Name: _______________ ( )

Class: Primary 3 (___)

“I AM AN AVID

READE

Primary3

Term 2

Extensive Reading Package

SAMPLE

Contents

Mandatory reading passages and follow-up activities

Reading Passage 1 : ‘Amazing Black Hole’

Reading Passage 2 : ‘Puppies for Sale’

Reading Passage 3: ‘A Present for Willa Jane’

Newspaper cut-outs and activities‘SNIP N SAY’

‘OUR VALUES IN THE NEWS - RESPONSIBILITY'

‘PICTURES in PRINT’

Activities from National Geographic Magazine

2

3

What’s more, it’s such a FUN activity. Are you an AVID reader? If you think you are, come on board the reading journey and be rewarded with the AVID READER reading badge.

Here’s how you earn the badge :

• Carry out the tasks and activities in this booklet during the Extensive Reading (ERP) period independently i.e. every morning from 7.15 to 7.30 a.m.

• Every task / activity completed appropriately will earn you the assigned number of stamps as listed on the REWARDS Table page. Collect 30 stamps and win the AVID READER badge.

• Your teacher will give instructions for the completion of each activity before the start of the reading session.

• You are encouraged to use the ERP (Extensive Reading Period every morning from 7.15 to 7.30 a.m.) to complete the tasks and activities. If you are unable to complete them during the ERP, you may complete them at your on time.

Avid Reader Reward System READING OPENS OUR MINDS

TO A WINDOW OF KNOWLEDGE.

Have I earned my reading awards ?

No.I’ve completed the activity on:

To be completed by person in-charge :

Number of reward stamps earned Signature

Mandatory reading passages1. Reading Passage 1

‘Amazing Black Hole’Reading

____________1 stamp

2. Reading Passage 1 ‘’Amazing Black Hole’Activity Time

____________2 stamps

3. Reading Passage 2 ‘Puppies for Sale’Reading

____________1 stamp

4. Reading Passage 2 ‘Puppies for Sale’Activity Time

___________2 stamps

5. Reading Passage 3 ‘A Present for Willa Jane’Reading

____________1 stamp

6. Reading Passage 3 ‘A Present for Willa Jane’Activity Time

___________2 stamps

Newspaper cut-outs and activities5. ‘SNIP N SAY’

Activity 1a (i) : ‘Our Values in the News: Responsibility’

____________4 stamps

6. ‘SNIP N SAY’Activity 1a (ii) : ‘Our Values in the News: Responsibility’

____________4 stamps

7. ‘SNIP N SAY’Activity 2 : ‘Pictures in Print’

____________4 stamps

Activities from National Geographic Magazine8. Activity 1

Activity sheet from magazine ____________3 stamps

9. Activity 2Activity sheet from magazine ____________

3 stamps10. Activity 3

Briefly describe an interesting article and illustrate

____________5 stamps

Other reading materials11. Earn 3 stamps for every 5

4

books read.I have read a total of

books in Term 2 as

recorded in my Reading

Record.

Total number of

stamps earned

3 stamps

5

YIPEE!!! I have successfully collected stamps by _______________(date)

I have successfully earn ed my first ‘AVID READER’ Badge ! I have not collected the required number of stamps. I will have to try harder.

Let’s READ

Instructions:

Read the passages. Then carry out the follow-up activities.

Reading Passage 1 Date : _________

     How many things can you see in the night sky? A lot! On a clear night

you might see the Moon, some planets, and thousands of sparkling stars.

 

You can see even more with a telescope. You might see stars where

before you only saw dark space. You might see that many stars look larger

than others. You might see that some stars that look white are really red or

blue. With bigger and bigger telescopes you can see more and more

objects in the sky. And you can see those objects in more and more detail.

 

But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will

never see. We will not see them even with the biggest telescope in the

6

world, on the clearest night of the year.

 

That's because they are invisible. They are the mysterious dead stars

called black holes.

 

You might find it hard to imagine that stars die. After all, our Sun is a

star. Year after year we see it up in the sky, burning brightly, giving us

heat and light. The Sun certainly doesn't seem to be getting old or weak.

But stars do burn out and die after billions of years.

 

As a star's gases burn, they give off light and heat. But when the gas

runs out, the star stops burning and begins to die.

 

As the star cools, the outer layers of the star pull in toward the center.

The star squashes into a smaller and smaller ball. If the star was very

small, the star ends up as a cold, dark ball called a black dwarf. If the star

was very big, it keeps squashing inward until it's packed together tighter

than anything in the universe.

 

Imagine if the Earth were crushed until it was the size of a tiny marble.

That's how tightly this dead star, a black hole, is packed. What pulls the

star in toward its center with such power? It's the same force that pulls you

down when you jump — the force called gravity. A black hole is so tightly

packed that its gravity sucks in everything — even light. The light from a

black hole can never come back to your eyes. That's why you see nothing

but blackness.

 

So the next time you stare up at the night sky, remember: there's more

in the sky than meets the eye! Scattered in the silent darkness are black

holes — the great mystery of space.

 

7

Reading Passage 1 Date : _________

Activity Time

1. What might happen to the Sun billions of years from now? Describe the

process using details from the article. Write in the space given below.

8

Reading Passage 2 Date : _________

9

PUPPIES FOR SALE

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies for Sale". Signs

have a way of attracting children, and soon a little boy appeared at the store and

asked, "How much are you gonna sell those puppies for?" The store owner replied,

"Anywhere from $30 to $50." The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out

some change. "I have $2.37, can I look at them?" The store owner smiled and

whistled. Out of the back of the store came his dog running down the aisle followed by

five little puppies. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little

boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy.

"What's wrong with that little dog?" he asked. The man explained that when the

puppy was born the vet said it had a bad hip socket and would limp for the rest of its

life. The little boy got really excited and said "That's the puppy I want to buy!" The man

replied "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll give him to

you." The little boy got upset. He looked straight into the man's eyes and said, "I don't

want you to give him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I'll

pay the full price. In fact, I will give you $2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I

have him paid for.”

The man replied, "You really don't want to buy this puppy, son. He's never gonna

be able to run, jump and play like other puppies." The little boy reached down and

rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big

metal brace. He looked up at the man and said, "Well, I don't run so well myself and

the little puppy will need someone who understands." The man was now biting his

10

bottom lip. Tears welled up in his eyes. He smiled and said, "Son, I hope and pray that

each and every one of these puppies will have an owner such as you."

Reading Passage 2 Date : _________

Activity Time : Puppies for Sale

Words that are used to describe things (nouns) are called ADJECTIVES. How would you describe the little boy in the

11

story which you have just read? In the given spaces below, write down as many adjectives as possible which describe the boy. An example is given for you.

Reading Passage 3 Date : _________

12

caring

A Present for Willa Jean"When will they be here?" asked Ramona Quimby, who was supposed to

be dusting the living room but instead was twirling around trying to make

herself dizzy. She was much too excited to dust.

"In half an hour," cried her mother from the kitchen, where she and

Ramona's big sister Beatrice were opening and closing the refrigerator

and oven doors, bumping into one another, for getting where they had laid

the pot holders, finding them and losing the measuring spoons.

The Quimbys were about to entertain their neighbours at a New Year's

Day brunch to celebrate Mr Quimby's finding a job at the ShopRite

Market after being out of work for several months. Ramona liked the word

brunch, half breakfast and half lunch, and secretly felt the family had

cheated because they had eaten their real breakfast earlier. They needed

their strength to get ready for the party.

"And Ramona," said Mrs Quimby as she hastily as she laid out the things

on the dining-room table, "be nice to Willa Jean, will you? Try to keep her

out of everyone's hair."

"Ramona, watch what you're doing!" said Mr Quimby, who was laying a

fire in the fireplace. "You almost knocked over the lamp."

13

Ramona stopped twirling, staggered from dizziness, and made a face.

Willa Jean, the messy little sister of her friend Howie Kemp was sticky,

crumby, into everything, and always had to have her own way.

"And behave yourself," said Mr Quimby. "Willa Jean is our guest."

“Not my guest!” thought Ramona, who saw quite enough of Willa Jean

when she played at Howie's house. "If Howie can't come to the brunch

because he has a cold, why can't Willa Jean stay home with their

grandmother, too?" Ramona asked.

"I really don't know," said Ramona's mother. "That isn't the way things

worked out. When the Kemps asked if they could bring Willa Jean, I could

hardly say no."

I could, thought Ramona, deciding that since Willa Jean, welcome or not,

was coming to the brunch, she had better prepare to defend her

possessions. She went to her room, where she swept her best crayons

and drawing paper into a drawer and covered them with her pyjamas. Her

Christmas roller skates and favourite toys, battered stuffed animals that

she rarely played with but still loved, went into the corner of her closet.

There she hid them under her bathrobe and shut the door tight.

But what could she find to amuse Willa Jean? If Willa Jean did not have

something to play with, she would run tattling to the grown-ups. "Ramona

hid her toys!" Ramona laid a stuffed snake on her bed but upon thinking

again wondered if even Willa Jean could love a stuffed snake.

What Ramona needed was a present for Willa Jean, a present wrapped

and tied with a good hard knot, a present that would take a long time to

unwrap. Next to receiving presents, Ramona liked to give presents, and if

she gave Willa Jean a present today, she would not only have the fun of

14

giving, but of knowing the grown-ups would think, Isn't Ramona kind, isn't

she generous to give Willa Jean a present? And so soon after Christmas,

too. Ramona was imagining that they would all look at her and say that

she is just like one of Santa's helpers, a regular little Christmas elf.

Ramona smiled at herself in the mirror and was pleased. Over her

shoulder she saw reflected in the mirror a half-empty box of tissue papers

on the floor beside her bed. A box of tissue papers! That was the answer

to a present for Willa Jean. She ran into the kitchen, where Beezus was

beating muffin batter while her father fried sausages and her mother

struggled to pour a large bowl of salad onto a serving plate.

"A present is a good idea," agreed Mrs Quimby when Ramona asked

permission, "but a box of tissue papers doesn't seem like much of a

present." She quickly glanced at the clock on the stove.

Ramona was insistent. "Willa Jean would like it. I know she would." There

was no time for explaining what Willa Jean was to do with the box of

tissue papers.

"All right," she consented. "There's an extra box in the bathroom

cupboard."

By the time Ramona had wrapped a large box of Kleenex in leftover

wrapping paper, the guests had begun to arrive. First came the Huggins

and McCarthys and little Mrs Swink in a bright-green pants suit. Umbrellas

were leaned outside the front door, coats taken into the bedroom, and the

usual grown-up remarks exchanged. "Happy New Year!" "Good to see

you!" "We thought we would have to swim over, it's raining so hard." "Do

you think this rain will ever stop?"

15

Reading Passage 3 Date : _________

Activity Time : ‘A Present for Willa Jean’    In the story you found out that “What Ramona needed was a present for Willa Jean, a present wrapped and tied with a good hard knot, a present that would take a long time to unwrap.”

Why do you think she decided to give Willa Jean a box of tissue papers? In the space below, write down what Ramona was thinking of when she saw the box of tissue papers.

16

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

17

SNIP N SAY

‘SNIP N SAY’ is a newspaper-cutting activity. You are required to do the following:

Look at your newspaper and select a news article according to the given theme/topic.Cut out the news article or the required information.Paste it in the appropriate spaces given.Complete the accompanying activity.

Responsibility is … doing the things you say you will do accepting the results that come from your actions knowing the difference between right and wrong stepping up to do something when no one else will

do it thinking things out and making informed decisions

What to do? Choose only one of the following ativities:

Activity 1a(i)1. Look through today’s sports section in the newspaper and

find a sportsboy/sportsman or sportsgirl/sportswoman you would like as a role model.

2. Cut out the news article 3. Paste it in the appropriate space given. Then complete the follow up

activity.

OR Activity 1a(ii) 4. Find a story of someone being responsible or taking

responsibility.5. Cut out the news article 6. Paste it in the appropriate space given. Then complete the follow up

activity.

18

SNIP N SAY Actvity 1(a) Date : ___________

Our Values in the News-RESPONSIBILITY

7. Write out what the person did and why it was responsible.

SNIP N SAY Activity 1a(i) Date : ___________

Activity 1a(i) Paste your news in the space below.

19

Carry out the following activity.

What to do:

8. My role model is involved in _________________________ (name the type of sports).

9. Write down a few sentences to say why you would choose this person to be your role model.

20

SNIP N SAY Activity 1a(i) Date: _________

SNIP N SAY Activity 1a(ii) Date: _________

Activity 1a(ii)

Paste your news in the space below.

21

SNIP N SAY Activity 1a(ii) Date: _________

Carry out the following activity.

What to do:10. Write out what the person did and why it was

responsible.

22

\

23

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

SNIP N SAY Activity 2 Date: _________

Terms to Learnphotograph a picture of a person, place, or event taken

with a cameraillustration a drawing used to tell a story to clarify an ideacaption A written explanation that appears above or

below a photographpicture Story An individual photograph or group of

photographs used to tell a story with little or no accompanying text.

Photographs and picture stories recreate an event for the newspaper reader and give him or her the feeling of being there. Photographs and illustrations are selected for many different reasons.

What to do: Look through the newspaper today. Which photo

in today's news is the most interesting? Cut out the photograph. If it has a caption,

include it. Paste it in the appropriate spaces given. On the given lines, write down why you think

this photograph or group of photographs was selected to be published in the newspaper.

24

PICTURES IN PRINT !

SNIP N SAY Activity 2 Date: _________

Which photograph makes you want to read the story? Paste your

news photograph here.

25

PICTURES IN PRINT!

SNIP N SAY Activity 2 Date: _________

Write three sentences about your favourite photo. Do you like having your picture taken? Why?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

26

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES BASED ON NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE

27

National Geographic Activity Time

Complete the following tasks and file them in your ‘I Am An Avid Reader’ File to earn your reward:

Complete at least 2 activities given in the National Geographic Magazine

On a separate piece of paper, describe briefly an interesting article which you have read in the magazine. You may wish to illustrate your work.

28

I've travelled the world twice over, Met the famous; saints and sinners, Poets and artists, kings and queens, 

Old stars and hopeful beginners, I've been where no-one's been before, Learnt secrets from writers and cooks 

All with one library ticket To the wonderful world of books.

~ Anonymous ~

29