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Benchmark 3

progress monitoringDIBELS

DIBELS is a registered trademark of Dynamic Measurement Group, Inc. Visit our website at www.dibels.org. Revised 12/30/10

DIBELS® Next Student MaterialsOral Reading Fluency/Level 5

Progress Monitoring

Roland H. Good III

Ruth A. Kaminski

with:

Kelli Cummings, Chantal Dufour-Martel, Kathleen Petersen,

Kelly Powell-Smith, Stephanie Stollar, and Joshua Wallin

Dynamic Measurement Group, Inc.

®

Copyright 2011 Dynamic Measurement GroupAll rights reserved

DIBELS® Progress Monitoring Page 1

Benchmark 3

Oral Reading Fluency L5/Progress Monitoring 1

Ride the ICE

Wewaitedpatientlyinlinetobuyourtraintickets.Thiswasthe

firsttimewehadeverriddenthetraintovisitmygrandparents.Usually,

wedrivethereinourcar.However,mydaddecideditwouldbeagreat

adventuretotakethetrain.WeliveinGermanywherethereisaveryfast

traincalledtheICE,shortfortheIntercityExpress.

TheICEismuchfasterthananordinarytrain.Infact,weexpected

toreachspeedsofonehundredandseventymilesperhour.Aswestood

ontheplatformtoboardthetrain,Iadmireditsbeauty.Itwassleekand

paintedabrilliantwhitewitharedracingstripedowntheside.

Wetookourseatswiththeotherexcitedpassengers,manyofwhom

wereGermanfamilieslikeours.However,therewerealsotouristsfrom

allovertheworld.BeforeIboardedthetrain,Iimagineditwouldbelike

othertypesofpublictransportation,wheretheseatsareclosetogether

andeveryonefeelscramped.However,Iwasdelightedtodiscoverthat

therewasplentyofroom,andtheseatswereextremelycomfortable.

Iwatchedastheconductorsauntereddowntheaislebetweenthe

rowsofseats.Icouldtellbythegrinonhisfacethatheenjoyedhisjob.

Hegreetedeverypassengerashetookeachperson’sticket.

Whenthetrainstartedtomove,mydaddescribeditshistory.He

explainedthatthisincredibletrainwasoneofthefirsttrainstobebuilt

forsuchhighspeeds.Indeed,anearlierICEheldtheworldspeedrecord

fortrains.Overtheyears,thedesignhasbeenimprovedanditisstillone

ofthefastertrainsinGermany.Hepointedoutthespecialrailsdesigned

tohandlethestressesassociatedwithsuchhighspeeds.

Duringthetrip,Igazedoutthewindowandwatchedthescenery

flashby.Itseemedlikewewereatourdestinationintheblinkofaneye.

Asweleftthestationwithmygrandparents,Itoldthemallaboutour

rideontheICE.


Benchmark 3


The Best Present Ever

Thegirlstaredatthebigredcircleshehaddrawnaroundadateon

hercalendar.Therewasn’tmuchtimetothinkofagiftbeforeMai’s

grandmothercameforhervisit.Maitookoutasheetofpaperandstarted

listingsomepossibilities.

Maireviewedherlist,butshedidnotseeanythingthatwasunique

enoughforawonderfulpersonlikehergrandmother.Itwouldbealong

journeyfromhersmallvillagetothecity.Maiwantedtocelebrateher

grandmother’sfirstvisittothecitybygivingheranextraordinarygift.

Maistaredatthepaper.Sheattemptedtothinkofsomethingmore

creative.Allofasudden,Maihadabrilliantinspiration.Shewouldmake

homemadestationeryforher.Maifoundabookthatdescribedhowto

makepaper.Shestartedmakingalistofallthematerialsshewouldneed.

Next,sheranaroundthehouse,collectingalloftheitemsonherlist.

Onceshehadeverythingsheneeded,shecarefullyfollowedeachstepof

theinstructions.Shewantedhersheetsofpapertobeperfect.Maifelt

excitedasshewaitedforthehomemadepapertodry.

Thenextmorning,FatherpoppedhisheadintoMai’sroomtosee

howhisdaughter’sprojectwasprogressing.Sherepliedthatshewould

comeshowhimthefinishedproductassoonasshewasdone.ThenMai

beganthetaskofdecoratingthepapertomakestationery.Sheuseda

penandcoloredinktodrawthingsthatshehadseeninGrandmother’s

village.Shedrewthedensetropicalforestononesheetandcolorful

orchidsonanother.Shewascarefulnottoletthepiecesofpapertouch

eachothertopreventtheinkfromsmearing.Aftertheinkwasdry,Mai

showedthestationerytoherparents.Theywereamazedbythebeautiful

drawingsandthankedMaiformakinghergrandmotherthisthoughtful

gift.Maigentlystackedthesheetsofpaperandtiedayellowsilkribbon

aroundthem.Shelookedforwardtogivinghergrandmotherthebest

presentever.


Benchmark 3


Exploring Australia

Whichcountryisanislandandisalsothesmallestcontinentinthe

world?IfyousaidAustralia,youareright.Australiaisalargemassof

landthatisfoundinthesouthernpartoftheworld.Itislocatedbetween

theIndianandPacificOceans.Muchofthelandisflatanddry,yetthe

northernpartsofthecountryhaverainforestsandswamps.TheGreat

BarrierReefonthecoastisfilledwiththousandsofkindsoffishand

otherseacreatures.

Australiaishometomanyanimalsthatarenotfoundinotherplaces.

Thelargearrayofuniqueanimalsincludereptiles,birds,mammals,and

insects.OneunusualkindofanimalfoundinAustraliaisthekangaroo.A

kangaroomotherhasapouchonherbody.Shecarriesheryounginthe

pouchuntiltheygrowbigenoughtoleave.

Australiaisknownforitsdiversepeopleandculture.Nativepeople

livedonthecontinentforthousandsofyearswheretheygatheredplants

andhuntedfortheirfood.ThenativeAustraliansstilllivetheretoday.

TheexplorerswhocametoAustraliahavebeen,forthemostpart,from

Europe.AlthoughtheDutchwerethefirsttodiscoverAustralia,itwas

mostlytheBritishwhostayed.

PeoplecometoAustraliafromallovertheworldtoenjoyitsmany

outdooractivities.Somecometosail,surf,ordiveintheocean.Others

cometotourthecountryonhorsebackorbicycle.Stillotherscometo

hikeandclimbinplaceslikeAyersRock,ahugerockthatisconsidered

tobeoneoftheworld’sgreatestnaturalwonders.Inthemiddleofaflat

plain,AyersRockrisesoverathousandfeetintotheairandmeasures

overfivemilesaround.

Australia’slargecitieshavemanythingstoseeincludingmuseums

andconcerthalls.Therearelovelybuildingsandmanygoodplacesto

eat,too.Thereisnoquestionthatthereissomethingfuntoseeordofor

everypersonwhovisitsAustralia.


Benchmark 3


Dinner Is Served

ThedaywasbeginningtoturntoduskwhenKaleb’smother

announcedthatdinnerwasserved.Kalebandhisfamilylivedin

Ethiopia.Kalebquicklywashedhishandsandjoinedtherestofhis

familyatthewickertable.Hismotherplacedthemealontothetableand

removedthedomedcover.Themeallookeddelectable.Ontheplatewas

alargepieceofsoft,flatbreadcoveredbyportionsofdifferentstews.

Eachfamilymemberhadapersonalsupplyofthebread,andKaleb

eagerlyrippedoffapiecefromhissupply.Thebreadmeltedinhismouth

ashechewedslowly.

Kalebtriedtodecidewhichofthestewshewantedtoeatfirst.His

mouthwateredashesmelledthespicychickenstew.Hedecidedto

samplethatstewfirst,sohecarefullytoreoffanothersectionfromhis

bread.Then,usingthepieceasascoop,hepickedupaglobofthestew

andplaceditintohismouth.Thisisabsolutelydelicious,thoughtKaleb,

withthesourbreadcomplementingthetangystewperfectly.Kalebtore

offsomemorepiecesofhisbreadandsampledmoreofthestews.Kaleb

thoughttheflavorsofthevariousvegetablesandspicescouldn’tbe

better.Kalebhelpedhisfamilyfinishtherestofthestewsuntilfinally,

thepieceofbreadonthebottomoftheplatewasuncovered.

Kalebgrinnedbecausethiswashisfavoritepartofthemeal.He

andhisfamilystartedrippingoffportionsofthelargeflatbreadthathad

beenonthebottomofthestew.Thestewshadsoakedin,sothebread

nowtastedlikeallthevariousflavorsoftheirmeal.Kalebsmiledashe

chewedonapiecethathadthesamespicytangasthechickenstew.It

wasevenmoredelicious,ifthatwasatallpossible.


Benchmark 3


How Water Moves Through Plants

Oneofthethingsaplantmusthavetosurviveiswater.Different

kindsofplantsneeddifferentamountsofwater.Aplantrequireswaterto

makeitsownfoodandtomature.

Theprocessbywhichaplantproducesitsownfoodiscalled

photosynthesis.Duringthisprocess,theplantobtainswaterthroughits

rootsanditabsorbsagascalledcarbondioxidethroughitsleaves.Then,

theplantusesenergyfromthesuntocombinethegasandthewaterinto

thesugarstheplantutilizesasfood.

Waterisessentialtotheplantforotherreasons.Ittransportsthe

nutrientsfromthesoilthroughoutthevariouspartsoftheplant.In

addition,itfillsuptheplantcellssotheplantisabletostandstraight.

Aplantcanobtainwaterfromnaturalsources,suchasprecipitation,

orfromtheindividualwhoisgrowingtheplant.Thewatersoaksinto

theground,wheretherootsabsorbthewaterintotheplant.Fromthere,

thewaterjourneysintotheplant’sstemandistransportedtotheleaves

throughlong,thintubes.

Plantsmustbeabletomovewaterupfromtheground.Watermoves

fromthesoiltothetopoftheplantusingcapillaryaction.Inthisprocess,

thewaterisattractedtothesidesofthetinytubesthatrunthroughthe

plant.Thetinytubesrespondlikeaspongeandabsorbthewaterintothe

plant.

Sometimestheplanthasanoverabundanceofwater.Whenthis

occurs,itmustdisposeoftheexcesswaterthroughaprocesscalled

transpiration.Thesurfaceofeachleafhastinyholesinit.Thewater

evaporatesthroughtheseholesintotheatmosphere.Asthewaterinthe

leavesconvertsintoagas,morewaterispulledupfromthebottomof

theplant.


Benchmark 3


How Pulleys Work

Haveyoueverattemptedtoliftsomethingheavyanddiscoveredthat

youcouldnotmanageit?Pulleysaresimplemachinesthatmakelifting

heavyobjectseasiertodo.Ifyouwereaconstructionworker,youmight

useaspecialpulleycalledacrane.Thismachinecouldhelpyoupickup

ahugecementblock.Ifyouwereasailoronasailboat,youwouldusea

pulleytolifttheheavysailsintoplace.

Apulleyisbasicallyaropeoracablethatiswrappedarounda

wheel.Apulleyisusedtotradedistanceforwork.“Distance”ishow

faryouhavetopulltheropetorelocatetheobject.“Work”ishowmuch

effortyourbodyhastoexpendtogetthejobdone.

Therearetwovarietiesofpulleys:afixedpulleyandamoveable

pulley.Afixedpulleyisattachedtosomethingstationary,suchasa

walloraceiling.Thissortofpulleyishelpfulbecauseitallowsyouto

maneuvertheobjectwithoutpushingorpullingthepulleyupordown.

Thedrawbackisthatittakesincreasedefforttomovetheobject.With

amoveablepulley,thepulleyactuallymoveswhenyoupulltherope

throughthewheel.Themainbenefitofusingthistypeofpulleyisthat

youutilizemuchlessefforttomovetheobject.Themaindrawbackis

thatyoudohavetopulltheropefurthertooperatethepulley.

Severalpulleyscanbeusedsimultaneouslytocreateamachine

calledablockandtackle.Bothfixedandmoveablepulleysareused

inthiskindofsystem.Theprimarybenefittousingablockandtackle

systemisthatittakesmuchlessworktolifttheobject.Thebiggest

drawbackisthatyouhavetopulltheropeamuchlongerdistance.


Benchmark 3


All About Shoes

Nomatterwhattheactivity,itisoftenhelpfultohaveagoodpair

ofshoes.Shoescancomeinmanydifferentstylesandtypes.Somehelp

athletesrunfasterorjumphigher.Otherslettravelerswanderformiles

withoutgettingtired.Shoeshelpdancerstwirlonthestageandworkers

slogthroughmud.Dependingonthetask,therightpairofshoescan

makeabigdifferenceinhelpingtogetitdone.

Shoesforathletesareoftenlightweight,soasnottoslowdownthe

athletes.Theyneedtogivetheathletessupport,traction,andprotection

frominjuries.Onerunningshoedesignerthoughtashoewitha“waffle”

patternonthebottomwouldgiverunnersalotoftraction.Tomakethis

shoe,hepouredrubberintoawaffleiron!Shoesforsomeoutdoorsports,

suchassoccerandbaseball,oftenhaverubberormetalcleatsthatdig

intothegrasstokeeptheplayersfromslipping.Shoescanoftenmakea

bigdifferenceinathletes’performance,andshoecompaniesarealways

lookingfornewwaystogivetheircustomersanedgewhencompeting.

Dancersalsousespecializedshoes.Pointeshoeshaveaboxinthe

toethatallowsballetdancerstobalanceonthetipsoftheirtoes.Tap

dancerswearshoeswithmetal“taps”attachedthatmakealoud,sharp

soundwhenhitagainstahardsurface.Ballroomdancerswearshoesthat

arelightweightenoughtomovearoundeasily,butalsodurableenough

totakeheavypoundingagainstthefloor.Theyalsomustbemadeso

dancersdonotsliponthehardwooddancefloor.

Hikersandpeoplewhoworkoutdoorslookforshoesthatcan

withstandwaterandmud.Theseshoescanvaryfromsimpleplasticrain

bootstohard,tough,workboots.Otheroutdooractivitiescallforother

typesofshoes.Climbingshoeshelpgetagoodgripontherock,and

wadingshoescangetwetwithoutslipping.

Insideorout,forfunorforwork,therightpairofshoescanreally

helpyouout.


Benchmark 3


The Outback Adventure

Thefamilystaredinaweatthehugereddishbrownrockthatrose

outofthedryland.Victoriathoughtitlookedlikeanislandinacalm,

flatsea.Insteadofwater,thisislandwassurroundedbythedrylandof

theAustralianoutback.ThishugerockwascalledAyersRock,anditwas

afamousAustralianlandmark.

ThiswasthefirsttimeVictoriaandherfamilyhadbeencampingin

theoutback,whichwasfarfromtheAustraliancitywheretheylived.

TheoutbackisaremotepartofAustralia.Victoria,whowasusedto

seeinglotsoftallskyscraperscrowdedtogether,thoughtthewideempty

desertlookedlikeanotherplanet.Thelandscapewasdifferentfrom

anythingshehadeverseen.

AsVictoriawalkedwithherfamily,shesawavarietyofplants

thatshecouldnotidentify.Toherdelight,shealsosawsomeunusual

animals.Thefirstcreaturesheobservedwasawildcamel.She

rememberedreadingthatthousandsofcamelshadbeenimportedlong

ago.Now,theyranwildinthedesert.Lookingatthisbizarreanimal,

Victoriacouldnotimaginepeopleridingitorusingittocarrysupplies.

Shethoughtitwouldbefascinatingtoseesomeoneactuallyridinga

camel.Betteryet,shewantedtorideoneherself.

Inthedistance,Victorianoticedsomedingoes,whichareatypeof

wilddog.Whenshelookeddown,shesawalizardscurryinfrontofher.

Shewassurprisedtoseethatsomanydifferentthingscouldsurvivein

thisharshenvironment.

Itwasgettinglate,soDadsuggestedthatthefamilyreturntothe

campforthenight.Whentheygottothecamp,theybuiltafire,and

Victoria’sparentscookeddinner.Asthestarsglitteredabove,thefamily

talkedaboutalloftheamazingthingstheyhadseen.Theywerelooking

forwardtoanothergreatdayinthemorning.AsVictoriadriftedoffto

sleepinthetent,sheknewshewasgoingtohavealottotellherfriends

whenshereturnedtothecity.


Benchmark 3


Watching a Soccer Game

Thecrowdatthesoccergamecheeredasaplayeronthehometeam

kickedtheballintothegoal,justoutofreachofthegoalie’sdesperate

dive.Watchinginthestands,IsabelandRicardocouldn’tbelievehow

closethisleaguechampionshipgamehadbecome.Withthislastpoint,

thehometeamhadtiedthegameattwogoalseach.Therewasn’tvery

muchtimeleftbeforethewholeseasonwouldbeover.

IsabelandRicardolovedsoccer,butthiswastheirfirsttime

attendingachampionshipgameatthestadium.Theirfamilylivedin

Madrid,andthestadiumwaslocatednearby.Theywereexcitedthattheir

hometeamwasinthefinalsthisyear,andtheyfeltluckythattheirfather

hadagreedtotakethemtoseethegame.

Theirfatherwasnostrangertosoccer.Whenhewasyounger,hehad

beenamidfielderonaprofessionalteam.Heoftentoldthechildrenall

kindsofexcitingstoriesaboutthegamesheplayed.Heenjoyedplaying

soccerwiththemandwatchingthesportontelevision.Thewholefamily

wasexcitedtoseeachampionshipgameinperson.

Thestadiumwaspackedwithpeople.Someofthefanswerevisitors

fromothercountries.Everyonewascaughtupintheexcitementofthe

gameandcheeredtheirteamasloudlyastheycould.Theywatchedthe

playersbattleeachotherfuriouslytomovetheballupthefield.Just

whenitlookedlikeoneteamwouldscore,thegoalieblockedtheball.

Theteamsseemedperfectlymatched,andRicardoandIsabelwereon

theedgeoftheirseats,wonderingwhowouldwin.Itwouldnotbemuch

longerbeforeoneteamwasvictorious.IsabelcaughtRicardo’seyeand

theybothgrinned.Nomatterwhathappenedintheend,theyknewthey

wouldnotforgetthischampionshipgame.


Benchmark 3


Exploring Europe

Europeisalandthatisrichwithhistoryandhometopeoplefrom

manydifferentculturesandcountries.Whileitisoneofthesmallest

continents,Europehashadahugeinfluenceonmanypartsoftheworld.

Europeisborderedbyoceanstothewestandmountainstothe

south.Inthenorth,thelandiscoveredwithplainsandtotheeastlies

Asia.Mostofthecontinentislocatedinthetemperateclimatezone.This

meansthattherearefourseasons,butthewinterstendtobemildandthe

summersseldomgettoohot.

Manyyearsago,Europewascoveredwithforests.Sincethattime,

manytreeshavebeencutdowntomakeroomforbuildingsandfarms.

Today,therearemanylargecities,leavingforeststocoveronlya

smallpartofthelandarea.Peopleinmanycountriesareworriedabout

conservation,somoretreesarebeingplanted.

Today,Europeisapopularplacefortouriststovisit.Peoplecome

fromallovertheworld.ManyEuropeansalsotraveltodifferent

countriesintheregion.Manyvisitorstravelbytrain,whichisaneasy

waytogetaround.Somepeoplecometoviewthelovelyscenery.They

mayhikeandskiinthemountains,orswimintheoceansandlakes.

Otherpeoplecometoseethehistoricbuildings,whichincludetheruins

ofancientGreeceandRome.Visitorscrowdintocastlesandchurchesas

wellasintomuseumsandfarmers’markets.Nomatterwhytheycome,

visitorsallenjoytheireatingduringtheirstay.Thewidevarietyoffoods

availablewilldelightanydiner.

Whetheryouareonaguidedtourorexploringonyourown,Europe

hassomethingforeveryonetoenjoy.Itisanintriguingplacewherethe

oldworldandthemodernworldareuniquelyblendedtogether.


Benchmark 3


Chinese Kites

Flyingkitescanbeafunactivityforchildrenandadults.Even

peoplewhodon’tflykitesoftenenjoybeingspectatorsatkitefestivals.

ThefirstkitesweremadeofwoodinChinaovertwothousandyears

ago.Somerecordsindicatethatearlykiteswerebigenoughtocarrya

personaloft,likeahangglider.Otherkiteswereusedtosendmessages,

buttodaymostkitesaredecorativeandmadejustforthefunofwatching

themfly.

Chinesekitescomeinfourmaincategories.Thefirstcategoryisthe

centipedekite.Thesekitesarelongandnarrowandhavemanysections,

likeacentipede’sbody.Thefirstsectionisshapedtoresemblethehead

ofadragon,andthekite’sbodyismadeofflatdisks.Eachsegmentis

connectedtothediskprecedingitwithlinesofstringandasegmentof

bamboo.Thesekitescanreachlengthsofoverninehundredfeet.They

curlandwaveinsinewydesignswheninflight.

Thesecondcategoryofkitehashardwings.Inthesekites,theframe

isstiffandrigid,andthetailisloosetocatchthewindandstabilizethe

kite.Theserigidkitesareoftendecoratedtolookliketigersorpeople.

Thethirdcategoryofkitehassoftwingsandisalsooftenshapedlike

ananimal.Thesekitesarelikelytobemadeintheformofanimalswith

wingsorfins.Whenyouseeakiteresemblingarealanimalsoaringin

thesky,itisprobablyoneofthesekites.

Thelastvarietyofkiteistheflatkite.Thesekiteshaveasingle,flat,

rigidframecoveredwithfabricorpaper.Theycanbeconstructedin

manydifferentshapesandareoftenpaintedwithbeautifuldesigns.

Kitescomeinavarietyofshapesandsizes,withthesmallestfitting

inthepalmofyourhand.Nomatterwhattheylooklike,kiteshaveone

importantthingincommon.Theyprovidewonderfulentertainmentas

theysoarthroughtheair.


Benchmark 3


The Talent Show

Astheywaitedforthebus,NathanandArieldecidedtheywanted

tobeinthetalentshowthenextmonth.Thewholewayhome,they

discussedwhattalentstheywouldliketoperform.Beforethefriends

saidgoodbye,theyagreedtomeetonSaturdaytodecidewhattheirtalent

wouldbe.

WhenNathanarrivedatAriel’shouseearlythenextmorning,the

twostartedbybrainstormingalistoftheirtalents.Theyreviewedthelist

andtriedtofigureoutwaysthattheycouldperformtogether.Arielwas

anexcellentmusician,butNathanwasgoodatgymnastics.Thechildren

realizeditwasgoingtobemuchharderthantheythoughttopickatalent

thattheysharedandenjoyed.

Thefriendswerebothgoodatbasketballandmath,buttheyweren’t

suretheycouldworkthoseintotheshow.Eventually,Nathansuggested

thattheywriteacomedyroutineandperformit.Becausetheywereboth

skilledwriters,andtheylovedacting,theyagreeditwastheperfect

blendoftheirskillsandtalents.

Thetwoworkedeagerlyonthescriptfortheirroutine.Onceitwas

perfected,theywerereadytostartpracticing.TheymetatAriel’shouse

everydayafterschool.Finally,theywerereadytoperforminfrontofa

smallaudience,whichwouldhelppreparethemforthebigdayatschool.

Theyinvitedboththeirfamiliestowatchthepracticesession.The

performancewentverysmoothly,andtheaudiencelaughedfrequently.

Theeveningofthetalentshow,NathanandArieltookadeepbreath

andsteppedontothestage.Thefriendscouldfeeltheheatfromthe

brightlightsasthecurtainsopened.NathanturnedtoArielanduttered

thefirstline,andtheaudiencememberslaughedloudly.Arielgave

Nathanawink.Theybothknewitwasgoingtobeagreatshow.


Benchmark 3


Fish Farms

Whenyoueatafishdinner,youprobablydonotthinkaboutwhere

thefishcamefrom.Whilewildfisharestillcaughtinoceansandrivers,

somefish,suchasrainbowtrout,areraisedonfarms.

Theideaofhavingfarmsforfishbecamepopularaboutfiftyyears

ago.Somefishfarmsarelocatedfaroffshore.Fishfarmsthatarebuiltfar

fromshorecanbemuchlargerthanthosenearshore.Thelargerfarms

givethefishadditionalspace.Thisreducestheirlevelofstressandhelps

themtothrive.

Avarietyoffishcanberaisedforconsumption.However,only

certainfishcanbefarmedfarfromthecoast.Thesefarmsareexposedto

frequentwavesandstrongercurrents,sothefishmustbestrongenough

toliveintheseconditions.Salmonandcodaretwopopulartypesoffish

growninoffshorefarms.

SomeofthefirstoceanfarmsweredevelopedinHawaiiandused

wallscreatedfromcoralandlavarocks.Modernfishfarmsusespecial

cages.Thesecageshaveamooringsystemtoanchortheminplace,even

duringterriblestorms.

Fishmustbefedonaregularbasis.Thefoodisstoredatthefarm,

andspecialmachinesfeedthefishatspecifiedtimes.Othermachinesare

usedtoensurethatthefisharedoingwell.Automatictechnologyisused

sothatthefarmscanfunctionevenifnopeoplearethere.

Asdemandrisesforfishasasourceofprotein,theroleoffishfarms

willbecomeincreasinglyimportant.Fishfarmerscontinuetolookfor

waystomaketheirfishevenhealthierwhiletryingtoavoidpolluting

thewateraroundthefarmsorcausingharmtothewildfish.Properly

managed,fishfarmscanbeagreatwaytogetseafoodtothepeoplewho

enjoyit.


Benchmark 3


How Technology Shrinks the World

Manyyearsago,communicationwithanyonewholivedfaraway

wastimeconsumingandchallenging.Lettersandnewspaperswerethe

onlywaytocommunicate,andtheyhadtobetransportedbyhorse,train,

orboat.Itmighttakeweeksorevenmonthsfornewstotravelfromplace

toplace.Theworldwasaverylargeplaceindeed.Butcomputersand

informationtechnologycausedtheworldtoshrink,seeminglyovernight.

Today,peoplehavemanywaystocommunicateandtolearnabout

eventsaroundtheworld.Peoplecancalleachotheronthephoneorsend

textmessages.Theycanusetheircomputertosendelectronicmail.To

findoutaboutlocalandworldnews,peoplecangototheircomputeror

theircellphone.

Peopleusetechnologytoconversewithpeopletheyknowandto

meetnewpeople.Youcouldhaveapenpalwholivesontheotherside

oftheworld.Thankstotechnology,itisalmostaseasytotalkwiththat

personasitistotalkwithyourneighbornextdoor.

Manybusinessesrelyontechnologytoconnecttheiremployees.

Theycanusetechnology,suchascomputersortelephones,tohold

meetings.Inaddition,someofficesprovideonlinelearningopportunities.

Peopleindifferentplacescanattendthesametrainingsessionusingtheir

computer.Theyareabletoseeandhearthesameinformationatthesame

time,withouthavingtoleavetheiroffice.

Computersalsogivepeopleachancetolearnnewthings.Withafew

keystrokesyoucanaccessawealthofinformationonanytopic.Youcan

eventakecollegeclassesandearnadegree.Peoplecanaccesstheirclass

whenevertheyhavetime.Thatwaygoingtoschoolisconvenient,andit

doesnotinterferewiththeirjoborfamilycommitments.

Today,therearemorewaysforpeopletocommunicatewitheach

otherthaneverbefore.Usingtechnologyisquickandeasy,anditis

fairlyinexpensive.


Benchmark 3


Protein

Youhaveprobablyheardaboutprotein,butyoumaynotunderstand

exactlywhatproteinis.Proteinsarethebasicelementsthatyourbody

usestobuildmusclesandtokeepallofthepartsofyourbodystrongand

healthy.ThewordproteincomesfromtheGreekwordmeaningprimary.

That’sbecauseproteiniseverywhere.Itexistsinthecellsofhumans,

animals,andplants.Infact,thereisproteinineverycellofyourbody;

evenyourskinandmusclescontainprotein.Thecellsofyourbrainand

lungsalsocontainprotein,andthereisevenproteininyourredblood

cells.Yourbodyusesproteintorepairandbuildbodytissues.

Inthehumanbody,therearetwentydifferentkindsofprotein

units.Theseunitsarecalledthebuildingblocksofourcells.Yourbody

produceselevenkindsoftheunits,buttheotherninekindsofunitsmust

comefromthefoodyoueat.Healthexpertsstressthatitisimportantto

eatenoughdifferentproteineveryday.Ifyoudon’t,yourbodywillbegin

touseupitsownsupplyofprotein,causingyourmusclesandorgansto

becomeweak.

Certainfoodshavealltheproteinunitsneededbythebodyandare

calledcompleteproteins.Examplesofthesetypesoffoodaremeats,

fish,chicken,soy,dairy,andeggs.Otherfoodsprovideonlysomeof

theproteinunitsneededbythebodyandarecalledincompleteproteins.

Examplesofthesefoodsarepeas,beans,andpeanuts.Youcancombine

certainincompleteproteinstoformcompleteproteins.Forexample,

beansandriceeatentogetherformacompleteprotein.

Eatingtherightamountsandtypesofproteinswillhelpyourbody

buildandrepairitself.Thenexttimeyouenjoyachickensandwichora

tofustir-fry,youcanbesatisfiedknowingthatyouaredoingsomething

tohelpyourselfstayhealthyandstrong.


Benchmark 3


Early Bikes

Bicyclesaresopopulararoundtheworldthatitmayseemlikethey

havebeenaroundforever.Infact,thebicycleisonlytwocenturiesold.

Thefirstbicyclewasmadeofwoodandwasfairlyclumsy.Thefirst

machinehadnopedals.Instead,ridersmovedbyusingtheirfeettopush

alongtheground.

Ittooktwentyyearsforthefirsttypeofpedaltobeaddedtotheearly

bicycle.Thesepedalsweredirectlyattachedtothefrontwheel,andevery

rotationofthepedalturnedthefrontwheelaroundonce.Atfirst,these

newtypesofbicycleswerenotverypopular.Theywerestillmadeout

ofwood,andonlylaterhadmetaltires.Whendrivenonroughroads,

theycouldbeveryuncomfortable.Thesebicycleswereoftencalled

“boneshakers,”butbecameafaddespitetheirproblems.

You’veprobablyseenpicturesofthenexttypeofbicycle.Theyhad

averylargefrontwheelandamuchsmallerrearwheel.Thefrontwheel

wasmadebiggerbecauselargerwheelsletthebikegofartherforevery

rotationofthepedals.Itwashardforpeopletobalanceonthesetall

bicycles,andriderswouldoftentipover.

Finally,bicycleswereinventedthatcouldbedrivenbyachainand

gears.Now,theycouldagainhavewheelsthatwerethesamesize.This

typeofbicyclewasmorestableandeasiertostopthanpreviousones.A

fewyearslater,rubbertiresfilledwithairreplacedthesolidtiresmadeof

ironorrubber.

Thebasicdesignofthebicyclehasstayedthesameforthelast

hundredyears.However,thebicycleframeshavebecomestronger

andlighter.Componentssuchasbrakes,gears,seats,andhandlebars

havebeenrefined.Bicyclescangomuchfasterthantheypreviously

couldbecauseofallofthenewadvancements.Themostimportant

developmentofalltookplaceonlyrecently.Today,moreridersthenever

arewearingsafetyhelmets.


Benchmark 3


Owl Houses

AnowlsoaredgracefullyfaroverSierra’shead.Itheadedtowardthe

clusteroftalltreesinthelocalneighborhoodpark.Theowlhadasmall,

thickbody,anditsfeatherswereagrayishbrownsprinkledwithwhite

spots.Ithadtuftsoffeathersstickinguponeachsideofitsheadthat

lookedlikeears.Itsbeaklookedsharpandwasshapedlikeahook.Asit

swoopeddowntolandonatreelimb,itspowerfulfeetgrabbedtightlyto

thebranch.

Sierrapointedouttheowltoherfriend,Antonio.Theyadmired

thebirdfromafarwithoutapproachingit,becausetheydidn’twantto

frightenit.Sierra’sAuntCarolinetoldthemthatthistypeofowlwas

calledascreechowl.Antonioaskediftheowlscreechedwhenittalked.

AuntCarolinesaid,“No,itusuallysoundsmorelikehooting.”Thenshe

explainedtothechildrenthattheowlwasnocturnal,whichmeantthatit

usuallyhuntedatnightandsleptduringtheday.Shedescribedhowthe

owlwouldsearchforholesinwhichtonestratherthanbuildingitsown

nest.

Sierraguessedthattherewereprobablyadditionalowlsinthepark

andaskedherauntiftheycouldbuildbirdhousestoencouragethebirds

tostay.Antoniochimedinthathewantedtobuildbirdhouses,too,and

especiallywantedtohearanowlhooting.

ThechildrenwenttoAuntCaroline’shouse,andshehelpedthem

constructtheowlhousesoutofscrapsofwoodleftoverfromthe

woodshedshehadbuiltlastautumn.Bytheeveningtheyhadbuiltthree

smallbirdhouses.Theytookabreakandpackedapicnicbasketfor

dinner.Thentheyreturnedtotheparkandhungthewoodenhousesinthe

trees.

Itwasawarmspringnight,andthethreesatquietlyeatingtheir

dinnerandwatchinganowltentativelyenteroneofthebirdhousesthey

hadbuilt.Theirfaceslitupwhentheyheardthelittlefeatheredanimal

starttohoot.


Benchmark 3


A Trip to an Aquarium

Yesterday,myclasstookafieldtriptothelocalaquarium.Whenwe

arrived,avolunteermetusandexplainedthathewouldtakeourclasson

atour.Ourfirststopwasadisplayofdifferentoceanhabitats.Ilearned

thatsomeofthehabitatsinourbayarekelpforests,deepreefs,and

sandyseafloors.

Next,wevisitedtheottertank.Ourviewintothetankallowedus

towatchtheottersunderandabovethewater.Withtheirbigeyesand

tinypaws,theotterslookedlikecutestuffedanimals.Wewatchedthem

playanddiveforfood.Whilewewerethere,oneoftheworkersserved

theottersabigtreat.Itwasshrimpservedonfloatingplatters.Theotters

rolledontheirbacksandbalancedtheplattersontheirstomachswhile

theyswam.Thewholeclasslaughedatthis.

Thenextstopwasthejellyfishdisplay.Thedisplaywaslocatedina

large,darkroomthatlookedlikeastrangeworldfromasciencefiction

novel.Eachtankhadalightthatshonedownonthejellyfish.Iwatched

tinyjellyfishdriftlikelightedcloudsinonetank,andlargerjellyfish

circlinggracefullyinanother.

Ourlaststopwastheexhibitofshorelinebirds.Theaquariumbirds

camefromwildliferescuecentersinthearea.Visitorscouldstandvery

closetothebirds.Thebirdsdidn’tmindbeingclosetopeople,butthey

didn’tliketobetouched.Istoodcarefullywithmyhandsbehindmy

back,watchingthem.Largeandsmallbirdswadedinshallowpoolsand

hidundermarshplants.Iespeciallylikedonebirdthathadawhitehead,

ablackchest,andstoodononeleg.

Finally,itwastimetoreturntoschool,andtheguidetoldus

goodbye.Aswewereleaving,Isawseveraladditionalroomsthatwe

hadn’thadtimetoexplore.IhopeIcanvisitagainsoIcanseemore

animalsandoceanhabitats.


Benchmark 3


Welcome to Giza

Aroundofclickingnoisescouldbeheardasthecrowdofvisitors

tookpicturesoftheformationsthatstoodinfrontofthem.Laylaandher

familywerepartofthethrongofpeople.Theywereonsummervacation

andtheyhadtraveledforhoursacrossthedry,hotdeserttoarriveatthis

location.Todaytheywereexcitedbecausetheyweretakingatourto

learnabouttheircountry’searlyhistory.

Thevisitorsfollowedthetourguideashedescribedtheclusterof

threepyramids.TheseweresomeoftheruinsontheGizaPlateau.Itisa

mysteryastohowthesestructureswereconstructed.Modernscientists

believethattheenormousstonecamefromaquarry.Theancientpeople

hadtosomehowdragthemassivestoneblockstotheplacewherethe

pyramidsweretobeerected.Finally,theyhadtogetthehugeblocksinto

place,makingsurethattheywerelinedupperfectly.

ThenextthingthetourgrouplearnedaboutwastheSphinx.The

visitorsthoughtthisenormousstatuelookedveryoddbecauseithadthe

bodyofalionandtheheadofahuman.Theguideexplainedhowsome

peoplebelievethattheheadresembledoneoftheancientrulers.

LaylaandherfamilyhadlivedinEgypttheirwholelives,butthis

wasthefirsttimetheyhadbeentothisextraordinaryplace.Theyused

theirmindstopicturewhatlifewaslikelongago.Laylaponderedthe

amountoflaborandtimeitwouldtaketobuildthesestructures.They

allwonderedwhypeoplewouldworksohardtocreatethem.Itwas

amazingthatthestructureswerestillstandingafterthousandsofyears.

Laylaandherfamilyfeltproudthatthiswasapartoftheirheritage.

Whentheyarrivedhome,theywouldcreateajournalwithpictures

oftheirtrip.Laylacouldnotwaittogobacktoschoolandshareher

family’sjournalwithherclassmatesandteachers.


Benchmark 3


Being a Bird Keeper

Areyouconsideringhavingapetbird?Ifso,thereissome

informationyoushouldknow.Aswithotherpets,petbirdsneed

consistentcareandattention.You’llneedtomakesureyourbirdhasthe

rightfood,water,andexercise.Inadditiontoprovidingyourbirdwith

nourishment,youarealsoresponsibleforentertainingyournewfamily

member.

Thefirstthingsyou’llneedtoobtainforyourbirdareacageanda

cagecover.Youwillalsoneedfeedingequipmentandmaterialsuchas

newspaperclippingsandwoodshavingstouseascageliners.Putthe

cageinaroomthathasnodraftsorloudnoisesandisawayfrombright

sunlight.

Assoonaspossible,haveyourbirdexaminedbyaveterinarianto

determineifit’shealthy.Forthefirstcoupleofdays,allowyourbirdto

becomeaccustomedtoitsnewhome.Observeyourbirdbutdon’tdisturb

it.Bythethirdday,youcanbegintofeedyourbirdapieceoffreshfood,

suchasanappleslice,throughthecagebars.Startingthefourthorfifth

day,gentlyandtenderlyhandlethebirdseveraltimesaday,holdingitin

yourcuppedhandsfirmly,butwithoutsqueezingit.

Aftertwoweeks,thebirdmayfeelcomfortableenoughtoperchon

yourfinger.Youcannowallowthebirdtoflyfreelyaroundtheroom

foratleasttwentyminuteseachday.Ensurethattherearenootherpets

nearby.Alsomakecertainthatalldoorsandwindowsintheroomare

closed.

Everyday,tidyyourbird’scageandreplenishitswatersupply.Once

aweek,placeyourbirdinasmallplasticcagewithameshlidsothat

youcanthoroughlycleanoutitsregularcage.

Examineyourbirddaily.Makesureitseyesarebrightandshiny

anditswingsareundamaged.Checkitstailfeathersandchestfeathers

tomakesuretheylookhealthy.You’llsoonfindthatyournewestpethas

becomeasignificantmemberofyourfamily.

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