Spring Break Student Packet Grade 5 Reading - … Summarize the story using details and examples...

Created March 2016, Spring Break Student Packet Copyright © 2016 by School Board of Palm Beach County, Department of Elementary Education

Name: ____________________________________________

Spring Break Student Packet

Grade 5 Reading

Includes:

Independent Reading

Item Practice Review

Language and Editing

Answer Key

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

Department of Elementary Education


INDEPENDENT READING

Have your child read book of their choice each day for at least 45 minutes. Below are

some ways they can talk and write about what they have read.

Literature Text (e.g. Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Poetry,

etc.)

* Summarize the story using details and examples from the text.

* Describe the characters and how their actions contribute to the sequence of the events.

* From whose point of view is the text written? How do you know?

* Compare and contrast two stories. Your child may discuss characters, setting, events, etc.

* What is the possible theme? What are details in the text that support your thinking?

* What is a possible central message? What are details in the text that support your thinking?

* What word in the text was tricky for you? How did you solve it?

Informational Text (e.g. Nonfiction Books, Magazines, Websites, etc.)

* Summarize the text; include the main idea and key details.

* Explain events; include what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

* Describe how the author organized the text (e.g., sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect,

problem/solution, main idea and reasons, description).

* What was the author’s purpose for writing this text? How do you know?

* What can you learn from the text features? How does the information you learned connect

with the text?

* What is an important detail from the text? How does it connect with the author’s message?

* I can conclude that _________ because _____________.

* How is the text structured?


ITEM PRACTICE REVIEW

Spinning Thunderstorms

This article is provided courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History.

1 On a spring night in 2007, disaster struck a small town in Kansas called Greensburg.

Shortly before 10 p.m., a siren went off. A mile-wide tornado was approaching

Greensburg. And it wasn‘t just any tornado. It was a category EF5, the most powerful

kind there is.

2 Its winds were estimated to be more than 200 miles per hour. In less than ten

minutes, the town was destroyed and ten people lost their lives.

3 When the fury had passed, people clambered through the rubble. Cars and trucks had

been thrown about. Homes were crushed, or simply ripped from the ground. ―I‘m in

downtown Greensburg. There‘s really nothing left,” said one resident.

Credit: FEMA Photo by Michael Raphael

The tornado destroyed much of the town. Many residents needed temporary housing.


How do tornadoes form? 4 A tornado is a swirling, funnel-shaped column of wind that gets its start from a

thunderstorm. Thunderclouds form when warm, wet air collides with cool, dry air. Then,

strong winds form into a wide tube of spinning air. When the tube touches the ground,

it becomes a tornado.

5 Kansans are used to tornadoes. The people of Greensburg live smack in the middle of

“Tornado Alley,” an area that spans eight states in the Central United states. This

region is a perfect thunderstorm factory. It has just what storms need to get started:

cool, dry air from the Arctic mixing with warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.

Above the flat Great Plains, far from mountains and coastal weather, thunderstorms can

form undisturbed. These conditions spawn more than 600 tornadoes, on average, in

“Tornado Alley” every year.

Credit: NOAA

A Tornado is a swirling, funnel-shaped column of wind. It

stretches from a thunderstorm cloud down to the ground. A

tornado gets its start when strong winds at high altitudes set

a thunderstorm’s winds rotating.

Credit: The Field Museum

The 200-plus-mph winds of a tornado

can bend a stop sign.


Photo credit: From the Field Museum

More than 75% of all tornadoes in the world take place in “Tornado Alley.”

How do scientists predict dangerous storms? 6 Meteorologists are scientists who study and forecast weather. They use a technology

called radar to track storms. Weather radar works by detecting the precipitation (rain,

snow, or hail) in approaching storms. The radar unit sends out a radio wave towards

the storm. The radio wave bounces off the raindrops, hail or snow that is in the storm,

and then returns to the radar unit. The amount of time it takes for the wave to return

tells meteorologists how far away the storm is. Most radar units send out about 1,000

radio waves per second. This gives them detailed, up-to-the-minute information about

the storm.

7 Using radar, forecasters can track the formation and path of severe storms like

tornadoes. When a tornado takes shape, its winds blow raindrops in a circular pattern.

When scientists see that pattern on a radar screen, they know that a tornado is

developing. Although tornadoes have fast swirling winds, tornadoes themselves move

relatively slowly across the land (18-30 miles per hour). So scientists can make

reasonable forecasts about where they are headed. A system of tornado watches and


warnings are used to alert the public to danger. A tornado “watch” means thunderstorm

conditions exist that could spawn tornadoes. A “warning” means a tornado has

touched down and been spotted.

CREDIT: NOAA Doppler radar map shows the

tornado shortly before it leveled most of Greensburg, Kansas.

8 This system saved many lives in Greensburg. After the tornado sirens shrieked,

people had 20 minutes to escape to their basements and storm shelters before the

tornado destroyed their town.


Eyewitness to History: Storm Warning Paul Sherer, Grade 5. Russell Elementary School, Russell, PA

1 On July 19, 1977, a series of thunderstorms rolled through western Pennsylvania near

Johnstown, flooding the Conemaugh Valley. Seventy-eight people died. Paul

interviewed his father, Marshall Sherer, who experienced the flood.

2 The small community of Tannerville was nestled near a ravine1 along the Conemaugh

River. At the top of the ravine stood the Laurel Highlands Reservoir. The reservoir2

supplied millions of gallons of drinking water to Johnstown and its suburbs.

3 During the night of July 19, the rain was coming down so hard that my dad said it

was like looking through a waterfall. The storm went on for hours.

4 The unyielding downpour was too much for the dam at the reservoir to stand. It

exploded. The cascading3 wall of water streamed down the ravine and tore through

Tannerville.

5 The rising water and debris flooded the ravine and the Conemaugh River. The rain

also caused nearby mountain streams to flood many small towns. Dad didn't realize the

devastation until the next day. He woke at dawn and tried to find a Johnstown radio

station on the radio. He heard nothing but static. When he went outside to survey the

damage, what he saw was unbelievable. The water had torn a huge trench in front of

his garage. Dad decided he had better get to South Fork to check on his parents. It

took more than an hour to fill in the trench to get his car out of the garage.

6 As he approached my grandfather's gas station, my dad couldn't believe his eyes. The

small community of Frog Hollow was now a lake.


7 As he pulled into the gas station, Dad saw the local volunteer firefighters unloading a

boat. As he looked toward Frog Hollow, he saw people on the roofs of their houses

screaming for help. The local firefighters rescued everyone.

8 Upon finding my grandfather and grandmother OK, Dad headed to Johnstown to

check on the rest of the family. He drove home and got on his dirt bike, deciding to

take the back roads into the city. About two miles from South Fork, he met his first

roadblock: a large scrap yard that sat next to a small tributary of the Little Conemaugh

River. Junk cars littered the valley.

9 He continued on. All but the last mile of the trip was across a road unaffected by the

floodwaters. As he descended the mountain road into the city, he saw that Main Street

was covered in mud. Vehicles were thrown all over, and a once-lovely street was no

more than a sea of debris overflowing the sidewalks.

10 Dad got to his relatives' restaurant and found them shoveling mud out the door.

They were all safe. They had spent the night in the attic and hadn't been sure they

would see another morning. Dad helped them shovel mud, listening to stories from

passersby.

11 To this day, the memories of the Johnstown flood come back every time Dad is in a

thunderstorm.

1ravine: a steep, narrow valley or gorge, often full of rocks 2reservoir: a body of water used to hold the water supply for a town or city 3cascading: falling over the edge like a water over a waterfall


Use the articles, Spinning Thunderstorms and Eyewitness to History: Storm Warning to answer the questions below.

1. Read this sentence from the article, Spinning Thunderstorms.

Kansans are used to tornadoes.

What evidence in the article supports this statement? A. The tornado that destroyed Greensburg was a mile wide and had winds that were

moving faster than 200 miles an hour.

B. A tornado came through Greensburg and destroyed the town 20 minutes after

tornado sirens went off.

C. Kansans live in an area of the United States where a lot of tornadoes happen.

D. “Tornado Alley” has cool, dry air from the Arctic that mixes with warm, wet air from

the Gulf of Mexico.

2. Which sentence from the article, Eyewitness to History: Storm Warning shows us what the water looked like when the dam broke?

A. The water had torn a huge trench in front of his garage.

B. During the night of July 19, the rain was coming down so hard that my

dad said it was like looking through a waterfall.

C. The cascading wall of water streamed down the ravine and tore through

Tannerville.

D. All but the last mile of the trip was across a road unaffected by the floodwaters.


3. What is the main idea of the article, Spinning Thunderstorms? A. Tornadoes are dangerous spinning storms, but storm tracking and a system of

watches and warnings can lessen their danger.

B. “Tornado Alley” is an area in the middle of the United States where cool,

dry air mixes with warm, wet air.

C. The tornado that struck Greensburg threw cars and trucks through the air, pulled

homes out of the ground, and killed 10 people.

D. Radio waves give scientists information about approaching storms by traveling from

a radar unit toward a storm and then returning to the radar unit.

4. In the article, Spinning Thunderstorms, why did the author use headings such as

How do tornadoes form? and How do scientists predict dangerous storms? A. to make readers think more deeply about the effects of tornadoes

B. to suggest that there is still a lot to be learned about tornadoes

C. to provide information about the pictures included with the article

D. to help organize the information in the article

5. Describe the reasons the author provides support to the idea that Pauls‘ dad‘s actions after the storm were dangerous. Use at least two details from the text to support your description.


6. What evidence do the authors of Spinning Thunderstorms and Eyewitness to History: Storm Warning provide to show how thunderstorms and tornados can be dangerous? Use at least two details from the texts in your response.


Read the poems, “City Autumn” and “Spring” and answer question numbers 1 through 6.

City Autumn By Joseph Moncure March

The air breathes frost. A thin wind beats

Old dust and papers down gray streets

And blows brown leaves with curled-up edges

At frightened sparrows on window ledges.

A snowflake falls like an errant feather:

A vagabond draws his cloak together,

And an old man totters past with a cane

Wondering if he'll see spring again.


Spring

Bending with the wind

the small tree shows its strength

and agrees to compromise.

The bitten half moon

rests in a dark blue blanket

and waits for morning.

The frozen earth cracks

like a best that is yawning

and awakes to spring.

A chipmunk ran quickly

across the rain-slicked boulders

and slid into grass.


Now answer numbers 1 through 6. Base your answers on the poems, “City Autumn” and “Spring.” 1. Select two details from the poem, “Spring,” that BEST support the idea that

spring is near?

Ⓐ The chipmunk ran quickly and slid into grass.

Ⓑ The small tree shows its strength.

Ⓒ The moon rests in a dark blue blanket.

Ⓓ The tree bends with the wind.

Ⓔ The frozen earth cracks.

2. Part A What is the tone of the poem, ”City Autumn”?

Ⓐ Apologetic

Ⓑ Discouraged

Ⓒ Admiring

Ⓓ Horrified Part B Which line in the poem, “City Autumn,” best supports the tone? Fill in the circle before the choice that supports your answer for Part A.

Ⓐ The air breathes frost. A thin wind beats.

Ⓑ Old dust and papers down gray streets.

Ⓒ And blows brown leaves with curled up edges.

Ⓓ Wondering if he’ll see spring again.

3. What does the phrase, “draws his cloak,” mean as it is used in line 6 of the poem “City Autumn”? “A vagabond draws his cloak together,”

Ⓐ to close your coat

Ⓑ to put on your coat

Ⓒ to hide your belongings

Ⓓ to pull your curtains closed


4. How do the last lines of the poems, “Spring” and “City Autumn,” show the authors’ contrasting points of view?

Ⓐ The author of “Spring” does not like the cold weather and the author of

“City Autumn” is hoping that winter will never end.

Ⓑ The author of “Spring” wishes it would keep raining and the author of

“City Autumn” loves the coming of winter.

Ⓒ The author of “Spring” is sharing their excitement for winter to be over

and the author of “City Autumn” is dreading the winter ahead.

Ⓓ The author of “Spring” wishes it would keep raining and the author of

“City Autumn” is dreading the long winter weather.

5. What does the poem, “Spring,” suggest about the transition from winter to

spring? Use details from the text to support your answer.


6. Match the following phrases to the type of figurative language represented. Draw a line from each phrase to the type of figurative language. Phrase from the Poem Type of Figurative Language

The air breathes frost. Personification

The frozen earth cracks like a beast that is yawning and awakens to spring.

Personification

Bending with the wind The small tress shows its strength And agrees to compromise.

Simile

A snowflake falls like an errant feather

Simile


Digitally Speaking Activity

Purpose: Summarize an audio or multimedia presentation and determine the central message. You will need: • Exit Card (to be completed during the activity) • Video or Audio Clip (choices below) Directions: 1. Watch the video (or listen to the audio presentation) with a friend or family member. 2. Retell what happened (use words like “in the first part”, “in the middle”, “at the end”…) and discuss what it is mostly about. 3. Watch the video again and identify the key details, jotting the bullets on the Exit Card. 4. Watch the video again, thinking, “What is the big idea/ central idea?” Then write that in the box of the Exit Card. 5. Discuss “How did the filmmaker show us this central idea?” (consider setting choices, music choices, interview choices, repeated words/repeated phrases, repeated symbols)

Digitally Speaking Exit Card Key Details:

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________ Big/Central Idea: __________________________________________________________________ How did the filmmaker show us this central idea? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Original Goldie Blox Commercial- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NoOtaFrEs

Earth Day 1st Place Speech by Kid Soultravelers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW-C2PGehYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NoOtaFrEs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW-C2PGehYc


LANGUAGE AND EDITING Choose the correct word or phrase to fill in each blank in the passage. For each blank, fill in the circle before the word or phrase that is correct.

Literature Text 1 I admired my son‘s idea, but I knew he would face significant obstacles and that

they would need a coalition to carry out this vision. He _________ [Ⓐ have

always been Ⓑ has always been Ⓒ will always been Ⓓ would always been] a

thoughtful child. I promised to support the plan, and said that I would ask our

cousins and my friends to participate. That way, it would be a school - community

collaboration.

2 His class started by clearing out the trash from the lot, and they__________

[Ⓐ need Ⓑ will need Ⓒ have needed Ⓓ needed] lots of trash bags for that

because they didn‘t just clear the lot. They cleaned trash from the street, too. The

block clubs did join the effort; it was a big cleanup day.

Informational Text

3 Two brothers crept carefully through the mountains in China. The boys, along

with their mother, ______ [Ⓐ sister and aunt Ⓑ sister, and aunt, Ⓒ sister, and

aunt Ⓓ sister and aunt,] had fled their home in North Korea. They hoped to find

a better life in South Korea.

4 Like ___________ [Ⓐ China, North and South Korea Ⓑ China North and South

Korea Ⓒ China and North and South Korea Ⓓ China, North, South Korea] are

countries in Asia. If the Chinese police had found the family, they would have sent

them back to their country to be punished or even killed.

The brothers, Young Hoon and Young Jun, and their family members walked, rode

in cars, and flew on an airplane to reach South Korea. Their journey took about a

year.

Spring Break Student Packet Grade 5 Reading - … Summarize the story using details and examples...

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