Week 1 The Skunk LadderTwo friends dig a marvelous hole, and then discover they have an unwelcome visitor.
Week 2 The Unsinkable Wreck of the R.M.S. TitanicSeventy-four years after the Titanic’s tragic collision with an iceberg, two explorers viewed the wreck from a mini-submarine.
Week 3 Talk with an AstronautNASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa answers questions from students around the country.
Week 4 Journey to the Center of the EarthIn an excerpt from a classic novel, Harry and his uncle witness a titanic battle underground between two fearsome creatures.
Week 5 Ghost Towns of the American WestSearching for land and riches, people headed west and built towns. When the expected windfall didn’t come, they abandoned the towns, which became ghost towns.
ActivityThink about the different ways the selections told their stories. Share your thoughts with a family member. Tell which selection was your favorite, and why.
Selection Summaries
In Unit 5 you learned and used many skills while reading the stories and selections.
• Plot is what happens in a story. Characters are the people who experience the events.
• Agraphic source is a picture, table, chart, diagram, time line, or map that shows or explains something in the text.
• Theauthor’s purpose is the reason the author writes the story.
• Acause is why something happens, and an effect is what happens.
• Togeneralize is to make a broad statement that applies to several examples.
ActivityAdventures can be found in faraway places or right down the street. Write about a time you had an adventure.
Greek and Latin Roots Many English words come from Latin and Greek. Use a dictionary to find out more about Greek and Latin roots. Activity As you read, make a list of Greek and Latin roots you find.
Unfamiliar Words With an unfamiliar word, use context clues and then use the dictionary.
Activity Look for unfamiliar words. Check their meanings in the dictionary. Then create a list of new words and write several sentences using them.
Multiple-Meaning Words When you come across a multiple-meaning word, look the word up in the dictionary or a glossary.
Activity Write two sentences using a multiple-meaning word. The word should have a different meaning in each sentence.
Unknown WordsWhen you encounter an unknown word, use your dictionary or glossary to find the definition.
Activity Look for unknown words. Find their definitions in the dictionary or glossary. Keep a list of your new words as you learn them.
Prefixes A prefix is attached to the beginning of a word to create a new word. Check the meanings of prefixes in the dictionary.
Activity Look up the prefix over-. List ten words that begin with it.
Unit Vocabulary Skills
Multisyllabic WordsWhen spelling words with many syllables, look carefully at each word part. Often, whether a syllable is stressed or not determines how it is spelled.
Related WordsRelated words often have parts that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently: major, majority. When you say these words, pay close attention to where the stress is placed.
Greek Word PartsMany English words are formed from Greek word parts. Sometimes the Greek word parts are spelled differently when forming an English word.
Latin RootsLatin roots show up in many English words—for example, ject, meaning “throw,” and aud, meaning “hear.” Not all words that have these letters in them, however, are using the Latin roots. For example, you can see the root aud in words like inaudible, audience, and auditorium. However, gaudy, meaning “bright or showy,” contains aud but has nothing to do with hearing.
Practice Read the following sentences. Fill in the blanks using the Words to Know. Then circle the letter of the correct definition for each underlined word. Use what you know about word roots to help you. A dictionary can also help if you get stuck.
1. The crowd pounded their feet with anticipation as the proud
explorer, Carl Weisner, began his to reach
the depths of the .
a. to stop anticipating b. the act or process of or looking forward to anticipating
2. Weisner felt confident about heading down into the cavernous space,
although the was not easy and other experts had failed.
a. small and full b. large and hollow
3. Just as the explorer found his first foothold, a yell erupted from deep
within the fissure. It was a terrifying , like the painful roar of someone getting a cavity painfully filled at the dentist!
a. the hard outside part of a tooth b. a hole or hollow space in a tooth
4. Automatically, everyone thought the attempt would be , but Weisner insisted on continuing down—so the exploration went on.
a. the act or process of exploring b. being in danger while exploring
On Your Own As you read “On the Hunt,” watch out for words that have Greek or Latin roots. Check your ideas against the dictionary.
Words to Know
abandonedattemptbellowcavernfeatimmenselysavage
Home Activity YourchildstudiedGreekandLatinroots.Askyourchildtoshowyouhowtolookforcluestorootsinthewords.
• Acharacter is a person or an animal that takes part in the events of a story. The plot is what happens in a story.
• Theplot is the sequence of events in a selection. The plot starts with a problem or conflict, continues with rising action as the conflict builds, and reaches a climax when the problem or conflict is faced. The plot ends with a resolution or outcome.
Practice Read the story. Answer the questions below.
Home Activity Your child reviewed character and plot. Retell one of your favorite books or movies. Discuss who the characters are. Have your child explain the problem, rising action, climax, and resolution of the book or movie.
Problem
Carl Weisner was beginning to explore a cave live on TV when a huge roar came out of the cavern.
Rising action
The terrible roar frightened everyone except the explorer. They begged him not to go down into the dark cave.
Climax
He continued his descent into the cavern.
Resolution
The explorer discovered a rival explorer in the cave who pretended to be a monster.
1. Who is Carl Weisner?
2. What is Weisner’s problem?
3. What is the climax of the story?
4. What is the resolution?
On Your Own Use what you know about character and plot as you read “On the Hunt.”
Home Activity Your child has reviewed using the dictionary to determine the meanings of unknown words. Together, practice using a print or online dictionary to find new and unusual words.
Unknown Words
• Whenyoucomeacrossanunknown word, use a dictionary or glossary to find its meaning. Dictionaries and glossaries list the words in alphabetical order.
Practice Fill the blanks with the Words to Know. Then choose the definition that best matches the underlined word and circle its letter. Use a dictionary to check your work.
1. Dr. Taylor decided to get a specimen of ocean-floor
to complete her research.
a. example b. mark
2. Unfortunately, she found the of the
submarine and began to feel claustrophobic.
a. comfortable to be in a small space b. afraid of confined spaces
3. The situation necessitated the use of the sub’s arm to gather
the slimy .
a. required b. tried
4. Although gratified by the success, she was saddened by the large, under-water
field that the ship’s was tracking.
a. surprised b. pleased
On Your Own As you read “Diamond Discoveries,” look up the meanings of unknown words in the dictionary. Make a list of new words as you learn them.
Home Activity Your child reviewed using graphic sources to obtain information. Together, look through a news magazine and talk about what the graphic sources tell you.
Graphic Sources
• Agraphic source shows or explains information in the text. Pictures, tables, charts, diagrams, time lines, and maps are all graphic sources.
New Public Buildings Since 1990
City (Town) Total Last Built
Apogee 7 2005 (library) 2005 (school)
Bonaventure 3 2001 (courthouse)
Hampton 3 2008 (municipal building)
Fishbeim 4 2007 (library)
Karzwell 8 2006 (school) 2006 (park district)
Practice Use the chart to answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the answer you choose.
1. Which city built a new courthouse in 2001?
a. Apogee b. Bonaventure c. Fishbeim
2. The newest school was built in which year?
a. 2004 b. 2005 c. 2006
3. How many public buildings have been built in Fishbeim since 1990?
a. 3 b. 4 c. 7
4. What type of building did Hampton build in 2008?
a. library b. municipal building c. courthouse
5. Which city has the newest library?
a. Fishbeim b. Apogee c. Karzwell
On Your Own Use what you know about graphic sources as you read “Diamond Discoveries.” Make a diagram showing the route Fipke takes on his search.
• Amultiple-meaning word is a word that has several different meanings. To determine which meaning an author is using in a text use context clues. You can also check the word in the dictionary.
Practice Fill in the blanks with Words to Know. Then choose the correct meaning of the underlined multiple-meaning word. Use a dictionary to help you.
1. Jamal managed some real this year.
a. controlled the use of b. succeeded in reaching
2. His was to improve his scores in math and science.
a. grades in school b. musical compositions
3. Even the television at home and in the community center did not distract him from his goal.
a. the finish line in a race b. something that is desired
4. Now a model for younger students, Jamal said that he is working toward
his dream of experiencing zero as an astronaut in space.
a. an area of ground of b. the area beyond a certain size Earth’s atmosphere
On Your Own As you read “Diamond Discoveries,” look for multiple-meaning words and use the dictionary to find their meanings. Use the new words in sentences.
Words to Know
accomplishmentsfocusgravitymonitorsrolespecific
Home Activity Your child reviewed multiple-meaning words. Together, read a newspaper article and look up any multiple-meaning words in a print or online dictionary.
• The author’s purpose is the reason the author writes a story. Authors can write to inform, persuade, entertain, and express themselves.
Local student is a fine example to othersJamal Williams, a student at Centerville Middle School, is an outstanding example of how hard work leads to success. Once a D student, Jamal recently earned all As in his classes. Was this remarkable accomplishment due to some educational video? No, says the young man, it was just deciding he wanted to do better and figuring out how to reach that goal….
Practice Read the article and answer the questions below.
1. Why was the article about Jamal written?
2. What does the article’s author think of Jamal?
3. Which words helped you identify how the author felt?
4. What was Jamal’s ‘remarkable accomplishment’?
On Your Own Use what you know about author’s purpose as you read “Diamond Discoveries.” Write about the author’s purpose in this passage. Did the author succeed?
Home Activity Your child reviewed author’s purpose. Read several articles in a magazine and discuss the different purposes of the writers.
Home Activity Your child reviewed unfamiliar words. As you read a story with your child, ask him or her to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. Then have your child check the definition in a dictionary.
Unfamiliar Words
• Asyouread,youwillcomeacrossunfamiliar words. Use context clues to help you determine the meanings of these words.
Practice Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the Words to Know list.
Kerry and Ricki will spend a day in the museum. They love to look
at the glass display that ancient weapons and
shining once worn by knights. Some of the
battle weapons are , such as a mace, a spiky iron
ball on a club. Others, such as their favorite golden sword, is decorated with a ruby-eyed
crawling up the shaft. These weapons were
into wild beasts that are now , or never existed in the first place!
On Your Own On a separate sheet of paper, write your own sentences using the words from the Words to Know list.
Home Activity Your child reviewed how to determine cause and effect. Make a list of things your child does every day. Ask him or her to list the effect of each of these activities.
Cause and Effect
• Acause is why something happens, and an effect is what happens. Sometimes an effect may have more than one cause, and a cause may have more than one effect.
Practice Read the story and then answer the questions below.
Last Thursday, Hector woke up late. He was supposed to get up at 6:45 but
didn’t get out of bed until 7:15. Because he left his house late, Hector missed the school bus. As a result, Hector’s father had
to drive him to school. When he arrived at school, class had already started. Hector’s teacher looked up from writing on the board and asked, “Did you oversleep again, Hector?”
1. What caused Hector to miss the bus?
2. Why did Hector get a ride from his father to school?
3. What is a possible cause of why Hector woke up late?
4. In this example, were there multiple causes, multiple effects or both?
5. What is another possible effect of Hector waking up late?
On Your Own Use what you know about cause and effect as you read “On the Hunt.” Make a list showing examples of causes and effects in the story.
• Aprefix is attached to the beginning of a word to make a new word. You can check the meanings of prefixes in the dictionary. The dictionary will list the prefix by itself and also as part of many words.
• Rememberthatin- can mean “not,” and that over- means “too much.”
Practice Read the following sentences. Fill in the blanks with one of the Words to Know. Then circle the letter of the correct meaning of each underlined word.
1. My friend Amanda started her own business selling her old puzzles
and inactive board games. She hoped that the extra money would
give her more .
a. being used very often b. not being used right now
2. Though the idea sounded like a huge project to her overcautious brother Joe, she
a few signs and hung them around the neighborhood.
a. being too careful b. not being careful
3. To Joe’s surprise, Amanda was by eager customers, all of whom were incomprehensibly excited to purchase her puzzles!
a. not easy to understand b. very easy to understand
4. Now her old puzzle closet is , and she is no longer working overtime to get
freedom. Soon, though, she will need to find another creative way to earn some money.
a. less time than usual b. more time than usual
On Your Own As you read “Diamond Discoveries,” look for words that have prefixes. List them and look up the meanings of the prefixes in the dictionary.
Words to Know
economicindependenceoverrunscrawledvacant
Home Activity Your child reviewed prefixes. Work together to list as many words as you can that begin with prefixes.
• A generalization is a broad statement or rule that applies to many examples. Clue words such as all, most, always, usually, and often can signal generalizations.
Amanda is in fifth grade. She often paints after school.
Joe is also in fifth grade. He often plays guitar after school.
Practice Look at the pictures, and read each generalization below. Circle the correct answer to show if you think it is a valid generalization or a faulty generalization. Then explain your answer.
1. Amanda usually enjoys painting.
a. valid generalization b. faulty generalization
2. Joe always has his guitar with him.
a. valid generalization b. faulty generalization
3. Amanda and Joe never play sports.
a. valid generalization b. faulty generalization
On Your Own Use what you know about making generalizations as you read “Diamond Discoveries.” List several generalizations you find in the passage.
Home Activity Your child reviewed making generalizations. Together, read a magazine article. Identify any generalizations the writer has made.
Unknown Words Circle the word plummet in Paragraph 1. Check its meaning in a dictionary and write its definition as it is used in the passage.
Graphic Sources After reading the first paragraph of the passage, what graphic source do you think would help you understand the selection?
Author’s Purpose After reading the first two paragraphs, what do you think is the author’s purpose?
Multiple-Meaning Words What is the meaning of company as it is used in the passage?
Diamond Discoveries
If you look at a map of Canada, you will spot the chilly area of the Northwest Territories. These territories cover over 500,000 square
miles and consist mainly of forests and frozen lands. During the winters, temperatures can plummet down to –25 degrees Fahrenheit. Only lichen and moss will grow there. The human population is so sparse that, on average, you find one person every twelve and a half miles.
Although this area may seem very remote, one geologist named Charles Fipke braved the cold, harsh climate for a hoard of treasure. His journey first began in 1978 when he was hired by a company to complete a specific task: to locate priceless diamonds in the Canadian wilderness.
Diamonds were expensive, and there was just no telling how much profit could be made. Billions of dollars might be up for grabs. Because the stakes were so high, Fipke wasn’t even allowed to tell his team of explorers why they were exploring!
Fipke first set out to search the Colorado Rockies, making his way up past the Canadian border. He knew that finding diamonds would take both talent and a whole lot of luck. Diamonds are located in kimberlite pipes—long channels in the ground created ages ago during volcanic eruptions. Since these pipes are very difficult to find, diamond-hunters may also look for “indicator minerals.” These special minerals, such as garnets and chromites, are often found near the kimberlite pipes. Not all pipes, however, have diamonds in them. Many pipes are empty, while others are just too small to mine.
By 1981, Fipke and his team had moved farther east, into the Northwest Territories. When Fipke heard that competitors were looking for diamonds just a hundred miles away, he decided to spy on their operation. The information that he gathered from the soil and sediment samples there helped to further his own mission.
Soon after the espionage incident, Fipke’s employer abruptly ended the diamond search. But that wasn’t about to stop Fipke from looking on his own! Without any help from an outside company, Fipke and a fellow geologist, Stewart Blusson, pooled their economic resources together and started on their own diamond quest.
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Home Activity Your child read a selection and used comprehension and vocabulary skills from Unit 5. Have your child summarize the selection, drawing conclusions about the facts and making generalizations about the text.
Graphic Sources How could a time line help you better understand this passage?
Prefixes What is the prefix in insanely?
Generalize Underline a generalization in the fourth paragraph.
Author’s Purpose Do you think the author achieved her purpose? Why or why not?
Generalize What generalization could you make about Fipke?
The pair made their way farther east to an area now known as the Barren Lands. Concerned that rivals would hear about their explorations, they kept extra quiet and took many precautions. They hiked through areas they knew didn’t have diamonds, just to throw competitors off the scent. Blusson would also fly a helicopter without telling anyone where he was going. He was afraid that others would track his flight patterns and then head in the same direction in search of diamonds. Once when Blusson was alone in the icy wasteland, his freezing helicopter would not restart. Since no one knew of his location, he had to save himself. Blusson eventually built a fire, heating the plane’s engine until it was warm enough to turn on again.
For years, the men searched for diamond traces while suffering through insanely cold winter temperatures and vicious summer mosquitoes. Their expeditions were enormously expensive, and still no kimberlite pipes were in sight.
Work continued at a constant pace with the help of other funds. Then in the late 1980s, newly published geological research helped Fipke to pinpoint a potential diamond source located in an area among thousands of tiny lakes.
While Blusson was on other expeditions, Fipke and a new team set up a camp near this new lake area. Fipke was feverish with anticipation, and his team began racing against the clock. Everyone was afraid that rivals would hear about their location and soon swoop down to look for diamonds themselves.
Tensions mounted. Where was the kimberlite? It had to be around there somewhere.
Finally, Fipke found a kimberlite pipe beneath one of the many lakes—and yes, there were diamonds inside! With the help of a large company, he quickly staked his claim of land. After years and years of searching, Fipke’s fortune was finally made, and his accomplishments were announced to the world!
Unfamiliar Words Find the word eagerly in the first paragraph and circle it. Define this word. What context clues can help you?
Cause and Effect What caused the shouts and cheering in paragraph 2?
On the Hunt
The gym was full of excitement as the fifth-grade school scavenger hunt was about to start. Deval, Sofia, and Evan chattered together eagerly as
the sky grew dark outside. They were determined to win the scavenger hunt and the prize of the free movie passes.
When all of the kids had settled down, Principal Taylor began to speak. “Good evening, everyone,” she said. “I know you’re all eager to begin, so I’ll make this introduction quick. Your teachers and I will soon be passing out the list of scavenger hunt questions. First team to answer all of the questions correctly wins the prize! When the game is over, we’ll finish the evening with a pizza party here in the gym.” At the end of this announcement, the entire fifth grade erupted in shouts and cheering.
Papers were quickly handed out, and the teams plunged into action. Deval, Sofia, and Evan high-fived and ran to their starting location: Ms. Kyle’s first-grade classroom. Evan looked at the paper and read clue number one aloud. “My name is Ted. I like to rhyme. I wrote Green Eggs in little time.”
“Green eggs?” asked Deval. “Sounds pretty gross, if you ask me.”
Sofia thought for a moment and ran over to the bookshelf. “Maybe the clue means Green Eggs and Ham. You know—the book by Dr. Seuss.” She found a copy of the story and opened the front cover. Lying inside was a little note. Congratulations, super sleuth! it read. You’ve answered the first question. Ted Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, was the writer of Green Eggs and Ham. Now head to the library where you’ll find the answer to question two.
“Nice!” Deval said to Sofia. Then the group bolted to the library, and Evan read the next clue.
“According to this book, yesterday always follows today.”
“What could that possibly mean?” Sofia pondered. All of the kids scratched their heads and waited for a burst of inspiration. Deval began pacing through the aisles, skimming the library titles as he went. The scavenger clue didn’t seem to make any sense.
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Home Activity Your child read a selection and used comprehension and vocabulary skills from Unit 5. Have your child retell the selection, focusing on the sequence of events in the plot.
Cause and Effect What effect does going to the principal’s office have on Evan?
Character/Plot Underline two sentences on this page that help you to understand Evan’s personality.
Greek and Latin Roots The Latin root spec- means “look or see.” How does this root help you to understand the meaning of spectacular?
Evan peered into a heavy reference book that was sitting on a podium. “Hey, check it out—Dr. Seuss’s name is listed in the dictionary!”
“Wait a second!” Deval shouted. “That’s it! When you look up something in a dictionary, yesterday comes after today. Alphabetical order!” He raced over to where Evan was standing and lifted the front cover of the dictionary. Sure enough, another slip of paper was waiting for them there. You know your ABCs, detective! Now head to the main office where the answer to your last clue awaits.
“I can almost feel those movie tickets in my hand right now,” Sofia said. Quickly, the team abandoned the library and took off for the main office.
They slowed their steps as they got near Principal Taylor’s doorway. “This place gives me the creeps,” Evan said.
“That’s because the only time you’re ever here is when you’ve gotten in trouble.”
“Teachers shouldn’t blame me for talking in class all of the time!” Evan said. “I can’t help it. Everyone in my family talks—just look at my parents, and my sisters, and my auntie, and my dog—”
“Later,” Sofia said. “We don’t have the time. Deval, what’s the last clue?”
Deval looked at the paper and read, “You’d think my name would mean ‘I sew,’ but actually I run the show.”
“Oh, that’s an easy one!” Evan said.
Sofia and Deval stared in disbelief. “Easy?” they asked. “So what’s the answer?”
“Principal Taylor, of course,” Evan said. “Get it? Taylor? Tailor?”
Sofia and Evan laughed hysterically. “Who knew your spectacular feat of genius would be inspired by all your visits to the office!” Sofia said. Then all three of them ran to find their principal.
Principal Taylor smiled at the kids when they arrived. “Looks like you’ve solved my little puzzle,” she said.
“And just in time for dinner,” Sofia replied. “I’m starving for some pizza!”
