the language arts magazine date: exploring text structures · carro writes, “it may not seem like...

“Text structure” is the term for how an author organizes information. Authors use different text structures to achieve different purposes, and one piece of writing often has multiple text structures.

Exploring Text Structures

1. The author uses description in the introduction of the article. What is the author describing?

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2. A. In the section “Deadly Menace,” the author explains how Morgan was able to find the time to invent his safety hood. Circle the text structure that the author uses to do this.

cause and effect sequence of events

B. Explain how you know, using evidence from the text.

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Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Core Skills Workout: Text StructuresPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather,” pages 25-29

February 2017®

THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

©2017 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.

Description or ListIncludes details to help you picture or get to know a person, a place, a thing, or an idea

Cause and EffectExplains why something happened (cause) and what happened as a result (effect)

Problem and SolutionPresents a problem and explains how it is solved

Compare and ContrastPresents the similarities and/or differences between two items, such as a pair of events, time periods, ideas, or places

Sequence of EventsDescribes events in the order in which they happen (also called chronological order)

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Directions: Common text structures are listed in the boxes on the right. Use the information in these boxes to help you answer the questions below about the text structures in “The Fire-Breather.”

3. Also in the section “Deadly Menace,” the author describes how Garrett Morgan solved two difficult problems. Complete the first problem-solution pair below. Then write your own.

Problem 1: In the 1900s, fires spread easily in American cities. Firefighters had a hard time rescuing people from these fires because they didn’t have the proper equipment to protect themselves.

Solution 1: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Problem 2: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Solution 2: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. A. In the section “Poison Fumes,” the author describes the events of July 24, 1916. Which text structure does he use?

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B. Explain how you know, using evidence from the text.

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C. The mood of this section is suspenseful. How does the text structure you identified help the writer create suspense?

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Core Skills Workout: Text StructuresPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather,” pages 25-29

February 2017

©2017 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS. PAGE 2 OF 2

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Core Skills Workout: Text FeaturesPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather,” pages 25-29

February 2017®



1. Read the headline and subheading and look at the photographs on page 25. What do these features tell you about what the article will be about?

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2. Look at the photo on page 26. What does it show? What does the photo help you understand about clothing factories in the 19th century?

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3. A. Study the image and caption titled “The Lifesaver” on page 27. What does the information in this caption contribute to the article?

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B . Into which section of the article would the information from the caption best fit? Explain your answer.

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4. Look at the photo and caption titled “The Problem-Solver” on page 28. What do these text features tell you about Garrett Morgan’s three-position traffic light? Explain your answer.

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Authors use text features to bring attention to important details. In a nonfiction article, text features include titles, subheadings, photos, captions, charts, and maps.

Exploring Text Features

Directions: Answer the questions below to help you explore the text features in ”The Fire-Breather.”

Directions: Read “The Fire-Breather” and “Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” then complete the activity below.

1. Imagine that you are writing a paragraph explaining how Garrett Morgan’s safety hood changed the way America fought fires.

A. Which of the following is the BEST topic sentence for your paragraph?

! Many people died in fires before Garrett Morgan invented his safety hood.

" Morgan’s safety hood filtered toxic air, enabling firefighters to stay inside burning buildings for longer

periods of time.

# Morgan’s safety hood changed the way America fought fires because it worked well.

B. Which information from the article BEST supports the sentence you chose in part A?

! Long tubes and sponges in Morgan’s safety hood provided firefighters with clean air to breathe while

inside buildings filled with toxic fumes and smoke. (pp. 26-27)

" During World War I, Morgan’s safety hoods protected American soldiers from the poison gas used as a

weapon by the Germans. (p. 28)

# Wearing Morgan’s safety hoods, Morgan and other rescuers entered a gas-filled tunnel under Lake

Erie to rescue workers. (p. 27)

C. Which of the following BEST explains why the text evidence you chose in part B is relevant?

! It explains how Morgan’s safety hood allowed firefighters to enter burning buildings and rescue

people.

" It shows that Morgan’s safety hoods protected American soldiers during World War I.

# It gives an example of how Morgan’s safety hoods were used to rescue people trapped underground.

Finding and Using Text Evidence

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Core Skills Workout: Text Evidence–HLPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather” and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25–29February 2017®





“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25–29February 2017

2. Choose the piece of text evidence that BEST supports the statement below. Then complete the sentence to explain your choice.

Garrett Morgan faced discrimination.

! “Nearly all his potential customers were white. Many—especially in the South—were reluctant to do

business with a black man.” (p. 27)

" “Millions of men and women worked and lived in crowded wooden factories and apartment buildings.”

(p. 26)

# “Morgan knew that life is never easy.” (p. 28)

I chose ____ because __________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. A. Choose THREE pieces of text evidence from “The Fire-Breather” that BEST support the statement below.

Morgan had a curious mind.

! “Wearing his safety hood, he would step into a tent containing a toxic mixture of burning tar, sulfur,

formaldehyde, and manure.” (p. 27)

" “He was always taking things apart and putting them back together—just to figure out how they

worked.” (p. 26)

# “According to Sandra, he never stopped learning . . . He kept a giant stack of National Geographic

magazines.” (p. 28)

$ “He hired white salesmen and organized demonstrations of his invention around the country.” (p. 27)

% “He hired tutors to teach him the things he never got to learn in school.” (p. 28)

B. Select one piece of INCORRECT evidence from above and explain why it does NOT support the statement.

Evidence ____ does not support the statement because _____________________________________________________

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4. Choose the paragraph that correctly uses text evidence from “The Fire-Breather” in the form of a direct quotation.

! Fires were a serious problem in American cities in the 1900s. In his article “The Fire-Breather,” Tod

Olson writes that because many factories and apartments at the time were wooden, “One spark from

a match could cause a building to go up in flames” (p. 26). In other words, fires in cities back then

started easily and spread quickly.

" Fires were a serious problem in American cities in the 1900s. That’s because “Millions of men and

women worked and lived in crowded wooden factories and apartment buildings. One spark from a

match could send a building up in flames.”

# Fires were a serious problem in American cities in the 1900s. In his article “The Fire-Breather,” Tod

Olson explains that most buildings at the time were wooden, which allowed fires to spread quickly

and easily.

Explain why the two answers you did NOT choose are incorrect: ___________________________________________

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5. Choose the paragraph that correctly uses text evidence from “Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” in the form of a paraphrase.

! Entrepreneurs must be willing to take risks if they want to succeed. For example, Steve Jobs’s decision

to launch the iPhone was risky because phones were a new market for the computer company.

" Entrepreneurs must be willing to take risks if they want to succeed. For example, author Mackenzie

Carro writes, “It may not seem like it now, but Steve Jobs’s decision to launch the iPhone back in 2007

was risky” (p. 29). The iPhone is now the world’s most popular smartphone.

# Entrepreneurs must be willing to take risks to succeed. In her article “Could You Be the Next Garrett

Morgan?” Mackenzie Carro gives the example of Steve Jobs, explaining that his decision to launch

the iPhone was risky because phones were a new market for Apple (p. 29). The iPhone is now the

world’s most popular smartphone.

Explain why the two answers you did NOT choose are incorrect: __________________________________________

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“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pp. 25–29February 2017

©2017 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS. ©2017 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS. PAGE 4 OF 4

6. Now it’s your turn. Write a paragraph explaining why perceptiveness is an

important trait to have as an entrepreneur. Your paragraph should include at least one piece of text evidence in the form of a paraphrase or a direct quotation. Remember to include a sentence that states how that evidence supports your central idea.

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“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pp. 25–29February 2017

1. Choose TWO pieces of text evidence from “The Fire-Breather” that best support the statement below.

Garrett Morgan faced discrimination.

! “Across the South, shameful laws forced African-Americans into segregated schools, theaters, bus stations, and train cars.” (p. 26)

" “Millions of men and women worked and lived in crowded wooden factories and apartment buildings.” (p. 26)

# “Nearly all his potential customers were white. Many—especially in the South—were reluctant to do business with a black man.” (p. 27)

$ “Morgan knew that life is never easy ” (p. 28)

2. Choose ONE piece of text evidence that best supports the statement below. Then complete the sentence to explain your choice.

Garrett Morgan’s safety hood was an important invention.

! “These demonstrations showed that Morgan’s mask worked.” (p. 27)

" “. . . Morgan had come up with an ingenious device that had the potential to change the way America fought fires—and save countless lives.” (p. 27)

# “Today, you can see the fruits of his idea at almost every intersection: the yellow between the green and red on every traffic light.” (p. 28)

I chose ____ because _______________________________________________________________________________________

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Directions: Read “The Fire-Breather” and “Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” then complete the activity below.

Finding Text Evidence

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Core Skills Workout: Text Evidence–LLPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather” and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25–29 February 2017®



STATEMENT:

STATEMENT:


Core Skills Workout: Text Evidence–LLPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather” and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25–29February 2017

3. Below is a statement and two pieces of supporting evidence. Find one more piece of evidence from the article and write it on the lines below.

Morgan had a curious mind.

! “He was always taking things apart and putting them back together—just to figure out how they worked.” (p. 26)

" “According to Sandra, he never stopped learning . . . He kept a giant stack of National Geographic magazines. ” (p. 28)

# _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Read the following details from “The Fire-Breather” and “Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” Then write a statement that they all support.

! Few people volunteered to enter the tunnel with Morgan and use his mask, but Morgan went in anyway. (p. 28)

" Snapchat creator Evan Spiegel was told his idea was terrible. Now, 9,000 photos are shared on the app every second. (p. 29)

# Tim Westergren, creator of Pandora, had his idea rejected more than 340 times before someone invested in it. (p. 29)

STATEMENT:

STATEMENT:

How to Use Text Evidence When you write about something you have read, you need to use text evidence—that is, details from the text—to support the points you are making. You can use text evidence in the form of a direct quotation (the author’s exact words) or a paraphrase (a restatement of what the author wrote). You also need to explain WHY that text evidence is relevant.

Core Skills WorkoutREFERENCE: Using Text Evidence

®



Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Words to help you:according to (the author),

(the author) claims, suggests, states, writes,

reports, describes, implies, explains, argues, declares, observes, notes, reveals,

remarks

1. Quote or paraphrase.

When using a direct quote, copy down the exact words from a sentence. Surround a direct quotation with quotation marks.

To paraphrase is to put something written or spoken by someone else into your own words. You don’t change the meaning of what the other person wrote or said, just the wording. A paraphrase is not surrounded by quotation marks.

2. Make it clear where your evidence comes from.

Identify who wrote or said what you are quoting or paraphrasing. This is called “citing your source.” Include a page number.

3. Explain why your text evidence is relevant.

Include a sentence that makes it clear how the text evidence supports your idea. Reread the information you quoted or paraphrased and ask yourself, “So what?”

Words to help you:(the author) says this

because, this proves that, this exemplifies how, this confirms, demonstrates,

describes, explains, illustrates, implies,

suggests

Here are some tips for using text evidence:

PAGE 1 OF 2

Core Skills WorkoutREFERENCE: Using Text Evidence


Now let’s look at two sample paragraphs. The first uses text evidence correctly. The second uses text evidence incorrectly.

This paragraph looks great! There are quotation marks around the direct quote, the writer tells us where the paraphrase and the quote came from, and the writer explains how her text evidence supports her statement that riding Kingda Ka is a unique experience. Hooray!

SAMPLE 1

In this paragraph, neither the quote nor the paraphrase is cited correctly. Who is Mario Martinez? Which page in what book or article did the paraphrase and quote come from? The writer also fails to explain how her text evidence supports her statement that riding Kingda Ka is unique. She just plopped her text evidence into her paragraph.

Riding the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, is a unique experience. According to Mario Martinez, Kingda Ka accelerates to 128 miles per hour in less than three seconds, going straight up at a 90-degree angle. “ I have ridden hundreds of coasters. But none of them were as terrifying as this one.”

SAMPLE 2

Riding the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, is a unique experience. According to author Mario Martinez in his book Roller Coasters of the World, Kingda Ka accelerates to 128 miles per hour in less than three seconds, going straight up at a 90-degree angle (18). “I have ridden hundreds of coasters,” he writes. “But none of them were as terrifying as this one” (20). This suggests that Kingda Ka stands out among roller coasters as particularly intense.

PAGE 2 OF 2

Using Text Evidence: Quoting and Paraphrasing

When you write about something you have read, you need to use supporting evidence‚ or “text evidence,” to back up whatever point you are making. Most of your evidence will be details from the text you are writing about, which you can quote or paraphrase.

Direct quotation: A quotation is an exact copy of the words the author or speaker uses. Surround a direct quotation with quotation marks.

Paraphrase: To paraphrase is to put something written or spoken by someone else into your own words. A paraphrase is not surrounded by quotation marks.

Reminder! With quotations and paraphrases, always tell your readers where your information comes from.

Core Skills WorkoutREFERENCE: Quoting and Paraphrasing Text Evidence

®



EXAMPLEEver wonder what it takes to be a competitive eater? Just ask Joey Chestnut, eight-time winner of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Joey, who once ate 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes, told Eat It Magazine that being a competitive eater is all about finding your rhythm and getting your hands, mouth, throat, and stomach all working together. Having been a competitive eater for almost 10 years now, Joey knows what works. “Jump up and down a little bit,” Joey advises. “It helps the food settle to the bottom of your stomach.” Oh, and don’t forget the Pepto Bismol.

direct quote

paraphrase

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________

SynthesisPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather” and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25-29February 2017®



Characteristic How this characteristic contributed to Garrett Morgan’s success

Analyzing Garrett Morgan’s Success

Directions: Choose three characteristics of a successful entrepreneur listed in “Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” that you think MOST contributed to Garrett Morgan’s success. Write them in the column on the left. Next to each quality, explain how that quality helped Morgan be successful. Use text evidence in your ideas.

Vocabulary:“The Fire-Breather”

1. ambitious (am-BISH-uhs) adjective; An ambitious person has a strong wish or determination to be rich, successful, and/or powerful. An ambitious plan or idea requires a great deal of effort and skill to achieve. If Jake plans to bake a cake, play soccer, read a novel, paint his room, and write an essay on Saturday, you could say that his plans are ambitious.

2. ingenious (in-JEEN-yuhs) adjective ; Ingenious means “clever and original.”Ingenious can be used to describe an idea (as in “What an ingenious solution!”), a thing (as in “What an ingenious app!”), or a person (as in “My science teacher is ingenious!”).

3. insatiable (in-SAY-shuh-buhl) adjective; Insatiable means “impossible to satisfy” or “always wanting more.” If you have insatiable hunger, no matter how much you eat, you still don’t feel full. If you have an insatiable desire for knowledge, no matter how much you learn, you still want to learn more.

4. menace (MEN-is) noun or verb; A menace is someone or something that threatens to cause harm. A bully is a menace to other kids he wants to pick on. Air pollution is a menace to our health.

As a verb, menace means “to threaten.” If a cat is swiping at every dog that walks by, the cat is menacing the dogs in the neighborhood.

5. promotion (pruh-MOH-shuhn) noun; If you get a promotion at work, you are moved into a job of higher rank—a position with greater responsibility, importance, or status. A promotion usually comes with a pay raise. Promotion can also refer to an action to make people aware of something and increase its popularity or sales. A store, for example, might run a promotion on jeans.

6. reluctant (ree-LUHK-tuhnt) adjective ; If you are reluctant to do something, you are not eager to do it. You are feeling or showing hesitation or an unwillingness. state of over-the-top happiness.

PAGE 1 OF 2

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

®



Vocabulary AcquisitionPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather”, pages 25-29

February 2017

Go to Scope Online to listen

to the words and definitions

read aloud.

7. tonic (TAHN-ik) noun ; A tonic is a medicine or something else that can make you feel healthier and more energetic. Some people believe that drinking a tonic made from lemon juice, ginger, and honey can help you feel better when you have a cold. If you are stressed out, seeing a funny movie could be the tonic you need to relax. excessive. The adjective euphoric is used to describe someone or something in this state of over-the-top happiness.


Vocabulary AcquisitionPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather”, pages 25-29

February 2017

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Close ReadingPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather”and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25-29 February 2017®



Close-Reading Questions “The Fire-Breather”

1. Why did Garrett Morgan move to Cleveland in 1895? (key ideas, inference)

2. On page 26, Tod Olson writes that Morgan had the gift of a “curious mind.” How does Olson develop this idea throughout the article? (key ideas and details, character)

3. Also on page 26, Olson calls Morgan’s gas mask “an invention the world desperately needed.” How is this statement supported? (key ideas and details)

4. What details show you that the men gathered at the accident site in Cleveland had little faith that Morgan’s safety hood would work? (text evidence, inference)

5. “The college of hard knocks” is an idiom that refers to the knowledge you gain not through formal education but from life—in particular, from life’s difficulties or disappointments. On page 28, Morgan is quoted as writing, “I have a Ph.D. from the college of hard knocks.” What do you think Morgan meant? (figurative language, inference)

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________

®



Close-Reading Question “Could You Be The Next Garrett Morgan?”

1. The subheading says “7 qualities of a successful entrepreneur.” What is an entrepreneur? What context clues could help you figure this out? Explain. (vocabulary in context)

Close Reading PAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather”and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25-29 February 2017

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________

®



Critical-Thinking Questions “The Fire-Breather”and “Could You Be The Next Garrett Morgan?”

1. Page 27 explains that at demonstrations of his hood, Morgan often posed as the white salesman’s Native American assistant, “Big Chief” Mason. What does this help you understand about attitudes toward black people, white people, and Native American people in the early 1900s?

2. What might be some of the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur?

Critical ThinkingPAIRED TEXTS: “The Fire-Breather”and

“Could You Be the Next Garrett Morgan?” pages 25-29 February 2017

the language arts magazine date: exploring text structures · carro writes, “it may not seem like...

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