Mr. Thompson 5th Grade ELA Week of April 27-May 1

Hello everyone!

I hope that your time away from school is treating you well. As a teacher, it

is absolutely bizarre for me to be planning lessons and communicating with you all

from afar. I can’t wait to be back in the school building, where I can be surrounded

by the sights and sounds of kiddos!

This week, I have three selections for you to read and respond to. As always,

you may do the work at your own pace, but if you want a potential breakdown of

daily work, I would suggest the following:

Monday—Read “The Rose That Grew from Concrete” and answer the “Text

Dependent Questions.” (You may ignore the “Discussion Questions” for now.)

Tuesday—Read “The Crow and the Pitcher” and answer the “Text

Dependent Questions.” (You may ignore the “Discussion Questions” for now.)

Wednesday—Read “The Biggest Little Artist in the World” and answer the

“Text Dependent Questions.” (You may ignore the “Discussion Questions” for

now.)

Thursday—Choose two of the three stories, and complete the “Discussion

Questions” for those two stories.

Friday—Write 1-2 paragraphs comparing some aspect of two (or all three)

of the stories. Think about this as you write: What do these stories have in

common? Do they share a common theme?

These assignments, as always, are optional. However, if you choose to

complete this packet, you may do so for extra credit, which will ultimately improve

your fourth 9 weeks’ grade. This packet will add 5 points to your overall grade,

and next week’s packet will add an additional 5 points if you choose to complete it.

If you’re interested in doing these packets for an improvement of your grade,

you may have your parent contact me by email or Remind, and we will work out

the details.

I love and miss you all!

Mr. Thompson

Name: Class:

"rose" by georgereyes is licensed under CC BY 2.0

“The Rose That Grew from Concrete” from The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur. Copyright © 1999. Used with permission. Allrights reserved.

The Rose That Grew from ConcreteBy Tupac Shakur

1999

Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) was an African American rapper, actor, poet, and activist. Shakur continues to beconsidered an influential rapper today and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As youread, take notes on how the speaker feels about the rose.

Did you hear about the rose that grewfrom a crack in the concrete?Proving nature’s laws wrong itlearned to walk without having feet.Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,it learned to breathe fresh air.Long live the rose that grew from concretewhen no one else ever cared.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following identifies a main theme of the text?A. All living things need support from others in order to grow.B. We must learn and grow from our failures.C. People can overcome difficulties and succeed.D. Nature can overcome problems better than people.

2. PART B: Which detail from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?A. “Did you hear about the rose that grew” (Lines 1)B. “learned to walk without having feet.” (Line 4)C. “Long live the rose that grew from concrete” (Line 7)D. “when no one else ever cared.” (Line 8)

3. How does the speaker's point of view influence how the rose is described?A. Curious about the rose, the speaker asks several questions about it.B. Believing that the rose is not real, the speaker exaggerates its qualities.C. Feeling pity for the rose, the speaker lists all of the hardships it has faced.D. Impressed by the rose, the speaker explains what makes it so admirable.

4. What does the phrase “the rose that grew from concrete” mean figuratively as used in thispoem?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the context of the poem, how does an individual rise above hardship? Have you ever feltlike a “rose that grew from concrete,” as described by Tupac Shakur? If so, what was thedifficult situation that you faced, and how did you rise above it? If not, who is someone elseyou might describe as a “rose that grew from concrete”? What makes them similar to thisrose?

2. In the context of the poem, can we take full control over our own fate? Do you think it isnecessary to get support from others, or can we succeed in difficult situations on our own,without others’ help?

3. Why do you think dreams are important for the rose’s survival? What dreams do you havefor your own future? Are these dreams important to you? Why or why not?

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Name: Class:

"The Crow and the Pitcher" by Milo Winter is in the public domain.

"The Crow and the Pitcher" by Aesop is in the public domain.

The Crow and the PitcherBy Aesop

620-560 BCE

Aesop was a storyteller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. This story is part of hiscollection of tales known as “Aesop’s Fables,” which did not survive in writing but were passed down bypeople retelling them. They have deeply influenced children's literature and modern storytelling culture. Asyou read, take notes on the conflict the crow faces and how he solves his problem. Think about the lessonthe author is trying to teach the reader.

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds couldfind very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found apitcher1 with a little water in it. But the pitcherwas high and had a narrow neck,2 and no matterhow he tried, the Crow could not reach the water.The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.

Then an idea came to him. Picking up some smallpebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one byone. With each pebble the water rose a littlehigher until at last it was near enough so he coulddrink.

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1. a container used to hold and pour liquids2. The “neck” refers to a thin part of an object.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What does the word “spell” mean as it is used in paragraph 1?A. a saying with magical powersB. a type of weatherC. a period of timeD. a land needing water

2. PART B: Which phrase from paragraph 1 provides the best support for your answer to PartA?

A. “a thirsty crow”B. “when the birds could find very little”C. “a little water in it”D. “found a pitcher”

3. What does the information in paragraph 2 reveal about the crow?A. He is not able to solve a problem.B. He is resourceful and clever.C. He is extremely strong.D. He knows when to ask for help.

4. How does paragraph 2 contribute to the story’s resolution?A. After not being able to find anything to drink, the crow decides to ask for help.B. After having lots of water, the crow now can’t find any.C. After struggling to get the water from the pitcher, the crow finds a solution.D. After not being able to get water from the pitcher, the crow decides to look in a

new place.

5. Explain the theme or lesson of the story. Use evidence from the story to support youranswer.

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Why was the crow successful in solving the problem he faced? What traits did he havehelped him to succeed? Cite evidence from the text and your own experiences in youranswer.

2. How could you apply the crow’s actions and attitude in your own life? Cite evidence fromthe text and your own experiences in your answer.

3. In the context of this story, do you think it is more important to be clever or to remainpositive in a difficult situation? Cite evidence from the text and your own experiences inyour answer.

4. If the crow had not been successful in using the stones to get the water from the pitcher,what action do you think he would have taken next? Cite evidence from the text and yourown experiences in your answer.

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Name: Class:

"The Four Seasons, as seen in the eyes of four needles" by RexFeatures via AP Images is used with permission.

The Biggest Little Artist in the WorldBy LeeAnn Blankenship

2016

In this informational text, LeeAnn Blankenship discusses the success of Willard Wigan, a famous artist whocreates sculptures that can only be seen using a microscope. As you read, take notes on why Willard createstiny art.

Five-year-old Willard Wigan struggled to tell thedifference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9.Unfortunately, his schoolteacher knew nothingabout dyslexia, a learning disability that can makeletters and numbers confusing. She didn’t try tohelp him.

Not surprisingly, Willard didn’t like school.Usually, his mind drifted — to playing outside, tohis dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near hisfamily’s garden shed. Willard was especiallycurious about those ants. He felt like them —small and insignificant.1

Building Ant Houses

Willard noticed that the ants were coming and going from a hole in the dirt. One ant was carrying ablade of grass, and Willard thought, He’s trying to build a house, so I am going to help him!

Gathering splinters of wood and carefully splitting them with a shard of glass, Willard constructed alittle building. Then he sprinkled sugar inside to encourage the ants to move in. When they did, Willardbuilt more houses.

At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn’t afailure after all. If he had trouble with his reading or math, Willard later went home and created tinyfurniture for the ant houses. Sometimes, he made ant coats and hats with fabric scraps. He even builtan ant school, with teeny swings, ladders, seesaws, and a merry-go-round.

His artistic skill increased, and a love for little things began to grow in his heart.

Carving on Toothpicks

At age nine, Willard began carving faces on toothpicks.

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1. Insignificant (adjective): unimportant

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He discovered that his ability improved when he held his breath as he worked. When he showed hismother the carved faces, she said, “This is what you do well. You must strive2 to be the best in theworld.”

With her encouragement, Willard continued. When he quit school at age 15 to help support his family,Willard still spent his spare time3 carving. His confidence grew as more people appreciated his talent.

Eventually, he quit his factory job to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world.Willard’s mother advised him, “The smaller you carve, the bigger your name will become.” So he beganto carve even smaller.

The Tiniest Artwork

Now, years later, Willard carves the tiniest artwork in the world! His sculptures are so small that severalcan fit on a period at the end of a sentence.

Using a powerful microscope, Willard carves grains of sand, flecks of gold, bits of fiber, and even specksof dust.

To make his carving instruments, Willard drills a hole in the point of a needle and inserts a diamondshard for cutting. As he carves, he holds his work with a tiny hook. But static electricity4 sometimescauses a sculpture to flit away — lost forever.

Willard works best at night when there are few disturbances.5 He calms his body and, holding hisbreath, he carves between heartbeats when blood is not pulsing through his fingertips. He often worksfor months to complete a sculpture. Then he paints it with bits of acrylics.6 Willard’s favorite paintbrushis one hair from the back of a dead housefly!

For details like the ropes on a ship, he has found that cobwebs or strands of glue are perfect.

To move his sculptures, Willard uses an eyelash. But even that can be tricky. Once, while moving amicroscopic7 Alice in Wonderland, his cell phone rang. Startled, Willard took in a quick breath. When helooked back, Alice was gone. After laboring8 for weeks to carve her, he’d accidentally inhaled her!Willard had to start all over again. Luckily, the second Alice was even better than the first.

Willard sculpts everything from famous people to fictional characters. His subjects range from dragonsand polar bears to the Statue of Liberty.

Because of their beauty and rarity,9 his sculptures have made Willard a wealthy man. But he says,“Success isn’t about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it’s about persevering10

and achieving your dreams.”

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2. Strive (verb): to make great efforts to achieve something3. time when one is not working4. when the build-up of electrical charges is moved to another object5. Disturbance (noun): an interruption of peace6. a type of paint7. so small that it can only be visible with a microscope8. Labor (noun): work9. Rare (adjective): uncommon and therefore valuable

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Copyright © Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

Willard Wigan, microsculptor, has done just that. The man who felt small as a boy has shown the worldthat something small can really be BIG.

10. Persevere (verb): to continue doing something even if it is difficult

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which sentence describes the central idea of the text?A. Small art requires more talent and creativity than big art.B. Willard found something that he loved and worked hard to succeed at it.C. Art is an important way for kids to express themselves.D. Willard was supported by his teachers and family to pursue art.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “Willard was especially curious about those ants. He felt like them — small and

insignificant.” (Paragraph 2)B. “If he had trouble with his reading or math, Willard later went home and created

tiny furniture for the ant houses.” (Paragraph 5)C. “Eventually, he quit his factory job to pursue his dream of becoming one of the

best artists in the world.” (Paragraph 9)D. “He calms his body and, holding his breath, he carves between heartbeats when

blood is not pulsing through his fingertips.” (Paragraph 13)

3. How does the author organize the information in “The Biggest Little Artist in the World”?A. The author discusses Willard’s struggles early on in life, and then how he

became a successful artist.B. The author explains what Willard’s art looks like, and then discusses its

significance to Willard.C. The author provides a step-by-step guide for how Willard creates each one of his

tiny sculptures.D. The author describes how Willard was treated before he was a famous artist

and compares it to how he is treated now.

4. What is the relationship between Willard’s troubles in school and his interest in art?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Willard creates some of the tiniest art in the world. How do you think he was able to achievethis? What do you think is necessary to become the best at what you love?

2. It was Willard’s dream to create tiny art. What is your dream? What would you have to do inorder to achieve your dream?

3. Willard pursued tiny art because it made him happy. What about tiny art made him happy?What’s a hobby that brings you joy and why?

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