train station

3. Who found Robbie?

A. the policeB. KevinC. Mr. and Mrs. EvansD. Mr. Colter

4. At that time, Robbie was at home with his parents. Where washe going later in the day?

A. to a new schoolB. to a hospital in AvonC. to another stateD. to prison

5. How long was Robbie going to be in the hospital?

A. No one knew how long.B. one weekC. one monthD. two weeks

6. What kind of hospital was in Avon?

A. a cancer centerB. an intensive care centerC. a trauma centerD. a therapeutic hospital

7. How far was Avon from Kenty Middle School?

A. about two milesB. about fifteen milesC. about five milesD. about ten miles

8. Which of these statements is true?

A. Robbie was evil.B. Robbie was crazy.C. Robbie wouldn't ever get better.D. Robbie needed his friends.

NameWednesday, July 4

A Day to be FreeBy Mary Lynn Bushong

"Come to my home," said Wang Bao.

"Why?" asked Carl.

"We are having a party. We are having afreedom party," he said.

"I will ask Mom," said Carl. He smiled.Parties are fun.

The party was that night. Carl knew theother kids. He saw Ty and waved. He sawJoel, Jose, and Marco.

Bao's mom cooked food. Some was fried. Some was steamed. Therewas a lot of food. Carl had not eaten it before.

"This is like the food we ate in China," said Mr. Wang. "It is notpizza. It is not tacos or hot dogs. It is good food."

Bao held up the chop sticks. He showed the other kids how to usethem. Carl and his friends tried. They all laughed. Carl liked his forkbetter.

Carl liked the rice. He tried the noodles. They were good. He triedmany other things. Carl smiled. The food was very good. MaybeMom could make some like it.

The boy watched his friends. Jose made a face over something.Marco was filling his plate again. Carl could see he liked the food.

Mr. Wang talked about China. He talked about the land. He talkedabout the people. No one was really free there. They all wanted to befree. "Now we live in America," he said. "Here, we are free."

"Why is freedom good?" asked Ty.

"When you are free, you can do more," said Mr. Wang. "You can gowhere you want. You can speak what you want. You can work whereyou want. America is a very good place. It is free. This is FreedomDay. Come with me." Mr. Wang waved them to the back door. On thetable was a box of sparklers. He gave each boy one.

"The Chinese invented fireworks. When we are happy, we use them.I am happy tonight. We are all happy. We will show it!" said Mr.Wang, and he lit a match.

A Day to be Free

Questions

1. Bao was a Chinese boy.

A. falseB. true

2. Carl was having a party.

A. falseB. true

3. They ate:

A. tacosB. Chinese foodC. hot dogsD. pizza

4. Carl liked his______ better.

A. knifeB. spoonC. forkD. chopsticks

5. Marco ate a lot of food.

A. trueB. false

6. Bao talked about China.

A. trueB. false

NameWednesday, July 4

7. The party was for:

A. Fireworks DayB. Chinese DayC. Bao's birthdayD. Freedom Day

8. The Chinese invented:

A. pizzaB. tacosC. fireworksD. freedom

9. What will Mr. Wang do next?

What do you do for July 4?

Name DateWednesday, July 4

A Very Special Father's DayWritten by Joyce Furstenau

Douglas wanted to make Father's Day special for his dad this year. He started making plans earlier that week. Douglas wouldbegin the day by serving his father breakfast. "Dad would love a bowl of Kaptain Kid's Krunchies," thought Douglas. They wereDouglas's favorite.

After breakfast Douglas and his dad could watch cartoons together. Douglas's favorite program was Scooby Doo. He didn't wantto miss his favorite cartoon program. Later, he and his dad would ride their bikes to the park. They could play on the swings andmonkey bars. Douglas liked playing on the monkey bars.

Douglas would bring bread in his backpack so they could feed the ducks together. Douglas liked feeding the ducks. When theywere tired of that, they could ride over to the Icy Ice Cream Shop for a double-decker cone. Douglas liked Rocky Road the best.

Douglas was excited about his Father's Day plan. He would get started by making a Father's Day card. Inside the card was achecklist of all the things they were going to do together to celebrate. He drew a picture of himself and his dad on the front of thecard.

"It is going to be a great Father's Day," thought Douglas.

Answer the following questions before you finish the story.1. Why did Douglas want to do something special for his dad?

2. Why did Douglas want to fix his dad a bowl of Kaptain Kid's Krunchies?

Name DateWednesday, July 4 A Very Special Father's Day

3. Why did Douglas want to watch Scooby Doo with his dad? Do you think this was his dad's favorite television program? Why orwhy not?

4. Why did Douglas want to ride to the park? Do you think his dad might enjoy playing on the swings or monkey bars? Explainyour answer.

5. Who do you think Douglas was thinking about when he was making plans for Father's Day? Why do you think Douglas wantedto do these things?

6. Can you think of some other activities Douglas could do that might be more fun for his dad? Explain why you think your choiceswould be more fun.

Name DateWednesday, July 4 A Very Special Father's Day

7. Predict what you think will happen when Douglas tells his dad his plans for Father's Day.

8. Which of Doug's ideas to celebrate Father's Day do you think is the best? What would you like to do for your dad on Father'sDay?

Name DateWednesday, July 4 A Very Special Father's Day

Use any of the ideas you wrote for the thinking questions to write an ending for this story. Be sure to include some dialog in yourending. Always use complete sentences. When you have completed it, proofread your story and make sure you have used correctpunctuation. Write your creative story ending for A Very Special Father's Day on these two blank pages.

Name DateWednesday, July 4 A Very Special Father's Day

NameWednesday, July 4

Marcy Finds Help At SchoolBy Joyce Furstenau

Marcy had become withdrawn at school. Her teacher began to worryabout her. She used to be the first one to raise her hand. Now sheseemed tired all the time. Her homework was rarely done. Lately, sheseemed to cry at the drop of a hat. Mrs. Jenkins, her teacher, decidedto have a heart-to-heart talk with Marcy.

"Marcy, can I see you for a minute after the rest of the class leavesfor recess?"

Marcy nodded her head up and down. She waited silently at her seat.She didn't seem to have much energy today, either.

Mrs. Jenkins sat down beside Marcy. She put her hand on Marcy'sarm and said, "Honey, I've been worried about you lately. You don'tseem to be the bubbly Marcy that you were last fall. Is theresomething going on at school that I need to know about?"

Marcy shook her head "no." Mrs. Jenkins could see she was on theverge of tears. "Is there something going on at home, then?" sheasked.

Marcy hesitated. Then she put her head down on her arms and beganto sob. Mrs. Jenkins patted her on the back. She waited until Marcywas calm enough again to talk.

"Is it something you can talk to me about, or would you like to go seeMr. Rogers?" asked Mrs. Jenkins. Mr. Rogers was the schoolcounselor.

Marcy looked at Mrs. Jenkins with tears in her eyes. "My parents aregetting a divorce," she said. Then she began to cry again.

"Oh, dear, dear, me. No wonder you are upset. I am so sorry to hearthis. I'm so sorry, Marcy," she said. Marcy regained her composureagain.

"I'll be alright. Mommy will be getting married to her boyfriend after

the divorce is final. It's just kinda hard right now. I miss my daddy,"said Marcy.

"Marcy, I think it might be helpful for you to talk to Mr. Rogersabout this. I think there are other kids in Mr. Rogers' friendship groupwho have gone through this. They might be able to help you. Thefriendship group meets every week with Mr. Rogers. The kids talkabout how to deal with changes in their lives like this. I know it ishard on you. I think this might help you."

Marcy agreed. Mrs. Jenkins walked her to Mr. Rogers' office. Sheintroduced Marcy and told Mr. Rogers briefly what Marcy had shared.Mr. Rogers put his hand on Marcy's shoulder and told her that shewould make a great addition to his friendship group. They would behaving a meeting during fifth period tomorrow. He would sendsomeone to Mrs. Jenkins' class to get Marcy.

Marcy felt better knowing she had someone to talk to about herfeelings. She didn't want her mother to worry about her. She didn'twant her to know how much she missed her dad. She had seen herfather only twice since he moved out. Her older sister was involvedwith school activities. She seemed too busy to notice. Marcy wantedto feel normal again. She was looking forward to the friendship group.She couldn't imagine that anyone else would understand what she wasfeeling.

There were six other students who came to the friendship group thenext day. They were all children of divorced parents. Two were livingin single parent families, and four were living in stepfamilies. Marcywas the only one in the group who was going through the difficulttime of change during the divorce. She wanted to ask questions aboutdivorce and remarriage. She wanted to know how she would fit in ifshe got a new step-father. She wanted to know if her "real" father wasgoing to quit seeing her after the divorce. She worried that he didn'tlove her anymore because of the divorce. Marcy had many questions.

Mr. Rogers opened by having everyone introduce themselves. Eachof them said hello to Marcy and shared a little about their familysituation. Mr. Rogers started a discussion about changes. He said thatsome changes can be really hard, especially at first.

"Remember when you went from kindergarten to first grade? Did youmiss your kindergarten teacher? Was it hard to learn a new way ofdoing things with a new teacher?

It didn't happen the first day, did it? It took time. Everyone needs

NameWednesday, July 4

time to get used to changes in our lives. Sometimes it might evenseem like there are too many changes. Remember, it wasn't easy tolearn all the rules of first grade, either. It took time, but here you arenow in fourth grade. You've had to learn the rules of four otherteachers since kindergarten. You spent a whole year learning andgrowing together. It was hard, but you made it, didn't you?

"In friendship group, we will talk about the changes each of you isgoing through right now. We will talk about what helps and whatdoesn't help. We have all made a pact to never discuss what we talkabout in our group to other students, too. Will you agree to that,Marcy?"

Marcy said, "Yes, I promise." She heaved a big sigh. Marcy knew shewould be able to get through these changes with the help of her newfriends.

Mrs. Jenkins could see the old Marcy slowly returning as the weekswent by. Marcy was learning how to deal with the changes in her lifeone day at a time. Her friendship group was a big help to her. She wasglad she decided to talk to someone.

Marcy Finds Help At School

Questions

1. Why was Marcy having trouble concentrating in school?

A. She had a new bed that was uncomfortable.B. She was living in a new house.C. Her parents were going through a divorceD. She was eating too much candy.

2. What did her classroom teacher do to help Marcy?

A. She spoke to her privately out of concern.B. She scolded her.C. She found her a new family to live with.D. She moved her desk to a new spot.

3. What did Mrs. Jenkins suggest to help Marcy?

A. She suggested Marcy should take a walk.B. She suggested Marcy should move to a different schoolC. She suggested Marcy might want to talk to the school

counselor.D. She suggested Marcy should get over it.

4. Who was Mr. Rogers?

A. the bus driverB. the principalC. the school counselorD. a fourth grade teacher

5. Who was in the friendship group?

A. kids who once were her best friendsB. kids in her classroomC. kids who were much older than MarcyD. kids who had been through what Marcy was going

through

6. Why did being in the friendship group help Marcy?

A. She learned to jump rope in friendship class.B. She got to play games with other kids.C. She got out of science class.D. She was able to talk about her problems with kids who

had been through similar problems.

NameWednesday, July 4

Geo-What?By Trista L. Pollard

So many boundariesand so many states! Thereare scientists who studystates, boundaries, andcapitols. Geographersalso study rest of ourphysical world. They studyeveryone and everythingfound on Earth.Geography is also thescience of where things arelocated on Earth and whythey are located in those places.

Most students think geography is memorizing names of places. Itis much more than that! Geographers have created five importantthemes or topics in geography. The first theme is location. Thinkof the Earth as a bunch of space. This space is broken up into areasof land, water, countries, states, communities, and people. Locationis the "where" part of the geography puzzle. The exact location of anarea is called absolute location. Your home's street address is anabsolute location. The latitude and longitude of your state are alsoabsolute locations. They also locate places on Earth based onsurrounding features. Relative location is a general location. Forexample, your state may be close to the East Coast of the UnitedStates. Your school may be near a landmark called McDonald's®.Your house may also be thirty minutes away from New York City.Geographers use time, landmarks, direction, and distance to tellwhere places are located.

The second theme is place. All of the areas on Earth havespecial characteristics or qualities. These qualities make placesboth the same as and different from other places. The physicalcharacteristics of a place are its landforms. These are mountains,lakes, rivers, plains, and oceans. There are also humancharacteristics of places. Buildings, roads, houses, temples, andchurches are all human characteristics. They use these

characteristics to learn more about places and the people who livethere.

Human-environment interaction is the third theme. Scientistswant to know how we adapt to, depend on, and modify ourenvironment. We adapt or deal with our environment by heavierclothes during cold weather. We depend on our environment forfood and water. We also modify or change our environment. Whenit is hot, we use air conditioners to cool our homes. Ourenvironments also have a feeling. We live in certain areas becausethey are comfortable. Some people like the excitement of the city.Some people like the quiet of the country.

Another theme is movement. Think about the United States andall of the people who live there. Everyday, millions of people moveto their jobs using public transportation. They use trains, buses,subways, taxis, and ferries. They also use their own cars to travel.A large amount of information is sent around the U.S. and the world.Every day the Internet carries information to other countries. Ourpostal systems deliver tons of mail and packages throughout the U.S.and beyond. Television commercials also move ideas. They shownew products to buy, news from around the world, and newtelevision shows. Telephones and cell phones also help us to keep intouch. We are now more connected to people around the world.

Regions is the final theme. Regions are areas that havecommon characteristics. They could have the same government, thesame language, and the same landforms. The regions of the U.S.have a few things in common. They have landforms, climate, andlocation. The states in the Northeast region are located in the samearea. They have common landforms like the Appalachian MountainChain and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. They also have cold wintersand hot summers. Communities, neighborhoods, towns, and citiesare regions. They share a common location and a commongovernment.

Now you know that geography includes more than states andcapitals.

Remember, it is location, place, movement, region, andhuman-environment interaction.

NameWednesday, July 4

Geo-What?

Questions

1. What is relative location?

2. What is absolute location?

3. Roads and schools are ______.

A. Physical regionsB. Human characteristicsC. Human regionsD. Physical characteristics

4. People only modify and depend on their environment.

A. FalseB. True

5. Give an example of a type of movement.

6. How do humans depend on their environment?

7. What do regions have in common?

8. Put the following words in alphabetical order.

A. DistanceB. DirectionC. GeographyD. Geographers

NameThursday, July 5

The Summer without a VacationBy Beth Beutler

"This stinks," Bradley said tohis brother with a grimace.

"I know," Mark replied. "Butyou know what Dad said."

"Yes, I know," Bradleyanswered back. "But it's notfair. Everyone else gets to goon vacation."

Bradley and Mark recalledtheir conversation with theirfather last night. "Boys, since I got laid off last month, your motherand I think it is for the best that we not go on vacation this year. Wewould use a lot of money on that trip, money we could keep on handfor food, gas, and the house payment. We hope you understand."

Mark and Bradley had agreed, but they had gone back to their roomsdejected.

"It's hard to be around everyone talking about their vacation. Jessica'sgoing to the beach. Tamara is going to Europe. Jackson is goingcamping in the mountains. We're not doing anything!"

Bradley, who was by nature a more optimistic person, shot aquizzical look at Mark.

"What?" Mark said defensively.

"Mark, do you think Dad and Mom are disappointed?"

"Maybe," Mark answered, a little sheepishly.

"I wonder if we could plan a vacation for them, " Bradley suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we could set up a tent in the backyard, grill out, and have akind of campout."

"That's a thought."

So the boys spent their energy planning a surprise vacation for theirparents. They picked a date and wrote down ideas. Their parentsdidn't know what was up, but they were glad the boys had a diversion.

Finally, the weekend arrived. Mark had arranged with neighbors toinvite their parents out for dinner. When they returned, Bradley andMark escorted their parents outside. They had set up a wholecampsite, with hanging lanterns, the tent, sleeping bags, and bags ofmarshmallows and popcorn.

"Surprise! We couldn't GO on vacation, so vacation came to us!"

Their mom got tears in her eyes, and dad grinned. "Well boys, I guesswe've all learned something special. Fun doesn't have to be expensive.It just takes a little creativity."

As they sat around the pretend campfire, Mark said, "Well, when I'masked where I went this summer, I'll have to say, my own backyard!"They all laughed, realizing it wouldn't be a summer without a vacationafter all.

The Summer without a Vacation

Questions

1. Based on the story, how many people are in this family? Is thisa fact?

NameThursday, July 5

2. Friends of Bradley and Mark were planning vacations. Nameone vacation a friend was going on.

3. Why did Bradley and Mark's parents cancel vacation?

A. Their dog got sick.B. Their dad lost his job.C. The boys had summer jobs.D. They had car trouble

4. Do you have to travel to take a vacation?

5. Write three sentences about your favorite vacation spot.

The first time I went camping, we...

NameThursday, July 5

Who Cares?, Chapter 4By Kathleen Redman

"Eric, what's going on?" his mother asked. "Why do you have allyour stuff in stacks on the floor? Why are there names on the stacks?What are you doing?" Mrs. Styles was very frightened. She had talkedto Dr. Anderson for a long time that morning. Dr. Anderson hadknown Eric since he was born. Mrs. Styles was very worried aboutEric. Some of the things Dr. Anderson had said scared her. Now itlooked like Eric was doing some of the things Dr. Anderson hadtalked about.

"Slow down, Mom," Eric said. "It's okay. I know what I am doing. Ifeel better. I'm just sorting out my stuff. Some things I don't need anymore. I may give them to some people. I don't know. Maybe I willkeep them."

Mrs. Styles felt a little better, but she was still worried. Sheremembered what Dr. Anderson had told her. She knew Eric had notbeen sleeping or eating well. And now he was talking about givingaway his things.

"Eric," she said slowly, "I called Dr. Anderson today. I told him thatyou hadn't been feeling well. He said he could see you tomorrowmorning at 9:00."

"Mom, you know I have school tomorrow," Eric said. "I don't need tosee Dr. Anderson. I'm okay."

"I want you to go see him tomorrow. It will make me feel better. Itmight help you, too. I already talked to Ms. Allen. She will excuseyour absence."

"Mom, can't it wait? I really want to get rid of some of this stuff. Thesooner, the better."

"No, Eric, I want you to see Dr. Anderson tomorrow. Would you likefor me to go with you?"

"No, Mom. You can't afford to take off work to go with me. I don't

need you to hold my hand!"

"So you will go?"

"If it will make you feel better, I'll go," Eric promised. He wouldhave the rest of the day to give some of his things away. He felt socalm. Since he had made up his mind, he felt much better.

"Okay," his mother said. "Well, come on downstairs. I stopped at therestaurant you like and got take-out for us. Suze is going to eat withthe other cheerleaders tonight."

Eric followed his mother downstairs. He wasn't hungry, but he wouldtry to eat. He didn't want to worry his mother. After tomorrow, shewouldn't have to worry about him any more. Yes, tomorrow wouldsolve everyone's problems.

The next morning, Eric got up and packed things for Keith and acouple of other people in his book bag. He left the other stacks on thefloor. His mother and Suze would find their stuff. He went downstairsand sat down at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Suze."

"Good morning, Eric," his mother said. "Don't forget yourappointment with Dr. Anderson."

"I won't forget," he promised. If he kept the appointment, his motherwould know that he loved her. There were a lot of things he wanted tosay to her, but he didn't know how. Maybe he would write her a letterlater. He could leave it on his bed.

"That would be good," he said to himself. "I'll write a letter to herwhile I wait for Dr. Anderson."

Eric took a few bites of his breakfast. He wiped his mouth and stoodup. He picked up his backpack.

"Good-bye, Mom," he said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Eric," his mother said as she watched him walk outthe door. "Please, please," she said. "Please help him, somebody,anybody. Please help my son."

NameThursday, July 5

Who Cares?, Chapter 4

Questions

1. How long has Dr. Anderson known Eric?

A. since Suze was bornB. since Eric's mother was bornC. since Eric was bornD. since Dr. Anderson was born

2. Why had Mrs. Styles called Dr. Anderson?

A. She was sick.B. She thought Eric had the flu.C. She was worried about Eric.D. She thought Suze was sick.

3. What time was Eric's appointment with Dr. Anderson?

A. 9:00 a.m.B. 8:00 a.m.C. 8:00 p.m.D. 9:00 p.m.

4. Why did Eric feel so calm that evening?

A. Suze wasn't at home.B. He had made up his mind about what he was going to do.C. He knew Keith would be happy with his Mp4 player.D. He wasn't sick anymore.

5. What had Mrs. Styles brought for dinner?

A. nothingB. leftovers from her lunchC. take-out from Eric's favorite restaurantD. cake and ice cream

6. Where was Suze at dinnertime?

A. cheerleading practiceB. asleep in her roomC. still at schoolD. eating with the other cheerleaders

7. Where did Eric put the things for Keith the next morning?

A. in his book bagB. in his carC. beside the televisionD. under his bed

8. What was Eric planning to do while he waited for Dr.Anderson?

A. write a letter to his motherB. take a napC. work on a Sudoku puzzleD. read a book

NameFriday, July 6

Your Best Shot to Stay HealthyBy Jennifer Kenny

Lori was dreading going to thedoctor's office today. Her mother hadscheduled an appointment to get herflu shot. She hated getting shots. Theyhurt!

Lori and her mother arrived at thedoctor's office. Lori nervouslyclutched her favorite stuffed bearwhile she waited for her name to becalled. Then she heard the nurse say,"Lori Filors, follow me please." Soshe did.

In the examination room, Lori had her height, weight, andtemperature checked by the nurse. Then the doctor came in to quicklycheck her over.

"I don't understand why I need a shot," Lori complained.

"I want to keep you from getting the flu. You have asthma and youdon't need any complications from the flu," the doctor said.

"Well, what about all the other shots I have had to face in mylifetime?" Lori asked.

The doctor had to laugh. "I think you are being quite dramatic. Mostof the shots people need are given by age two. I doubt you rememberthem. You haven't even had your tetanus booster shot to preventlockjaw because you are not twelve yet."

"Lockjaw?" Lori asked. "What's that?"

"Well, you won't have to worry about that," the doctor said andlaughed. "I'll give you a shot for that. It's what you get if you are hurtby a rusty nail or have a deep, dirty wound."

"How do shots help do that?" Lori asked.

The doctor answered, "Shots protect you. They either give you a tinypiece of a germ that causes a disease or give you a weakened or deadkind. It doesn't give you the whole amount or you would get theillness, of course. Instead, the body reacts, making antibodies, andthese antibodies will remember how to fight off the disease if youever come in contact with the germ again. That means you'll never,ever get most diseases. Some others, like chickenpox, you'll never getor just get a very mild case."

"But if my friends get the shot and keep the disease away, why do Ihave to get the shot too?" Lori asked.

"Good question, Lori," the doctor said. "You are always thinking.Shots are important for individual people, of course, but for the wholeworld, too. If even some people don't get vaccinated, the disease couldspread. If, however, everyone gets their shots when they are supposedto, then diseases like measles or mumps are hardly ever heard ofanymore. That's why your school wants to make sure children havegotten shots, too, so diseases won't spread throughout the school. DidI answer all your questions now? Are you done stalling?"

"I guess so," Lori agreed.

"The shot hurts for a second, but it's not as bad as the disease, Ipromise. The syringe holds the liquid. The needle has a hole. Thenthis will squirt through. In this case, the shot is in your arm. When youwere little, your thigh worked," the doctor said.

Lori's mom held her hand. Lori counted in her head, One, two,three...it was done. Lori smiled and added, "Not so bad."

The doctor said, "Good." Then he turned to Lori's mother and said,"Tomorrow her arm might hurt, the spot might be red, and she mightrun a low fever. Give her Tylenol if she needs it. If she has any otherreaction, call. Good-Bye, ladies!"

"Good-Bye, Dr. Farrell," Lori and her mom said. "Thank you."

NameFriday, July 6

Your Best Shot to Stay Healthy

Questions

1. What kind of shot was Lori scheduled to get today?

A. fluB. measlesC. mumpsD. tetanus

2. Which statement is true?

A. Lori was receiving the flu shot because she had diabetes.B. Most shots people need are given to them in their 30s.C. Most shots people need are given to them by age 2.D. The most important shot is the tetanus.

3. Which booster prevents a problem called lockjaw?

A. fluB. tetanusC. mumpsD. measles

4. Which statement is true?

A. Shots protect you.B. Shots sometimes contain a tiny live germ.C. Shots sometimes contain a weakened germ.D. all of the above

5. Shots help protect individuals and the community.

A. FalseB. True

6. The chickenpox vaccine guarantees you will never getchickenpox, not even a mild case.

A. FalseB. True

7. Which is an opinion?

A. Schools require proof of immunization.B. Shots hurt a lot.

Create a brochure explaining the importance of vaccination.

NameFriday, July 6

Another NeighborhoodBy Beth Beutler

I visit my friend Jordan about twice a month. He lives in aneighborhood across town from me. We do not attend the same localschool, but we go to the same summer program each year. We met atsummer day camp about three years ago and became loyal friends.

Jordan comes from an entirely different background. He has a largefamily; I have a small one. His family follows many ethnic traditions;mine pretty much sticks to American habits. He has two dogs; I amallergic. (Jordan's dogs bother me because they stay outside.) He ispoor; we are what many people would call comfortable. I only knowEnglish; he can communicate in English and Spanish.

Every other Saturday, I would go to Jordan's, or he comes to myhouse. Our mothers get along well, but they really don't have much incommon. However, they don't mind driving us to each other's homesso we can play for the afternoon.

I remember the first time I went to Jordan's house. At my house, westayed at my home and yard. When I went there, we pulled out acouple of rusty bikes and begin to ride through the neighborhood. Attimes, I was nervous because we did things here that we did not do inmy neighborhood. We stopped and got ice cream. We rode betweenbuildings that were close together. It wasn't unusual to see a beggar onthe sidewalk. In fact, Jordan always stopped to talk to him andsometimes gave him a snack. I looked at him in wonder andmentioned, "Jordan. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"Aww," Jordan replied. "That's not a stranger to me. I've known Mr.Larson for a long time. My mom knows I talk to him. I don't talk withothers I don't know, though."

We continued riding down the street to a community park. Severalkids had picked up a game of basketball. "Let's stop and play," Jordansaid. "Hi, everyone," he called, jumping in right in among the people.

I soon discovered how good Jordan was at the game. In no time hewas fully into the basketball battle, dribbling the ball around his

buddies and laughing. I stood on the side line for a few minutes,watching in awe. I was feeling a little sullen. I was nowhere near asgood as he was.

"C'mon, Jake," he called. "Join in!"

I wasn't sure if the other kids would accept me. After all, I hadalways heard that kids from Jordan's side of town were mean. Wouldthey treat me with contempt?

I cautiously stepped in, and one flung the ball to me.

"Let's see what you've got," he called.

I gulped. I began to dribble, and they all surrounded me. I tripped andfell to my knees. However, I somehow kept a hold of the ball, crawledout from the pile, ran toward the basket, and managed to do a prettylay up that even impressed me!

"Hey, you're all right," they all said, giving me high fives.

We played for the next hour until it was getting toward dusk and timeto leave. As we wheeled away, I realized I had a new appreciation forJordan, his neighborhood, and friends. Kindness doesn't exist in onlycertain parts of town!

Another Neighborhood

Questions

1. Where did Jordan and Jake meet?

NameFriday, July 6

2. How long have Jordan and Jake been friends?

A. five summersB. two yearsC. three yearsD. the story does not say

3. Name two ways the boys were different.

4. In which neighborhood did the boys spend the most timeoutside? Does that seem reasonable to you?

5. Is there an underlying opinion in the early part of the storyregarding the boy's neighborhoods? What change of heart doesJake go through?

6. What is one of the safety rules the boys followed?

Name Date

Reading MathChristopher found 45 mudbugs. Is that an even number or an oddnumber?

Bennie's Bakery made 230 chocolate donuts, 155 glazed donuts, 215plain donuts, and 183 filled donuts. Which kind of donuts was closestin number made to the filled donuts?

Emma made 12 hamburgers for her birthday party. She put lettuce andtomato on 2/3 of them. She put onions and pickles on the rest of thehamburgers. How many hamburgers had lettuce and tomato on them?

On Memorial Day 3,909 people visited Veterans' Park in Andrew'shometown. Of that number, 2,010 were males. Did more males orfemales visit the Park?

Samantha went to Cullowhee Café and ordered a hamburger withlettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on it, a small order of french fries, anda large drink. The total price was $4.66. If she pays for her meal with a5-dollar bill, how much change will she get?

In 2000, people in the United States ate 3,300,000,000 pounds ofchocolate. Write a number that is 8 million more.