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Shawn's Story: Living on a ReservationBy Jennifer Kenny

Shawn lives in the United States. He is one of over three million Native Americans in the country. His ancestors once roamed the land looking for buffalo. Now Shawn lives on a reservation in South Dakota.He's not alone. About half of all Native Americans live on reservations.

What is a reservation? Some people think of it like a campground. They think Shawn and his family camp and hike, having fun all the time on some open land. Shawn knows this isn't right. He knows that the reservation is where he lives with many other Native Americans. However, he knows his life is not an easy one. His life is hard. In general, life on the reservation seems behind the rest of the country.

Shawn lives in one of the poorest areas of the country. About half the people who live there are below the federal poverty line. The U.S. government pays for many things, such as food and school supplies. However, families and even schools don't usually have all the money they need.

Being poor on a reservation affects everything. Homes are mostly of poor quality. Having too many people in a home is a huge problem. Native Americans believe a family member who needs a place to stay should not be turned away. Sometimes, like in Shawn's family, twenty-five people can live in a home with only two bedrooms. Many homes don't have telephones. Some have no electricity. Some Native Americans have no homes at all.

It's also hard to get a job on the reservation. Shawn's father is out of work; so are most of the other people on the reservation. On Shawn's reservation, the tribal government and the federal government are the largest sources of jobs. Without paid work, many families join together to watch younger children so adults can try to find jobs in other places. Families try to help each other.

There are other problems, too. The roads on the reservation can be hard to drive on. Sometimes only four wheel drive vehicles can get through. Most things such as food and gas have to be brought to the reservation. Except for the few fun activities on the reservation, other activities can be two hours away in the nearest city. Going to special doctor appointments can be tough, too. Many Native Americans have heart problems, drug problems, or alcohol problems. The average life span on the reservation is only 55-60 years.

Life can be hard, but Shawn wants to be proud of his Native American life. Many years ago many children weren't even allowed to learn their native language. Today the schools do teach the language and culture. Shawn's family also gathers at a powwow once a month to celebrate their culture. This helps build pride, but Shawn's family still needs help.

Some help has arrived. Shawn has been part of some special teen groups. His parents hope this will help him stay in school since the dropout rate is over fifty percent. His parents want things to be more positive for Shawn.

Shawn's parents did not want to take help at first. They needed help but did not want to be dependent on anyone else. Now when Shawn's family accepts help, they give something back. For example, when Shawn's family gets some food or clothing, Shawn's mother packs up donated diapers for families. She also makes quilts for babies. Shawn's dad delivers donated food to the older people who need it.

Life isn't easy for Shawn and his family. His ancestors were forced to live here. Families are proud and want to help themselves, but they need help. Shawn's parents hope that taking help from charities while giving back their time will make for a better life one day.

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Shawn's Story: Living on a Reservation

Questions

1. What state does Shawn live in?

A. New YorkB. North DakotaC. NebraskaD. South Dakota

2. Shawn lives ______.

A. in a hotel roomB. on a reservationC. in a mansionD. on a campground

3. Shawn would most likely describe life on the reservation as ______.

A. carefreeB. camp likeC. easyD. hard

4. Approximately how many people on reservations live below the federal poverty line?

A. allB. noneC. halfD. most

5. Jobs are easy to find on the reservations.

A. falseB. true

6. The largest source of jobs on reservations is ______.

A. airlinesB. the governmentC. social workD. nursing

7. An adult on the reservation is most likely to have a life span of ______.

A. 55 yearsB. 40 yearsC. 15 yearsD. 95 years

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Alaska for SaleBy Sharon Fabian

The United States was growing. In the second half of the 1800s, many people felt that it was the "manifest destiny" of the United States to spread from the East Coast all the way to the West Coast. A few people had even bigger dreams. Secretary of State William H. Seward was one of them. He hoped to see the U.S. expand to the northern edge of the continent too. So, you can imagine that when he heard that Russia might be interested in selling Alaska, he jumped at the chance.

He negotiated a purchase price with Edouard de Stoeckl, the Russian diplomat. They settled on $7,200,000. This came to 12.5 cents per acre for a plot of land twice the size of Texas.

At the same time that he was negotiating a price, Seward was negotiating on another front too. The Congress of the United States hadn't yet made up its mind to make the purchase, but Seward finally convinced them. By one vote, the Senate appropriated the money, and the U.S. bought Alaska. On October 18, 1867, the Russian flag was lowered and a United States flag was raised over the city of Sitka, Alaska.

Even though Congress had approved the purchase, many people still questioned whether it was worthwhile. They called Alaska "Seward's folly," "Seward's icebox," and the "polar bear garden."

Seward disagreed. One time he was asked what his greatest accomplishment was. He answered, "The purchase of Alaska! But it will take a generation to find that out."

Eventually, opinions about Alaska did change. When gold was discovered near Sitka in 1872, people took notice. Gold was discovered in several more locations in Alaska too, and by the late 1890s, Alaska was in the midst of a gold rush. Now everyone loved Alaska. Lots of people had the same dream - a dream about striking it rich in the Klondike. Many people sold their homes, packed up all of their belongings, and moved to Alaska to mine for gold.

Today, Alaska is one of the 50 states. It is a valuable part of the United States in many ways. As crowds of people and buildings fill many parts of the United States, the Alaskan wilderness has become a prized natural resource. Vacationers travel to Alaska to enjoy nature and to see the wildlife there. Maybe they will get to see an Alaskan moose, a bowhead whale, or a 100-pound king salmon.

Alaska provides many economic benefits. Oil was discovered in Alaska in the 1890s, and oil production has grown into a huge industry, more valuable than Alaskan gold ever was. Alaska is also a major commercial fishing source, providing herring, salmon, halibut, shellfish, and other healthy seafood.

Alaska has been called our last frontier. The name Alaska comes from an Aleut word that simply means "great land."

Alaska for Sale

Questions

1. The United States bought Alaska from ______.

A. FranceB. CanadaC. MexicoD. Russia

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2. The United States bought Alaska for ______.

A. $12.50B. 12.5 centsC. $7,200,000D. $7,000,000

3. "Manifest destiny" was the belief that the United States would extend from the East Coast to ______.

A. the northern edge of the continentB. RussiaC. the West CoastD. the Mississippi River

4. The Alaska purchase was called ______.

A. Seward's mistakeB. Seward's follyC. Seward's great ideaD. Seward's prize

5. ______ was discovered in Alaska.

A. neitherB. oilC. bothD. gold

6. Alaska is the home of a large ______ industry.

A. fishingB. oilC. tourismD. all of the above

7. Sitka is a city in ______.

A. AlaskaB. RussiaC. CanadaD. none of the above

8. From the name "Seward's folly," you can guess that the word folly means a ______.

A. wise investmentB. guessC. giftD. foolish act

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Lois LowryBy Jennifer Kenny

Lois Lowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Hawaii. Her parents' names were Robert and Katharine Hammersberg. Her father was an army dentist, so her family lived as other military families do, moving all over the world. In her family, Lois was the middle child of three. She had an older sister named Helen and a younger brother named Jon.

As a young child, Lois enjoyed being alone, reading books, and using her imagination. Lois wanted to be a writer from the time she was eight years old. She loved to write. She developed a love of language by reading. Even as a child, Lois wanted to read more than play ball or hang out.

Growing up, she lived in New York and Pennsylvania for a while. She went to high school in New York City. She started college at Brown University in Rhode Island. At age 19, she married a naval officer named Donald Lowry. Lois and her husband moved around a great deal as well - California, Connecticut, Florida, South Carolina, and so on. Soon they had four children under the age of 5. Her husband finished his service and attended Harvard Law School while she raised their children. When they were in Maine, she also returned to college, attending the University of Southern Maine. She even went on to graduate school. Then she started to write professionally. In 1977, she and Donald divorced.

Lois's first book was A Summer to Die. It was the tale of two sisters, Meg and Molly, who fought like most sisters do. Then Molly gets very sick, and the book continues to follow what happens to Meg as a result of her sister's serious illness and death. This book is a work of fiction, but it does loosely follow the death of Lois's sister in real life.

In 1979, Lois began her famous Anastasia series. (Anastasia Krupnik, Anastasia on Her Own, etc.) The Anastasia books make kids laugh. They are light and fun, although there are some serious topics in the books. The Sam Krupnik series came from the Anastasia books. Sam is the brother of Anastasia. This is called the little brother series. Some of the titles include All about Sam and Attaboy, Sam! In the Anastasia and Sam books, there are many comedic misadventures, but understanding and reason usually wins out.

Another series of Lois Lowry's is the Tate series. These are a set of books about a brother and sister who fight a lot. One example from this set is The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Lois has also written a series about Mrs. Pidgeon and her second grade class. These are the Gooney Bird books. One example from this set is Gooney Bird and the Room Mother.

In 1990, Lois Lowry published Number the Stars. This is the story of a family who protects a child when the Germans begin to relocate the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Ordinary citizens become heroes. Lois Lowry won her first Newbery Medal for this book.

Lois Lowry has also completed a quartet. This means a set of four books. The first one is very famous. It is called The Giver. The setting is in the future in a society where everything is perfect and no one lacks anything - or so it seems. Lois won the Newbery Medal for this book in 1994. The saga continues in Gathering Blue and Messenger. The fourth book, Son, was published in 2012.

A few years after her divorce, she met Martin Small, and they spent thirty happy years together. Sadly, Martin died in 2011. Her son was killed in a plane crash in 1995. He was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Since he passed away, she would like to see an end to conflict. One of her daughters has become disabled from a central nervous system disease. This has taught her the need for people to connect with one another. On a happier note, Lois now has four grandchildren - three boys and a girl. This has taught her the importance of caring for one another.

Lois Lowry currently lives in Massachusetts and Maine. She continues to write. She likes to sit at her desk and begin writing by 8 a.m. Then she'll stop for lunch and write until the middle of the afternoon. It usually takes her six months to finish a book.

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Lois loves dogs. She enjoys knitting, reading, and going to the movies. She likes to garden and cook as well.

What does Lois tell children who want to have the same career as she does? Lois recommends that children read a lot if they want to become an author. They should think about how someone writes as they read a book. She also feels children should observe others. Her observations, combined with her imagination, create most of what she writes.

Lois has covered many topics in her work - adoption, mental illness, cancer, the Holocaust, and the future. She puts her characters in situations that make readers think. Her recurring themes of saying goodbye, finding a place to belong, and the importance of making connections are messages she tries to convey. Lois believes she writes about what she has a passion for, and readers certainly have responded to her work.

Lois Lowry

Questions

1. Lois Lowry is ______.

A. a lawyerB. a dentistC. a professorD. an author

2. Lois Lowry completed her college degree.

A. trueB. false

3. Lois's first book was ______.

A. A Summer to DieB. Anastasia KrupnikC. Number the StarsD. The Giver

4. Which book is not considered part of a series?

A. Number the StarsB. The One Hundredth Thing about CarolineC. Attaboy, Sam!D. Anastasia on Her Own

5. What prestigious award did Lois Lowry receive for The Giver and Number the Stars?

A. TV Guide AwardB. Newbery MedalC. Disney AwardD. Caldecott Award

6. Why does Lois say she would like conflict to end in the world?

A. Yelling gives her a headache.B. She wants to run for president.C. Her son's death in military service made her very sad.D. She likes to laugh.

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7. What advice do you think Lois would give you if you said you wanted to become an author someday?

A. Skip homework.B. Read a lot.C. Talk a lot.D. Watch TV.

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Diamonds and GraphiteBy Meg Leonard

There are many minerals made from carbon. Two of them are graphite and diamonds. They have very different properties. A property is a trait that belongs to a specific thing. Diamonds are very hard. They are harder than any other natural mineral. This means that they will scratch any surface. Diamonds are used to strengthen cutting tool such as saw blades, drill bits, and grinding tools. Diamonds are insulators. This means they do not conduct electricity well. Diamonds are also very beautiful. Diamonds are usually transparent. This means you can see light through a diamond. They can be cut and polished to make them sparkle. Then they are used in jewelry.

Graphite is one of the softest minerals known to man. It is used for the lead in pencils. Even though it is not a metal, graphite is a good conductor of electricity. Graphite is a good lubricant. A lubricant lets things move more easily. It prevents things from getting scratched. Since graphite is dry, it can be used to lubricate things where liquid lubricants, such as oil, cannot. Graphite is opaque. This means the light is blocked out. Even though diamonds and graphite are both made of carbon, they have many differences!

Diamonds and Graphite

Questions

1. Which element forms diamonds and graphite?

A. neonB. carbonC. goldD. oxygen

2. What is a property?

A. an object's nameB. a way to get rid of an objectC. It tells if you like an object.D. a trait that belongs to a specific thing

3. What is a use for graphite?

A. to cut hard surfacesB. conducting electricityC. jewelryD. an insulator

4. Which of the following is true about diamonds?

A. They are very soft.B. They are not useful.C. You cannot see through a diamond.D. They are very hard.

5. List some properties of graphite.

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Salamanders

Back in ancient times, people believed that there was a lizard-like creature that could defy fire. Indeed, as they threw a log onto a fire, they often found a mysterious animal crawling out from the burning log unharmed. Amazed, they gave this unknown animal a Greek name - "salamander." In Greek, the word literally means "fire lizard."

But this legend has two unfounded facts. The first is that salamanders are not lizards. Related to frogs and toads, salamanders belong to the group of amphibians. Like their hopping relatives, salamanders have moist, scale-less skin. This physical feature marks the biggest difference between amphibians and reptiles. Reptiles (lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes) have dry, tough, scaled skins.

As for salamanders' rumored ability to defy fire, it is also untrue. Salamanders prefer damp, protected places. Logs are definitely high on their list of housing options! When we see them emerging from flaming logs, they are really running for their lives, not trying to tamper with fire.

Salamanders are shy. They are mostly active at night. Despite their rather harmless appearance, salamanders are carnivorous and, sometimes, cannibalistic. Salamanders mainly feed on tadpoles, insects, snails, and other small animals. They sometimes expand their menu to eat young salamanders as well.

Amphibians lead a double life. That is, they spend their childhood in water. Their adulthood is spent both in water and on land. While this lifestyle is evident in all frogs and toads, it is not so in all salamanders. In fact, aside from some salamanders that do have a double life, others are either exclusively aquatic or entirely terrestrial. To make the matter even more confusing, salamanders have variations in their body parts, in their self-defense mechanisms, and in their means of respiration.

While all salamanders have slender bodies and long tails, some (such as the fire salamander) have four legs. Others (such as the greater siren) have just two. When threatened, the California newt and many other salamander species produce distasteful or even poisonous secretions from glands in their skin. These salamanders are often brightly colored, so their enemies know to stay away. Several salamanders (such as the four-toed salamander) lose their tails at the moment of danger. As predators are pre-occupied by severed yet still twitching tails, the four-toed salamander and a few other species make a quick escape and zip away.

The last conflicting feature among roughly 400 different species of salamanders is how they breathe. Though young salamanders (or larvae) have gills, they don't necessary use gills to breathe as they reach adulthood. Some (such as the red-spotted newt) trade their gills for lungs. Some (such as the mudpuppy) get to have both gills and lungs. Others (such as the lungless salamander) simply lack either and breathe through their skin, mouths, and throats!

Salamanders

Questions

1. Which of the following about salamanders is true?

A. All salamanders can detach their tails at will.B. Salamanders are reptiles.C. Like frogs and toads, all salamanders spend their childhood in water and their adulthood both in

water and on land.D. Fire salamanders have four legs, whereas greater sirens have just two.

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2. Salamanders are related to frogs and toads, not to crocodiles and snakes.

A. trueB. false

3. Which of the following is NOT an amphibian?

A. the horned lizardB. the red-spotted newtC. the Surinam toadD. the poison dart frog

4. The Greek word "salamander" means "fire lizard."

A. trueB. false

5. How does a four-toed salamander fend off a predator?

A. It plays dead.B. It releases poisonous gas.C. It squirts streams of blood out of its eyes into a predator's face.D. It detaches its tail to divert a predator's attention.

6. Salamanders live in logs, because they love drinking tree sap.

A. falseB. true

7. Which of the following statements about salamanders is NOT true?

A. The California newt has toxic glands on its skin.B. The lungless salamander breathes with its skin, mouth, and throat.C. Salamanders have moist skin, free of scales.D. The mudpuppy has no lungs, so it breathes with its gills.

8. Salamanders eat all of the following, except ______.

A. young salamandersB. tadpolesC. snailsD. nectar

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Kite ShapesBy Joyce Furstenau

Kites come in all shapes and sizes. You are probably most familiar with the diamond shaped kite. Diamond kites can also be called two-stick kites. That is because two sticks are used to build them. This is the shape of kite that Ben Franklin used in his experiments. Two stick kites are easily made using two sticks; paper, cloth, or nylon for the cover; and string. These kites are usually single line kites. That means the kite is controlled using a single line of kite string.

Single line kites come in many shapes and sizes, too. A single line kite can measure anywhere from a foot to a hundred feet in length. Kites can look like butterflies, caterpillars, airplanes, or even a hundred-foot-long Chinese dragon kite like the one shown in the picture. The diamond, sled, delta, box, and the winged box are all examples of single line kites.

Bigger single line kites have a bridle. The strings that tie everything together are called the bridle. The bridle attaches directly to the kite frame. The flying line is attached to the bridle. The bridle can be adjusted according to wind speed. The bridle helps the flyer maneuver his or her kite.

More experienced kite flyers may fly a dual line kite. That means the flyer controls the kite with two lines of kite string. This gives the flyer better control of the kite. It takes a little practice, but experts say these kites are easy to launch and easy to fly. Dual line kites have specially measured bridles that should not be adjusted unless a line is worn or broken. The Wright brothers used a dual line kite for their experimental glider.

For the most advanced kite flyer there are kites with four lines. These kites are called quad line kites. The upper lines control the top of the kite, and the bottom lines control the bottom. The bottom lines are sometimes called the brakes. These kites are used by stunt flyers. Quad line kites can be made to fly upside down and even backwards.

Kites come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. You can make your own or purchase one. Kites are fun to fly on a windy day.

Kite Shapes

Questions

1. What was the shape of the kite Ben Franklin used in his experiments?

2. What is another name for a diamond kite?

A. a stunt kiteB. a gem kiteC. a two stick kiteD. a rhombus kite

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3. Which of these is NOT an example of a single string kite?

A. cartonB. sledC. diamondD. delta

4. The strings that tie everything together on a kite are called ______.

5. What is the advantage of having two strings on a kite?

6. What is a kite with four strings called?

A. a winged box kiteB. a quart line kiteC. a quad line kiteD. a quartet line kite

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Rosalynn CarterBy Meg Leonard

Rosalynn Smith was born in 1927 in Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn's father died when she was thirteen. She helped her mother take care of her four brothers and sisters. Rosalynn went to college after high school. She first dated Jimmy Carter after her first year of college. They had been friends since childhood. They were married in 1946. Jimmy was in the Navy. Jimmy and Rosalynn moved around a lot. Their four children were each born in a different state. They have three sons and a daughter. In 1953, Jimmy left the Navy. The family moved back to Georgia. Jimmy took over the family business after his father died. Rosalynn helped with the business full time. Jimmy entered politics nine years later. He ran for the Georgia Senate. In 1970, Jimmy was elected governor of Georgia. Jimmy ran for president seven years later. Rosalynn campaigned all over the country. Jimmy was elected president. When Rosalynn was First Lady, she worked very hard. She went to important meetings. She represented the president at special occasions. She focused attention on the performing arts. Jimmy Carter was not elected to a second term. After leaving office, the Carters have continued to fight for human rights for all people. They founded the Carter Center in 1982 to promote peace, help advance human rights, and help reduce human suffering. For many years, Rosalynn was the vice chair of the Carter Center. In 2018, Rosalynn Carter became the oldest living former First Lady.

Rosalynn Carter

Questions

1. Who is Rosalynn Carter?

A. wife of Jimmy CarterB. an actressC. a politicianD. a singer

2. How many children do the Carters have?

A. 2B. 8C. 6D. 4

3. What branch of the service did Jimmy serve in?

A. MarinesB. Air ForceC. ArmyD. Navy

4. What issue was very important to the Carters?

A. human rights for allB. conservationC. world peaceD. all of the aboveE. both A and C

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5. Name some things Rosalynn did as First Lady.

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