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English Language Arts4

Common Core Coach

First Edition

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ContentsLesson 1: Reading Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Listen and Learn Fires of Pele / Like Fire and Water! . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Share and Learn Bridge of Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Read On Your Own How Night Came . . . . . . . . Online Handout

Lesson 2: Reading Short Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Listen and Learn Secrets of the Sea / A Monumental Mystery . . . . .24Share and Learn Muscle Voyage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Read On Your Own A Helping Hoof . . . . . . . . . Online Handout

Lesson 3: Writing Fictional Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451. Get Ready: Brainstorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .512. Organize: Beginning, Middle, and End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .543. Draft: Using Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .564. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .585. Revise: Using Sensory Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .626. Edit: Complete Sentences, Capitalization, and Frequently

Confused Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .647. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Lesson 4: Reading Historical Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Listen and Learn This Time Was Different /

excerpt from “President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat” . . . . . . . .70Share and Learn Jim Lovell: Stranded in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Read On Your Own A Meeting of Minds . . . . . Online Handout

Common CoreState Standards

RL.4.2; RL.4.7; RL.4.9; RL.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1

RL.4.1; RL.4.2; RL.4.3; RL.4.4; RL.4.6; RL.4.9; RL.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.4.a

RF.4.4.c; W.4.3.a, b, d, e; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.6; W.4.10; L.4.1.f, g; L.4.2.a; L.4.4.a, c

RI.4.1; RI.4.2; RI.4.3; RI.4.5; RI.4.6; RI.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.4.b

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Lesson 5: Writing Personal Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .871. Get Ready: Brainstorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932. Organize: Beginning, Middle, and End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .963. Draft: Using Transitional Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . .984. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1005. Revise: Using Effective Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1046. Edit: Prepositional Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1067. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Lesson 6: Reading Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Listen and Learn The Hare and the Hedgehog /

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Share and Learn The Pot of Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122Read On Your Own Taking Action . . . . . . . . . . . Online Handout

Lesson 7: Reading Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Listen and Learn Windy Nights / Wind / The Hen /

The Arrow and the Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Share and Learn A Narrow Fellow in the Grass /

I’m Nobody! Who Are You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140Read On Your Own What Is Pink? / Brown and Furry /

Some One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online Handout

Lesson 8: Writing Responses to Literature . . . . . . . . . . .145 1. Get Ready: Brainstorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1532. Organize: Main Idea and Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1563. Draft: Using Linking Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1584. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1605. Revise: Formal and Informal Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1646. Edit: Progressive Verb Tenses and Helping Verbs . . . . . . . . 1667. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170


W.4.3.a, c, e; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.6; W.4.8; W.4.10; L.4.1.e; L.4.2.d; L.4.3.b; L.4.5.c

RL.4.1; RL.4.2; RL.4.3; RL.4.5; RL.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.5.c

RL.4.1; RL.4.2; RL.4.4; RL.4.5; RL.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.5.a

W.4.1.a–d; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.6; W.4.7; W.4.8; W.4.9.a; W.4.10; L.4.1.b, c; L.4.3.c; L.4.5.a, b

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Lesson 9: Reading Technical Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171Listen and Learn Talking Underwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172Share and Learn Tools of the Fossil Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180Read On Your Own Don’t Make Light of This! . Online Handout

Lesson 10: Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts . . 1891. Get Ready: Take Notes on Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1952. Organize: Introduction and Supporting Paragraphs . . . . . . .2003. Draft: Using Linking Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2024. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2045. Revise: Using Precise and Domain-Specific Language . . . . . .2086. Edit: Adjectives, Commas, and Quotation Marks . . . . . . . . . .2107. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214

Lesson 11: Reading Scientific Nonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . .215Listen and Learn Nature’s Worst Storms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Share and Learn Adapting to Survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222Read On Your Own Your Brain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online Handout

Lesson 12: Writing Opinion Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2311. Get Ready: Brainstorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2372. Organize: Introduction and Supporting Reasons . . . . . . . . . .2403. Draft: Using Linking Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2424. Peer Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2445. Revise: Using Precise Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2486. Edit: Relative Pronouns and Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2507. Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254

Writing Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268


RI.4.1; RI.4.2; RI.4.3; RI.4.4; RI.4.5; RI.4.7; RI.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.6

RI.4.9; W.4.2.a–e; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.6; W.4.7; W.4.8; W.4.9.b; W.4.10; L.4.1.d; L.4.2.b, c; L.4.3.a; L.4.4.b; L.4.6

RI.4.1; RI.4.2; RI.4.3; RI.4.4; RI.4.5; RI.4.7; RI.4.8; RI.4.9; RI.4.10; RF.4.4.a, b; SL.4.1; L.4.6

W.4.1.a–d; W.4.4; W.4.5; W.4.6; W.4.10; L.4.1.a; L.4.3.a; L.4.4.b

How do myths help people understand the world around them?

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Look at this erupting

volcano in Hawaii. How do

you think Hawaiians viewed

volcanoes before scientists

explained them?

ReadingMyths

Lesson

1

Lesson 1 • Reading Myths 5

MYTH A myth is often a story that explains something about the world and involves gods or superheroes. Myths usually explain how something in the world began or was created. What forces of nature are part of this myth?

Fires of Pele

What forces of nature have shaped the Hawaiian Islands?

Why might people explain these forces with a myth?

Listen and Learn

THEME The theme of a story is the truth about life shown in that story. The beginning of this myth talks about Pele’s anger. What truth about anger do you think the story may be suggesting?

Consider

adapted from a traditional Hawaiian myth

A time long ago, in a faraway land known as Kahiki,

there lived a mother named Haumea and a father named

Kanehoalani. Together they had seven sons and seven

daughters. All of them were gods and goddesses. Whenever

the clouds swelled and clung to the mountaintops, or rain

fell, or the earth broke open and belched steam or fire, one

of these powerful siblings had caused it.

One of the seven daughters was named Pele. She was

the goddess of fire and volcanoes. She had learned much

from the fire god Lonomakua. Pele had a terrible temper.

Whenever she became angry or jealous, she would fly

into a wild rage. If she stamped her feet, the ground

would shake. If she cried, fiery lava would flow down the

mountainsides. When she screamed or tossed her hair,

the lava would shoot high into the air. Then it would rain

down upon the valleys and the ocean below.

Pele didn’t often stop to think about whether something

seemed good or bad. She simply did whatever she felt like

doing at that moment. This often brought her trouble. The

fires she tended sometimes burned out of control. The fire

that she rained down on the ocean sometimes burned the

wooden canoes of the people who lived along the shore.

This angered Pele’s sister Makore. Makore was the goddess

of the sea. When Makore herself was angry, she liked to

show her displeasure by sending fearsome waves to break

the canoes and pound them to splinters against the shore.

But this was not the last time Pele would anger Makore.

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6 Lesson 1 • Reading Myths

Listen and Learn

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrations can be used to help readers imagine a scene, understand characters, or better grasp ideas in the text. How does the illustration on this page help you understand Pele’s feelings as she sets out in her canoe?

PLOT The plot of a story is the sequence of events that includes the actions of the characters and a conflict. How do one character’s actions make another character act in this story?

How do one character s actions make another character act in this story?

Makore was older than Pele. She had taken notice

of a strong, handsome warrior whom she had carried,

this way and that, upon the waves she commanded.

After some years, she admitted to him that she was in

love with him. She then told her younger sister Pele

about her feelings for the warrior. Pele wanted to see

who had inspired Makore’s love. When Pele saw him for

herself, she too began to fall in love. Soon after, without

considering Makore’s feelings, Pele told the warrior that

she loved him.

When Makore learned what Pele had done, she

became enraged. She set out to chase Pele away from

Kahiki forever. Pele quickly packed her things into a

canoe her brother gave her. Then she paddled away from

Kahiki as quickly as she could. She traveled for a long

time, south and east across the warm Pacific Ocean,

through the blinding brightness of day and the lonely

darkness of night.

At last Pele reached the island of Kauai. There she

rested for a while before choosing a mountain and

climbing to the very top. There she took her digging stick

and carefully carved a fire pit. She prepared to move into

the pit and make it her new home.

But Pele’s sister Makore had other plans. She followed

Pele all the way to Kauai. She waited until Pele had

finished digging the fire pit. Then Makore stirred up

the ocean’s waves. The waves

splashed higher and higher,

until they crested over the very

top of the mountain. Pele’s fire pit

disappeared under water.

5


THEME Makore continues to chase Pele from island to island. Each time Pele digs a new fire pit, Makore floods and destroys it. The story describes how the two sisters’ anger begins to change the Hawaiian Islands. How does this add to the theme of the story?

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS The map on this page shows the islands that Pele went to as Makore chased her. What features of the map connect to the details of the story?

Niihau

Kauai

OahuMolokai

Maui

HawaiiLanai

Kahoolawe

Pele was not discouraged when her fire pit was

flooded. She slid down the mountain with her things and

set out in her canoe once more. She forced her tired arms

to paddle until she came ashore at the island of Oahu.

Slowly, she climbed to the peak of a mountaintop there.

Again she dug a large fire pit for herself.

Makore, still furious, was not so easily discouraged,

either. She followed Pele to Oahu. When she saw the new

pit Pele had dug, she stirred the sea again until waves

flooded the mountaintop. For many days, Pele paddled

patiently from island to island, with Makore pursuing her.

From Oahu Pele went to Molokai, then to Lanai, and then

to Maui. At each island, she would climb a mountain, dig

a fire pit, and prepare to move in. Then her sister Makore

would appear, sending enormous waves rolling at the

mountainside. Each time, the pit was flooded, and Pele

had to flee.

Finally, Pele landed on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. She

climbed the mountain known as Kilauea. She found that

she was very distant from the ocean waves. Her sister

followed her to Hawaii and pushed the waves as high

as she could. But Makore couldn’t send the waves high

enough or fast enough to wash to the top of Kilauea.

10


Listen and Learn

THEME In this story, the theme is that anger can have lasting effects. Stories can have more than one theme or message. What other message about anger is in this story?

SUMMARIZE A good summary states only the most important details of a story. Two sisters who were goddesses were angry. One sister chased the other from island to island. As they went, they shaped the mountains as they still are today. How would you summarize the story?

MYTH The purpose of this myth is to explain how the volcanoes of Hawaii were shaped. Why do you think this story was important to people who lived in Hawaii long ago?

At last Makore relented. She gave up her anger and

slowly returned to Kahiki. No longer pursued by her sister,

Pele settled into her fire pit on Kilauea, and there she

stayed. But just as before, when Pele lost her temper, a

roar could be heard as the ground rumbled. Hot lava shot

high into the air. Then it flowed down the mountain as

Pele screamed and tossed her hair.

That is how the Hawaiian Islands came to be the way

they are. Pele, in retreat from Makore, would dig her

mountaintop fire pit. Then Makore would push ocean

waves at the mountain until the pit was filled with water.

As they went along, the sisters left the story of their

conflict behind them. It was forever carved

into the rocks.

If you visit the island of Hawaii

today, you can go to Kapoho and look

for Green Mountain. Green Mountain

holds an old pit—a volcanic crater.

The crater is filled with water.

If you visit Kilauea, where Pele

resides, you can still hear a roar.

You can feel rumbling beneath

you. You can see the lava

explode into the air and flow

down the mountain slopes.

As you watch and listen to

the earth stir, you may tell

yourself that Pele has once

more lost her temper.


Listen and Learn

How does a myth in graphic form differ from a traditional

telling of a myth?

How are the gods and goddesses in myths like real people?

Consider

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS This version of the story is a graphic novel. Most of the story is told through illustrations and dialogue. The illustrations on this page show Makore and her mother. How does this version help you understand why Makore acts the way she does?

COMPARE PLOT In this part of the plot, Makore and her mother talk about Pele’s anger. How does this differ from the events in the first version?


Listen and Learn

COMPARE PLOT In both versions of the story, Pele gets the canoe from her brother. But in this version, the plot includes different details about Makore and her brother. What details are included here that were not in the first version of the story? How do those details help you understand the characters?


CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS In the first version of the story, Pele uses a digging stick to dig her fire pit. Compare that description with the illustration and dialogue at the top of this page. How is this version different? How does it add to your understanding of the story?

COMPARE PLOT Unlike the first version, this version of the story includes dialogue between Pele and Makore. How does that make the story different?


Listen and Learn

Pele had found her new home. She remained forever sad

that she could not return to the home of her birth, and she

still grumbles and weeps tears of fire to this day.

COMPARE THEME In the first version of the story, the theme focuses on how anger can have lasting effects. This version focuses more on the relationship between Pele and Makore. How does this make the theme of the graphic novel different?

COMPARE PLOT The ending of the first story tells what you might experience if you visit Kilauea. The graphic novel ends with Pele alone on the mountain. How are the endings in the two versions different? How are they the same?


Comprehension Check

Look back at “Fires of Pele” and “Like Fire and Water!” How are the theme,

plot, and structure different in the two stories? How are they the same?

Use the Venn diagram below to list your ideas. In the center, write what is

the same in both stories. On the sides, list what is different in the stories.

Fires of Pele

The story

describes Pele’s

terrible temper.

Like Fire and Water!

Both stories


Listen and Learn

Vocabulary

Use the word map below to help you define and use one of the highlighted

vocabulary words from the Share and Learn reading or another word your

teacher assigns you.

dislodged bestowed sapling

dismay eternal monument

My word

Synonyms Antonyms

Definition Other forms

My sentence


CONTEXT CLUES Which clues help you figure out what dislodged means? Circle them. Then underline the words that help you figure out the meaning of bestowed. Finally, circle the words that help you figure out the meaning of saplings.

adapted from a Puyallup myth

Long ago, along the steep banks of the Columbia River,

a pile of giant rocks was dislodged from the earth and

tumbled into the water. There, the rocks created a bridge

of stone. This bridge allowed the people to cross the river

easily. Their feet stayed dry. There was no danger of being

swept downstream by the rushing waters. The people loved

the bridge. They named it Tamanawas Bridge, which

means “Bridge of the Gods.”

For a long time, the people were thankful for the bridge.

They felt as if a great gift had been bestowed upon them. And

the bridge led to many other gifts. Using the bridge, people

could easily seek plants, trees, and animals on both sides of

the river. People from one side of the river would cross the

bridge to look for rare stones. People from the other side

would cross to cut strong, straight saplings, the young trees

they used to build their camps. Then each group would cross

the bridge again to return to their homes.

But as time passed, people on each

side of the bridge began to grumble. They

complained about the things people across

the river were taking away. One began to

accuse the other, saying, “You are taking

things from our side of the bridge! You

must find them on your own side!”

1

Bridge of Fire

Share and Learn

How is the world of myths different from the real world?

Why do myths sometimes include angry or destructive

actions?

Consider

PLOT What conflict has developed as a result of characters’ actions?


COMPARE THEME In “Fires of Pele,” the theme was that anger can have a lasting effect. How is the theme of this story similar?

“But you take from our side of the bridge, also!” the others

would respond. “The bridge serves each of us. What I find

across it, I may keep. After all, who has the right to claim the

gifts of the earth as their own? How can things be yours after

they have been cut or carried by another?” The arguments

grew worse. Soon, everyone was fighting. They fought about

the bridge, the land around it, and just about everything upon

the land.

The Great Spirit Tyee Sahale watched with dismay. He

grew sad and angry that the people were fighting with their

neighbors. He decided that he must punish all of the people

for their greediness. He thought about it for a long time.

Finally, he caused all the fires in their homes to go out. There

was only one way for people to light their fires again. They

would have to travel to the one fire that still burned. Tyee

Sahale placed this fire in the middle of the Bridge of the Gods.

A very old woman named Loowitlatkla, or “Lady of Fire,”

lived on the bridge. It was her job to look after the sacred fire.

She was devoted to it. Night and day, Loowit worked to keep

the fire going. Usually she added a handful of wood. If wood

was scarce, she would use dry moss or anything else she

could find to feed the fire.

5

Share and Learn

CHARACTER What kind of character is Tyee Sahale? Why does he decide to punish the people?

CONTEXT CLUES Circle the words that help explain the meaning of dismay.


Sometimes Loowit heard thunder or felt a sudden cool

breeze. Then she would build the fire very high. That way any

coming rain would not extinguish it. She always began to

worry when the fire’s flames burned low.

Loowit knew that the fire she tended was vital to the

people. How would they stay warm at night or cook a meal

without their fires? So Loowit was always kind to those who

came to her for some of the fire’s glowing embers. Although

her back was bent and her hands were hard and worn, she

would greet each visitor warmly. She always sent them home

with hot coals and her good wishes.

Loowit’s hard work and kindness caught the attention of

Tyee Sahale. He could see that her back hurt and her hands

ached. He wanted to give her something that would please

her. He offered Loowit the gift of eternal life as a special

reward for her efforts and her good nature. He had already

given this same gift to his sons, Klickitat and Wyeast.

Tyee Sahale gave eternal life to Loowit, only to find that

she did not want it. She did not want to be an old woman

forever. But Tyee Sahale could not take back the gift he had

given. He told Loowit he would grant her one wish. Loowit

quickly wished to be full of youth and beauty again.

Instantly she became a fair young woman.

10

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS Look at the illustration of Loowit. What do you learn about Loowit from the illustration?

THEME How does Loowit’s hard work and kindness connect to the theme that anger and greed cause destruction?


Share and Learn

CHARACTER What kind of person is Loowit? Why does she refuse to choose one of the brothers?

Soon the news of Loowit’s wondrous beauty had travelled

across the land. Tyee Sahale’s sons, the brothers Wyeast and

Klickitat, were both curious to see Loowit for themselves.

They both set out for the bridge. Wyeast came from the south.

Klickitat stomped down from the north. The brothers arrived

at the Bridge of Fire at the same time. Both of them instantly

fell in love with Loowit.

Loowit was not used to having handsome young men

pursue her. She did not want to cause any trouble between

the brothers. When Klickitat and Wyeast each offered

their love to her, she refused to choose between them. The

brothers each believed that he alone could win Loowit’s

favor. They began a long and terrible battle.

They argued about which of them should be allowed to

marry the beautiful Loowit. They stomped their feet and set

fire to villages. The fires they lit burned out of control. Entire

forests were swallowed by the flames. The people living

in the river valley fled in terror. They never resolved their

disagreements over the bridge.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Explain the meaning of “entire forests were swallowed by the flames.”

PLOT The people had to leave the river valley. How did their actions earlier in the story cause this to happen?


Mount St. Helens

Mount Adams

Mount Hood

This myth explains the origin of three volcanoes in the

Pacific Northwest. Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams

are in what is now Washington State. Mount Hood is

near them in Oregon.

Tyee Sahale saw all of the destruction caused by his sons.

He became angrier than before. In a fit of temper, he struck

the Bridge of the Gods. The bridge tumbled into the river,

where it still lies. So angry was Tyee Sahale that he destroyed

the three people to whom he had given eternal life—Loowit,

Klickitat, and Wyeast.

After Tyee Sahale had punished them and the world fell

silent, he felt great sorrow. He decided that he would make a

monument to each of them. Where each suitor had fallen,

he pushed the ground up to form a volcano.

Loowit had been beautiful. Where she had fallen, Tyee

Sahale raised a volcano covered with glittering white snow.

This is Mount St. Helens. Where Wyeast fell, Mount Hood

stands tall and proud. Klickitat, so much in love with Loowit,

still weeps for her, his head hanging sorrowfully in the form

of Mount Adams.

15

COMPARE MYTHS Reread the last paragraph. How are the volcanoes in this myth similar to the volcanoes in “Fires of Pele”?

SUMMARIZE Summarize the story by retelling only the most important ideas in your own words.


Share and Learn

Anchor Standard Discussion Questions

Discuss the following questions with your peer group. Then record your answers in

the space provided.

1. How do the characters in the myths “Bridge of Fire” and “Fires of Pele” view

nature? Support your opinions with examples from each text.

2. How would you represent Loowit’s kindness in a graphic novel? Using a scene

of your choice from “Bridge of Fire,” create four panels that help readers

better understand the goodness of her heart. Create your own dialogue and

illustrations, and be prepared to support them with details from the text.


Read another myth, “How Night Came,” independently. Apply what

you learned in this lesson and check your understanding.

Read On Your Own

Comprehension Check

1. How does the characters’ anger lead to problems in the plot of both

“Fires of Pele” and “Bridge of Fire”?

2. How are the themes, or messages, about life in “Fires of Pele” and

“Bridge of Fire” the same? How are they different?

3. Think about the endings of “Fires of Pele,” “Like Fire and Water!” and

“Bridge of Fire.” Tell which ending you think is most hopeful, and why.

Share and Learn


Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law

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Contents 3

Contents

Benchmark Assessment 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Benchmark Assessment 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Benchmark Assessment 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Benchmark Assessment 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Summative Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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6 Benchmark Assessment 1

Part 1: Reading Comprehension

Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Chung Remains ChampWhen I woke, it seemed like an ordinary day. Actually, it seemed like a beautiful

day. Birds were singing, and sunlight streamed into my room. But I was scared. Today would be the final match of the table tennis tournament. In that match, I would be facing reigning table tennis champ Lee Chung.

Who would have guessed that I, Samuel Myers, would make it to the finals this year? I had never even made it to the quarterfinals before! But, as my coach pointed out, both my speed and my overall game had gotten much better.

My outlook was getting better, too. As I got dressed and ate breakfast, I put my fear aside. I began imagining the start of the game itself. I needed to act like a winner. When I walked up to the table, I would be calm. I would stare directly at Lee Chung and smile. I would wave at the crowd.

Later that morning, I did just as I had imagined. I walked calmly up to the table. I smiled at Lee. I waved at the crowd, and the crowd cheered. Listening to the applause, I thought that the reality was even better than I had imagined. Yes, I can do this, I told myself. And so the match began.

I won the first serve, which got me off to a great start. In table tennis, a good serve is hard to return, and over the past year I’ve developed a pretty mean serve. Before long, I was up 4–0! The look on Lee’s face was getting grimmer and grimmer. I figured I was in for some tough shots.

Boy, was I right! At this point, the game seemed to speed up. My heart pounded faster than the ball zipping back and forth, and my hands were sweaty. Yet, I was able to keep up with it. In fact, the excitement of keeping up with the ball was thrilling! In the end, I hit a smash and won the first game!



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Benchmark Assessment 1 7

To win the match, however, I had to win two games—and I lost the second game. The funny thing is, Lee looked even grimmer now than he did at the beginning of the first game, when he was losing. His brow was furrowed, and his lips were thin, pressed together tightly. Meanwhile, I felt like a nervous wreck.

I reminded myself of my calm and the audience’s applause before the match. Yes, you can do this, I reminded myself. You can do this, I thought, and Wham! I returned Lee’s next serve for a point. You can do this, I thought, and Smash! I served to Lee for another point! You can do this, I thought again and again until the score was 10–9 in my favor. With one more point, the match would be mine.

Then it happened. The ball started bouncing in weird ways. I thought it would go here, and it went there. I thought it would go there, and it went here. At last, I was seeing it: the Chung spin I had heard so much about. It had me swinging at a ball that was never where I thought it should be!

Before I knew it, the game and the match were over. Lee Chung was champ again. An enormous smile replaced the frown on his face. “Awesome game,” he said, shaking my hand.

It was awesome, I realized. I smiled back at Lee. “See you next year,” I said.


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1. Which BEST describes the setting at the beginning of the story?

A. It shows that Samuel is happy.

B. It frightens Samuel.

C. It makes Samuel believe he will win.

D. It does not match Samuel’s feelings.

2. Why is the audience’s applause important to the story?

A. It gives Samuel confidence.

B. It shows that the crowd likes Lee better.

C. It makes Samuel nervous.

D. It angers Lee.

3. Read this sentence from the story.

The funny thing is, Lee looked even grimmer now than he did at the beginning of the first game, when he was losing.

What is the MOST LIKELY reason Lee appears “grimmer” at this stage of the game?

A. Lee doesn’t think he has any chance of winning.

B. Lee realizes that he must win the next game, so the stakes are much higher.

C. Lee is having trouble serving his famous “Chung spin.”

D. Lee realizes Samuel is a much better player than he previously thought.

4. Which word BEST describes Samuel at the end of the story?

A. disappointed

B. relieved

C. determined

D. calm

5. Why does Samuel say, “See you next year,” to Lee Chung after the match? Explain how this statement shows that Samuel has changed from the beginning of the story.




.

Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

Swept Away!Tony Ramos was in shock. One minute, he was in shallow water, diving under a

wave. The next thing he knew, he was way out beyond the breakers. Fighting panic, he began swimming steadily toward shore. But when he lifted his head to get a fix on the beach, he saw that he was even farther out than before!

“Am I going crazy?” he muttered. “This can’t be happening!” His heart hammering in his chest, he began to tread water. Trying to calm himself, he thought back to just a half hour earlier, in his aunt’s kitchen.

Tony was washing up after his breakfast when Aunt Blanca walked into the kitchen. “Well, you’re up early,” she said, her brown eyes twinkling. “I suppose my Miguelito is fast asleep.”

“Yeah, Mike isn’t going anywhere soon,” Tony said. He was staying with his aunt and cousin for two weeks. He always liked seeing them. It didn’t hurt that they lived just a block from a fantastic beach.

“I see you’re in your swim trunks. You aren’t thinking of taking an early morning swim by yourself, are you?” asked Aunt Blanca. “Because that would be a bad idea, Antonio.”

Tony put the clean cereal bowl in the cupboard, his back to his aunt as he lied. “No,” he said casually. “I just thought I’d go for a walk while the beach is empty.”

“Well, that’s good. No one should go swimming alone. The sea is filled with surprises, and not all of them are good.”

“I’ll play it safe!” Tony called back, strolling out the door. But he was thinking, I can handle myself ; I’m a strong swimmer. I know how to catch the waves and take them in.

When he got to the beach, he kicked off his sandals and sprinted into the surf. He dived under an enormous wave and came up to find himself swept out to sea—and terrified.

Now Tony began determinedly to swim to shore, at a sharper angle than before. Again he checked his position, and again, he was stunned. He was even farther out!

Trying to puzzle things out, he remembered a TV documentary about people getting caught in a bizarre current called a riptide. It pulled them out to sea even as they tried to swim to shore.

“I’m in a riptide!” he exclaimed and shivered. Many people drown in riptides every year.



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To get out of this current, he should swim parallel to shore, not toward shore, he reasoned.

He began swimming again, but his strength was fading. Gasping for air, he checked his position. He was still the same distance from shore, so he was out of the current! But Tony was still a long way from the beach. And he knew with a sickening certainty that he was too exhausted to swim any farther.

His tired brain remembered a survival technique he’d learned in his swimming lessons: If no one is around to help you get to shore, float on your back. The waves will eventually take you in, although you’ll come in much farther down the beach.

Tony flipped onto his back, greedily sucking in oxygen. He’d have to be careful about waves sloshing over his head. He was so weak, swallowing any more water just might finish him off.

As he kept alert for rough waves, Tony gazed at the blue sky and listened to the gentle lapping of the water. The world was a beautiful place, and he was grateful to be able to enjoy it. He would have a long walk when he finally got to shore—plenty of time to figure out how to apologize to his aunt, for both his stupidity and his lie.

Plenty of time, too, to think about how he had almost drowned in his recklessness.




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6. Which tells what technique means as it is used in this story?

A. a way of remembering

B. a way of learning

C. a way of swimming

D. a way of using a skill

7. Which sentence from the story shows why Tony decides to go swimming alone?

A. “It didn’t hurt that they lived just a block from a fantastic beach.”

B. “The sea is filled with surprises, and not all of them are good.”

C. “‘I just thought I’d go for a walk while the beach is empty.’”

D. “I can handle myself ; I’m a strong swimmer.”

8. Which word BEST describes Tony at the end of the story?

A. sorry

B. scared

C. shocked

D. happy

9. Which sentence BEST states the theme of this story?

A. Lying always results in trouble.

B. Swimming in the ocean is never safe.

C. Recklessness can put you in terrible danger.

D. TV documentaries provide useful information.



iii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Benchmark Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Peer Group Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x

Peer Writing Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Word Maps to Build Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Freewriting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii

Teacher-Student Writing Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii

Understanding the Common Core State Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxii

CCSS Correlation Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii

Lesson 1 ReadingHistoricalFiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Lesson 2 WritingResponsestoLiterature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Lesson 3 ReadingLiteraryNonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Speaking and Listening GraphicNarratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Lesson 4 WritingPersonalNarratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Lesson 5 ReadingHistoricalTexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Lesson 6 ReadingDrama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Speaking and Listening RadioPlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Lesson 7 ReadingPoetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Lesson 8 WritingFictionalNarratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Speaking and Listening Modern-DayRetelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

Lesson 9 ReadingScientificandTechnicalTexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

Speaking and Listening ConductingaSurvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Lesson 10 WritingInformativeTexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

Lesson 11 ReadingPersuasiveNonfiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

Lesson 12 WritingOpinionPieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

Speaking and Listening EvaluatingPoliticalSpeeches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204

Contents

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ContentsLesson 1: Reading Fiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Listen.and.Learn Henry.Speaks.Out./.Peace.Will.Be.My.Applause . . . . . . . . 6

Share.and.Learn Ready.to.Serve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Read.On.Your.Own The.Mystery.of.the.Tides. . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 2: Writing Responses to Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2. Organize:.Supporting.Evidence.and.Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

3. Draft:.Showing.Clear.Relationships.Between.Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5. Revise:.Using.Complex.Sentences.for.Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

6. Edit:.Eliminating.Wordiness.and.Redundancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Lesson 3: Reading Literary Nonfiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Listen.and.Learn excerpt.from.Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave./.Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Share.and.Learn Blood,.Toil,.Tears.and.Sweat:.Address.to.Parliament.on.May.13th,.1940./.WW.II:.British.Home.Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Read.On.Your.Own From.Awful.Rail.to.Awesome.Trail:.A.Community.Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 4: Writing Personal Narratives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.a.Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

2. Organize:.Introduction,.Body.Paragraphs,.Descriptive.Details,.and.Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

3. Draft:.Using.Transition.Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

5. Revise:.Using.Complex.Sentences.to.Express.Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

6. Edit:.Using.Commas.and.Coordinate.Adjectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92


RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.3; RL.7.4; RL.7.6; RL.7.9; RL.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.4.a, d,

W.7.1.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5; W7.6; W.7.9.a; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.b; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.c; L.7.6

RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.3; RI.7.4; RI.7.5; RI.7.6; RI.7.8; RI.7.9; RI.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.5.c; RH.6-8.1; RH.6-8.6; RH.6-8.10

W.7.3.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5; W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.b; L.7.2.a; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.a; L.7.5.b; L.7.6

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Lesson 5: Reading Historical Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Listen.and.Learn Guarding.the.Coast./.Women.in.the.U .S ..Coast.Guard. . 94

Share.and.Learn excerpt.from.“The.Factory.Girl’s.Danger” . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Read.On.Your.Own Shadow.and.Stone:.Europe’s.Medieval.Castles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 6: Reading Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Listen.and.Learn excerpt.from.Romeo and Juliet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Share.and.Learn excerpt.from.Pygmalion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Read.On.Your.Own The.Torn.Tapestry. . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 7: Reading Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Listen.and.Learn If./.The.Rhodora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Share.and.Learn The.Stolen.Child./.Voices.of.Earth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Read.On.Your.Own The.Fool’s.Song./.To.Wish.Myself.Courage./.Blizzard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 8: Writing Fictional Narratives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

2. Organize:.Introduction,.Plot/Conflict,.Climax,.and.Conclusion . . . . 148

3. Draft:.Using.Dialogue.and.Transitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

5. Revise:.Using.Strong.Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

6. Edit:.Using.Phrases.and.Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162


RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.4; RI.7.5; RI.7.9; RI.7.10; RH.6-8.1; RH.6-8.2; RH.6-8.3; RH.6-8.4; RH.6-8.5; RH.6-8.7; RH.6-8.8; RH.6-8.9; RH.6-8.10; SL.7.1; L.7.4.a, c, d; L.7.6

RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.3; RL.7.4; RL.7.5; RL.7.6; RL.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.5.c

RL.7.1; RL.7.2; RL.7.4; RL.7.5; RL.7.6; RL.7.10; SL.7.1

W.7.3.a−e; W.7.4; W.7.5; W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.a; L.7.1.c; L.7.3.a; L.7.5.a; L.7.6

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Lesson 9: Reading Scientific and Technical Texts . . . . . . . . 163

Listen.and.Learn Seeing.the.Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Share.and.Learn A.Closer.Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Read.On.Your.Own Global.Warming,.Local.Warning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 10: Writing Informative Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

1. Get.Ready:.Take.Notes.on.Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

2. Organize:.Introduction,.Supporting.Paragraphs,.and.Conclusion. . 192

3. Draft:.Using.Transition.Words.and.Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

5. Revise:.Word.Choice.and.Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

6. Edit:.Fixing.Dangling.Modifiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Lesson 11: Reading Persuasive Nonfiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Listen.and.Learn NASA’s.Recent.Cancellation.of.Manned.Missions . . . . . 208

Share.and.Learn Contact.Sports.and.Concussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Read.On.Your.Own Changing.the.Laws.for.Teenage.Driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online . Handout

Lesson 12: Writing Opinion Pieces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

1. Get.Ready:.Brainstorm.Support.for.Your.Argument. . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

2. Organize:.Introduction,.Supporting.Reasons,.and.Conclusion. . . . . 232

3. Draft:.Using.Sentence.Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

4. Peer.Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

5. Revise:.Using.Formal.Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

6. Edit:.Using.Correct.Spelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

7. Publish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Writing Handbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264


RI.7.1; RI.7.2; RI.7.3; RI.7.5; RI.7.10; RH.6-8.5; RH.6-8.8; RST.6-8.1; RST.6-8.2; RST.6-8.3; RST.6-8.4; RST.6-8.5; RST.6-8.6; RST.6-8.7; RST.6-8.8; RST.6-8.9; RST.6-8.10; SL.7.1; L.7.4.c; L.7.6

W.7.2.a−f; W.7.4; W.7.5; W.7.6; W.7.7; W.7.8; W.7.9.b; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.1.c; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.b; L.7.6

RI.7.1; RI.7.4; RI.7.6; RI.7.8; RI.7.9; RI.7.10; RH.6-8.6; RH.6-8.7; RH.6-8.8; RH.6-8.9; RH.6-8.10; RST.6-8.6; RST.6-8.7; RST.6-8.8; SL.7.1

W.7.1.a−e; W.7.2.e; W.7.4; W.7.5; W.7.6; W.7.10; SL.7.1; L.7.2.b; L.7.3.a; L.7.4.d; L.7.5.c; L.7.6

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Lesson

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Reading Selections

Listen and Learn �Fires�of�Pele�/�Like�Fire�and�Water!� 6

Share and Learn Bridge�of�Fire 16

Read On Your Own How�Night�Came

Review Skills

Character

Figurative Language

Compare Myths

Context Clues

Focus Skills

Myth

Theme

Summarize

Plot

Connect Text and Illustrations

Compare Plot

Compare Theme

Engage in Collaborative Discussion

Reading Myths

CCSS: RL 4 2, RL 4 7, RL 4 9, RL 4 10, RF 4 3 a, RF 4 4 a, RF 4 4 b, SL 4 1 a-d, L 4 4 a

Foundational Skills

Root Words and Affixes

Online Handout

2 • Lesson 1: Reading Myths

CC12_ELA_G4_TM_L01.indd 2 5/24/12 11:16 AM


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Essential Question

Read the Essential Question aloud Tell students to keep it in mind as they read the lesson selections

Possible response: People naturally wonder why things are the way they are, and myths provide a way to understand things that might otherwise be hard to understand

How do volcanic eruptions affect humans?

Possible response: Eruptions can be dangerous Hot lava, ash, and poison gases can kill people, plants, and animals

Why do you think ancient peoples tried to explain the origin of volcanoes?

Possible response: Volcanic eruptions can be powerful and destructive, but some volcanoes might not erupt for a very long time Ancient peoples probably wanted to make sense of volcanoes’ origins to better explain and understand the dangers of volcanoes

How do myths help people understand the world around them?

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Look at this erupting volcano in Hawaii. How do you think Hawaiians viewed volcanoes before scientists explained them?

ReadingMyths

Lesson

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Direct students’ attention to the photograph of the erupting volcano Lead a discussion about the origin of myths

Whole Class Listen and Learn

Fires of Pele Student Edition page 5

Listen and Learn • 3


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Fires of Pele Student Edition pages 6–7

Read the myth straight through with the class Then read it a second time, using the Think Alouds with the class to model the process of thinking through the questions

Think Aloud

Syllabications

Pele (pe le)

Haumea (hau me a)

Kanehoalani (ka ne ho a la ni)

Lonomakua (lo no ma ku a)

Makore (ma ko re)

MYTH

I can tell this is a myth because it talks about gods and goddesses. It also tries to explain things about the world. The myth says that one of the gods or goddesses was the cause whenever “the clouds swelled and clung to the mountaintops, or rain fell, or the earth broke open and belched steam or fire.”

THEME

I’m not sure yet what the theme of the story may be, but I can guess that it has something to do with Pele’s anger. The story says she flies into a wild rage when she becomes angry or jealous. I know that flying into a rage can cause problems. Maybe the theme of the story will be that anger can cause problems that last for a long time.

MYTH A myth is often a story that explains something about the world and involves gods or superheroes. Myths usually explain how something in the world began or was created. What forces of nature are part of this myth?

Fires of Pele

What forces of nature have shaped the Hawaiian Islands?

Why might people explain these forces with a myth?

Listen and Learn

THEME The theme of a story is the truth about life shown in that story. The beginning of this myth talks about Pele’s anger. What truth about anger do you think the story may be suggesting?

Consider

adapted from a traditional Hawaiian myth

A time long ago, in a faraway land known as Kahiki, there lived a mother named Haumea and a father named Kanehoalani. Together they had seven sons and seven daughters. All of them were gods and goddesses. Whenever the clouds swelled and clung to the mountaintops, or rain fell, or the earth broke open and belched steam or fi re, one of these powerful siblings had caused it.

One of the seven daughters was named Pele. She was the goddess of fi re and volcanoes. She had learned much from the fi re god Lonomakua. Pele had a terrible temper. Whenever she became angry or jealous, she would fl y into a wild rage. If she stamped her feet, the ground would shake. If she cried, fi ery lava would fl ow down the mountainsides. When she screamed or tossed her hair, the lava would shoot high into the air. Th en it would rain down upon the valleys and the ocean below.

Pele didn’t often stop to think about whether something seemed good or bad. She simply did whatever she felt like doing at that moment. Th is often brought her trouble. Th e fi res she tended sometimes burned out of control. Th e fi re that she rained down on the ocean sometimes burned the wooden canoes of the people who lived along the shore. Th is angered Pele’s sister Makore. Makore was the goddess of the sea. When Makore herself was angry, she liked to show her displeasure by sending fearsome waves to break the canoes and pound them to splinters against the shore. But this was not the last time Pele would anger Makore.

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Think Aloud

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS

When I look at the illustration, I see that Pele looks lonely and perhaps frightened, and the waves around her canoe look big. I know that Pele has had to leave Kahiki forever because of her sister’s anger. The illustration helps me realize that Pele probably feels very lonely and insecure to be leaving her home and paddling out onto the ocean all alone.

PLOT

I know that the way characters behave often causes other events in the plot of a story. This story tells me that Makore, Pele’s sister, loves the handsome warrior. But when Pele sees him, she falls in love with him, too. Pele doesn’t think about her sister’s feelings. She just goes ahead and tells the warrior she loves him. Pele’s actions cause her older sister to become very angry, and as a result, Pele has to leave Kahiki.

Listen and Learn

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrations can be used to help readers imagine a scene, understand characters, or better grasp ideas in the text. How does the illustration on this page help you understand Pele’s feelings as she sets out in her canoe?

PLOT The plot of a story is the sequence of events that includes the actions of the characters and a confl ict. How do one character’s actions make another character act in this story?

How do one character s actions make another character act in this story?

Makore was older than Pele. She had taken notice of a strong, handsome warrior whom she had carried, this way and that, upon the waves she commanded. After some years, she admitted to him that she was in love with him. She then told her younger sister Pele about her feelings for the warrior. Pele wanted to see who had inspired Makore’s love. When Pele saw him for herself, she too began to fall in love. Soon after, without considering Makore’s feelings, Pele told the warrior that she loved him.

When Makore learned what Pele had done, she became enraged. She set out to chase Pele away from Kahiki forever. Pele quickly packed her things into a canoe her brother gave her. Th en she paddled away from Kahiki as quickly as she could. She traveled for a long time, south and east across the warm Pacifi c Ocean, through the blinding brightness of day and the lonely darkness of night.

At last Pele reached the island of Kauai. Th ere she rested for a while before choosing a mountain and climbing to the very top. Th ere she took her digging stick and carefully carved a fi re pit. She prepared to move into the pit and make it her new home.

But Pele’s sister Makore had other plans. She followed Pele all the way to Kauai. She waited until Pele had fi nished digging the fi re pit. Th en Makore stirred up the ocean’s waves. Th e waves splashed higher and higher, until they crested over the very top of the mountain. Pele’s fi re pit disappeared under water.

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Word Analysis

Root Words and Affixes

Direct students to the word discouraged in paragraph 8 Have them identify these parts of the word: dis-: prefix; courage: root word; -ed: suffix or ending

In discussion, have students identify what each word part means (dis- means “not”; courage means “bravery”; -ed indicates “having a quality of”) Have students discuss the meanings of these other words that include the prefix dis-

• displeasure (paragraph 3)

• disappeared (paragraph 7)

Think Aloud

THEME

The beginning of the story talked about Pele’s anger. Now I see that both Pele and her sister Makore are angry. Their anger is causing many problems. Pele keeps fleeing from Makore, and each time, Makore follows and floods the fire pit that Pele has dug. I see that the sisters’ anger is not just making trouble in their own lives. It is also changing the islands of Hawaii. The islands are beginning to have many big pits filled with water. This supports my earlier idea, that the theme of this story is about how anger can have long-lasting effects.

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS

The map helps me imagine how Pele flees from island to island as Makore chases her. I see that the islands have mountains on them. I can imagine that many of the islands have deep pits in them, like the fire pits Pele dug. And I see that the Big Island of Hawaii has a big pit that looks like the top of a volcano. I wonder if that’s one of Pele’s pits.

Fires of Pele Student Edition pages 8–9

THEME Makore continues to chase Pele from island to island. Each time Pele digs a new fi re pit, Makore fl oods and destroys it. The story describes how the two sisters’ anger begins to change the Hawaiian Islands. How does this add to the theme of the story?

CONNECT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS The map on this page shows the islands that Pele went to as Makore chased her. What features of the map connect to the details of the story?

Niihau

Kauai

OahuMolokai

Maui

HawaiiLanai

Kahoolawe

Pele was not discouraged when her fi re pit was fl ooded. She slid down the mountain with her things and set out in her canoe once more. She forced her tired arms to paddle until she came ashore at the island of Oahu. Slowly, she climbed to the peak of a mountaintop there. Again she dug a large fi re pit for herself.

Makore, still furious, was not so easily discouraged, either. She followed Pele to Oahu. When she saw the new pit Pele had dug, she stirred the sea again until waves fl ooded the mountaintop. For many days, Pele paddled patiently from island to island, with Makore pursuing her. From Oahu Pele went to Molokai, then to Lanai, and then to Maui. At each island, she would climb a mountain, dig a fi re pit, and prepare to move in. Th en her sister Makore would appear, sending enormous waves rolling at the mountainside. Each time, the pit was fl ooded, and Pele had to fl ee.

Finally, Pele landed on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. She climbed the mountain known as Kilauea. She found that she was very distant from the ocean waves. Her sister followed her to Hawaii and pushed the waves as high as she could. But Makore couldn’t send the waves high enough or fast enough to wash to the top of Kilauea.

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Think Aloud

THEME

At the end of the story, Pele is living at the top of a volcano, and when she loses her temper, the ground rumbles and lava flows down the mountain. That sounds like a sad life to me. I think another theme of the story is that if a person stays angry forever, that person may have a lonely life.

SUMMARIZE

There isn’t just one right way to summarize a story. There can be different summaries, as long as you try to include the most important things that happen. I might summarize the story this way: Pele, a Hawaiian goddess, acts selfishly and makes her sister Makore angry. Makore chases Pele away from their home. Pele flees from one island to another. Makore continues to chase Pele and floods her homes. Finally Pele finds a home on the Big Island, where Makore cannot flood her out. Pele is still there, and she is still angry.

MYTH

I think that volcanoes must have been pretty scary for the ancient Hawaiians. I can see that a story like this was important to explain how volcanoes came to be and why they continue to erupt.

Listen and Learn

THEME In this story, the theme is that anger can have lasting effects. Stories can have more than one theme or message. What other message about anger is in this story?

SUMMARIZE A good summary states only the most important details of a story. Two sisters who were goddesses were angry. One sister chased the other from island to island. As they went, they shaped the mountains as they still are today. How would you summarize the story?

MYTH The purpose of this myth is to explain how the volcanoes of Hawaii were shaped. Why do you think this story was important to people who lived in Hawaii long ago?

At last Makore relented. She gave up her anger and slowly returned to Kahiki. No longer pursued by her sister, Pele settled into her fi re pit on Kilauea, and there she stayed. But just as before, when Pele lost her temper, a roar could be heard as the ground rumbled. Hot lava shot high into the air. Th en it fl owed down the mountain as Pele screamed and tossed her hair.

Th at is how the Hawaiian Islands came to be the way they are. Pele, in retreat from Makore, would dig her mountaintop fi re pit. Th en Makore would push ocean waves at the mountain until the pit was fi lled with water. As they went along, the sisters left the story of their confl ict behind them. It was forever carved into the rocks.

If you visit the island of Hawaii today, you can go to Kapoho and look for Green Mountain. Green Mountain holds an old pit—a volcanic crater. Th e crater is fi lled with water. If you visit Kilauea, where Pele resides, you can still hear a roar. You can feel rumbling beneath you. You can see the lava explode into the air and fl ow down the mountain slopes. As you watch and listen to the earth stir, you may tell yourself that Pele has once more lost her temper.




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